After all, as a peak Dao Comprehension cultivator, no matter how much she concealed her strength, a mindless late stage Divine Transformation creature was no match for her. However, to avoid exposing her true power, Su Min opted for the most conservative and drawn out approach.
She would slowly absorb and grind down the creature with the sand from her gourd. These crystalline beings held no real value anyway, they could only survive within the unique energy field of the Five Elements Mountain. If taken outside, they would quickly crumble into worthless dust.
Boom!
At this moment, the massive sand cocoon had turned into a raging, localized storm. The crystalline creature, realizing it could not escape its sandy prison, had gone completely berserk, lashing out with all its elemental power.
Waves and violent water blades surged from what was once flat ground, that was Su Min's current visual experience.
Unfortunately, natural disasters like these posed no real threat to a Divine Transformation cultivator of her caliber, even in her suppressed state. Half a day later, the creature had nearly dried up, its essence depleted, and was casually disposed of by Su Min with a final squeeze of her sand.
However, when she lifted the sandy blockade, she froze for a moment.
Because the ground beneath her was no longer flat and stable, it was now a series of deep, jagged ravines and craters.
Violent, residual elemental energy filled the entire cavern space. The full force battle between several late stage Divine Transformation experts was enough to shatter ordinary mountain ranges. Even the unique, reinforced Five Elements Mountain was no exception, or rather, the fact that it only bore countless ravines and scars without fully collapsing proved just how magically sturdy it was.
"As expected, they are all fighting selfishly on their own. None of them are good people."
Sensing the chaotic, uncoordinated battles still raging in the distance, Su Min mentally labeled them all as untrustworthy. If the other four had been willing to genuinely cooperate and combine their strengths, things would not have turned out like this, with the landscape so devastated.
As the battle had raged on, the foolish onlookers who had followed them in had suffered heavy casualties. They had hoped to pick up scraps, but instead, they were caught in the destructive crossfire. Su Min's only thought upon seeing this was a cold, "They are asking for death."
As for the other four, they were all clearly holding back, unwilling to use their real trump cards or expend too much of their own energy.
"Fine, I will help you out then. Let's lure that guy out faster. As for this Five Elements Mountain, it is mine now. Heh."
Well, Su Min was not exactly a saint either. But she had a clear understanding of herself and her goals, so she chose to help one of them end their fight quickly. Almost instantly, the gourd behind her twisted violently, and in the blink of an eye, a massive sand warrior over three meters tall materialized from the swirling grains.
Under Su Min's precise control, the sand warrior clapped its hands together, and a massive, intricately carved longbow composed of condensed sand appeared in its grip. The bow radiated a dark, ominous energy.
[Dark Demon Bow, Earth rank mid grade, Imbues arrows with corrosive dark attributes.]
"Strategic missile deployed. Commencing targeting."
With a thought from Su Min, the sand warrior drew back the bowstring, a shaft of solid darkness forming, and aimed squarely at a fire attribute crystalline creature that was harassing Liu Xunhuan.
Whoosh!
A sharp, whistling sound tore through the air as the dark arrow shot forth, and the targeted crystalline creature shattered into a thousand pieces on impact, its fiery core extinguished instantly.
"!!!"
The sudden, decisive attack shocked everyone, and all eyes turned to Su Min, or rather, to the massive sand warrior still holding the now fading bow.
"An Earth rank mid grade bow, and she used an Earth rank low grade treasure as the arrow, This woman has so many trump cards. But that is fine. The more you waste now, the less you will have when it is time to compete for the real Five Elements Crystal."
The other four were stunned for a moment, but soon, their expressions twisted with hidden glee. Though the bow was intimidating, using it so freely clearly came at a heavy cost, as the arrow that had shattered the crystalline creature was itself an Earth rank low grade treasure.
To use such a strategic weapon so recklessly? If that was the case, they would just slack off even more, letting her carry the burden. They needed to make sure Su Min did not turn that powerful bow on them later.
"Tch."
Su Min saw right through their petty thoughts, but she simply did not have the time or patience to waste on their games. If left to these people and their cautious, scheming ways, this expedition would drag on for months, maybe even years.
So, in the next moment, several more dark arrows shot out in rapid succession, obliterating all the remaining elemental creatures with precise, overwhelming force.
"Many thanks, Miss Le, for your assistance. We are deeply grateful."
With the immediate obstacles cleared, the four sect leaders, all late stage Divine Transformation experts, approached Su Min with smiles that did not reach their eyes. Their expressions practically screamed "idiot" and "wasteful" at her.
"Let's keep moving. We are wasting time."
Su Min could not be bothered to acknowledge their fake gratitude or their schemes. Earth rank treasures were nothing more than disposable toys to her now. Most Divine Transformation cultivators could not even refine Earth rank treasures properly, but she had been able to craft them with ease even at that stage.
So, to her, these things were utterly expendable, like using gold bullets to shoot sparrows.
"Since Miss Le insists, we will naturally do our best to keep up."
The four exchanged knowing glances before quickly falling in step behind her. If Su Min was in such a hurry to spend her resources, they would take their sweet time and conserve their strength, they would make sure she exhausted all her precious arrows and treasures first.
"Phew, It is finally over. That was too close."
As the group of five pressed onward, deeper into the mountain, the few remaining onlookers who had survived rubbed their chests in relief, their faces pale.
Though they were at least Golden Core cultivators, they were still living beings with a sense of self preservation, and fear was a natural reaction.
And indeed, many of their companions had died. The four sect leaders would not attack them directly due to their status and the minor karmic backlash, but in the heat of battle, collateral damage was inevitable. Had they not noticed that none of the sect leaders had brought any of their own disciples? Their sects had more than just these four Divine Transformation experts, but they had been left behind for a reason.
"I am leaving. That was too terrifying. Those experts did not care about us at all, only Miss Le showed any mercy by containing her fight."
"Yeah. I came in with two sworn brothers. Now, I am the only one left. This place is not safe. Those sect leaders are too ruthless."
The moment someone spoke up, a wave of complaints and fearful murmurs erupted among the survivors. But they only dared to mutter among themselves, no one had the guts to openly curse the powerful experts. Not everyone was as tolerant or seemingly benevolent as Su Min had been.
As for Su Min? They truly were grateful to her. She had sealed her target in a contained sand sphere, preventing any collateral damage from her fight. And after emerging, she had swiftly dealt with the remaining crystalline creatures that threatened everyone.
In their eyes, she was practically a living bodhisattva. If the others had been left to slowly whittle down those creatures in drawn out battles, hardly any of the onlookers would have survived the chaotic energy blasts.
But even so, many were thoroughly terrified. Seeking wealth through danger was one thing, but this was not calculated risk, it was certain death for anyone not at the peak.
No amount of future riches mattered if you were dead today. These people understood that perfectly, so they had no intention of staying any longer. In an instant, the crowd of followers dwindled to a mere handful of the most daring or foolish individuals.
"Hmph. A bunch of cannon fodder. If they do not leave now, they are just asking to die."
Kuang Batian, who was traveling alongside the others, glanced back at the retreating figures with disdain. He truly despised these scavengers who contributed nothing.
As prominent local figures, they would not casually slaughter others without reason. But being taken advantage of by these lowlifes? That was unacceptable. The scraps they did not want were not for these people to freely pick up.
Had they not noticed that none of the sect leaders had brought their own disciples? They were afraid of losing too many talented juniors in the unpredictable crossfire.
So, the four had deliberately, subtly lured the crystalline creatures toward the densest groups of onlookers before "accidentally" wiping out a large portion of them with wide area attacks.
"Ignore them. There is more, huh?"
But just then, Su Min, who was leading the way, suddenly froze, her head tilting. In her enhanced perception, something peculiar and potent had appeared up ahead.
Their primary target, a genuine Five Elements Crystal.
The moment Su Min reacted, the others saw it too, their eyes widening. In an instant, everyone except for Su Min and a strangely hesitant Kuang Batian lunged toward the brilliantly glowing crystal embedded in a nearby cliff face.
Their speed was so fast, fueled by greed, that Su Min could not have stopped them even if she wanted to, not that she cared about their lives anyway.
So, almost immediately, as their hands reached for the crystal,
"Ahhh!!!"
A unified scream of pain rang out as the three figures were violently sent flying backward. The Five Elements Crystal was protected by a subtle, powerful formation, and the rebound sent them hurtling through the air, crashing hard against the far wall.
"As expected."
Su Min muttered to herself, unsurprised. These Five Elements Crystals were the condensed essence of that fallen being. Even as bait, they would not be handed out so easily. This trap was far too obvious to her senses.
"Dammit! What was that just now?"
Tian Mengchan was nearly hopping mad, clutching her bruised arm. To have the treasure right in front of her eyes but be unable to take it, this was beyond frustrating.
"Calm down. The terrain and formations here are special. Think about the battle earlier, if this were an ordinary mountain, it would have been reduced to rubble by our combined forces."
"Right. Everyone, stay composed. We must work together to break this barrier."
Kuang Batian nodded in agreement, playing the role of the reasonable leader, before subtly glancing at Su Min. A faint sense of unease gnawed at him, Su Min was far too calm. She had not even made a move toward the crystal.
"We are still on the relative outskirts. If I act now, others might see and my cover could be blown. I cannot keep up the act then. I need to give them some bait to keep them invested."
Kuang Batian secretly manipulated something with his spiritual energy, and the barrier protecting the crystal weakened significantly, its glow dimming. Just as he was about to speak and suggest they try again,
Crack!
In the next instant, before anyone could react, Su Min simply stepped forward and shattered the weakened barrier with a single, precise slap of her palm. She then casually pocketed the now unguarded crystal. Instantly, several pairs of hostile, jealous eyes locked onto her. But to her, their glares were nothing more than a light drizzle on a stone statue.
"I used up a lot of my precious arrows to help you deal with those crystalline creatures. This small crystal belongs to me as compensation. That is only fair."
"..."
Her blunt, mercenary words left them momentarily speechless, their faces contorting with suppressed anger.
"Since Miss Le contributed the most to clearing our path, this small crystal should rightfully be hers. We shall find more ahead."
Breaking the tense silence, Kuang Batian spoke with forced magnanimity. But his words, meant to diffuse the situation, only made the others narrow their eyes in suspicion. Why was he being so accommodating?
"If Sister Le wants it, then of course I will gladly hand it over. We are all allies here."
Tian Mengchan smiled sweetly, though her eyes were icy cold, like a snake's.
"Indeed, indeed. We will still be relying on Miss Le's powerful bow later. A single crystal is a small price."
Liu Xunhuan quickly chimed in, his tone oily. Clearly, they all intended to let Su Min take the point and expend her resources from here on out.
"Naturally. You can count on me."
Su Min smiled back, a cold, sharp curve of her lips. "Fine, if that is how they want to play, do not blame me for being ruthless later." She decided then that they would not get a single other Five Elements Crystal from here on out. She would take them all for herself.
As for Kuang Batian's little trick with the barrier? She had seen it clearly, that was why she had been able to snatch the crystal so easily. He was testing her, or setting her up.
Soon, the group of five pressed deeper into the cavernous interior. The entire Five Elements Mountain was shrouded in a strange, pervasive energy field that heavily suppressed flight and rapid movement, forcing them to proceed cautiously on foot.
Of course, this energy field could not truly suppress a peak Dao Comprehension cultivator like Su Min if she unleashed her power, but acting so brazenly would be far too obvious and would ruin her cover.
But before they had gone far, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently once more, this time with a deeper, more threatening resonance. Everyone's expressions changed, becoming grim.
Because one of the massive, mountain like formations ahead of them was moving, shifting with the grating sound of stone on stone.
And that was not all, a bone chilling, oppressive aura that surpassed the Divine Transformation stage emanated from within the moving rock.
Dao Comprehension stage.
A genuine Dao Comprehension stage entity. And not a crystalline creature this time, but an extremely rare and formidable stone demon.
Such beings were incredibly rare in the cultivation world. For ordinary living creatures to become demons was difficult enough, let alone mindless rocks and minerals. Their rarity was comparable to giant pandas in her past life, second only to true divine beasts.
"Dao Comprehension stage, We cannot handle this."
"Wait, look at its back! On its shoulder!"
Just as everyone was stunned into paralysis by the emanating pressure, Kuang Batian suddenly pointed, his voice a mix of fear and overwhelming greed.
Because what they had initially thought was just a peculiar rock formation on the creature's back was actually a massive, brilliantly glowing Five Elements Crystal, larger than a man. The fist sized one Su Min had obtained earlier was like a mere grain of sand in comparison.
In that instant, all thoughts of resentment toward Su Min vanished from their minds, replaced by a burning, all consuming avarice. Even Kuang Batian's eyes turned red with raw greed. This thing was irresistible, even to him, and he seemed to know more than he let on.
"Dao Comprehension stage, A stone demon of that level,"
Su Min, however, remained outwardly calm, assessing the situation. Stone demons had one defining characteristic, they were incredibly, absurdly tough. Especially since none of the five in their group had truly comprehended laws yet, breaking through its natural defenses would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
And more importantly, the creature had already partially fused with the massive crystal on its back, drawing power from it.
But,
"Do not look at me. Now is not the time to hold back. My arrows would barely tickle it, they will not break its defenses. We need a combined effort."
Su Min immediately dismissed their unspoken attempts to freeload off her once again. Though a single, proper annihilation attack from her true power could obliterate the thing, she had to maintain her act and her resources.
A Five Elements Crystal of this size was likely a significant sacrifice for that fallen being. It was prime bait, perfectly meant to ensnare greedy, overconfident Divine Transformation cultivators.
Stone demons, while formidable in defense, had one major flaw, extremely low intelligence. The five of them working together with their full power might, just might, be able to break it or drive it away. The difficulty was perfectly calibrated to be at the very limits of their capabilities.
"First, we must clear out those remaining stragglers. We cannot let them scavenge or witness what happens next."
But then, Kuang Batian suddenly turned his gaze, now filled with a cold, murderous intent, toward the few foolish onlookers who had still dared to follow them this deep. It was time to clean house.