"Puppet Ancient Emperor—are you serious?"
Upon hearing Su Min's words, Xie Yingying's brows furrowed deeply.
"Correct."
"An emperor's tomb is no joke."
"I know."
"Since you've already made your decision, I won't say anything more. You've always been cautious—you know better than I do."
In the end, Xie Yingying chose not to press further. Su Min had ventured into countless secret realms over the years. Though an emperor's tomb sounded terrifying, if Su Min was this confident, then the risks must be manageable. There was no point in arguing.
"Also, don't casually refine pills anymore. The lightning tribulation is extremely dangerous—even many newly advanced Dao Comprehension-stage cultivators can't withstand it. If I hadn't been there last time, it would've been disastrous."
"I know. Right now, the only eighth-grade pills I can refine are healing pills and spirit-recovery pills. But for someone at the Dao Comprehension stage, eighth-grade and seventh-grade aren't that different."
Su Min nodded. She didn't need those two herself, and there was no urgency to refine anything more complex—especially something as critical as the Unity Pill. She estimated that she wouldn't be able to refine it until she reached the late Dao Comprehension stage.
"You're leaving for a long while again, aren't you?"
"Yep. So if you need any pills, speak now. Once I leave, who knows how many decades it'll be? A mortal's lifetime is just a blink for people like us."
Xie Yingying let out a quiet breath, neither sigh nor exhale—just release. "Nothing for now. Just go and come back soon."
She didn't plead, didn't ask her to stay. That was never how they worked. They'd both lived long enough to outlast infatuation, sentimentality, and the drama of goodbyes. What remained was trust—measured, silent, and absolute.
It was a far cry from those exaggerated ancient dramas where immortal lovers fell apart over every separation, weeping and pining as though they hadn't already lived through a thousand such farewells.
"Fine. Here are some pills I refined in my spare time. Take them. Also, keep gathering intel on the Black Seal. I need a rough estimate of their strength. If my calculations are correct, by the time I return, they'll probably have Unity-stage cultivators."
"Got it."
Su Min didn't elaborate further. In her estimation, unless something unexpected happened, the Skeleton Emperor would likely awaken soon. That guy had undoubtedly left himself a backup plan. Unless she got absurdly lucky like with the Kirin Clan, stopping him would be nearly impossible.
She wasn't even considering a full-scale preemptive strike—there was still plenty of time before the final showdown.
Su Min stayed a while longer in the sect. Not for anything specific—just long enough to make the silence between them feel complete.
Then she left.
No grand farewell, no turning back.
She and Xie Yingying were on different roads, but they were headed in the same direction.Sooner or later, they'd meet again. That much was certain. For people like them—who spent most of their lives walking alone—just knowing someone would still be there in the end meant more than any words of affection.
"Where exactly is this place?"
Outside the Immortal Sect, Su Min glanced at the small cauldron floating beside her.
According to the agreements made during the Sect Alliance Conference, the Immortal Sect—as one of the most powerful super sects—had spatial teleportation networks spanning the continent. This allowed rapid reinforcements even across vast distances.
It also served as a deterrent against the Black Seal, discouraging them from reckless actions. Of course, the benefits were numerous—the sect had become a massive trading hub. Countless rare treasures circulated here, backed by the Immortal Sect's overwhelming martial strength. Few dared to cause trouble.
With Elder Zhu now at the Dao Comprehension stage, he was the one usually overseeing things.
Naturally, if she wanted to go somewhere, these teleportation channels were the fastest way. The game and reality were completely different, so once Su Min stepped out, she realized she was practically blind.
"The location is in the Tianming Mountain Range."
"Tianming Mountain Range… Ugh, that means going through the Heavenly God Sect. Damn it. Guess I'll have to negotiate with them."
Su Min scratched her head irritably. She was carrying an emperor's artifact—the Future Maitreya Bell.
But the artifact spirit, worried she might become overly reliant on it, had sealed its power. In her current state, she could only activate it once a month. Still, it was enough to guarantee her safety.
Not that she thought the Heavenly God Sect would risk a life-and-death confrontation with her—the cost would far outweigh the benefits.
As for the Puppet Ancient Emperor's emperor artifact? It was the puppet he had crafted from his own body. The man had been ruthless, nearly turning himself into an artifact spirit.
While that could grant longevity, the restrictions on artifact spirits were severe—even one's own freedom was heavily curtailed. No one in their right mind would choose that path.
Since the tomb wasn't in their core territory, she could sneak in quietly. But using the teleportation network? That was impossible to hide. It was like crossing a national border—there would definitely be checkpoints.
Getting caught sneaking in would be embarrassing. Better to be upfront about it.
"So, what's the procedure if I want to pass through?"
Su Min asked politely, though with a hint of curiosity, as she looked at the Golden Core-stage disciple in front of her—whose legs were visibly trembling.
"Grandmaster Su, this way, please! I'll immediately summon the Supreme Elders to personally welcome you—"
"No need. I'm just passing through for business, not an official visit. No need for a grand reception."
"Grandmaster Su's presence alone brings glory to our sect! We ask for nothing—just a cup of tea would be an honor."
"Fine."
Su Min massaged her temples at their excessive enthusiasm.
Cultivation wasn't just about fighting and killing—it was also about social maneuvering. If that was the case, she might as well spare a day or two to chat. She'd just deflect everything and agree to nothing.
Three days later…
"F*ck, this is more exhausting than fighting someone. From now on, leave this diplomatic crap to Elder Zhu. My head hurts."
Once she was outside the Heavenly God Sect's territory, Su Min reverted to her usual grumbling self, rubbing her face for good measure.
At home or in private, she could curse all she wanted. But in front of outsiders, she had to maintain at least a veneer of politeness and a smile.
Now her facial muscles were sore from the strain—though it had unintentionally charmed quite a few younger disciples. Su Min could only sigh helplessly. After all this time, she was used to it.
No matter how infatuated they were, none of them would dare say anything improper to her. If they tried, their elders would beat them senseless before they could even finish speaking.
"Those old foxes kept trying to figure out where I was going, probably hoping to get a piece of the action. As if. Time to head to the destination."
Muttering to herself, Su Min turned and left.
The elders had only dared to probe indirectly—none had the guts to ask outright. Between her status as an eighth-grade alchemist and her combat prowess, they wouldn't dare underestimate her.
Not to mention, they had analyzed footage of her battle with Yao Xian'er countless times and still couldn't decipher the power she had used. That alone made them even more wary.
Actually, it wasn't just them—every sect was the same.
With that thought, Su Min retracted her gaze and vanished in a streak of light.
Though the Heavenly God Sect was curious, not a single person followed her. An eighth-grade alchemist was someone they might need to beg favors from in the future—antagonizing her would be shortsighted.
Besides, Su Min had a stellar reputation. Even back when she was weak, the pills she refined for the old demon queen had been flawless—no impurities, no shortcuts.
"What a shame. She seemed to be in a hurry. If she'd stayed longer, we might've pooled enough resources to ask for her help."
"Don't even think about it. An eighth-grade alchemist's lips aren't so easily pried open. Unless she's desperate or needs something from us, forget it. We did help during the destruction of Future Maitreya Mountain, so we've got some goodwill. But as for opportunities… let's be real—whatever she's after, it's best we stay out of it. Unless you've got a death wish."
"Oh?"
"You've seen her combat prowess. I've heard she single-handedly killed a late-stage Dao Comprehension expert in the Darma Secret Realm—and that guy was a Fallen One. That should tell you everything. If a place makes her wary, anyone below Unity-stage going there is just asking to die."
"But what if we had an emperor's artifact?"
"You think she doesn't have one? Remember, the Golden Crow Bell is at her disposal. And judging by her expression, she's treating that place with extreme caution."
"What a pity."
As they watched Su Min leave, the four Dao Comprehension-stage elders of the Heavenly God Sect exchanged glances. Though they coveted whatever opportunity she was chasing, their day of probing had revealed one thing—wherever she was going was dangerous enough to make her wary.
None of them dared to follow.
Super sects might be comparable in overall strength, but individual cultivators were a different story. Though these elders were all prodigies in their own right, they had enough self-awareness to know they paled in comparison to a monster like Su Min.
"By the way, keep that brat of yours in check. He actually dared to proposition Grandmaster Su! Who does he think he is? Just because he survived the Ninety-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and reached Nascent Soul before a hundred? Pathetic."
"I already hung him up and beat him half to death. The little shit kept spouting nonsense like 'I control my own destiny' and 'Give me time, and I'll surpass her.' Almost gave me a stroke."
While the elders were chatting, Su Min arrived at an unremarkable valley.
"Is this it? The Puppet Ancient Emperor's tomb?"
Staring at the ordinary-looking valley, Su Min immediately understood—it was hidden within a pocket dimension. For an emperor, such feats were trivial.
"Correct. This is the jade slip left behind by the Medicine Buddha. It contains a map of the entire tomb and the distribution of its puppets. The innermost chamber houses the special puppet workshop. However, extreme caution is required. Even with an emperor's artifact, it can only ensure your survival—not a second chance. And…"
The Medicine King's Cauldron suddenly fell silent, making Su Min glance at it curiously.
"This place is essentially the Puppet Ancient Emperor's legacy ground. If you can earn his recognition, all the better."
"Uh…"
Su Min blinked.
Truth be told, she already had multiple emperor-level legacies. The Five Elements Emperor, the Medicine Buddha, the Sin Buddha—that made three emperor inheritances. The first was due to her unique physique, but the other two?
Now that she thought about it, her connection to Buddhism ran deeper than she'd realized. Life was strange.
"What are you sighing about?"
"I currently possess three emperor legacies. Aside from the Five Elements Emperor, the other two are both Buddhist emperors—the Medicine Buddha and the Sin Buddha. If word got out, it'd drive people insane."
Su Min chuckled. A single emperor's legacy was enough to spark madness—having three was downright absurd.
"Your actions align with the Buddha's path. The Medicine Buddha once said that the Mahayana teachings weren't about chanting sutras but about embodying compassion and saving all living beings."
"That's giving me too much credit. I just want to survive."
Shaking her head, Su Min activated the jade slip. A small door materialized in front of her, and she stepped through without hesitation.
Then—
"Huh. Why does this feel like Ghost Blows Out the Light or The Grave Robbers' Chronicles?"
Her lips twitched as she took in the grand, cavernous hall and the rows of coffins laid out before her. She half-expected a horde of zombies to come crawling out.
Not that she was afraid—given her strength, such things were trivial. But the creep factor was undeniable. It was like how mice were objectively harmless to humans, yet some people still screamed at the sight of them.
Su Min wouldn't scream, but she was feeling a bit unsettled.
And as if responding to her thoughts, a series of sounds echoed through the chamber.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
In the next instant, over a dozen coffins burst open.
"This is a side chamber of the tomb. It houses over a dozen Dao Comprehension-stage puppets. Oh, sh*t—!"
Su Min quickly pulled out the jade slip to review its contents, but her expression soon turned grim. Just as expected, over a dozen humanoid puppets emerged, surrounding her.
"All of them are modified from fleshly bodies. Unfortunately, the flesh has long rotted away, leaving only the bones. But their combat power is still on par with Dao Comprehension-stage cultivators. Well, fine by me…"
Cracking her knuckles, Su Min summoned her silver-black armor, letting it encase her body.
"It's been a while since I've had a good stomp. Today, I'm going to enjoy myself."
In the next instant, she shot forward like a bolt of lightning, crashing into the puppet army with brutal force.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The chamber shook as explosions rang out one after another. A metallic juggernaut rampaged through the mechanical horde, tearing through them with terrifying efficiency.
In less than half a day, the puppets had been reduced to piles of scrap.
===
📢 Quick Life Update!
Good news—my Real Life chaos is finally settling down! 🎉 While I'm not fully back to my usual schedule yet, I've clawed back enough time to revive updates for some of my novels. Others might still lag behind for a bit, but hey—progress is progress!
Thank you so much for sticking around during this whirlwind. Your patience means the world to me. 💖
(P.S. Which story are you most excited to see return? Let me know—it might just fuel my motivation further! 🔥)