"Ah, the Golden Core Avenue, I am back!" Su Min stretched her arms wide, a genuine smile on her face as she breathed in the Avenue's rich, familiar spiritual energy. "Hey, minions! You better not have died while I was gone!"
She then pulled a small, intricately carved bell from her spatial ring. She had not forgotten the outrageous promise she had made before entering the secret realm: one of her high tier Grade 4 pills in exchange for a single Earth grade artifact. It was a brutal deal, one that heavily favored her, and she was counting on the desperation of the top contenders to make it work.
After nearly thirty years, a whole new cycle of secret realms must have appeared, which meant another wave of rare herbs and precious ores were just waiting to be found and, eventually, traded to her.
"This woman…" Xie Yingying rubbed her temples, a mix of exasperation and amusement on her face as she watched Su Min fiddle with a communication jade token.
To help gather ingredients more efficiently, Su Min had recruited a small group of loose cultivators. They were not disciples, just hired help, mostly to run errands and gather information while she focused on her alchemy. With Xie Yingying's intimidating presence watching over them, none had ever dared to step out of line.
The jade token was their direct link, though Su Min had kept it powered down during her long seclusion. Sure enough, the moment she activated it, three figures hurried over. Two women and a man, all of them survivors of the relatively weak Three Nine Heavenly Tribulation. They were the cannon fodder of the Golden Core Avenue; most true secret realms were far beyond their capabilities, and Su Min never took them along on her expeditions. They were too weak to protect and too fragile to save.
At least none of the juniors from her own Eastern Mulberry Land had been foolish enough to enter the Avenue. If they had, she would have beaten them black and blue herself for their recklessness.
"Spread the word to all the major sects," Su Min commanded, her tone all business. "Tell them I am back. And besides Earth grade artifacts, I can now refine high tier Grade 4 pills."
A predatory grin spread across her face. Truthfully, she had been capable of high tier Grade 4 alchemy for a while, but the required ingredients were prohibitively scarce. Now that she had reached late Golden Core, her next goal was to attempt a true Grade 5 pill. That endeavor would demand an almost absurd amount of resources. Alchemy was profitable, but it devoured materials at an alarming rate. Staying at one tier was easy money, but advancing required a mountain of supplies, and Su Min needed that mountain now.
As for her own combat power? She doubted anyone below the absolute top tier Holy Sons and Daughters could challenge her anymore. With two divine materials integrated into her body, her advantage was simply overwhelming. But overconfidence was a killer; she still had to stay vigilant.
"Also, give me a summary of the last twenty years," she added. "Let us see how those so called 'Tianjiao' are doing."
Originally, she had not cared about the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking, but now that the legacy of the Five Elements Flags forced her to compete, intelligence mattered. Her reward for these lackeys would be a mid to low tier Grade 4 pill of their choice. High tier Grade 4 pills needed exceptionally rare herbs that even these scavengers could not find. For these Three Nine Tribulation cultivators, the lowest rung of the Golden Core realm, even the lowest Grade 4 pill was a life changing treasure. Most of them would never form a Nascent Soul; their Golden Cores were simply too weak to survive the shattering process.
"Understood!" the lackeys chorused, hastily handing over a stack of jade slips packed with information.
"Interesting. Not bad," Su Min mused as she skimmed the contents. "Go handle the rest. Remember our deal. After the realms merge, your clans can seek refuge in my sect. But finding the Eastern Mulberry Land will be your own responsibility."
"Yes, Senior!"
They knew their days of easy dominance in their home regions were numbered once the realms merged, and they desperately needed a powerful backer. Su Min, in turn, needed manpower to expand her sect, and these Golden Core cultivators were obedient enough and, crucially, not strong enough to ever cause her serious problems.
Back in Eastern Mulberry Land, the spirit beasts under the Little Golden Crow's rule had grown highly intelligent. A wave of Golden Core level beasts would soon emerge, ensuring no outsider could easily take control. As for her human disciples, their overall talent had surged over the past century. By the time she returned, there would probably be several new Golden Core cultivators.
Whether any of them could survive the Six Nine Heavenly Tribulation was uncertain, but the legendary Nine Nine Tribulation? That was almost impossible. Even the great, ancient sects only produced one such prodigy every few centuries.
"Let us review this together," Su Min said to Xie Yingying as they returned to their decades old cave abode, which still served as Su Min's primary alchemy workshop. "The Golden Core Heavenly Ranking should be lively, though the actual participants with a real chance might be fewer than we think."
The two of them settled in and began poring over the intelligence.
At first glance, it was surprisingly thorough.
Then—
"Huh? A Tianjiao Ranking?" Su Min blinked in surprise. It seemed some busybody with too much time and resources had actually compiled a real time updated power ranking of the Avenue's top talents.
"Not bad. No wonder their intelligence is so detailed. And we are both in the top ten."
She skimmed the list. It was entertaining, but she knew better than to take it as gospel truth. After all, it was based on reported feats and public battles. Anyone who was deliberately hiding their strength, like she often did, could completely blindside these rankings.
She found her own entry first.
[Su Min – Rank 9]
-The only Grade 4 alchemist in the Golden Core Avenue.
-Possesses divine materials: Nanming Lihuo, Eastern Azure Wood.
-Physique: Rare Five Elements Sacred Body (incomplete).
Recorded Battles:
-1 vs. 3 at the Azure Dragon Legacy.
-Exchanged one palm strike with the Great Desolate Sacred Body.
[Overall Rating: 9th]
[Mystery Factor: High (High potential for unexpected combat prowess.)]
"Tsk tsk, 'high mystery factor'? You are quite the enigma," Xie Yingying teased, a smirk playing on her lips. It was true; both women had fought only a handful of times in public. Su Min spent most of her life in the vulnerable state of refining pills, which was precisely why Xie Yingying had stood guard for her for so long.
"Don't laugh. Your rating is higher than mine," Su Min retorted, pointing to the other entry.
[Xie Yingying – Rank 4]
-Extremely rare, ancient, and terrifying Lunar Sovereign Physique.
Sole Recorded Feat:
-Held off dozens of Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation survivors alone at the Azure Dragon Secret Realm.
[Overall Rating: 4th]
[Mystery Factor: Extreme (Too little data; potential to contend for the top spot.)]
"Hmm." Xie Yingying rubbed her nose, a rare sign of mild embarrassment. If Su Min fought sparingly, she fought even less. Mostly because she had been stuck babysitting a certain alchemist who attracted trouble like a magnet.
"The Great Desolate Holy Body is ranked second. And first place is… Yao Xian'er?"
Su Min's eyebrows rose in genuine interest. Anyone capable of supposedly suppressing the monstrously strong Great Desolate Sacred Body had to be the real deal, no matter how unreliable the list might be. It was a simple principle, like in any great competition; no one remembers the second place finisher, but first place is unforgettable.
[Yao Xian'er – Rank 1]
-A mysterious existence from the ancient Immortal Era—older than most sects.
-Rumored descendant of an immortal.
-Physique: Mortal Body (No special traits, yet inexplicably powerful.)
Recorded Feats:
-Defeated the Great Desolate Sacred Body in ten moves.
-Fought over a dozen sects to a standstill in a secret realm.
"This…"
Both women fell silent for a moment, a shared thought passing between them. They had seen something similar before—the Little Golden Crow resting on the Fusang Divine Tree was also a being from a mythical age, possessing power that defied normal cultivation.
"Interesting…" Su Min murmured, but she said no more on the subject.
Outside their cave, the news of Su Min's return spread like wildfire, and the Golden Core Avenue promptly erupted into a frenzy. Every major sect and hidden clan began scrambling to liquidate their treasured artifacts and hoarded herbs—all for a single chance to trade with the one person who could give them a decisive edge: Su Min.