"Since you're here, there's no need to hide. Alchemists must use their spiritual senses to control flames when refining pills, so their mental strength is far beyond ordinary. Your pitiful concealment is useless against me."
As Su Min spoke, she slowly rose to her feet. Her steps were light and graceful, as if a butterfly were fluttering across the mountain's surface.
Before her words had even faded—
Pfft!A sharp sound of blood spraying filled the air. In a blink, Su Min had struck down a figure lurking atop the mountain.
By the time cultivators reach the Qi Refining stage, they are no longer truly human. Even those in the late stages of Body Refining could still be overwhelmed and dragged down by sheer mortal persistence. But once one steps into Qi Refinement, the gap becomes insurmountable. The spiritual energy a Qi Refinement cultivator can command is dozens of times greater than that of any Body Tempering cultivator. They can shield themselves with layers of aura; attacks without spiritual reinforcement are as useless as striking a sponge.
Speed, power—both are elevated to inhuman levels.
The man Su Min killed had clearly underestimated her, convinced that her words were mere bravado. But since these intruders had come with hostile intent, she would show no mercy. And this group had made the fatal mistake of underestimating her. One of them, arrogantly dismissing her warning, had paid the price—his head severed before he even realized death was upon him.
Thud.The body collapsed onto the ground, rolling a great distance before coming to a stop. On the corpse's rigid, frozen face, one could clearly see strange emerald-green patterns snaking across the skin.
"A drugged soldier?" Su Min muttered, eyes narrowing as she examined both the corpse and its uniform. She understood immediately.
This was the handiwork of the Demon Queen—an infamous technique to create living weapons, their bodies saturated with virulent toxins. Every drop of their blood, every move they made, was laced with poison. Even if one defeated them, it was easy to be contaminated in the process.
The Zhao Sect Master had been driven nearly mad by these creatures. As for why they were targeting her now—well, the old saying goes: "Fame brings trouble just as fattened pigs invite slaughter." Even the wealthy deep in the mountains would find long-lost relatives knocking on their door.
Clearly, they had caught wind that someone—Su Min—could refine a pill capable of neutralizing their toxins, and had traced her here.
"I am the Captain of Heaven-Rank Team Three, under the Demon-Slaying Division of the Great Wei Empire" one of the remaining intruders announced in a cold voice. "By decree of His Majesty, we have come to invite you to the capital."
Since one had fallen, the others no longer bothered to hide. They emerged from the shadows, surrounding Su Min on all sides, each wielding a hooked chain weapon gleaming with a ghostly blue light—poisoned, without a doubt.
Su Min glanced around at them and smiled faintly. "It seems I was mistaken earlier. Not a single one of you has advanced through proper cultivation."
She had initially been surprised at their strength. But now it was clear: Every one of them had forcibly been elevated to the late stages of Body Refining using forbidden arts. Their auras were unsteady and hollow. Their foundation was rotten—but what they lacked in cultivation, they made up for with ever-present, lethal poisons.
"No need," Su Min said coldly. "I'm quite comfortable where I am. You can all piss off."
She did not doubt that the Dog Emperor was truly interested in recruiting her. After all, an alchemist was a treasure. But Su Min had no intention of becoming anyone's pawn. Settling scores with the so-called emperor could wait.
"Hmph. Seems you lack a sense of occasion," one of the men sneered, his tone darkening. "You are surrounded. Escape is impossible."
Su Min tilted her head slightly and chuckled, a sound like the tinkling of a jade bell. "You're right about one thing—this is an encirclement. But the truth is... you are the ones surrounded by me. Ants."
Swoosh!
The moment her words fell, a flash of white light streaked across the battlefield. Another man was devoured in an instant.
—The Tiger Spirit.
Although it could not stray too far from Su Min, within a range of several dozen meters it was still deadly. These drugged soldiers, their senses dulled compared to normal cultivators, stood no chance. Silently, the Tiger Spirit had crept behind one of the late-stage Body Refining puppets—excluding the Captain—and struck, killing him in one blow.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
Her intentions were simple: Since they had come, none would leave.
Besides, this mountain was far removed from the Great Wei Empire's core territories. Even if she slaughtered them all, it would take them at least a year or two—perhaps three to five—to react and dispatch new forces. By then, it would be far too late. Just as in those ancient tales where the major sects besieged Bright Summit—Kunlun Sect might be close, but for Shaolin and Wudang? A single journey could take them years.
"!!!"
The Captain was the first to react. Horror twisted his features as he turned to flee.
He knew he'd kicked an iron plate. Though his own strength had been artificially boosted, he wasn't stupid. And that was enough to recognize the truth:
The delicate-looking woman before him—her figure slender, her presence understated—was a true monster in disguise. But it was far too late. The gap between Body Refining and Qi Refining was a chasm. Moreover, he was no ordinary cultivator—he was a cripple raised by forbidden arts.
Thud!
The squad leader's head hit the ground before his body did. Toxic blood sprayed, but Su Min was unfazed. A single kick sent the headless corpse flying, and she used the momentum to blitz the remaining operatives.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
In less than thirty seconds, the battle was over.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The last of the corpses collapsed.
"Interesting toxins. A cultivator of the same level could easily be caught off guard."
Su Min examined the black-green blood dripping from her blade, its corrosive fumes hissing as they tried to penetrate her skin. But against a Qi Refining practitioner?
Useless.
She simply blew lightly, and the poison dispersed into nothingness.
"It seems the court will not let things rest so easily," she said softly, her gaze turning toward the distant horizon. "But the birth of the treasured gourd is not far off. I must finish refining the Tiger Bone Ring."
After casually incinerating the corpses to ashes, Su Min turned her focus back to her craft. But just then, her body trembled slightly.
"The Path of Slaughter..."
Having slain multiple Drug Puppets, her Path of Slaughter had advanced. Among all cultivation paths, this one offered the fastest growth and most immediate power—but also carried the highest risk of losing control.
[Four Symbols Slaughter—Tiger:]
① Can summon a Tiger Spirit in battle (if dispersed, cannot be resummoned for a period).
② Tiger Spirit Possession: Temporarily enhances speed and attack power.]
"A strengthening secret art, huh," Su Min murmured, a faint, dangerous smile tugging at her lips.