Pills were an inescapable part of cultivation, a topic that could make or break a cultivator's path.
A single, well-timed pill could bring immense, even breakthrough-level benefits. Countless cultivators had failed to overcome their bottlenecks simply because they lacked the precious lifespan-extending elixirs needed to sustain their cultivation long enough. Now, a large and restless crowd had gathered in front of Su Min's makeshift pill stall, their eyes burning with naked greed as they stared at the glowing samples on display.
[Healing Pill (Grade Four, Low Tier)]
[Spirit Restoration Pill (Grade Four, Low Tier)]
[Detoxification Pill (Grade Four, Low Tier)]
[Azure Life Extension Pill (Grade Four, Low Tier): Can only be used once in a lifetime. Extends lifespan by ten years.]
"You can even refine this kind of pill?!" Xie Yingying stared wide-eyed at the Azure Life Extension Pill. Selling something like this openly was virtually unheard of. Among all pills, those that extended a cultivator's precious lifespan were the most valuable, often even more sought-after than those that aided in breakthroughs.
But considering Su Min's terrifyingly high refinement success rate, she guessed Su Min probably had a few more of these priceless pills stashed away. Unlike the other samples, this one was encased in a shimmering protective energy barrier. Anyone foolish enough to try stealing it would learn a painful, shocking lesson instantly.
As for Foundation Establishment Pills and similar lower-tier items, Su Min had not brought any. She had dumped them all into her sect's inventory. The Grade Four pills she carried were few in number, but they were perfect for her goals, extorting wealth from these rich cultivators and potentially uncovering information about hidden opportunities.
"Just making sure no one doubts my skills," Su Min grinned shamelessly as she watched the crowd's desperate expressions. "Isn't this a great way to introduce myself?"
To her, this lifespan pill was practically trash, something she had refined on a whim during her seclusion. After all, what cultivator wouldn't want an extra ten years of life? And given that Su Min was a verified Grade Four alchemist, a level most only reached at the Nascent Soul stage, her presence here in the Golden Core Avenue was nothing short of a miraculous opportunity.
"Your prices are outrageous! You might as well just rob us!" one cultivator spat out, upon hearing Su Min's astronomical asking price. But before he could finish his indignant rant, someone roughly shoved him aside. The moment he saw the newcomer's distinct, high-quality robes, he instantly shut his mouth. Uniforms like that meant power, discipline, and backing.
This was a core disciple from one of the ancient supreme sects, the kind that had survived the great spiritual reshuffling of the world.
"Young Miss," the disciple said, his tone respectful but carrying an air of authority. "I am a disciple of the Sacred City of Ancient Mansion, from the Central Divine Province. Our Holy Son has invited you for an audience. If you can refine a few specific pills for him, you may choose any reward within our considerable means."
"See? Business has arrived," Su Min smirked, glancing back at Xie Yingying, who stood silently behind her like a stoic bodyguard. They had been setting up shop for three days now, and news of a Grade Four alchemist had spread like wildfire across the Golden Core Avenue.
What Su Min truly wanted, however, was not business but information, specific details about her top competitors. The only way to get that was through these major sects with their vast intelligence networks. Of course, she could not just ask outright. Instead, she used the stall to draw attention and set absurdly high prices as a filter.
If someone actually agreed to her terms, she would refine the pills without complaint. It was guaranteed profit either way. But so far, most of the cultivators here were relatively poor. Many had not even survived the full Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, meaning they were essentially cannon fodder in the grand scheme. The Golden Core Avenue would remain open for a hundred years, and no one could leave early. No one except Su Min, that is, but she was not about to reveal that trump card.
Soon, Su Min and Xie Yingying were led to a luxurious temporary pavilion deep within the Dragon Domain.
The moment they stepped inside, both of them subtly froze.
The collective aura in the room was overwhelming.
Nearly twenty Golden Core cultivators were present, and nineteen of them had survived the formidable Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation. And then there was the Holy Son of Ancient Mansion himself, radiating a pressure that marked him as a fellow Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation survivor.
The moment the entire group sensed the distinct, sharp aura of the Demon-Slaying Thunder radiating from both Su Min and Xie Yingying, their expressions shifted noticeably. Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation survivors were exceedingly rare. Su Min had cleared the Three-Nine Tribulation unscathed, suffered minor injuries in the Six-Nine, and had barely, miraculously scraped through the final three bolts. The difficulty difference between the tribulations was insane. But given that Su Min was a verified Grade Four alchemist, a walking asset, no one dared to voice their shock outright.
"Young Miss," the Holy Son began, his voice calm and measured. "Our Sacred City wishes to commission a custom Grade Four pill. Name your price."
Even though Su Min and Xie Yingying appeared to be lone cultivators with no visible backing, no one in the room dared to underestimate them after sensing their tribulation aura.
As the Holy Son spoke, Su Min subtly activated a hidden mark on her body, a secret technique to detect potential competitors for the Azure Dragon's legacy.
If two people carrying the same inheritance mark met, they would instantly sense each other.
"No mark," she concluded internally, relaxing a fraction. "At least he is not an open enemy for that legacy."
She carefully concealed her aura again. To hide this specific mark, she had specially crafted a subtle artifact, a thin shoulder ring disguised as an ordinary part of her clothing's embroidery.
"Very well," Su Min replied aloud, her eyes narrowing slightly. "There is one thing I want." The Golden Core Avenue, much like the Wei Wu Storm of her past, was a zone filled with hidden side quests and complex interactions. But this was not a game. She had to be cautious with her demands.
"Divine Heartfire Wood."
The moment she said it, the Holy Son's pleasant expression darkened noticeably. This material was incredibly rare. While most wood burned when exposed to fire, Divine Heartfire Wood actively absorbed flames, making it a priceless treasure for fire-aligned cultivators and artifact forgers. And Su Min desperately needed it for her plans.
To secure the Azure Dragon's inheritance, she would inevitably have to face a monstrous opponent, another Holy Son known for his Mystic Wood Constitution, one of the top wood-element physiques. This would be a life-or-death battle. Only one person could walk away with the inheritance, and Su Min absolutely refused to be the one who lost.
The Holy Son of Ancient Mansion studied her for a long moment, then a slow smirk spread across his face.
"You are after the Azure Dragon's inheritance, aren't you?" His voice carried a hint of dark amusement.
"Kill the 'Wood Madman,' and the Divine Heartfire Wood is yours."
Su Min did not react outwardly, but inwardly she was ecstatic. The Wood Madman was another powerful Holy Son, a fellow Nine-Nine Tribulation survivor with a full squad of elite disciples. Fighting him and his entourage head-on would be suicidal. But she had a plan, and this deal played right into it.
~
In a secluded room provided by the Sacred City, Su Min floated two brilliant materials in front of her using her spiritual energy: the Divine Heartfire Wood and a complementary material called Rotwater Moonstone.
Both were core components for the specific counter-artifacts she needed to craft.
The fact that the Holy Son possessed both meant one thing, he had a deep, personal grudge against the Wood Madman. Since both were powerhouse talents from the Central Divine Province, the feud was likely ancient and deeply rooted.
"The pill he wants is the Bone-Melting Heart Pill," Su Min mused, examining the recipe he had provided. "A highly specialized remedy for specific, corrosive internal injuries. Regular Grade Four healing pills would be useless against it."
She smirked. With only three months left before the inheritance opened, she could not afford to waste time on lengthy cultivation breakthroughs. She needed tailored, specific artifacts to give her an edge, and this deal provided the means.
As Su Min began refining the artifacts and the pill, Xie Yingying stood guard outside the chamber. The Holy Son of Ancient Mansion, who was overseeing the process, eyed her with open curiosity.
"Young Lady, may I ask your name?"
Looking at the stunning yet aloof woman in front of him, the Holy Son asked very politely. During their initial negotiations, they had been all business. Now that Su Min was secluded in refinement, he found himself curious about her silent companion.
You have to understand that the two women came from 'Eastern Mulberry State,' a name none of them had ever heard of, just as it was impossible for any one person to know the names of every minor state in the vast world. There were many remote, insignificant places.
But what concerned him more was Xie Yingying's unique and powerful aura. Her physique was definitely not simple for him to feel such a penetrating coldness from her.
"Xie Yingying," she replied, her tone as icy as her aura. "My sect has long since faded into history."
The Holy Son hesitated for a moment, then seeing an opportunity, offered, "Would you consider joining our Sacred City? After all, you are both unparalleled talents who have passed the nine-nine heavenly tribulations, and you currently have no sect. That is... fortunate news for us." The Holy Son said with a charming smile. To be honest, he was feeling genuinely greedy for the two of them. The cultivation world had more men than women, and true peerless beauties with top-tier talent were exceptionally rare.
Looking at the entourage he had brought with him, they were all men. There was not a single female cultivator among his direct subordinates, so a primal instinct made him want to win these two over.
"No need." Xie Yingying cut him off without a moment's hesitation, her voice leaving no room for discussion. Su Min's island territory, with its Fusang Divine Tree, was no worse than these ancient sects' so-called sacred grounds.
A flicker of irritation crossed the Holy Son's face. No one, especially a lone cultivator, dared dismissed him so casually. Yet in the end, he merely sighed and did not push the issue. Offending a Grade Four alchemist over a recruitment attempt was simply not worth the potential cost.
~
Su Min had no idea about the exchange happening outside. At this moment, she was focusing all her attention on the furnace before her, where several rare materials were burning and melting with rapid precision under the control of her Nanming Lihuo.
"First, I will refine these two magic weapons, and then make the elixir," she muttered to herself. "This sequence will prevent those people from trying anything after receiving the pill. I have to be on guard."
She examined the materials. This kind of targeted, single-purpose magic weapon was often not of high general quality. Many could even be considered very low-grade by the standards of true treasures. However, these two specific metals did not require the complex, repeated forging of a life-bound treasure, so the process could be completed relatively quickly.
In addition, for a typical fourth-grade alchemist, it was common to take a full month to refine a single pill of this tier. After all, pills of this level were not easy to perfect, although Su Min's efficiency, honed over centuries, was much faster than this standard.
The flame burned and time passed. Outside, Xie Yingying sat cross-legged, her eyes half-closed, not saying a word. Her physique was indeed quite special, the Lunar Sovereign Physique, the pinnacle of all Yin constitutions. In addition to its immense combat and cultivation benefits, it had another, more troublesome reputation, it was considered a supreme cauldron physique, perfectly suited for dual cultivation practices. This was precisely why she was so inherently wary of all men.
As for the ideal Taoist companion for Xie Yingying, there was only one true condition, that was to have a Solar Sovereign Body. The combination of the ultimate moon and the ultimate sun was said to have the potential to give birth to a physique that only existed in legends, the Chaos Body.
It was just a pity that the Lunar Sovereign Physique was hard to find even in ten thousand years, and the same was true for the Solar Sovereign Body. It could be encountered but not sought, something she could only ponder but never realistically expect to find.
"What a cold woman," one of the disciples in the distance whispered to his comrades. "And really, stunningly pretty. Our sect's core skills tend to be overwhelmingly masculine, and there are few female practitioners in the upper echelons, and even fewer true beauties in our generation."
At this time, a small group of the Holy Son's followers were whispering among themselves, especially when they looked at Xie Yingying, who was meditating with her eyes closed, her profile serene and perfect. They were all the chosen ones of their respective eras, so naturally they had impossibly high standards. They usually could not be bothered to look at ordinary female cultivators, but now they were genuinely envious of the Holy Son's chance to interact with her.
~
A month later, Su Min emerged from the chamber, looking tired but satisfied. She casually tossed a jade pill bottle to the waiting Holy Son.
"The deal is complete. We are leaving."
The Azure Dragon inheritance would open in just two weeks, and the surrounding area was about to get crowded. More than a thousand elite cultivators had already swarmed into the Dragon Domain, all vying for a chance at the same ultimate prize.
The Azure Dragon's legacy.
And the Eastern Azure Wood, a heavenly divine artifact that rivaled her own Nanming Lihuo in potency.
"May you return victorious," the Holy Son said, offering a slight, respectful bow before turning to depart. He had his own internal injuries to tend to with the newly acquired pill.
As for Su Min?
She now had a Holy Son to kill.
===
Yingying don't worry, you will have your "ideal" taoist companion.