One week later...
"The progress is decent—twenty Qi-Refining cultivators. At this point, you should be a match for the imperial court. Given the Demon Queen's methods, she probably hasn't been able to produce much more than this in twenty years."
Standing atop a pavilion, Su Min observed the group below with mild interest.
Over the past week, she had taken the time to relax and enjoy herself. Ideally, she should have used the accumulated faith energy to temper her Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra, but for someone at the Foundation Establishment stage, each cultivation session required at least one or two months. With the secret realm about to emerge soon, there simply wasn't enough time.
Besides, being interrupted mid-cultivation could mean wasted effort at best—or severe backlash at worst. So, instead of rushing, she decided to wait until after the secret realm exploration.
"If you want to come with me, fine. But don't bring too many people. Those early-stage Qi-Refining rookies are practically useless—just three or four will do. Most of these secret realms are ancient cave abodes, and too many people will just get in the way."
Su Min's tone was indifferent as she addressed the two men before her. The newly advanced Qi-Refining cultivators below were of no help to her.
Moreover, as the world's spiritual energy continued to rise, these secret realms would grow larger and more complex. Some would even become fragments of lost worlds. But for now, ordinary Qi-Refining cultivators were of little use inside. Even Su Min needed to be cautious.
"In that case, just bring the three of us," one of them responded, bowing respectfully.
"You three little brats, huh? Fine."
Su Min gave a light nod. These three had been the first batch to reach the Qi Refining realm, so their talents were naturally above average. Just recently, Su Min had refined a dozen or so Qi-Gathering Pills, two of which had gone straight to the pair in front of her—bringing them all the way to the late Qi Refining stage.
Still, her words left the trio feeling slightly awkward. They weren't the young upstarts they once were. Each now held a position of considerable power. But before Su Min, they still felt like greenhorns—and she didn't treat them any differently.
"Let's go check the site where the mansion will descend."
There was about a week left until the ancient dwelling arrived, and the spatial fluctuations there were already growing visibly stronger. Anyone in Weiwu Prefecture with some cultivation could sense it.
Soon, deep in the mountains—
"What an intense wave of energy... Is this the precursor to that ancient mansion's descent?"
Su Min and her companions stood atop a rocky peak, gazing into the distance where space had begun to visibly warp and distort. The villages in the surrounding area had long since been abandoned.
"This started showing signs a month ago," said Cao Yuanmu, lowering his voice as he stepped beside her. "Last time, we only detected the secret realm a week after it appeared."
According to the knowledge passed down from the game, these realms were created before the great decline in spiritual energy. Mighty cultivators had carved out pieces of space using specialized laws, sealing them away from the world.
Then, when the time was right, those fragments would return and reintegrate with the main world.
"The fluctuation... it's strange. This doesn't feel like a small cave dwelling. It's more like—wait."
Just as Su Min was puzzling over the spatial distortions, something unexpected happened—the system interface suddenly popped up before her.
[Tianjiao Mansion]
[Danger Level: ★★☆☆☆]
[Hidden Difficulty: ★★★★★]
"This damn system actually has a function like this? But… Tianjiao Mansion? That means there's a Tianjiao cultivator sleeping inside."
Su Min fell silent. In the game, Tianjiao cultivators—one of the most monstrously talented cultivators of their era. While their realm might not be particularly high, their combat ability could easily crush those above them. Why would the abode of such a being awaken now, when the world's spiritual energy still hadn't recovered enough to support a true era of contention?
"But why would such a person's mansion appear now?"
The current spiritual energy levels weren't yet sufficient to support the Great Competition Era. For a Tianjiao to awaken this early was unusual.
"A self-sealed individual, perhaps? As long as we don't disturb them, there shouldn't be much danger. But if we do… things could get messy."
She frowned. Normally, she wouldn't care much about an ordinary estate. But a Tianjiao Mansion? That required caution. Fighting an unknown Tianjiao cultivator was far too risky.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
(Of course, Su Min herself could be considered a Tianjiao. If she had chosen a combat-oriented talent, she might even rank among the elite of elites.)
"When the mansion opens, the three of you will follow me. And whatever I tell you not to touch—don't touch it. Otherwise, I won't be able to protect you."
Her voice went cold, and the air around her seemed to thicken.
"Yes, understood."
The trio shuddered involuntarily. It had been decades since they'd last seen Su Min wear that expression. The last time... was during the incident with the Flame-Earth Duo more than twenty years ago.
If Su Min hadn't been strong enough—and if those two old monsters hadn't underestimated her and come before they fused their powers—the outcome might've been disastrous. A full-strength Foundation Establishment cultivator was no joke.
The fact that Su Min was wearing that same look now... meant the mansion held something truly dangerous.
"Alright, let's move."
But just as she turned to leave, her body tensed, a chill crawling up her spine. She whipped around. There, in the distance, a black-robed figure stood—gazing directly at her. His eyes gleamed with naked greed, and for a moment, Su Min's skin crawled. But when he noticed her returning stare, he visibly flinched, then turned and fled. He was far away—well outside the perception range of an ordinary cultivator. But Su Min wasn't ordinary. As an alchemist, her spiritual and soul strength were far above her peers.
"Mid-Foundation Establishment?" she muttered. "A protector of Tianjiao? No... Something's off. Who was that?"
There hadn't been time to chase him. But the presence of a Foundation cultivator this deep in the wilds—and one exuding that kind of presence—was unsettling.
"And the way he looked at me... definitely not normal. Whoever he is, he's clearly here for the mansion too. We'll meet again soon enough. Let's see what you really are."
"Mid-Foundation?" one of the men behind her echoed, visibly shaken.
Even the strongest among them, Cao Yuanmu, was far from that level. A Foundation cultivator wasn't someone they could treat lightly.