"That's all for now," Su Min said. Her gaze swept over the others in the room, lingering briefly on the heavy silk hangings and the flickering candlelight before finally settling on the two men huddled in the corner. "You two, do you want to observe? If you can't handle the heat, leave on your own."
She had been thinking about the future as she spoke. Sooner or later, she would need to take in disciples, perhaps even form a proper sect of her own. Only by establishing a force under her command could she stop scouring the world for cultivation resources like a lone wanderer, a process that was currently draining Prince Yong's estate dry. The shelves of the manor's treasury were already looking thinner than they had been months ago.
But that time hadn't yet come. For now, offering a little guidance to these two would suffice. How much they could comprehend was their own fate. She hadn't any intention of holding their hands through every step of the process.
"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance!"
The two alchemists immediately jumped to their feet. One of them nearly knocked over his chair in his haste. Their eyes were wide and bright with an excitement that made their hands tremble. For them, this was an immense stroke of fortune. Wasn't everyone like Su Min, blessed with a rare player constitution and wielding the fierce Nanming Lihuo flame. She had forged her path step by step with sheer will, without a mentor to guide her.
They, however, were different. Just entering the world of alchemy had been a monumental challenge that had cost them years of sleep and thousands of failed attempts. It had taken years of rigorous training and the generous, unwavering backing of the Prince Yong Estate to bring them this far. If they could now receive even a sliver of instruction from a true master, their entry into the deeper arts would be swift and decisive.
This was a rare opportunity, one they never dreamed they would get. The air in the room seemed to hum with their anticipation.
Even so, their years of effort had already earned the estate considerable returns. The chance to stand beside Su Min while she worked, to observe her process up close, was a priceless gift. Her every action was a lesson, her every movement a revelation of spiritual control.
A flicker of jealousy passed through the others in the room. Even Cao Yuanmu, who had already stepped into the Foundation Establishment realm, held the demeanor of a humble student in Su Min's presence. He knew his place. He adjusted his posture, his eyes fixed on the floor.
He had once witnessed Su Min clash with that mysterious woman in black. The memory was seared into his mind, the way the sky had fractured under their power. He knew that even now, if he were to face a single serious move from her, he would be either crippled or dead. And that wasn't before she had reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Now, he wouldn't stand a chance.
As for the three supreme Dao Foundations—Heaven, Earth, and Mortal—he had only heard of them from Hui Ming. Yet something deep in his bones told him that even an Earth-tier Foundation was far beyond his reach. He longed for Su Min's guidance on his own path, but he knew with a heavy heart that it wasn't meant to be.
Sect Leader Mo had felt the same. For cultivators like them, reaching Foundation Establishment was a blessing in itself. There wasn't any point in dreaming of heights they could never grasp.
"By the way, how is the situation over there?" Su Min asked Prince Yong before she left.
She needed to confirm the condition of the corpse demon's lair. The creature she intended to slay wasn't an ordinary Golden Core beast; it was a Corpse Immortal. From its very birth, it had been flawed, a twisted thing that couldn't compare to a true Golden Core cultivator. But if it were to consume large amounts of human blood and flesh, it would become a far more terrifying and difficult foe.
"The corpse miasma in that region has started to shrink," Prince Yong reported. He gestured to the map, his finger tracing the blackened border of the cursed land. "At this rate, it will vanish completely within half a year."
"That will do."
Su Min gave a slight nod. Once the miasma cleared, the creature would likely emerge from its hiding place. With her goals clear, she motioned for the two alchemy students to follow her. They departed the hall, their soft footsteps echoing against the stone. She had many pills to refine and weapons to forge. The prince from the grasslands had brought with him an abundance of high-quality materials that smelled of desert sage and raw earth.
Meanwhile, deep within the Great Wei Imperial Palace...
"Huff… Still no trace of that woman?" The emperor's face was contorted as he scanned the latest reports, the paper crinkling in his white-knuckled grip. That so-called crown prince had always been just a disposable pawn in his eyes, but nurturing a cultivator to the Foundation Establishment stage wasn't a small investment. It was a waste of decades.
"N-no… After leaving with that alchemist, she… vanished without a trace."
BANG!
The emperor slammed his fist on the arm of his throne. The wood groaned under the impact.
"Stop searching."
A voice, cold and raspy, spoke from the shadows behind the throne. A figure stepped forward into the dim, amber light.
"You have emerged from seclusion?" the emperor asked. His anger was momentarily replaced by caution as he leaned back. "How is your recovery?"
"It will take decades yet," the Demon Queen replied. She moved with a stiff, unnatural grace. "Severing my cultivation was one thing, but cutting off my foundation... that wound runs deep. As for that woman, just let her be. So long as she doesn't reappear, don't provoke her again."
The Wei Emperor was startled by her words. As a sovereign, he was all too familiar with the existence of beings in this world he simply couldn't afford to offend. First, there was that terrifying third-rank alchemist, and now this mysterious woman who had smacked his son to death with a single, casual blow.
He didn't even know what that idiot had done to earn her wrath, but it was clear he had enraged her beyond all reason.
"So many concubines and still he hadn't any discipline?" the emperor cursed. He paced the length of the dais, his robes swishing aggressively. "Everything came too easily for him. Just who is that woman?"
Of course, he knew what kind of trash his son had been, dabbling in dark dual cultivation techniques and recklessly absorbing yin energy to nourish his yang with no restraint. But even so, he was his son. If the emperor wanted to kill and absorb him, that was one thing, but others hadn't any right to do so.
"If I'm not mistaken, that woman is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Yin Sect from Mingling Province," the Demon Queen said. She looked toward the high, vaulted ceiling. "Her physique is the rare and peerless Taiyin Body. Its yin cold aura is terrifying."
"Taiyin Body? What is that?" the emperor asked. His eyes narrowed as he stopped his pacing.
"An anomalous physique, unmatched through the ages. It's also known as the Lunar Sovereign physique. It excels in yin cold techniques. If it were ever paired with a certain yang-aligned physique in dual cultivation, it's said to produce earthshaking transformations. But such cases are too rare. No one knows what exactly would happen. Rumors say it could shake the heavens, even slay immortals."
"Can we capture her?" The emperor's eyes glinted with sudden greed, his fingers curling as if grasping the air.
"Difficult," the Demon Queen stated flatly. Her gaze was chilling. "She was likely awakened prematurely by your son. As a Holy Maiden, though I don't know why she sealed herself here in this realm, you must never underestimate her trump cards."
Her gaze darkened as she spoke. She had lost to that woman before, and horribly so. Half her body had been frozen solid, a blow that hadn't nearly crippled her cultivation foundation. And now, after severely weakening herself to escape, she had to be extremely cautious. Even if the other woman never reached the Golden Core stage, she was still a grave threat.
"A pity." The emperor could only sigh, his shoulders slumping. Any thought of retaliation was pointless. Her sect wasn't even in this realm, so there was no way to strike back at them. And if it were, that would likely make the situation even more dangerous.
"That Danxian…" His frown deepened as his thoughts returned to the alchemist. Prince Yong's Mansion had somehow inherited knowledge from that mysterious woman. Even the two first-rank alchemists now under her banner were a source of deep jealousy for him.
"Report! Your Majesty!" a voice shouted from the entrance to the hall. The heavy doors groaned as they were pushed open. "Tianshui Prefecture is in revolt again! The governor has been slain!"
"Hmph. Again?" the emperor snarled. He turned toward the messenger, his jaw tight. "Have the Demon Slayer Division behead the rebel leaders. The rest, send them into exile in the northwest. That Yong Prince... he is like a centipede, he just refuses to die."
A shadow passed over the emperor's face. All he needed now was time. If the Queen could fully recover and step into the Golden Core realm, they could sweep away all opposition in one fell swoop.
"If only… If only I hadn't fought over that artifact back then," the emperor muttered to himself. His fists clenched at his sides until his knuckles were white. Regret pooled in his eyes. He hadn't gained anything from that confrontation, and in the process, he had thoroughly offended Danxian. Had things gone differently, he might have used Prince Fu's merchant guild to form an alliance with her. Now, that door was firmly closed.
===
Dog Emperor, Yingying is only for Su Min. Stop daydreaming!!