"Report—the Immortal Sect has sent an invitation."
As the group was discussing, a servant arrived with an invitation in hand.
Upon seeing it, the expressions of all three darkened. This was clearly a trap—a banquet set by the true master of the Immortal Sect, whose mere words could stir the entire world.
The allure of a single pill was too great. If not for their conflict with her, these three would likely be rummaging through their own treasuries right now. But now, the situation was awkward. The Immortal Sect, as a super sect, still lacked deep foundational strength. Its current status was undeniably propped up by Su Min alone.
With just one word from her, half the continent would move. The title of the world's greatest alchemist carried that kind of weight.
"What should we do?"
"Let's all go. We can't afford a conflict. That woman can mobilize the full might of the Golden Crows and the Dragon Clan, and she even uprooted an entire super sect."
Prince Yao delivered his assessment decisively. Thankfully, they hadn't crossed the point of no return with her before.
"Should we give up?"
"What else can we do? The cost of winning her over is too high."
They had gathered most of the basic information about Su Min—it wasn't difficult. But now, they were hesitant. They knew that if they attacked Eastern Mulberry Province, the divine beasts would join the fight in full force.
But if they only targeted the other two provinces, they would only face the Immortal Sect itself. In that regard, the Immortal Sect's strength was insignificant. But now, Su Min had returned.
"And we just received news—an extremely rare mineral vein has been discovered in one of the provinces we wanted."
Another piece of information arrived. If Su Min hadn't been present, this news would have been tightly sealed. Wealth tempted even the most disciplined minds. Their confidence had been lacking before, but now things were different.
"We have no choice. If we push too hard, we might trigger an overreaction. Besides, with a Lunar Sovereign Physique and a Five Elements Saint Physique among them, five supreme physiques in total—Yin and Yang cannot coexist, so half of them are already on the opposing side. This won't be easy."
"What a divine beauty..."
Among the three, only the Prince Yao seemed distracted. Truthfully, he didn't care much about the so-called ancestral lands. His interests lay elsewhere...
"These special crystals can actually boost the cultivation of Dao Comprehension-stage cultivators without side effects?"
Su Min looked at the mountain of crystals before her with mild surprise. It had been a long time since she entered the Dao Comprehension stage, and her foundation was now fully stabilized. But progressing further would be extremely difficult through normal cultivation.
Unexpectedly, the sect had provided a solution.
"Correct. These are incredibly rare ores, and they're still being actively mined. With these, you can quickly advance to the mid-stage of Dao Comprehension."
"Are those people after these ores?"
"They probably don't know yet. Now that you're back, I've spread the news."
"To deter them?"
"Exactly. They possess an Emperor's Artifact. If a real fight breaks out, the damage would be catastrophic. But with these two mineral veins, we must hold those territories firmly."
"Then it's settled. It seems the resources I need before reaching the Unity stage will come from these two veins."
Su Min nodded. Advancing in the Dao Comprehension stage was far too difficult. Though her lifespan was infinite, she couldn't afford to waste time.
"Let's deal with the immediate problem first, then focus on the rest."
While she urgently needed to break through, Su Min wasn't in a rush to start secluded cultivation just yet. She had two tasks to complete first: driving away those eyeing her territory and finding a way to awaken the Kirin Clan.
Otherwise, she would never obtain the Central Wutu Divine Earth, and her Mahayana stage would remain out of reach.
She was curious about how powerful she would be at Mahayana. According to the legacy she had inherited, the Five Elements Emperor had slain a crippled immortal while at the Mahayana stage. After that, he ascended to the Ascension stage—becoming a true Emperor.
She didn't know how she compared to him, but her path would undoubtedly be smoother. The Emperor had spent ten thousand years gathering the five divine treasures to reach Mahayana. For her, apart from the five hundred years lost due to the world's environment, she had spent less than a thousand years so far.
"Hmm?"
Just then, two people approached and relayed a message.
"People from the Yao Clan?" Su Min's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Let's see what kind of pests have been giving you a headache."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and strode out. The air shifted the moment her feet touched the main hall's marble floor. In a single breath, her figure vanished—then reappeared atop the sect's main dais, her sleeves drifting like mist as she sat, one leg crossed over the other in effortless authority.
She didn't ask for permission.
She didn't need to.
The seat of honor had always been hers.
Xie Yingying followed a beat later, moving behind her with quiet precision. She said nothing, but her presence at Su Min's back was as natural as the moon trailing the sun—steady, unwavering, absolute.
The arrangement hadn't been rehearsed. It didn't need to be. Su Min didn't glance back, but her body relaxed ever so slightly at Xie Yingying's presence, a silent acknowledgment of trust.
Su Min exhaled slowly, almost amused.
She might get lost in her alchemy or go weeks without sleep, but Xie Yingying never doubted her when it counted. And for all her little missteps and the chaotic stories people whispered, Su Min was methodical beneath the surface—especially when someone threatened what was hers. Of course, her occasional lapses in judgment that led to amusing but harmless incidents didn't count, everyone was used to those by now.
And Xie Yingying?
She never let anyone forget who Su Min belonged to.
Soon, Su Min sensed a peculiar aura, three Dao Comprehension-stage cultivators had entered her perception range.
"Three Dao Comprehension-stage cultivators—two early-stage and one mid-stage. Not bad. No wonder Yingying felt pressured. And they must have an Emperor's Artifact. Even I'd have trouble blocking that."
Narrowing her eyes, Su Min assessed their strength internally. Xie Yingying was at mid-stage Dao Comprehension, while the Little Golden Crow had reached late-stage. As a supreme divine beast, the latter's progress was expected. But even divine beasts needed a long time to reach the Unity stage.
The Azure Dragon and the Peacock were at early-stage Dao Comprehension. But without the divine beasts' intervention, facing three Dao Comprehension-stage experts would indeed be difficult for Xie Yingying alone.
As for the Emperor's Artifact, Su Min knew she wasn't yet a match for it. Just recalling the Mahayana-stage Bloodfiend Patriarch—if he had still possessed his Heaven-tier high-grade artifact, Su Min would have suffered greatly. She might still be recovering from her injuries right now. Never underestimate top-tier artifacts.
With that in mind, Su Min glanced at a young man standing nearby. His radiant golden hair, paired with his strikingly handsome face, would make any female cultivator steal a second look.
But what caught Su Min's attention more was what he held—a small golden ancient bell.
The Golden Crow Bell.
One of the two Emperor's Artifacts of the Golden Crow Clan. Naturally, this man was a member of the clan.
Back then, the Little Golden Crow had thrown an egg into a geothermal vein right in front of Su Min, using intense heat to hatch it. That egg had become the man before her now. Though only at the early-stage Nascent Soul, his bloodline allowed him to wield the Emperor's Artifact.
To be safe, Su Min had him stay here with the artifact.
Despite his proud demeanor, Su Min had heard through the grapevine that this Golden Crow had zero interest in human female cultivators. Though he was polite, his gaze never lingered.
Xie Yingying had once asked the Little Golden Crow about it out of curiosity, only to receive an answer that left her speechless: in the Golden Crow's aesthetic standards, humans had too little fur. They preferred mates with lustrous golden plumage.
But while their tastes differed, their reverence for strength was universal. This Golden Crow, for instance, obeyed Su Min without question—after all, he had benefited greatly from her elixirs throughout his cultivation journey.
"They're here," Xie Yingying murmured, voice low and laced with disdain.
Su Min turned slightly, blinking in mild confusion. "Hm?"
Her eyes drifted toward her partner. Xie Yingying hadn't drawn her sword, hadn't even spoken more than that single line, but her posture told a different story. Arms folded too tightly across her chest. One foot tapping soundlessly behind Su Min's chair. Not nervous—furious.
This wasn't just annoyance. It was loathing. Quiet, simmering, barely held back.
They hadn't even confronted the Yao Clan yet. On paper, this was meant to be a negotiation. A formality. "Why did it feel like Yingying was already bracing to draw blood?"
But she said nothing more, and Su Min knew better than to press.
And that was enough for Su Min to understand.
Whoever they are… they've already earned her sword.
The three visitors froze the moment they stepped into the grand hall.
Xie Yingying—once known to them as a quiet, almost forgettable figure—now stood beside the seat of honor with an icy calm. And in the main seat, draped in a moon-white battle skirt, lounged a young woman who appeared no older than seventeen or eighteen. She reclined with casual ease, posture almost careless, one leg crossed over the other as if this meeting were an afterthought.
Yet the words that surfaced in the minds of all three were the same:
Majestic. Overbearing.
Su Min didn't need theatrics to assert dominance. She wore it like a second skin. And as a high-level grade-seven alchemist, she had every right to look down on them.
"Well, since you're all here, I'll be direct," Su Min said lazily. "We're not surrendering those two provinces. If you want them, you're welcome to try."
Su Min had no patience for nonsense. Did they really think three Dao Comprehension-stage cultivators could intimidate her? Please.
As for Emperor's Artifacts, she had one too. Heaven-tier high-grade artifacts? Xie Yingying could now mobilize most of the Xuantian Mansion's power. If it came to a fight, these three wouldn't leave alive today.
Of course, Su Min wasn't eager to start a battle. Dao Comprehension-stage fights were cataclysmic. But if it came to that, she wouldn't flinch.
"You—!"
Su Min's bluntness left two of them breathless. Compared to Xie Yingying's diplomatic evasions, Su Min's tone was infinitely more domineering. She didn't negotiate, she laid down the law.
The Prince Yao, however, was momentarily dazed. The woman's commanding presence made his heart race—a reaction he'd never had even toward Xie Yingying. For a fleeting moment, a dangerous urge to kneel surged within him. It vanished as quickly as it came, so brief even Su Min didn't catch it.
Despite their anger, the three remained oddly silent. Not out of respect. Out of caution.
"The Cangling Province was originally our Yao Clan's ancestral land. It's only right we reclaim it."
The mid-stage Dao Comprehension elder tried to argue.
"You abandoned this world to hide away on secluded planets. Don't blame us for taking what you left behind."
"You—!"
The elder choked on his words. At this level, verbal sparring was meaningless. More importantly, Su Min wasn't wrong—he had no rebuttal.
"And you claim it's yours? Is there even a trace of your presence left there?"
"..."
Silence fell over the hall. Su Min waited calmly, knowing they wouldn't dare act. Even if they wanted to, assassination attempts against high-level cultivators were unheard of in this world.
To kill a Dao Comprehension-stage expert, you'd need to send multiple Dao Comprehension-stage fighters. At that point, it wouldn't be an assassination—it would be outright war.
As for strength, the gap was even wider. Su Min had already received over a dozen jade slips from various super clans and sects. If a fight broke out, she could call upon their aid.
"Hey, Young Master, what are you doing?"
Suddenly, the leading elder turned to the youth behind him, realizing he hadn't spoken a single word since arriving.
"Gulp... Uh, Miss... Would you like to have dinner together?"
"..."
The hall plunged into utter silence. Even the Golden Crow gave the young man a bizarre look as if wondering whether he'd just suffered a qi deviation to the brain.
Did he not know? Of course he knew. Everyone did.
The Golden Crow had witnessed Su Min and Xie Yingying sharing wine beneath moonlight, training in silence through the night, emerging from closed-door cultivation wrapped in each other's robes. The sect disciples whispered it, the elders politely pretended not to notice it, and the beasts who roamed near the mansion's had long since accepted it as fact.
They weren't just cultivation partners. They were the pair.
And this little brat had the gall to ask Su Min out—to her face, with Xie Yingying standing right there?
Madness. Absolute madness.
The cross mark on Xie Yingying's forehead pulsed once. Then again. Like a seal reacting to provocation, like a silent gong echoing in a frozen battlefield. Her hand inched toward her spatial ring, fingers curling with deliberate calm. Not because she was startled. Not even angry, not exactly.
But some fool had just looked her in the eye and dared to say that—in front of her. If she drew her sword now, it wouldn't be to kill. No, that would be too kind. No, what she envisioned was precise dismantlement. First, the mouth that had spoken. Then, the eyes that had dared to look at Su Min like she was some prize to be plucked off a shelf. A walking temptation to be won.
That man—that boy—had once asked to marry her. Now he was ogling Su Min? Her Su Min?
Right. In front. Of. Her.
Behind her composed expression, the wind shifted. Killing intent bloomed cold and silent, like frost curling across a blade's edge. It wasn't a flare of rage. It was the hush before the blizzard. The poised breath before a sword fell.
Only Su Min stared at him in utter bewilderment. It wasn't that she was flustered, she'd been propositioned before. But for someone at this cultivation level to let lust override judgment in such a setting?
For a brief moment, Su Min's gaze turned pitying, as if observing a rare specimen.
"Young Master...?"
The elder was dumbfounded. High-level cultivators were usually solitary—not because they lacked descendants, but because their partners had long since passed away.
Finding a lifelong companion was exceedingly rare. But their young master, a prodigy sealed away by the Yao Xin Emperor, had always been aloof. He'd rejected every female cultivator in their clan, remaining single to this day.
The clan had been anxious for him to pass on the Yao Xin Emperor's bloodline.
But was this really the time and place?
The elder glanced at Su Min and caught her strange expression.
"Tsk."
Su Min clicked her tongue in amusement, which only made the Prince Yao blush—he knew exactly how foolish he'd been.
But before he could speak, his expression suddenly changed. In fact, all three Yao Clan members reacted identically.
Su Min raised an eyebrow.
What's gotten into them?
===
Quick Note About This Detail:
Okay, so the part about the whole sect knowing their relationship (which has basically been an open secret for ages) doesn't actually get mentioned until a few chapters later. But since Su Min is still at her current cultivation stage (Dao Comprehension) and frequently leaves the sect for long periods, I figured this was the perfect spot to slide that info in.
The timeline checks out - by this point, they've been "official" long enough that everyone in the sect has caught on.