Seeing Su Min again, Lin Yao's heart felt light.
No matter how lofty Su Min's cultivation had become, she had never worn the arrogance of power. She moved like moonlight, distant but never cold. Aloof at first glance, yes—but those who knew her understood that her indifference was merely habit, not disdain. Beneath it was the warmth of someone who had lived too long, lost too much, and still chose to care—quietly.
Lin Yao cherished that about her.
Even now, sprawled unceremoniously in Su Min's arms, she saw no trace of annoyance. Just a slight frown, touched with amusement.
Of course, all of that only applied to those she was familiar with—as an alchemist, Su Min had to maintain some defenses or she'd be constantly harassed. People had even tried morality blackmail on her before, not realizing Su Min had no morals to speak of.
"Get off me, you brat. It hasn't been that long. Hmm... already late Divine Transformation stage?" Su Min gave her a once-over, her tone casual but sharp. "Have you comprehended any laws yet? How far are you from Dao Comprehension?"
It wasn't judgment. It was… concern, buried beneath the usual teasing tone. Lin Yao heard it clearly, and her heart stirred.
"Mm…" she started to reply, but before the words left her lips, something shifted.
A sudden stillness. The courtyard air thinned.
Then came the cold.
Not the chill of wind or winter, but something deeper—bone-deep and silent. Like the hush before snowfall, or a predator stepping into view.
Without a sound, Xie Yingying appeared.
She didn't walk. She materialized. Pale robes trailing, her Taiyin aura spreading outward like cold mist from an open crypt. It slipped through the seals Lin Yao instinctively raised, brushing her skin like a blade made of silence.
Even with her Netherworld Ghost Flame coiled defensively in her dantian, Lin Yao flinched. Not visibly, but inwardly—like prey under a dragon's shadow.
"Welcome back," Xie Yingying said.
Her tone was polite. Her actions were not.
With graceful ease, she reached forward and peeled Lin Yao away from Su Min's embrace. Her fingers were soft, but unyielding. She didn't shove. She corrected. Like straightening a painting that had tilted slightly off the wall. The message was clear.
"This position does not belong to you."
Lin Yao offered no resistance. She couldn't. Not after surviving months of brutal training under Xie Yingying's personal supervision, where a light sparring session could still leave her sore a week later. Not when the weight of that unblinking gaze pinned her in place like a needle through a butterfly's wing.
"Not yet," Lin Yao said stiffly, avoiding Xie Yingying's eyes. "No signs of progress either."
It was true. The path to Dao Comprehension remained distant, no matter how many pills she swallowed or inheritances she chased.
Her usual cheer dimmed. Not because of Su Min's presence. But because Xie Yingying was always there—watchful, wordless, cold as frost. She didn't understand what she had done wrong. She wasn't trying to compete. She didn't demand anything. All she wanted was to remain near her Master, just a little longer.
But whenever Lady Xie looked at her... it was as though she were being weighed and found wanting. Like she was clutter. Something that didn't belong.
She didn't hate her for it.
She just didn't know how long she could survive it.
"Is that so..."
Su Min, watching the exchange, raised a brow. She glanced sideways at Xie Yingying, whose half-lidded gaze gave away nothing—but Su Min could sense the shift beneath the surface. That faint prickling on the back of her neck wasn't just residual killing intent. It was something else. Something territorial.
And though Su Min didn't understand the shape of it, she'd been alive long enough to recognize the edges. Not that she'd acknowledge it aloud. She cleared her throat and smoothly redirected the topic to business, while secretly cheering—if Lin Yao had already comprehended laws, it would've been harder to persuade her. This situation was perfect.
"Master, do you have any methods?"
Lin Yao asked nervously as she watched Su Min appear deep in thought. For cultivators, advancing was their eternal pursuit—Divine Transformation dreaming of Dao Comprehension, Dao Comprehension yearning for Unity—these desires were inevitable.
"I do, but it's somewhat dangerous."
"What method?"
Lin Yao grew even more excited at Su Min's words.
"The ancient battlefield. You came through there, right? How was it?"
"Uh..."
The mere mention made Lin Yao instinctively shudder as she recalled everything inside—countless Dao Comprehension-level monsters lurked there. She'd only escaped by moving with extreme caution, an utterly harrowing experience.
Now Su Min seemed to be suggesting she return?
"You guessed right. The ancient battlefield contains everything. Your constitution is uniquely powerful, and you've been blessed with heavenly flames, proof of exceptional luck. If you want to advance further, that's the only place I'd recommend."
"This..."
"That companion who explored the ancient battlefield with me gained special benefits there, obtaining an inheritance perfectly suited to his constitution. Not only did he reach Dao Comprehension, he secured his path to Unity. I believe you could find similar opportunities. As for safety, I can craft some protective artifacts for you."
Here, Su Min subtly glanced at Xie Yingying, who remained silent.
"Then I..."
Lin Yao hesitated, then fell into deep contemplation. This would be her first time truly facing life-or-death danger. In her homeworld, she'd been everyone's genius girl. Though some had wanted her dead, Su Min had always stood behind her. Entering the battlefield meant her master could offer no protection.
To Su Min's eyes, Lin Yao was far too green. Her overly smooth cultivation journey meant she'd never truly experienced mortal combat alone. She lacked tempering, the ancient battlefield would be perfect training.
Safety wasn't a major concern either, the battlefield had its own rules. As long as Lin Yao didn't seek death, she'd be fine.
Of course, this had nothing to do with Su Min wanting her to collect corpses. While Mahayana-level remains existed there, Dao Comprehension-level ones were plentiful too. The puppets Su Min planned to make were mainly for resisting pill tribulations, even if the corpses had deteriorated over time, their foundations would suffice.
Moreover, the jade slip contained a special "material stacking" technique, where there's a will, there's a way. Thus Su Min needed Lin Yao to gather sufficiently high-level corpses. Given Lin Yao's current abilities, any leftover tricks from Dao Comprehension corpses wouldn't threaten her.
"Alright, I'll prepare to enter again."
After long consideration, Lin Yao nodded firmly.
"Excellent. What assistance do you need? Forget about imperial artifacts, they can't enter. But I can prepare other treasures up to Heaven-grade."
"Master, I want a full set of armor," Lin Yao said. "Back in my world, the best we had was Earth-grade. No one could craft anything higher."
"Granted," Su Min replied without hesitation.
She didn't ask for details. If Lin Yao wanted it, she'd make it happen. That was how Su Min handled her own.
Xie Yingying spoke next, her tone cool but measured. "Then go prepare. The ancient battlefield forbids Dao Comprehension cultivators. For someone like you still at Divine Transformation, it's a rare opportunity. And with a unique constitution like yours, your chances of gaining something... are decent."
Her gaze lingered on Lin Yao a second too long—not hostile, but sharp, assessing. And dismissive.
"Understood. I'll go get ready." Lin Yao nodded quickly and turned away, leaving without another word. She was gone in moments. No parting glance, no clumsy attempt at lingering. Just silence, and her fading footsteps. She'd sensed the intent behind Xie Yingying's words and knew better than to ignore it.
As the door closed, a thin quiet settled over the room.
Xie Yingying didn't speak, but Su Min could feel the pressure in the air shift slightly. It wasn't threatening, but it carried weight.
Intent.
"You chased her off pretty neatly," Su Min remarked with a slight smile, glancing at her sidelong. "You know I wasn't going to let her cling to me all day, right?"
Xie Yingying said nothing.
Su Min leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. "So. Judging by that look on your face, this isn't about Lin Yao—at least, not directly. What is it?"
Her tone was casual, but the sharpness in her eyes said she wasn't taking this lightly. She knew Xie Yingying well enough to recognize that look: calm on the surface, but taut underneath. Whatever she wanted to talk about wasn't trivial.
Xie Yingying finally met her gaze.
"Correct. That Black Seal organization you mentioned, their top three seats seem to have awakened. In just the past two years, several sects were annihilated. Even the ancient city was attacked, had I not arrived with the Golden Crow Bell, they'd have been wiped out."
"Impossible! What about their hidden reserves?"
Su Min was startled. That sect coexisted with the Blood Puppet Sect in their shared realm. After Su Min destroyed the Blood Puppets, relations had been harmonious.
The Immortal Sect had no ambitions in that realm beyond controlling the spatial passage. With their core remaining in the Eastern Sea, interactions had been smooth.
Especially with Su Min around—the ancient city wasn't foolish enough to provoke them.
Su Min knew their hidden reserves surpassed the Blood Puppet Sect's, they possessed three Heaven-grade high-tier artifacts, though each use carried heavy costs.
While they couldn't compare to super factions with imperial artifacts, they ranked just below. They even had a Dao Comprehension expert stationed there, yet they'd nearly been destroyed?
"Black Seal's third seat—the Heavenly Demon Venerable. Early Unity stage cultivation. If not for fearing my imperial artifact, I couldn't have held my ground in a real fight."
"Well, well..."
Su Min was stunned. Over recent decades, she'd killed several of their members and understood their general strength.
While Unity stage didn't particularly surprise her, this was explosive news.
"But don't worry too much. Donghuang Taiyu has reached Unity stage. Safety isn't an issue, but venturing out carries great risks."
"That's enough. In these times, survival comes first. As for saving the world, we can only do our best."
Su Min sighed deeply. Clearly, no one had solutions. Even super factions faced grave dangers if too many members left their bases.
That the Little Golden Crow had reached Unity stage was fantastic news. With her guarding the sect, they'd be safe. Though the Black Seal differed from other fallen ones, they shared all the same problematic traits.
"How are the little qilins doing?"
"Still at Golden Core stage. Divine beasts need massive energy to grow. The qilin ancestral lands had a Five Elements domain, a special territory built from five elemental divine artifacts. We lack that here. So we've had to keep those colorful qilins confined, waiting for their king to mature and manifest it."
"What about the Black Qilin's growth? If I took the Central Wutu Divine Earth, would they fight me over it?"
"They wouldn't. According to the qilins, they have backup divine artifacts. This Central Wutu Divine Earth can be yours."
"Perfect."
Su Min nodded in satisfaction. After all her efforts, this was what she'd wanted.
"How much longer until she's ready?"
"About a century. There's nothing we can do."
"We'll wait then. Oh, I have something good here."
Su Min raised her hand, producing a small box.
"What's this?"
Xie Yingying looked puzzled at the floating container.
"A Great Emperor's tomb."
Before Su Min finished speaking, Xie Yingying had already retreated eight zhang away while cursing.
"Why did you bring this thing here? Aren't you afraid of the emperor's corpse?"
After a Transcendence stage cultivator's lifespan ended, their body didn't die immediately but became ownerless. All sorts of strange things could emerge from such corpses. Born from death, these entities harbored insane desires to consume the living. Thus most Great Emperors properly disposed of their bodies before death.
"What are you afraid of? This is the Puppet Ancient Emperor's. He dismantled himself, his imperial artifact was taken apart too. It's completely harmless. The puppets inside regenerate every few weeks—perfect training partners ranging from Dao Comprehension to Mahayana levels. An ideal inheritance ground."
"Fine then."
Reassured, Xie Yingying flew back. She knew Su Min wouldn't lie, her worries finally eased. This would be immensely useful to her too. True enlightenment often came between life and death. But then she remembered something. "That guy experimented on many divine beasts. Now they—"
"I'll handle it. Here, place this jade slip in the most prominent spot of the scripture repository."
"Alright, this... the Puppet Ancient Emperor's inheritance? My, isn't this an edited version?"
Xie Yingying examined the jade slip curiously. A Great Emperor's inheritance was no small matter. Sects possessing such legacies easily became super factions, but obtaining one usually meant nine deaths for one survivor. Had Su Min not been strong and cautious enough during her journey, she might have died many times over.
The "edited version" Xie Yingying mentioned made sense, this puppet compendium had two parts. One was normal, while the other contained more esoteric methods involving human and biological components. The emperor had thoughtfully separated them for Su Min.
At least she wouldn't need to painstakingly filter out problematic content herself.
"Correct. That part violates natural order. I won't disclose it lightly. Now that you mention it—I need to leave immediately. You handle things here."
After leaving the necessary items, Su Min transformed into a streak of light and vanished. Her destination was the central Fusang Ancient Tree. The reason was simple, her ring contained several divine beast corpses.
Two of them had been properly preserved—her way of making amends to the Golden Crow clan. Soon she spotted the Little Golden Crow in human form—a girl in a golden dress sitting absently in the tree. Her initial joy at seeing Su Min quickly turned to fury.
The idea of turning her clansmen into puppets sounded as absurd as turning one's family into zombies.
"The Puppet Ancient Emperor? That bastard's still alive? Where is he? I'll tear down his temples!!!"
Seeing the corpses, the Little Golden Crow erupted in rage. Su Min could only roll her eyes internally at the spectacle.