Chapter 773: Loss-Making Trade

"Now?" Yun Che was startled. He hadn't expected the Sea Emperor to be a woman, nor her decisive nature regarding such an important matter concerning a forbidden area.

"The Devil Sword Assembly is in three days. To prepare the profound arrays for the assembly, I will be increasingly busy in the coming days and might not have time for other matters. Resolving this early will prevent distractions for me. Do you have any concerns?" the Sea Emperor said with a rigid expression.

Yun Che quickly thought it over, then nodded heavily: "Alright! Let's do it now!"

"Very good!" The Sea Emperor nodded, then glanced aside: "Ziji, you will personally take Yun Che to the Demon Moon Cave! Go now!"

"Hehehe." A gentle laugh resounded. A door on the left side of the Sea Emperor Palace slowly opened, and a handsome, purple-robed middle-aged man walked out, smiling: "Yun Che, it's only been a few months, yet your profound strength has indeed greatly improved again. Such a growth rate is truly astonishing."

"As expected, Senior Ziji is from the Supreme Ocean Palace," Yun Che replied with a slight smile, unsurprised by Ziji's sudden appearance.

Ziji nodded slightly: "With your intelligence and insight, you must have already known. Fortunately, the Sea Emperor has agreed to the Demon Moon Cave matter. I, Ziji, am fortunate to have repaid the favor for those ten medicinal pills. Also, the matter you entrusted to me during our last meeting has been completed; it certainly won't disappoint you."

After Ziji finished speaking, he opened his palm, and a profound light flashed. Two jet-black wooden boxes appeared in his hands. Though Yun Che didn't know their contents, the heavy aura emanating from them proved that these two boxes alone were extraordinary.

"Could it be two profound pellets?" Yun Che's gaze sharpened, and he immediately asked, "Are they from Overlord profound beasts or Sovereign profound beasts?"

"You'll know once you check," Ziji replied with a faint smile.

Yun Che stepped forward and took the wooden boxes directly from Ziji's hands. Without opening them, he channeled two streams of profound energy into them. Instantly, his profound energy encountered two incredibly potent profound energy auras, both at the Sovereign Profound Realm.

They were indeed two profound pellets from Sovereign Profound Beasts.

"Excellent..." Yun Che murmured to himself, then put away the two wooden boxes. "Senior Ziji is indeed remarkably capable. As per our original agreement, here are two precious pills."

Yun Che flicked his finger, pushing two Tyrant Emperor Pellets towards Ziji. Ziji reached out, carefully took them, and his expression showed an added hint of satisfaction: "Sovereign Profound Beasts are extremely hard to find, and hunting them is even more difficult. Our Ocean Palace put immense effort into acquiring these two Sovereign Profound Beast profound pellets. But obtaining two world-class wonder pills makes it well worth it."

The Sea Emperor glanced at Ziji and said, "Yun Che, although the rumors about your master, 'Old Man Duotian,' originated from the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, and their actions showed great apprehension, I still only believed them two parts and doubted them eight parts. However, for your esteemed master to be able to refine dozens of these peerless precious pills—which even my Ocean Palace couldn't produce with all its might—with such ease, I have no choice but to believe it."

"But rest assured," the Sea Emperor continued, her expression unreadable and her eyes like a cold pond, "regarding these precious pills, Ziji has only spoken of it to me. Apart from us three, no fourth person in this world knows."

"I naturally have no doubt about Senior Sea Emperor's words," Yun Che replied.

"Ziji also mentioned that a few months ago, you entrusted the Black Moon Merchant Guild to auction twenty precious pills for you, and you promised that after these twenty, you wouldn't sell a single additional one to the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Is that correct?"

"Of course," Yun Che affirmed with a decisive nod. "Even the most precious item loses its value if it appears too often. If I hadn't urgently needed a large quantity of Purple Vein Divine Crystals recently, I wouldn't have sold them to others."

"That's excellent," the Sea Emperor nodded gravely. She knew perfectly well that once Yun Che's twenty Tyrant Emperor Pellets were revealed, they would cause a huge sensation, and the other three Sacred Grounds would spare no expense to acquire them. The most likely outcome would be the Four Great Sacred Grounds dividing the twenty pills equally; as for anyone outside the Sacred Grounds, they could forget about them entirely.

This way, her Ocean Palace would outwardly have five pills, but in reality, they would possess a full seventeen! The price paid would merely be twenty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals and allowing Yun Che to enter the Demon Moon Cave once. While these additional twelve Tyrant Emperor Pellets wouldn't have a significant short-term effect, in another generation, their top-tier strength would absolutely surpass the current one, possibly even overshadowing the Supreme Emperor Profound Realm!

"This Devil Sword Assembly gathers heroes from all over the world, making it an excellent opportunity for an auction. After the assembly, I will personally have Ziji arrange this matter." The Sea Emperor raised her long sleeve, flipped her palm, and a jade pendant shimmering with a faint blue light floated in her hand. She then gently pushed it towards Ziji: "This is my Supreme Ocean Palace's Sea Emperor Seal, a symbol of the Ocean Palace's Emperor, and the only item that can open the Demon Moon Cave's restrictions. Ziji, take it and lead Yun Che to the Demon Moon Cave now. Return as soon as possible after completing the task!"

Ziji said nothing, gave a slight nod, and grasped the Sea Emperor Seal in his hand.

Yun Che's expression remained consistent, but he was secretly observing the Sea Emperor's and Ziji's demeanor... As the Sea Emperor, the highly esteemed Grand Elder Mo Chenfeng showed her immense reverence, yet Ziji's state in front of the Sea Emperor was almost indistinguishable from when he spoke to Yun Che face-to-face, showing no fear whatsoever. Furthermore, when the Sea Emperor commanded Ziji, the authority in her tone was far weaker than when she commanded Mo Chenfeng... and it was entirely a subconscious restraint.

The relationship between Ziji and the Sea Emperor... seemed extraordinary.

Yun Che's mind raced. His brow furrowed, and he quickly spoke: "Senior Sea Emperor, Senior Ziji, regarding this precious pill auction, I have a new offer that you might find very interesting."

"Oh?" The Sea Emperor's gaze shifted. Ziji, however, was full of anticipation, chuckling: "What kind of deal?"

Yun Che spoke unhurriedly: "At the Black Moon Merchant Guild, Senior Ziji mentioned that one precious pill could sell for at least two jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals. Afterward, Senior Ziji even brought out twenty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals and spoke of a taboo place like the 'Demon Moon Cave' just to buy ten pills from me. It's clear that, in Senior Ziji's view, two jin per pill was an extremely conservative estimate; the actual auction price will be far higher."

"Hehehe." Ziji gave a faint laugh, listening for Yun Che to continue. Although he held a very high position in the Profound Realm's Sacred Grounds, the Supreme Ocean Palace, he had always preferred to call himself a merchant rather than a profound practitioner. And a merchant, of course, wouldn't easily reveal his "bottom price." After learning about the Tyrant Emperor Pellet's medicinal properties, he was absolutely certain its value was more than two jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals... especially at the Sacred Grounds level, it was far, far more.

This was because Sacred Grounds never lacked resources to accumulate strength. What they truly yearned for were pills like the Tyrant Emperor Pellet, capable of forcibly breaking through high-level bottlenecks.

Yun Che reached into the Sky Poison Pearl and directly took out twenty Tyrant Emperor Pellets. A thick, rich, and violent medicinal aura instantly filled the entire Sea Emperor Palace, abruptly changing the atmosphere of the Sacred Palace, which was enveloped by a powerful profound array.

Ziji and the Sea Emperor's gazes simultaneously fell upon these twenty Tyrant Emperor Pellets... Even the Sea Emperor, facing a medicinal aura that was, in her understanding, truly world-shattering, couldn't help but be moved.

"These twenty precious pills were originally intended for Senior Ziji to auction. But now, I've changed my mind."

"Oh? Are you planning to forgo the auction?" Ziji asked.

"No! Just a change in method." Yun Che flipped his wrist, but didn't put the twenty Tyrant Emperor Pellets away. He said with a serious expression, "Before going to the Demon Moon Cave, I want to sell these twenty Tyrant Emperor Pellets directly to your Supreme Ocean Palace for forty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals. After that, whatever you gain from auctioning these twenty precious pills will be entirely yours, unrelated to me!"

"..." Both the Sea Emperor's and Ziji's eyebrows subtly twitched.

"Why so?" Ziji asked calmly. "If these twenty precious pills were sold to the Four Great Sacred Grounds, their value would certainly be far more than forty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals. I can tell you plainly, two jin per pill is merely the most conservative estimate. Given their ability to break through the Tyrant Emperor bottleneck, even at a price of three jin per pill, the Four Great Sacred Grounds would undoubtedly fiercely compete for them."

"I know," Yun Che said with a faint smile. "Otherwise, with Senior Ziji's temperament, which is like ancient withered wood, you wouldn't have been so eager to buy ten of them initially."

Ziji: "..."

"I am not a greedy person," Yun Che continued. "The price of two jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals per pill already exceeds my initial expectations. Although the auction proceeds for these twenty precious pills would be more than forty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, this amount is enough to satisfy my needs; the excess wouldn't have much additional meaning. For me, acquiring them earlier brings much more peace of mind."

Ziji remained silent for a moment, then spoke: "The Devil Sword Assembly is in three days. After the assembly concludes, and before the world's heroes depart, I will personally hold an auction ceremony right here in the Ocean Palace. That would be in merely four or five days. By then, the auction price will exceed fifty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, at the very least! You're willing to forgo ten or even dozens of jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals just to get the divine crystals a few days earlier!?"

"Yes!" Yun Che nodded. "Of course, this is just my personal wish. If Senior Sea Emperor and Senior Ziji are unwilling, I won't press the matter further."

Ziji and the Sea Emperor exchanged glances, then Ziji said with a smile, "How could my Ocean Palace refuse such a generous offer? If you are truly willing to do this... Sea Emperor, it seems necessary to use that portion of divine crystals."

"It is indeed necessary," the Sea Emperor also nodded slightly. Her gaze swept over Yun Che's eyes, and she slowly said, "Purple Vein Divine Crystals are the most precious and rare treasures in the Profound Sky Continent! It is extremely difficult to produce forty jin at once."

"Oh?" Yun Che looked sideways. "The resources of the Four Great Sacred Grounds must be far richer than ordinary people imagine. Moreover, the Ocean Palace has the support of the Black Moon Merchant Guild. Forty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals might be an astronomical figure for other powers, but for your Supreme Ocean Palace, it shouldn't be too difficult, should it?"

"It seems you don't have a very clear understanding of how rare Purple Vein Divine Crystals are," the Sea Emperor said, giving him a faint glance. "In terms of resource abundance, my Supreme Ocean Palace is the greatest among the Four Great Sacred Grounds. But do you know how many divine crystals my Ocean Palace allocates to its most talented disciples every five years?"

Yun Che: "..."

The Sea Emperor slowly extended a single finger: "One tael! And this amount is only given to those at the highest level of talent and status, including myself!"

"In other words, even my own son would only receive one jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals in an entire fifty years! The Supreme Emperor Profound Realm, the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, and the Heavenly Might Sword Region would only receive even less than this amount! As for other Profound Sky powers, to obtain a divine crystal the size of a grain of sand would be a lifelong blessing! Yet you are willing to give up such a large amount of divine crystals for a few extra days of 'peace of mind.' This kind of 'generosity' is truly eye-opening!"

Yun Che's expression remained unchanged: "I naturally understand the preciousness of Purple Vein Divine Crystals. Since your Ocean Palace cannot produce forty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals at once, then let's pretend I never brought this up. Senior Ziji, please trouble yourself to take me to the Demon Moon Cave."

Yun Che's face was completely calm, displaying an attitude of indifference to whether it was a few days earlier or later, or a few jin more or less.

"Forty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals is indeed an extremely massive figure, but that doesn't mean my Ocean Palace cannot produce it at once."

Ziji said with a chuckle, "The twenty jin spent on your ten precious pills last time accounted for nearly half of the divine crystals my Ocean Palace could readily use. This means that currently, my Ocean Palace only has about twenty jin of freely usable divine crystals. However, beyond these, there is another portion of divine crystals that are not meant to be touched."

"Not meant to be touched? Could it be reserved for potential crises?" Yun Che mused aloud.

"Heh heh, you are indeed intelligent," Ziji nodded. "My Supreme Ocean Palace has kept fifty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals sealed away for a very, very long time. This portion of divine crystals is meant to activate the sect-protecting grand array if the Ocean Palace ever faces a massive crisis, which is why there has been a strict command through generations that it absolutely must not be used unless a moment of crisis arises. In fact, these fifty jin of divine crystals have been sealed for over eight thousand years now and have never been used."

This is because, in the Profound Sky Continent, nothing has yet been able to plunge the Supreme Ocean Palace into a catastrophic crisis.