"Everyone has entered?"
Looking up at the stands where the monks had vanished, this was the Medicine Master's secret realm. Inside lay multiple legacies of the Medicine Master. After all, a top-tier expert like him could not have mastered only alchemy.
The number of legacies obtained would be one of the criteria for evaluation in this competition. The first group to enter now held an absolute advantage. Moreover, since this was the Medicine Master's grand assembly, once the three trials were completed, the secret realm would fully open.
All those who practiced Buddhist cultivation techniques and mental methods could enter—but only if they were first-generation practitioners. If nothing else, the expert who set up this secret realm clearly despised reincarnation, as he himself had never undergone rebirth. Only the three gate-openers were exempt from this strict condition.
At this moment, the two of them had also finished refining their pills. Though both were high-tier fifth-grade pills, neither the quantity nor the quality could compare to Su Min's. The difference was already clear. At the same time, as the three passed the trial, the gates of the Medicine Master's secret realm swung open. All the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Buddhist cultivators present rushed inside.
Since they were all Buddhists, and the outside world could observe the interior through divine sense, conflicts might erupt over the legacies. However, fatalities were rare under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, those who had not cultivated Buddhist techniques or scriptures could not enter.
[Su Min has placed first in this trial and will enter the Medicine Master's secret herb valley ten minutes ahead of others.]
A voice rang out once more, and Su Min was enveloped in a golden Buddhist light before vanishing. However, just before she disappeared, she caught a glimpse of the unconcealed killing intent on Liao Neng's face.
"I'll be waiting for you inside."
With that thought, Su Min disappeared. This secret realm was specifically designed for fifth and sixth-grade alchemists—though given the current circumstances, no sixth-grade alchemists existed yet.
"There are plenty of materials here. So, what's the real trial?"
After scanning the surroundings with her divine sense, Su Min observed the environment. While not as precious as the herbs inside the Medicine King Cauldron, it was more than sufficient for fifth and sixth-grade alchemists. Just then, a beam of light descended.
[The pill formula for this trial is the sixth-grade low-tier pill—Flesh and Bone Regeneration Pill.]
[Flesh and Bone Regeneration Pill (Sixth-grade low-tier): Upon consumption, it allows severed limbs to regrow.]
"A sixth-grade pill? I'd better gather the ingredients first."
Su Min's brow twitched slightly. This trial would be challenging even for her. But there was no point dwelling on it—she needed to find the ingredients first. After absorbing the pill formula's information, she immediately set out to search.
[This is the Medicine Master's Token. Using it will open a portal to the Medicine Master's Cauldron.]
A token descended before her—the very one promised by the Medicine Master's Cauldron.
"By the way, what are the conditions for obtaining the Medicine Master's true legacy?"
Su Min was slightly surprised and couldn't help but ask.
[You must awaken me, possess alchemy skills surpassing the Medicine Master's, and be a first-generation practitioner. If you can refine the Flesh and Bone Regeneration Pill at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, you will qualify for the true legacy.]
[If you awaken me early, you are a fated individual. If you can refine a sixth-grade pill at your current level, you will have already surpassed the Medicine Master in the same stage. He refined his first sixth-grade pill only at the late-Nascent Soul stage.]
"Tsk."
Su Min inwardly sucked in a cold breath. Throughout history, the Medicine Master had represented the pinnacle of alchemy. As for eras further back, no one knew. With her abilities, she might have a chance to refine it once she reached the late-Nascent Soul stage. But right now, it was a stretch. Still, she had no choice but to push forward.
Moreover, what worried her more was Liao Neng. And he calls himself a monk? The killing intent radiating from him was on par with the demon queen she had once confronted. She couldn't figure out what their divination had revealed. Last night, she had asked Kong Hui for his thoughts on the future. His perspective was simple:
"Until the future arrives, everything is illusory. The future is ever-shifting. The 'future' of Future Maitreya Mountain is shaped through deliberate guidance and manipulation to achieve a desired outcome—it is not the true future, but a scheme. That's why my relationship with them is so strained. The Ancient Lamp Monastery only records the past, so we can still coexist."
From this, Su Min roughly understood. For example, the future she knew of already existed in some form—it was inevitable that those things would emerge one day. As Su Min scoured the secret realm for materials, the other two also entered. They received the same trial, but unlike Su Min, who was contemplating how to break through, their faces turned grim—even despairing.
After so many lifetimes, neither had ever reached the sixth-grade stage. Being asked to refine such a pill now filled them with hopelessness. Reincarnation had a major flaw—you could not break through your limits. No matter what methods or opportunities you seized, your ceiling remained unchanged.
That was why many looked down on reincarnation, and even this secret realm held little appeal to them. Even if they passed the trials, they would only obtain ordinary rewards—unless they achieved the legendary hundred-life reincarnation.
But reincarnation was not infinite. After a certain point, the original imprint would fade—the anchor of one's existence. Those who surpassed ten reincarnations were already rare. The only one said to have achieved a hundred-life reincarnation was the founder of the Great Thunder Temple, the Enlightened One.
Of course, whether the Buddha you became was still the original "you" was anyone's guess.
Still, since they were here, the two had no intention of giving up. After exchanging glances, they turned and left. Most of the valuable herbs had already been plundered by Su Min, leaving little for them.
But Liao Neng had a more important mission—to kill Su Min. Almost immediately, he followed her aura, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. As a Divine Transformation cultivator, he possessed a high-grade Earth-tier treasure—the Octagonal Karma Mirror, which allowed him to perfectly track Su Min's location.
Meanwhile, outside the secret realm...
"The Octagonal Karma Mirror?"
Kong Hui's expression darkened instantly when he saw the mirror in Liao Neng's hand. It was a specialized tracking artifact—its purpose was unmistakable.
"Casualties in secret realms are normal."
Liao Jie, however, looked smug. He knew that killing Su Min would be of no consequence. She wasn't a disciple of the Great Thunder Temple, nor did she practice any reincarnation techniques. If she died, she died. To the Great Thunder Temple, an outsider held no value. They wouldn't go to war over her. But if she lived, the temple would undoubtedly protect her.
As an alchemist, Su Min's survival would be immensely beneficial to them. So for now, she could only rely on herself—no one else could help. Kong Hui's brow twitched. He realized that the person before him might have already fallen into corruption.
"Regardless of the outcome, we must be wary of Future Maitreya Mountain from now on."
He closed his eyes in contemplation. No wonder Su Min had sought him out yesterday—she must have sensed something amiss. The realization weighed heavily on him. Had she not come, he might never have noticed. Future Maitreya Mountain had always been the most radical faction among the Buddhists. Yet now, they were scheming to kill someone—something previously unimaginable.
Back inside the secret realm...
Su Min had just plucked an herb without damaging its roots when she suddenly froze. A wave of unrestrained killing intent was charging straight at her, locking onto her position with no room for evasion.
"So impatient?"
A glint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes. If they were coming for her, there was nothing left to say. Coincidentally, she was still missing one ingredient for the pill—one she had seen in that special world.
Since escape was impossible, she might as well confront it head-on. At her current strength, she wasn't sure if she could win, but she had no intention of fighting to the death. If that was the case, she would have to resort to special measures. Sure enough, in the next moment, a monk with a face twisted like a demonic ghost rushed toward her.
Buddhist techniques abhorred greed, anger, and delusion. Upon reaching the Divine Transformation stage, one could perfectly control these emotions. But if one chose not to...
The person before her was no longer a monk—he was a man-eating demon. The moment he saw Su Min, Liao Neng wasted no words. He raised his hand and slammed it down.
"Obstruction of the future—DIE!!!"
A hundred-meter-wide giant palm descended upon Su Min.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Su Min drew her sword and slashed upward.
Boom!
The massive palm shattered instantly.
"How?!"
She had once withstood a strike from a late stage Divine Transformation wooden puppet. This was nothing in comparison. But Liao Neng wasn't surprised. Su Min was ranked first on the Heavenly Leaderboard—she had even defeated that monster. Of course, she had tricks up her sleeve. Without hesitation, he closed the distance, raising a massive hammer high, ready to crush her.
But at that moment—
Hummm!
A low hum reverberated, and both of them vanished.
"What?!"
An uproar erupted outside. This had never happened before. Even Liao Jie, Kong Hui, and the representative from the Ancient Lamp Monastery were stunned.