You did it anyway, so why couldn’t you be a little quicker about it?

If you’d just tried a bit harder, maybe you could’ve used this to break through to Grandmaster Perfected Stage, instead of being just a step away like now.

Though the Nether Bone Fire could be strengthened by devouring human souls, Ye Liuyun wasn’t so heartless as to use ordinary people’s lives to boost himself.

Of course.

The real issue is, while that method works, it’s slow as hell and would require a ridiculously huge number of souls.

It may seem like just a tiny bit left to go, 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

But even that last little bit—devouring every soul in Lingdan City might still not be enough to make the breakthrough.

Figures.

Getting rich quick means breaking the law and committing murder.

If you really want a windfall, you have to take it from others—hoarding on your own is too damn slow compared to robbing someone else.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ye Liuyun kept searching the dungeon to see if there were any other hidden treasures stashed away.

Since I’m already here,

If I missed some good stuff just because I was careless, that’d be way too much of a pity.

...

"Are you serious?"

At the same time.

The other alchemy clans in Lingdan City had all received word from their spies.

When Ye Liuyun’s squad of Embroidered Uniform Guards first entered Lingdan City, the families had already gotten the news—if it was just trading pills, nobody would have cared.

But anyone could see these Embroidered Uniform Guards weren’t here for a friendly chat.

Otherwise,

They wouldn’t have thrown punches right at the city gate.

That’s why they’d sent spies, hoping to see what the Embroidered Uniform Guards were really after.

And sure enough,

The spies managed to bring back a huge piece of intel.

The Zhao family is gone.

The Zhao family, just like that, wiped out—and the ones who did it were these Embroidered Uniform Guards who’d just gotten into the city.

"What about Zhao Xingjin?"

No matter what, the Zhao Patriarch was a Grandmaster.

Even in Lingdan City, the rest of them had to show Zhao Xingjin, a Grandmaster, some respect—giving up plenty of profits too.

That’s the difference between having a Grandmaster and not having one.

A few years back, the Zhao family was just another middling alchemy clan in Lingdan City. It was all because this Grandmaster appeared that they shot up to the top tier.

"He’s dead too! I saw it with my own eyes—Zhao Xingjin was killed by the leader of those Embroidered Uniform Guards in just a few moves!"

"..."

As soon as those words came out,

everyone who heard the news went silent.

Clearly, they’d all been stunned by what they just heard.

Even someone like Zhao Xingjin, a Grandmaster, is dead? The Zhao family is truly finished.

But.

Who can say for sure that after the Embroidered Uniform Guards are done with the Zhao family, they won’t come for the rest of us?

Their families are all stuck here—it’s not like they can just run away.

The Zhou family and the Shangguan family immediately sent messages: doors closed, no visitors, no exceptions.

They also called all their children and disciples home.

In case any idiot went and offended these Embroidered Uniform Guards, and if that happened, they’d end up just like the Zhao family!

And then there was the Bai family Patriarch, also firmly seated among Lingdan City’s top alchemy clans.

She too, at first, thought of shutting the doors to everyone, waiting till the Embroidered Uniform Guards left before doing anything else.

But suddenly, as if remembering something, the Bai family Patriarch stopped just short of speaking her order.

She furrowed her brows, deep in thought.

"Patriarch, what are you waiting for?!"

"Yeah, hurry and call all the clansmen from outside back in."

"If some idiot offends those Embroidered Uniform Guards, even the Zhao family with their Grandmaster got wiped out! Our Bai family doesn’t even have a Grandmaster—we’d be totally helpless!"

Even with a Grandmaster, they weren’t a match.

So for a clan without a Grandmaster, wouldn’t that be even worse?

The Bai family Patriarch wasn’t some middle-aged man or gray-haired elder.

She was a young-looking woman.

The previous Patriarch died two years ago. She’d only just stepped into the position—she might be a woman, but she wasn’t lacking in means.

To be running things so well at the top—that took some skill.

"Shut up!"

Her willowy brows knit, and she waved her hand impatiently.

The Bai family members around her, who were about to say something, could only quiet down and behave—clearly, they were still intimidated by the new Patriarch.

Still, their expressions showed they were all still thinking about calling people back.

"Now that you mention it—"

At that moment, the Bai family Patriarch thought of something.

She rubbed her chin, musing aloud.

"If memory serves, the Embroidered Uniform Guards buy a batch of pills from the Zhao family every now and then, right?"

"???"

The urgent crowd froze at her words,

not expecting

her to talk about something like this at a time like this.

Still, those in the know nodded along.

"That’s right! It’s true."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards once came to our Bai family, but their price was too low. We hesitated, and the Zhao family swooped in and snatched the business."

The price was low, but the volume was high.

The Bai family had been debating whether to take the deal when the Zhao family undercut them.

Because of that,

the Bai and Zhao families had trade friction for a while.

It wasn’t till Grandmaster Zhao Xingjin appeared that the Bai family backed off and stopped competing.

"Patriarch, you mean...?"

If you’ve made it this far, you’re no idiot.

Some had already realized why their Patriarch was suddenly bringing this up.

"Exactly."

The Bai family Patriarch smiled faintly.

"The Zhao family might be gone, but the Embroidered Uniform Guards still need to buy pills every year. If the Zhao family could do that business, why can’t the Bai family?"

......