Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan!

Chapter 561 War of Alchemy and Wealth

Soon, the news of the celebration spread like wildfire.

Within a single day, it swept across the entire Desolate Heaven Empire and even beyond.

Everywhere, people were talking about it.

”A pill more effective than the Heavenly Tribulation Tempering Pill?”

”Grade-7 pills? And they sold over five different ones?”

”And those pills... all of them sold for millions!”

Shock!

Disbelief!

Jealousy!

All kinds of emotions surfaced.

For smaller clans, four million gold coins was enough to change their fate.

With that, even an insignificant clan could become the strongest in their own city.

It could even allow a few of their geniuses to rise to the Void Refinement Realm.

Yet for the Mu Clan, they earned that with a single pill.

That alone was enough to make countless forces feel a deep sense of imbalance.

At the same time, another piece of news stirred waves.

Bai Zihan becoming the new Clan Leader of the Bai Clan.

”The Bai Clan... handed over control to an 18-year-old?”

”Is he truly capable? Isnʼt he too young?”

”He may be strong, but managing a clan is different from fighting”

...

Discussions erupted everywhere.

Some doubted.

Some supported.

But no one could ignore it.

Because regardless of opinion, Bai Zihan was now the head of the strongest clan in the region.

And that fact alone carried immense weight.

Everyone knew that the Desolate Heaven Empire was about to change.

And it didnʼt take long for those changes to appear.

Within just a few days, the Mu Clanʼs gates became crowded.

Clans!

Sects!

Merchants!

All arrived one after another.

Some brought rare treasures while others brought precious herbs.

All for one purpose-to build a relationship with the Mu Clan.

The Mu Clan did not turn anyone away, especially not the merchants. In fact, they welcomed them.

Because they were exactly the people that the Mu Clan needed.

Merchants were the best way to obtain ingredients, especially in large quantities.

Not just rare ingredients for Grade-7 and Grade-8 pills, but also a massive supply of Grade-6 materials.

If they wanted to expand their influence in the pill market, then production had

to scale.

And that required resources.

A lot of them!

Of course, the priority remained clear.

High-grade materials.

The higher, the better.

Because those were the foundation for true power.

And the merchants understood this clearly.

”If we can secure a supply route...”

”If we can provide them with high-grade materials...”

”Then we might gain access to Grade-7 pills...”

Their eyes burned with ambition.

This was not just about profit.

It was about reputation and status.

If a merchant house could become a supplier for the Mu Clan, their name

would spread across regions.

Their influence would skyrocket.

Even other great forces would treat them with respect.

Because they would be connected to the rising center of the alchemy world.

And so, one after another-

Deals were proposed.

Partnerships were discussed.

All in hopes of securing even a small foothold.

***

While the Mu Clan was busy, Bai Zihan was equally occupied.

His father had already gone into seclusion to break through.

But he was not the only one.

Several elders who had long been stuck at the Peak Great Ascension Realm- held back due to insufficient preparation, especially the lack of the Heavenly Tribulation Tempering Pill-now stepped forward.

With the Heavenly Ascension Tempering Pill in hand, they finally chose to attempt a breakthrough.

Although the absence of so many key figures would inevitably affect the clanʼs daily operations, the increase in strength was far more critical at this moment.

Bai Zihan himself encouraged them to go.

Given their current standing, no one believed any force would dare act against

the Bai Clan.

Thus, without worry, they entered seclusion one after another.

Of course, with their absence, their responsibilities did not disappear.

They fell onto Bai Zihan.

Naturally, he did not handle everything alone.

Kong Zhanhong stood by his side.

With his assistance, managing the clanʼs affairs became far easier than

expected.

After all, Kong Zhanhong had long been handling such matters.

At this point, he could already be considered an expert.

And where he couldnʼt, he always had his connection and knew someone who

could.

You could say that Kong Zhanhong, while weak in cultivation, if one looked at other aspects, he might be the best candidate to become a clan leader or sect

leader.

At the same time, both the Bai Clan and the Mu Clan issued a joint notice.

They were purchasing materials.

Not ordinary ones but ingredients required for Grade-8 pills.

The prices offered far exceeded market value.

And money was not the only option.

In exchange, one could request techniques of equivalent value.

Even Artifacts or even pills, whichever one wanted.

As long as the material provided was valuable enough-

The Bai Clan was willing to trade.

This single move sent another wave through the Desolate Heaven Empire.

Everyone could see that the Bai Clan and the Mu Clan were preparing for

something even bigger than one expected.

But would it really be that easy?

The answer came swiftly.

Within just a few days, the Vermillion Pill Empire made their move.

They began purchasing materials aggressively.

At prices just as high-if not higher-than what the Mu Clan was offering.

Anyone with even a bit of sense could guess their intention.

If the materials never reached the Mu Clan...

Then the Mu Clan could not refine pills.

They want to choke the Mu Clan at the source. The market trembled.

Obviously, this wonʼt just affect the Mu Clan but everyone else as well.

Other Alchemists would also find it difficult to get their hands on the ingredients and even if they did, they would need to pay a high price. That includes the Vermillion Pill Empire who was buying all the herbs at a very

high price.

The Vermillion Pill Empire revealed its true financial power.

They bought everything.

Any ingredient.

Any seller.

As long as it had even the slightest relevance to high-grade pill refinement,

they bought it without any hesitation.

ʼNo need to think about profit. Buy it!ʼ

That seemed to be their only directive.

They donʼt care about shooting themselves on the foot as long as they could

prevent the Mu Clan, it seems.

Gold flowed like water.

No-Like a flood.

For a moment, it seemed as though the entire ingredient market had been

swallowed by the Vermillion Pill Empire.

Naturally, this placed immense pressure on the Mu Clan.

Supply lines tightened.

Availability dropped.

Prices rose even further.

It was a suffocating tactic.

However-The Mu Clan remained calm because they were not unprepared.

Long before this confrontation had begun, they had already made their moves.

Many of the critical ingredients-they grew themselves. Others had been stockpiled over the years.

Even those Grade-7 materials that they previously had no means to use-they

had hoarded in large quantities.

And more importantly, in the two months prior, they had already begun quietly

purchasing materials in large quantities without drawing attention. Preparing for exactly this situation.

So in the short term-there was no need to fear.

The Mu Clan could continue refining without disruption.

But in the long term-that was a different matter. Because the Vermillion Pill Empireʼs strategy was not meant for immediate

victory.

It was a war of endurance.

A battle of wealth.

A contest of who could last longer.

And if the Vermillion Pill Empire could sustain this level of spending...

Then sooner or later-

Even the Mu Clan would feel the pressure.

However, whether the Mu Clan gave up first or the Vermillion Pill Empire collapsed first, only time would tell.