Inside the room, Su Min sat cross-legged in quiet meditation. She had finally mastered control over her Heavenly Dao Insight no longer disrupted mid-battle by its unpredictable activation. Now, she could delay its effects, settling insights after the fight ended—a kind of deferred reckoning.
At the moment, she was focused inward, sensing the transformations stirring within her body. A vast confluence of forces surged through her.
"There's no mistaking this feeling… my Path has begun to converge."
Just like a single thread tugging an entire web, defeating that corpse wraith hadn't merely resonated with her Path of Slaughter, but had also awakened her Path of Salvation.
"A game is still a game… Now, everything is merging."
As she mused silently, a vision unfolded before her: the Vermilion Bird and the White Tiger shimmering in resonance.
This White Tiger was not one of the Four Symbols—its level wasn't that high yet. But it was still enough to harmonize with the incomplete Vermilion Bird legacy within her.
[Integration of White Tiger Possession and Vermilion Bird Possession complete. New divine ability acquired.]
[Four Symbols Possession: Can simultaneously activate the possession of any of the Four Symbols and their subordinate spirits currently mastered. (Current: Vermilion Bird Possession, Tiger Soul Possession.)]
"Excellent."
A surge of exhilaration rushed through her. This solved a major problem she had been facing.
Back when she fought the Demon Crown Prince, his secret technique had boosted all his attributes. Meanwhile, her Vermilion Bird Possession didn't enhance her stats—it only amplified the combat power of the Nanming Lihuo and reduced its energy consumption.
Since all her skills were built upon the foundation of the Nanming Lihuo, this greatly enhanced her combat effectiveness. However, the lack of stat boosts was a weakness. When she had clashed with the Demon Crown Prince, she had held her own—but only because his foundation was unstable, and her Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment gave her an overwhelming advantage.
But when she had fought Xie Yingying, whose foundation was on par with hers and whose physique was even stronger, she had suffered a crushing defeat. Now, with the two abilities merged, her combat power had risen significantly.
"Four Symbols Possession."
Su Min narrowed her eyes. In an instant, her appearance transformed. Flames danced across her skin, her hair lost its pigment and turned snow-white, and her pupils burned with the crimson light of the Nanming Lihuo.
"What is this, some kind of 'white hair, red eyes' trope? Whatever."
After lightly roasting herself, Su Min dispelled the transformation. She only wanted to test the ability—there was no need for theatrics. Despite the cosmetic complaints, what truly mattered to her was the energy cost. Unlike the cookie-cutter beauties that filled the cultivation world, Su Min was more concerned with function than form.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
"A near-perfect divine ability. The energy cost isn't high for me, and the effects are far superior to the original single buffs. The endurance is better than Vermilion Bird Possession but not as good as the original White Tiger Speed Boost. Still, even if separated, each effect is stronger than before."
Overall, she was extremely satisfied. This was a massive upgrade for her current strength.
"Phew, not a bad harvest at all. Now, time to refine pills for Yingying. Advancing from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core Formation isn't that difficult…"
She muttered thoughtfully. In the past, each realm—Body Refininh, Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment—had posed a towering wall. But from Foundation to Golden Core, the leap wasn't as treacherous.
A cultivator's so-called Great Perfection was simply reaching the peak of their current stage. And while attribute gaps existed, they weren't as vast as those in the later realms. The real trial lay in the tribulation. To Su Min, the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was hardly a threat. But to over 99% of cultivators, it was a brush with death.
Just look around: nearly all Foundation Establishment cultivators had relied on Human Dao Foundations—anything more was a luxury.
So as long as Xie Yingying could break into the late Foundation stage, Su Min could use a Golden Spirit Pill to draw forth her tribulation. But that was a matter for later. For now, three sets of herbs appeared in her hand.
"Yingying's three portions. If I succeed in a single attempt, I can use her materials to make one Golden Core Advancement Pill."
After a quiet calculation, Su Min tossed the herbs into her furnace. The room flared with heat as flames danced to life. She had been capable of refining Foundation Pills even at the peak of Qi Refining. Now, mid-Foundation with the backing of a Heaven-level foundation and the aid of Nanming Lihuo, a Grade-3 late-stage pill was well within her means.
Still, it was her first attempt at this formula—caution was warranted.
Meanwhile, Outside…
"She's started refining. Don't mess this up… This pill is crucial for me—it's the key to surviving the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation."
Perched on the rooftop above Su Min's room, Xie Yingying sat with her sword across her lap. The guards didn't dare approach under her watchful gaze. Su Min had been in seclusion for over a day, digesting the gains from her recent battle. Now, the scent of medicinal herbs wafted through the air. Xie Yingying's heart pounded with anxiety.
"Even in my era, Wei-Wu Province was a backwater. Its cultivators had no foundation—for centuries, they could only rely on heavenly revelations."
If even Su Min—the most talented alchemist here—failed, then there was no hope left. And Su Min's talent was truly monstrous. Even in Xie Yingying's sect, no high-level alchemist could refine five Foundation Establishment Pills in a single batch. Then again, none of them possessed the Nanming Lihuo—a divine flame tailor-made for alchemy.
Three Days Later…
Creak.
The tightly shut door finally opened. Su Min stepped out and glanced up at the roof.
"Your pills are done. Since your ingredients were all of the yin attribute, this batch only yielded two. But it should be enough for you. Consider the debt settled—no more lifespan wasted."
She tossed a small wooden box toward the impatient girl.
"Oh, and this box is something I made. It extends the preservation period of the pills by fifty years."
Xie Yingying caught it, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened the lid to inspect the contents. After a moment, she exhaled in relief and stored it away.
"Thank you."
Then, curiosity flickered in her eyes.
"What's your next move?"
Su Min smirked.
"Issuing a bounty across the land. I need to prepare for my Golden Core breakthrough."
Xie Yingying: "…"