News of the Northern Plains auction reached Fang Ming through a food beast transaction.
The buyer was a Northern Plains Gu Immortal who had purchased junglefowl food beasts from him twice before. The other party had not revealed much at first, only casually mentioning that many Northern Plains Gu Immortals were gathering near crimson reed marsh.
But Fang Ming was not someone who missed such details.
After a few probing words and an additional discount on the next batch of food beasts, the buyer spoke more openly.
Qin Bai Sheng was holding a grand auction.
Northern Plains super forces would attend.
Lone immortals would attend.
Demonic path experts would attend.
Even Gu Immortals from outside regions had received news and were moving.
Fang Ming immediately understood.
The time had come.
He was currently in his strength path aperture, standing before the newly adjusted food beast formation. The junglefowls moved through the formation in dense groups, their bodies fat and vigorous. The formation's energy circulation was smoother than before, and the waste produced by the beasts was drawn into underground channels before being transformed into usable nutrients.
One hundred immortal essence stones of pure profit per formation each month.
The improvement was not dramatic in appearance, but it was steady and real.
Fang Ming looked away from the formation and thought of the auction.
He did not lack ordinary resources right now.
His apertures were developing steadily. The strength path aperture had villages, food beast formations, factories, the Eagle Sect, dream formation, and eagle nurturing grounds. The enslavement path aperture had also begun building an ecosystem around the three desolate star hounds and various beast groups.
What he lacked was not one specific thing.
Rather, he lacked opportunities.
A grand auction was exactly that.
There might be Immortal Gu.
There might be rare inheritances.
There might be strange materials.
There might be resource points, beast groups, battle killer moves, formation inheritance fragments, or unexpected goods whose value others did not understand.
Fang Ming did not go to such a place with a narrow list.
That would be foolish.
An auction of this scale was like a river filled with hidden fish. If one entered only wanting one fish, one might miss the dragon swimming beneath the water.
He sent the Northern Plains client away, then sat alone in the main hall of his aperture palace.
For a moment, he considered bringing helpers.
Fairy Huang Sha could act as one bidder.
Fairy Qing Suo could act as another.
With three people bidding separately, Fang Ming could raise prices, mislead competitors, hide his true intentions, and make certain goods appear more desirable than they really were.
In business, multiple hands were always useful.
But Fang Ming rejected the idea almost immediately.
Fairy Huang Sha and Fairy Qing Suo could not appear.
Both had once participated in the attack on Lang Ya land spirit. That matter was not simple. Behind the scenes, Shadow Sect had pushed them forward and secretly provided Lang Ya blessed land's location.
Others might not know this.
Fang Ming knew.
And Qin Bai Sheng was not clean.
This auction looked like Qin Bai Sheng's grand event, but Fang Ming understood that Qin Bai Sheng had deep ties with Shadow Sect. Bringing Fairy Huang Sha or Fairy Qing Suo into Qin Bai Sheng's territory was no different from placing clues before a hidden enemy.
Shadow Sect might recognize them.
They might test them.
They might trace their current owner.
Even if the chance was small, Fang Ming would not take it for mere bidding convenience.
Only someone fearless, desperate, or unaware of the deeper danger would dare bring Shadow Sect-used pawns into Shadow Sect-related channels.
Fang Ming was not such a person.
Then there was Bian Si Xuan.
She was now an immortal and the first elder of Eagle Sect, but she was even more unsuitable. She had been involved in the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building collapse and was wanted in Northern Plains. Bringing her to an auction filled with Northern Plains super forces would be inviting disaster.
As for mortal Eagle Sect Gu Masters, they were useless.
A mortal could not manipulate a Gu Immortal auction.
Thus, Fang Ming could only attend alone.
This was unfortunate, but acceptable.
He had wealth.
He had disguise methods.
He had an Eastern Sea identity that could withstand ordinary checks.
And if the situation truly became troublesome, he could still secretly contact Fang Yuan.
But that was only the last option.
Fang Yuan would also attend this auction. Fang Ming was almost certain of it. The auction involved Gu Immortal captives, Immortal Gu exchanges, and Northern Plains' chaotic aftermath. It was too important for Fang Yuan to miss.
But Fang Ming would not go with him.
Allies did not need to walk through the front door together.
Sometimes, the safest cooperation was pretending not to know each other.
Fang Ming left the aperture after making preparations.
His appearance changed.
He no longer looked like Fang Ming. His face became broader, his skin slightly darker, and his eyes gained the calm, calculating look of an experienced Eastern Sea trader. His aura was restrained, but not weak. His clothing was expensive without being ostentatious, the kind of robe a wealthy merchant Gu Immortal might wear when attending an important event.
This identity was not completely fabricated.
In Hai Shi blessed land, he truly did sell food beasts.
He truly had Northern Plains clients.
He truly possessed wealth from trade.
A lie supported by truth was always harder to expose.
Several days later, Fang Ming arrived near crimson reed marsh.
The scenery here was striking.
Countless crimson reeds rose from the water, stretching across the marsh like a red ocean. Water channels twisted between them, forming a natural maze. Birds flew low over the surface, and faint mist drifted between the reeds.
Fang Ming paused briefly in the distance.
This was Qin Bai Sheng's territory.
A public auction ground.
A hidden Shadow Sect node.
A gathering place for Northern Plains heroes.
He did not rush in. Instead, he adjusted his aura once more, confirming that his disguise had no obvious flaws. Then he flew forward openly.
Before long, an attendant Gu Master appeared and guided him inward.
Soon, Fang Ming saw the entrance to Bai Sheng blessed land.
Several Gu Immortals had already arrived. Some stood alone, some came in groups, and some hid their faces under cloaks or masks. There were righteous path Gu Immortals with composed expressions, demonic path Gu Immortals with cold eyes, and lone cultivators who looked wary of everyone.
When Fang Ming's turn came, Qin Bai Sheng personally glanced at him.
Qin Bai Sheng had a broad smile, warm and heroic. His aura was steady, and his manner was open, as if he was a host who welcomed all guests without prejudice.
"An esteemed guest from Eastern Sea?" Qin Bai Sheng said with a laugh. "This auction is fortunate to attract friends from far away."
Fang Ming cupped his fists.
"I do some food beast business through Hai Shi blessed land. Some Northern Plains clients mentioned Brother Qin's auction, so I came to broaden my horizons."
His tone was calm and polite.
Not too humble.
Not too proud.
Qin Bai Sheng's gaze lingered on him for half a breath.
"Eastern Sea is rich in resources, and Hai Shi blessed land gathers merchants from everywhere. For fellow immortal to hear of this auction through trade channels shows that your business is not small."
"Only enough to eat," Fang Ming replied.
Qin Bai Sheng laughed heartily.
"For a Gu Immortal, being able to say 'enough to eat' is already not easy. Fellow immortal, would you like to sit in the main hall, a single room, or a secret room?"
"A secret room."
Fang Ming answered without hesitation.
Qin Bai Sheng nodded.
"Good. A secret room suits guests who prefer quiet."
An attendant led Fang Ming away.
As he walked, Fang Ming did not look around too much. Curiosity was natural, but excessive curiosity could become a flaw. He maintained the bearing of a wealthy outside-region merchant attending a large auction for profit.
Soon, he entered the secret room.
The door closed.
The noise outside faded immediately.
The room was spacious, far larger than it looked from outside. Several mortal Gu floated in the air, waiting for the room's owner to use them. A table stood in the center, holding an east window Gu and several communication Gu used for bidding.
Fang Ming picked up one mortal Gu and injected primeval essence.
The room changed instantly.
The walls vanished.
He stood on a mountain peak above white clouds. A pavilion appeared behind him, and wind brushed across his robes. In the distance, cranes flew through misty peaks.
Fang Ming's expression did not change.
Illusion.
He activated another Gu.
The mountain vanished, replaced by a wide river. A boat rested beneath his feet, drifting beside reeds. The sky was clear, and sunlight reflected on the water.
Another Gu.
The river became a lake.
Then an ocean.
Then a terrace.
Then a quiet bamboo forest.
Fang Ming tested each change carefully.
To ordinary Gu Immortals, these arrangements were only comfort. Some might enjoy choosing an environment that suited their temperament. Some might use the illusion to relax while waiting for the auction.
But Fang Ming was now a formation path grandmaster.
He saw more.
The secret room's illusion system was only the outermost layer. Beneath it were concealment arrangements, sound isolation, restricted viewing channels, bidding communication pathways, and defensive partitions. The room allowed the guest to observe the main hall, but prevented the main hall from seeing back. It hid voice, aura, and most probing methods.
Most importantly, it gave the host control without appearing to do so.
Qin Bai Sheng had built a system where guests felt secure, but the auction side still controlled all channels.
Fang Ming smiled faintly.
"As expected, not simple."
He did not try to break the arrangements.
That would be foolish.
He only observed enough to understand the rough structure, then stopped. In another person's blessed land, especially Qin Bai Sheng's blessed land, curiosity had to have limits.
Fang Ming changed the room into a quiet pavilion beside a lake.
Then he picked up the east window Gu.
His consciousness entered it.
A long catalog appeared.
The number of items was enormous.
Materials.
Gu recipes.
Beast groups.
Killer moves.
Resource points.
Rare mortal Gu.
Ancient desolate beast parts.
Inheritance fragments.
Immortal materials.
Special requests.
Some items accepted immortal essence stones directly.
Some required specific resources.
Some wanted rare materials.
Some sellers only accepted exchange for items of equivalent rarity.
Fang Ming read calmly.
He did not lock onto one category.
Relic Gu appeared in the catalog, but he only glanced at them briefly.
Useful, but not important.
They were mortal Gu. With his current wealth and channels, obtaining relic Gu outside this auction would not be difficult. He did need more rank four Gu Masters for dream formation material production, but shaping his auction strategy around relic Gu would be beneath the value of this event.
Dream path items were even rarer.
Fang Ming did not expect much.
In this era, dream path had barely begun. Only a tiny number of people in the world possessed real dream path Gu, and among them, those with dream path Immortal Gu could likely be counted on one hand. Feng Jin Huang was one. There might be one or two hidden Gu Immortals with related Immortal Gu, but such things would not casually appear here.
If a strange dream-related item surfaced, Fang Ming would pay attention.
But he did not come expecting it.
Formation resources were more meaningful.
Now that he had formation path grandmaster attainment, some items that once looked ordinary might contain hidden value. Formation plates, flags, inheritance fragments, special earth veins, and resource circulation materials all entered his consideration.
Still, he was not desperate.
Beast resources also appeared.
His eyes paused slightly longer whenever eagle groups, flying beast inheritances, or enslavement path resources related to aerial beasts appeared. His enslavement path direction was eagles. The star hounds in his second aperture were useful, but they were a special case, not the core road.
Hound resources appeared in the catalog too.
Fang Ming skipped most of them.
A man who chased every side road would eventually lose his main path.
He continued reading.
Some goods were interesting because they were undervalued.
Some were interesting because the seller's requested resources were strange.
Some were interesting because Fang Ming could offer food beasts or trade channel support where others could only offer stones.
His food beast merchant identity was not only a disguise. It was also a real bargaining tool.
Immortal essence stones were useful.
But they were not everything.
A Gu Immortal who raised beasts might prefer stable food beast supply.
A seller from Northern Plains might want Eastern Sea materials.
A lone cultivator might want defensive one-time-use methods.
Fang Ming had things others did not.
But he would not reveal everything casually.
Ironclad totems, for example, could be extremely attractive. But exposing them here would connect his mysterious treasure yellow heaven business with his Eastern Sea food beast identity. That was not impossible, but it required careful timing.
He would not throw out trump cards before the auction even began.
After reading the ordinary sections, Fang Ming finally reached the Immortal Gu portion.
His gaze became more serious.
Immortal Gu were unique.
They could not be treated like ordinary auction goods.
The catalog listed Immortal Gu from different paths, with exchange conditions written behind them. Almost none accepted immortal essence stones. The sellers wanted other Immortal Gu, or very specific conditions.
This was expected.
For mortal resources, wealth could dominate.
For Immortal Gu, wealth was merely an entry ticket.
If he wanted an Immortal Gu, he either had to offer another Immortal Gu, reveal something equally tempting, or find a way to benefit without winning the bid directly.
Fang Ming slowly read each entry.
He did not show greed.
He only remembered.
Some Gu were unsuitable to him.
Some were useful but too expensive.
Some had effects that might be worth copying if he could get close enough.
Some were traps in disguise, the kind of Gu that looked strong but brought trouble.
He did not make decisions yet.
The auction had not started.
A catalog was only dead information. The real auction depended on people.
Fang Ming put down the east window Gu and activated the room's viewing method.
The main hall appeared before him.
Many Gu Immortals had already gathered.
Some sat quietly.
Some spoke with old friends.
Some laughed loudly.
Some stared at enemies without hiding their killing intent.
A few Gu Immortals were openly reconnecting after years apart.
"Old Lu, you are still alive?"
"You survived your heavenly tribulation?"
"Barely. I slowed my blessed land's time flow for many years. Cowardly, but safe."
"Safe is not cowardly. Dead people are the only true fools."
Elsewhere, two Gu Immortals were clearly hostile.
"You actually dared to come."
"If you can come, why can't I?"
"You stole my Gu back then."
"And now I am auctioning something you need. Bid if you have the ability."
The main hall looked calm on the surface, but underneath it were grudges, alliances, debts, and ambitions.
Fang Ming watched silently.
This was Northern Plains.
Even in an auction, the smell of battle was never far away.
At this moment, the hall's conversation lowered.
A white-robed old man entered.
His hair was white, but his spirit was fierce. He walked with casual confidence, yet every step seemed steady enough to shake the floor. Many Gu Immortals looked over.
Yuan Rang Zun.
Yuan tribe's first supreme elder.
A rank seven Gu Immortal with peak battle strength, leader of one of Northern Plains' super forces.
Qin Bai Sheng personally greeted him.
The two exchanged words warmly, but Fang Ming could see the respect beneath Qin Bai Sheng's manner. This was not an ordinary guest. Yuan Rang Zun represented wealth, power, and super force authority.
After Yuan Rang Zun chose a single room and disappeared from view, another notable figure arrived.
A handsome scholar walked in, followed by a female Gu Immortal in red.
The main hall stirred again.
"Unfettered Scholar."
"He brought Fairy Hong Xiu this time."
"I heard Fairy Tian Xiang stayed behind to guard his blessed land."
"Heh, lone cultivator? With two Gu Immortal attendants, he lives better than many super force elders."
Unfettered Scholar's expression was relaxed. He seemed gentle, but no one dared underestimate him.
Fang Ming looked at him calmly.
Northern Plains had many such people.
Every Gu Immortal who reached this stage had their own story. Some were born from super forces. Some rose from ruins. Some relied on luck. Some relied on ruthlessness. Some survived impossible situations and became legends among mortals.
This auction gathered them together.
Heroes.
Monsters.
Merchants.
Murderers.
Scheming elders.
Hidden outsiders.
Fang Ming leaned back in his chair.
He was wealthy now. His businesses produced steady income. His strength was not weak. His apertures were developing quickly. He had refinement path and formation path grandmaster attainment. He possessed unique methods and hidden trump cards.
But he did not feel dominant here.
This was not Eastern Sea's food beast market, where suppliers could be killed and prices rewritten.
This was not his aperture, where time, people, and formations obeyed his will.
This was Qin Bai Sheng's blessed land.
This was a Northern Plains auction filled with sharp-eyed immortals.
And behind the visible host, a deeper shadow existed.
Fang Ming's eyes were calm.
He had come to find opportunities, not to become the center of attention.
He would watch broadly.
Bid only when worthwhile.
Avoid revealing strong desire unless necessary.
And if something truly important appeared, he would decide then whether risk was worth the price.
Outside the secret room, more Gu Immortals continued arriving.
The auction had not yet begun.
But the pressure of Northern Plains had already arrived.