Su Min had no reason to refuse this opportunity. After all, this was her primary purpose for coming here—to find a method to advance her soul power further.
Now that the chance lay before her, Su Min still needed to confirm one thing: "It's truly not the River of Time, right?"
"Rest assured, it is not. Moreover, I must warn you—never attempt to peer into the River of Time. A terrifying existence stands upon it, and none know its purpose. Yet that being would pay any price to return to the past."
"What kind of madman is that?" Su Min was taken aback, clearly having experienced more than most.
"Unknown. According to the Sinful Buddha, that being seems to fear something—or rather, seeks to erase a particular existence from the past."
"A special existence?"
"From the final battle between the Sinful Buddha and that being, we learned that what it fears is an existence capable of controlling chaos, an immortal being. One who once stood alone and made their entire race tremble."
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Su Min couldn't help but touch her nose. She decided it was better not to inquire further. Some knowledge was better left unknown.
With that, Su Min fell silent. At the same moment, the river before her rapidly expanded, engulfing her completely.
In an instant, Su Min understood why this inheritance was prepared solely for her. The principle of this river was simple yet brutal—time acceleration. But unlike the time acceleration within the medicine cauldron, this one truly allowed for cultivation advancement.
However, there were two caveats: First, the golden river's energy was finite and couldn't sustain infinite acceleration. Second, one had to use their own time law to counteract the flow, ensuring minimal lifespan loss through the clash of temporal forces.
For Su Min, this posed no issue. Still, to avoid detection, she chose to reverse her time law. Moreover, within this temporal domain lay the insights of a Great Emperor, allowing her to deepen her comprehension further.
As two opposing forces collided, Su Min closed her eyes and entered a state of enlightenment. No matter how talented she was, her mastery over time laws couldn't compare to this pinnacle existence's.
The world fell into eerie silence once more. Though the artifact's soul endured longer than mortal lives, even it would eventually fade. Thus, most imperial artifacts chose dormancy. Now that Su Min had begun her inheritance, the artifact too entered temporary slumber.
This allowed Su Min to focus entirely on comprehending the fluctuations from the clashing time laws while tempering her soul power. As time passed, her soul power grew steadily stronger.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, over a dozen years passed in the blink of an eye.
"They're all dead? Does Future Maitreya Mountain possess such formidable power?"
Within a hall adorned with laughing Buddha statues, a group exchanged bewildered glances. Those were three late-stage Dao Comprehension experts—powerhouses even among their Black Seals.
The Black Seals were divided into tiers. The strongest was the legendary First Seat, though that one remained dormant. Next were the Second to Fourth Seats—peak Mahayana cultivators from various eras, many like Jiang Xi, who had once contended for the position of Great Emperor but failed, choosing instead to sever their cultivation and seal themselves away for this very moment.
How they knew of the approaching end times was a deeply taboo subject.
Below them were the Fifth to Eighth Seats—former Mahayana peak experts who nonetheless fell short of that ultimate step.
Then came individuals like Liao Xin—Mahayana cultivators who paled in comparison to those standing at the apex of their eras. This explained their audacity in attacking sects lacking imperial artifacts or Dao Comprehension guardians. Even top-tier super sects weren't safe if vulnerabilities appeared, as demonstrated with the Yao Clan.
Yet what baffled them was the complete annihilation of their three operatives within the Dharma Secret Realm—a space monitored by an imperial artifact where higher-level intruders were impossible. Their dispatched team had been the strongest available.
Their mission was simple: eliminate all Buddhist cultivators inside, crippling the Buddhist sects in one stroke. This would allow them to devour the Buddhist factions whole.
They'd targeted Buddhism precisely because these bald monks operated independently, with minimal ties to mainland sects, ensuring delayed intervention. Moreover, the opportunity was simply too good to pass up.
But now, right at the outset, disaster struck. All three were dead, and worse—they couldn't assess Buddhist losses inside, making further actions risky.
Buddhism's isolation worked both ways—attacking them wasn't trivial. Other sects understood the principle of mutual defense, meaning retaliation could come swarming like disturbed hornets.
Yet according to their intelligence, even Great Thunder Temple—Buddhism's strongest—shouldn't have defeated their trio. Had they provoked the imperial artifact? Unlikely—direct intervention would've triggered their escape mechanisms, allowing retreat.
Despite their greed, upon joining the Black Seals, all had sworn terrifying oaths with immense binding force, preventing infighting and enforcing cooperation. The current situation left them genuinely perplexed.
"Unconfirmed. Without Liao Xin, we cannot enter. The most plausible explanation is the presence of a supreme expert inside—possibly someone from the Heavenly Rankings."
The first Heavenly Rankings following the end of the end times had been the continent's grandest event, bar none, gathering unparalleled talents. Even these Black Seals couldn't guarantee securing top five positions. Thus, suspects quickly narrowed.
Most Heavenly Ranking elites had now reached Dao Comprehension stage, far surpassing leftover half-step Dao Comprehension experts from previous eras. These individuals could already shoulder monumental responsibilities alone.
"The Ancient Spirit Emperor has departed, bearing no ties to Buddhism. The Great Desolate Holy Body was recently captured by your joint efforts and should still be recuperating. That leaves only two—the Five Elements Holy Body and the Lunar Sovereign Body."
"It must be the Five Elements Holy Body. That individual shares deep connections with Buddhism, especially Future Maitreya Mountain. Though intelligence suggests only mid-stage Dao Comprehension cultivation, never underestimate her combat prowess. I simply never anticipated Great Thunder Temple would enlist her."
The group quickly pieced together the truth.
"How do we confirm this hypothesis?"
"Attack the Immortal Gate."
Silence engulfed the hall. Attacking the Immortal Gate? Were they insane? That was the Golden Crow's ancestral land—provoking them there would be like slapping the Emperor's face.
Though ruthless and unprincipled, they weren't idiots. Charging into a divine beast clan's lair for no reason was suicide.
"The Immortal Gate spans multiple regions beyond Eastern Mulberry Province. Strike once then retreat immediately. See who responds—if only the Lunar Sovereign Body comes..."
"And then what?"
Dead silence resumed. Risking such an operation for mere confirmation was madness, especially with that three-legged Golden Crow possibly having reached Unity stage. The discussion stalled, none willing to commit.
After an extended pause, someone tentatively suggested, "Perhaps we abandon this. We lack the strength to assault the Golden Crow's ancestral land."
"..."
Thus, the matter dissolved. No oath, no matter how stringent, could compel them to take suicidal risks.
Unless Su Min, Xie Yingying, and the Golden Crow all departed simultaneously, they wouldn't dare touch that place.
Time flowed onward. Su Min now hovered cross-legged in midair as the golden river before her dwindled, its remaining energy nearly exhausted. Then, in an instant—complete desiccation.
Su Min's eyes snapped open, golden light radiating from them.
"Less than twenty years passed, yet it cost me centuries of lifespan."
She massaged her temples ruefully—she kept burning through her longevity.
"My soul power has advanced, though cultivation remains stagnant. Still, this suffices—I can now attempt eighth-tier pill refinement."
Her soul force had grown more profound. She now held thirty percent confidence in refining a low-grade eighth-tier pill—the most basic tier, but progress nonetheless.
"Yet beyond that lies a more troubling matter."
Su Min rubbed her forehead. The conditions mentioned earlier pointed unmistakably at her—the immortal one. As for chaos control, perhaps the Chaos Body. She knew her physique transcended mere Five Elements Holy Body—traces of Taiyang Qi within her confirmed this.
Evidently, her existence had drawn hostility from some being willing to pay any price to travel back and eliminate her.
Yet time's barrier demanded proper anchors—without them, one would drown in time's infinite currents. Thus, the Sinful Buddha had likely been collateral damage in her own mess.
"The future holds no branches; the past isn't fixed. This world differs profoundly from my understanding."
Su Min's eyes narrowed. To traverse and manipulate time, bearing all karmic consequences just to target her...
"What exactly happens in the future...?"
Her expression darkened. This was truly an undeserved calamity—she might already be ensnared in some grand scheme.
"One step at a time. Since time's river blocks passage, direct manifestation here is impossible. So long as none recklessly push time laws to their limits and enter the River of Time..."
With that, Su Min lay back, deciding this matter no longer concerned her.
"Congratulations on passing the trial and completing the inheritance. Henceforth, you are my wielder. However, imperial artifacts' power is immense and would hinder your growth. Thus, I shall seal myself—you may summon me once monthly. Upon reaching Unity stage, twice monthly. At Mahayana, unlimited use."
The ancient bell shrank rapidly, vanishing into Su Min's ring.
"Success. Time to return. Those monks require payment, then back to check on the others."
Her expression soured momentarily before her figure dissipated. Having obtained what suited her best here—the rest being Buddhist relics of no use to her—Su Min saw no reason to linger. With the imperial artifact, the secret realm posed no barriers. In a blink, she arrived at Future Maitreya Mountain.
"They haven't emerged yet? Very well—when you require pills, seek me at the Immortal Gate."
Scanning the attending monks with her spiritual sense, she noted the others' continued absence—normal, given how cultivators might seclude themselves for centuries, sometimes achieving breakthroughs. Though this place had granted her no major advancement—fresh into mid-stage Dao Comprehension, further progress remained distant.
Transforming into a streak of light, she departed, others paying no heed. None could stop Su Min now, and her promise sufficed. Thus, Great Thunder Temple's collective sentiment toward her departure could be summarized in two words: good riddance.
Yet upon reaching her destination, Su Min froze in astonishment. The entire sect was in chaos—puppy-like qilins bounded everywhere, turning the premises upside down.
"QUIET, YOU LITTLE BRATS!"
Veins bulged on Su Min's forehead as she roared. With a thought, every rampaging qilin was lifted telekinetically into the air.