Boom!
As the final, earth shaking bolt of multicolored lightning struck the alchemy formation and was absorbed, a single, perfect pill materialized before Su Min, hovering serenely in midair, pulsing with immense spiritual light.
[Harmony Heart Eight Treasures Pill (8th grade, 8 colored tribulation lightning): After consumption, it can significantly elevate the cultivation base of a Unity stage cultivator.]
"Here, take this pill."
Since she had already reached the late phase of the Unity stage herself, further meaningful progress would require a major breakthrough, something a mere eighth grade pill could not achieve. She needed to successfully refine a legendary ninth grade pill.
So this one was specifically for Xie Yingying. After finishing its refinement, Su Min temporarily halted her alchemical work. The process was mentally exhausting.
Time was running desperately short. This single pill alone had taken her a full month. Now, her priority was to hand it to Xie Yingying to help her break through her current bottleneck. Reaching the late phase of the Unity stage as soon as possible would be a tremendous advantage for her in the coming conflict.
"Though it is a pity, Little Golden Crow probably will not get past the mid phase of Unity with what I can provide."
Su Min rubbed her forehead in frustration. She did not know exactly what would happen in the coming months, but one thing was certain, if a full scale war truly erupted, the only way to survive was to grow stronger, fast.
But Little Golden Crow was not like Xie Yingying. The divine beast corpses she had encountered and absorbed in the dark cosmos had left her with nothing usable for her friends.
"Have all the major sects arrived yet?"
Pushing those worries aside for now, Su Min turned her attention to the more pressing matter, the upcoming grand sect assembly. The reason it was being held at the Immortal Gate was largely due to her own overwhelming influence.
Moreover, she had deliberately chosen to refine the pill within the sect's main compound, so the entire Eastern Mulberry City had witnessed the dazzling, terrifying tribulation lightning. As a result, the city was abuzz with excitement and speculation. Everyone was talking about one thing, the heavenly lightning.
The multicolored bolts descending from the heavens were both mesmerizing and deeply terrifying. Even for most Unity stage cultivators, being caught in that lightning would be dangerous, yet the onlookers seemed to care little for the risk, watching instead in pure awe.
Some among the crowds could not help but show a flicker of greed in their eyes, but they quickly suppressed it. The Immortal Gate now publicly had five Unity stage cultivators, and countless Dao Comprehension stage experts. Trying to forcibly snatch anything here would be utter suicide.
And even more terrifying, the alchemist responsible was none other than Su Min herself, the fully realized Five Elements Holy Body, with a battle record that spoke for itself against Mahayana stage foes.
"Eighth grade, eight colored tribulation lightning! Grandmaster Su has returned with a grand spectacle!"
Many were already whispering among themselves in the city's teahouses and inns. Clearly, Su Min had done this deliberately, to announce her return and her increased strength to the entire world. An eighth grade, eight colored pill was enough to drive any Unity stage cultivator wild with desire.
"I wonder what kind of pill it is. Maybe it could make a mortal ascend to immortality in one go?" one young, naive cultivator speculated.
"Are you out of your mind? A mortal's body would explode on the spot if they ate that. The potent spiritual energy of an eighth grade pill is not something even most Divine Transformation stage cultivators can necessarily withstand," an older, more experienced cultivator chided him.
"I was just joking," the young man mumbled, chastised.
But while the loose cultivators chattered excitedly, the representatives of the major sects who had already arrived remained grim faced. They knew that eighth grade, eight colored tribulation lightning likely was not her limit. After all, she had just returned from a century in the terrifying dark cosmos, no one knew what she had experienced or how much she had truly improved.
This first, public refinement was likely just a warm-up. And her purpose was simple,
A warning and an invitation, rolled into one.
As the continent's top alchemist by a landslide, none of these sects had any real reason or courage to refuse her summons. An eighth grade, eight colored pill was something even their sects, at their absolute peak when they still had Transcendence stage cultivators, would consider rare and precious. And now? In this diminished era, it was practically unheard of.
So behind closed doors in their guest residences, frantic, hushed discussions were underway.
"We nearly offended the Immortal Gate to death last time. Now, we must tread extremely carefully. With her current status as the sole eighth grade alchemist, she could easily rally support to annihilate any faction that crossed her, even a super faction like ours."
The members of the Yao Clan huddled together, whispering nervously. They had finally produced a new Unity stage cultivator, and with their ancient heritage and dormant imperial artifacts, they were now considered a true super faction again.
But even among super factions, there were clear hierarchies.
Right now, they were keeping their heads down, not daring to make a sound against the Immortal Gate.
The only consolation was that Su Min did not seem to hold long grudges, mostly because she preferred to settle them on the spot. It was only when the immediate power gap was too vast that she would bide her time.
But the Yao Clan knew they were currently no match for the rising Immortal Gate, and since Su Min had not come after them again after the initial confrontation, they assumed the matter was settled. Still, they remained deeply cautious, afraid of inadvertently provoking her and having all old and new grievances settled at once.
So when the invitation arrived, they had rushed over immediately, among the first to arrive.
The Yao Clan had accepted their fate, they would not reach the pinnacle of power in this lifetime. Their goal now was simply to preserve their lineage, not to stir up trouble.
But the impending Dark Rebellion left them no choice. Those horrific creatures would target super factions like theirs first. With no way to avoid the conflict, they could only prepare to fight with everything they had. Though they had prepared a secret escape route for their seeds, if it came to that, they would no longer be a super faction in any meaningful sense.
Imperial artifacts, core legacies, all would be lost or left behind. Without those, their clan's techniques alone would not be enough to maintain their standing in the new world.
"In this situation, we just need to follow Grandmaster Su's lead quietly. Besides, with two genuine Mahayana stage experts backing her, things should not go too badly for us."
They were nothing if not pragmatic. They understood the true purpose of this assembly, to form a unified alliance. This would not be like the loose, disorganized coalition against the fallen ones, where everyone acted independently. This would be a true, centralized military force.
Su Min had never bothered participating in previous alliances, but this time was completely different. Anyone who dared make trouble now would be cutting themselves off from the entire cultivation world.
And it was not just the Yao Clan. Every major sect and divine beast race felt the same overwhelming pressure.
Ao Xue, now at the mid phase of Unity, stood silently on a high balcony, gazing at the distant sky where the lightning had faded. With her powerful ancient bloodline, she could hold her own against some late phase Unity cultivators.
But only barely. By the Unity stage, human physiques and techniques had largely caught up, narrowing the innate gap with divine beasts. Gone were the days when a Golden Core stage divine beast could easily pummel a Nascent Soul stage human.
"Your Majesty, not just us, all the major divine beast races have sent their elites. It seems no one plans to openly oppose this alliance. As for the alliance leader, it is undoubtedly Grandmaster Su."
"Mm."
The position of alliance leader was already a foregone conclusion, Su Min, the eighth grade alchemist. The Great Thunder Temple was out of the question, while Buddhism was not exactly despised, it was far from universally popular.
As for Yao Xian'er, though personally formidable, the tangible benefits and leverage she could offer the various sects were nowhere near Su Min's, and the simple fact that this assembly was being held at the Immortal Gate made the power dynamic clear, both supreme powerhouses had already agreed on the leadership.
"The alliance leader, she might as well be the unofficial ruler of the entire cosmos."
Many secretly envied her position. The Heavenly Continent was the acknowledged heart of the universe's strongest cultivation power. These super factions alone could dominate the known cosmos if they truly wished. And once this alliance formed, with the Dark Rebellion forcing absolute unity, its leader's authority would be near absolute. This was not just an empty title, it came with command over immense, real power.
Of course, many powerful figures coveted the position. But they also knew their limits. In both personal strength and broader influence, they were no match for Su Min.
But while the ambitious ones seethed with quiet envy, Su Min herself was nursing a profound headache.
Right now, she sat in a secluded chamber across from two people, Yao Xian'er and Tian Yang.
"You are putting me on the spot. The alliance leader's seat is not an easy one to sit on."
She was not stupid, she knew exactly what this responsibility entailed. But given her free spirited, independent nature, the burden of command and diplomacy chafed.
"Stop complaining. Even the two of us will have to follow your orders once the alliance is formed."
Yao Xian'er rolled her eyes, having little patience for Su Min's reluctance. She had formed such grand alliances before in her first life and knew exactly how troublesome they could be. Logistics, disputes, some factions would be assigned heavier burdens and suffer greater losses on the front lines.
Compensation and rotation would be necessary, otherwise, the alliance would quickly fracture from within.
Even she, with her immense personal power, could not easily handle that political nightmare. Only Su Min could.
After all, compensating others would require expending priceless treasures from one's own sect's reserves, a bitter pill for any leader. But for Su Min?
She was an alchemist. Pills would suffice. A nearly cost free solution for the alliance, if not for her personal time and effort.
So neither Tian Yang nor Yao Xian'er had any interest in fighting for the leader's seat themselves.
Neither of them had ulterior motives, either. Yao Xian'er had once stood at the very peak of this world as a Great Emperor and had long since moved past such petty desires for authority. Tian Yang, having reincarnated nearly a hundred times, had seen and done it all, his focus was solely on achieving Buddhahood and saving sentient beings.
With two Mahayana stage experts publicly backing Su Min, no faction, no matter how proud, would be foolish enough to openly oppose her appointment.
And if anyone dared refuse? Well, perhaps they had secret ties to the dark cosmos, a matter worth investigating thoroughly.
The only truly unhappy one in the room was Su Min. This was going to be a monumental pain.
They said absolute power turned people into cold, distant monsters, but that did not quite apply here. In the cultivation world, ultimate authority was directly tied to personal strength. If you were strong enough, titles and positions were just formalities.
"I will probably become a pill refining machine for the entire alliance. But fine, I will do it, this way, I can legitimately consolidate the entire continent's top resources to help me attempt ninth grade alchemy. With a successful Mahayana Pill, I might break through before the Dark Rebellion fully erupts."
"Your spiritual energy accumulation and soul power are likely not sufficient yet. Even with a successful Mahayana Pill, you would probably need at least a thousand years of closed door cultivation to refine it fully. Reaching Mahayana is not that simple."
Yao Xian'er cut her off bluntly, and Tian Yang nodded in silent agreement.
Su Min's lips twitched in annoyance. "Did they have to be so blunt?"
"Though, it is not entirely impossible. You reaching Mahayana is a strategic necessity."
But then Yao Xian'er's tone shifted, becoming more thoughtful.
"Huh? You have a way?"
Su Min blinked, then perked up, leaning forward. If Yao Xian'er said so, she must know something.
"After the assembly concludes, once you have refined the Mahayana Pill, I will send you to a specific place where you can attempt your breakthrough with a high chance of success."
"Where?"
"Where I severed my own cultivation to be reborn. Back then, I cut away all my impurities, reducing myself to a mortal state. Though I kept the core essence of my power, much pure energy remained at that site. I did not let it dissipate into the world."
Su Min sucked in a sharp breath. That place was undoubtedly one of Yao Xian'er's most precious, secret reserves, her last resort, and she was willingly giving it up?
Seeming to read her thoughts, Yao Xian'er added calmly,
"That accumulated essence could help me, but not enough for a qualitative leap forward. I have embarked on a completely new path now, and I cannot fully reabsorb my old self's energy. So rather than let it slowly waste on me, it is better used as fuel to get you to Mahayana swiftly."
"Then, thank you. If you ever need my help in the future, just ask."
Su Min hesitated for a moment but did not refuse. This was a direct solution to her most urgent problem.
Once she reached Mahayana, she could confidently face even late stage Mahayana experts, and perhaps even hold her own against the so called Residual Immortals. A perfected Five Elements Sacred Body was historically known to have the potential power to slay true immortals. And she had already surpassed the original Five Elements Great Emperor in her mastery of the physique.
She was genuinely confident in her own strength.
"Many thanks for your great generosity, Lady Yao. Unfortunately, the Great Thunder Temple can offer no such direct aid. Our methods are, incompatible."
Tian Yang shook his head helplessly. Helping a Unity stage cultivator reach Mahayana in a short time through external means was a feat beyond their sect's capabilities.
"No matter. Let us prepare for the assembly. This alliance must be settled within a week. I do not have time for endless debates and posturing."
Su Min nodded, her mind already shifting to the practicalities. Refining a ninth grade pill would take considerable, uninterrupted time.
And cultivators, with their long lifespans, could argue over trivial points for ages.
Mortals might spend years haggling over a single trade treaty. Cultivators? Arguing for half a year was just the beginning, with no visible upper limit. She needed to force a swift, decisive conclusion.
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Poor Su Min. LOL..