"Phew, done."
Looking at the array of floating bottles before her, Su Min stretched lazily. She'd spent a month refining numerous pills, though the highest grade was only seventh-tier high-grade, for Xie Yingying's breakthrough to Unity stage.
The power of the Lunar Sovereign Body was formidable, even its pill requirements were one tier lower than others. She could only envy this. The Five Elements Body offered no such shortcuts. She still needed a Unity Pill, but refining that was currently beyond her capabilities. The ingredients were too scarce to waste on failed attempts.
"The Black Qilin's growth is truly sluggish. According to earlier information, the qilin clan's secret realm contains seven or eight divine artifacts, their collection is indeed impressive."
Su Min envied the qilin clan's treasures. She'd nearly died obtaining her few artifacts, while the ancient Golden Crow royalty possessed only two. Though she had four herself, without her game knowledge of their locations, she might never have acquired them.
Now only one final step remained for her Five Elements Holy Body's completion, but the young qilin's slow growth had become a bottleneck. This frustrated her immensely. She hoped to achieve completion around Unity stage.
Then even at early Unity, she could contend with Mahayana cultivators. The gaps between these final stages were terrifyingly vast, even now, Su Min couldn't confidently kill an early Unity expert.
The disparity was despairingly large, let alone against Mahayana experts. But a completed Five Elements Holy Body would change everything, this most mysterious constitution would reveal its true brilliance.
"How can I accelerate the little qilin's growth? Pills are prepared, more would be useless. It needs special rare items. And my own path to Unity is troublesome too. Sigh, what to do..."
Su Min fell into contemplation, finding no immediate solutions. Overusing pills might hinder her Unity breakthrough.
"Forget it, I'll consult the sect."
Unable to devise a plan, Su Min abandoned the effort. What was the point of establishing a sect if not to handle such chores?
Considering she only needed to spend a month or two refining pills for them every few decades, the payoff far outweighed the effort.
With this thought, her figure gradually dissipated, reappearing in the main hall. As Su Min normally avoided administrative duties and Xie Yingying was currently training, Elder Zhu remained acting sect leader.
"Greetings, Lady Su."
"Respected Grand Elder."
Seeing Su Min's sudden appearance, all present bowed respectfully.
Unconcerned by formalities, Su Min descended to the main seat, summoning a series of scrolls.
"Any new developments?"
She began reviewing the documents. Naturally, countless secret realms emerged across the world. Most were exploited by local powers, but some remained beyond ordinary cultivators' reach.
These often contained great opportunities, precisely what Su Min sought. Realms that could enhance her were never easily accessible.
"Indeed, one emerged. I intended to inform you upon your departure."
"Oh?"
Su Min regarded Elder Zhu curiously as he summoned a scroll from a nearby cabinet.
"Five Elements Mountain? Is there a Monkey King trapped underneath?"
Su Min stared blankly at the title, three bold characters declaring "Five Elements Mountain."
"Monkey? What monkey? Those divine ape beasts? This has no connection. That realm has been engulfed by chaotic five elements energy. Those venturing deep never return, but the periphery offers rich rewards. Fearing something might emerge, they publicized the information."
"Chaotic five elements energy... could it be, "
Su Min paused mid-sentence, her expression shifting to realization.
"Five Elements Land..."
Muttering to herself, her face first showed confusion, then darkened with understanding.
"Five Elements Great Sage."
Her expression turned grim, recalling a boss from her game. Its true name was unknown, only bearing the epithet "Five Elements Great Sage."
Likely unrelated to the Five Elements Emperor (though possibly connected), Su Min knew this entity possessed the Five Elements Holy Body.
After self-severing, its leaked energy had condensed into terrifying crystals. Having always operated in shadows, its reputation remained unknown, utterly forgotten now.
"Game lore suggested it only possessed one heavenly treasure, barely unlocking a minor constitution. Reaching Mahayana should've been impossible. Yet it seemed to have other secrets. Regardless, that place holds great value for me."
Su Min's eyes narrowed. The crystalline mountain represented the massive law leakage and residue from its self-severance, incredibly nourishing for her. The benefits could propel her to Unity stage, even accelerate the little qilin's growth.
But tremendous danger lurked alongside these rewards.
"It seems I must depart."
"Will you bring Lady Xie along?"
"No, it's unsuitable for her. The Five Elements Land is my domain. The Black Qilin might fare similarly, their base also revolves around five elements energy."
Each divine beast had core attributes, Golden Crows centered on fire, dragons on water and wood, qilins on five elements. The Black Qilin shared special similarities with the Five Elements Holy Body, making it highly compatible.
But the Lunar Sovereign Body's yin nature would suffer severe suppression in that chaotic environment. Moreover, traveling alone better ensured Su Min's safety.
"This..."
After seeing Su Min's expression, Elder Zhu also felt chill. Su Min gave him a dangerous feeling, and it was obvious that she had guessed something.
But considering their power disparity, he remained silent.
Besides, she undoubtedly possessed hidden trump cards for self-preservation if overwhelmed.
"I'll depart immediately. Inform Yingying when she emerges."
Storing the scroll, Su Min vanished in a streak of light. The Five Elements Mountain had appeared near the continent's coastal region, a remote area without spatial passages.
The fastest approach was direct flight. In moments, Su Min left the Eastern Mulberry State, following the coastline. At her cultivation level, unimpeded by dimensional barriers, her speed was staggering, capable of crossing starry skies with her physical body alone. This journey was trivial.
Within half a day...
"This entire realm is saturated with the mountain's energy. Does it intend to devour all existence here?"
Standing seaside observing the distant land, Su Min's expression darkened.
Ordinary cultivators wouldn't notice, but her Five Elements Holy Body revealed the realm's grave abnormalities. That no action had been taken suggested the perpetrator was still casting nets, luring more cultivators.
This realm had become a frenzy for cultivators, a Mahayana peak expert's (likely the Black Seal's third seat) masterpiece contained treasures to madden Divine Transformation, Dao Comprehension, even Unity stage experts. The coastal periphery alone teemed with Golden Core cultivators.
While Golden Core cultivators weren't as rare as during the world's rebirth, such concentration in a remote area indicated massive attraction.
"Reckless fools. Since it's come to this, don't blame me for using you. A direct approach is unwise, that thing may have reached Unity stage. My imperial artifact can only be activated monthly, and killing it that way isn't guaranteed."
Su Min pondered. Mahayana experts couldn't be easily slain by imperial artifacts without special bloodlines or secret techniques enabling unlimited activation. The Future Bliss Bell restricted its functions until she reached Mahayana, intended for emergencies, not reliance.
Facing a potential Unity stage enemy unprepared would be perilous, especially if her identity was discovered beforehand. She needed an opportunity to approach the core undetected for a surprise attack.
"Seems I'll need some tricks again..."
With a cold smile, Su Min produced a pill from her pocket.
[Shape-Shifting Pill (7th-tier high-grade): Completely conceals all personal information unless the opponent possesses overwhelming spiritual power.]
The high-grade transformation pill could alter her appearance, aura, even constitution, undetectable except by Mahayana mid-to-peak stage spiritual power.
Impossible now, since the target had self-severed. Whatever its peak strength, current spiritual power couldn't compare.
Diving underwater, Su Min swallowed the pill.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Bone-chilling crunching sounds erupted as her skeleton reshaped. Her 170cm curvaceous figure shrank into a flat-chested child's form.
Her aura plummeted from late Dao Comprehension to late Divine Transformation, with all divine artifacts completely concealed, an uncomfortable sensation.
"Seems I'll play an earth cultivator temporarily. Awkward..."
Externally manifesting earth cultivation attributes (having not obtained the Central Wutu Divine Earth), she utilized a common beast-earth essence, utterly unremarkable for Divine Transformation cultivators.
"Damn, what's with this bratty loli look?"
Seeing her reflection, Su Min couldn't help cursing. Deliberately altering her appearance, she now stood barely 120cm, a textbook loli with an inherently bratty aura.
"Whatever, no point dwelling."
Her current identity, a late Divine Transformation cultivator, bore no resemblance to the renowned alchemist. Strong enough to be noteworthy, yet not excessively conspicuous.
"First, find a team of casual cultivators to infiltrate the Five Elements Mountain."
Late Divine Transformation cultivators, positioned just below Dao Comprehension, were desperate enough to risk deadly realms for breakthroughs. Such daring individuals made perfect prey, exactly what her target sought.
This time, Su Min decided, she'd give them a taste of their own medicine, a proper ambush specialist's surprise.