"Grandmaster Su, this is the artifact I require—an Earth Grade, mid-tier piece." Yue Ningzi's voice was gravely serious as he handed her a storage ring. It felt heavy, packed with a vast quantity of rare materials and carefully drawn blueprints. "At present, there are likely only two or three people on the entire continent, including yourself, capable of forging it."
Su Min accepted the ring, her spiritual sense flicking over the contents. The complexity of the design and the sheer power it was meant to channel told her everything. "You're planning to take the risk," she stated, not asking. "You're going to attempt a forced breakthrough to the Dao Comprehension stage."
She understood now why he had been so eager to part with the Netherfrost Soul Crystal. But she didn't see the need for such desperation. His lifespan should still be long. He could have waited a century for her Dao Comprehension Pill; it would have been a far safer path.
"It seems Grandmaster Su is unaware of the latest news."
"Oh?" She looked up, her expression neutral.
"An entire sect, one with a late-stage Divine Transformation cultivator guarding it, was annihilated. Wiped out. Tens of millions of lives across an entire great province... gone overnight."
A sharp, quiet hiss escaped Su Min's lips. Her composure cracked for a single second. She knew exactly what that meant. A peak Unity stage cultivator had emerged from the shadows. Even if such a being suppressed their cultivation to the Half-Step Dao Comprehension stage, their body and soul had undergone a fundamental evolution. Their physical essence alone made them terrifying opponents. A late-stage Divine Transformation cultivator, even with an Imperial Artifact, would struggle to resist them. And not every faction possessed such treasures.
"It seems you've realized it as well," Yue Ningzi said, watching her reaction.
"Yes." Su Min nodded silently. The true Dark Blood Era had begun. This wasn't just a minor disturbance anymore. This was the opening move.
She remembered the game's lore. The final boss of the first phase was Yùxūzǐ, a Mahayana cultivator who had severed his own Dao. Worse, he seemed to have connections to the Fallen Immortals themselves. The developers' grand roadmap flashed in her mind: Version 2.0, the Descent of the Fallen Immortals; Version 3.0, the Era of the Myriad Worlds. Those promises of expansive content were now a terrifying reality. For her, this was anything but good news.
"Now, even the Half-Step Dao Comprehension stage is no longer a safe harbor," Yue Ningzi continued, his voice low. "I must advance to full Dao Comprehension immediately. Han Shuangzi will need at least three hundred years to take that step. Right now, Grandmaster Su, your artifacts and your future pills are our last resort."
"Very well." Su Min could only nod in resignation. Her own sect, the Immortal Gate, was secure for now. It was a true superpower, one of the Three Great Sacred Lands from the game, designed to withstand even the final catastrophe. But its stability relied on the world following a certain script. Now, it seemed she too had to accelerate her plans dramatically.
"Alright, step outside and guard me while I forge this artifact," she instructed, her tone all business. "Ensure no one disturbs me."
"Understood." Yue Ningzi bowed deeply and left the chamber, sealing the door behind him.
Su Min waved her hand, summoning not only Yue Ningzi's materials but also some special components she had obtained from the Great Thunder Temple long ago. She would need every advantage for this.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room elsewhere in the city, two men were deep in a frustrated discussion.
"It wasn't us, and our intelligence confirms it wasn't any of the other major competitors either."
"Then who took it? Did the Frostveil Pavilion deceive us all?"
"Impossible. They wouldn't risk their sect's reputation like that. They're powerful, but they're not one of the two supreme sects—they don't have that kind of leverage." The older man stroked his beard, his eyes narrowed in thought. "More importantly… wait—"
He suddenly stiffened, his hand slamming down on the table. "Do you remember that woman who entered the negotiation chamber after us?"
"What? The one trailing behind? The Golden Core cultivator?" The younger man scoffed. "Are you joking? That's impossible!"
"After eliminating all other possibilities, the most improbable answer must be the truth. Think about it. Yue Ningzi lacked one crucial, rare item for his breakthrough. What if that woman just happened to possess it? A specific pill, perhaps? And since that day, no one has seen her leave their headquarters."
A sharp intake of breath passed between them. The theory was outrageous, but it fit the facts.
"Then the only question left is: who is she?" the older man murmured, a predatory glint in his eye. "Have the Frostveil Pavilion's exits watched. The moment she slips out of the city, we move. A mere Golden Core cultivator can't possibly digest that treasure. We still have a chance to take it."
"Yes, Elder!"
Unbeknownst to Su Min, dark undercurrents were already coiling around Frostpeak City, waiting for her to emerge.
"Done. Three Earth Grade mid-tier artifacts—one to protect the heart, one the body, and one the soul." Su Min examined the three glowing objects in her hands. The level of preparation was extreme; Yue Ningzi was clearly leaving nothing to chance for his forced breakthrough. His desperation was his own business, not hers.
"Next, I must enter the Tianhan Snow Field. This Ice Essence can only be properly refined there." She pocketed the Netherfrost Soul Crystal. Her immediate transaction with the Frostveil Pavilion was complete. As for the Grade-7 Dao Comprehension Pill, that was a distant promise—high risk, high reward, but far beyond her current capabilities.
She opened the chamber door. Yue Ningzi was still standing guard, as if he hadn't moved for days.
"How long was I in seclusion?"
"Over half a month. The Nanming Lihuo truly are formidable." He took the three artifacts, his eyes shining with satisfaction as he inspected them. Given Su Min's masterful control as an alchemist, the less-precise art of artifact forging had posed little challenge. He could only envy her control over the supreme flames; even killing her wouldn't allow him to steal them.
"Our debt is settled for now," Su Min said. "If I succeed in refining the Dao Comprehension Pill, I'll leave it with my sect. Present this token to claim it." She handed him a simple jade token. Thanks to her influence, her sect was becoming the undisputed hub for alchemy on the continent. Even a proud Grade-5 Alchemist had joined recently, just for a chance to glimpse a higher realm. In a few centuries, it would be a true sacred land for pill refining—especially since Su Min was surprisingly generous with her teachings. Of course, the core of alchemy lay in innate soul strength; no amount of technique could compensate for a lack of talent.
"By the way, you seem in a hurry, Grandmaster Su. Is this about the Lunar Sovereign Physique's tomb? But there's no need for concern—my sources say those people are still trapped outside, unable to enter."
Yue Ningzi's question made her pause.
"No. I need to refine this Ice Essence."
"Eh?" He blinked in genuine surprise. The Netherfrost Soul Crystal contained the profound Law of Frost. While it couldn't guarantee a breakthrough to Dao Comprehension, it could offer deep insights—but that was only useful for a late-stage Divine Transformation cultivator. For someone at her stage, it was... overkill, at best. Wasn't this too soon?
"I already have my own Law," she said simply, offering no further explanation. "This serves another purpose."
Yue Ningzi wisely refrained from probing further. As one of the legendary Five Supreme Physiques, the Five Elements Holy Body operated on principles beyond ordinary comprehension. The Lunar Sovereign and Solar Sovereign Physiques, for example, innately embodied their respective Daos, making the hurdle of Dao Comprehension trivial. Only the Ascension stage—transcending the very limits of the world—would finally level the playing field for others... or perhaps become their ultimate shackles.
"One more thing, Grandmaster Su. Be cautious when you leave. The Xiumu Sect has ill intentions. Their patriarch is an ice cultivator, and this time... he is growing desperate."
"Oh?" Su Min's eyes narrowed into cold slits. It seemed she had inadvertently drawn the attention of a venomous snake.
"What's his cultivation level?"
"Late-stage Divine Transformation. He's desperate to break through to Dao Comprehension. Even if he fails, he might reach the Half-Step Dao Comprehension stage."
Heh.
A flicker of pure killing intent passed through her gaze. If they were foolish enough to ambush her outside the city, she wouldn't hold back. They would learn the price of greed.
"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind."
With that, she turned and left without another word. She had no intention of lingering in Frostpeak City a moment longer. Her next destination was the heart of the Tianhan Snow Field, where she would use the crystal's power to advance to mid-stage Divine Transformation.
As for the Xiumu Sect—if they stayed out of her way, all would be well. But if they acted foolishly, she would simply erase them from existence.
Tsk.
Watching her vanish down the corridor, Yue Ningzi allowed himself a cold, knowing smirk. If those Xiumu fools really attacked her, they were in for a world of pain they couldn't even imagine.
No one had ever seen Su Min's full strength during the Sect Conference—simply because no one had ever been strong enough to push her that far.
"The Xiumu Sect might just be wiped off the map before the week is out," he mused aloud. "Of all the people to provoke, they chose the continent's top alchemist, a woman whose combat power is a complete mystery." He turned to the auction master who had appeared at his side. "Recall all our external personnel. We need to consolidate our resources for the final phase of our plan immediately. I don't want any of our people getting caught in the crossfire."
"Yes, Elder." The auction master bowed deeply. As the city's de facto administrator and the Pavilion's second-in-command here, he understood the gravity of the situation perfectly.
The Xiumu Sect had chosen the wrong enemy.