"Interesting."
Su Min's eyebrow twitched upon hearing this—this was absolutely top-secret information. However, that person had died early, and their soul had been completely obliterated.
As for the reason? Most likely, they couldn't resist peeking into the River of Time. Back then, Su Min had chosen to play the ostrich—she endured the enlightenment without taking a single glance, precisely to avoid such a fate.
After all, the lifespan of a Unity-stage cultivator was ten thousand years, while Mahayana-stage cultivators lived for thirty thousand. The Ascension stage was similar to Mahayana.
And the fact that they couldn't even reincarnate suggested that things were far from simple.
"You seem to know something?"
Seeing Su Min's intrigued expression, Kong Hui realized she must have some insight.
"Do you want to hear it? Are you prepared to bear the consequences?"
Su Min had no intention of hiding it—it wasn't like it would harm her.
"Amitabha. Ignorance is bliss."
"Very well."
Seeing Kong Hui's cautious demeanor, Su Min didn't press further. She had no intention of touching that karma, which was why she had remained unscathed so far.
"Then lead the way. We can discuss the conditions on the road."
Su Min didn't say much else, letting Kong Hui take the lead. Since they were willing to hand over such an opportunity to her, they undoubtedly wanted something in return. If they couldn't secure absolute benefits, they might as well maximize their gains.
"We need a few special pills. Though they're only seventh-grade high-tier, for us, they're no less valuable than eighth-grade pills."
"Hmm."
Su Min's eyebrow twitched again. This was one of the advantages of major factions—pills tailor-made for their techniques, allowing lower-grade pills to achieve extraordinary effects. Of course, if they had asked for nothing, Su Min would have been even more wary about entering.
"What kind of pills?"
"Once we return, I'll give you the recipe. The ingredients are already prepared—we can start refining at any time."
"Fine, but I have one condition."
"Name it."
"After I come out of the Damo Secret Realm."
"Agreed."
Kong Hui answered without hesitation. After this brief exchange, the two soon arrived at a grand hall. Inside, a golden vortex swirled ominously.
"Isn't this the legacy realm of Future Maitreya Mountain?"
Su Min was stunned. Why was the entrance inside the Great Thunder Temple? Something felt off.
"Because the one controlling this realm is Future Maitreya Mountain's Emperor-tier artifact. After you destroyed that sect, it opened gates in the bases of all major Buddhist sects."
"Interesting..."
Su Min frowned. Clearly, the artifact had witnessed her annihilation of the sect.
"If you had tried to attack that realm back then, it would have struck you down."
"I see. Do I just enter now?"
"Not yet. The realm hasn't fully opened. It'll take about a month. You can enter then."
"Understood."
"I'll arrange a meditation room for you. The area is suffused with Buddhist energy—you can contemplate the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra here."
"Don't worry, I haven't neglected my cultivation techniques."
"Oh? May this humble monk observe—"
While Su Min and Kong Hui conversed, beneath a shadowy pagoda, a group of figures sat in a circle. Anyone present would have felt a chill—after all, even the Buddha had wrathful forms. Yet these statues weren't fierce; instead, they were all smiling—each more eerie than the last.
As the saying goes, a crying ghost is less frightening than a laughing one. A grinning specter is never simple.
"This is the final legacy realm of Future Maitreya Mountain. What a pity. Liao Xin, your fellow disciples weren't much help."
A voice sneered at one of the monks. Unlike typical Buddhist monks, this one radiated a bloody crimson light, devoid of any holy aura.
"Hmph. That woman."
The figure's crimson glow intensified. They had laid an elaborate scheme—originally, they were supposed to ally with Future Maitreya Mountain to dismantle the Buddhist sects from within, devouring the monks to restore their strength.
Su Min had caught wind of this, which was why she had taken the chance to destroy Future Maitreya Mountain. Whether for personal or public reasons, she had ample justification.
Naturally, this had infuriated them. If their plan had succeeded, they could have devoured several Dao Comprehension-stage cultivators—a true feast that would have propelled some of them straight into the Unity stage.
Then, they could have acted openly, wiping out even sects without Emperor-tier artifacts.
But now, all of that had been ruined. Their hatred for Su Min burned deep, but they dared not act recklessly. Not only was her combat power terrifying, but her base was also the ancestral land of the Golden Crow clan. Fighting in the territory of a supreme divine beast? Unthinkable.
Moreover, the Golden Crows were once the imperial clan, with unfathomable background heritage. They were genuinely afraid—direct confrontation was impossible.
Su Min, of course, knew none of this. Even if she did, she would have just laughed. At her level, she feared no challenge.
But while Su Min could afford to laugh, they could not.
Seeking revenge against her offered little benefit and immense risk. However, this secret realm presented another opportunity—though this step was particularly dangerous.
"Liao Xin, how many can you bring in?"
"Three, including myself. Any more, and the Emperor-tier artifact will detect us. At best, we'd be expelled; at worst, annihilated."
Liao Xin was blunt. After all, this was the artifact once wielded by Future Maitreya Mountain. That it had watched their destruction without intervening meant all ties had been severed—not even a shred of past affection remained.
"You should have destroyed that thing earlier."
A gloomy voice hissed.
"Feel free to try."
Liao Xin retorted coldly. The artifact hadn't harmed them—it had even continued opening the realm on schedule. This was already more than they deserved after their sect's fall.
At the very least, it hadn't turned against them. More importantly, destroying an Emperor-tier artifact was no easy feat.
"Lay low for now. Fortunately, I left a backup plan long ago."
Liao Xin's gaze swept over the group. Religious institutions had always been hotbeds of corruption. Before sealing himself away, Liao Xin had secretly nurtured a branch sect.
Since it remained undiscovered, it was best to keep it that way.
"This time, we must cripple the Great Thunder Temple. Liao Xin, are you confident?"
"No problem. That old man and Tongling Emperor have entered the Other Shore to monitor the remnants of the immortals. The strongest in Future Maitreya Mountain was only at the late Dao Comprehension stage. We can send three late-stage Dao Comprehension experts—enough to ensure their deaths."
"What about the Emperor-tier artifact?"
"They can't interfere."
"Good. Proceed as planned."
As Liao Xin spoke, his crimson glow blazed like a bloody sun. A phantom red figure slowly materialized in the space—a being of utter malevolence, yet eerily reminiscent of the golden body of the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra.
Demon King Po Xun—the absolute antithesis of the Great Sun Tathāgata.
Long ago, Liao Xin had meditated atop a mountain for ten thousand years, comprehending this technique. Legend said that on that day, a crimson sun blazed, engulfing all of Future Maitreya Mountain in terror.
From then on, he was excommunicated, forbidden from reincarnating—at least, ostensibly.
In truth, he had held secret discussions with Liao Meng and Liao Jie. While peering into the future, he had received a message from beyond—granting him the Demon King Po Xun, a power rivaling the Buddha's.
This convinced him that their path was the true future. With Liao Jie and Liao Meng's approval, he was "expelled" in name only.
In reality, he went into hiding, following the future's guidance to seek out the Skeleton Emperor—an ancient sovereign who had somehow survived to this era.
Then, he severed his own path and joined the Black Seal, all to realize that ultimate future and become the True Future Buddha.
From then on, they drifted further from the Emperor-tier artifact. The founder of Future Maitreya Mountain had died too early—some even believed he perished because he failed to grasp the future.
After his death, the sect had steadily strayed from the right path.
As the group lapsed into silence, back at the Great Thunder Temple...
Su Min sat rigidly on a meditation cushion. She disliked it—she much preferred chairs with backrests, where she could lounge with one leg crossed over the other, exuding the same domineering aura as the cool heroines from her games.
This isn't chuunibyou!!!
But the Great Thunder Temple only provided these, leaving her no choice. She might as well follow local customs—it wasn't like she could complain when even the monks sat like this.
"Benefactor Su, two of us will enter with you—one late-stage and one mid-stage Dao Comprehension cultivator."
"What about him?"
"Our junior brother will guard the sect. Even with the Collective Vow, we can't let our guard down. The Yao family's incident is proof enough—we must be cautious."
"That's acceptable. But let's settle the loot distribution first. I'll be blunt—it's better to hash this out now than fight later."
Su Min cut straight to the point.
"Benefactor Su, what do you want? We're willing to concede somewhat."
Kong Hui didn't protest her bluntness. Any shortfall could be compensated with pills—as long as her demands weren't outrageous.
Besides, they both knew Su Min had just entered the mid Dao Comprehension stage. She was still solidifying her foundation, making a breakthrough to late-stage impossible for now. That left room for negotiation.
"I want any legacy that can enhance soul power. The reason? You already know."
"Eighth-grade..."
Kong Hui murmured, and the hall fell silent. Even in the most glorious eras, eighth-grade alchemists were as rare as phoenix feathers. Apart from legendary emperors, even Mahayana-stage experts treated them with utmost respect.
As for ninth-grade alchemists? They appeared maybe once every tens of thousands of years—if at all. No wonder they were stunned.
"Benefactor Su, are you attempting to break through to eighth-grade?"
"I'm considering it. But I feel like something's missing..."
"The Great Thunder Temple will support you unconditionally—even if we gain nothing in return."
Before Su Min could finish, Kong Hui declared firmly. Su Min's lips twitched, and she cursed inwardly: "Old fox."
If she truly reached eighth-grade and owed them a massive favor, they could request pill refinement later—and she'd have little room to negotiate.
An eighth-grade alchemist's debt was far more valuable than any legacy. Kong Hui had clearly realized this. Of course, there was a risk—if Su Min failed, they'd lose everything.
But even then, the loss would be minor. The realm was vast, and Su Min, as a non-Buddhist, could only claim limited benefits. Overall, this was a near-guaranteed win.
Though she mentally grumbled, Su Min didn't object. She did need their help—no one knew what awaited inside, and she might face unexpected threats. Allies were necessary.
Gulp.
While the higher-ups negotiated, the Divine Transformation-stage monks below stared wide-eyed. An eighth-grade alchemist was practically a deity to them—even a seventh-grade one would command their utmost reverence.
But regardless, the matter was settled. With the loot distribution agreed upon, all that remained was to wait for the realm's full opening.