"See these materials? Spread the word across the land. If anyone can bring them to me, I'll exchange them for a Foundation Establishment Pill."
"Gulp."
Hearing Su Min's words, Prince took a deep breath. He knew exactly what kind of frenzy this proclamation would unleash. A single Foundation Establishment Pill was enough to drive countless people mad with greed.
"This is the exchange list." Su Min handed him a sheet of paper. "For the top three rarest materials, I'll give a Foundation Establishment Pill. The rest can be traded for Qi-Gathering Pills or Qi-Inducing Pills."
With that, she turned and left the room. She had prepared multiple copies—one for Sect Leader Mo, another to be posted on the Yong City's public notice board. She wasn't worried about the Prince Yong trying to cheat her. Knowing him, he wouldn't dare. After all, Prince Yong Mansion now had another Foundation Establishment expert. While the pills were tempting, they weren't worth risking her wrath.
"Copy this immediately and spread it far and wide. And summon the others—we'll search with everything we've got."
Prince Yong exhaled sharply as he watched Su Min leave. Part of him wanted to hoard the materials for himself, but he knew Su Min was doing this to counter the Demon Queen's influence. Time was running out. If the Demon Queen ever broke free, the Yong bloodline would be the first to perish. Still, securing more resources for himself wouldn't hurt.
~
"I never expected Yingying to leave me so many rare herbs and treasures before she went into hibernation."
Xuantian Mansion was divided into two sections:
The inner chamber, where Xie Yingying slept, was filled with spirit stones and materials prepared by her sect.
The outer chamber contained resources left behind when the mansion was sealed. The spiritual energy there was slightly richer than the outside world, so many high-quality herbs had grown over time.
When Su Min had forced the Demon Crown Prince into the inner chamber, Xie Yingying had expelled all the intruders before leaving. And since the Xuantian Mansion was vast—with only a fraction of its rooms looted—Xie Yingying had gifted Su Min everything else before departing.
Now, Su Min only lacked a few specific materials. Searching for them herself would take forever.
"Even if the Great Wei Royal Family gets their hands on them, so what? Three Foundation Establishment Pills won't be enough for them to raise anyone who can threaten me."
Once everything was ready, she would end this once and for all.
"Time to reach late-stage Foundation Establishment. Just one pill away."
Su Min smirked. Her recent progress had been insanely fast—under normal circumstances, it might have destabilized her foundation. But for her? No issue. Her Heavenly-Foundation Establishment wasn't just for show. At this stage, she could advance as much as she wanted without any drawbacks.
"Foundation Spirit Pill."
[Foundation Spirit Pill (Third-Grade, High Tier): Allows a Foundation Establishment cultivator to advance one minor stage within the same realm.]
Thanks to Xie Yingying, she had just enough ingredients for one. Time to refine it.
While Su Min was engrossed in alchemy and artifact crafting, her bounty list spread like wildfire across the land.
At that very moment, in a certain mountain sect—
"Congratulations, Sect Master Mo! Cheers to your breakthrough into Foundation Establishment!"
Mo Shaosheng was hosting a grand banquet. With the help of a single pill, he had formally stepped into the Foundation Establishment realm. In the eyes of the martial world, he now stood peerless. After all, Prince Yong faction was part of the imperial faction, not the jianghu.
Even so, Prince Yong's household had sent a noble heir to offer congratulations. The sects of the martial world had turned out in droves. The grand hall pulsed with laughter and clinking cups.
After all, Mo Shaosheng had served as Martial Alliance Leader for decades—no one dared challenge his seat. What's more, rumor had it he had a personal connection to the legendary "Danxian." A single pill from her was every cultivator's dream.
Should she but speak the word, countless would empty their fortunes for a single dose. Unfortunately, she rarely offered such grace. Most could only hope for the few pills that occasionally leaked from Prince Yong's stock.
Amid the music and laughter—
"REPORT!!!"
A disciple rushed in, clutching a notice and disrupting the entire banquet.
"What are you doing?!" Mo Shaosheng frowned. This was his moment of glory—being interrupted was unacceptable.
"Prince Yong Mansion—no, Danxian herself—has issued a proclamation! Anyone who delivers the materials on this list will be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill!"
"WHAT?!"
The hall erupted. Esteemed sect leaders, normally composed and dignified, sprang to their feet. The messenger suddenly found himself surrounded by five Qi Refining late-stage experts, all glaring at the notice like starving wolves.
"E-elders… this notice is posted everywhere. Your sects probably have copies too…"
The disciple shrank back, glancing pleadingly at his sect leader.
Mo Shaosheng snatched the notice and scanned it.
"Foundation Establishment Pills, Qi-Gathering Pills, Qi-Inducing Pills… Danxian's generosity knows no bounds."
The others crowded around, their expressions darkening. The Foundation Establishment Pills were tempting, but the required materials were extremely rare. This wouldn't be easy. But that didn't mean they wouldn't try.
"Sect Master Mo, the situation is urgent—we take our leave."
"Same here. We'll return at once."
Within moments, the banquet hall emptied. Everyone rushed back to their sects, frantically checking their storerooms. Even if they couldn't get the Foundation Establishment Pills, the Qi-Gathering and Qi-inducing Pills were still priceless. And if necessary?
They were ready to steal, cheat, or even slaughter rival factions to get their hands on the materials first. The jianghu had exploded into chaos. No one could resist Su Min's offer. A Foundation Establishment Pill was just too tempting. Within three days of the notice being posted, the martial world was in complete disarray.
Naturally, this unrest did not go unnoticed by the imperial court.
Inside the palace—
"We have one of these three materials in our treasury. Should we send it to her?"
The Emperor of Wei pondered.
The Foundation Establishment Pill was just as tempting to him. He needed one—badly. The extended lifespan of the Foundation Establishment Stage was too valuable.
"Do it." The Demon Queen's voice was calm. "These materials are likely for her Golden Core Tribulation preparations. By gathering them on such a scale, she's gathering everything for her self-sealing."
Demon Queen squinted at the notice and instantly deduced Su Min's purpose. Su Min had long since prepared countermeasures against this schemer. Even if she hadn't, she would never have made this move lightly.
Besides, those few people who knew about her acquisition of that special material in Xuantian Mansion were entirely within her circle. Prince Yong's men, or Mo Shaosheng—they had no idea what it was even called, let alone its purpose.
As far as the outside world knew, the demon prince had been slain by a mysterious woman within the palace. No one connected the dots back to Su Min.
And the pills were just too tempting to refuse. If Su Min truly was preparing for Golden Core Path and self-sealing, Demon Queen wanted her gone—fast. No one knew better than her how much pressure Su Min's presence exerted. If she disappeared, it would be a blessing.
Only she knew how much pressure Su Min brought to her, and it would be great if it could disappear. She also knew about the Golden Core Avenue, and this kind of genius would definitely prepare for the Golden Core Avenue.
"You have to know that the requirements for self-sealing in the foundation-building stage and the self-sealing in the golden elixir stage are completely different concepts. Moreover, the Taiyin girl definitely has more than one crystal in her hand. With the conditions and talent of the Danxian, she should be able to get one. By then, the two of them will probably leave the Wei Dynasty and find a deserted place to live quietly for hundreds of years."
"Someone should go to the royal treasury immediately to count the materials. Also send someone to disguise themselves and go to Prince Yong's Mansion to hide their identities."
"yes."
~
"Done."
Su Min examined the three pills in her hand with satisfaction. Refining third-grade, high-tier pills was no longer a challenge for her. She could even attempt a fourth-grade, low-tier Golden Spirit Pill now. Unlike the Foundation Establishment Pill or Qi inducing Pill, this one was unique. Because the real hurdle from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core wasn't the pill—it was the Heavenly Tribulation.
"Jianghu should react within a week. Time to take this."
Without hesitation, she swallowed the pill. Thanks to her Heavenly-Foundation Establishment, there were no barriers between minor stages. As long as she had enough energy, she could break through instantly. This was why the twenty-year foundation-building process was worth it—her cultivation speed would never lag. A surge of spiritual energy exploded within her.
Soon, the next day.
"Late-stage Foundation Establishment. This feeling…"
Su Min could faintly sense the oppressive weight of heavenly might. This was the prelude to her tribulation. Normally, she'd need decades to accumulate enough spiritual energy. But she didn't have that luxury.
If she waited, the Demon Queen would emerge and crush Prince Yong faction. Then, she'd have to face an entire army alone. This wasn't a game—enemies wouldn't stand still and wait for her. And she hadn't forgotten the Demon Queen's secret technique: absorbing souls to forcibly boost her power.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
Soon when she came to Prince Yong's Mansion and asked about the recent situation, he had already given him the Qi-Inducing Pill and the Qi-Gathering Pill and asked him to trade them with those people.
As for the Foundation Establishment Pill, she kept it for herself and did not take it out.
"Most of the herbs and materials have been gathered, but there is no news about the materials to be exchanged for the three foundation-building pills."
Seeing Su Min coming out, Prince Yong threw a ring to her. Inside it were the herbs and materials that had been collected, as well as some remaining pills. Su Min took a quick look and it seemed that Prince Yong was not greedy.
"Not bad. These materials are extremely hard to find. By the way, how's the outside world?"
"Chaos."
"Huh?"
"Absolute chaos. Everyone's fighting over the materials. The entire jianghu is a mess—orthodox sects, unorthodox factions, even ancient noble families are involved. Rumors about the Foundation Establishment Pill materials are spreading like wildfire. Wherever there's a hint of those herbs, bloodshed follows."
Su Min snorted but said nothing.
"Yesterday, someone mistook a common vine for the 'Withered Wood Green Vine.' A brutal battle broke out… only for everyone to realize they'd been fighting over trash."
The Prince Yong smirked. Desperation made fools of them all.
"Not surprising. Back then, people were killing each other over a half-finished Foundation Establishment Pill."
Su Min wasn't shocked. Even in the golden age of cultivation, blood had been spilled over a single herb or pill.
"I just hope this ends soon. What a mess."
"REPORT!"
A guard rushed in, panting.
"A mysterious Foundation Establishment expert has arrived at the guesthouse with the Withered Wood Green Vine. But the person—"
"Who it is doesn't matter. Take me to them."
Su Min's lips curled into a cold smile.
Who else could it be?
But it didn't matter. As long as she got the materials, she'd hand over the pill. A single Foundation Establishment Pill wouldn't change the tide. And the only one who'd use it?
The useless Emperor.
A man who'd reached Foundation Establishment through forbidden arts wouldn't last a second against a real expert—let alone her.