Chapter 156: Acquiring Materials
The morning sun broke through the drifting clouds above Cloudrise City, casting soft golden rays across the rooftops like strands of silk. The city stirred slowly to life—vendors lifting their stalls, cultivators stepping out of inns, the air humming faintly with spiritual energy.
Inside Room No. 17 of the Cloudveil Resthouse, Su Tianhao stirred from sleep, half-lidded eyes catching the morning light.
Today marked the true beginning of his preparation for the Qingyun Sect entrance examination. He could no longer afford to drift with the current. If he was to surpass the legacy of his parents... he had to seize every breath, every moment.
After a quick shower, he left the Cloudveil Resthouse dressed in fine azure robes.
This time, he wasn't using Phantom Cloak and has reverted back to the Silent Pulse. It only masked his cultivation base while leaving his unfathomable presence intact—making him appear mysterious and unpredictable. The kind of remarkable aura that would serve him well for the task at hand.
His primary purpose for arriving in Cloudrise City so early—well before the Qingyun Sect examination—was to gather the resources needed to begin cultivating the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art. As a prominent cultivation hub, acquiring what he needed shouldn't be impossible. But appearing too ordinary in the cultivation world invited disaster. There would always be people willing to exploit weakness, and that was something he had no intention of allowing.
Su Tianhao walked calmly through the city streets, taking in his surroundings with quiet interest. The city was bustling—almost as if some grand festival were underway. Of course, there was no such event. The traffic was simply the natural result of Cloudrise's prosperity, which could always be traced back to the Qingyun Sect.
After asking around, he located the Cloudrise marketplace. Unlike Oakwood City—where the market was divided between the Su, He, and Ye families—the Cloudrise marketplace was owned and controlled entirely by the City Lord, who was apparently an Outer Court Elder of the Qingyun Sect.
The more Su Tianhao learned about the city's structure, the more surprised he became by the extent of the Qingyun Sect's influence. Apart from owning the majority of prominent businesses and establishments, the city served as a popular retreat for Qingyun disciples seeking a break from secluded cultivation—restaurants, commerce, entertainment. The city offered everything they needed, and the sect's presence was woven into every corner of it.
'Looks like I was right to come here early,' Su Tianhao thought. 'I won't just be gathering resources—I can use this time to learn more about the Qingyun Sect itself.'
With that thought, he reached into his robes and retrieved a folded piece of paper—a list of the nine materials required to begin cultivating the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art.
His eyes sharpened as they swept down the list.
"Dragonroot Ginseng... Soulvein Lotus... Verdant Marrowleaf... Crimson Origin Grass... Heavenpiercer Flower..."
'These five, though expensive, shouldn't be impossible to obtain here,' he noted.
While these were key ingredients for Tier 5 pills—medicines capable of aiding a Martial Soul Realm expert's cultivation—they weren't considered rare in a city where Martial Soul Realm experts were commonly seen.
His attention shifted to the remaining items.
"The Bloodroot Vitality Pill, Raging Viscera Tonic, Ethereal Mind Crystal... and spirit stones."
'Spirit stones shouldn't be a problem. But those three...'
A wave of uncertainty settled over him.
The Bloodroot Vitality Pill and Raging Viscera Tonic were grade 5 medicines—finished products refined from grade 5 herbs. The herbs themselves might not be scarce, but grade 5 medicines were an entirely different matter. Alchemists capable of refining pills of such caliber were exceedingly rare. In Oakwood City, even grade 2 alchemists were considered respected figures standing at the city's peak—let alone those who had reached grade 5. Pills of that standard weren't found at local stalls or private shops. Most had long been monopolized by the great sects, and the alchemists who produced them would naturally align themselves with those sects for the benefits they offered.
Su Tianhao exhaled slowly and turned to the final item on the list.
"The Ethereal Mind Crystal."
Undoubtedly the most difficult of all. So rare it couldn't simply be purchased—it could only be acquired by chance.
'Where do I even begin looking for something like that?'
He stood still for a moment, mind turning.
Then a decision settled, quiet and firm.
'If I can't find it, I'll find something to replace it.'
The Ethereal Mind Crystal stabilized a cultivator's mental power and soul force—preventing spiritual backlash and enhancing clarity during deep cultivation. Effective, yes. But not irreplaceable.
'Soul crystals,' he thought. 'They won't be as efficient, but they'll serve the purpose.'
Soul crystals were cultivation resources primarily used to enhance soul force when absorbed, but they could also function as a stabilizing medium for mental power. The higher the grade, the greater the effect. They were typically harvested from grade 5 spirit beasts—creatures comparable to Martial Soul Realm experts—similar to how beast cores were found in grade 4 beasts and above. Not every grade 5 beast produced one, which made them rare. But rare was not the same as unobtainable.
The uncertainty eased. The weight on his chest lifted.
Su Tianhao strode forward toward the marketplace.
---
The Cloudrise Market was unlike anything he had seen before.
Sprawling across several districts, the air was thick with the scent of incense and spirit herbs, undercut by the low hum of formation arrays. Merchants called out from their stalls, peddling everything from beast cores to exotic weapons, while cultivators in all manner of robes moved with quiet purpose through the crowd.
Su Tianhao stepped through the entrance, golden eyes narrowing slightly.
'It's time to begin.'
The deeper he ventured, the more the air buzzed with life. He passed into a wide avenue paved with white stone tiles, its sides lined with towering pavilions, colorful banners, and flowing crowds.
'Let's see how deep this city's pockets truly run.'
Since this was his first time here, the best approach was to gather information first—from people who already knew the market's layout and reputation.
As the saying goes—a single question saves a thousand steps.
He approached an elderly merchant whose stall was old and modest yet clearly thriving within its block—the quiet mark of years of experience and steady trade.
"Greetings," Su Tianhao said with a warm smile.
The man glanced sideways at him. Taking in Su Tianhao's refined appearance and composed bearing, he turned fully and returned the smile.
"What can I do for you, Young Master?"
Su Tianhao didn't answer immediately. He retrieved the folded list from his robes and offered it over.
The man accepted it without much thought—but the moment his eyes landed on its contents, they widened. He held still for a beat before looking back up with a self-deprecating smile.
"Young Master, how do you expect to find these exalted treasures at my humble stall?"
Su Tianhao's expression remained unchanged. From the moment he'd spotted the man, he hadn't expected to buy anything from him. The elderly merchant was only a Martial Adept despite his years—clearly someone who had long abandoned cultivation in favour of commerce. Not that it mattered. What had drawn Su Tianhao over was the possibility of useful information, and something told him this man could provide it.
"Do you know of any legitimate places in the city where I could acquire these?" he asked.
The man considered for a moment, then handed the paper back. "They're all expensive, but there are several places in the city where you could find the first five."
He paused, lowering his voice slightly. "As for spirit stones, there's a money exchange pavilion northwest of the city—you can exchange gold coins there."
Then he glanced at Su Tianhao with a look of quiet uncertainty. "As for the last three... I'm afraid I don't know."
"I see," Su Tianhao murmured. "And the first five—where would you recommend?"
"The most trustworthy options would be the Alchemy Association or the Thousand Beast Pavilion," the man said with a nod.
Su Tianhao's eyes shifted slightly. "There's a Thousand Beast Pavilion branch in Cloudrise City?"
"Yes. Not far from here—follow this path straight ahead and ask around. It's quite prominent. You won't miss it."
Su Tianhao laughed—short, genuine—his mind flashing immediately to the Token of Honor given to him by Lan Er, Lu Qingran's attendant.
'What a coincidence. I never thought I'd need it this soon.'
According to Lan Er, holders of the Token of Honor were treated as VIP customers at any Thousand Beast Pavilion branch—entitled to a twenty percent discount on all purchases.
'Good news indeed.'
He retrieved ten gold coins from his storage pouch and offered them to the elderly merchant. "Thank you for the information."
Then he turned and strode toward the Thousand Beast Pavilion.
---
After following the merchant's directions and asking a few passersby, Su Tianhao arrived.
Unlike the branch in Oakwood City—nestled in the heart of the central market square—the Cloudrise branch stood in one of the city's most prestigious districts, where wealth and influence gathered like clouds before a storm.
The building was a towering three-story structure with sweeping black-tiled roofs—the same signature architecture as its Oakwood counterpart, yet the difference in scale and splendor was night and day. Every surface radiated grandeur. Pillars carved from spirit jade. Lanterns studded with polished gold inlays. Even the smallest ornament here held the kind of value that could change a mortal's life.
Above the main entrance, a massive golden plaque bore the words: Thousand Beast Pavilion. Beneath it gleamed a silver emblem—a coiling serpent wrapped around a crouching tiger.
Dozens of cultivators, merchants, and noble heirs moved in and out through the grand entrance—yet none carried themselves with arrogance or open disrespect. Standing silently on either side of the doorway were two guards dressed in black and gold, their presence alone exuding quiet authority.
But it wasn't their uniforms that caught Su Tianhao's attention.
It was their cultivation.
'Martial Soul Realm...'
A flicker of shock crossed his expression, quickly suppressed.
'Guards at Martial Soul Realm?'
In the Su family—a Great Clan—Martial Soul Realm experts held positions of real weight: Captains and Commanders leading the family's guard and private military. To see them stationed as door guards was a different kind of statement entirely.
'The Thousand Beast Pavilion never ceases to surprise me,' he thought. 'With strength like this, they're not inferior to forces like the Wang Mansion—or even the Phantom Blade Faction.'
He took a measured breath and walked through the grand entrance without hesitation, passing the guards without incident.