The so-called "Immortal-Mortal Divide" was the inevitable reality of watching loved ones age and wither before your eyes. It wasn't a tribulation—just an emotional hurdle every long-lived being had to face. For someone like Su Min, who was unattached and free of worldly ties, this wasn't an issue. But for others? She couldn't say.
"In the decade you were in seclusion, the island's population grew by 50,000. I've had the spirit beasts establish new settlements. As for the sect, we've added thirty more qualified youths—though none have the foundation for Heavenly Foundation Establishment yet. Forcing it would only shatter them."
"Tch."
Su Min could only sigh. Heavenly Foundation Establishment required innate capacity—something intangible, impossible to artificially enhance. Those who achieved it were guaranteed to reach Golden Core at minimum.
"Who will you take as your personal disciple?"
"No one yet. But I'll remain here, periodically entering dormancy until the Golden Core Avenue opens."
Su Min gazed at the bustling settlement below. Their cultivation progress was slow—even with her stockpiled pills, they'd only reached Qi Refining in over a decade. But she wasn't worried. As generations passed, their descendants would grow stronger.
"I still don't understand your criteria. The quality of people you brought is... lacking."
The Peacock King's tone was laced with disapproval. When Su Min first proposed this, the spirit beasts had been thrilled—the Path of Divine Flames was tailor-made for their kind. Just look at the Four Symbols, pinnacle existences who'd mastered it.
But the Peacock King hadn't expected Su Min to recruit poverty-stricken refugees—among tens of thousands, barely a handful had reached Body Refining
"We have time. With this island's environment, each generation will grow stronger."
With that, Su Min descended. As sect master, she couldn't remain completely absent—else her founding purpose would be moot. Moreover, her immortality meant she'd never decline, eternally retaining her prime. But she wasn't idle—she had a greater task: elevating her Life-bound Spirit Treasure to Mystic-tier high grade.
This would take decades, if not centuries. Unlike her past battles—where she'd bullied opponents with her overwhelming advantages—the coming trials would demand true prowess.
Years flowed like water as Su Min gradually refined her weapon between intermittent seclusions. The island's abundant resources meant she didn't need to expend her rarest materials.
East Sea Immortal Gate—the name Su Min had chosen for her sect (she was terrible at naming things).
Under her care, it steadily grew. But she wasn't just a sect master—she governed the entire Eastern Mulberry Island, now home to nearly ten million people after a century. Yet this was but a fraction of the island's vastness. The sect's disciples numbered in the hundreds, their growth deliberately controlled by Su Min's strict standards. Cultivation was brutally difficult.
Like now—
"Sect Master, this old man comes to bid farewell. My vitality wanes—the Triple Nine Heavenly Tribulation is beyond me."
Before Su Min stood a white-haired elder—one of the original seven, now among the sect's most senior members after her and the Peacock King. All had reached Foundation Establishment... and stalled there.
The Immortal-Mortal Divide wasn't easily crossed. If 10-20% of Qi Refining cultivators reached Foundation Establishment, only 0.1-0.2% advanced to Golden Core.
This elder had achieved Earthly Foundation Establishment—Su Min had even prepared tribulation-resistant gear for him. Yet the Triple Nine Heavenly Tribulation remained insurmountable.
"A pity. With your talent, reaching Foundation Establishment was already an achievement. Your grandson may reach Golden Core—but that's thirty years away. You won't live to see it."
Su Min could only sigh. This was why she'd always kept her distance.
"As for you, Master, centuries have passed, yet your immortal grace remains undimmed. I resign as sect leader and shall retreat to the rear."
After the first century, Su Min had stepped down as sect leader. With her impending seclusions and the Golden Core Avenue approaching, she'd gradually transitioned to Elder status, delegating authority. Now, this elder—who'd led the sect for decades—was yielding his position as his vitality faded.
"Granted. Join the elder council henceforth."
The sect now operated smoothly without her constant oversight. To outsiders, she was "in seclusion"—a convenient cover for her agelessness. The lack of Golden Core experts didn't worry her. Even the 10,000-year-old sects of the Great Luo Tian State had few Golden Core cultivators—most top talents were sealed away.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
And with the heavenly suppression still in place, tribulations were unusually harsh. Once lifted, the Triple Nine's difficulty would drop slightly—though the Six Nine and Nine Nine Tribulations would remain unchanged.
"Thank you, Master."
The elder bowed deeply and withdrew. Su Min rekindled her forge, tossing in another rare metal. Mystic-tier high-grade weapons demanded monstrous resources—without the sect's steady supply, she'd never have completed hers before the Golden Core Avenue opened.
Finally, as the flames died down—
[Nanming Lihuo Sword (Mystic-tier High Grade)]
[Effects: ① Boosts fire/wood attribute damage. ② Armor Penetration: Strong defense-ignoring properties. ③ Cremation: All attacks inflict burning effects.]
"At last. With this, I won't be outmatched in the Golden Core Avenue."
Over centuries, she'd upgraded her entire arsenal, relegating old gear to sect rewards.
But one problem persisted: finding a worthy alchemy successor. The best she'd found were second-rate alchemists like Prince Yong's old retainers—nowhere near her standards.
Then—
Vibrations from her jade pendant.
"Has it been that long? Yingying said she'd contact me a decade before the Golden Core Avenue opened... Centuries have flown by."
A flicker of nostalgia crossed Su Min's face before she vanished in a streak of light. The sect could manage without her—between the Azure Dragon King and Peacock King, two Golden Core divine beasts, and the heavenly suppression preventing external threats, there was little to fear.
—
"Much has changed. More people, more powerhouses... but still chaotic."
Flying over Yu City—her first stop centuries ago (her hometown)—Su Min noted Wei Wu State's growth. A Golden Core aura pulsed near the imperial capital—a new expert, unrelated to anyone she'd known. Cao Yuanmu and the rest had long turned to dust.
"I wonder how Hui Ming is. With his Mortal Foundation Establishment, even reaching Golden Core wouldn't qualify him for the Avenue. As Yingying said—only Heavenly Foundation Establishment and Six Nine Tribulation survivors stand a chance there. The rest are cannon fodder."
Then—another pulse from the pendant.
"She's in danger?!"
Su Min's speed skyrocketed.
—
A normally desolate peak now teemed with hundreds of cultivators—all at least Foundation Establishment stage. Wei Wu State's larger population and head start had bred more experts than her East Sea Island.
"Hahaha! To think such a treasure trove lay hidden here! By right of discovery, it belongs to our Blood Bone Sect!"
A brawny man—peak Foundation Establishment, second only to the imperial family's Golden Core ancestor—bellowed with greed.
"Earth Demon Old Ghost, heaven's treasures favor the destined. We won't yield today."
A rival faction leader sneered.
"Hah! This land falls under Great Yong's domain. As representatives of the court, we claim priority."
A third voice joined—imperial envoys, their presence forcing the two factions to hesitate. Since Su Min's departure, the court's authority had waned—until a Golden Core expert emerged among them, restoring balance.
Now, the three groups eyed the valley's center, where a massive structure loomed. Had this been centuries earlier, someone might've recognized it. But those who could were long dead.
—
Inside the crystalline palace, Xie Yingying's face was ashen. This self-imposed seal—unlike her sect's previous one—had flaws. While it preserved her lifespan, it couldn't fully suppress her power growth.
Now, she was at a critical juncture.
Fighting outside would trigger her tribulation prematurely. The Triple Nine she could handle—even while battling. But the Six Nine? Her goal was the Nine Nine Heavenly Tribulation—and these interlopers had cornered her at the worst possible time.
Unlike her last awakening—where only Su Min and the demon prince had been Foundation Establishment—now hordes of Foundation Establishment experts surrounded her.
"Everyone, ready yourselves! The spatial fluctuations suggest a vast treasury inside. Kill the owner, plunder everything!"
The Earth Demon Old Ghost licked his lips. In this era, no sealed realm housed Golden Core experts—making such raids low-risk, high-reward.
And if the occupant was a wealthy Foundation Establishment cultivator?
Even better.