The moment the bidding began, it erupted instantly.

"Two million!"

"Two point five!"

"Three million!"

...

Voices overlapped one another as the price surged upward without pause.

No one held back.

This was not just any Grade-7 pill.

This was a superior Heavenly Tribulation Tempering Pill.

A treasure capable of pushing a peak Great Ascension cultivator one step closer to the Immortal Realm.

Even a 10 percent increase would have warranted interest—not to mention 30% better, which meant increasing the survival chance by 30 percent.

For anyone looking to breakthrough to the Immortal Realm, this pill can be the difference between success and failure.

Adding to that was the fact that the Heavenly Tribulation Tempering Pill was already in low supply, no wonder no one held back.

"Three point five million!"

"Three point eight!"

"Four million!"

The moment the price hit four million, the hall trembled slightly from the intensity of the bids.

A pause and it seems like that would be the winner.

Then a calm voice rang out.

"Four million and five hundred thousand!"

Zhao Wutian!

He immediately increased the price by five hundred thousands.

With such a move by Zhao Wutian, many didn’t want to compete anymore.

Moreover, The Heavenly Tribulation Tempering Pill could at most cost 4 million, so bidding more than that wasn’t something other was too keen on.

The auctioneer glanced around.

"Four million and two hundred thousand—going once..."

No one challenged.

"Going twice... Sold!"

The hammer fell.

The Heavenly Ascension Tempering Pill belonged to Zhao Wutian.

A faint, composed smile appeared on his face.

Everyone glanced at Zhao Wutian.

Looks like... the Zhao Clan was about to welcome a new Immortal cultivator.

A subtle ripple spread through the hall as people realized the implication.

One pill!

Just one pill and four million gold had already changed hands.

At that moment, many couldn’t help but think—

If a single pill could command such a price...

Then how much wealth did the Vermillion Pill Empire truly possess?

For years, they had monopolized pills of this level.

Accumulated resources beyond imagination.

In terms of wealth, the Vermillion Pill Empire should be the richest in the Region.

But that wealth might soon be snatched by someone else.

The auction continued, and the Mu Clan presented four more Grade-7 pills, each sold for more than 3.5 million.

In total, the Mu Clan had made almost 20 million from the Grade-7 pills alone.

This had nearly doubled their treasury.

If this continued, there was no doubt that the Mu Clan’s wealth would become untouchable within the Desolate Heaven Empire.

Then there were also other artifacts that were sold for a good price.

But those artifacts weren’t theirs—they belonged to Bai Zihan.

Bai Zihan had many artifacts that he didn’t use, and seeing this as an opportunity to sell them, he put them up for auction.

Totalling everything, he gained almost 10 million gold coins.

The reason he needed so much money was to procure materials for alchemy.

Aside from Mu Tianxuan, there were already two more alchemists within the Mu Clan who had successfully stepped into the Grade-7 realm.

But this news was kept strictly hidden.

There was no need to reveal everything at once.

What they had shown tonight was enough to shake the region.

From this point forward, the Mu Clan would focus on refining Grade-7 pills in large quantities.

This alone was enough to alter the balance of power.

However, even with all their current strength, there was still a clear limit.

Not to mention, although the changes brought by three Grandmasters would be significant, Bai Zihan still didn’t think it was enough.

To bring about even more significant changes, Bai Zihan knew that he had to rely on Grade-8 pills.

But only he had the knowledge and skill to do so.

And even then, skill alone was not enough.

The materials required for such pills were far too rare.

Even gathering enough for a single refinement was extremely difficult.

Therefore, he needed a large amount of money to gather the materials required to refine Grade-8 pills.

Bai Zihan had already begun planning ahead.

The purpose of these pills was not just profit.

It was power.

He intended to use these high-grade pills to elevate the strength of the Bai Clan as a whole.

The Heavenly Ascension Tempering Pill alone could significantly increase the chances of stepping into the Immortal Realm.

But that was only the beginning.

There were also other pills—

Pills that could aid those who had already stepped into the Immortal Realm.

From Immortal to Earth Immortal.

From Earth Immortal to Golden Immortal.

And the pill that he was aiming to refine was precisely the one that could help Earth Immortal Realm to breakthrough to Golden Immortal.

Even if there was a single Golden Immortal cultivator in their clan, they would be invincible in the region—and it might even be possible to contend with someone like Qin Lingxiao.

Even if reaching the Golden Immortal Realm was not possible, increasing the number of Earth Immortals would still greatly improve their chances.

With enemies becoming stronger, he knew he had to be prepared to face them.

His goal was simple.

Raise the Bai Clan to an untouchable level.

So strong that even forces from other regions would not dare step into their territory lightly.

And if they did, they would be dealt with without hesitation.

With resources, alchemy, and strength all converging, Bai Zihan was laying the foundation for something far greater.

Not just dominance within the Desolate Heaven Empire—

But absolute control over the region.

***

The auction finally came to an end.

But unlike an ordinary conclusion, the atmosphere remained charged with lingering excitement.

Even as the last item was taken away, the crowd had yet to calm down.

Discussions continued in low voices.

Eyes still flickered with anticipation, greed... and calculation.

Mu Qingyuan stepped forward once more.

A faint smile rested on his face as he cupped his hands.

"Honored guests, today’s celebration and auction have come to a close."

His voice carried warmth, yet also authority.

"It has been our Mu Clan’s honor to host you all."

One after another, the guests returned the gesture.

"Clan Leader Mu is too polite!"

"This has truly been an eye-opening experience."

"Congratulations once again!"

Voices of praise and congratulations echoed through the hall as people began to depart.

But beneath those polite exchanges, everyone was calculating.

Tonight had not only been a celebration.

It had been a revelation.

The rise of the Mu Clan...

And the shifting of power within the region.

Some left with excitement.

Some with anticipation.

And some with unease.

Among them, the Vermillion Pill Empire delegation stood out the most.

Huo Zhouchen gave a brief, courteous farewell.

"Clan Leader Mu, we will take our leave."

Mu Qingyuan nodded with a calm smile.

"Safe travels."

No more words were exchanged.

Yet both sides understood—this was far from over.

As they walked out of the hall, the expressions of the Vermillion Pill Empire members turned noticeably colder.

The earlier composure had vanished.

Replaced by something far more serious.

Five different Grade-7 pills.

All revealed in a single auction.

And every single one of them was of high quality.

Every one of them was in high demand, especially the Heavenly Ascension Tempering Pill—the kind of pill that had long been controlled almost exclusively by the Vermillion Pill Empire.

But now—

That control was slipping.

No...

It had already begun to slip.