Sky Summit City was the stronghold of the Sky Summit Sect, one of the five great powers of Great Luo Tian State. The moment Su Min stepped through its massive gates, she was struck by its scale. It was an ancient, sprawling metropolis, a level of grandeur she had only ever encountered in games or animated films. The air hummed with energy, and the wide streets teemed with a mix of mortals and cultivators.
"Miss, would you be interested in visiting our Cloud Loft? We've just received a new shipment of exquisite fabrics."
With her striking appearance and the subtle, powerful aura that clung to her, Su Min naturally drew attention. Of course, no one was foolish enough to cause trouble. A lone woman carrying a sword case, radiating that kind of presence, was clearly not someone to be provoked. Only a man with a death wish would approach her with anything but respect.
Su Min's interest was piqued. "What kind of fabrics?" She was not particularly interested in fine clothing, but she was in the market for high quality materials to craft new armor. Collecting resources was always a good idea.
The shopkeeper, a man with a keen eye, took one look at her luxurious, system gifted robes and knew she was not a customer for common goods. He skipped straight to the best he had. "Whatever kind you desire, Miss. We even have special silk from the Mulberry Workshop, produced by Waterdream Ice Silkworms. They are peak Foundation Establishment level beasts!"
"Lead the way," Su Min said.
"Of course! Please follow me, Miss."
Soon, under the attendant's guidance, she arrived at a lavish wooden store that stood over ten meters tall. The place was bustling with elegantly dressed women, but the moment Su Min entered, the entire hall seemed to pause for a split second. As a Golden Core cultivator, the faint aura she unconsciously exuded set her worlds apart from everyone else. In Wei Wu State, everyone knew who she was and averted their eyes. Here, she became an instant object of fascination and caution.
Before long, a heavily made up woman hurried over, her face a mask of flattery. The attendant who had brought Su Min in had already vanished.
"Skip the ordinary fabrics. Show me your best," Su Min instructed.
"Right away, Miss! Please follow me." The woman did not dare delay. She led Su Min to an elegant private room away from the main floor. "Miss, these are the latest fabrics from our Cloud Loft, all suitable for crafting magical treasures. How much would you like?"
As she spoke, several spirit infused fabrics were brought out. Su Min's eyes scanned them and immediately locked onto the smallest roll. "This fabric—"
"Ah! The young lady has an excellent eye. This is no ordinary material." The woman took a deep breath, her face lighting up with a professional smile. "This is the finest of the finest, silk produced by a Golden Core level Ice Dream Silkworm. It cannot be bought with ordinary currency. One foot costs a hundred low grade spirit stones."
"Top grade material..." Su Min exhaled slowly. The woman was not lying; this was an extremely rare fabric. She had no idea how someone had harvested it without angering a Golden Core level silkworm mid metamorphosis, but it was undoubtedly a treasure. A hundred low grade spirit stones was a steep price, but not unreasonable.
"I don't have spirit stones," Su Min said, spreading her hands with a bright smile.
The woman's face instantly stiffened, though she did not dare to throw her out. A cultivator of Su Min's level was not someone she could offend, and her expression became almost comical.
"Alright, don't look so sour," Su Min said, amused by the woman's shifting demeanor. She waved her off; she was not here to tease her. "I will trade with Qi Inducing Pills. How about that?"
As she spoke, she turned her head slightly toward a specific room in the loft where she could sense the resident cultivator, a late Foundation Establishment expert. To her, they were small fry. Hearing her words, the woman's expression changed again. She bowed hastily and retreated. This transaction was far beyond her pay grade.
Sure enough, a sultry figure soon entered the room. She had an alluring, curvaceous figure and carried a seductive charm that Su Min could never hope to match. But the moment the woman saw Su Min, she was visibly startled. She had sensed an overwhelming spiritual pressure directed at her earlier, something only a Golden Core cultivator could produce. She would not dare neglect such a guest, especially one offering Qi Inducing Pills. Yet, seeing Su Min, she was stunned by how young she seemed for a Golden Core expert.
The thought lasted less than a second. Su Min's background was none of her business. Her job was to make a deal.
"This humble one, Yun Kong, greets Senior. The Cloud Loft is an enterprise of the Cloud Sea Sword Sect, one of the five great sects. Qi Inducing Pills are in high demand for us. However, this fabric is extremely precious, so one pill can only be exchanged for five feet."
"Are pills really this valuable here?" Su Min mused internally. This was the product of a Golden Core level beast, so its worth was undeniable. She had expected one pill to only buy half a foot. It seemed the demand for pills in Great Luo Tian State was insane, while alchemists were in critically short supply.
"Here you go." Without further ado, Su Min tossed a pill to the woman. Then she unceremoniously took out a tool and cut five feet of the fabric, storing it in her spatial ring.
Yun Kong did not react to Su Min's actions. Instead, she was scrutinizing the pill with a serious expression. "The pill's energy is harmonized, its luster natural. This must be the work of a master alchemist." Assigned to oversee this place, Yun Kong had sharp eyes. She could tell the pill was extraordinary, its quality something even a typical Grade 3 Alchemist would struggle to achieve.
In truth, Su Min's assumption was not entirely wrong. One Qi Inducing Pill was not normally worth five feet of this fabric. The inflated price was because of the alchemist behind it. Pills that could enhance cultivation without significant side effects were the foundation of major sects. They were hoarded and rarely traded openly. Unlike natural treasures, pills could not be stored indefinitely. While these sects had their own alchemists, most of the high tier experts were still in seclusion. The cost of sealing oneself was exorbitant, and low or mid tier alchemists did not qualify. This created an awkward situation where sects lacked enough active alchemists, yet demand kept growing. As a result, pill prices in Great Luo Tian State were outrageous. Grade 1 and 2 pills were manageable, but Grade 3 alchemists were far too rare.
"I made it. What about it?" Su Min replied casually. She was here to gather materials, and hiding her skills would only complicate things.
"Senior is an alchemist?" Yun Kong asked cautiously.
"Correct."
"What grade can you refine?"
"Grade 4, lower tier."
Yun Kong sucked in a sharp breath. An alchemist of this level was exceedingly rare, even in ancient times. But realization quickly dawned on her, and her face lit up with excitement. "Our sect is urgently seeking an alchemist to refine a Grade 4 lower tier pill. Would Senior be willing to assist?"
Su Min smirked inwardly. "This was exactly what I was waiting for." "I can, but you know the rules for hiring an alchemist."
"Of course! Name your price, Senior."
"Do you have any of the materials on this list?" She handed over a list. "For every two items, I will refine one pill for you. Of course, you will have to provide the ingredients separately."
Yun Kong scanned the list and could not help but grimace. "Golden Sun Heavenly Fruit, Flowing Water Vine, Seven Colored Divine Grass… Senior, these are all extremely rare materials!" She forced a smile. "As expected of a Grade 4 alchemist. Her demands are outrageous." Each item was hard to obtain, and she wanted two per commission.
"I will contact the sect leader immediately. You will have an answer soon."
"By the way, do you only sell fabrics here? Any ores?"
"We do! Please follow me." Not daring to delay, Yun Kong led Su Min past the opulent front hall to a heavily guarded courtyard in the back. Inside a small building, they entered a room glowing with the radiance of spirit ores. Su Min's eyes swept over them before settling on one. She picked up a fiery red ore. "This one. Name your price."
"That is the extremely rare Flame Cloud Spirit Ore," Yun Kong said after a moment's hesitation. "If Senior wants it, two Qi Inducing Pills."
"Here." Su Min handed over the pills. "Take your time discussing with your sect leader. I need to find a place to seclude myself. I have to refine a new cauldron. My old one cannot handle Grade 4 pills."
"Senior need not search elsewhere. This humble one will arrange a place for you immediately." Yun Kong was not stupid. She caught the implication right away. Given how casually Su Min tossed out Qi Inducing Pills, she was undoubtedly a top tier alchemist they needed to keep happy.
"Thank you. Do not disturb me until I emerge."
"Yes!"
Soon, Su Min was settled in a quiet, secure room. She nodded in satisfaction. Fleecing the big shots feels so good. Her whole interaction at the shop had been for this purpose. Any store selling high grade materials had to be backed by a major faction. Getting in touch with them early was the plan.
With that, she sat down cross legged. Her temporary cauldron had been on its last legs after months of non stop alchemy. Upgrading was a must. After all, a craftsman must first sharpen their tools.
Meanwhile, in a heavily warded secret chamber elsewhere in the city, Yun Kong stood respectfully before three figures, reporting the situation. As she spoke, the expressions of the three elders grew increasingly grave.
"A Grade 4 lower tier alchemist? Why have we never heard of such a person?" The three were the sect leader and two elders of the Cloud Sea Sword Sect, the only three Golden Core experts they currently had active. They were not doubting Yun Kong, but the idea seemed too good to be true.
"Perhaps a self sealed expert from an earlier era, emerging now to gather materials," Yun Kong suggested calmly. "But that is irrelevant. She bears no grudge against us. As for whether she can truly refine Grade 4 pills, we will know once we see her in action."
"Very well. This old man will go personally. The tournament is about to begin as well, so we will bring the younger disciples along."
"Agreed. Where is she now?"
"In seclusion, refining a cauldron. She bought a piece of Flame Cloud Spirit Ore and mentioned needing to forge a new one quickly."
"Good. Treat her well. If she dares deceive us," the sect leader's voice turned cold, "even a Golden Core cultivator will regret it."
"Yes."
With that, the room fell silent.
Back in the secluded chamber, Su Min sat amidst roaring flames. The temperature in the room had soared to unbearable levels. The Flame Cloud Spirit Ore was extremely heat resistant, making it perfect for crafting a cauldron. Only thanks to her Nanming Lihuo flame could Su Min even attempt to refine it. She had no intention of hiding the flame, nor was there a need. Even if someone killed her, heavenly flames did not linger after their master's death. They would simply disperse and reincarnate elsewhere.
Days passed one, two, three, a full month. When Su Min finally opened her eyes, a fiery red cauldron hovered before her. The Flame Cloud Spirit Cauldron. It was now a genuine Mystic Tier, Low Grade treasure.
"Finally done. This thing was a pain to refine." She exhaled deeply. Refining Grade 4 pills and above was incredibly demanding, often requiring instantaneous temperature shifts within seconds. An ordinary cauldron would explode under such strain. A Mystic Tier cauldron was a necessity, and with this, she could refine Grade 4 pills without issue. Naturally, crafting it had been no easy feat. It had taken her over half a month just to melt the materials alone.
When she finally pushed open the door and stepped out, a woman who had been waiting for a long time bowed immediately. "Miss Su, our master has been expecting you."
"Lead the way." Su Min did not waste words. Soon, she was brought to a modest, yet elegant room. Inside, instead of Yun Kong's alluring figure, she found an elderly man with white hair and a sword case on his back. He was a Golden Core expert. She was not surprised, as she had sensed his presence earlier.
"May I ask who you are, Elder?"
"This old man is Mu Jiansheng, sect leader of the Cloud Sea Sword Sect. The materials you requested are all extraordinary. Our sect can only provide four. In exchange, we need you to refine two pills for us."
"Grade 4 lower tier, as I said before. Though Grade 4 mid tier is not impossible, if you are willing to supply enough materials for trial and error. And let me see the recipes first." Su Min sat down without ceremony. Alchemists had the privilege of being this blunt.
Mu Jiansheng did not take offense. Instead, he placed two recipes before her. "Cloudbreaker Pill and Unity Pill."
"Both rather niche. It seems they are specialized pills for your sect's prodigies?" Su Min frowned slightly as she examined them but did not refuse. If she could refine the Golden Spirit Pill at peak Foundation Establishment, these would not be impossible. However, the process would be tricky. These were unfamiliar formulas, and niche pills were always more challenging. "I can do it. But you will need to provide three sets of ingredients. I cannot guarantee success on the first try."
Seeing Su Min's serious yet confident expression, Mu Jiansheng inwardly sighed in relief. If she had boasted about a guaranteed success, he would have been far more wary. After all, even for their sect, gathering these ingredients was no small feat.
"Agreed."