After buying sweets for the two little troublemakers, Su Wen spoke with a resigned sigh, rubbing his temple helplessly.
"Come on, you two… don't cause any more trouble."
He glanced ahead and continued calmly,
"Let's head to the Pill Pavilion first. We need to buy spiritual seeds and plants for our mountain farm."
With that, he led the pair out of the store.
The Pill Pavilion was one of the most influential organizations in the cultivation world, specializing in alchemy, herbal refinement, and medical arts.
A true giant among powers, it controlled the majority of pill production and spirit herb trade across the Central Continent and beyond.
Even top-tier sects and clans maintained cordial relations with it.
There was an old saying among cultivators…
Offend the Pill Pavilion, and you lose pills, healers… and hope.
"Pill Pavilion, huh.." Su Wen muttered as he walked forward with Du Yue and little Suzume at his side.
"Maybe we'll find some high-quality spirit herbs there."
Meanwhile, at the western gate of the city, a young man stepped inside.
He had sharp eyebrows, silver eyes, and long silver hair framing a handsome face.
A sword was strapped to his back, and a wine jar dangled loosely from his fingers.
His robes were stained with wine, making him look more like a drunken wanderer than a sword cultivator.
Yet beneath that careless exterior, his aura was sharp, fierce, and unrestrained… like a storm gathering just before it broke.
Every step he took was unsteady, yet brimming with overwhelming confidence.
The wind swirled around him, tugging at his silver robes and fluttering his hair.
He lifted the wine jar, took a long swig, then spoke with a lazy, unrestrained grin.
"So this is Sky Way City… the place where one boards the Sky Boat to the Central Continent."
His gaze swept across the bustling streets and glittering shops, excitement flickering in his eyes.
"Not bad," he chuckled. "It'd be a shame if I got bored too early."
A faint gust lifted him slightly as he entered the city, his unsteady steps giving the illusion of drifting through the air.
At the eastern gate, two more figures entered the city.
One was a short man, barely four and a half feet tall.
Beside him strode a towering ten-foot giant, his body thick and solid like a walking mountain.
The giant wore a chubby, cheerful smile and had a distinctive bowl-cut of black hair that made him impossible to miss.
His light-brown eyes matched his smooth brown skin perfectly, and a massive spiked mace rested on his back… befitting his barbarian lineage.
The short man, on the other hand, carried a simple knife at his waist.
His fair skin, dark eyes, thick brows, broad nose, and slightly pointed ears marked his gnome heritage.
A constant, existential despair lingered on his face, as though he were forever asking, Why… why was I even born into this world?
Contrary to his dull expression, grease smeared the giant's lips as he casually munched on two chunks of roasted meat.
The short man's gaze remained steady, showing no trace of surprise. He spoke flatly,
"Young Master Bai, we've arrived. This is Sky Way City… the famous trade city of the southern Eastern Continent. There are many restaurants here... you'll be able to enjoy all kinds of dishes."
Young Master Bai rejoiced inwardly.
'Finally… no more hunting and cooking every meal…'
"Hahaha! Jun, we made it!" he bellowed, slapping the gnome's back with his greasy hands.
Then he charged forward, each step shaking the ground.
"My stomach's been growling for days! Let's eat everything this city has!"
Jun stumbled several meters ahead, bones creaking, a greasy handprint smeared across his back. He could only sigh helplessly, trailing behind and silently praying that neither his life nor the city's entire food supply would be claimed by his young master.
At the northern gate, a striking pair entered side by side.
Both wore elegant deep-red robes, their presence drawing immediate attention wherever they passed.
The woman's long green hair was tied with a crimson silk ribbon, her serpent-like green eyes cold and sharp.
Beside her walked a young man with black hair and dragonoid crimson eyes, their fierce hue perfectly complementing his handsome features.
Beneath his sleeves, faint crimson scales shimmered… clearly marking him as a dragonoid human cultivator.
The surrounding crowd instinctively parted, unwilling to provoke them.
"Young Master Lance," the woman spoke seriously,
"although we eliminated those corpse cultivators we encountered along the way, one still managed to escape."
"They must have offended someone powerful in the Central Continent to flee all the way here," she continued.
"I learned they were separated into two groups. The one we destroyed was only one of them."
A hint of worry flickered in her eyes.
"But I fear the one who escaped will return… along with the other group."
Lance nodded, his expression calm, arrogant, and utterly unbothered.
"Let them come. My hands have been itching for a fight."
"If they dare show themselves, I'll burn their bodies and souls to ashes."
He glanced at her and added coolly,
"Stop worrying, April. Stay on silent guard instead."
She nodded, then spoke again after a brief pause.
"Young master… we should head to the Treasure Tower first and purchase a concealment formation. It will be useful for our journey."
Lance nodded.
"April, I already told you… just call me Lance. There's no need to be so formal anymore."
He paused, then added, "Afterward, let's check the Pill Pavilion for Mid or Peak Grade 3 spirit pills."
"As you wish… Lance," April replied, deliberately dragging out his name with a teasing smile.
He coughed lightly and turned his head away… but the faint pink spreading across his crimson-tinted cheeks was impossible to hide.
Su Wen and Du Yue arrived at the Pill Pavilion, with Little Suzume perched comfortably atop Su Wen's head, her round eyes already scanning the surroundings with interest.
It wasn't the largest building in Sky Way City, but it was certainly the most refined.
Constructed from reinforced spirit steel and lined with medicinal ventilation towers, the pavilion possessed a clean, elegant appearance that radiated expertise and prestige.
Inside stood a vast hall divided into multiple sections, ranging from spirit pills and spirit herbs to pill formulas and other alchemical materials.
Rows of wooden shelves filled the main hall, each displaying jade boxes of spirit herbs and carefully sealed pill bottles.
Hidden formations were embedded throughout the hall, precisely regulating temperature and humidity according to the requirements of each type of spirit herb and pill.
Behind the main hall lay the Alchemy Compounds... private chambers that cultivators could rent for pill refinement.
There were dozens of these rooms, each equipped with complete alchemical formations and layered safety arrays.
Even if a cauldron were to explode during refinement, the defensive formations would contain the blast with ease.
At the entrance, guards clad in emerald-trimmed uniforms regulated the flow of customers, maintaining order despite the constant crowds.
A faint herbal aroma drifted through the air… calming, refreshing, and unmistakably expensive.
Everyone who stepped inside instinctively straightened their posture.
This was where life-saving pills were refined… and where fortunes could vanish in seconds.