Big Score

Several days after Su Zhi returned to the sect, she came to Cloud Mountain Market again, accompanied by five Inner Disciples of Cloud Sword Sect. Two were at the eighth layer of Qi Refining Realm, while three were at the ninth layer. Among them was a woman wearing a white silk veil over her face. The aura emanating from her made Su Yu's scalp tingle.

Very strong!

Though she was also at the ninth layer of Qi Refining Realm, if the Ghost Head Golden Condor encountered her, this woman would likely kill it in a single exchange.

Su Zhi brought the five to meet Su Yu and introduced them one by one.

"This is Junior Sister Yu Qianqing." She was a young woman with slightly chubby cheeks who would blush faintly and lower her head shyly whenever someone's gaze landed on her.

After that brief introduction, Su Zhi transmitted her voice to him. "Junior Sister Yu is a disciple of the Pill Hall and has excellent talent in alchemy. Of course, she is still a little inferior to you, Xiao Yu. She is now a mid-grade Rank 1 alchemist and a registered disciple of a Pill Hall elder."

"I personally think Junior Sister Yu has both a good temperament and good talent. She is also an alchemist, so she suits you very well, doesn't she? Hehe."

After saying that, Su Zhi casually introduced the other three fellow disciples without transmitting her voice again.

Last was the woman wearing the white silk veil. Su Zhi introduced her, saying, "This is Senior Sister Luo Qianyu. Senior Disciple Luo is the Grand Elder's personal disciple."

Hearing this, Su Yu stared at the woman in astonishment. A personal disciple of the Cloud Sword Sect Grand Elder?

Why had Su Zhi brought someone like that to meet him?

Su Zhi introduced Su Yu. "This is my clan cousin, Su Yu. Although his cultivation is not high yet, he is a high-grade Rank 1 alchemist."

The previously shy Yu Manli raised her head to look at Su Yu. With curiosity and respect in her eyes, she said, "I heard Senior Sister Su mention you."

"How did you practice alchemy? I think alchemy is so difficult. Medicinal properties, dosage, heat control—everything has to be considered. It's so complicated, so hard."

"I still can't properly refine even mid-grade Rank 1 pills. I don't even know when I'll become a high-grade Rank 1 alchemist."

"Er..." Su Yu gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I can only barely refine them. I can't really be considered a high-grade Rank 1 alchemist. I'm far inferior to the outstanding disciples of Cloud Sword Sect."

Yu Manli pursed her lips at that and rolled her eyes at Su Yu. "That sounds so obviously fake."

Su Yu smiled and said nothing more.

The other four from Cloud Sword Sect remained silent. Although the three men had initially looked down on Su Yu's mere Qi Refining Stage Five cultivation, once they learned that he was a high-grade Rank 1 alchemist, the way they looked at him gained several degrees of respect. They no longer dared show the slightest contempt.

Yu Manli had studied alchemy under an elder of their Pill Hall in Cloud Sword Sect, yet she had only barely become a mid-grade Rank 1 alchemist.

Yet this person before them had become a high-grade Rank 1 alchemist on his own in the market, despite being only at Qi Refining Stage Five!

How monstrous did one's talent in alchemy have to be to achieve that?

What if they needed his help someday?

Even Luo Qianyu, the personal disciple of the Cloud Sword Sect Grand Elder, looked at Su Yu with a trace of surprise. Alchemy still placed certain demands on cultivation. Reaching high-grade Rank 1 alchemist at his age was already not easy, yet he had done so with only Qi Refining Stage Five cultivation.

He was a monstrously talented young alchemist!

Seeing this, Su Zhi hurriedly said, "Xiao Yu, I've already reported the matter of the Ghost Head Golden Condor to the sect. Since the Second Elder previously said he did not intend to investigate what lay behind the Ghost Head Golden Condor, I want to go investigate with several senior brothers and sisters."

"You..."

Su Yu immediately cut her off. "I'm not going. I'm only at Qi Refining Stage Five. Going there would definitely hold all of you back, so I'm not going."

At that moment, Luo Qianyu said, "You can come along. As long as no one at the Foundation Establishment stage appears, your safety will still be guaranteed."

Su Yu shook his head with a smile. "Thank you for the offer, but I still won't be going."

Luo Qianyu nodded. "In that case... I would like to exchange something for the map in your possession, as well as that Demonic Path magical artifact Formation Flag."

As she spoke, Luo Qianyu waved her hand, and a cauldron-shaped magical artifact appeared in her palm.

The furnace was entirely suffused with emerald radiance, like a treasure carved from jade.

"This is a top-tier Mid-grade Magical Artifact alchemy furnace, the Azure Light Furnace. If you are willing, I will exchange it for the Formation Flag, the map, and that token in your possession." Luo Qianyu's clear, gemlike eyes watched Su Yu.

Su Yu was utterly astonished. "A top-tier Mid-grade Magical Artifact alchemy furnace? This... is far too valuable!"

Such a magical artifact was not far from being a High-grade Magical Artifact.

It was far more precious than that damaged inferior Rank 2 Demonic Path formation flag.

And it was an alchemy furnace! Even rarer and more valuable!

Luo Qianyu smiled faintly. "It is worth it. A Nine Souls Demonic Palace inner disciple token alone is worth it."

So that was why.

Trade.

Su Yu did not hesitate. He took out all those items and handed them to Luo Qianyu. He would never touch those things in the first place, much less investigate what secrets lay behind them or what "fortuitous encounter" the Ghost Head Golden Condor had obtained.

That was too dangerous. He knew nothing, and what he might encounter was even more of an unknown.

Rather than take such a risk, he might as well cultivate peacefully in the market.

With the resources he now had, as long as he cultivated steadily, entering the Foundation Establishment stage was practically set in stone unless something unexpected happened.

So why investigate this?

"Thank you."

Luo Qianyu examined the token, and her gaze instantly sharpened. She gave Su Yu a slight nod, then waved her hand and put everything away.

The group then prepared to take their leave. Before they left, Su Yu gave Su Zhi a bottle of Spirit Bewildering Liquid.

Watching them depart, Su Yu was in quite a good mood. Once they were out of sight, he lowered his head to look at the top-tier Mid-grade Magical Artifact alchemy furnace in his hands, his face blooming with a smile.

"I made a killing."

This alchemy furnace was likely even better than the one in his master Su Yun's hands.

After Su Yu told Su Yun about the matter, Su Yun raised his brows in surprise. "The personal disciple of the Cloud Sword Sect Grand Elder? It seems Xiao Zhi has quite good connections in Cloud Sword Sect. And that Nine Souls Demonic Palace inner disciple token—perhaps there really is some secret behind it."

"Otherwise, why would it draw the Grand Elder's personal disciple of Cloud Sword Sect into taking action personally?"

As he spoke, Su Yun gently shook his head and looked at Su Yu. "You were right not to go. We're alchemists—why risk our lives over something like that?"

"That alchemy furnace came at just the right time. Refine it and nurture it properly."

That alchemy furnace was sufficient to refine Rank 2 pills.

"Alright."

Su Yu returned to his room and cultivated in peace.

It was only more than half a month after Su Zhi and the others left that they returned. She hurriedly came to the Alchemy Pavilion and roughly told Su Yu and Su Yun about what they had discovered and gained.

Then she returned to the sect to enter seclusion.

Perhaps the next time they met, she would already be at the ninth layer of Qi Refining Realm.

Every day, he cultivated the Azure Wood Age Wheel Art and the Crocodile Demon's 108 Forms Body Refining Technique. In his spare time, he refined pills, drew Talismans, and studied the Puppet Master inheritance.

Half a year passed amid such peaceful and happy days.

The once-every-three-years Cloud Mountain Market Auction was approaching once more.

That day, a young girl who could be considered an acquaintance brought an old woman to the Su Family's Alchemy Pavilion again.