"Hmm?"
Su Min's calm observation made the three men freeze in their tracks. Only now, shaken from their initial awe, did they properly take in their surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a vast, seemingly endless grassland under an artificial sky, with no sign of the grand entrance or the stone plaza they had just passed through. It was as if they had been teleported to another world entirely.
"The last cave abode we entered was not like this at all," Cao Yuanmu muttered, his brow furrowed in deep concentration as he scanned the horizon. "It was just a single, linear tunnel, and at the very end, a single, slumbering Foundation Establishment demonic beast was waiting as the final guardian."
This place was fundamentally different in scale and design.
"This mansion was likely personally refined by an ancient powerhouse to be a unique, portable treasure," Su Min explained, her voice low and analytical. "It is a complete, self contained spatial artifact, far beyond those small, naturally formed spiritual caves. And…"
Her expression darkened slightly. If the system interface had definitively classified this as a "Tianjiao Mansion," then it was anything but ordinary. Even with her advantages, she had to tread carefully here. But as her powerful spiritual sense swept outwards like a ripple, she noticed something immediately beneficial.
This estate existed as its own minor world, independent of the outside. Over the centuries, its spiritual energy had slowly leaked away, but it was still far denser and purer than the current outside world. As a direct result, the spiritual herbs and plants growing wild across this grassland were of a much higher grade and potency, some even reaching…
"There are three Foundation Establishment level demonic beasts residing here," she stated matter of factly. "And they have detected us. They are coming now."
"!!!"
The three men nearly jumped out of their skins, their hands instinctively flying to their weapons.
Awooo—
From three different directions, deep, resonant howls echoed as massive, silver furred demonic wolves emerged from the tall grass. Each one was the size of a small hut, and each exuded a terrifying, pressure filled aura that unmistakably placed them at the Foundation Establishment stage. Fortunately, from the intensity of their presence, they were only at the early stage. But while Su Min remained perfectly calm, assessing them like a biologist studying specimens, the three men behind her turned pale with shock.
"Three… three Foundation Establishment demonic beasts?!" one of them stammered, his voice trembling.
And the giant, snarling wolves now surrounding them proved Su Min was not lying or exaggerating. They all remembered the last time vividly; a single, early Foundation Establishment beast had nearly wiped out their entire expedition. When it had finally broken free from its cave and rampaged across the countryside, the devastation had been immense. If not for the monk Hui Ming sacrificing his ideal path and forcibly breaking through to deal with it, the consequences for the surrounding prefectures would have been unthinkable.
But now? They were faced with three of them.
Their blood ran cold at the thought. At the same time, they felt a staggering wave of relief wash over them. Thank the heavens Su Min was here with them. It also perfectly explained why she had been so stern and explicit in her warning to follow her orders without question inside this place.
"Go and gather the herbs," Su Min commanded, her eyes still locked on the circling wolves. "The ones growing here are of excellent quality. I can even sense a few rare ingredients suitable for the Foundation Establishment Pill among them. If you perform well and collect them diligently, I will refine another batch for you after we are done here."
"Understood!"
The three men brightened immediately, their fear momentarily overshadowed by blazing motivation. Su Min's casual tone made it clear she did not see the three Foundation Establishment wolves as a significant threat, so why should they waste energy being terrified?
More importantly, those herbs! Foundation Establishment Pills! The very mention was enough to drive the entire cultivation world into a frenzy. With that incredible incentive in mind, they immediately scattered, their eyes sharp as they began searching the grassland.
"Oh, and do not damage the roots when you pick them. I may need to transplant some later."
"Got it!"
"Roar—!"
The three demonic wolves, however, completely ignored the fleeing men. Foundation Establishment demonic beasts possessed intelligence comparable to humans, and their primal instincts screamed that the real, existential threat was the unassuming woman standing calmly before them. The faint, blazing aura of supreme fire that radiated from her very core made their fur stand on end and their muscles tense with primal fear.
So, instead of chasing the others, they focused entirely on Su Min, slowly and deliberately encircling her, their low growls rumbling like distant thunder. To demonic beasts, the flesh and core of a powerful human cultivator was a great tonic, a feast that could significantly boost their own power. Soon, thick, viscous drool dripped from their snarling jaws, staining the green grass.
"Tch. Already thinking of eating me?" Su Min remarked, a cold smirk playing on her lips. "Well, it is a mutual feeling. I need materials from you too."
Awooo—!
Seeing her dismissive attitude, the three wolves lost the last of their patience and pounced simultaneously from three different angles, their movements a blur of silver and sharp claws.
Clang—!
A sharp, metallic clang echoed across the plains as Su Min took their combined pounce head on. Against three Foundation Establishment beasts, she did not dare hold back defensively. In an instant, her Glazed Ice Azure Armor materialized over her robes, and a faint, shimmering golden bell barrier flickered into existence around her. The tremendous impact sent shockwaves through her body, making her spiritual energy churn violently.
After reaching Foundation Establishment, all her base stats had improved, but the raw defensive boost provided by the armor had not scaled at the same rate. Back at the peak of Qi Refining, no peer could hope to break her defense. Now, at the Foundation Establishment stage, facing multiple opponents of equal realm, she found it was slightly insufficient to completely negate the damage.
Still, it was more than enough because in the very next moment, before the wolves could recoil for another strike…
Awooo—!!
A piercing shriek of agony tore through the air as Su Min's sword, moving faster than the eye could follow, stabbed straight through the skull of the closest wolf. Blazing Nanming Lihuo surged through the blade and into the beast's body, instantly cooking its brain from the inside. With a final, choked whimper, the massive wolf collapsed to the ground, utterly lifeless.
Sword Control Art, a Yellow grade peak treasure, Su Min's monstrously enhanced stats, and the devastating properties of Nanming Lihuo had combined for a flawless, instant kill.
"!!!"
The remaining two wolves recoiled in sheer horror, their animal eyes wide with disbelief. The skull was the hardest, most reinforced part of their bodies, a natural armor, yet it had been pierced like wet paper. At that moment, only one primal thought crossed their simple minds:
Run.
"Trying to escape? Not a chance. Tiger Soul Possession!"
Demonic beasts had strong, resilient bodies, but one fatal flaw: their growth limits were largely fixed by their bloodline. If they could not win an overwhelming victory, flight was their only survival instinct. But Su Min was not about to let such valuable materials and food for her gourd simply escape.
Her gourd had not feasted on high quality demonic beast essence in a long time. Three fresh Foundation Establishment corpses? That was perfect nourishment to fuel its growth.
Awooo—!!!
Two more blood curdling, terror filled howls echoed across the grassland one after the other, each cut short abruptly. The sheer, unadulterated horror and despair in those final cries made the three herb gatherers shudder uncontrollably even from a distance. The sound needed no translation. But to their credit, the three men were not entirely surprised. They had witnessed Su Min's terrifying combat prowess before, though it was still a shock to see it applied so efficiently.
"Cut off the valuable parts—the cores, the fangs, the pelts. Be thorough. The rest of the flesh and bone is yours to eat. Do not disappoint me." She grinned, patting the dark gourd at her hip. "Three Foundation Establishment beasts are not easy to come by."
The gourd's greatest strength was its nearly limitless growth potential—the more high quality demonic essence it consumed, the stronger it became. Unfortunately, Su Min was not a mindless hunter who slaughtered for sport, and her twenty year seclusion had left the gourd starving. Though she had taken the prime materials for alchemy, the remaining spiritual flesh was more than enough for a grand feast.
But then, as the gourd pulsed and absorbed the swirling energies of the three beasts, it trembled violently in her hand. Intricate, new silvery markings, like celestial constellations, slowly etched themselves onto its previously plain dark surface.
"It evolved? Huh?"
In her vision, a new, updated description materialized:
[Heaven and Earth Qiankun Gourd (Innate Spiritual Treasure)]
[Essence Brews:]
① Spirit Nectar: Accelerates cultivation progress when consumed.
② Fusion Nectar: Temporarily enhances abilities. Cannot be used consecutively.
"Tch. A proper upgrade."
Su Min smirked in deep satisfaction. Her rapid cultivation progress in the past had been partly due to the Spirit Nectar. But the original version had become nearly ineffective for someone at the Foundation Establishment stage, its effect too diluted.
Now? That problem was gloriously solved. And it even came with a fascinating new ability—Fusion Nectar. The possibilities were immediately intriguing.