Now You're Surrounded by Me

Eastern Mulberry Land

"Sigh, don't disappoint me."

Su Min gazed at a small pendant in her hand—a special spatial artifact she had crafted.

The space inside wasn't vast, but it housed several extraordinary individuals. Without hesitation, she swiftly ascended, breaking through the atmospheric barrier in the blink of an eye and arriving in the starry void.

Feeling the absence of gravity and the vast emptiness, Su Min couldn't help but take a deep breath. She climbed higher, reaching an altitude of dozens of kilometers where the air had completely vanished.

It was the perfect moment to unleash her "Shrinking the Earth to an Inch" technique—but just then...

"Hmph."

With a cold snort, Su Min backhandedly shattered a sneak attack aimed at her.

Clap, clap, clap...

Applause echoed, and a figure slowly emerged from the darkness, watching Su Min with an amused smile, clearly impressed by her keen perception.

"Is that sound some kind of law manipulation? At this distance, it should be a vacuum..."

She muttered to herself before dismissing the thought. After all, cultivators routinely defied the laws of physics—there was no point dwelling on it.

"Indeed."

Su Min replied indifferently while scrutinizing the man before her. He appeared to be a middle-aged man in his forties, exuding the authority of someone long accustomed to power. Though his appearance differed slightly from the game, Su Min recognized him instantly—Skeleton Emperor.

The final boss of Path of Immortality's initial version, he would await players at the game's conclusion. By then, he would have reclaimed his imperial throne. If players were too slow, he might even devour the entire continent.

"You don't seem surprised to see me."

Noticing Su Min's composed gaze, Skeleton Emperor grew intrigued.

"Come out, all of you."

Instead of answering him, Su Min addressed the empty space around her. The moment her words fell, over a dozen figures materialized, surrounding her completely.

"Ten Unity-stage cultivators and a few at the late Dao Comprehension stage... Is this the full might of the Black Seal?"

Su Min's expression remained unperturbed as she observed the encircling enemies.

"How do you know of us?"

Skeleton Emperor frowned at her lack of shock. Their operations had always been covert, leaving the continent largely ignorant of their existence.

Yet Su Min not only knew his name but also showed no reaction to their assembled forces—an unsettling realization.

As fallen ones, they operated in secrecy by instinct, not just his orders. But Su Min's demeanor suggested prior knowledge, which baffled him. He decided against immediate action, wanting answers first.

"The Dharma Secret Realm."

"It was you?"

Skeleton Emperor stiffened, recalling their failed extermination of the Buddhist sect. After the Dharma Secret Realm closed, their efforts had stalled, and the fate of those who entered remained a mystery.

Now it seemed they had crossed paths with Su Min—and worse, their subordinates might have spilled secrets to save their lives.

"Damn it, I forgot this woman has ties to the Buddhists."

Skeleton Emperor cursed inwardly, piecing together what must have happened.

"Hmph, let him speculate."

Su Min secretly smirked at his assumptions. She had known from the start but wouldn't admit it. The less she said, the more he'd overthink—and the more amusing it became.

"Now, you're all surrounded by me."

With an almost innocent smile, Su Min delivered the line, leaving her enemies momentarily stunned.

"HAHAHA! Is she insane?"

"One person surrounding us? What a joke!"

"Pffft—"

Despite their former prestige, the cultivators couldn't help but scoff at her seemingly playful grin. Coming from anyone else, it might have been ignored—but from Su Min, it was downright bizarre.

"Kill her."

A flicker of unease prompted Skeleton Emperor to act. Drawing his weapon, he charged, followed by a barrage of lethal strikes from his allies, all aimed at Su Min's vital points.

They intended to obliterate her on the spot—but...

"Pathetic."

Su Min sneered and flicked her wrist. In that instant, several figures flashed into existence.

BOOM!

A colossal explosion erupted. Even a casual clash between Unity-stage experts could shake the heavens—let alone a battle involving over a dozen.

"!!!"

Skeleton Emperor froze, then paled.

"The Lunar Sovereign Physique, the Great Desolate Holy Body, the Three-Legged Golden Crow, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, and the Nine-Colored Heavenly Phoenix... I should expect nothing less from a Grandmaster Alchemist. To gather such a lineup..."

His composure shattered as cold sweat dripped down his back. Fighting an alchemist was a nightmare—you never knew who they might summon. Worse, he couldn't fathom how Su Min had pulled this off.

"Gulp."

While Skeleton Emperor suppressed his panic, his allies erupted into chaos. They had expected an easy ambush, overwhelming their target with numbers.

No matter how strong Su Min was, she couldn't possibly withstand their combined might under Skeleton Emperor's lead. Her Five-Element Holy Body might not be as nourishing as the Great Desolate Holy Body, but a Unity-stage cultivator was still a prime target.

Yet in a blink, the tables had turned. Before them stood a group of formidable experts—all at the early Unity stage, each radiating overwhelming auras. Three supreme divine beasts and two supreme physiques...

Even with numerical superiority, dread gripped their hearts.