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

She pointed to the maid's clone beside her.

Immediately, her tone turned cold, carrying a sense of resolve.

“If, a month from now, you still choose not to trust me, or attempt to reveal my secrets… then I will personally deal with this ‘Purple Cloud Saintess’ avatar that you saw today. From now on, ‘Jin’er’ will completely disappear from your world. We will pretend we never met.”

After she finished speaking, she said no more, turned around, and her figure disappeared from the spot like ink merging into water with a slight sway.

Also vanished were the maid "Jin'er" and the purple-clad "Holy Maiden Jin'er." On the auction stage below, the red-sashed auctioneer seemed to have only glanced up casually, already resuming her professional and alluring demeanor, and continued presiding over the auction.

Inside the private room of Tianjia, only Gu Sheng, Tantai Xueli, Gu Yuanyuan, and Qi Diao Yaoyao remained, along with the jade slip containing the "Qingnang Lihuo Technique," worth twenty million, lying quietly on the jade table. The bizarre and strange scene just now seemed like an illusion.

After a long while, Tantai Xueli finally let out a long sigh of relief, her face still a little pale, and she looked at Gu Sheng with complicated eyes.

“Brother Gu Sheng…the Path of All Beings…she…”

Gu Sheng rubbed his temples and sighed softly.

“She’s very strong, and very troublesome. Protecting her is almost like making an enemy of half the world. I’m not that free right now, and I’m too lazy to provoke trouble of that level.”

Tantai Xueli bit her lip and suddenly whispered.

"Could it be... that she also... feels the same way about me...?"

Gu Sheng understood her concerns and shook his head decisively.

"No. Although the Path of All Beings is strange, refining an avatar is not an easy task, especially refining a living person, especially a living person with strong cultivation and background. The risk is extremely high, and it is very easy to cause backlash and attract attention."

The clones she chooses are either those who, like the Purple Cloud Saintess, may have already perished or been controlled, or ordinary people like the maidservant who have no powerful connections and are difficult to detect. "You come from the Tantai family, your identity is sensitive, she won't easily harm you. And..."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.

"The ancient Heavenly Emperor was able to refine countless clones because she had a special physique and secret techniques. Those who cultivate this path in later generations are already exceptional if they can reach her level. It is not so easy to easily refine others into clones. You do not need to be overly afraid, but you still need to be more vigilant in the future."

Hearing Gu Sheng's analysis and assurances, Tantai Xueli's expression softened, and she nodded slightly.

She seemed to have thought of something, and her jade hand quietly grasped a communication jade talisman in her sleeve. With a slight movement of her spiritual power, she seemed to be conveying some kind of message to the family. Regardless of Jin'er's purpose, what happened today in the Tianjia Private Room of the Wanbao Hall must be known to the family's higher-ups so that they could take precautions as soon as possible.

The auction continued, but after that thrilling interlude, neither Gu Sheng nor Tantai Xueli were entirely focused on the auction anymore.

A massive vortex concerning an ancient forbidden inheritance, involving a mysterious girl and a holy maiden from a sacred land, seems to be quietly drawing Gu Sheng into it. Compared to that, tomorrow's life-or-death arena battle with Shi Wufeng seems like just an appetizer.

Tantai Xueli gently stroked the exquisite communication jade talisman with her fingertips, her mental energy rapidly seeping into it, silently communicating with the family's intelligence network. After a moment, she raised her eyes, looked at Gu Sheng, her tone tinged with lingering fear and confirmation.

"Brother Gu Sheng, I've had someone verify this urgently."

The maid's record indicated that approximately twelve days prior, while out shopping, she was attacked by a group of wandering evil cultivators, suffering multiple fatal wounds. She was rescued by a patrol and was barely alive. However, for some unknown reason, she miraculously recovered two days later, though her temperament seemed...more subdued.

She paused, then continued.

"As for that auctioneer in red silk... there is no record of her suffering any fatal injuries recently. She is not a direct descendant of my Tantai family, who has been trained since childhood. She was recruited from another place a few years ago. Her background check did not have any obvious problems, but it was not... detailed enough."

After listening, Gu Sheng didn't seem too surprised and nodded.

"That's right. The Path of All Beings refines the physical body, not by arbitrarily seizing the body of a living person. Usually, it requires the target to be on the verge of death or has just died, and their soul has not completely dissipated within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, to integrate the original essence of one's own soul into the body, erase the remnant soul, take over the physical body, and gradually adapt to its cultivation, memories, and identity."

This process places a tremendous burden on both the original body and the clone, causing both to fall into a period of weakness.

He glanced at Tantai Xueli, whose face was still somewhat pale, and offered words of comfort.

"Therefore, you don't need to worry too much. The targets she chooses are always those who are 'reasonably' near death or dead, and whose weakness afterward is unlikely to arouse suspicion. Someone as lively and noble as you, Miss Tantai, will not become her target."

Upon hearing this, Tantai Xueli felt somewhat relieved, but her delicate brows remained slightly furrowed.

"But... her abilities are far too terrifying. If we let her continue to develop like this..."

"This is the truly terrifying aspect of the path of all living beings."

Gu Sheng spoke, his voice deep and resonant.

"The more physical bodies a person has, the more consciousness nodes they have, and in a sense, the closer they are to 'immortality.' Even if you destroy most of her clones, or even kill the 'original body' she currently recognizes, as long as there is still one clone lurking in some corner of the world."

She could then use that clone as a new starting point to begin afresh, and even... create more clones. To completely destroy her, you would need to find and destroy all of her clones simultaneously, without missing a single one.

Tantai Xueli gasped, her expression becoming extremely serious.

This is almost an unsolvable problem! No one knows how many parts that "Jin'er" divided her soul essence into, and how many different kinds of bodies she hid in!
Gu Sheng cast his gaze toward the bustling auction house outside the window, a cold glint flashing deep in his eyes.

"Therefore, she is an extremely dangerous character. If she cannot be controlled, we need to consider... whether to find a solution before she truly becomes a major threat."

The "solution" he refers to will certainly not be a gentle one.

At that moment, the auction hall below suddenly erupted in screams and commotion more intense than ever before!
At the entrance of the auction house, a series of flashes of light appeared, and several figures, surrounded by a group of people with profound auras who were clearly guards or elders, filed in.

These people did not go to the seats in the hall, but were instead respectfully led by the senior staff of Wanbaodian to the highest-level private rooms on the third floor, which had been reserved but remained empty!
"That's... the Flame Sun Saint Son of the Burning Heaven Holy Land! He actually came in person!"

"The Holy Maiden of Xuan Guang from the Yao Guang Holy Land has also arrived!"

"And Elder Tian Shu from the Heavenly Profound Holy Land! My God, what day is it today?!"

"Look over there! That's... the Sword Master of the Azure Nether Sword Sect? Even he's here?!"

"Not only that! There are also several young masters from the ancient clans! All of them are people who are rarely seen!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, and the murmurs of discussion swept across the entire area like a tsunami.

These attendees were all representatives of the most powerful forces in Zhongzhou, the cream of the crop among the younger generation, or high-ranking elders with real power. Their simultaneous appearance elevated the scale of this auction to an unimaginable level!
Even the auctioneer, Hongxiao, stopped what she was doing, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes, but it was quickly covered up by a professional smile.

Inside the private room of Tianjia, Gu Sheng looked up at the figures outside the crystal curtain wall, who were being ushered into their respective private rooms. Their auras were either intense, ethereal, or sharp. His expression was calm, as if he had expected this.

"They... came for what you took out?"

Tantai Xueli was incredibly intelligent. She immediately connected the dots with Gu Sheng's previous visit to the treasure appraisal center, and combined this with the unusual behavior of these top powers, she instantly understood most of the situation.

Gu Sheng nodded and said calmly.

"It seems that the semi-saint elder was very efficient, and the news spread very quickly."

"What...what exactly did you produce that could alarm so many top holy lands at once?"

Tantai Xueli couldn't help but ask further, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity and shock.

As a core member of the Tantai family, she hadn't received a single word of it beforehand, which shows the level of secrecy Wanbaodian maintained over this matter, as well as the significance of that item!
Gu Sheng glanced at her, his tone remaining calm.

"It's nothing, just a fairly complete Saint Realm martial skill. It's useless to me, so I'm exchanging it for some cultivation resources."

"A... complete Saint-level martial art?!"

Tantai Xueli's breath hitched, her pretty face filled with disbelief.

"Brother Gu Sheng! Do you...do you know what a complete Saint Realm martial art means?! It's a treasure enough to be the core inheritance of a holy land and suppress its destiny! Even the Tantai family has very few complete Saint Realm offensive techniques! Each one is incredibly precious! You...you actually said it's 'useless'? And you're putting it up for auction?!"

She felt her entire understanding had been overturned. The value of Saint-level martial arts, especially complete offensive Saint-level techniques, simply couldn't be measured in spirit stones!

That was a symbol of a powerful foundation, the cornerstone for cultivating top experts! Countless holy lands would fight tooth and nail for a single incomplete holy technique, yet Gu Sheng possessed a complete one and sold it off so casually.

Gu Sheng remained calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"No matter how powerful a martial art is, it must be suitable for oneself. That martial art is not completely compatible with my cultivation path. Forcing myself to cultivate it will only be twice the effort for half the result. It would be better to exchange it for resources, strengthen my foundation, and pursue a path that is more suitable for me."

Looking at his indifferent expression, Tantai Xueli was momentarily at a loss for words.

She suddenly realized that she knew far too little about this mysterious Brother Gu Sheng.

How many secrets does he still hold?

Below, as these representatives from the top holy sites quickly entered and took their seats, the auction paused briefly. The red-lacquered auctioneer, clearly having received instructions, sped up the auction of some subsequent items.

The top power representatives who had just entered the venue did not show much interest in the equally valuable treasures currently being auctioned. Their private rooms were silent, as if they were waiting for something.

This unusual behavior sparked further speculation among the people in the hall.

"It seems these important figures didn't come for these things..."

"Nonsense! The fact that both the Burning Heaven Holy Land and the Yao Guang Holy Land sent people here at the same time must mean they had a top-tier treasure, or... something incredible was added at the last minute!"

"Is it more important than a spot in the Heavenly Origin Treasure Pool?"

"Who knows... This auction is getting more and more interesting tonight."

Amidst the cacophony of discussion and speculation, more than a dozen items were sold. While the prices were not low, the scene was much calmer than the commotion caused by the previous "Qingnang Lihuo Technique" and "Fanshan Fuhai Palm".

Finally, as another item was hammered down, most of the lighting in the auction hall, except for the one in the center of the auction platform, suddenly went out. The hall fell into a state of semi-darkness, and everyone's eyes were involuntarily focused on the only source of light.

The auctioneer, Hongxiao, took a deep breath and gestured towards the backstage area. Soon, two Venerable Realm guards, whose auras were clearly stronger than all the previous attendants, escorted a sandalwood box sealed with a special restriction and solemnly placed it on the crystal display stand in the center of the auction stage.

The auctioneer, Hongxiao, tidied her appearance and changed into a more solemn and gorgeous dress embroidered with the unique emblem of the Wanbaodian. The charming smile on her face was replaced by solemnity and seriousness.

She surveyed the entire area, her clear and powerful voice resonating throughout every corner via the array.

"Distinguished guests, what follows is the final official item of this month's auction at the Tianyuan Imperial City branch of Wanbaodian, and also the undisputed highlight of this auction!"

She reached out her jade-like hand and gently pressed it against the protective seal on the sandalwood box. The seal glowed and slowly opened, revealing a token about the size of a palm, with a warm, lustrous white jade color, intricate star and cloud patterns carved on the front, and an ancient character for "heaven" on the back.

"This is the 'Tianyuan Token,' a token provided by the Tianyuan Holy Land to grant access to its secret realm—the 'Tianyuan Treasure Pool'! Holders of this token can enter the Tianyuan Treasure Pool within a specified time to enjoy the baptism of the essence of heaven and earth, solidify their foundation, and enhance their potential. It is an unparalleled opportunity that we martial artists dream of!"

"The Heavenly Origin Token, starting bid—15 million top-grade spirit stones! Each bid must be at least 500,000 spirit stones!"

Despite being mentally prepared, when the words "Tianyuan Order" and the starting bid of 15 million were actually announced, a chorus of gasps and gasps of surprise still rose from the audience.

This price is enough to deter the vast majority of forces.

However, the real bidding has only just begun.

"Twenty million."

A calm yet authoritative voice emanated from a private room on the third floor, marking the start of this top-tier competition.

"Twenty-five million."

Almost without any pause, the private room numbered A in the other direction immediately followed.

"Twenty-eight million."

Another private room with the "Heaven" designation has been added.

With just three bids, the price had already approached the 30 million mark, completely excluding the vast majority of onlookers from this game of wealth.

Inside the private room of Tianjia, Qi Diaoyao watched the seemingly calm yet turbulent bidding outside the crystal curtain wall, a hint of understanding appearing on her cold and beautiful face. (End of this chapter)