Su Fu sighed, “The Coin of Falling Treasures is specifically meant to counter Zhao Gongming. He is a disciple of the Sect of Interception with the cultivation of a Great Golden Immortal. Holding the Sea-Fixing Beads, he sent the people of Xiqi running in terror, even chasing and beating Randeng Daoren.”
“Leaving aside whether they even have the Coin of Falling Treasures in their hands right now, even if they do, if we take it now… how will the plot progress if Zhao Gongming has no counter?”
Chesia shrank her neck and asked, “So… what of it?”
“What of it?” Su Fu said warily.
“That would be going against the heavens. I wouldn’t dare mess with a Great Tribulation arranged by the Saints. Believe it or not, those beings would take note of me and make me take the place of Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao to block Zhao Gongming’s disaster. At that time, I’d be holding the Coin of Falling Treasures, having just taken Zhao Gongming’s treasure, only to be whipped to death by him the next second!”
Chesia: “…”
“So we must take the steady route,” Su Fu said melancholy.
If she could beat a Saint, she wouldn’t bother with such things.
“This Dharma treasure is actually meant to defeat Zhao Gongming. Once that part of the plot is over and the Coin’s mission is complete, the Saints won’t care about it anymore. Later, didn’t the Sea-Fixing Beads it seized fall into Randeng Daoren’s hands anyway? In the end, he was even spirited away by the Western Sect while they were fishing in troubled waters.”
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but sigh, “The Western Sect is truly sinister! While the Chan Sect and the Sect of Interception were fighting to the death, they took the opportunity to fish in troubled waters, secretly recruiting people and making a fortune in silence. Guan Yin was originally Randeng Daoren’s Fellow Daoist Cihang from the Chan Sect, and Kong Xuan—who later became the Peacock Great Wisdom King—was also taken by the Western Sect.”
Su Fu felt that if the Western Sect could do it, why couldn’t she engage in a little counter-scamming?
She was definitely taking this treasure.
After hearing Su Fu’s explanation, Chesia trembled.
“The difficulty level of your Chinese Pantheon dungeons… is it dialed up to the max? This is practically hell mode. The plot direction is already set, and you can’t even change it at will. I can’t even imagine—if you’re this cautious despite knowing the script, what about the other candidates?”
Su Fu sighed and looked toward the distant mist-covered mountain peaks.
“There’s no other way. The Great Desolation is like this. Immortals are everywhere. They are either big shots themselves or they have big shots backing them. And above the big shots, there are super big shots. Above the Saints, there is the Dao Ancestor, Hongjun. Actually, this is the situation after two great tribulations.”
One must know that during the first Dragon-Han Tribulation, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans fought for hegemony, shattering the Great Desolation.
A massive number of living beings died, the spiritual veins of heaven and earth were damaged, and many ancient divine beasts perished.
In the end, the Ancestral Dragon, Yuan Phoenix, and Primal Qilin were all wiped out, and the three clans were nearly extinct.
The second Lich Tribulation was also a world-shaking battle.
The Ancestral Magus Gonggong and Zhurong fought at Buzhou Mountain, during which Gonggong struck Buzhou Mountain in anger, breaking the heavenly pillar and causing the heavens to collapse and the earth to sink.
Only then did Nuwa refine the Five-Colored Stones to mend the sky.
Kua Fu chasing the sun, ten suns in the sky, and Yi shooting down nine suns all happened during that great tribulation.
After that battle, the Ancestral Magi were all fallen.
Xuanming and Tai Yi perished together.
The Wu and Yao clans were severely wounded and withdrew from the stage of the Great Desolation.
Only then did the human race flourish.
“In short, just lay low and survive steadily.”
Chesia hissed, “This is really scaring me to death.”
On the slope, the Cloud-Mist Immortal Tea leaves had already grown significantly.
The leaves were long and thin like needles, appearing emerald green and translucent under the sunlight.
The tea plants were arranged neatly like rippling green waves, swaying gently in the wind—quite lovely.
A breeze brushed past, and the crisp fragrance of the tea dispersed with the wind, refreshing the heart and mind.
In the pavilion above the slope, two daoists were playing Go and drinking tea.
One wore a green robe and a jade crown, holding a white piece while deep in thought.
The other wore a gray robe with loose hair, holding a teacup and observing the game.
They were Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao.
Black and white pieces crossed on the board, and the battle was in full swing.
After one round, Xiao Sheng relaxed slightly and looked down at the slope and muttered, “Eh? When did a Spirit Plant Master arrive?”
Cao Bao followed his gaze and saw a woman in plain clothes busy in the fields.
Beside her, the tender buds of spiritual tea were emerald green, with spiritual energy faintly circulating.
“That is…” Cao Bao narrowed his eyes slightly, “It’s actually Cloud-Mist Immortal Tea! That is a rare find indeed.”
Xiao Sheng laughed, “It seems she’s someone with real skill.”
The two looked at each other, and the intention to make her acquaintance already formed in their minds.
As the clouds rolled by in the mountains and the three lived close to each other, they naturally grew familiar.
“This Cloud-Mist Immortal Tea has full buds and leaves, a rich fragrance, and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. It is truly a top-grade tea,” Xiao Sheng praised as he took a light sip of the tea.
“Indeed, good tea!” Cao Bao also nodded and smiled, “Eh? I smell the fragrance of pills. Does Fellow Daoist Su also refine medicine?”
Su Fu smiled modestly and replied, “I have some experience in that area. If you two ever have a need, you can find me anytime.”
The three talked about everything, from the way of tea to spiritual plants, and from medicine to cultivation.
Su Fu acted harmless and even a bit reserved, just like a novice rogue Spirit Plant Master.
Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao exchanged a look, their appreciation for her growing.
Her heart was pure; she was worth befriending.
As the days passed, they gradually discovered that Su Fu had cultivated many other spiritual plants: Jade Marrow Grass for healing, Nine-leaf Lingzhi for longevity, and Mysterious Yin Flowers for calming the mind.
Every single one was of excellent quality, causing Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao to marvel repeatedly.
“Fellow Daoist Su’s skill in spiritual planting is truly remarkable,” Cao Bao praised as he pinched a stalk of Jade Marrow Grass.
“It’s even more meticulously tended than the medicine gardens of those great sects.”
Su Fu shook her head modestly, “It’s just some self-taught methods, not worth mentioning.”
‘Ahem, it’s all thanks to Guan Yin’s Sweet Dew.’
One day, in the pavilion.
“Little Friend Su, do you know how to play Go?” Xiao Sheng asked with a smile.
Su Fu shook her head, “I only know a little of the basics.”
By basics, she meant she could barely distinguish the black pieces from the white ones.
Cao Bao laughed and said, “No matter, the two of us will teach you. The Dao of Go is linked to cultivation. Placing a piece is like setting a formation; winning or losing is like enlightenment…”
Su Fu put on a look of serious study, occasionally showing a few sparks of cleverness and insight.
Time passed leisurely in the mountains.
In the pavilion, three people were often seen playing Go and drinking tea, looking quite content.
The fragrance of tea curled through the air, and black and white stones interlaced on the board.
In the distance, the spirit fields were a lush green, and the occasional chirp of a mountain sparrow added to the carefree scene.
Meanwhile, in the proctoring room outside the Dungeon, various big shots were gathered together.
The Principal of the Great Genesis School, representatives from the major families, various factions of the Dark Realm, and representatives of the Ancient Civilization Survivors all had their eyes focused on the projection of the Great Desolation Dungeon Three.
Seeing the serene image of Su Fu farming, growing tea, discussing medicine, and playing Go in the mountains, the crowd suddenly went silent.
Something wasn’t right.
Wasn’t this style a bit off?
Wasn’t this being too cautious?
Feng, the Principal of the Tianque Main Campus, stood with his arms crossed, his brow slightly furrowed, “…Has she changed her style?”
Qin Shuang raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “It is a bit different. During the league, she rushed straight into the Greek Pantheon dungeon and blasted Achilles with a cannon.”
“Then she turned around and went to Northern Europe to snatch the World Tree, killing the invading boss, the Hellhound, in minutes.”
“The Seven Pantheon Alliance dared to surround her? She backhanded them all into the Eighteen Levels of Hell to do hard labor, only letting them out when the dungeon ended.”
But now…?
She wasn’t charging ahead recklessly anymore?
She wasn’t acting invincible?
Everyone looked at each other, momentarily speechless.
Wasn’t this gap… a bit too large?
“Even if her initial identity as a ‘farm girl’ is very low, according to Su Fu’s past personality, shouldn’t she have stormed into the palace, kicked King Zhou off his throne, and become the ruler herself?”
A representative from the Dark Realm spoke with some disappointment, “In the end, after all that fuss, she just picked a shop in the city to change her identity, stayed for one week, and then ran away dejectedly.”
The expressions of the crowd were nuanced.
It was as if a once-furious lion had suddenly become a lazy kitten in the sun.
Or a fierce tiger had turned into a little lamb, retracting its claws.
She was putting on an air of being completely harmless.
“I don’t understand it at all. Instead of staying in Chao Ge, she ran off to the middle of nowhere to farm?”
The representative of the Greek Pantheon rubbed his forehead and said, “I thought her leaving Chao Ge was because she wanted to explore the Great Desolation, look for opportunities, seek out powerful gods, or meet up with her teammates.”
“At the very least, she should have gone to join Xiqi. Instead, she actually found a mountain and started farming. Does she really think she’s a farm girl?”
None of them knew what Su Fu was doing, and their guesses flew wild.
“During the league, she was a ruthless person who dared to kill Achilles and seize the World Tree. Why is she so timid now?”
“Exactly! Even if her identity is a farm girl, with her skills, she could join any faction. There’s no need to fall so low as to farm, right?”
“Wealth and power are concentrated in Chao Ge. Even as a medicine shop manager, she could build connections and plan slowly.”
“Now look at her, hiding in the deep mountains where she can’t even see an NPC. What kind of development can she have?”
“Even if she’s being cautious, is there a need to be this extreme? What can farming possibly achieve?”
“In this kind of dungeon, you either cling to a powerful figure or snatch opportunities. Hiding is equivalent to a slow suicide.”
“I really don’t understand. Aside from farming, she just plays Go. What use is that?”
“It’s a bit too extreme.”
Originally, they had high hopes for Su Fu.
However, her performance was so mundane and unexciting that it was far from what they had expected.
At that moment, Parks, the Principal of the Great Genesis School, suddenly spoke, “Perhaps… she isn’t being cowardly. Rather — she has to lie low.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire proctoring room fell silent.
‘She had to lie low?’
Everyone was stunned, and then a chill crawled up their spines.
Did Su Fu feel that the waters of this dungeon were incredibly deep?
“But even if she has to lie low, there’s no need to farm all the time, right?”
“Yeah, and besides, the other test takers developing in Chao Ge, Kunlun, and Xiqi haven’t run into any trouble, have they?”
“Could it be that those two seemingly ordinary wandering cultivators are actually some major figures?”
“Doesn’t look like it. What kind of threat could two idle Taoists playing Go and drinking tea pose?”
“But even so, the efficiency is too low, isn’t it?”
“Forget it, there’s nothing to see in this farming. Let’s look at the others.”
The screen switched to the scenes of other test takers.
Helios claimed he was exploring the Great Desolation, but in reality, he was developing rapidly in Chao Ge.
After gaining Daji’s protection, he was calling the shots in the city, even becoming a favorite of King Zhou, his influence was growing stronger by the day.
Other test takers had joined the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun.
Although they hadn’t entered the inner circle, they had become registered disciples.
Many people successfully joined the Sect of Interception and were listening to Grandmaster Tongtian’s sermons on Golden Island.
There were those who went to the East Sea Dragon Palace, or to Chentang Pass, or entered Xiqi.
Some test takers even traveled as far as Beihai and met Grandmaster Wen, gaining his favor.
These test takers had already gained significant advantages.
Some gained power, some obtained magic treasures, and some made friends with the strong.
Compared to them, Su Fu was still tending to her spiritual plants and tea, occasionally opening a furnace to refine a batch of pills.
Or she would leisurely play Go with Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao in the mountains, sipping tea and chatting, looking exactly like a hermit who lived away from the world.
The crowd in the proctoring room: “……”
‘This style is just wrong!’
She was practically in a different world from the other test takers!