This was Su Min's final trump card.
Back then, no matter how powerful that Dao Comprehension-stage expert had been, he could never truly harm her—because she had this.
A "toy" crafted by a Mahayana-stage powerhouse might not be much against a Unity-stage expert, but against a Dao Comprehension-stage opponent? It was perfect. Su Min wouldn't feel wasteful using it, and it was more than enough to turn the tide.
Moreover, the creator of this orb was a peak Mahayana-stage existence.
"The Demon Buddha Annihilates the World, the Tathagata Bows in Submission! Ten Thousand Demons Wail, Heaven Weeps and Earth Splits!!!"
The next moment, countless vengeful spirits surged from the scroll, blotting out the sky as they rushed toward Su Min.
"Hmph."
Su Min merely chuckled coldly before hurling the orb forward. In the next instant, the endless tide of demons and ghosts collided with the unassuming little sphere.
"Seeking death!!!"
Seeing the tiny, unremarkable ball Su Min had thrown—devoid of even the slightest fluctuation—Liao Xin's eyes filled with mockery.
This was a killing move from his past as a Mahayana-stage expert. A mere mid-stage Dao Comprehension cultivator couldn't possibly resist it.
Countless had fallen to this technique. He could already envision Su Min being devoured by the demonic horde, her fresh blood and flesh nourishing him enough to restore him to the Unity stage.
But then—
"BOOM!!!"
A golden radiance, so blinding it forced eyes shut, erupted from the orb. The small golden sphere exploded, and a towering golden figure materialized out of nowhere. With a single, effortless palm strike, it annihilated the entire demonic tide.
Even the Heavenly High-Grade treasure cracked under the force.
"Great Sage Saint Body?! Gah—!!!"
Liao Xin barely had time to exclaim before he vomited a mouthful of blood. The next moment, he was sent flying like a meteor, crashing violently into the ground.
For an instant, even the four still locked in battle froze.
Their eyes turned toward the distant golden light. Even they—despite their past heights—felt a sliver of fear. This was a level none of them had reached in their prime.
"A Great Sage of the Great Desolate Holy Body!!!"
"How does such an existence still remain in this world?!"
All four exclaimed in unison.
As far as they knew, there was only one Great Desolate Holy Body in the current era—and that one was nothing like this. But their hesitation lasted less than a second before the battle resumed.
As for Su Min? Her expression remained cold and composed.
She stared down at the fallen figure below, then lunged forward once more, her sword flashing.
"Schlick—!"
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
Su Min showed no mercy.
"Guh—!!!"
Liao Xin coughed up another mouthful of blood, his face twisting in horror. As a fallen one, he had abandoned everything—except the will to survive. Nothing terrified him more than death.
But Su Min gave him no chance to recover.
While his spiritual energy was still in chaos from the earlier strike, she channeled a devastating force into his body.
"Five Elements Reversal—Annihilation."
His Nascent Soul shattered first.
Then his bones.
His meridians.
His flesh.
"BANG!!!"
In the next instant, Liao Xin exploded into a bloody mist. Not a single drop of blood stained Su Min's robes. "This battle was easier than expected. Now, to help the others."
She exhaled deeply, then turned toward the distant battlefield. The fluctuations there were growing more violent. Kong Chen was holding his own, but Kong Hui was being suppressed.
Though he wasn't in immediate danger, Su Min didn't hesitate. She chose her target—Kong Chen's opponent. In a flash, she appeared behind the man and thrust her sword. Too focused on Kong Chen, the man had no time to react.
"Schlick—!"
Her blade pierced straight through him.
Then, countless "卍" symbols descended from the sky, grinding him into dust. With Su Min's ruthless ambush, the battle ended in an instant. Now, only one enemy remained. His face paled instantly.
But—
"Done. All three dead. Were they the 9th to 11th seats of the Black Seal?"
Su Min clapped her hands lightly, though her expression remained serious.
"Black Seal?"
Kong Hui and Kong Chen, who had been about to ask about the earlier strike, stiffened at the name. They didn't know what it was, but seeing the three they had just slain—if the 9th Seat was this strong, how terrifying were the ones above?
If these were all Dao Comprehension-stage, then the higher seats might be Unity-stage. And in this era, no Unity-stage experts remained in the world.
This… was not good news.
"It's as you're guessing. Some among them may have already recovered to the Unity stage. Maybe not all, but regardless—this organization has the power to crush any single faction one-on-one."
Su Min's tone was calm, but she didn't mention the worst part. Their leader wasn't just a Unity-stage expert. He was a true Great Emperor—a being on par with the Buddha himself, the founder of their sect.
"Benefactor Su, that strike earlier…?"
Kong Hui took a deep breath, his face grim. Though pressured, he hadn't panicked. Even if the enemy was Unity-stage, as long as he could fight, he could at least protect himself—though nothing more.
"A gift from a Mahayana-stage expert I met in the ancient battlefield."
Su Min's voice was indifferent.
A Great Sage of the Great Desolate Holy Body at the Mahayana stage could even contend with Great Emperors.
(Though they'd likely still lose, they'd put up a far better fight than ordinary Mahayana experts.)
But right now, Su Min was still far from that level.
She had a long way to go.
"Hey, you saw that, right? I've cleaned up your mess. Anything else to say?"
She looked up at the sky. A beam of golden light descended—
And Su Min vanished on the spot, leaving the two monks staring in bewilderment.
"It is said the Buddha was blessed with both fortune and wisdom—born with a noble destiny. Only thus could he contemplate the true meaning of life, wielding absolute intellect."
Kong Hui sighed.
"Looking at Benefactor Su now… the gap between her and the Buddha may not be as vast as one thinks."
Her opportunities were truly enviable. Clearly, with her Time Law, she had been chosen by the Imperial Artifact. This final trial—cleaning up the sect's traitors—had been its test for her.
Though she had relied on their help, Su Min's own strength was undeniable. And even if her cultivation was inferior, the fact that she had reached this point proved her wisdom. She wasn't just a reckless brute—she knew how to borrow strength to defeat strength.
"Let's continue searching for fortune. We've helped her enough. Pills aren't an issue now—the rest is up to us."
Unlike the filled emotion Kong Hui, Kong Chen didn't dwell on it. He had first met Su Min when she was already at the Nascent Soul stage, unlike Kong Hui, who had known her since Qi Refining.
So he wasn't as sentimental.
(Though even back then, her combat prowess had shocked him.)
Meanwhile…
After the two left, several more figures arrived at the battlefield. A group of Dao Comprehension-stage monks surveyed the scene, their expressions grave.
"A battle between six Dao Comprehension experts… Did the Great Thunder Temple send all their elites?"
"Unlikely. Their sect only has four Dao Comprehension experts—one of whom is still in the early stages, nowhere near this level of combat prowess."
"Then who…?"
They glanced at each other, clueless.
"Regardless, we must report this to the world. A battle of this scale is no small matter."
Soon, more groups arrived. Within a single day, nearly every Divine Transformation and Dao Comprehension expert in the secret realm had come to investigate.
Such a battle was far too rare.
And thus, news of it spread like wildfire across the continent.
(Not that Su Min cared—she was already elsewhere.)
Elsewhere, in a secluded space…
"You almost got me killed! Making me clean up your mess—and forcing me into a 1v3?!"
The moment she appeared, Su Min glared at the Imperial Artifact and complained. That strike just now had been powerful, but not enough to kill all three at once. If even two had survived, she would've been in serious danger. These weren't ordinary Dao Comprehension-stage experts.
"That was the trial. You passed—using both wisdom and strength."
The ancient bell showed no remorse. As an artifact spirit, its morality differed from humans. It wouldn't lie—if it didn't want to answer, it would stay silent. But it wouldn't deliberately scheme against someone either.
"What do you have here?"
Su Min decided not to dwell on it and cut straight to the point.
Though she remained cautious—what if this thing wanted to use her as a vessel to revive something?
At her current level, she couldn't resist outright. But possessing her would be difficult—her soul was strong enough that unless she willingly accepted it like Jiang Xi had, she could escape at any time.
After all, she still had a drop of Xie Yingying's blood essence.
It might not be as overwhelmingly powerful as it had been during her Golden Core and Nascent Soul days, but some of its effects remained—like the Yin-Yang Escape, which could let her flee instantly. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so calm right now.
"Your cultivation has just entered the mid-stage of Dao Comprehension and isn't fully stabilized yet. Any external boosts might halt your progress. So what I offer here isn't a cultivation inheritance—but something else."
"What is it?"
"Have you heard of 'Enlightenment Under the Bodhi Tree'?"
"I have. And I've experienced it myself."
Su Min answered without hesitation. The Bodhi Ancient Tree's unique properties made it ideal for comprehending laws and tempering the body.
As one of the world's supreme divine objects, the fact that the Great Thunder Temple had preserved it for so long spoke volumes about their background.
"Future Maitreya Mountain has a similar inheritance—though with some differences."
"Oh?"
"We don't have a Bodhi Ancient Tree, so we can't offer openings every few years. Ours only activates once every century. But precisely because the interval is so long, the effects are far more potent."
"What would I comprehend?"
Su Min frowned slightly, curious.
"Do you see the golden river beneath your feet?
This… is our true background."
"You want me to observe… the River of Time?! Are you insane?!"
Su Min's expression changed.
This was no joke.
"Under normal circumstances, no one can cross the River of Time. But once you observe it, you become an anchor. Beings from the past or future can pay a great price to traverse time and reach you."
"The Sinful Buddha died because of this. My current cultivation is far inferior—even if the anchor I provide is weaker, so is my strength compared to his."
Su Min shook her head firmly. She had no lifespan limit—there was no need to take such risks.
"No, no. The River of Time is the most mysterious existence in all realms—perhaps even the most mysterious of all. I don't have the right to let you comprehend it directly."
"The fortune I speak of is enlightenment here. Your cultivation may not improve much, but your soul power will benefit greatly. And from what I see… you seem to be stuck at a bottleneck."
"…That's true."
Su Min smiled wryly. Being stuck at the peak of 7th-grade high-tier alchemy was indeed a problem.
She had come here seeking a sliver of opportunity. And now, it seemed she had found it.