Time to Feast!!!

Within the great hall of the royal palace, two burly men staggered across the sandy floor, struggling to carry a large, ornate staff into the room. Their awkward steps were less a matter of strength and more a testament to the unstable ground beneath their feet.

"Master, isn't this... a bit too heavy?"

King U'er could only stare, half in awe, half in dismay, as he cautiously addressed Su Min.

Chomp, chomp, chomp.

"Mmm, seems just right to me," Su Min replied lazily between mouthfuls, her face glistening with oil. After three days of tireless crafting, her spiritual energy had been drained dry. Now, she was focused entirely on replenishing herself—with a gluttonous vengeance. 

A platter of grapes disappeared into her mouth in mere seconds. Without missing a beat, she grabbed several slices of cantaloupe and devoured them greedily. The fruits of the oasis, nurtured under fierce sunlight and vast differences between day and night, possessed a sweetness that even the finest modern delicacies could scarcely rival.

"Good. Very good," came a low, delighted murmur. Unlike the hesitant king, Hui Ming's eyes blazed with excitement. Striding forward in a single bold step, he reached out—and effortlessly lifted the massive staff from the carriers. With a casual swing, a violent gale erupted through the hall. Su Min shielded her food instinctively. The others, including the king himself, were not so lucky—sent sprawling and stumbling under the onslaught of wild winds.

"My deepest apologies. This humble monk... lost himself at the sight of such a fine weapon," Hui Ming bowed hurriedly, clearly embarrassed. He hadn't anticipated the staff's raw power; a mere flick of the wrist had summoned a storm.

"What kind of weapon is this? That wasn't mere wind—that was moisture!"

The king, wiping beads of water from his forehead with a trembling handkerchief, looked toward Su Min in astonishment.

Gulp.

"This staff..." Su Min said after swallowing her food, "uses ironwood for the core, with water and fire elemental stones embedded at both ends. Since your spirit roots are twin-aligned to water and fire, it's tailor-made for you. Simple and brutal—it amplifies both elemental attacks."

"I once heard from my master that a true artifact can elevate a cultivator's strength severalfold," Hui Ming muttered in awe, cradling the staff. "With this... perhaps I can survive a few dozen rounds against that creature."

He sighed deeply. Until now, he had fought beasts relying only on his mortal flesh—an endeavor that left his body marred with scars, a testament to endless hardship. At least now, with this weapon in hand, he had a fighting chance. A chance few others could claim. Outside, laughter suddenly burst across the courtyard.

"Good! Very good!"

Along with the roars of joy came turbulent waves of hot, moist air, sweeping everything into chaos once more. The king and soldiers rushed out to watch the court mage display his newfound might. Only Su Min remained within, focused solely on feasting. But soon, hurried footsteps echoed from beyond the doors.

"Report! The monster is approaching!"

In an instant, all noise outside died away, replaced by a heavy, suffocating silence. Even Su Min put down her food, wiping her mouth clean. Having replenished herself, she was once more at full strength. If mishandled, this approaching threat could spell disaster. The atmosphere inside the hall grew oppressive, every face pale and grave—except Su Min's.

"How much time do we have?"

"Half an hour at most."

"Father, allow me to personally lead some men to lure it away and buy time for the masters to recover." A young man, seemingly no older than twenty, stepped forward. His offer took Su Min slightly by surprise.

~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~

To lure the monster away meant using one's own body as bait, leading it deep into the desert. It was almost certainly a death sentence. For a prince to offer this showed considerable bravery, earning Su Min's acknowledgment. Yet, despite the wear and tear from the past few days, after today's feasting spree, she had fully restored herself.

"No need. I'm in perfect condition now."

Su Min smiled faintly. If she had pushed herself recklessly during crafting, she could have finished in a day—but at the cost of her self-preservation abilities. She would never risk that. In a world like this, losing the ability to protect oneself was equivalent to courting death. Thus, even though it had taken two extra days, she had now completely recovered. Still, rather than rushing into battle, Su Min was curious about the nature of this monster.

"Do you know what that creature actually is?" The clam demon earlier had been straightforward enough—a sea clam spirit aiming to increase its cultivation by devouring humans. But this desert creature was far more sinister. It killed everything in its path, leaving barren wastelands in its wake. It wasn't just preying on people—it was annihilating life itself. Before facing it, she needed to know more.

Her words caused another heavy silence to fall across the room. Even Hui Ming let out a sigh and recited a solemn "Amitabha."

"Don't tell me... this is your doing?" Seeing their reaction, Su Min couldn't help but scold.

"That was decades ago. It wasn't exactly our fault. Back then, for control over water sources, my tribe fought a prolonged, bitter war with another tribe. The climate was even harsher than today. Everything we did was just to survive."

"I see."

Su Min nodded, showing no further comment. In a brutal desert like this, survival struggles made the bloody warfare of Great Wei seem tame in comparison. When the price of losing was death, blame became meaningless. Knowing this much was enough.

"The monster was born more than a decade ago from the mass grave of that war. It was formed from the accumulated resentment of countless deaths. Now, it bears a deep hatred toward all living things."