War, War, Never-Ending War

"On behalf of the people of the Northern Nine Forts, I thank you, Lady Su."

With Su Min's agreement secured, Prince Yong rose and bowed deeply.

"My reasons for staying are my own." Su Min waved a hand dismissively. "But don't stop gathering those medicinal ingredients. And before I go, let me offer you some advice."

"Advice?"

"Your son has decent talent. If he devotes himself solely to cultivation, he may yet achieve something great. But if he's constantly entangled in the mundane burdens of governance like you, it may hinder his potential. In this world, you should be mindful of such things."

"…I see."

Prince Yong's expression tightened. He knew she was right. A family without a powerful cultivator at its core would crumble, even if they were royalty. Yet he'd been grooming this son as his successor—unwittingly sabotaging his potential.

"By the way, Lady Su… have you ever considered taking a disciple?"

"A disciple?" Su Min paused briefly, then narrowed her eyes slightly. Ah, so this man had finally revealed his true intention—his covetous gaze had lingered too long on her alchemy. Still, the idea of taking a student didn't exactly repulse her. For now, she was the only alchemist around.

But that didn't mean she would remain the only one forever. After all, within Lingxi Prefecture—especially in those monasteries—there were bound to be other alchemists. Even weapon forgers weren't uncommon. So, she wasn't against the idea.

"To become an alchemist, one must possess dual spiritual roots—fire and wood. The fire root must dominate, and the gap between the two should be as wide as possible. Second, they need innately powerful soul strength. If someone meets those criteria and cultivates a dual-attribute technique to conjure spiritual flames… I wouldn't mind teaching them."

Prince Yong's face darkened with each word.

Su Min smirked. Anyone who actually met those conditions wouldn't need her guidance—they'd likely trigger a Heavenly Revelation and glimpse alchemy on their own.

"These are non-negotiable. Either you're born with it, or you're not." With that, she fell silent.

She had yet to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, so there was no rush to concoct the Foundation Pill. In the meantime… perhaps she ought to help the Yong King strengthen his forces a little.

She didn't expect them to fight her battles, but at least they could help hold off the prairie tribes when the time came.

"…Sigh."

It took Prince Yong a long moment to recover. He'd mentally combed through everyone he knew—and not a single one fit Su Min's criteria. Just as Su Min had said… people like that were nearly impossible to find.

"By the way," Su Min said casually, "those three subordinates of yours—what weapons do they specialize in? And what's their foundational strength? I can forge them spiritual artifacts suited to their abilities. I won't expect them to fight alongside me in the future, but at the very least, they should be strong enough to keep the prairie rats from interfering when I confront those two old monsters."

Prince Yong blinked, then suddenly remembered. He glanced down at his hand—upon it, a white jade ring gleamed softly. The spatial ring Su Min had refined for him. He'd been so fixated on her pills, he'd almost forgotten—Su Min wasn't just an alchemist. She was also a terrifyingly skilled weapon forger.

"Oh, and you'll be providing the materials," she added nonchalantly.

Her stockpile of forging materials was already running low—especially after crafting Glazed Ice Azure Armor earlier. She'd nearly depleted her reserves. This was a fine opportunity to squeeze the king a bit more—not quite extortion, since he'd benefit too.

"Not a problem."

Prince Yong agreed without hesitation. Though he wasn't quite sure what a spiritual artifact truly was, he did know one thing: after his son entered the Qi Refining stage, there was a glaring problem—

No weapon could keep up with him. No matter how famed the blacksmith, no matter how fine the mortal steel, none of it could withstand spiritual energy. They'd shatter almost instantly. If Su Min could provide a proper weapon, his son's combat prowess would rise dramatically.

~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~

And he wasn't wrong. That Grand Preceptor from the desert? Before Su Min forged a weapon for him, the man could barely survive against those monsters—only the completeness of his Buddhist techniques had saved him. Now that he had a suitable weapon, he could at least exchange a few blows with that creature. Killing it was still out of reach, but survival was no longer impossible.

"I'll return to my seclusion now," Su Min said. "Unless the enemy is literally at your gates, don't come bothering me. Even if they are at your gates, think twice."

With that, she turned and strode out, well-fed and satisfied. As for the dancing girls fluttering in the corridor, she ignored them entirely.

"Someone—mobilize our stocks immediately. Spirit herbs, spirit ores, spirit wood, spirit stones—gather all we have, and then some!"

As Su Min's figure vanished from sight, Prince Yong barked orders to his attendants. He suspected she'd only be able to use about seventy percent of what he'd give her—but even so, it was more than worth it. Besides, Su Min wasn't just refining weapons for them—she had her own motives. Every item she forged helped hone her soul, preparing for the day she would attempt the nigh-impossible: concocting the Foundation Pill.

Since she couldn't yet establish her foundation, she had to temper her soul through sheer repetition. In other words, however many materials he provided—she would burn them all. Whether alchemist or forger, the process was the same. This was why smaller sects couldn't afford such practitioners. But Prince Yong? He was the perfect patron.

"…Hah."

As he slumped back into his throne, Prince Yong exhaled deeply, as if shedding a massive burden. His greatest fear had finally been eased. He had received troubling reports—evidence that the two old monsters of fire and earth were no ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. There was only one person he could think of who stood a chance against them—Su Min.

This time, he had gambled everything on securing her aid. Without her, the city was as good as lost. His son might have broken through to Qi Refining, but even with a weapon, it would never be enough. Now that Su Min had agreed to fight, many doors opened to him.

"The wolves of the grasslands… As long as this Prince draws breath, you shall not set foot within Great Wei. And if I win this war—then I shall gain a reputation strong enough to challenge even the Imperial Court."

His fist slammed down onto the table beside him. The world teetered on the edge of chaos—all it needed was a spark. If he could seize this victory, he could rise as the one who commands the entire realm.

—

Meanwhile, far across the northern plains, a colossal army—hundreds of thousands strong—had begun to gather.

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Check out "my" other novel: "Games Invade Reality". Female protagonist, and most of the characters also female. It different from "mainstream" as MC is not fighting against the "Otherworld", instead she fought alongside with them, in the end she even become their "Ruler". I update it with 2 chapter a day