"Private Chamber Ten bids one complete heavenly dragon skeleton, plus thirty taels of earth-fiend powder." Qin Baisheng stood at the elevated platform and announced in a loud voice.
Chu Du frowned.
He had just bid a Heavenly Pillar Wind, and the Gu Immortal in Private Chamber Ten immediately outbid him without a moment's hesitation.
*A formidable opponent,* Chu Du sighed inwardly.
Previously, Feng Jiuge and the Eastern Sea Gu Immortal had competed against each other, and in the end, a two-for-one exchange was made. Private Chamber Ten had come away with a hefty haul. This was something everyone at the auction knew about.
Chu Du couldn't help but feel the pressure mounting.
He was a veteran Gu cultivator himself — a Seventh Transformation cultivator with deep reserves. At his peak, he had possessed more than ten thousand Immortal Yuan Stones in hand!
But times had changed.
Recently, Chu Du had successfully weathered a tribulation in his Immortal Orifice, but his foundation had been thinned in the process. To compensate, he had broken through the Heavenly Qi Wall and ventured deep into the daylight zone to gather resources.
He had made some gains, but had also sustained injuries. To heal, he had borrowed someone else's Immortal Gu and expended considerable resources. All things considered, he had still come out at a loss.
The Ancient Nine Heavens were rich in resources, but they were also treacherous grounds. To reap rewards, one had to take risks.
As a result, Chu Du's coffers were running rather tight at the moment.
"But a Strength Path defensive Immortal Gu — that's exceedingly rare. I've been a Strength Path Gu Immortal for so long, and today is the first time I've encountered one. If I don't do everything I can to claim it, I'll likely regret it for the rest of my life."
Having made up his mind, Chu Du gritted his teeth and continued bidding.
But no matter how much he added, Fang Yuan matched him step for step.
After several rounds, Chu Du finally couldn't hold out. He secretly sent a message to Qin Baisheng, hoping to use him as an intermediary to communicate with Private Chamber Ten.
Qin Baisheng was momentarily taken aback. His expression didn't change, but he quietly relayed the inquiry to Fang Yuan.
After receiving Fang Yuan's consent, Chu Du then sent a letter into Private Chamber Ten.
The letter stated that if Fang Yuan would withdraw from the competition, then Overlord Immortal Chu Du would owe Fang Yuan a favor and, at an appropriate time, perform one deed of equivalent value for him. If Fang Yuan didn't believe it, Chu Du would swear an oath on an Immortal Gu. Moreover, Chu Du would provide Fang Yuan with a piece of precious intelligence regarding how to obtain the true intent of the Brutal Barbarian Demon Venerable.
Fang Yuan read the letter with both surprise and delight.
Overlord Immortal Chu Du sending this letter clearly meant he wanted the Cauldron Strength Immortal Gu but lacked the financial means to secure it, and therefore hoped to negotiate with Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan had no intention of agreeing, of course!
He was a Strength Path Gu Immortal too, and naturally wanted this rare Cauldron Strength Immortal Gu for himself. As for the true intent of the Brutal Barbarian Demon Venerable, Fang Yuan already had a rough understanding of it — he had even personally benefited from it.
*And here I thought Overlord Immortal Chu Du was flush with wealth. Didn't expect him to show his weakness so quickly. Looks like his luck has turned sour — he's in a trough period. Heh heh heh.* While chuckling inwardly, Fang Yuan placed another bid, adding a massive筹码.
Chu Du gritted his teeth and followed with a counter-bid, but his offerings were cobbled together from odds and ends.
Fang Yuan bid again, this time using a Seventh Transformation immortal material — one that could serve as the primary component for refining a Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu. It was exceedingly valuable.
Chu Du sighed. Reluctant to give up, he once again cobbled together a collection of Sixth Transformation immortal materials. The total value roughly matched Fang Yuan's Seventh Transformation material.
At this point, the Gu Immortals in the main hall all began to see what was happening.
"Strange. It seems Lord Chu Du is running short."
"I vaguely heard that the Overlord Immortal weathered a tribulation some months ago. It must have dealt him a heavy blow."
"Chu Du once borrowed a healing Immortal Gu from Medicine Emperor. They say the price he paid was considerable."
People whispered among themselves, many sighing with regret.
While Chu Du was secretly growing anxious, there was someone even more worried — Feng Jiuge.
*This Overlord Immortal is far too unreliable!* Feng Jiuge felt a wave of disappointment. He had been counting on Chu Du to press forward with overwhelming force, crush Private Chamber Ten, and sweep to victory.
But Chu Du's reputation didn't match his current financial strength, and Feng Jiuge couldn't just stand by. He had to find a way to stop Fang Yuan from winning.
*Both the Roaming the World and Joy of Mountain and Water Immortal Gu are in the hands of that Gu Immortal in Private Chamber Ten. This person is mysterious and seems to have an impressive background — they could even be the mastermind behind the Royal Court incident. I know him, but he doesn't know me. Right now, the enemy is exposed while I remain hidden. If I try to buy Joy of Mountain and Water from him directly, it would be unwise. Not only would it alert him, but if he catches on and decides to stop selling Immortal Gu altogether, that would be even worse.*
Feng Jiuge deliberated endlessly.
He was a man of both strategy and martial skill. If not for that, Spirit Fate Monastery would never have entrusted him with such an important mission — leading a team undercover into the Northern Plains.
*But if I directly enter the bidding myself, that would also be unwise! Even though I'm operating under the identity of the Orchid Sword Master, I've already purchased the Roaming the World Immortal Gu. If I openly buy it again, and the person in Private Chamber Ten happens to know the secret of the Waterside Pavilion, the chances of my identity being exposed would increase dramatically.*
Feng Jiuge had infiltrated the Northern Plains under a false identity. Despite his formidable combat strength, he was still operating in hostile territory and had to exercise caution.
*The most frustrating thing is that this auction doesn't work like a straightforward contest. Even if I outbid everyone else, the seller isn't obligated to choose the highest bidder. If I step in directly and overpower everyone else, it still might not make a difference.*
And there was another point — even if Feng Jiuge did win the bid, what would he do with the Cauldron Strength Immortal Gu?
He didn't need a Strength Path Immortal Gu. In fact, he wanted to sell off Strength Path Immortal Gu to exchange for ones more useful to him.
Feng Jiuge was feeling thirsty from all this thinking. He took a sip of tea and felt a pang of regret: *If only I weren't alone on this mission! If I had a companion to help me, dealing with a situation like this would be so much simpler!*
But for one thing, his Familiar Face was an Immortal Path killing move that couldn't be taught to others. For another, the Gu Immortals around Crown Prince Fengxian couldn't be used either. The reasoning was simple: if Feng Jiuge's identity were exposed, it needed to have no connection to Crown Prince Fengxian's side.
Crown Prince Fengxian could then publicly declare complete ignorance of the matter, which would be far more conducive to continuing the undercover operation in the future.