Although Su Min had already mentally prepared herself, when she actually saw the tiger demon, she couldn't help but instinctively suck in a breath of cold air.
Under the moonlight, a gigantic tiger demon, as large as a small hill, lay quietly on the ground. Though it hadn't formally cultivated any techniques yet, it was already instinctively absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Combined with the fresh blood brought back by the changgui it commanded from the village, its body had swelled even larger over the past few days.
Even though its cultivation was only equivalent to the early Body Refining stage, a creature of this size was extremely dangerous for Su Min at her current level. The Body Refining stage wasn't considered a true threshold for cultivation; it was a phase where both humans and beasts were heavily influenced by their physical form.
Moreover, at the same cultivation level, a bare-handed human fighting a beast stood almost no chance of winning. But if a weapon was involved, that was a different story. Ancient humans had relied on spears to hunt ferocious beasts like mammoths and saber-toothed tigers.
The same principle applied to cultivators. With the right weapon or spiritual treasure, combat ability was on an entirely different level. So while Su Min frowned, she wasn't panicking. Below her—
"Awoo..."
Sensing that its little changgui had returned with a full harvest, the tiger demon stretched lazily and rose to its feet. By now, it was the undisputed ruler of these mountains. Ordinary flesh and blood no longer satisfied it. Only the condensed essence of human vitality could bring even a trace of pleasure. As it watched its changgui approach to deliver the gathered blood essence, something unexpected happened.—
Snap!
A sharp sound rang out. The changgui exploded on the spot, its body bursting apart. In an instant, crimson blood splattered across the clearing, and its spiritual energy scattered into the heavens and earth. Su Min had struck first. Along with the changgui's destruction, a small knife clattered to the ground. For her, low-level spirits like that were no different from fragile balloons—one poke and they burst.
The tiger stared blankly at the fallen knife for a moment, then erupted into a rage. It lifted its head and let out a deafening roar toward the sky.
"ROAR—!!!"
As the saying went, a tiger's roar could shake the mountains and forests, especially when the tiger in question was a demon. Its furious cry echoed across the entire range, and Su Min could feel the once-silent night erupt into chaos.
Beasts bolted from their dens, fleeing as far as they could. Birds abandoned their nests, and the area around the roaring tiger turned into a dead zone with no animals in sight. Meanwhile, in a village several mountains away, the villagers who had been anxiously waiting for news were completely caught off guard.
The roar terrified them so much that they felt their souls almost leave their bodies. Chickens in their coops, cattle and sheep in their pens, even the fiercest guard dogs—all went wild. The most aggressive hounds whimpered and hid in corners, tails tucked tightly between their legs.
"T-this..."
The villagers exchanged stunned glances. They had heard tigers roar before, but never one with such terrifying force. Some of the more cowardly ones even wet themselves. Now, all they could do was pray that the "fairy lady" (Su Min) would be able to subdue the beast.
"It hasn't absorbed much spiritual energy, but it's learned some basic techniques. Tiger's Might, huh? Oh—it spotted me."
The roar that sent animals running didn't faze Su Min at all. At that moment, the tiger demon looked up and locked its gaze on her.
In the next instant, it lunged forward and swung a massive paw. The tree Su Min had been standing on, so thick that it would take several people holding hands to encircle it, was snapped clean in half. Su Min leapt lightly from the treetop, moving with the falling trunk.
"ROAR—!!!"
Another furious roar echoed. The tiger demon leapt up twenty meters, trying to swallow Su Min whole. But she remained completely calm. With a solidified step of spiritual energy beneath her feet, she tapped the air lightly. Although she couldn't fly yet, using this trick to change directions midair wasn't too difficult.
Under the moonlight, the vastly mismatched figures of a human and a tiger crossed paths in the sky. Su Min descended gracefully like a butterfly, her movements precise and elegant. Half a second after she landed, the tiger slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash, sending blood splattering everywhere. Demon beasts usually possessed far stronger bodies than humans, but for Su Min, who wielded a Life-bound Spirit Treasure, that advantage meant little.
The massive size of the beast not only gave it great strength and endurance, but it also made its vital spots easier to target. Half a second later—
BOOM!
The tiger demon slowly got back up, but this time it wasn't nearly as imposing. Blood streamed down from a long gash over one eye. That was Su Min's handiwork during their brief clash.
Her strength was terrifying compared to ordinary people, but against this tiger, brute force wasn't the solution. Instead, she used her superior agility to strike at its vulnerabilities. In that single moment, she had blinded one of its eyes. Though felines had sharp senses of smell, they still relied heavily on their vision. Losing an eye threw off the tiger's balance immediately.
"ROAR—!!!"
Now, its enormous body was no longer an unstoppable killing machine in Su Min's eyes—but more like a rickety house. A single well-placed kick, and the whole thing would come crashing down. Seizing the opportunity, she dashed forward again. Another slash—
Splat!
The tiger's remaining eye burst. Its huge body toppled like a mountain giving way. Su Min didn't hesitate; she drove her sword deep into its throat.
Instantly, scorching spiritual energy flooded through the blade and into the tiger's body. While its outer defenses were powerful, its internal organs were still fragile. The neck was close to the brain, and Su Min's goal was clear—she poured all her spiritual energy directly into its skull.
"Awooo—!!!"
The giant tiger howled in agony, its body convulsing several times before falling completely still. Blood slowly seeped out from its internal organs, and all signs of life vanished.
"Whew... Good thing I had this sword. My little fists might not have been enough."
Su Min exhaled in relief as she observed the lifeless corpse. Sure, she could punch a cow to death now—but this tiger's sheer size, thick hide, and dense bones? Bare-handed, she'd have needed way too many punches.
"Once I reach the Qi Refining stage, the first thing I'll do is further refine my weapon. Ugh—"
Suddenly, that familiar sensation washed over her again.
In the next moment, Su Min slipped into a state of Enlightenment.