The grand hall of the immortal sect was now a gathering of formidable powerhouses.
With the Fallen ones no longer a threat, these experts could move more freely. However, such a grand assembly was nearly impossible under normal circumstances, as each of these individuals was a ruler of their own domain.
Yet today, they had all gathered here. At this moment, every cultivator in the Eastern Mulberry Continent could sense an oppressive aura in the air. And it wasn't just them—even across the sea in the Wei-Wu Continent and the Yao Xin Continent, the presence of so many powerhouses was palpable.
There were over a hundred Unity-stage experts, and countless more at the Dao Comprehension stage. In fact, those at the Dao Comprehension stage weren't even qualified to enter the main hall.
At the forefront of these powerhouses sat three individuals whose strength far surpassed the rest. Most of the Unity-stage cultivators present were only at the early stage, with very few at the mid-stage. Meanwhile, Su Min's late-stage Unity cultivation made her the undisputed strongest in their eyes.
"The Dark Rebellion will likely erupt within the next two hundred years. All of you here represent either major sects or divine beast bloodlines. Your sects or inherited memories should contain detailed records of past events. This time, however, is different from any before—everyone must contribute, not just form a loose alliance."
Su Min spoke bluntly to the assembly. Behind her, Yao Xian'er and Tian Yang stood with their eyes closed, lending her their silent support. According to their prior agreement, Su Min was to become the alliance leader—a decision everyone could accept, especially since, as an alchemist, she could offer pills that would tempt even the most powerful among them.
"Agreed. The Great Thunder Temple will commit all its strength."
"The Ancient Lamp Monastery pledges the same."
"The Guanyin Shrine as well."
Almost as soon as Su Min finished speaking, the Buddhist factions voiced their immediate support. Their reputation was already tarnished, and while Su Min wouldn't target them, they feared being schemed against within the alliance. Thus, they openly declared their allegiance, earning disdainful glances from others.
"The Yao Clan has no objections. We fully support Alliance Leader Su."
Next, the Yao Clan—who had previously clashed with Su Min—also pledged their support. Many eyebrows twitched at this, and some couldn't help but sneer inwardly. "How shameless. They're already wagging their tails."
While no one openly opposed Su Min's leadership, most maintained a reserved demeanor. More importantly, they were all scheming to secure greater benefits and status within the alliance.
The Buddhist factions had no choice, and the Yao Clan's submission was clearly an attempt to appease Su Min, hoping to avoid retribution rather than gain any advantages.
"I know what you're all thinking. Those who join the alliance and make sufficient contributions will have the right to request alchemy services from me—any eighth-tier pill, even those with nine-colored tribulation lightning. Of course, the latter will require extraordinary contributions."
Su Min smiled faintly, and her words sent tremors through the hearts of many. The offer was undeniably tempting, and their greed was evident.
This was precisely why they were willing to accept Su Min as their leader—after all, the world moved for profit.
But before the excitement could settle, Yao Xian'er's voice cut through the air. At the same time, her Mahayana mid-stage aura erupted, pressing down on the entire assembly. Even the Unity-stage experts found it hard to breathe.
"The world now stands at the brink of life and death. This is the time for unity. If any of you believe your imperial artifacts or inherited marks can protect you, feel free to test that theory."
Her cold gaze swept across the hall, carrying an unspoken threat. While Su Min offered carrots, Yao Xian'er wielded the stick. No one dared to speak against her. Had Tian Yang issued such a warning, they might have scoffed. Even Su Min might not have commanded such fear.
But Yao Xian'er? Not a single person dared to defy her.
With reluctant nods, the assembly fell into silence.
"Now, let's discuss the alliance's structure. All members must eliminate the influence of imperial artifacts, and positions will be determined by strength. We'll also dispatch scouts to monitor the Dark Universe."
With that, the conference officially began, followed by endless negotiations. The hierarchy was simple: strength dictated rank. However, three positions were already set—Su Min as the leader, Xie Yingying as the second, and Tian Yang as the third.
Tian Yang, being from the Buddhist faction, had to remain low-key due to their infamous reputation. Moreover, his Mahayana early-stage cultivation was slightly weaker than Yao Xian'er's.
One week later...
"Finally, it's over. I'm exhausted."
Su Min rubbed her temples as she looked around the now-empty hall. As a Unity-stage cultivator, she could easily go a decade without rest, food, or water. But physical fatigue was nothing compared to mental exhaustion, especially after days of political maneuvering.
Even within her own immortal sect, Su Min had spent 99% of her time as an absentee leader, often completely unreachable. If not for her spiritual connection with the little Golden Crow and the fact that her soul lamp remained lit, her disciples might have assumed their ancestor had perished.
Dealing with such matters was far from her expertise.
But then again, no one who reached this level of cultivation was simple-minded.
"You did well. Thanks to you, this matter was resolved quickly. If it were left to us, it would've taken much longer. By the way, it's time to activate the Heavenly Palace."
Yao Xian'er smiled at Su Min's weary expression. Had she or Tian Yang led the negotiations, it would've dragged on for over a month. Su Min's ability to offer alchemical incentives was something they couldn't match.
"All I had to do was refine a dozen or so eighth-tier pills—three-colored tribulation lightning or lower—and they provided the materials. I finished in three days."
Su Min rolled her eyes. While she might've been taken advantage of, it wasn't a big deal. Pills of that level were child's play for her. The only "payment" she received was the materials themselves—normally, she'd demand three sets of ingredients plus additional fees. This time, she waived the fees but still profited.
But what was this "Heavenly Palace" she mentioned?
"What's the Heavenly Palace?"
"After the last Dark Rebellion, though we repelled them, less than one in ten living beings survived. Countless life-bearing planets were reduced to wastelands. Over the next several million years, generation after generation of emperors worked together to forge a unique treasure."
"Hiss—"
Su Min couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. A treasure that took millions of years and the direct involvement of emperors to create was no ordinary artifact.
"Its function is simple: to erect special barriers around all life-bearing regions of the universe. When the Dark Rebellion comes, the dark cultivators will have to break through the Heavenly Palace's defenses before they can devour all life. However, each activation requires about a hundred thousand years to recharge. Normally, we'd charge straight into the Dark Universe for battle."
"Is it an immortal artifact?"
Su Min was stunned. This thing surpassed her imagination.
"No. No one knows what truly qualifies as an immortal artifact."
"How is it activated?"
"By simultaneously channeling thirty imperial artifacts. Right now, we lack emperors. Even Mahayana and Unity-stage cultivators are few in number. Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to activate it."
"Let's prepare immediately. Thirty imperial artifacts aren't easy to gather, but it's not impossible. I'll summon the cultivators who haven't left yet."
Su Min nodded. Speed was crucial in this matter.
"No need to trouble yourself with that. We can gather thirty imperial artifacts. Focus on refining those pills—and prepare more eighth-tier ones. That way, I can ensure the alliance operates smoothly and allocate resources to build our defenses."
"Understood."
Su Min agreed. According to their plans, she needed to reach the Mahayana stage before the Dark Rebellion arrived. That meant she'd have to step back as leader, leaving Yao Xian'er to manage the alliance. No one else was capable.
"Right now, Xie Yingying is still in seclusion, and the little Golden Crow has reached the mid-stage of Unity. As for the little Qilin… don't count on her yet. That girl's only at the late stage of Dao Comprehension."
Su Min quickly assessed her available forces. Xie Yingying was in seclusion, as was the little Qilin. The Qilin Clan had suffered greatly, and though their foundation remained, their development had slowed. It was like joining a game late—by the time they logged in, the battle had already started, putting them at a severe disadvantage.
After settling all urgent matters, Su Min returned to seclusion. This time, she spent half a month refining a batch of eighth-tier pills—all low-grade, as per the agreement.
Alliance members could request her alchemical services, but they needed to accumulate contribution points. So far, no sect had earned enough.
For now, Su Min had no pressing tasks—not for the next century, at least. Earning enough points for a single request would take a long time.
This was her chance to focus on improving her strength.
Soon, Yao Xian'er found her again.
"This leads to my inherited secret realm. Originally, it was my last resort—if anything went wrong during my reincarnation, or if the Dark Rebellion erupted early, I could use it to quickly recover my Mahayana-stage power. But now that I've reached Mahayana, it's become useless to me."
She handed Su Min a jade token, which made the latter pause.
"What's inside?"
Su Min was wary. A place that could restore Yao Xian'er to Mahayana under any circumstances was no small matter—it was downright terrifying. Knowing Yao Xian'er's methods, blindly charging in would likely be fatal.
"Good. You haven't let excitement cloud your judgment. My first incarnation possessed a physique as renowned as your Five Elements Holy Body and Yin-Yang Dual Body. That place contains the concentrated essence of my physique."
"Essence?"
"The Enlightened Dao Body, as a physique capable of directly communing with heaven and earth, not only makes it easier to comprehend laws but also allows the fusion of more laws as one's cultivation grows. Before I severed my path, I had fused over ten thousand laws. However, this very fusion caused an imbalance in my body's laws. If not for this contingency, I would've died on the spot."
Su Min's jaw dropped. Ten thousand laws?! Even a few dozen would overwhelm her—let alone ten thousand.
"So when you enter, be cautious. The laws there have already taken physical form."
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Su Min nearly cursed aloud. What kind of nightmare was this?
But then she paused.
She suddenly remembered something crucial—the legendary Chaos Body was said to be capable of fusing all things.
What she lacked might very well lie within this place.
This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Well? Scared?"
"Of course not. The next time I return, I'll be at the Mahayana stage."
Su Min smirked, snatching the jade token without hesitation. Activating it instantly, she vanished.
"Don't die in there. But if it's you… the worst that'll happen is you'll crawl out in disgrace. I hope you're the one I've been waiting for."
Yao Xian'er sighed softly.
Just then, another figure floated over—a woman exuding the aura of a Unity-stage expert.
"Your progress is impressive. You've already recovered to the Unity stage. A mortal body was useless in my first life, but now, it's like a blank canvas."
"True. But the gap is still vast. That said, in terms of pure combat power, I'm no weaker than my past self at the same stage."
Jiang Xi didn't deny it. Her current strength was thanks to the pills Su Min had left her. Otherwise, it would've taken another century to reach this level.