Gou's Liver Experience in the World of Demons and Demons

A new round of bidding began. The auction hall's attention gradually shifted to the new treasures. However, the enigmatic relationship between Young Master Gu Sheng of Tianjia Private Room and the Holy Maiden of Zixiao was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, its ripples spreading quietly.

Countless gazes, some open, some hidden, frequently drifted towards the two quiet private rooms, filled with curiosity and speculation. Tonight was destined to be extraordinary.

The auction continued smoothly. After the first item, "Qingnang Lihuo Technique," was sold for a record-breaking 20 million yuan and "gifted" in an astonishing manner, the subsequent dozen or so items were all rare and precious.

From rare natural treasures to powerful magical artifacts, and even some uniquely effective elixirs and talismans, each item sparked fierce bidding and was sold at considerable prices, keeping the atmosphere at the venue high-spirited.

However, inside the private room of Tianjia, Gu Sheng seemed somewhat distracted by the bidding. He had already skimmed through the list of items before the auction began, and most of them were either useless to him or, while valuable, not urgently needed at the moment.

Even though there were a few things that seemed beneficial to cultivation, they paled in comparison to the inheritance he received from the Azure Dragon Venerable's secret vault.

At this moment, his mind was mostly occupied by the "Purple Cloud Saintess" who had suddenly appeared.

The other person's plaintive and lingering words, as if they couldn't forget their past love, lingered in his mind like a mist.

He was certain he didn't know this person, but the details and precise hints in the other person's words were definitely not unfounded.

Seeing Gu Sheng remain silent with a thoughtful look in his eyes, Tantai Xueli felt inexplicably uneasy.

She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help speaking, her voice softer than usual.

"Brother Gu Sheng... are you still thinking about that Purple Cloud Saintess?"

Gu Sheng did not answer immediately, his gaze still somewhat unfocused.

Tantai Xueli pursed her lips, gave a soft hum, and guessed with a hint of sourness that she herself did not realize.

"Perhaps... they were just having a whim and playing a prank on you. Twenty million top-grade spirit stones is an astronomical figure for ordinary cultivators, but for the Holy Maiden of a behemoth like the Purple Cloud Holy Land, it might just be a toy tossed around casually, nothing at all."

Her words were half analysis and half a defiant statement.

Upon hearing this, Gu Sheng snapped out of his reverie, glanced at Tantai Xueli, gave a noncommittal "hmm," and said nothing more.

He had considered this possibility, but his intuition told him that things weren't that simple.

The self-designation "Xue'er," and the wording of "separation" and "reunion," are too specific, subtly pointing to a particular point in time and event.

Not far away, Gu Yuanyuan, who was sitting obediently on the soft chair but had been eavesdropping the whole time, quietly tugged at Qi Diaoyao's sleeve next to her, and then carefully extended a wisp of her mental energy toward Qi Diaoyao, trying to use the mental energy transmission she had just learned.

"Sister Yaoyao, is Sister Xueli... jealous? She sounds a bit strange."

Qi Diao Yaoyao received this faint and loose mental fluctuation. Her cold face remained expressionless, but she responded with her mental power, her voice resounding directly in Gu Yuanyuan's mind.

"Be more confident, and drop the 'is it or isn't it? Yuan Yuan, you should have more faith in your older brother. It's just that he... doesn't seem to be thinking about this, or... is just too slow to notice."

Gu Yuanyuan blinked her big eyes, seemingly understanding but not quite.

However, just as the two women finished their brief "whisper"—

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Two extremely faint, yet seemingly soul-crushing sounds rang out simultaneously in Gu Yuanyuan and Qi Diaoyaoyao's minds! It wasn't a real sound, but rather a nearly tangible spiritual force, like an elder's slightly reproachful finger gently flicking their foreheads.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Sheng's voice, tinged with helplessness and seriousness, resounded directly in the two women's minds through mental transmission.

"Focus on understanding the Daoist principles of this place, solidify your own cultivation, and refrain from gossiping about the adults behind their backs."

Although the tone wasn't harsh, it carried an undeniable air of authority.

Gu Yuanyuan was startled, her face flushed slightly, and she shrank back guiltily, feeling incredibly shocked.

My brother's mental power has become so strong that he can so easily detect and intervene in the faint mental communication between them?!

She couldn't help but send another telepathic message to Gu Sheng, filled with surprise and curiosity.

"Brother, you...you can hear us communicating telepathically?"

Gu Sheng's voice rang in her mind again, tinged with annoyance.

"Your spiritual power is as loose as willow catkins. Not to mention me, even Xue Li could detect the fluctuations if she paid a little attention. If you want to whisper in the future, at least condense your spiritual power first."

Gu Yuanyuan stuck out her tongue, not daring to "act recklessly" anymore, and sat up obediently. But she still couldn't help but mutter something in a very low voice, as if talking to herself.

"But... when we were in the ruins, you didn't seem this powerful... This change is too fast..."

He does not mean that.

The words "ruins" were like a spark, instantly igniting a clue in Gu Sheng's mind that had been vaguely present but had never been able to connect!
Ruins and ruins... She became the Purple Cloud Saintess a month ago... A turning point in time... "Xue'er"... A separation... A reunion...

In a flash, a long-lost name and figure, almost forgotten, suddenly broke through the fog of memory and clearly emerged—Jin'er!
That girl who fought alongside him, Shen Qingtan, and others against Xiao Beixuan in the Thousand Souls Palace ruins, and then mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only a token! The strength she displayed, her mysterious background, and that meaningful look in her eyes at the end…

All the clues connected instantly!
A month ago... shortly after the dust settled on the Thousand Souls Palace ruins incident! The new Holy Maiden of Zixiao was appointed! Jin'er's mysterious and unpredictable background perfectly matched the Holy Maiden's origins!

The token she left behind seemed to have a hint of purple thunder patterns... "Xue'er"? Jin'er? Could it be her alias or nickname? Her words "farewell" and "reunion" correspond to the parting at the ruins and the reunion at today's auction?!

The confusion and contemplation in Gu Sheng's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a clear and certain understanding. Although he couldn't be 100% certain, he was at least 80-90% sure that this sudden appearance of the Purple Cloud Saintess was none other than "Jin'er," with whom he had briefly fought side-by-side in the ruins of the Thousand Souls Palace in the Eastern Wilderness!
Having figured this out, his inexplicable doubts and wariness lessened slightly, but what followed was deeper contemplation. What was the other party's intention in "reuniting" in this way and presenting such a generous gift? Was it merely to reminisce? It was probably not that simple.

His gaze returned to its usual calm and composure as he turned to Tantai Xueli, who had been watching his changing expressions, and spoke.

"There's no need to worry. I already have some guesses about the identity of that Purple Cloud Saintess. Let's put this matter aside for now and deal with it after the auction."

Seeing that his expression suddenly became relaxed and confident, Tantai Xueli became even more puzzled, but seeing that he seemed unwilling to talk more, she had no choice but to suppress her curiosity and nod gently.

"It's good that Brother Gu Sheng knows what's going on."

Just then, the auctioneer Hongxiao's voice rang out again from the auction stage below, carrying a touch of formulaic sweetness. "Distinguished guests, the next item will be the twentieth item in this auction. This item was added to the auction at the last minute, and after being appraised by the masters of Wanbaodian, its quality is absolutely guaranteed."

An unexpected addition? Many people in the room became interested.

A maid carried a jade box onto the stage. Hongxiao lifted the lid, revealing not a physical object inside, but a jade talisman emitting a faint earthy yellow glow.

"This is a martial art at the Venerable Realm level—the 'Mountain-Turning and Sea-Overturning Palm'!"

Hongxiao introduced herself in a loud voice.

"This martial skill has reached the upper grade of the Venerable Realm. Within its jade talisman, not only is the complete cultivation method recorded, but it also contains the complete Daoist imprint of its creator—a peak Ninth Rank Venerable! Comprehending this Daoist imprint will provide Venerable Realm cultivators with great reference and inspiration for understanding their own path! Starting bid—ten million top-grade spirit stones!"

Whoosh—!
A gasp rippled through the audience once more. A high-grade martial art for the Venerable Realm, complete with the creator's Daoist imprint! This was far more valuable than a mere martial arts manual! For many Venerable Realm cultivators stuck at a bottleneck, it was nothing short of a guiding light! The starting bid of ten million seemed exorbitant, but considering its added value, it was absolutely worth it!
However, in a private room on the second floor, Shi Wufeng, who had been observing coldly, suddenly had his pupils contract when he heard the keywords "added items to the auction" and "Venerable Realm martial arts technique"! A surge of anger erupted like a volcano!
He stared intently at the earthen-yellow jade talisman below, then abruptly turned his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall to reach the Heavenly Armor Private Room on the third floor! There was no mistake! This was definitely the "Myriad Manifestations Seal" that the Myriad Manifestations Holy Land had compensated Gu Sheng with!
He had assumed Gu Sheng would cultivate it himself or keep it temporarily, never expecting the other party to be so decisive as to put it up for auction! And in full view of everyone!
He initially agreed to pay the real item as compensation partly due to the bet and pressure from the Tantai family, and partly because he had a ulterior motive—if he could kill Gu Sheng on the arena the next day, the martial art would naturally return to the Holy Land, and he could even reclaim the huge sum of spirit stones. But he never expected Gu Sheng to act so swiftly and decisively!
"This brat... deserves to die!"

Shi Wufeng's heart was filled with murderous intent.

Although the "Myriad Manifestations Seal" is not a core sect-protecting technique, it is still one of the sacred ground's inherited skills, and many disciples have practiced it. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, be carefully studied, and have its key points and weaknesses discovered, it would undoubtedly pose a huge threat to the sacred ground's disciples who cultivate this technique! Sacred ground martial arts cannot be allowed to leak out!

Seeing that some people below the stage were already eager to try and prepare to bid, Shi Wufeng could no longer hold back. He suddenly stood up and a cold shout full of anger and intimidation came out from the private room where he was.

"Twenty million top-grade spirit stones!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, instantly drowning out all the noise in the room.

Immediately afterwards, his cold and domineering voice continued to resound throughout the venue.

"This item is for the Myriad Manifestations Holy Land! Anyone who dares to contest it will be an enemy of the Myriad Manifestations Holy Land!"

The entire room fell silent instantly!

Countless gazes turned in astonishment towards the private room where Shi Wufeng was located. Although the interior was obscured, the arrogance and threat in his words were blatant and undisguised!

After a brief silence, the hall erupted in chaos!

"The Holy Land of Myriad Phenomena? That's too domineering!"

"At an auction, the highest bidder wins. Why shouldn't others be allowed to compete?"

"That's right! This is Tianyuan Imperial City, not some other Wanxiang Imperial City!"

"It seems this martial art... has quite a story behind it..."

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, some expressing dissatisfaction with the domineering behavior of the Myriad Realms Holy Land, while others were curious about the inside story.

Auctioneer Hongxiao frowned deeply, and her professional smile faded.

She spoke in a deep voice, which carried the majesty of the Wanbao Palace through the array.

"Distinguished guest, please watch your words. This is the Tantai Wanbaodian Auction, which follows the rule of the highest bidder wins. Any act of threatening or intimidating other bidders is a provocation against the rules of our Wanbaodian. Please have some self-respect."

Hongxiao's words were neither humble nor arrogant, but clearly expressed the attitude of Wanbaodian—even the Holy Land cannot act recklessly here!

Inside the private room of Tianjia, Gu Sheng smiled faintly as he leisurely picked up the spiritual tea beside him and took a sip.

He had long anticipated that Shi Wufeng would be unable to sit still once this martial skill was unleashed.

Tantai Xueli also understood, looked at Gu Sheng, and whispered.

"Is this the martial art that the Myriad Phenomena Holy Land gave you as a reward?"

Gu Sheng nodded.

"Exactly."

"You...you actually put it up for auction?"

Tantai Xueli was both amused and exasperated.

"Isn't this completely offending the Holy Land of Myriad Forms?"

"offend?"

Gu Sheng put down his teacup, his tone indifferent.

"From the moment they sent people to assassinate me, it was already a fight to the death. This is just another one of them. Besides, I need spirit stones to bid for the token of the Heavenly Origin Treasure Pool, but I don't want to rely too much on the credit line of the Myriad Treasures Hall. Isn't it perfect to turn this useless item into cash?"

He paused, then looked down.

"Besides, look, someone's already jumping out impatiently, isn't that perfect? ​​Let them raise the price for me."

As if to confirm Gu Sheng's words, and as if to respond to Shi Wufeng's arrogant threat, on the other side of the third floor, in the Tianyi private room, that clear, cold voice, tinged with a hint of laziness and mockery, rang out again.

"Oh, what a show of power. A mere bottom-ranked holy land is trying to play the trick of 'suppressing the whole scene'? It's really... laughable."

The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, especially the words "second-rate holy land" and "a laughing stock," which were like slaps to the faces of Shi Wufeng and the Myriad Elephants Holy Land!

Shi Wufeng's face instantly turned ashen, and his eyes were filled with fury that seemed about to burst forth.

"you……!"

"What do you mean, 'you'?"

The Purple Cloud Saintess's voice remained languid, yet carried a chilling edge.

"This Holy Maiden bids twenty million top-grade spirit stones... plus one low-grade spirit stone." (End of Chapter)