C6 Trade

Boom!

Xie Yan's mind was blown.

A fourth-tier heart method, a fourth-tier battle skill, and a fourth-tier pill formula!

Each one was a priceless treasure!

The Mollukya Empire was merely a duchy, and the battle skills, heart methods, and pill formulas that circulated there were mostly third-tier.

Otherwise...

Xie Yan wouldn't have postponed the trade and chosen to stay with the Su family for the fourth-tier battle skill, the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique.

For an organization like the Coldhammers, who traded in medicinal materials, the importance of a pill formula was paramount.

Heart methods and battle skills were secondary.

But could Su Li really produce a fourth-tier pill formula?

Xie Yan was skeptical.

Seeing Xie Yan's hesitation, Su Li turned and went into his room.

With swift strokes of his brush, in just over ten seconds...

Su Li emerged, casually tossing the sheet of paper to Xie Yan.

"Holy shit!"

Xie Yan caught the paper, and after only a brief glance, his face lit up with wild joy.

As the deputy head of the Coldhammers, Xie Yan's cultivation might have been at the mid-stage of the Oceanic Wheel, but his pill refining rank was third-tier.

The chief alchemist of the Coldhammers!

In just one look...

Xie Yan was certain that the pill formula Su Li had provided was at least an early fourth-tier, and possibly even a peak fourth-tier!

The Mystic Opening Pill!

As implied by its name...

For a peak Celestial River martial artist attempting to break through to the Mystic Insight realm, the success rate was incredibly low.

But with the Mystic Opening Pill, that success rate would skyrocket.

The value!

Xie Yan understood the worth of this pill formula.

It was an invaluable treasure!

Xie Yan was tempted to claim the formula for himself, but remembering how even the formidable Death Monarch had fallen to Su Li, he quickly dismissed the thought.

Collaborating with Su Li was far more advantageous than opposing him.

"In two days, I can secure a Peak Celestial River demonic beast core for you."

Xie Yan clutched the pill formula tightly, seemingly afraid that Su Li might ask for it back.

"No, two days is too long. I need it tonight."

Su Li spoke with a grave tone, "If it's possible, I would like you to mobilize the Coldhammers' resources to deliver all the Fortifying Pills, Energy Cultivating Pills, and Celestial River Demonic Beast cores to the Su family."

Su Li had already planned it out.

Without a Peak Celestial River Demonic Beast Core, he knew he would need a substantial amount of pills to advance to the mid-stage of the Oceanic Wheel realm.

His cultivation of the Battle Heaven Technique meant that with each advancement, energy would be channeled into the Most High Bone for refinement.

Thus, his progression required several times more resources than an average warrior.

Upon hearing this...

Xie Yan's expression turned grim, betraying an intense internal debate.

After a short pause,

Xie Yan made up his mind and declared, "I'll start preparing now. Let's meet at Wenhuang Temple on the west side of the city in one hour."

With those words,

Xie Yan, with evident reluctance, handed the pill formula back to Su Li and promptly departed from the Su residence.

Once Xie Yan was gone, Su Hai inquired, "Li'er, Xie Yan has already examined the pill formula. Aren't you concerned he might deceive you?"

"Not at all."

Su Li shook his head and explained, "An average warrior might deceive me, but not Xie Yan. As a third-level alchemist, he's well aware that without my guidance on the proper refinement technique, he won't be able to produce the pills, even with the formula in hand."

"Alright, what's our next move?" Su Hai asked.

"First, I'll assist you in subduing the Death Monarch, then head to Wenhuang Temple."

Su Li lifted his right foot and pressed it onto the Death Monarch's chest, saying, "You now have a chance to survive. Open your mind and let my father take control..."

"Ptui!"

Before Su Li could finish,

The Death Monarch spat out a mouthful of saliva and snarled, "Go ahead and kill me if you dare. I'm no hero if I so much as furrow my brow... Ah!"

Crack!

Su Li had no patience for the Death Monarch's defiance.

With a sudden surge of strength, he crushed several ribs in the Death Monarch's chest.

As Su Li crushed the Death Monarch's ribs, a surge of force stealthily entered the Death Monarch's body through Su Li's ankle, wreaking havoc on his vital organs.

"I surrender. I'm willing to open my mind!"

The excruciating pain forced the Death Monarch to cry out, "Stop, please, I beg you to stop!"

"Humph! You're spurning my generosity!"

Su Li scoffed, then turned to his father Su Hai and instructed, "Father, channel a strand of your soul power into the Death Monarch's Qi Sea."

"Right away!"

Without hesitation, Su Hai released a strand of soul power from within, directing it straight into the Death Monarch's Qi Sea.

The Death Monarch's countenance dimmed as he sensed the additional soul power in his Qi Sea.

He knew all too well.

If Su Hai's soul power were to stir, his Qi Sea would detonate completely.

A Qi Sea explosion meant the end of his cultivation journey in this lifetime, tantamount to death itself.

"Once Su Hai is eliminated, I can be reborn. For now, I'll feign compliance and bide my time until the Mo Family's powerhouses arrive tomorrow."

But it didn't take long for him to regain his composure.

Permanently removing Su Hai was the ultimate solution!

Yet.

Having experienced two lifetimes, Su Li was well aware of the Death Monarch's inner thoughts.

With a flicker of intent.

Su Li dispatched a strand of his soul power into the Death Monarch's heart.

"Don't even think about scheming."

Cracking his neck, Su Li warned, "The moment my soul power shifts, your heart will burst."

This time.

The Death Monarch was genuinely alarmed.

Unless he could simultaneously take out both Su Li and Su Hai, disaster was inevitable.

Subsequently.

Su Li briefed Su Hai on how to maintain control over the Death Monarch, and what the Su Family should do if he couldn't return by the next morning.

Finally.

Su Li penned several third-tier combat techniques and mental cultivation methods, handing them to Su Hai with the admonition to begin practicing them that very night.

The saying goes, 'sharpening the spear only at the last minute won't do.' He had to prepare without delay.

With everything in order, Su Li concluded his instructions to Su Hai.

Su Li, having disguised himself, slipped out of the Su family's back door and made a beeline for the city gates.

At the Su family's rear exit, Crown Prince Yang Qian and Mo Wen Tian had stationed several peak Body Tempering martial artists to watch for Su Li's departure. But could these elite warriors truly keep tabs on Su Li? It was a futile effort; not even a martial artist at the Oceanic Wheel level could detect him if he chose to leave undetected.

Under the cover of darkness, Su Li left the Su family estate and, using the same stealthy methods, exited Suuton City. Guided by his memory, he sprinted toward Wen Feng Temple.

The Wen Feng Temple stood fifty kilometers west of Suuton City. Once a bustling hub of activity, with a never-ending flow of worshippers, it had been reduced to ruins by a fire over a decade ago, and since then, it had been forgotten.

In no time at all, a figure dashed forward and alighted before the Wen Feng Temple. Indeed, it was Su Li.

"Where's the Demonic Beast Core?" he inquired.

At that moment, Su Li's attention turned to Xie Yan, who was already there in front of the temple. Having left an hour earlier, Xie Yan had arrived before Su Li.

"Don't worry. In half an hour, the Stormshapers will deliver the Demonic Beast Core from a peak Celestial River beast," Xie Yan reassured, signaling to Su Li that there was no need for concern.

"The Coldhammers, merely a ducal-level power, dares to engage in trade with the Stormshapers, a kingdom-level force?" Su Li mused aloud, his perception sweeping through the temple. "Aren't they afraid of being double-crossed by the Stormshapers?"

He detected three presences within the temple: two at the middle stage and one at the late stage of the Oceanic Wheel realm. Su Li remained unfazed. Even a late-stage Oceanic Wheel martial artist would find it challenging to take his life.

If he decided to leave, not even those at the late stage of the Oceanic Wheel could hold him back.

With a swift motion, just then, a late-stage Oceanic Wheel warrior inside the temple lunged forward, his right fist aimed squarely at Su Li's head.

"Elder He, stop!"

Upon witnessing the scene, Su Li remained unfazed. In contrast, Xie Yan quickly cried out, "Su Li is an ally, not a foe!"