Stone Forest City, Candlelight Trading Company.
Led by an NPC, the two visitors — Yin Zhe and a bald middle-aged man — arrived at a beginner's meditation room on the top floor of the Candlelight Trading Company. Inside the elegant and tranquil room, a woman wearing a deep-blue, ornate mage robe, a faint layer of mana drifting across her entire body, was fully absorbed in crafting a potion. Every movement flowed like water, almost entrancing to watch.
In barely any time at all, a potion radiating rich mana had taken shape in the woman's hands.
"A Master-rank Greater Mana Resistance Potion, crafted just like that?"
"She can't be far from becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster, can she?"
Yin Zhe and the bald middle-aged man exchanged glances of quiet astonishment as they stepped inside.
Master-rank Mana Resistance Potions were already extremely rare and valuable on the market, since they allowed players to move freely through hostile level-100-plus maps without worrying about the harsh mana environment. Greater Mana Resistance Potions went even further — they could protect even Second Class players against hostile conditions, and their duration lasted a full twenty-four hours.
All those hostile maps above level 100 held abundant resources, especially the ones above level 110. The environments there were brutally inhospitable, and while Third Class players could manage, Second Class players had a miserable time. Yet across the major powers, Third Class experts were still a small minority — the bulk of resource collection fell to Second Class players, who could also accelerate their own progression in the process. As a result, demand for Master-rank Greater Mana Resistance Potions on the market was enormous.
But crafting Master-rank potions was no easy task, and Greater Mana Resistance Potions were harder still. Even among identical alchemy masters, the success rate for a single Master-rank Greater Mana Resistance Potion was below thirty percent, and the process was painfully slow. Add to that the fact that alchemy masters were scarce across all major factions, and the supply of Master-rank Greater Mana Resistance Potions fell far short of demand.
Yet here was Miao Wuyin, crafting a Master-rank Greater Mana Resistance Potion with ease and grace — and doing so in remarkably short time. One person here could replace three or five alchemy masters. She was likely only a single step away from promotion to Alchemy Grandmaster.
But compared to Miao Wuyin's alchemy prowess, what surprised the two visitors even more was that her level had already reached 111 — a full level higher than either of them…
"Everyone out there keeps saying Stone Forest City is a holy land for leveling. Now I can see it's no exaggeration," Yin Zhe murmured, staring at Miao Wuyin's displayed level, his mind reeling.
Miao Wuyin was not a pure adventure player. Even though alchemy could generate experience, it still fell short compared to adventure players who spent all their time out in the wild completing quests and grinding monsters. Adventure players devoted themselves entirely to leveling and strengthening themselves — life-profession players simply couldn't compare.
And yet despite all that, Miao Wuyin's level exceeded their own. That alone spoke volumes about Zero Wing's capabilities.
"Uncle Fifth, Elder Yin Zhe — isn't the family tournament still a ways off? Why have you come to see me all of a sudden?" Miao Wuyin asked curiously as the two men entered the room.
The Azure Commerce's family tournament was held once a year at roughly the same time. There should still be six days left. Even if the family wanted to collect her and bring her to the Western Continent, they would normally arrive only a day in advance at most. This sudden visit left her puzzled. What's more, even Elder Yin Zhe, who was stationed in Magic Stone Town, had come in person. This clearly wasn't just about escorting her to the family tournament.
"There is still some time before the family tournament, yes. But we didn't come solely for that matter," the bald middle-aged man said to Miao Wuyin slowly. "You should know that our family's current standing within the Azure Commerce, and the Azure Commerce's thriving operations on the Western Continent, are largely thanks to the support of the Zeus Financial Group."
"Does the Zeus Financial Group have some kind of request?" Miao Wuyin asked, confused.
The Zeus Financial Group was a top-ten global financial conglomerate. The Azure Commerce's current status and influence within the Divine Realm owed a great deal to the Zeus Financial Group's backing. What's more, the Zeus Financial Group held a substantial stake in Violet Sword, the super guild.
Violet Sword was a remarkably ancient super guild with over a century of history — one of the earliest super guilds to emerge. In the public's perception, it ranked just below the five great super guilds. Thanks to this, the Azure Commerce's expansion on the Western Continent had proceeded remarkably smoothly.
"That's right. Violet Sword is currently in urgent need of various life-profession masters. The Zeus Financial Group has decided to have us fully assist Violet Sword. And since you are the foremost alchemist of the younger generation in our family, it's only natural that you'll be developing your career at Violet Sword from now on. That's why we've come to personally escort you there," the bald middle-aged man nodded.
"Develop my career at Violet Sword? But—" Miao Wuyin was struck speechless.
"I know you want to stay and grow with Zero Wing — they've helped you quite a bit," the bald middle-aged man said with a helpless look. "But you should understand clearly enough that our family and the Azure Commerce owe our current position to the Zeus Financial Group's support. Even the Azure Commerce's ability to hold onto its first-sequence mineral vein is thanks to the Zeus Financial Group's intervention. You've been personally named by the Zeus Financial Group. If you refuse to go, forget about our family continuing to receive the Zeus Financial Group's backing — the Azure Commerce might not even be able to keep its most vital mineral vein!"
The Zeus Financial Group was fabulously wealthy and wielded enormous influence on the Western Continent. With a single word, they could bring not just the Pang family's standing within the Azure Commerce crashing down — the Azure Commerce itself could be plunged into a major crisis.
"Uncle Fifth, could you give me some time to think this over? I need… a little time," Miao Wuyin hesitated, caught in turmoil.
"In the past, we could have let you do as you wished. But now the future of the entire family is at stake — we can't afford for you to be willful!" the bald middle-aged man said coldly, watching her waver. "The family tournament. After the family tournament, you must go to Violet Sword. Use this time to prepare. As for Zero Wing, we'll handle that matter for you — put your mind at ease!"
With that, the bald middle-aged man and Yin Zhe turned and left the meditation room, leaving Miao Wuyin sitting alone in stunned silence, unable to utter a single word.
After leaving the Candlelight Trading Company, the bald middle-aged man and Yin Zhe headed straight for Zero Wing's headquarters.
"Wushang, aren't you being a bit too hasty? We should have at least given Wuyin some time to adjust," Yin Zhe said on the street, glancing at the bald middle-aged man.
"Adjust? You think I wouldn't want to?" Pang Wushang — the bald middle-aged man — said with a bitter smile. "The Zeus Financial Group has already issued a final ultimatum. They even had the younger generation of other families head to Violet Sword early for training well before the family tournament. The whole point was to put pressure on our Pang family."
"Even so, I'm afraid that girl Wuyin won't be easy to convince," Yin Zhe said.
"Wuyin certainly won't be easy — she's far too stubborn. That's exactly why we're going to Zero Wing. If Zero Wing lets her go, Wuyin will fall in line naturally enough," Pang Wushang said slowly.
"But what if Zero Wing refuses? You have to remember, Zero Wing isn't someone you want to cross these days," Yin Zhe worried.
"Which is exactly why I brought you along, isn't it?" Pang Wushang shot Yin Zhe a sidelong glance, then turned his gaze toward Zero Wing's headquarters nearby and sneered. "Besides, this isn't something Zero Wing gets to decide. If they let go, fine — we'll talk. But if they don't, what awaits them won't be us. It'll be the wrath of the Zeus Financial Group!"