A Divine Transformation stage cave dwelling—whatever treasures it contained would be practically useless to Su Min. But for Golden Core cultivators, it made for excellent training grounds. What slightly surprised Su Min was how, after all these years, such secret realms could still randomly appear. Had this been a few hundred years earlier, even she would have been tempted. Watching Lin Yao depart, Su Min said nothing, instead continuing to flip through the Pharmacist's Manual with a headache, searching for any information about egg incubation.
Divine beast incubation conditions were bizarrely specific—definitely not as simple as nesting. With this thought, Su Min picked up Lin Yao's laptop and, after some consideration, opened an online shopping site. Her fingers flew across the screen until she found her target.
"Deluxe Egg Incubator, suitable for chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, and quails. Adjustable temperature—only 250 yuan. Damn, does that price feel like it's calling me an idiot? Whatever, bought it."
Without hesitation, Su Min clicked confirm—though using Lin Yao's money, she felt no guilt. What she'd given the girl was worth infinitely more.
"Done."
Satisfied, Su Min nodded, though the price still gave her the vague sense of being insulted. She doubted anyone else in the world would consider using an incubator for Kirin eggs, but she was out of options.
To obtain the Central Wutu Divine Earth, she needed a Kirin to reveal their ancestral secret realm—otherwise, she'd be grasping at air. Might as well try everything—divine beast eggs were notoriously durable anyway, so she didn't need to worry about breaking them.
Unless she cooked them into omelets—though she was genuinely curious how they'd taste. But as a Dao Comprehension stage cultivator, she'd learned to control such rampant curiosity.
While Su Min pondered, outside...
"This secret realm cost me dearly to construct. Once inside, it will be completely isolated. Not even other Divine Transformation experts could detect anything. You three must kill her."
The late Divine Transformation stage expert glared at the three subordinates. The previous incident had been too bizarre—they'd spent over half a year investigating the three vanished Nascent Soul cultivators only to find nothing, as if they'd never existed.
This defied all explanation. They'd deliberately left clues, yet none of the great families had reacted. This ruled out capture—the whole situation reeked of the supernatural. Thus, they'd changed tactics, investing heavily to construct this specialized arena. As a late Divine Transformation expert, he could indeed create secret realms—but its rules bound even him. Unless someone surpassed his power, only early Divine Transformation stage beings could enter.
Any violation would immediately collapse the realm, drawing everyone's attention. Moreover, three Divine Transformation experts ganging up on an early Golden Core cultivator would be laughable if known. He foresaw no issues—this time, Lin Yao would definitely die.
Elsewhere, Lin Yao arrived at the mountain gate on her flying sword.
A crowd had already gathered. Divine Transformation stage realms were generally suitable for Golden Core cultivators, but for safety, a Nascent Soul stage expert led this expedition—sufficient precaution.
After all, Divine Transformation belonged to the middle three stages. While living Divine Transformation experts could easily slaughter Nascent Soul cultivators, dead ones were far less threatening. Assessments had confirmed nothing too dangerous lurked inside.
Yet as Lin Yao appeared, the group's atmosphere grew fervent. The cultivation world suffered a severe gender imbalance—finding a taoist partner was extraordinarily difficult. Combined with Lin Yao's evident potential, many cultivators immediately began vying for her favor.
At this level, no one was unattractive anyway.
"Miss Lin, today's exploration will naturally center around you..."
A golden-haired man flew over, smiling ingratiatingly at Lin Yao.
"A mid Golden Core cultivator like you dares flaunt yourself before Miss Lin? Don't forget—you're already 300 years old with no hope of reaching Nascent Soul. Stop dreaming, toad."
Before the man could finish, another interrupted. "A mere mid Golden Core cultivator trying to cozy up to Miss Lin? She was practically guaranteed to reach Divine Transformation."
"You—!"
The golden-haired man glared furiously before shrinking back. The speaker was not only at late Golden Core stage but also young, under 100 years old. Such talent had over a 70% chance of reaching Nascent Soul, not someone to provoke.
"Enough. I'm not interested."
Lin Yao's voice cut through the tension, cool and dismissive. She watched the petty rivalry unfold before her, expression unreadable. She had no patience for these tiresome displays of bravado. In her eyes, none of them came close. Their talents, their tempers, their so-called pride—they couldn't even compare to a shadow of Su Min.
Without meaning to, her thoughts circled back again. No matter who stood before her, they always fell short of that one figure. That calm pressure, that quiet force that made her feel... small, yet safe. Humbled, yet seen. None of these people could move her. Not the way Su Min had.
"Quiet, everyone. Be careful when we enter."
The elderly Nascent Soul leader showed no interest in their squabbling. His aura carried hints of impending death. Though at late Nascent Soul stage, he was over 800 years old.
With barely a century left and his vitality fading, even a Divine Transformation pill couldn't help him now. Those with waning life force could progress no further. Since breakthrough was impossible, he busied himself with miscellaneous tasks like this. Naturally, he had no interest in romance either. But even he felt something odd about this secret realm. An unease he couldn't name.
Lin Yao, however, wasn't thinking about the realm. Her mind drifted, unbidden, to Su Min's voice:
"As long as you don't stupidly charge into spatial rifts, feel free to be reckless. I'll handle any consequences."
Calm, assured, unshakable. Just like her.
A small smile tugged at the edge of Lin Yao's lips, quickly suppressed. No one else noticed. The more she thought about it, the more certain she became—if Su Min were here, there would be nothing to fear. No formation she couldn't crack, no danger she couldn't twist to her advantage. Even this Divine Transformation level realm would mean nothing before her. That quiet confidence she carried made it far too easy to believe in her. And perhaps Lin Yao had started believing a little too easily.
She quickly reined in her thoughts, masking the surge of anticipation behind a neutral gaze. It wouldn't do to look too eager.
"Lin Yao, stay with me. The rest form teams of three to enter."
After long silence, the leader decided. Lin Yao's value was too high—higher-ups had ordered her protection at all costs.
Sticking together was safest.
"Understood."
Her brow twitched ever so slightly before she answered. She couldn't refuse without raising suspicions. Staying close to him might limit Su Min's movements, and that thought sat poorly in her chest. Though a late Nascent Soul expert shouldn't pose too much danger... right?
That flicker of doubt was still forming when the old man pushed her gently into the light.
Far above, cloaked by clouds and illusion, a figure sneered atop a peak.
"That old Nascent Soul fool thinks he can protect her? Too late. This realm's mechanism scatters entrants. She'll land right where our three are waiting."
The trap had been set with precision. No one in the group sensed the Divine Transformation expert's presence—not when the strongest among them barely reached late Nascent Soul. From the very start, this secret realm had been a hunting ground.
Lin Yao's vision blurred the moment she crossed the boundary. When it cleared, she was standing alone in a vast, unfamiliar valley.
"…This is strange."
Secret realms were unpredictable, but this silence felt wrong. She instinctively swept her surroundings, but before she could act, her heart clenched. A wave of dread swept over her.
At that exact moment, far away, Su Min looked up.
"A trap?"
She wasn't meditating or scouting. She was online shopping. Her expression sharpened. Yet, without warning or hesitation, she closed the page and stood, laptop still in hand. The moment something shifted in Lin Yao's presence, Su Min moved.
Inside the realm, Lin Yao's body responded before her thoughts caught up. She turned, alert, but too late. Three immense auras slammed into existence, oppressive and overwhelming. The very air thickened with killing intent.
Her pupils shrank.
"Divine Transformation experts!!!"
Her breath caught in her throat. Three Divine Transformation experts. Against her, a mere early Golden Core cultivator. This wasn't a suppression tactic—this was an execution squad.
"I'm going to die."
Then, the world stopped.
Literally.
The air froze, mid-current. Leaves stopped rustling. Even the pulse of danger halted, suspended between one beat and the next.
And in that frozen moment, Su Min appeared—calm, unhurried, one hand still gripping the same laptop.
Lin Yao stared, too stunned to speak. Her knees buckled slightly, her body reacting before her mind could catch up.
"Senior…" she whispered.
No scream, no shield, no escape had come from her. But Su Min had known. She had felt it across space and stepped in before the killing intent touched skin.
It was the first time Lin Yao had truly stood at the edge of death. And Su Min had pulled her back, like it was nothing.
Su Min had felt it. Had acted. Had come not because of orders, not because of duty, but because it was her. Because Lin Yao had been in danger.
The realization tightened something in her chest. Gratitude swelled, but it wasn't just gratitude. It was awe. Relief. A pull toward Su Min that went deeper than logic.
Then—
"Clear this place out first," Su Min said calmly, glancing at her screen. "This dumb system wants facial recognition. I'm not sure if my methods work on electronics. Just do it."
"…What."
Lin Yao looked from the laptop to Su Min and back again, disbelief overtaking the raw emotion she'd barely been able to name. The astronomical cart total flashed across the screen.
Was this... extortion?
Had her earlier gratitude been premature?
Her gratitude cracked at the edges. Her throat tightened, not from fear this time, but something more frustrating. Maybe even hurt.
But Su Min wasn't entirely joking. She had sensed Lin Yao's danger—had acted the instant things went wrong. She never offered comfort, never explained. She never said things like "you're safe now."
Because to Su Min, the rescue wasn't the point.
It was just… what had to be done.
This wasn't arrogance. It wasn't even aloofness. It was the kind of detachment that came from standing alone for too long. From watching kingdoms crumble while you stayed unchanged. From learning not to mourn what you couldn't keep.
For Su Min, the line between attachment and loss blurred long ago. A single closed-door cultivation could stretch for decades. She might wake to find nations fallen, allies buried, names erased by time.
That was how she had survived the fall of Great Wei. Three generations had risen and died before she returned strong enough to slay the Demon Queen and the dog Emperor who'd slaughtered her clan. That was the reality of immortality. Of walking the Path of Longevity.
So she didn't promise forever. Didn't dwell on tears. She saved who she could, and kept walking. Even if the people she saved didn't always understand why she didn't turn back.
Lin Yao swallowed. Somehow, that realization didn't distance her. It only pulled her in more.
"Senior, the signal here is bad."
Accepting the tablet resignedly, Lin Yao explained. Not that Su Min cared—she was no technophobe. She'd experienced enough tunnel signal drops on high-speed trains to be unfazed. Her attention had already returned to the three frozen figures.
"Three Divine Transformation stage assassins. Someone spent a lot. Too bad for them," Su Min said, dispersing their attack with a lazy flick. Before they could break free from the time stop, she'd knocked them unconscious—this time, she'd extract far more useful information.
"That's it?"
Watching Su Min's casual motions, Lin Yao's lips twitched. Divine Transformation experts were this fragile before her? Easier than slaughtering chickens. At least chickens needed bleeding, or the meat would taste bad.
"Done. Hold onto this. I've frozen time throughout the realm—I'm leaving now."
With a satisfied nod, Su Min vanished, taking the three captives with her. Space returned to normal, leaving Lin Yao momentarily stunned before she stored the laptop in her ring. Almost immediately, spatial distortions heralded the late Nascent Soul leader's frantic arrival, he'd sensed something amiss and rushed over.
But Lin Yao barely looked at him. Her thoughts were elsewhere, still lingering on the one who had turned death aside with a single step and left just as easily, as if it meant nothing.
And perhaps, to Su Min, it really did mean nothing.
But to Lin Yao, it had meant everything.
Meanwhile, outside...
"Huh?"
The late Divine Transformation expert blinked, all three auras had vanished without a trace, and he'd detected nothing. Utterly baffled, he wondered—what just happened?