Su Min couldn't hide her joy as her innate spiritual treasure advanced once again.
The enhancement to Demon-Slaying Thunder—her current ultimate trump card—would significantly raise her combat ceiling. This was unexpected, but upon reflection, it made sense. Where else could she find multiple Foundation Establishment demonic beasts outside of such a high-level estate?
"Senior, we've gathered all the third-tier herbs and above."
But upon seeing Su Min standing there unscathed, all three of them froze for a breath. While they hadn't expected those beasts to seriously injure her, they hadn't imagined she'd come out of the battle without so much as a wrinkle in her robe.
"I'm not sure what this item is, but holding it seems to accelerate the flow of spiritual energy in my body quite a bit," one of them muttered, inspecting the small crystal in his hand.
They didn't linger on the thought for long. The stronger Su Min was, the more benefits they stood to gain by following her.
"That's a low-grade spirit stone," Su Min said with a glance. "You can use it to assist your cultivation."
She wasn't particularly interested—especially not in such poor-quality stones. To her, they were practically useless. Besides, with the spiritual gourd in her possession, she had no need for external assistance.
As for the herbs they gathered, she claimed them all without hesitation. Left in the hands of these juniors, the plants would only go to waste. They might try eating them directly, but that would be sheer folly—wasting their potency at best, damaging their meridians and foundation at worst.
"We're done here. Let's move on to the next area's teleportation gate. Stay close."
There was nothing more of value left on this plain. Lingering any longer would be a waste of time. What unsettled her more was a growing sense of unease. If her guess was correct, this so-called "mansion" wasn't just a simple cave-dwelling—it was a unique and highly advanced magical artifact, likely containing multiple spatial layers. Not only could it store items, but it could also cultivate spiritual herbs.
As her gaze swept across the surrounding landscape, Su Min's eyes narrowed slightly. The outer appearance of this place was deceptive; within, it was undoubtedly filled with segmented, independent realms. The true master of this dwelling likely still slumbered somewhere deep within. For now, their top priority was to find a way out.
Still, she wasn't particularly alarmed. As long as they didn't disturb the master's rest, this place wasn't inherently dangerous.
"Yes, Senior."
The three cultivators paused momentarily, then quickly turned and followed her toward the distant teleportation array. As expected, the very next instant they stepped into the formation, the scenery around them shifted dramatically, and they found themselves inside what resembled a pill refining hall.
"This mansion appears to be structured in layers. The outer region is the first layer of space. Where we are now—this is the second. The deeper we go, the more people we'll find. Eventually, all paths will converge."
Su Min spoke while observing the chamber, now already crowded with other cultivators. Many were injured, their robes torn and stained, but their eyes burned with fervor. Clearly, they had suffered much in the previous rooms—fleeing in panic, unlike Su Min who had calmly cleaned her room out.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
No one spared a moment to tend to their wounds. Instead, every pair of eyes was fixed on one point in the hall. Following their gaze, Su Min's eyes narrowed in surprise.
"A Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Hovering in the air was a single, ancient-looking pill. As an alchemist herself, Su Min recognized it instantly. It was indeed a Foundation Establishment Pill. However, its medicinal essence had significantly decayed from age—its efficacy uncertain at best.
She hadn't bothered to lower her voice, so everyone in the room heard her clearly. The tense atmosphere instantly became explosive, like a powder keg on the verge of ignition. Until now, the cultivators had merely sensed that the pill might aid in breaking through their bottlenecks—but now, with Su Min's confirmation, everything changed.
Every single person here was still at the Qi Refining stage—even if some hadn't reached its peak. For them, a Foundation Establishment Pill was an irresistible temptation.
"Let's go. A pill that's lost most of its potency isn't worth the trouble."
Su Min didn't spare it a second glance. With a single stride, she bypassed the floating pill and headed straight for the next teleportation gate. Cao Yuanmu and the other two exchanged a brief look before following without hesitation. After all, they already had three Foundation Establishment Pills of their own. There was no need to compete with this greedy pack—especially not when Su Min had shown zero interest. No matter how strong they were, facing a horde of desperate cultivators with bloodshot eyes wasn't worth the risk.
"We should follow as well," said Sect Master Mo, his covetous gaze finally retreating as he gritted his teeth and made his choice. He had overheard Su Min's comment, and she had a point—who knew whether the aged pill would work? Besides, if he could curry favor with Su Min, he might get a fresh pill crafted in the future. There was no need to gamble here.
"Right behind you."
The remaining cultivators looked on as the group left. No one dared act rashly. Before, the presence of Sect Master Mo had kept things in check—no one wanted to be the first to draw blood in front of such a respected figure. But now that even he had walked away, the tension finally snapped. A terrifying spiritual pressure erupted in the room like a tidal wave.
"What a mess," Su Min chuckled lightly as they exited. Even now, she could faintly sense the chaotic spiritual fluctuations behind them. These spatial chambers were all connected, and the disturbance would only draw more cultivators to that pill.
"Where are we now? Look over there—what is that?"
Cao Yuanmu suddenly cried out, pointing into the distance. Su Min followed his gaze, and her expression immediately brightened.
"Three Mysteries Netherwood!"
She drew in a sharp breath. That was the very core material she needed to forge a weapon capable of countering the Demon Queen's artifact. No matter what, she had to claim it. Even if she didn't have time to reach the Golden Core stage, this treasure would let her stand against that monster in battle.
"Kekeke… young lady, would you kindly hand that over? I'm afraid we need it quite badly,"
A twisted laugh echoed through the space. A figure stepped out from the shadows—none other than the mysterious Foundation Establishment cultivator who had appeared earlier, now accompanied by a group of eight: five at mid-stage Qi Refining, three at late stage. Su Min's brow furrowed.
"This could be troublesome."
She could kill them all, of course—but only if they were foolish enough to stay and fight. If they chose to scatter, sacrificing a few to let the others escape into the labyrinthine passages of this residence, she might not be able to catch them all.
"Hahaha! I shared a deep friendship with the previous Prince Yong! Today, if Prince Yong Manor faces peril, I, Mo Shaosheng, shall not stand idle!!"
A thunderous voice rang out as Sect Master Mo suddenly arrived, flanked by his two disciples. Without hesitation, he threw his support behind Su Min.