Su Min could not hide her satisfaction as she felt the upgraded connection to her innate spiritual treasure. The potential enhancement to her Demon Slaying Thunder, her current ultimate area of effect trump card, would significantly raise her combat ceiling against multiple powerful foes. This evolution was an unexpected boon, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense. Where else outside of such a high level, self contained estate could she so easily find and eliminate multiple Foundation Establishment demonic beasts in one place?
"Senior, we have gathered all the third tier herbs and above from this section."
The three men returned, their spatial pouches bulging. But upon seeing Su Min standing there perfectly poised and unscathed, not a hair out of place, all three of them froze for a breath. While they had not expected those three beasts to seriously injure her, they had not imagined she would emerge from the battle without so much as a wrinkle in her robe or a speck of dust on her armor.
"I am not sure what this item is," one of them muttered, inspecting a small, faintly glowing crystal he had found nestled among the roots of a large herb. "But holding it seems to accelerate the flow of spiritual energy in my body quite noticeably."
They did not linger on the thought for long. The stronger and more capable Su Min was, the more benefits and security they stood to gain by faithfully following her.
"That is a low grade spirit stone," Su Min said with a cursory glance, utterly unimpressed. "You can use it to assist your cultivation, but its effect is minimal."
She was not particularly interested, especially not in such poor quality stones. To her, with her refined techniques and powerful flames, they were practically useless trinkets. Besides, with the newly evolved spiritual gourd in her possession, she had a far superior source of cultivated energy.
As for the pile of rare herbs they gathered, she claimed them all without a moment's hesitation, storing them securely in her ring. Left in the hands of these juniors, the precious plants would only go to waste. They might be tempted to try eating them directly to force a breakthrough, but that would be sheer folly, wasting their potency at best and severely damaging their meridians and foundation at worst.
"We are done here. Let us move on to the next area's teleportation gate. Stay close; do not get separated."
There was nothing more of significant value left on this vast plain. Lingering any longer would be a waste of precious time. What unsettled her more was a growing, intuitive sense of unease. If her guess was correct, this so called "mansion" was not just a simple cave dwelling or a static ruin. It was a unique and highly advanced magical artifact, a spatial treasure that likely contained multiple, layered pocket dimensions. Not only could it store items, but its self sustaining environment could also cultivate spiritual herbs over centuries.
As her gaze swept across the surrounding landscape one last time, Su Min's eyes narrowed slightly. The outer appearance of this place as a simple grassland was deceptive; within, it was undoubtedly a complex structure filled with segmented, independent realms. The true master of this dwelling, the Tianjiao, likely still slumbered somewhere deep within its core. For now, their top priority was to find a way forward and gather resources without triggering any catastrophic defenses.
Still, she was not particularly alarmed. As long as they did not disturb the master's rest or break any fundamental rules of the mansion, this place was not inherently designed to be a death trap.
"Yes, Senior."
The three cultivators paused momentarily, processing her command, then quickly turned and followed her toward the shimmering, rune inscribed teleportation array visible in the distance. As expected, the very next instant they stepped into the formation, the scenery around them shifted and blurred dramatically. When their vision cleared, they found themselves inside a new chamber that closely resembled an ancient pill refining hall, complete with a massive, dormant central cauldron.
"This mansion appears to be structured in distinct layers," Su Min observed aloud, her voice echoing slightly in the stone chamber. "The grassland was the first layer of space. Where we are now, this hall, is the second. The deeper we go, the more people we will find, as all paths eventually converge toward the center."
She spoke while coolly observing the chamber, which was now already crowded with two dozen other cultivators who had arrived via other gates. Many were injured, their robes torn and stained with blood, their faces pale. Clearly, they had suffered greatly in the previous rooms, likely fleeing in panic from guardians or traps, unlike Su Min's group who had calmly and systematically cleaned their room out.
Yet, no one spared a moment to properly tend to their wounds. Instead, every pair of eyes in the hall was fixed with feverish intensity on a single point near the center of the room. Following their collective gaze, Su Min's eyes narrowed in mild surprise.
"A Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Hovering in the air within a protective sphere of gentle light was a single, jade green pill that looked incredibly ancient. As a master alchemist herself, Su Min recognized its unique spiritual signature instantly. It was indeed a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill. However, its medicinal essence had significantly decayed from the immense passage of time, its color faded and its efficacy now utterly uncertain at best.
She had not bothered to lower her voice, so everyone in the room heard her clear identification. The tense, quiet atmosphere instantly became explosive, like a powder keg with a lit fuse. Until now, the cultivators had merely sensed that the pill possessed immense, breakthrough level power. Now, with Su Min's expert confirmation, everything changed. Doubt was replaced by burning, desperate certainty.
Every single person here was still at the Qi Refining stage, even if some had not yet reached its peak. For them, a Foundation Establishment Pill, even a potentially degraded one, was an irresistible, once in a lifetime temptation.
"Let us go. A pill that has lost most of its potency is not worth the trouble and bloodshed it will cause."
Su Min did not spare it a second, longing glance. With a single, decisive stride, she completely bypassed the floating pill and headed straight for the next teleportation gate shimmering on the far side of the hall. Cao Yuanmu and the other two exchanged a brief, understanding look before following her without the slightest hesitation.
After all, they already had three perfectly fresh, supremely potent Foundation Establishment Pills of their own, safely stored away. There was no need to compete with this greedy, desperate pack, especially not when Su Min herself had shown zero interest. No matter how strong they were, facing a deranged horde of dozens of bloodshot eyed cultivators was not worth the risk for a questionable prize.
"We should follow them as well," said Sect Leader Mo Shaosheng, his own covetous gaze finally retreating as he gritted his teeth and made a rational choice. He had overheard Su Min's damning assessment, and she had a valid point. Who knew if the aged pill would work, or if it might even cause a deviation? Besides, if he could continue to curry favor with Su Min, he might just get a brand new, perfectly refined pill crafted for him in the future. There was no need to gamble his life and his disciples' lives here.
"Right behind you, Sect Leader."
The remaining cultivators looked on as the two most powerful groups calmly walked away. No one had dared act rashly before. The presence of the esteemed Sect Leader Mo had acted as a temporary deterrent. No one wanted to be the first to draw blood in front of such a respected and powerful figure. Now that even he had walked away, the last thread of restraint snapped. A terrifying wave of spiritual pressure erupted in the room like a tidal wave as dozens of cultivators surged forward simultaneously.
"What a predictable mess," Su Min chuckled lightly as they exited the hall and the sounds of chaotic battle erupted behind them. Even now, she could faintly sense the violent, chaotic spiritual fluctuations emanating from the pill hall. These spatial chambers were all connected, and the disturbance would only draw more cultivators to that single, decaying pill like moths to a flame.
"Where are we now? Look over there—what is that?"
Cao Yuanmu suddenly cried out, his voice sharp with surprise as he pointed into the depths of the new chamber they had entered. This one resembled a vast, overgrown botanical garden. Su Min followed his gaze, and her expression immediately brightened with intense focus.
"Three Mysteries Netherwood!"
She drew in a sharp, audible breath. That gnarled, dark grey tree with leaves that seemed to drink the light around it was the very core material she needed to forge a weapon capable of countering the Demon Queen's primary artifact. No matter what the cost, she had to claim it. Even if she did not have time to reach the Golden Core stage before confronting that woman, this unique treasure would allow her to stand on equal footing in a battle.
"Kekeke… young lady, would you kindly hand that tree over? I am afraid we need it quite badly,"
A twisted, mocking laugh echoed through the spacious garden. From behind a large, crystalline formation, a figure stepped out from the shadows. It was none other than the mysterious mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who had appeared at the entrance, now accompanied by his full group of eight subordinates: five at mid stage Qi Refining, and three at the late stage. Su Min's brow furrowed in genuine annoyance.
"This could be troublesome," she murmured to herself.
She was confident she could kill them all, of course, but only if they were foolish enough to stand and fight as a group. If they chose to scatter upon realizing her strength, sacrificing a few to let the others escape into the labyrinthine passages of this residence, she might not be able to catch them all, and the ensuing chaos could allow someone else to snatch the Netherwood.
"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, righteous voice rang out as Sect Leader Mo suddenly arrived through another archway, flanked by his two determined disciples. Without a moment's hesitation, he positioned himself and his men squarely beside Su Min, throwing his full support behind her and glaring defiantly at the hostile group.