"This trading gathering is quite different from the usual."
"Indeed, one could say it's extraordinary. In past gatherings, while Immortal Gu did appear in trades, they rarely showed up in the very first round."
Immortal Gu had always been difficult to trade successfully, and each member's opportunities at the gathering were limited. As a result, trades that were unlikely to succeed were often held back until the very end.
Even those who wanted to exchange their own Immortal Gu would typically choose to make their move in the final rounds.
That was the norm at these gatherings.
But this gathering was clearly different.
Not only had an Immortal Gu trade appeared in the first round, but there had been two of them—and the critical thing was, both had succeeded!
In both of these trades, Fang Yuan had played a key role.
Though he was attending a trading gathering for the first time, the Immortal Gu Masters present could no longer look down on this newcomer, Chu Ying.
"Let's proceed to the second round. I invite Fairy Tong Hua," announced Miao Ming Shen.
He was also quite pleased.
The gathering had only just begun, and there had already been Immortal Gu trades—such a result would do much to bolster his reputation when he moved through the circles of Immortal Gu Masters in the Eastern Sea.
Tong Hua ascended the platform. What she wanted to exchange for was another type of desolate beast.
"It seems she's planning large-scale development of her blessed realm," Fang Yuan remarked to Miao Ming Shen, who sat beside him.
Miao Ming Shen chuckled. "Brother Chu may not know—Fairy Tong Hua has only recently passed a tribulation."
"So that's how it is." Fang Yuan immediately understood.
After an Immortal Gu Master successfully passed a tribulation, the resources within their immortal aperture would suffer considerable losses, but at the same time, their dao marks would increase substantially. These brand-new dao marks would transform the immortal aperture's environment, making it richer and more capable of accommodating diverse species.
That was why the female Immortal Tong Hua was looking to purchase large quantities of various resources at this gathering, intending to raise them within her immortal aperture.
"This female Immortal Tong Hua is quite wealthy. Not only has she managed her immortal aperture well, she also possesses a private sea region called the Rainbow Mist Sea. At dawn or dusk, the ocean surface blazes with ten thousand rays of light, mirroring the heavens in a spectacle of breathtaking beauty. This sea region is nearby—it's not far at all. After this gathering concludes, Tong Hua will surely invite everyone present to visit her. When that time comes, Brother Chu, you might come along with me." Miao Ming Shen continued via voice transmission, sharing some intelligence about Tong Hua.
Fang Yuan gained a deeper understanding of her.
"Then I thank you for the introduction, Immortal Friend Miao Ming Shen. To be honest, I'm rather interested in the Light Illumination Mushrooms she has," Fang Yuan said bluntly.
"No problem. I can help facilitate the connection for Brother Chu." Miao Ming Shen immediately caught the meaning behind his words and eagerly took charge of arranging it.
Ever since his trade of Immortal Gu with Fang Yuan, his goodwill toward him had skyrocketed.
Fang Yuan was well aware of the shift in Miao Ming Shen's attitude.
The reason was none other than two words: Life Span Gu!
Nothing could move Miao Ming Shen quite like Life Span Gu. Fang Yuan had traded away only a single Sixth Transformation Immortal Gu, yet he had obtained Miao Ming Shen's Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu in return—and the former was a declining Strength Path Gu at that.
Yet after the trade, Miao Ming Shen was deeply satisfied. This was because Fang Yuan had directly compensated for the difference using one hundred years' worth of Life Span Gu.
Though Life Span Gu were merely mortal Gu, they were extraordinarily rare.
Many Immortal Gu Masters, upon obtaining them, would hoard them tightly and never bring them out to trade unless absolutely desperate. Instead, they kept them as a last resort, intending to use them for themselves when their lifespan eventually ran out.
Miao Ming Shen's remaining lifespan, while not on the verge of expiration, was running perilously low.
Precisely because of this, he had been desperately searching for branches of the River of Time, hoping to use some secret technique to extend his life.
In Fang Yuan's previous life five hundred years ago, Miao Ming Shen had ventured into the Azure Blue Dragon Whale on multiple occasions—also in pursuit of the Life Span Gu within.
Fang Yuan had delivered Life Span Gu to his doorstep of his own accord—how could Miao Ming Shen not be delighted?
Moreover, the fact that Fang Yuan could produce one hundred years' worth of Life Span Gu as bargaining chips—what did that imply?
Miao Ming Shen was no fool; the thought struck him immediately: it meant Chu Ying surely had more Life Span Gu in his possession! Otherwise, how could he be so reckless with them?
And so, Miao Ming Shen became even more eager to build a good relationship with Fang Yuan.
What he did not know was that this was exactly what Fang Yuan wanted to see.
Fang Yuan's ambitions were far greater and far more.
The Azure Blue Dragon Whale!
With knowledge from his previous life, Fang Yuan was far more familiar with this Immortal fortune than the current Miao Ming Shen could ever be.
The trading continued.
In the second round, Immortal Gu Masters took the stage one after another, and most of the trades succeeded.
Soon, it was Fang Yuan's turn.
The Woman's Heart Immortal Gu.
Fang Yuan was just about to present this Sixth Transformation Immortal Gu and put it up for sale when his expression shifted subtly.
"My apologies—an unexpected situation has come up. Fellow Immortal Friends, I'm afraid I must take my leave first," Fang Yuan said directly.
The Immortal Gu Masters all showed mild surprise.