As the Buddhist light shimmered, a monk adorned with jewels appeared in the decaying house.
"Future Maitreya Mountain... How did you get out?"
Looking at the monk, the man sneered coldly. Currently, Buddhist sects had mobilized considerable forces to blockade these fallen ones, significantly reducing the pressure on them.
The three major Buddhist sects were at super-sect level, and their branches were no weaker—many had Divine Transformation experts guarding them. Yet now, these forces weren't participating in the hunt, instead focusing most of their strength on containment.
What intrigued him more was that this monk carried a similar aura to his own—the fragmented sense unique to fallen ones. However, since he hadn't devoured living beings, he lacked the bloody, savage aura.
These monks all believed in reincarnation, viewing suffering in this life as karma for the next. Thus, they would never sever their cultivation. But this one before him was different.
"This old monk was entangled in karmic bonds and had no choice but to sever them to leave. But to eliminate sin, it was worth it."
Hearing the elder's words, the monk replied calmly.
He was the final trump card of Future Maitreya Mountain—a genuine Unity-stage cultivator at his peak. However, after reincarnating, he had yet to regain his former strength. Worse, entangled in karma, he had spent decades gradually severing his cultivation to escape.
Now, his cultivation was only at the early Dao Comprehension stage, and it was nearly impossible for him to restore himself to Unity. But he had no intention of devouring living beings, as that would only bring back the severed karma.
This was his only option in this lifetime, a last resort. Because that person had to be dealt with—once she was killed, he would return to enter nirvana.
Though losing him would leave Future Maitreya Mountain unable to recover for millennia, they would still retain self-preservation capabilities. However, if that woman reached Dao Comprehension stage, it would spell true disaster for them.
From the future he had observed, once she reached Dao Comprehension stage, Future Maitreya Mountain would be utterly defenseless. She could breach their defenses despite their hidden cards, and if she wasn't stopped, the future they desired would never come.
That was what truly terrified them. Thus, they had to act.
"Are you saying the one who killed those three was the Five Elements Sacred Physique? That there were two such existences in that snowy plain?"
"I only want her dead. The rest are yours."
"What is your name?"
"This old monk's dharma name is Liao Meng."
"Then it's settled."
The elder spoke indifferently, unsurprised. They had experience cooperating with fallen ones, which was why this matter had become so notorious.
As for the monk's credibility, the ancient soul elder had no doubts. Future Maitreya Mountain's specialty was observing the future—but glimpsing the future was no easy feat. Beyond the karmic entanglements, the future was never fixed.
Thus, many saw little point in learning such techniques. Still, there were benefits—like directly perceiving certain information, such as Su Min entering the tomb.
This knowledge had come at a cost. Had he not sought this vision, he could have retained mid-stage Dao Comprehension strength. Now, he was only at the early stage.
As for his escape, it was simple—the blockading cultivators were only at Divine Transformation stage. A Dao Comprehension expert slipping past them unnoticed wasn't difficult. Now, he had arrived here at the perfect time.
For them, any means could be used to achieve their goals.
Even allying with these people was acceptable—nothing was off-limits.
"Good. Then everything will proceed as planned. This time, we must kill them both."
Soon, the two Dao Comprehension experts reached an agreement. Moreover, without Liao Meng's help, the ancient soul would struggle to even locate the tomb. And since the monk had sought him out, providing accurate information, he must have already pinpointed the location.
Within the quiet depths of the Lunar Tomb, Su Min finally drew a slow breath, emerging from her six-year-long seclusion.
Her cultivation hadn't advanced.
But her soul had transformed.
She could feel it—clear and vast like the sky after rain. With this newfound strength, even refining seventh-grade pills would no longer be out of reach. The Dao Comprehension Pill she had once promised to deliver could now be scheduled in earnest.
She remembered the Frost Pavilion, and her lips curved slightly. She never made empty promises. Grand or not, she always delivered.
Just as she was about to stretch, she blinked—and nearly leapt out of her skin.
A familiar, flawless face was leaning in close, watching her intently.
"You're awake?"
Xie Yingying's voice was light, clearly holding back laughter. She had waited for this moment—opportunities to catch Su Min off guard were too rare to waste.
"You scared me half to death!"
Su Min instinctively scooted back, half-exasperated. During her soul breakthrough, she had blocked out nearly all external senses. But this was the Lunar Tomb—even those three half-step Dao Comprehension cultivators couldn't force their way in. She'd let her guard down.
Who would've thought the real danger was her own wife, waiting to startle her?
"You absorbed it, didn't you?"
Xie Yingying didn't waste time with small talk. The moment she laid eyes on Su Min's soul aura, she had her answer. The evil soul that once lurked in the tomb—it was gone.
Su Min nodded calmly. "Absorbed."
There was no need to hide anything from her.
"And Senior Jiang?"
"Yao Xian'er took her away."
Xie Yingying blinked. "...What?"
"She didn't tell you?" Su Min asked, a little surprised.
Xie Yingying shook her head, confused. "About what?"
"Their relationship," Su Min said. "It's… somewhat like ours."
A brief pause followed.
"The details are unclear, but I saw enough. With her abilities, reviving a soul like Jiang Xi's—especially one so well-preserved—shouldn't be difficult. Though… she probably can't restore the Lunar Sovereign Physique. She'll have to start over."
Xie Yingying lowered her gaze, a faint relief softening her expression. She hadn't wanted to admit how heavy the senior's disappearance had weighed on her.
"…Then it's settled."
She stretched with a sigh of genuine ease, arms rising in an arc that outlined her graceful figure in the dim light. Su Min's gaze followed for a moment—but then something else caught her attention.
"Dao Comprehension stage?"
That familiar aura had shifted. The very laws around Xie Yingying now resonated with Dao-level clarity. Su Min immediately noticed the change.
"Hehe. Now you can't beat me~"
Xie Yingying puffed up proudly, chest out, voice smug. She wasted no time before grabbing Su Min into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist and giving her a few playful pats.
"As expected," Su Min muttered, half-laughing, half-defeated.
Though Xie Yingying had never said it out loud, Su Min knew. Being overshadowed had always stung—just a little. Su Min had outpaced her in everything without trying, and though Xie Yingying never complained, her pride was still there, tucked beneath her calm exterior.
Now, she finally had the upper hand.
Even if it wouldn't last.
The Five Elements Sacred Physique had yet to reach its peak. And once it did… well, Su Min wouldn't be someone anyone could catch up to anymore. But for now—Xie Yingying had this moment.
"Alright, enough already."
Su Min rolled her eyes, though the faint curve of her lips betrayed her amusement. Xie Yingying's hug, while warm and affectionate, didn't quite compare to the, ahem, overwhelming enthusiasm of a certain dragon girl.
And besides—
Her expression sharpened.
"We've got trouble."
Without warning, Su Min stood up, her playful demeanor vanishing in an instant. Her gaze lifted to the ceiling of the palace above, pupils narrowing as killing intent flared like a drawn blade.
"Huh?"
Xie Yingying blinked, confused by the sudden shift. Just moments ago, Su Min hadn't said a word about her teasing—but now she looked ready for battle, her aura turning ice-cold.
"What is it?"
She instinctively followed Su Min's gaze, heart beginning to pound.
But she could already guess—if Su Min reacted like this, it wasn't something minor. Something had invaded this sacred space.
And Su Min's murderous aura?
It wasn't just defensive.
It was personal.
"There are two people waiting for us outside. Two Dao Comprehension experts—quite the investment. But one of them feels off. His laws are incomplete, yet he lacks the aura of someone who's devoured living beings."
Su Min's expression was strange. The two had concealed their auras completely. Combined with the raging snowstorm, even Xie Yingying hadn't detected them. But this couldn't hide from Su Min's enhanced soul perception. The issue was—one was a standard fallen one, but the other was peculiar. His aura was too unusual.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Xie Yingying's eyes filled with killing intent. The memory of being chased here in such a sorry state still lingered. If not for guarding Su Min's breakthrough, she would've gone out to settle the score.
But now they dared to come again? No mercy would be shown.
Two Dao Comprehension experts? Did they really think she'd fear them? The Lunar Law hadn't been seen in too long—the world had nearly forgotten its power.
After all, the last Lunar Sovereign Physique's tomb was here. When she died, it was still tens of thousands of years before the Heaven and Earth Sealing. In all that time, not a single such physique had emerged.