"This trading fair is quite different from the usual."
"Yes, you could say it's extraordinary. In past trading fairs, Immortal Gu were sometimes exchanged, but they rarely appeared in the first round."
Immortal Gu had always been difficult to trade successfully, and each member at a trading fair had limited opportunities. For that reason, trades that were unlikely to go through were often saved for the final rounds.
So even if a Gu Immortal wanted to swap an Immortal Gu in their possession, they would typically wait until the last few rounds to make their move.
That was the norm at trading fairs.
But this particular fair was clearly anything but ordinary.
Not only had an Immortal Gu appeared for exchange in the first round, but there had been two of them. What was even more critical was that both trades had succeeded!
In both transactions, Fang Yuan had played a crucial role.
Although it was his first time attending a trading fair, the Gu Immortals present could no longer overlook this newcomer known as Chu Ying.
"Moving on to the second round — may I invite Fairy Tonghua to the stage," announced Miao Ming Shen.
He was in high spirits as well.
The fair had only just begun, and there had already been Immortal Gu trades. Such results would do him no small favor in his future dealings throughout the Gu Immortal circles of the Eastern Sea.
Tonghua ascended the elevated platform. What she wanted to exchange for was a different type of desolate beast.
"It looks like she's gearing up for a major expansion of her blessed land," Fang Yuan remarked to Miao Ming Shen, who was seated beside him.
Miao Ming Shen chuckled. "Brother Chu may not know — Fairy Tonghua recently survived a tribulation."
"So that's how it is." Fang Yuan understood immediately.
After a Gu Immortal successfully weathered a tribulation, the resources within their immortal aperture would suffer significant losses, but their dao markings would increase considerably as well. These brand-new dao markings would alter the environment of the immortal aperture, making the entire space richer and more capable of accommodating different species.
That was why the female Immortal Tonghua intended to use this trading fair to acquire a wide variety of resources in bulk, planning to raise them inside her immortal aperture.
"This female Immortal Tonghua is quite wealthy. Not only has she managed her immortal aperture well, but she also has a private sea area called Caixia Sea. At dawn or dusk, ten thousand rays of radiance shimmer across the ocean surface, reflecting against the sky in breathtaking beauty. This sea area is nearby — not far at all. Once this fair is over, Tonghua will surely invite everyone here to visit her. When the time comes, Brother Chu, you might as well come along with me," Miao Ming Shen continued via voice transmission, sharing some intelligence about Tonghua.
Fang Yuan now had a deeper understanding of her.
"I thank Immortal Friend Miao Ming Shen for the introduction. To be honest, I'm rather interested in the Light-illuminating Mushroom she has," Fang Yuan said candidly.
"No problem at all. I can serve as the go-between for you, Brother Chu." Miao Ming Shen immediately caught the implication and readily took it upon himself to arrange things.
Ever since he had traded an Immortal Gu with Fang Yuan, their relationship had skyrocketed.
Fang Yuan was fully aware of the shift in Miao Ming Shen's attitude toward him.
The reason was none other than two words: Life Gu.
Nothing could move Miao Ming Shen quite like Life Gu. Fang Yuan had exchanged only a single Sixth Transformation Immortal Gu for Miao Ming Shen's Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu, and the former was even from the declining Path of Strength.
Yet after the trade, Miao Ming Shen was extremely satisfied. This was because Fang Yuan had directly used one hundred years' worth of Life Gu to make up the difference.
Although Life Gu were merely mortal Gu, they were extraordinarily rare.
Many Gu Immortals, once they got their hands on one, would hoard it tightly and never put it up for trade unless circumstances were truly desperate. They kept it as their ace in the hole, intending to use it for themselves one day when their lifespan ran out.
Miao Ming Shen's remaining lifespan, while not yet on the verge of expiration, was running low.
For precisely this reason, he had been trying every means possible to locate a tributary of the River of Time, hoping to use some secret technique to extend his life.
Five hundred years ago in his previous life, Miao Ming Shen had ventured into the Azure Blue Dragon Whale three times, all in search of the Life Gu hidden within.
When Fang Yuan had proactively brought Life Gu to his doorstep, how could Miao Ming Shen not be delighted?
Moreover, the fact that Fang Yuan could produce one hundred years' worth of Life Gu as a bargaining chip — what did that imply?
Miao Ming Shen was no fool. His first thought was: this means Chu Ying definitely has more Life Gu on hand. Otherwise, how could he be so "casual" about it?
That was why Miao Ming Shen wanted all the more to build a good relationship with Fang Yuan.
What he didn't know was that this was exactly what Fang Yuan wanted to see.
Fang Yuan was scheming for something far greater, far more.
The Azure Blue Dragon Whale!
With intelligence from his previous life, Fang Yuan knew far more about this immortal fortune than Miao Ming Shen currently did.
The trading continued.
In the second round, Gu Immortals took the stage one by one, and most of the trades succeeded.
Soon, it was Fang Yuan's turn.
The Woman's Heart Immortal Gu.
Just as Fang Yuan was about to display this Sixth Transformation Immortal Gu and put it up for sale, his expression suddenly shifted slightly.
"My apologies — some unexpected circumstances have come up. Immortal friends, I'm afraid I must take my leave," Fang Yuan announced directly.
The Gu Immortals were all mildly surprised.