The World Responds

"The world is in chaos. Blood flows like rivers. We, youngest descendant of Emperor Taizong, must—"

"It seems... Prince Yong has finally made his move. Is it because she has returned?"

In the depths of a grand hall, Mo Shaosheng frowned as he read the proclamation before him. Prince Yong had issued a call to arms—and as one of his closest allies in the martial world, Mo had naturally received the message early.

Prince Yong's household had long endured in silence. Decades had passed, and the title had already changed hands to the third generation. Yet they never acted—until now. For them to suddenly rally the realm could mean only one thing.

They had found someone strong enough to challenge the Demon Queen.

And in this world, there was only one person who could reach such heights—Danxian

Even the radiant monk Hui Ming paled in comparison. If Danxian had truly returned, then Mo had no choice but to act.

The crusade against Emperor Wei had long become a shared conviction among the martial sects. Over the decades, countless warriors and cultivators had attempted it—only to perish, their bodies and souls consumed, their deaths strengthening the Empress's dark power.

Few dared even speak of it anymore.

Demon Queen, just as Zhao Yiping had once foretold, could not easily leave the imperial capital. But in recent years, her sphere of influence had grown. She could now project her strength far beyond the city walls, shrouding nearly half the surrounding region in her presence.

"To honor the heroes of the martial world who rise to challenge injustice and restore order," Prince Yong had written,"I shall personally bestow one Foundation Pill, and one Foundation Spirit Pill to those who perform with exceptional merit."

"Foundation Pill? Foundation Spirit Pill?!"

Mo Shaosheng shot up, eyes blazing with shock. Even he was tempted. With the Foundation Spirit Pill, he could break through to the late Foundation Realm, securing his place as the martial alliance's leader for decades more.

He had no need for the Foundation Pill himself, but several of his disciples were in dire need of one. For years, they had tried every trick to obtain such a pill from the Yong household—but to no avail.

Prince Yong's strength was formidable. His faction could not be easily coerced, let alone robbed.

"Summon the elders. We ride for Prince Yong's manor at once. Even if I don't earn both pills—I must secure at least one."

"Yes, Elder!"

No one in the great hall objected. Nor was Mo Shaosheng the only one stirred to action. Across the empire, news of the Spirit-Refining Pill sparked frenzy. Every cultivator knew—the Yong household couldn't possibly have such a pill in their stores. If they did, Cao Yuanmu would have advanced to the late Foundation Realm long ago.

The implication was clear: Danxian, vanished for over a decade, had returned. And this time, she stood against the Demon Queen. If it were anyone else, the sects might hesitate. But this was her. Even if they failed to earn the reward, many resolved to plead with Su Min—to beg her for a single furnace of pills.

They didn't care about supplying the materials. All they needed was a chance. And so, the martial world surged into motion. Every sect mobilized. Even reclusive rogue cultivators emerged from hidden caves and ancient tombs. Many did not care who claimed the throne—they only knew this call could not be ignored.

In the Forbidden City, of course, the emperor heard the news.

"Impossible… Her? It can't be…"

Staring at the intelligence report, Emperor Wei face paled. The sheer authority of the edict—the way it rallied the entire realm—was something even he could not do. But what chilled him most... was that she had finally chosen a side. For decades, Danxian had remained neutral, neither interfering nor allying. They were like two rivers flowing in parallel, never crossing.

~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~

But now—without warning—she declared herself an enemy. And not just an enemy. A threat. She was not one of those reckless hot-blooded fools from the past. She had waited. Endured. And now, with Prince Yong's power behind her, she had moved the entire realm. Such patience was terrifying.

Just then, a gust of demonic wind swept through the hall. Demon Queen appeared at his side, gaze fixed on the proclamation in his hand.

"She reached the Golden Core Realm?!"

Even she, ancient and dreadful, was shaken. As one who pursued immortality herself, she had believed Su Min had gone into self-sealing slumber alongside the Lunar Maiden. But for her to awaken and step directly into the Golden Core Realm—

It was unthinkable. Self-sealing at that level came at a terrifying cost. Had the Queen not cultivated a special demonic method, she would never have survived her own attempts. Let alone recovered. And yet, if Su Min could reach that level… there could only be one reason.

Vengeance.

But Su Min was a solitary cultivator. She had no clan, no attachments. Though minor conflicts had occurred over the years, she had never suffered real loss at the Demon Queen's hands.

So why—

"Wait… Could it be her?"

A figure flashed through the Queen's mind, and her eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" Emperor Wei asked, noticing her expression.

"Do you remember… before you recovered your strength, how you sent two hundred thousand soldiers to surround and eliminate a mere girl?"

"That—!"

The emperor froze. His face twisted as realization struck.

"Heavens… If she is that girl… Then I was blind. Utterly blind. I thought her merely gifted—when in truth, she is a once-in-ten-thousand-epochs genius!"

The Demon Queen gritted her teeth. Emperor Wei was speechless. He had been furious when the girl escaped, yes—but in his eyes, she was just another talented female cultivator. Perhaps she'd grow up, marry some man, raise children, and live out a quiet life. Even if her son came for revenge one day, he would not have cared.

~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~

But a woman—a woman who buried her hate for fifty years, who showed no emotion, who planned and endured in silence—

That was terrifying.

"What do we do…?"

He inhaled sharply, voice trembling.

"She's confident. That means she has broken through to Golden Core. She knows the heavenly suppression limits me to early-stage Golden Core."

The Queen clenched her jaw.

In the game, she had taken a century to recover. In reality, her pace had barely improved. But those who attacked the capital in recent years—even as they were devoured—had gifted her strength. She was a breath away from full Golden Core.

One step from true terror.

"How many children do you have left?"

"You want to use… the old method?"

Emperor Wei blinked in disbelief.

"No use. The great array can now be shattered by even Foundation Realm cultivators. Against a Golden Core master, it's paper."

She shook her head. Their old method had been brutal but effective. She'd briefly leave the palace, cripple the Foundation and peak Qi Refining cultivators among the attacking armies, then the Slayers of the Four Directions—four Foundation Realm elites—would activate the array and refine the entire army into spirit essence.

But not now.

With Su Min present, that method would be useless. She could slay a general among ten thousand, and maybe more. They needed her at full strength.

And the only way to recover that final step… was through a ritual involving men and women bearing traces of Ziwei aura—the imperial destiny.

"I have… over a hundred left."

"Send them. All of them. To my chambers. We're out of time."

"…Very well!"

The emperor didn't hesitate. Children could be sired again. But if they died—they would die for good.

Soon, the palace echoed with screams.

"My child—give him back!" "No! Please—my baby!" "Aahhhh!" "M-Mama!"

The royal palace, so grand and opulent, was filled that night with the wails of grieving mothers. Infants were snatched from their cradles by guards and eunuchs. Those who resisted too fiercely were cut down without mercy.

"Hmph. Short-sighted fools. If I fall, what glory will be left for any of you?"

Emperor Wei, deep in cultivation, heard it all. But he sneered. These women were nothing. Nobodies from weak families, chosen for beauty and docility. If not for his need of offspring, he would have sacrificed them long ago.

In a quiet, spacious chamber elsewhere in the capital, Su Min sat in meditation. Golden light shimmered faintly around her—calm, resolute, and unstoppable. Across from her, monk Hui Ming watched in awe.

"Such pure energy… This is the power of the Golden Core Stage? And your comprehension of Buddhist teachings is profound."

Su Min smirked. Though she had never studied Buddhist scriptures in her past life, the cultural essence of Buddhism and Daoism had seeped into her soul. Understanding them came naturally.

"Not enough. I haven't mastered the third supreme technique."

She sighed. Progress at this stage was agonizingly slow, and heavenly suppression made it worse. Decades of accumulated incense offerings had been burned—with no breakthrough.

"You're being too harsh on yourself."

Hui Ming rolled his eyes. Did she think Great Thunder Temple's supreme techniques were easy to learn?

"We've taken over management of your temples. Leaving them unattended would waste the incense energy."

"Hmm."

Su Min rubbed her nose. She didn't really care—she had no time to manage temples anyway. And if the monks wanted to help while skimming some benefits for themselves? Fine by her.

"With the proclamation issued, the world rallies. The suffering of the people will finally end."

Hui Ming smiled. He had reached peak Foundation Establishment, but the leap to Golden Core was far beyond him. Not everyone could effortlessly survive the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation like Su Min. His Mortal Foundation Establishment was too weak compared to her Heavenly Dao Foundation. He would need at least a century to prepare—if he survived at all.

"Indeed. And most of them are here for me. The influence of a fourth-grade alchemist is terrifying."

Su Min chuckled. In the past thirty to forty years, Prince Yong Mansion had only trained ten alchemists: One mid-second-grade; Two low-second-grade; The rest, first-grade. Even their best alchemist struggled to refine a single Qi inducing Pill without exhausting himself. They were nothing like Su Min. But she knew—this was the norm. And now that she was here (with no guarantee of staying), everyone would beg her for pills.

A single pill from her could save them decades of effort—an irresistible offer for mortality-bound cultivators.

"I must warn you—once the empire is unified, you may face suspicion."

"Hah."

Su Min wasn't worried.

First, no sane ruler would alienate her. Second—she planned to leave Wei-Wu Province after this. The Demon Queen had something she needed—a way to reach the Three Blessed Lands, where she could establish her own sect. At the Golden Core Stage, cultivation required vast resources—something only a sect could provide.

And with the world still in its first phase of awakening, most powerful factions remained hidden. This was the perfect time to claim territory and build influence. By the time the true powers emerged, she would be untouchable. Let them suspect her all they wanted—they'd never find her.

"I see you've already made plans. Then I'll say no more. As for the war, I'll remain in the rear, leading the monks in guiding lost souls."

"Good."

As an outsider sect, the Great Thunder Temple walked a fine line. Without Su Min's incense connection, their position would be even more precarious. Hui Ming was strong—but not strong enough to dominate an era. His flawed foundation held him back.

"Prince Yong's men are calling for me. The sect leaders are demanding an audience. Time to make some promises." With a crackle of lightning, Su Min vanished.

Prince Yong Mansion's grand hall was packed. The leaders of the Seven Great Sects, along with countless elders and experts, filled the room. Even Mo Shaosheng (Martial Alliance Leader) and Cao Yuanmu (Prince Yong Mansion's pillar) sat on the sides, leaving the central seat empty. Prince Yong himself wasn't present—his cultivation was too weak to command respect here.

Then—

A flash of lightning. Su Min appeared on the throne before anyone could react. Mastery of the Five Thunders contained thousands of variations, and she had only begun exploring them. This simple lightning-speed movement was beyond the perception of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

For a moment, the hall was dead silent. Every warrior present felt a chill—realizing that if Su Min wanted them dead, they wouldn't even see the attack coming. But then, the fear faded. After all, if she wanted them dead, they'd be dead anyway.

So why worry?

One by one, they rose and bowed deeply.

Even Mo Shaosheng and Cao Yuanmu showed full respect.