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 its little changgui returning with a full harvest, the tiger demon stretched lazily and rose to its feet. By now, it had become the undisputed overlord of these mountains. Ordinary flesh and blood could no longer satisfy it—only the condensed essence of human vitality could bring it even the slightest pleasure. Just as it watched its changgui approach to offer the collected blood essence—
Snap!
A crisp sound echoed out, and the changgui exploded instantly. In a flash, fresh red blood splattered everywhere, and the intangible spiritual energy dispersed into the heavens and earth. Naturally, it was Su Min who had struck. Along with the vanishing of the changgui, a small knife clattered to the ground. Low-level spirits like that were no different from balloons to her—easy to pop with a single poke.
The tiger stared blankly at the fallen knife for a moment before erupting into fury, letting out a deafening roar toward the sky.
"ROAR—!!!"
As the saying goes, "A tiger's roar shakes the mountains and forests"—especially when the tiger was a demon with some cultivation. In an instant, its angry roar echoed through the mountains. Su Min clearly felt the once-silent night burst into chaotic noise.
Beasts bolted from their caves, fleeing as far from the sound as they could. Flocks of birds abandoned their nests, and around the roaring tiger a wide, empty zone formed, devoid of animals. Meanwhile, in a village several mountains away, the villagers—who had been anxiously awaiting news—were caught completely off guard.
The roar terrified them so much that it felt like their souls had fled their bodies. Chickens in their coops, cattle and sheep in their pens, even the fiercest guard dogs—all of them erupted into frenzy. The most aggressive hounds whimpered and cowered in corners, tails tucked 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."
While the roar was enough to intimidate other creatures, it didn't have much effect on Su Min. At that moment, the tiger demon suddenly looked up and spotted her standing atop a tree.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
In the next instant, the tiger demon lunged forward, swinging a paw. The massive tree—so thick that it would take several people holding hands to encircle it—was snapped clean in half. Su Min slid down lightly from the treetop, following the movement.
"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 floated down like a butterfly, graceful and controlled. Half a second after she landed, the tiger smashed violently into the ground with a loud crash, blood spurting everywhere. Most demon beasts had far stronger bodies than humans, but for Su Min—who wielded a Life-bound Spirit Treasure—this advantage was far from insurmountable.
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 other eye burst. Its massive body collapsed like a crumbling mountain. Su Min didn't hesitate—she drove her sword straight into its throat.
In an instant, scorching spiritual energy surged through the blade, flooding the tiger's insides. While its external defenses were formidable, its internal organs were still fragile. And with its neck so close to the brain—Su Min's goal was simple.
Pump 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. The next moment—
She slipped into the state of Enlightenment.