Three days later, Su Min arrived punctually at the auction house. Since there was no immediate urgency, improving her strength became the top priority.
Facing so many Fallen Ones at once would be tremendously stressful—eliminating them all seemed nearly impossible.
After all, Su Min was now walking the Path of Slaughter. The essence of this path was to wield the blade against oppressors, not to trigger it through indiscriminate killing. A single kill wasn't enough. With the Tiger Spirit already within her, she could steadily obtain the White Tiger's inheritance before heading to the designated location to claim the Western Metallic Gold.
As for the final Earth Qilin's hidden treasure, that would likely require a brutal battle. The ruler of the Qilin clan, the Black Qilin, was on par with the Three-legged Golden Crow and the Five-clawed Divine Dragon.
The Central Earth was one of their divine artifacts—though not the core one, each could serve as the foundation of a sect or race. Su Min could only hope things wouldn't get too ugly. If necessary, she could pay a heavy price to enlist the Dragon Princess's help.
With pressure from two divine beast clans, the Golden Crow might comply, but the Dragon Princess would demand an exorbitant fee.
"Miss, this is our sect's premium tea, brewed from a special unfrozen spring in the Tianhan Snow Plains."
"Uh..."
Staring at the tea in her hand, Su Min hesitated. Based on her past life's knowledge, such "hot springs" were usually connected to underground volcanic magma, meaning the water would be saturated with sulfides—practically toxic.
While her current body could handle it without issue, the thought still disgusted her.
"You may leave."
Waving the attendant away, Su Min set the tea aside untouched. Since cultivators wouldn't die from drinking it, she didn't stop others—but she wouldn't partake.
In this world, conventional logic didn't always apply. Even fundamental physics differed—absolute zero might not exist here.
"Best not to overthink science in a cultivation world."
Refocusing, Su Min turned her attention to the auction—her first formal attendance. Previously, she'd conducted private transactions. With Xie Yingying temporarily safe, this was a chance to relax.
"There's a peculiar energy fluctuation here... something beneficial to me?"
As an alchemist, Su Min's perception surpassed ordinary cultivators. She extended her senses boldly, probing for the source—but only caught a vague impression, nothing concrete.
Soon, the auction commenced. A drumroll echoed as a Nascent Soul elder rose from below the stage, bowing to the assembly.
"This old man, Han Hongzi, will preside over today's auction. Since we're all cultivators, let's skip the formalities. Our first item: the Metal Spirit Pill. Its effects need no introduction—everyone here represents a sect. Moreover, this pill is of superior quality. Observe."
Stepping aside, he allowed countless spiritual senses to sweep over the displayed pill from private booths.
Though Su Min had deliberately crafted this as an "inferior" product, its quality was still exceptional—just not flawless. It represented the limit of what an ordinary fourth-tier alchemist could achieve.
With the Great Integration, fourth-tier alchemists were no longer vanishingly rare, so no one questioned the pill's origins.
"One hundred high-grade spirit stones!"
A bid came immediately. In the current era, Golden Core cultivators were the mainstream, with countless Foundation Establishment experts just one pill away from breakthrough.
The Metal Spirit Pill increased tribulation survival rates by 30%. In today's environment, any stable Foundation Establishment cultivator could safely pass the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation with one.
Thus, its value was astronomical.
Every major sect—including Su Min's Immortal Gate—had thousands of Foundation Establishment disciples clamoring for these pills.
Even for them, obtaining one came at great cost. The Immortal Gate's stockpile barely exceeded a hundred, and that was only possible because they had in-house alchemists.
These pills were pure hard currency—no one ever had enough.
"One hundred fifty!"
"Prices are higher than during the Golden Core Avenue era. High-grade spirit stones aren't easy to come by."
Su Min mused silently. An ordinary Golden Core cultivator might only possess a dozen high-grade stones—this opening bid exceeded many early Golden Core cultivators' entire fortunes.
She was pleased, though surprised the Metal Spirit Pills were auctioned first as a batch. At least two or three Divine Transformation experts lurked in private booths, likely here for something specific.
"Two hundred!"
Bidding escalated rapidly—standard for these pills. Su Min smirked internally; she still had two Divine Transformation Pills in storage. Their appearance would drive the crowd mad.
Those were keys to the Divine Transformation realm—fewer than five people on the continent could refine them.
"Three hundred!"
A heavyweight bid silenced the room, securing the pills. In a private booth, several figures exchanged satisfied glances.
"That was the Skysea Spirit Pool faction. They must be after the Ice Spirit Divine Marrow—their patriarch needs it to comprehend his Dao at late Divine Transformation."
"Good. Let them overspend. It'll reduce competition later. Our sect has already mobilized—the patriarch waits outside the city. We must obtain that item at any cost."
Cold killing intent flashed in their eyes—their determination was absolute.
"Interesting..."
Su Min watched amusedly. While the price seemed steep, it fit the current environment. She settled in to enjoy the show. As the auction progressed, various treasures took the stage—though none matched Su Min's pills.
Breakthrough pills were like strategic reserves in the modern era—rarely auctioned publicly.
"How boring. Just trash."
Su Min's interest waned. While the items weren't bad—suited for Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators—they meant nothing to a Divine Transformation expert like her.
Yawning, she waited until the auction neared its conclusion.
Then—
"Our penultimate item: a pill obtained at great cost from the world's premier alchemist, Grandmaster Su Min—the Divine Transformation Pill!"
Gasp—
The hall erupted. Even the Divine Transformation experts exchanged bewildered glances. Auctioning such a pill was unheard of—a single Divine Transformation cultivator could uphold an entire major sect.
Many sects only had one such expert in residence. Xie Yingying's former sect hadn't possessed enough resources to support multiple Divine Transformation cultivators—only she survived to the present.
Such pills should be locked in the deepest vaults under heaviest guard.
Why auction one now?
"Huh?"
Su Min blinked in confusion. After the Sect Tournament, Han Shuangzi had visited her with lavish gifts, requesting a Divine Transformation Pill.
With time to spare, she'd refined one—charging full price, of course.
But she never expected it to appear here. Even her Immortal Gate only stored two in its treasury—enough for their needs, given their shallow foundation.
The rest she carried personally.
Seeing it now was almost comical.
"The Divine Transformation Pill's function needs no explanation. But don't even think about seizing it—our patriarch personally oversees this event. His capabilities... well, you understand."
The auctioneer's calm words silenced the crowd—except Su Min.
The Frostveil Pavilion's strongest was likely Han Shuangzi. While his cultivation might lag slightly, his methods could thwart even half-step Dao Comprehension experts.
"We require assistance with an extremely dangerous task. As you know, Grandmaster Su's services don't come cheap—our sect paid dearly."
"Indeed, indeed..."
Murmurs of agreement rose.
"Was I that expensive? Well... yes, I suppose."
Counting silently, Su Min had to admit—her fees were exorbitant. But with no competitors, clients had no choice.
"This..."
The hall buzzed with speculation.
"A sixth-tier Divine Transformation Pill! Just seeing it makes my life worthwhile!"
"If only I could obtain it..."
"Obtain? The moment it touched your hand, you'd lose your head. See those private booths? Even Nascent Soul experts are salivating."
Whispers filled the general seating area—occupied by Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators. For them, such a pill would bring calamity, not fortune.
Upstairs, Nascent Soul experts nearly drooled. That pill was their key to Divine Transformation!
Breaths grew ragged—only the sudden eruption of terrifying pressure prevented a stampede.
Even the most disciplined cultivators struggled against such temptation.
"Amusing."
Su Min observed lazily. The pill meant nothing to her—she simply enjoyed watching the spectacle.
In private booths, Divine Transformation experts conferred quietly.
"Offering a Divine Transformation Pill means the task must be exceedingly perilous. It likely requires late Divine Transformation strength at minimum..."
These pills held no value for them personally but were invaluable to their sects. Obtaining one might require a late Divine Transformation expert to risk life and limb—an exorbitant cost.
It was like needing Karazhan-level gear just to enter Karazhan. But scarcity dictated value—fewer than ten Divine Transformation Pills likely existed continent-wide. Even with the Medicine King Cauldron, Su Min couldn't produce more than three at a time.
Everyone weighed the risks carefully. The Frostveil Pavilion's strength was undeniable—second only to the two super sects and the unorthodox Buddhist trio.
If even they needed reinforcements, the mission must be extraordinarily dangerous.
"What exactly is required?"
A late Divine Transformation expert emerged, his cultivation undisguised.
"Our sect discovered a secret realm deep in the Snow Plains—unrelated to the Fallen Ones. Activating it requires three late Divine Transformation experts. We're one short. Succeed, and this pill is yours."
Hiss...
The revelation drew sharp intakes of breath. Three late Divine Transformation experts signaled extreme peril. The Frostveil Pavilion had exactly three qualified members—yet chose to keep one in reserve, fearing total annihilation.
Whatever lay within must be extraordinary.
"Then this old man shall volunteer."
To everyone's surprise, the late Divine Transformation expert accepted immediately