The Largest State—Great Luo Tian State

"I wonder if Senior would consider becoming an eternal guardian of our imperial family, receiving worship for generations to come."

As Cao Yuanmu's words fell, the expressions of those around him turned peculiar. If Su Min agreed, they would forever be reduced to mere servants of the imperial family. Not only was Su Min's strength terrifying, but her alchemy skills were also one of the few methods to enhance power without significant side effects.

"Are you aware that, in the current world, the Golden Core stage is the limit?"

Noticing their expressions, Su Min didn't outright refuse but instead smiled and asked.

"Hmm?"

Everyone was momentarily stunned, lost in thought.

"Now that past grievances are settled, I have no more attachments in this world. What I seek now is the eternal path of the Great Dao."

"I see. May Senior achieve the Great Dao swiftly."

Sigh...

Hearing Su Min's words, Cao Yuanmu understood her meaning. He could only bow respectfully—this was already Su Min giving him face. If he still failed to grasp her intent, it would only make things awkward for himself.

The others also secretly sighed in relief, but soon their expressions darkened again. Su Min's words made it clear that once they parted, they would likely never meet again. Though they were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, none had the confidence to face the terrifying Triple Nine Heavenly Tribulation. In fact, many of them were even older than Su Min.

Several days later, in a secluded yet well-positioned pavilion overlooking the grand ceremony plaza...

Su Min sat with great interest, observing the scene of tens of thousands paying homage below. The coronation ceremony had taken a full year to prepare. The attendees weren't just from the grasslands, southern borders, or deserts—even the leaders of major sects had all arrived.

As for the King Yong on the stage, his cultivation couldn't be underestimated—he was also a Foundation Establishment expert. The aura he exuded alone made many prostrate in reverence. Clearly, King Yong now held both the prestige and strength worthy of being called the supreme ruler of the world.

"That little guy insisted on using the Lingdong Pill—his aura is so unstable now. He'll likely be stuck at this stage for life. With his talent, if he had accumulated for another decade or so, he could've taken the Foundation Establishment Pill instead."

"Senior, he'll probably never even have a chance to fight in his lifetime."

Hearing Su Min's indifferent remark, Cao Yuanmu, who was assigned to accompany her, couldn't help but force a bitter smile. As the emperor, he would be buried under endless court affairs. And with their group around, if he ever needed to fight personally, it would mean the nation was already on the verge of collapse. At that point, one more fighter wouldn't make a difference.

Besides, the lifespan difference between early and mid-Foundation Establishment wasn't significant. This was just a way to extend his life. After discussions—and the Yong King's own fervent insistence—the imperial family had specially requested Su Min to refine a Lingdong Pill for him.

[Lingdong Pill (Grade 3 Mid-Tier): Forces a Qi Refining cultivator to the peak, granting eligibility for Foundation Establishment. However, the cultivator's progress will be permanently stalled at the early Foundation Establishment stage.]

A pill with devastating side effects. But when paired with a Foundation Establishment Pill, it could forcibly create a Foundation Establishment expert—at the cost of forever remaining at the initial stage.

For any ambitious cultivator, this was unacceptable. Moreover, the ingredients were extremely rare, making the pill costly to produce. But since the Yong King didn't mind, Su Min saw no reason to argue.

Finally, the grand ceremony concluded by noon, leaving all guests satisfied. Su Min, too, prepared to leave. By now, none of the major factions in the world could offer materials of any real value to her.

Besides, she had already accumulated plenty of treasures. It was time to set out and conquer the Three Great Blessed Lands.

"The Three Great Blessed Lands are the legacy sites of three divine beast clans. Human experts can seal themselves away, but divine beasts cannot. Instead, they left their inheritances behind before turning to dust in this world."

Su Min's eyes narrowed.

The three lands were: The Eastern Mulberry Land (home of the Golden Crow clan); The Crystal Palace at the Bottom of the Sea; The Floating Sky Islands

What's more, these three were interconnected. The massive island (or landmass) above the sea was the Eastern Mulberry Land, with the Floating Sky Islands scattered above it, while the seabed housed the Crystal Palace.

In the game, players could claim all three at once—and that was Su Min's goal. Not only did these lands offer vast resources, but her Path of Merit and Path of Salvation also destined her to establish her own sect.

The Eastern Mulberry Land was the ancestral home of the Golden Crow clan and the core of the three sacred sites. At its center stood a towering divine tree—a counterpart to the Southern Ming Flame, known as the Fusang Divine Tree.

On one of its branches rested an egg—a Three-Legged Golden Crow, the future ruler of the Golden Crow clan. This egg also contained their divine flame: the Solar True Flame.

Su Min's eyes gleamed.

This Three-Legged Golden Crow was her primary target. If she could subdue it and make it the sect's guardian beast, she wouldn't have to worry about the sect's safety even after reaching the Golden Core stage. But taming it would be extremely difficult—though not impossible.

Similarly, the other two lands had their own guardians: The Azure Dragon in the undersea Crystal Palace; The Great Peacock wielding the Five-Colored Divine Light in the Floating Sky Islands.

Subduing all three would grant her full control over these treasures. But to make them submit willingly, she needed to prepare certain items—items she couldn't find in Wei Wu State.

Thus, she had to leave.

The world of the Immortal Path was far vaster than imagined. It was divided into multiple states, each a semi-independent realm separated by the boundary barrier. Currently, these realms were isolated, unable to interact.

Su Min's destination was one of the largest among them—Great Luo Tian State.

If Wei Wu State was roughly the size of East Asia plus parts of Southeast Asia, then Great Luo State was at least as vast as the combined landmass of Europe, Asia, and Africa—possibly even larger. If she couldn't find what she needed there, her chances elsewhere would be slim. She'd have to search state by state, relying on luck.

"I must avoid Lingxi State. Those monks' territory is best left untouched."

With that thought, she retrieved the Flying Shuttle—her most valuable spoil from the old demoness. Even in the game, it had been a key quest item. As she channeled spiritual energy into it, the palm-sized shuttle rapidly expanded. In an instant, it transformed into a massive three-story flying fortress, forty meters long.

"So big... Guess I can only use this for inter-state travel."

Rubbing her temples at the blatant violation of mass conservation, Su Min sighed. This thing was way too conspicuous. For regular travel, she'd stick to her flying sword—it was cooler, and even if she drew attention, no one would be foolish enough to pick a fight with a Golden Core expert over a mere Yellow Tier mid-grade spiritual tool.

~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~

At the Golden Core stage, one could melt Yellow Tier materials with their own spiritual flames. Crafting such items wasn't particularly difficult. Thus, Su Min boarded the shuttle and crossed the barrier between realms.

"This is the Huo Luo State, adjacent to Wei Wu State. It's about the same level. Best not to stir trouble—Great Luo Tian State is still far away."

Muttering to herself, she summoned her flying sword and shot across the sky like a streak of light. Naturally, chaos erupted below. Countless Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators trembled at the overwhelming pressure—a signature of the Golden Core stage. But unlike Wei Wu State, Huo Luo State also lacked any native Golden Core experts.

(Su Min was a transmigrator, while the old demoness had self-sealed.)

The boldest among them tried to pursue, but they couldn't even keep up with her shadow. No matter how hard they pushed, they were left eating her dust.

Half a year later, after traversing multiple states, Su Min finally arrived at her destination—Great Luo Tian State.

The moment she entered, a surge of dense spiritual energy washed over her, refreshing her senses. Unfortunately, her cultivation was still bound by the world's limits—no amount of spiritual energy could change that.

"In the game, Great Luo Tian State had five ancient sects, each with profound legacies. For appearances alone, they should each have at least three Golden Core experts now."

Now that she was here, Su Min had to be cautious. These sects had countless self-sealed experts. While most of their Golden Core cultivators weren't top-tier (the truly talented ones wouldn't be released yet), they still posed a threat.

More importantly, these sects possessed high-tier magical treasures. If Su Min acted too boldly, she could end up surrounded. That said, she wasn't overly worried. As an alchemist, they wouldn't recklessly antagonize her. Self-preservation wasn't an issue. And even if they did try to kill her, she wasn't defenseless. Her target was these major sects.

While materials and herbs could be preserved for long periods, pills couldn't. These sects surely had stockpiles of rare ingredients—but not many pills. This would be a seller's market. She could name her price.

"Great Luo Tian State is vast, but the core lies in a few key locations. I'll gather intel first—I need the right moment to make my entrance."

With that, she summoned her flying sword again. She had much to prepare. Aside from her bell, all her current treasures were Yellow Tier. She needed a full upgrade—especially her armor, which had been destroyed during her tribulation. Now that she was entering the Golden Core stage, she'd face true elites—not the penniless nobodies of Wei Wu State. She couldn't rely on equipment superiority anymore. Thus, she needed a massive amount of materials.

Her bargaining chips?

The pills in her possession—and her alchemy skills. Even in ancient times, no one would refuse such an offer.

Soon, in a major city...

"As expected of Great Luo Tian State—the number of strong cultivators is astounding. Foundation Establishment experts, rare in Wei Wu State, are everywhere here. Too bad there are still no Golden Core cultivators."

Sensing the auras in the city, Su Min was inwardly shocked. Beyond the richer spiritual energy, Great Luo Tian State's true advantage was its unbroken lineages. During the spiritual decline, while most places could only produce Body Refining cultivators, some here had retained their traditions—unlike Wei Wu State, which relied solely on heavenly revelations. Thus, the cultivator population here was massive.

But top-tier experts were still scarce—the Triple Nine Heavenly Tribulation was no joke. Those with true talent would choose to self-seal rather than attempt breakthroughs now. Once the Golden Core era began, the number of Golden Core experts would explode in a short time. Of course, even without Golden Core cultivators around, Su Min wouldn't act arrogantly.

Just look at her "achievements" in the last war: Zero kills.

Before reaching the Wei capital, she hadn't even fought. The old witch was killed by her own Blood Infant, and the emperor was torn apart by his concubines.

"Come see! Come see! The Great Luo Tian State Grand Tournament, held every three years, will begin in three months at Sky Summit City! The Qi Refining division's champion will receive a chance at Heavenly Foundation Establishment!"

A loud announcement snapped Su Min out of her thoughts.

"Heavenly Foundation Establishment?"

Her interest was piqued. This wasn't something easily obtained. Even in Wei Wu State, she hadn't heard of anyone else achieving it besides herself.

(Prince Yong's new Foundation Establishment expert had only reached Earthly Foundation Establishment—the wood-attribute innate treasure for Heavenly Foundation was too rare. Not everyone could be like Su Min, spending ten years as a guardian beast to obtain one.)

"A tournament every three years, with Heavenly Foundation as the prize... I see. A compromise, then."

Her expression turned odd as she guessed the reason. Given Great Luo Tian State's superior environment, the Five Great elemental treasure likely regenerated every three years. But while they appeared more frequently, the competition was fiercer—especially with the five great sects dominating.

An ordinary Heavenly Foundation Establishment was nearly impossible. Thus, the sects had compromised: pooling the elemental treasure and distributing them through a relatively fair tournament. Over time, this had evolved into a major event—open not just to the sects but to rogue cultivators as well.

Of course, without complete legacies, the rogues stood little chance against the sects. Su Min, however, had no interest in participating. As a Golden Core expert, causing trouble here would invite a joint suppression from all five sects.

"But this is great news for me. With all five sects gathered, I can negotiate freely. As long as I don't threaten their core interests, they won't act against me."

Smiling, she turned and left the announcement area. Whether she could obtain all the materials she needed hinged on this opportunity. There wouldn't be a better one.

"I still have over a dozen Foundation Establishment Pills, thirty-plus Qi Gathering Pills, and a hundred-plus Qi Inducing Pills. Heh, I've squeezed Wei Wu State dry—it'll take them at least forty or fifty years to recover. Let's see what I can extract from this continent."

Glancing at the stash inside her ancient black ring, Su Min grinned. These pills were universal—practically currency. As for the others?

Those would require custom orders. Their value was niche—worthless to most, but priceless to a select few. For example, the pill she'd refined for Xie Yingying—she wouldn't even take it if given for free.

The Yin energy in it was too intense. Refining it had been a pain, and while consuming it wouldn't be fatal, it'd definitely cause severe discomfort. She'd made two in that batch but kept neither. Even with Nanming Lihuo protecting her, she didn't dare take it—let alone ordinary cultivators.

"Sky Summit City lies at the continent's center—far from here. I'll need to hurry."

Consulting the world map she'd bought, Su Min identified the direction. With a flash, her flying sword reappeared under her feet, and she shot off like a meteor. This time, she deliberately avoided cities and suppressed her aura, ensuring she didn't alarm anyone.

Within a week, she reached Sky Summit City.

"Such powerful auras... There are definitely at least three Golden Core experts here. Probably from the five great sects—each must've sent at least one. Heh, as expected of the strongest state. No wonder that old witch hid in a backwater like Wei Wu State. If she'd tried her antics here, she'd have been killed the moment she unsealed."

Narrowing her eyes, Su Min landed far from the city and proceeded on foot. With the surface strength of this state, if the old demoness had acted as brazenly as in Wei Wu State, she'd have been slaughtered instantly. In fact, most evil cultivators and demons probably lurked in smaller states like Wei Wu.