Azure Sky Province - the venue for this comprehensive trading event, chosen for its central location and neutrality among the major powers.
This time, Su Min made no attempt to conceal her identity or aura, striding forward openly through the bustling streets leading to the floating pavilion. The reason was simple, there were only a handful of Unity-stage powerhouses in existence across the entire Heavenly Continent. Excluding the reclusive supreme divine beasts, humanity's number barely reached ten to twenty at most.
Moreover, every high-level attendee here carried specialized, high-grade detection treasures, making any serious disguise pointless against determined scrutiny.
Besides, the items Su Min intended to trade were anything but ordinary, no chance of finding bargains or flying under the radar here. These were artifacts and pills that could remain relevant and potent for tens of thousands of years, failing to sell them in one attempt was perfectly normal given the stakes.
With seasoned veterans and old monsters all around, negotiations would inevitably be drawn-out and complex. Not that Su Min particularly minded, she had time, and she could always fall back on her ultimate trump card, alchemy. This time, she'd prepared five ready-made Unity Pills for direct trade, a treasure that could make any sect patriarch salivate.
As for custom orders, those would have to be negotiated separately. After reaching mid-Unity stage, her alchemy skills and spiritual control had improved even further. She could now consistently refine pills summoning the terrifying six-colored lightning tribulations, a mark of near-perfect quality.
"Another heaven-grade high-tier treasure, and a mobile one at that. Probably similar in function to Yingying's Xuantian Mansion, though perhaps less refined. These major sects truly have deep, deep pockets," she mused, observing the scene.
From afar, Su Min observed the magnificent, jade-and-gold hall suspended mid-air, shimmering with runes and encased in a formidable, semi-transparent barrier that visibly barred entry to anyone below the Dao Comprehension stage. Through her enhanced vision, she could see the dense crowds of cultivators below, from Golden Core to Divine Transformation practitioners, gazing longingly at the exalted figures entering and exiting the grand hall, their faces a mix of envy and aspiration.
"Stay close, and do not speak unless spoken to," she instructed calmly, turning to the small group behind her modest flying vessel.
Utilizing her immense Unity-stage cultivation, she focused her will and forcibly parted the shimmering barrier, creating a temporary, stable passage. Her sect didn't have many Dao Comprehension experts to spare for this event, a fact reflected in other sects as well, so the unspoken rule was that any Unity-stage leader could bring their immediate entourage regardless of cultivation level. Now, Su Min simply tore open a wider, more stable passage through the barrier with her raw power, ushering her group inside with a wave of her hand.
"Greetings, Grand Alchemist Su." Two late-stage Dao Comprehension cultivators, serving as stewards, awaited at the ornate entrance, bowing deeply and respectfully upon recognizing Su Min.
"Mmm." Su Min offered them a brief, indifferent nod before proceeding straight into the main hall's lavish interior. With a subtle gesture, she dismissed her other followers to their predetermined tasks, scouting or networking, while personally leading Lin Yao and Yang Meng deeper inside. Soon they reached an intimate, sound-proofed chamber at the hall's core, where a dozen or so figures of terrifying, restrained aura congregated. Upon Su Min's entry and the subsequent wave of her power, their expressions morphed into uniform shock.
"Mid-Unity stage? Impossible! When did she...?"
They clearly remembered Su Min being firmly at the early-Unity stage during the Skeleton Emperor's siege less than a century ago. How had she broken through another minor stage so soon? Unity-stage cultivators lived for ten thousand years, advancing one minor stage per millennium was considered excellent, genius-level progress. Yet this woman had seemingly done it in mere decades!
Some of the younger-looking experts, though all were centuries-old veterans, couldn't help sighing in sheer disbelief. Even the few Fallen Cult members present, trying to keep a low profile, shared their dismay. But they all quickly schooled their expressions into neutrality. After all, this was the Grand Alchemist, the only person on the continent capable of reliably refining eighth-grade pills, someone they all desperately needed favors from. There was no point in openly envying her monstrous progress.
Su Min simply smiled faintly at their poorly concealed jealousy before casually taking a central seat, her relaxed posture and confident gaze clearly conveying the message, Make your offers now or miss your chance. After a moment of exchanged glances, a blue-robed youth from the Myriad Sword Pavilion stepped forward, presenting a dark, crystalline mineral radiating dense, sharp spiritual energy.
"This rare Stellar Void Iron from our sect's Ten-Thousand Zhang Abyss serves as a core material for forging heaven-grade treasures. We offer three catties of it."
"Exceptionally rare, and the quality is high, but it's insufficiently pure, still containing traces of Abyss Yin energy. It would require significant purification effort," Su Min stated after a brief but thorough spiritual examination. Good material, but not enough for what she needed.
Gritting his teeth, the youth knew better than to haggle with the Grand Alchemist. He produced three additional items from his spatial ring,
A foot-long segment of vibrant green wood pulsating with intense life vitality.
A fiery-red blossom that seemed to contain a flickering flame within its petals.
A piece of flawless, spiritually saturated white jade, cool to the touch.
"Acceptable. What pill do you require?" Su Min nodded approvingly, storing the four items with a sweep of her sleeve. Her primary goal here was gathering specific, high-end materials to upgrade her main weapon to heaven-grade high-tier, which would be sufficient until the Mahayana stage or even the subsequent legendary Ascension stage. This endeavor required astronomical quantities of rare resources. While her sect's treasury could provide roughly half, the remainder necessitated these external transactions.
"An eighth-grade three-colored Soul Consolidation Pill, for a senior who suffered soul damage," the youth said promptly, handing over a jade slip with the recipe and another ring with three sets of materials.
"Agreed. Return in one week for collection." Su Min stored the materials and recorded the order in a simple, leather-bound notebook, ordinary electronics couldn't function within the Heavenly Continent's intense, chaotic spiritual energy field, forcing a return to old-fashioned methods for such records.
The visibly relieved youth bowed and retreated, his posture showing his pleasure. With Su Min's promise, his faction's crucial need would be met. The Grand Alchemist's reputation for reliability was impeccable; if she said one week, it would be ready in one week.
Next, a stern-looking middle-aged man from the Profound Heaven Sect cut straight to the chase, "Grand Alchemist, I seek a ready-made Unity Pill. Surely you have such stock available?"
"Indeed, I do have a few on hand," Su Min smiled. She'd prepared several Unity Pills using leftover materials from her own advancement and the ingredients provided by Jiang Xi. As ready-made, top-tier products, their prices wouldn't be cheap.
The elder understood the rules perfectly, offering his entire prepared fortune, contained within a spatial ring, without any hesitation or haggling.
After a thorough spiritual inspection of the ring's contents, Su Min transferred the vast collection of spirit stones, rare ores, and several priceless spiritual herbs, including a complete set of Unity Pill ingredients, to her own storage. The profit margin easily exceeded tenfold.
"Yours." She tossed a simple white jade vial carelessly through the air, startling the recipient who fumbled slightly to catch it securely. Upon carefully uncorking it, a rich, soul-stirring medicinal fragrance immediately flooded the chamber. Audible gulps echoed as other attendees eyed the premium three-colored Unity Pill covetously. Yet none dared act rashly, not in a room full of other Unity-stage peers and under the watchful eye of the Grand Alchemist herself. The satisfied customer quickly stored his precious prize and withdrew to a corner, not wanting to tempt fate.
"Good heavens... Master wasn't kidding when she said this would broaden our horizons," Lin Yao whispered to Yang Meng.
The two women stood guard behind Su Min's seat, utterly awestruck by the procession of priceless treasures that would spark bloodbaths and sect wars among ordinary Dao Comprehension cultivators. Here, they changed hands like common goods in a market.
Lin Yao covertly transmitted her voice, "Junior Sister, you're training as an alchemist too, what's your current rank now?"
"Only fifth-grade high-tier. I'm nowhere near Master's level, not even a tenth of the way there," Yang Meng smiled wryly in response. Before her Heavenly Eye had awakened, she'd suffered from numerous congenital defects, including her blindness, that hindered all cultivation. Now, with her awakened wood-tinged fire attributes, perfectly suited for alchemy's precise control, she'd progressed remarkably, reaching high fifth-grade within decades and ranking within the top-ten alchemists in the entire sect.
But matching Su Min's undisputed continental supremacy? That seemed a distant, almost unreachable dream.
As they conversed silently, the transactions continued smoothly. After the Unity-stage experts had their turn, a stream of late-stage Dao Comprehension cultivators, representatives of their respective super sects, approached cautiously, some seeking the coveted ready-made Unity Pills for their patriarchs, others providing ingredients and hefty payments for custom eighth-grade orders.
By midday, Su Min closed her ledger with a satisfied snap.
"Excellent. That concludes the orders for now. I'll commence the alchemy process here for the next several days. Ensure my seclusion remains completely undisturbed, any interruption, any fluctuation in the energy field, could ruin your pills and waste the materials," her voice was calm, but the weight behind her words was immense.
Her gaze swept the assembly, ensuring the message was received, before settling on Lin Yao,
"During this period, she acts with my full authority regarding sect matters and any agreements made. She is my first disciple. I ask for your patience and cooperation."
"Rest assured, Grand Alchemist. We will assist Young Master Lin in any way required."
"Please focus on your craft without any concerns for the outside. We will handle security personally."
The attendees responded warmly and reassuringly. Lin Yao had represented the sect publicly for decades and was a familiar, respected figure, though they feigned extra formality in front of Su Min.
As for Xie Yingying's noticeable absence? That likely required some explanation, but none dared ask. Since Su Min's earlier teasing had left her too flustered for public appearances, she had brought her two senior disciples instead, a valuable experience-building opportunity for their futures.
With the formalities settled, Su Min departed for the specially prepared, heavily warded alchemy chamber. Safety wasn't a major concern, none of the requested pills, with a maximum difficulty of eight-grade four-colored, demanded her utmost effort or left her severely depleted.
Moreover, the other attendees would now zealously guard against any and all disruptions, as none knew which specific batch of thunderous tribulations contained their own precious order.
Thus began a month of continuous, thunderous tribulation for all conference participants.
Unending, multi-colored pill tribulations raged almost continuously above the floating hall, the roar of heavenly lightning becoming a constant background noise, forcing everyone to conduct their business and negotiations beneath the ever-present threat of heavenly punishment, an unnerving experience for any cultivator, regardless of level.
Yet complaints went unvoiced. Their own sect elders and patriarchs observed the increasingly fierce tribulation clouds with undisguised delight, strictly prohibiting any interference on pain of united retaliation from all the gathered late-Dao Comprehension and Unity-stage powerhouses.
After thirty days of nearly constant thunderous torment, the heavily charred chamber doors finally reopened to reveal Su Min emerging, looking completely unfazed, not the slightest trace of fatigue or spiritual depletion evident on her face or in her aura.
A mere month of non-stop, high-intensity overtime alchemy? For the present-day Su Min, with her complete Five Elements Holy Body and mid-Unity stage cultivation, it was a trivial exertion. She could make even the most hardened workaholic weep with admiration and sheer inadequacy.