Chapter 155: Seller's Market
The moment Qin Bai Sheng announced the Immortal Gu auction, the atmosphere in Bai Sheng blessed land changed.
The previous items had been valuable. Desolate beasts, rare beast groups, immortal materials, ancient Gu recipes, resource points — any one of them could support a Gu Immortal's development.
But Immortal Gu were different.
Immortal Gu were unique.
There could only be one of each in the world.
If someone missed this chance, they might never see the same Gu again.
Qin Bai Sheng stood on the platform and took out several mortal Gu.
"These mortal Gu will decide the order of the Immortal Gu auction. Immortal Gu auctioned earlier naturally have an advantage, so the order will be random. Everyone may inspect them."
The mortal Gu were passed around.
Gu Immortals in the main hall inspected them carefully. Those in single rooms and secret rooms also received them. Some inspected them once, then demanded to inspect them again after they were passed through other hands.
No one laughed.
This was normal.
In an auction involving Immortal Gu, caution was not shameful.
After all inspections ended, Qin Bai Sheng activated the mortal Gu in front of everyone.
Smoke rose and gathered into words.
Conceal Luck.
"The first Immortal Gu is Conceal Luck Immortal Gu, rank six luck path. The seller wants a metal path defensive Immortal Gu."
The hall became quiet.
Then, soft discussions rose.
Luck path was mysterious, but it was not widespread. Conceal Luck could hide one's luck from inspection, but if the enemy did not have luck inspection methods, its value fell sharply.
After waiting for a while, no one bid.
The first Immortal Gu failed to sell.
This result made many Gu Immortals' expressions shift.
Even Immortal Gu were not guaranteed to be desired.
Soon, the second Immortal Gu was selected.
"Heavenly Gong Immortal Gu, rank six sound path. Seller wants transformation path Immortal Gu."
Before Qin Bai Sheng finished speaking, an old Gu Immortal in the main hall stood up angrily.
"He Lang Zi!"
A rough laugh sounded.
He Lang Zi appeared openly, his expression cruel and mocking. His gaze was like a wolf staring at prey.
"Old man Xiong Yuan, if you want it, bid. What are you shouting for?"
The hall immediately became livelier.
This Heavenly Gong Immortal Gu had been Xiong Yuan's Gu, but it had been stolen by He Lang Zi. Now it appeared openly in the auction.
Several transformation path bids came in.
He Lang Zi did not accept casually. Transformation path Immortal Gu were useful only when they suited one's transformation system. Demon ferret skin, moon demon bat claw, and other offers appeared, but he rejected them one after another.
Then Fairy You Lan bid.
Many Gu Immortals immediately thought of Prince Feng Xian behind her. No one knew that this so-called Fairy You Lan was Feng Jiu Ge in disguise, and Heavenly Gong suited his true sound path cultivation.
In the end, the first secret room won.
The bid included Grand Smoke Sea Turtle Shell Immortal Gu, information about Ascending Heaven Plain, and a group of water wolves.
Qin Bai Sheng personally acted as middleman to protect the secret room's identity.
But after He Lang Zi read the information, his expression turned dark.
The information was true.
The problem was that Ascending Heaven Plain was in Eastern Sea.
For He Lang Zi, a Northern Plains lone cultivator, this was almost useless.
He collected the water wolves and left the auction early, his anger suppressed but obvious.
The hall laughed softly after he left, but the laughter faded quickly.
The auction continued.
The next Immortal Gu appeared.
"For the next item, Force Field Defense Immortal Gu. Rank six defensive Gu. Seller Zhu Shan is a wood path Gu Immortal. He wishes to exchange for a wood path Immortal Gu, preferably control-type."
On the platform, the image of the Gu appeared.
It looked like a translucent round shell, but its surface rippled faintly like invisible air currents. It did not resemble armor. It was not meant to harden the body.
It created a defensive field around the Gu Immortal.
This field was especially suited for blocking projectiles, ranged killer moves, and attacks coming from a distance.
The main hall stirred, but the interest was not too fierce.
Most defensive Gu Immortals wanted armor.
Most strength path Gu Immortals wanted close-combat protection.
Force Field Defense was different. It suited someone who wanted to keep enemies away, resist ranged pressure, and maintain distance.
That was not the mainstream strength path style.
Strength path Gu Immortals were usually direct.
Domination Immortal Chu Du, Hei Lou Lan, Fang Yuan — these people all favored close-range power. They relied on body strength, collision, pressure, and direct attacks.
Even if they used ranged strength path methods, such moves were often inefficient. Spending two or three times the immortal essence to produce the same destructive force as a close-range strike was not something most Gu Immortals liked.
Immortal essence was precious.
Efficiency was survival.
Inside a secret room, Fang Ming's gaze sharpened.
Others disliked this Gu because it did not match the common strength path style.
But it matched him.
Fang Ming's current mature combat system was not close-range brawling.
He could fight at close range. His strength dao marks strengthened his body. Steel Body Strength Immortal Gu protected him. His raw physique was not weak.
But he did not like personally tangling with enemies unless necessary.
Close combat could be left to clones.
His own best-developed methods were long-range strength path attacks.
Tyrannical Push.
Tyrannical Lift.
Tyrannical Repulse.
Tyrannical Crash.
Especially Tyrannical Crash — it crushed the air and space around the target, forcing destruction from a distance.
For Fang Ming, range was still king.
He could afford the consumption.
He activated the bidding Gu.
"I offer Strong Lift Immortal Gu, and ten Ironclad one-time-use defensive killer move totems."
The hall fell silent.
Then it erupted.
"Ten Ironclad totems?"
"Who is this bidder?"
"Are those genuine?"
"They must be. Qin Bai Sheng would not allow false items here."
Many Gu Immortals showed shock.
Strong Lift Immortal Gu was already a proper bid.
But the ten Ironclad totems caused a larger reaction.
Ironclad totems had spread through treasure yellow heaven not long ago. Their use was simple, direct, and life-saving. One activation produced a defensive immortal killer move that could protect the user for a limited time.
The problem was supply.
Demand was enormous.
Production had increased slightly recently, but it was still capped. The mysterious seller had shown no obvious plan to expand aggressively. On the resale market, each Ironclad totem could reach around eighty immortal essence stones.
More importantly, buying one was already difficult.
Buying ten was not merely a matter of wealth.
It meant connections.
It meant luck.
It meant finding Gu Immortals willing to resell a life-saving item instead of keeping it for themselves.
Several gazes turned toward the secret rooms.
An unknown bidder could casually take out ten Ironclad totems?
What background did he have?
On the platform, Qin Bai Sheng's eyes also moved slightly.
He inspected the offer through the auction Gu and confirmed its truth.
Zhu Shan hesitated.
He was wood path. What he wanted most was a wood path Immortal Gu, preferably one suited for control. But such offers were scarce. Those who had wood path Gu did not necessarily want Force Field Defense. Those who wanted Force Field Defense did not necessarily have what he wanted.
Strong Lift Immortal Gu could be traded later.
The ten Ironclad totems were immediate defensive capital.
After considering for several breaths, Zhu Shan made his choice.
"I accept this bid."
The transaction was completed through Qin Bai Sheng.
Force Field Defense Immortal Gu entered Fang Ming's hands.
Fang Ming stored it away calmly.
This Gu would not make his attacks stronger.
But it would make his preferred combat distance safer.
That was enough.
The auction did not stop because of one shocking bid.
Soon, another Immortal Gu was selected.
This time, Qin Bai Sheng's expression became slightly strange before he announced, "The next Immortal Gu is Platinum Armor Immortal Gu, rank six strength path defensive Gu. The seller requests a strength path movement Gu, an investigation Gu, or an enslavement path eagle-related Gu."
A pale platinum armor appeared in the image.
Unlike Force Field Defense, this Gu's purpose was obvious at a glance.
Close combat defense.
Its aura was solid, heavy, and direct. It suited charging, collision, grappling, and resisting attacks head-on.
The main hall immediately became more interested than before.
This was the kind of defensive Gu strength path Gu Immortals liked.
Inside his secret room, Fang Ming watched calmly.
Platinum Armor Immortal Gu had been copied and virtually refined from his own Steel Body Strength Immortal Gu, adjusted to focus more purely on defense. It was a good Gu, but it overlapped with his current foundation.
Selling it here was more useful than keeping it.
A voice came from one of the secret rooms.
"I offer Floating Cloud Immortal Gu."
Fang Yuan.
His voice was disguised, but Fang Ming knew.
Fang Yuan wanted Platinum Armor.
This was natural. Fang Yuan's immortal zombie body and strength path foundation suited such a Gu.
Floating Cloud Immortal Gu was tempting, but not enough for Fang Ming to decide immediately.
Soon, another voice sounded from the main hall.
"I offer Eagle Eye Immortal Gu."
The speaker was Chu Du.
Domination Immortal Chu Du's voice was calm and powerful. The moment he spoke, many Gu Immortals turned toward him.
Qin Bai Sheng introduced the offer.
"Eagle Eye Immortal Gu, enslavement path. It allows the user to see through the eyes of controlled eagles. It grants eagle-like dynamic vision, long-distance perception, and greatly improves clarity when observing fast-moving enemies or attacks. Its effect weakens at night, falling below thirty percent of its full ability."
Some Gu Immortals showed little interest.
Others immediately understood its value.
This was not a top investigation Gu. It could not compare to profound investigative methods that tracked fate, aura, dao marks, or hidden traces.
But on the battlefield, it was practical.
Especially for someone using flying beasts.
Especially eagles.
Fang Ming's eyes lit faintly.
Eagle Eye suited him far better than Floating Cloud.
His enslavement path foundation centered on eagles. His eagle formations, aerial forces, scouting system, and future combat formations could all use this Gu.
More importantly, its dynamic vision solved a real weakness.
When one moved too quickly, seeing clearly became difficult.
When the enemy moved too quickly, tracking them became difficult.
Eagle Eye helped with both.
Even its weakness at night was acceptable. Below thirty percent of full power was still far beyond mortal vision, and Fang Ming had other ways to compensate in darkness.
He did not let the auction drag on.
"I choose Eagle Eye Immortal Gu."
The result was immediate.
Fang Yuan's Floating Cloud Gu was rejected.
Chu Du received Platinum Armor Immortal Gu.
Fang Ming obtained Eagle Eye Immortal Gu.
In his secret room, Fang Ming refined the first trace of ownership connection through the auction process and smiled faintly.
Force Field Defense strengthened his preferred distance.
Eagle Eye strengthened his battlefield vision.
Both were practical.
Both fit his path.
The auction continued.
Several Immortal Gu passed quickly afterward.
Fang Yuan's Rising Azure Cloud Immortal Gu appeared. It was a rank six cloud path movement Gu, and he requested strength path Immortal Gu in exchange.
Several bids appeared: star desolate hound strength, iron crown eagle strength, qi grand lion strength, and even rare immortal materials like rule eye blood.
In the end, Fang Yuan chose Iron Crown Eagle Strength Gu.
It was not the highest-looking bid, but it suited him best. It was a flying beast strength Gu, compatible with his true solid bat wings.
This also reminded everyone again that Immortal Gu auctions were not simple highest-price-wins.
Immortal Gu were unique.
Resources were difficult to compare.
The seller's needs decided everything.
More Immortal Gu appeared after that.
A fire path Immortal Gu drew competition from several experts, even Five Elements Grandmaster. Yet he did not necessarily win, because the seller preferred another bidder's materials.
Metal path Immortal Gu appeared next.
One was bought by Five Elements Grandmaster.
Another was actually bought by Qin Bai Sheng himself.
The auction hall became increasingly heated.
Immortal Gu appeared one after another, an astonishing scene that Northern Plains had not seen for hundreds of years. The collapse of Eighty-Eight True Yang Building had caused countless undercurrents. Many Gu Immortals had obtained unexpected gains, and now they were using this rare auction to exchange those gains for things that truly suited them.
Then Qin Bai Sheng announced another item.
"Next is the twenty-third auction item, Worldly Wave Trace Immortal Gu. Rank six movement Gu."
Before he finished speaking, two hidden gazes sharpened.
In one single room, Feng Jiu Ge's fingers tightened slightly.
Worldly Wave Trace.
One of the core Immortal Gu of Water Pavilion.
He had to obtain it.
In the first secret room, the Eastern Sea rank eight Gu Immortal also became focused.
To him, Worldly Wave Trace had another value. With the recipe he possessed, it could help him refine World Horizon Immortal Gu, reducing the difficulty of entering the immemorial nine heavens.
The bidding began.
Several ordinary bids appeared first, but they were quickly overwhelmed.
Fairy You Lan's voice sounded.
"I offer Pulling Mountain Immortal Gu, and one hundred and fifty kilograms of heaven metal."
The hall shook.
Heaven metal was an immortal material from the immemorial nine heavens. One hundred and fifty kilograms was not a small quantity.
Many bidders immediately fell silent.
Then the first secret room bid.
"Overturn River Immortal Gu, and two hundred and fifty kilograms of crack divine water."
The hall shook again.
Crack divine water was on the same level as heaven metal. It was extremely difficult to gather.
The clash between the two sides instantly rose beyond what ordinary rank six Gu Immortals could touch.
Feng Jiu Ge laughed lightly using Fairy You Lan's voice.
"Whatever the seller needs — materials, Gu recipes, beast groups, variant human slaves — they may name it."
The hall stirred.
Everyone thought of Prince Feng Xian.
This Fairy You Lan represented a rank eight great expert. Such words carried weight.
But the first secret room did not retreat.
The Eastern Sea rank eight Gu Immortal was not frightened.
Prince Feng Xian was rank eight.
Was he not also rank eight?
"My request is the same," the first secret room said. "Let the seller state their conditions."
In the tenth secret room, Fang Yuan's eyes brightened.
Both sides desperately wanted this Gu.
Then the seller had the advantage.
He took out Lang Ya land spirit's material list, multiplied the quantities several times, and handed it to Qin Bai Sheng.
Qin Bai Sheng received the list and paused.
His expression became strange.
Then he displayed the demand to the hall.
The hall erupted for the third time.
"Three thousand kilograms of heaven metal?"
"And crack divine water too?"
"Is this seller insane?"
"Does he think immortal materials grow from grass?"
Even Feng Jiu Ge and the Eastern Sea rank eight Gu Immortal were stunned.
For a moment, Worldly Wave Trace Immortal Gu hung above the auction like bait over a deep sea.
And below it, two rank eight-level forces had already opened their mouths.