With Su Min's official return, the news spread like a ripple through a pond, and within just a month, her cave abode became a hub of activity. The allure of the Golden Heart Pill was simply too powerful to ignore.
"Who do you plan to give that pill to, anyway? The final decision on the artifact is yours, but you are essentially strengthening a potential rival."
Xie Yingying watched the comings and goings with a slight frown. She was a little concerned about the pill's ultimate destination. It could very well create a significant obstacle in their own competition for the coveted top five spots, as none of the other contenders were pushovers.
"What are you afraid of?" Su Min replied, her tone relaxed. "So many years have passed. The truly top-tier experts have already reached the late Golden Core stage through their own means. Besides, for some of the more advanced pills I want to refine, I am still missing a few crucial ingredients. This is the fastest way to get them."
She was not worried about empowering a rival. The top experts on the Tianjiao Ranking were likely just like her, perfectly capable of advancing to late Golden Core on their own talent and resources. After all, there were still decades before the Golden Core Avenue fully opened for the final ranking. By then, all the serious contenders would have caught up. According to the latest intelligence, the top five on the rankings had all reportedly reached the late Golden Core stage already.
For them, a breakthrough pill like the Golden Heart Pill was practically useless now. Su Min's target clients were actually those aiming for the ranks just below, the top ten to thirty. The Heavenly Ranking's rewards were tiered. The top five would receive a Dao baptism that extended their lifespan by three hundred years, the next tier by two hundred, and those in the top thirty by one hundred. These were prizes worth fighting for.
And let us not forget, Su Min was an alchemist. She had another trump card, one that was far more direct and personal, pill consumption.
True life preserving artifacts were incredibly difficult to refine. She remembered the last time she had been in a serious fight; she would rather suffer severe injuries from a direct punch than use her one protective mirror. She had spent decades refining that single mirror, and it was a one time use item. Her innate Revival Art was her ultimate safety net, but it had a cooldown of one full day. She would not use it unless her first life was truly taken.
But now, she needed to refine a few special pills for herself, short term burst pills and specialized life saving pills, though she was still missing some key ingredients for those.
"You want to refine short-term burst pills and special life-saving pills?" Xie Yingying was startled. "Would not that cause permanent damage to your foundation? The greater the pill's power, the greater the cost. The residual toxicity can linger for years."
An alchemist's fighting style often relied heavily on consuming powerful pills, but the price was always steep. Residual medicinal effects would accumulate within the body, creating blockages that could hinder future breakthroughs. Burst pills were even more dangerous, capable of scorching one's meridians if used recklessly. Su Min had only resorted to such measures a handful of times in her entire life.
"I know what I am doing. It will not affect my future," Su Min said with a dismissive smile. She had her reasons for such confidence. First, the Nanming Lihuo flame within her body could actively refine and eliminate residual medicinal properties. Second, and more importantly, now that she had integrated the Eastern Azure Wood, the upper limit of energy her physique and meridians could withstand had reached an astonishing level.
Whether they were violent burst pills or potent life saving ones, her reinforced body could handle them with ease. This time, she planned to refine several high grade fourth tier pills, luxuries that would make even veteran Nascent Soul cultivators green with envy.
"Mhm." Hearing her confident tone, Xie Yingying did not press the matter further. She would not take such pills herself, nor would she ask for them. With her pristine Lunar Sovereign Body, she had no reason to damage her nearly perfect foundation for a temporary power up.
"Miss Su, ten people have arrived with Earth tier artifacts."
At that moment, one of the loose cultivators who ran errands for Su Min arrived at the gate of the inner chamber. He was only at the early Golden Core stage and had little hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime. Instead of focusing on his own futile cultivation, he was now trying to secure good resources for his clan and descendants.
"Let us go see them."
With that, Su Min and Xie Yingying headed to the outer chamber of the cave abode, where over a dozen people had gathered. They were all Holy Sons and Daughters of major sects, figures who typically stood far above ordinary cultivators.
But here, on this fiercely competitive iteration of the Golden Core Avenue, they were nothing special. Countless geniuses had awakened from sealed slumber or emerged from hidden realms, all gathering here. Over the long aeons, the Golden Core venue had accumulated terrifying energy, leading to unprecedented rewards. In normal times, the top five might only gain thirty years of lifespan, not three hundred.
So in an ordinary era, any one of them could have been a dominant force. But now, they were all reduced to supporting roles, desperate for any edge. Naturally, they were unwilling to accept this and were fighting with everything they had.
"As expected, none of the top ten on the Tianjiao Ranking came. They are not very interested in my pill."
Looking at the people before her, Su Min chuckled inwardly. These individuals probably had no hope of breaking into the top ten and were here to compete for a spot in the top thirty. But Su Min was not going to be polite. With a flip of her hand, the Golden Heart Pill appeared in her palm, its surface shimmering with a warm, golden light. Instantly, the breathing of everyone in the chamber grew heavier.
"Now, let me see your Earth tier artifacts. But before that, I will make it clear, the final choice is mine."
Su Min gave them a fair warning. The compatibility of the artifact with her own cultivation path was the ultimate deciding factor, so the standards were entirely up to her. No one else had a say.
"Understood."
Hearing this, the Holy Sons and Daughters did not dare to argue. They all nodded in acquiescence. After all, Su Min was no weak alchemist who could be easily intimidated. With the formidable Xie Yingying by her side, even if they all attacked together, they might not be able to defeat these two. Moreover, both women had already reached the late Golden Core stage, a fact that filled the others with a mixture of envy and resignation, further deterring any thoughts of causing trouble.
In the next moment, spiritual light flashed as ten dazzling artifacts appeared before everyone. The entire chamber trembled under the collective pressure of their auras. Earth tier artifacts were items Su Min could not hope to refine herself even if she reached the Nascent Soul stage. As these treasures materialized, the very air in the cave abode twisted and warped slightly.
"What kind of random assortment is this?" Su Min's lips twitched. "Fans, spiked clubs these weapons are immediately out." Two of the artifacts were instantly rejected. They were completely incompatible with her fighting style. Even if they were Earth tier, they were useless to her.
Her gaze swept over the remaining artifacts. What she really wanted was Earth tier armor. After all, armor was known as the king of treasures, offering the most comprehensive and reliable boost to a cultivator's survivability. But clearly, these people were not fools. A set of Earth tier armor, even low grade, would command a price far higher than a single fourth tier pill, requiring at least a sixth tier pill in exchange.
After mentally setting aside the odd weapons, Su Min scanned the remaining ones and locked onto three, a mirror, a small pagoda, and a simple-looking pendant.
"My apologies, everyone. I have seen your artifacts, but none of them suit me. Thank you for your time."
Su Min spoke politely, but as soon as her words fell, the expressions of several people darkened. It was clear she was dismissing them without even a proper examination of their treasures. Of course, many of them had already known their artifacts were long shots and were just there to try their luck.
So, they simply bowed and left without another word. Once a few departed, the others had no choice but to follow suit, retrieving their artifacts with disappointed sighs. Now, only three artifacts remained floating before Su Min. She needed to test their effects by channeling a wisp of her spiritual energy into each.
"This small pagoda is a restraining tool, is it not? It contains an internal space to trap people inside. It is useful against group attacks, but in a structured one-on-one battle like the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking, its utility is limited. Its priority is not very high."
The first pagoda was temporarily set aside. While it could trap enemies, she could not attack them while they were inside. It was not a weak artifact, but its situational nature made it less desirable for the coming trials. Its owner had likely brought it for that very reason, hoping to offload it.
"Dark Demon God Mirror this one is no good either. I don't have the dark attribute, so I can't benefit from its enhancements." The mirror pulsed with a malevolent purple black light that felt alien to her own pure, elemental energy. "As for the last one..."
Su Min's eyes lit up as her spiritual sense touched the simple jade pendant. This was exactly what she needed.
[Five Elements Pendant (Earth-tier, mid-grade): When activated, it unleashes the Five Elements Rotating Formation, a mysterious and powerful array. However, to activate it, the user must possess all five attributes—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. It is said to have been crafted by the Five Elements Emperor.
"This one."
Without a moment of hesitation, Su Min took the pendant and tossed the glittering Golden Heart Pill to its owner. While this artifact was incredibly useful to her, it was practically a worthless trinket to anyone else.
"Thank you, Miss Su."
The man accepted the pill with a satisfied smile. He had known this pill would likely end up with him. Without a system to assist him, he did not know the pendant's exact history or creator, but he understood its stringent activation condition, the user had to possess balanced affinity for all five attributes, the hallmark of the notoriously weak Five Elements spiritual root.
Those with such spiritual roots were generally considered trash in the cultivation world, incapable of achieving anything. But Su Min was publicly known as the Five Elements Holy Body, so she undoubtedly possessed all five attributes in a perfect, potent harmony. In her case, the "all attributes" were a source of immense strength, not weakness. This pendant would be of great use to her, and to no one else.
A typical Five Elements spiritual root resulted in chaotic, impure spiritual energy. Forget advancing in cultivation, surviving without a qi deviation would be a miracle. Of course, Su Min did not actually have a spiritual root in the conventional sense. Her attributes were governed by the divine materials she integrated and the cultivation techniques she practiced. Now, with the guidance of the Five Elements Flags and her Heavenly Dao Insight, she had just gathered a complete set of five elemental techniques.
This meant she was now perfectly suited for this artifact. There was no need for hesitation. Naturally, the man was delighted because he knew no one else could use it. Trading a mid grade Earth tier artifact, no matter how high its grade, for a pill he could actually use was an acceptable deal. After all, Su Min's pills had an excellent reputation for quality. The artifact was just a beautiful paperweight in his storage ring.
"Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" Su Min asked the remaining few. "Of course, I also accept pill refining commissions. Prices are negotiable. And one more thing, unless you can provide the core ingredient for the Golden Heart Pill, the Heartflame Waterfire Fruit, I can still refine it for a price."
Su Min smiled. She had obtained her own Heartflame Waterfire Fruit in the Azure Dragon Secret Realm. Thanks to the influence of the Eastern Azure Wood, the Azure Dragon Secret Realm was the most vibrant of all, with the highest concentration of rare herbs. If even that place did not have more of these fruits, they likely could not be found elsewhere in the Golden Core Avenue.
Sure enough, upon hearing her words, several people's expressions shifted to disappointment. Clearly, they did not have the required ingredient. Without it, even a seventh or eighth tier alchemist would be powerless. But not everyone was empty handed. One person stepped forward and handed Su Min a storage ring.
"I see. A high grade fourth tier pill, the Meridian Preservation Pill, then. Come back in three days to collect it."
After examining the three sets of ingredients and the sizable pile of rare supplementary materials inside the ring, Su Min nodded inwardly. This commission was well worth taking. There was even a particular herb she urgently needed for her own projects. With that, she took the ring and turned to return to the inner cave abode. The others could only exchange glances before vanishing in flashes of light. Clearly, they were off to scour the secret realms for more ingredients.
Though the pills they wanted could not compare to the legendary Golden Heart Pill, they were still crucial. Some were even directly related to their future chances of reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Even if they could not use them now, they were investments for the future. And once the Heavenly Dao's suppression lifted and spiritual energy in the outside world recovered to ancient levels, such high quality pills would become even harder to obtain. It was better to secure them now while Su Min was available and willing.
Besides, the herbs found within the Golden Core Avenue were often of a higher grade and purity than those outside, making them slightly easier to acquire for those with the strength and luck.
"These are all pills tailored to their specific physiques, meant to protect their meridians during Core Shattering," Su Min mused to herself as she examined the ingredients. "It seems everyone is seriously preparing to make their attempt."
The Nascent Soul Pill's effects far surpassed these specialized pills, but it was a fifth tier pill, extremely difficult to refine, and its core ingredients were exceedingly rare. Even major sects might not have them in their storage. But these great sects had their own ancient legacies and reserves. By refining specialized pills based on their unique physiques, they could achieve effects similar to the Nascent Soul Pill, albeit weaker. Still, something was better than nothing. Even so, these commissions were still for mid to high fourth tier pills.
Commissioning Su Min to refine them would cost a fortune. The storage ring she had just received was proof, containing many high grade materials that had likely taken a sect decades to accumulate within the Golden Core venue.
"But no matter what, in the end, you will be the one refining them. Probably over ninety percent of the rare herbs in this Golden Core Avenue will pass through your hands before this is all over."
Watching Su Min sit cross legged before the alchemy furnace, her brow slightly furrowed in deep thought as she planned her refining process, Xie Yingying allowed a small, rare smile to touch her lips.
It was a subtle thing, barely more than a slight curve, but it lingered longer than it should have.
How serious she looked, her eyelashes lowered in focus, that faint furrow of concentration between her brows. Her fingers, poised above the ingredients, held the grace of someone who had long since mastered her craft. Even in silence, Su Min carried a palpable weight of intent, like a steady flame wrapped in silk. Beautiful, but never idle.
Xie Yingying looked away, then found her gaze drifting back. She told herself it was simply admiration, a respect for her companion's peerless skill. But the warmth pulsing low in her chest whispered otherwise. It was a lingering echo of their resonance. That strange, slow burning sensation that had not quite left her since their energies had violently intertwined.
She could still feel it sometimes, when their shoulders brushed by accident, or when Su Min's spiritual qi stirred too close to hers. It was not just the Solar Sovereign power resonating with her Lunar Sovereign body, but something else, something gentler. Something... profoundly human. And it was infuriatingly tender.
Her fingers tightened briefly around the sleeve of her robe. It was not as if anything concrete had happened after that day. They had spoken little of it, as if mutually afraid to test the edge of whatever had awakened between them. But it had changed her. Or maybe it had just revealed something that had been there all along, simmering beneath the surface of their partnership.
Xie Yingying's gaze drifted back to Su Min, tracing the line of her jaw, the way a stray strand of hair fell across her cheek.
She had not even noticed her own smile fading into something softer, almost wistful.
"Do you even know what you have done to me?" The thought rose unbidden, half ashamed and half yearning. "Ever since that day, I have not been able to look at you the same way."
Suddenly, Su Min reached for a jade vial, pausing for a fraction of a second as if sensing a shift in the air around her. Her eyes lifted, brushing against Xie Yingying's for a fleeting moment before drifting back to her task.
Xie Yingying stiffened, her heart stuttering under the weight of that brief, unreadable glance. "I will, check the perimeter," she said instead, her voice a little too level and controlled. It was a reasonable excuse. Logical. Perfectly fitting for a cultivator in a secret realm filled with rivals. But even she could hear the hollowness behind the words.
She turned on her heel before she could catch Su Min's reaction. But she felt it again, that traitorous warmth rising to the tips of her ears, that phantom memory of breath shared too close. Of hands brushing against skin under the eerie light of the secret realm. Of a bond forged by fate and physique, but now deepened by something quieter, something neither of them yet dared to name.
Her steps quickened as she moved toward the cave entrance. The cold, sharp air outside would help clear her head.
She hoped.
===
If you wondering why they suddenly that close. That because their relationship is went further, especially after the last chapter. As we knew Yingying already drawn to her with buff that she already 'tasted' her Taiyang qi, making she more attracted to her.