Another Exchange

Central Plains, Sky Medicine City.

The figure of Lin Hai appeared once more before the entrance of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. Before he had even stepped inside, an invisible pressure caused the surrounding clamor to fall into an abrupt silence.

Almost simultaneously, the deacon Mo Li appeared at the doorway as if yanked by invisible strings. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his waist bent at an even sharper angle than before, and his voice carried an unconcealable sense of awe and urgency: "My Lord! You have arrived! The Great Elder has been waiting for you on the top floor; please, this way!"

Clearly, after Lin Hai's last departure, the upper echelons of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion had issued the highest-level directive, granting his movements unprecedented attention and courtesy.

Lin Hai's expression remained placid. He gave a slight nod, and as he moved forward, the crowd parted like a receding tide, silent and orderly, with no one daring to meet his gaze.

Inside the private chamber on the top floor.

The Great Elder of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, a man of profound aura who had reached the peak of the eight-star Spirit Venerable realm, had long been sitting in a posture of utmost formality. Seeing Lin Hai enter, he immediately rose, his demeanor even more solemn than their previous meeting, with a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

"Your presence brings great honor to my Myriad Medicine Pavilion, My Lord." The Great Elder cupped his hands in a salute, his posture extremely humble.

Lin Hai did not engage in pleasantries. He sat directly in the main seat and flicked his sleeve casually, causing four seemingly plain jade bottles to land lightly on the sandalwood table.

The moment the jade bottles settled, the light in the room seemed to warp slightly, and the air grew stagnant.

The Great Elder's pupils contracted sharply. His cultivation far surpassed that of Mo Li, allowing him to better perceive the terrifying energy, like a dormant volcano, contained within those four jade bottles.

Mo Li's face turned deathly pale, and he subconsciously held his breath, feeling as though his soul would be scorched if he dared to glance at the bottles for even a second longer.

"Four Supreme Pills," Lin Hai said, breaking the silence in a flat, indifferent tone. "Exchange for ten sets of eighth-grade medicinal materials, regardless of type, provided the quality is sufficient. Add two sets of materials for the Pill of Breaking Sect."

As his words fell, the room became so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

The Great Elder's Adam's apple bobbed visibly. Four! And they were Supreme Pills!

Although he had anticipated this, as the Great Elder overseeing the Sky Medicine City branch, he understood the implications of these four pills appearing simultaneously far better than Mo Li did—it suggested either an alchemist grandmaster with an unimaginably terrifying success rate or a massive organization possessing subversive resource reserves.

And the exchange conditions proposed by the other party...

Ten sets of eighth-grade medicinal materials and two sets of top-tier sixth-grade materials.

In terms of pure market value, this cost might barely be equivalent to four Supreme Pills, but everyone knew that eighth-grade pills were priceless; their actual value far exceeded a pile of cold materials!

A surge of immense joy and a trace of unease welled up in the Great Elder's heart.

He dared not hesitate, nor did he dare to haggle. He immediately said in a deep voice: "The Myriad Medicine Pavilion will keep your generous gift in mind, My Lord! The materials have long been prepared; please, take a look!"

(After Lin Hai had taken away the materials for four Supreme Pills last time, the Great Elder had anticipated this and prepared them well in advance.)

He clapped his hands, and his trusted aides, who had been waiting outside, filed in carrying over a dozen jade boxes that shimmered with flowing light and were tightly sealed. They opened them carefully before Lin Hai.

The medicinal materials inside were of various forms, all brimming with spiritual energy and glowing with precious light. They were the finest treasures from the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's vaults, with ages and qualities even higher than what Lin Hai had requested—clearly selected specifically to curry favor.

Lin Hai's gaze swept over them, his divine sense taking inventory in an instant, confirming everything was correct.

He did not spare another glance at the four jade bottles containing the Supreme Pills, as if they were merely empty vessels. He stood up, swept his sleeve, and all the jade boxes on the table vanished instantly.

"The transaction is concluded."

Before his voice had even faded, his figure began to blur in place, dissolving like ink in water, leaving not a trace behind.

Only when Lin Hai's aura had completely vanished did the Great Elder let out a long breath, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

He stepped forward cautiously to inspect the four jade bottles one by one. Feeling the surging medicinal power perfectly sealed within, a look of irrepressible ecstasy and excitement finally appeared on his face.

He gazed in the direction where Lin Hai had disappeared, his eyes complex, filled with awe, gratitude, and deep-seated wariness.

Each time this mysterious Lord made a move, he was constantly redefining the upper limits of their understanding of "resources" and "power."

As for Lin Hai, he was already within the spatial tunnel returning to Wutan City.

To him, this was nothing more than using a predetermined output to trade for more seeds for the future—a transaction as simple as it could possibly be.