With her eyes closed, Su Min once again entered that peculiar mental space. This time, there was no choice to make. Instead, a flood of information poured directly into her mind.
[Wood-Fire Transformation Art, First Layer: A dual-attribute cultivation technique emphasizing nourishment and vitality.]
Unlike the fragmented Changchun Gong, this was a complete method, though only the first layer. For Su Min, however, it was more than enough.
The Changchun Gong had begun to lag behind her progress after she reached the mid-stage of Body Refining. Her spiritual energy had grown denser and more stable, yet her cultivation had stagnated. Now, with this new knowledge etched into her consciousness, the bottleneck finally loosened.
"Draw in the qi, awaken latent potential. Temper it, refine it."
Her aura swelled steadily as she cycled the energy. She wasn't in a hurry with the Changchun Gong. Its growth condition was almost ridiculous in its simplicity—just survive.
The longer she lived, the stronger it became. But survival wasn't her immediate goal. What she needed now was power.
"This technique packs a punch."
The moment the thought crossed her mind, the stifling pressure around her shattered. In the blink of an eye, she advanced.
Late-stage Body Refining.
"Hah..."
A turbid breath escaped her lips as the breakthrough settled. Cultivation in this era was arduous. The world's spiritual energy lay dormant, its fragments scattered. The great conflicts had yet to begin.
"Next step: preparing for Qi Refining."
Stretching lazily, she noted the deepening twilight outside. Night in the mountains belonged to beasts and venomous insects. Her first year here had been... educational.
Countless Insect-Repelling Pills later, she'd finally carved out a safe perimeter. As for the miasma? Just another weekday.
"That session took half a day—and I was completely vulnerable the entire time. Next breakthrough needs a safer location. Ugh... food first."
A pot of rice and cured meat porridge later, Su Min mused over her plans. Her modern pickiness had long vanished after months of bland fasting pills.
Edible was good enough.
But one goal loomed large: reach Qi Refining within ten years.
Otherwise, that Heaven's Treasure Gourd on the cliff might slip through her fingers.
Because The Awakening was coming.
When ancient powers would etch fragments of their wisdom into the world's laws. When the gifted or fated would grasp these truths in dreams. By then, Body Refining wouldn't cut it. Qi Refining was the bare minimum.
The Next Morning
Su Min was in the middle of pill refinement when chaos erupted outside her hut. A group of men burst into the clearing, reeking of bloodlust and wielding rust-caked blades that looked one infection away from death.
Then they froze.
A year of growth had honed her physique. "Eternal youth" didn't mean perpetual childhood; it locked her at peak maturity. The bandits clearly hadn't expected that.
Tall, composed, and utterly unruffled by their arrival, she didn't scream or cower. Instead, she calmly sipped her tea as though they were door-to-door merchants.
"You're the famed village healer?"
Their leader's voice wavered slightly. Rumors spoke of a young beauty, but mountain folk were usually sun-baked and wiry. This defied all expectations.
"I am."
Su Min set her cup down.
"Good. Come with us—our boss needs treatment."
"No."
"You fucking—!"
The bandit's blade flashed, cutting clean through her table with a loud crack.
"Huh. Sharp steel," Su Min said, eyeing the splintered wood. "But not sharp enough. You do realize you're trespassing, right?"
She hadn't even flinched. The strike hadn't been aimed at her. If it had, the sword would have never left its sheath.
"Ghk—?!"
The attacker's face paled. A dagger now hovered an inch from his forehead.
Minor Sword Control Art, a basic qi-manipulation technique.
At late-stage Body Refining, she finally had the spiritual reserves to use it. It was useless against fellow cultivators, but perfect for frightening mortals.
"Gulp."
The bandit dropped his weapon and stumbled backward until he tripped, a dark stain spreading down his pants. His comrades stood frozen, eyes wide with terror.
"My rules are simple," Su Min said, taking another sip of tea. "Alive or dead, bring the patient to me."
There were reasons for this policy. Her so-called healing relied heavily on pills. Genuine medical expertise was questionable at best, and some ailments—like old age—were beyond even alchemy.
Her hut's remote location acted as a natural filter. Those who made the journey were usually worth saving.
"But our boss can't—"
"Not my problem."
The floating dagger moved closer, drawing a thin line of blood across the man's forehead. He whimpered and collapsed in a puddle of his own making.