As the two chatted, Manager Li brought over the auction catalog for Gu Qingfeng to review.
Gu Qingfeng took it and immediately felt his eyes light up.
As expected of the Upper Realm—the treasures here were extraordinary, many of which he couldn’t even recognize.
The lowest-tier items on the list were at least thousand-year-old heavenly treasures or Heaven-grade Spirit Weapons.
(Above Heaven-grade Spirit Weapons were Sky-piercing Spirit Weapons, which still fell under the category of spirit weapons. Beyond Supreme Divine Weapons were Peerless Divine Weapons, also within the divine weapon category.)
The most exceptional items included ten-thousand-year spiritual herbs and divine weapons.
Though Gu Qingfeng was tempted, he knew these weren’t his most pressing needs. His priority was finding a reliable cultivation technique.
His eyes swept swiftly across the list until he spotted three techniques:
[Blazing Heaven Flame Art], [Nine Revolutions Star Extreme Art], and [Ten Thousand Refinements Heavenly Art].
All three were top-tier techniques—otherwise, they wouldn’t be up for auction.
The Blazing Heaven Flame Art was a fire-attribute technique; mastering it allowed one to scorch the heavens and boil the seas.
The Nine Revolutions Star Extreme Art harnessed the power of the stars; at its peak, one could suppress all enemies with the radiance of the cosmos.
The Ten Thousand Refinements Heavenly Art had no specific attribute. Its sole advantage was the ability to repeatedly temper one’s true essence, refining it to a terrifying degree. Once reaching the "Ten Thousand Refinements" level, even a wisp of true essence could split mountains apart.
After reading the descriptions, Gu Qingfeng immediately settled on the Ten Thousand Refinements Heavenly Art.
With his Innate Sacred Body, he had no need for techniques with additional attributes—he lacked nothing in that regard. What he truly needed was power refined to its absolute limit.
The Ten Thousand Refinements Heavenly Art was perfect for him.
Pointing at the technique on the list, Gu Qingfeng said, "I’m quite fond of this Ten Thousand Refinements Heavenly Art. Elder Zhao, would it be possible to arrange a private purchase in advance?"
Zhao Shilong hesitated, feigning reluctance. "These items are already listed for auction, so a private purchase would be troublesome. However..."
He then shifted his tone. "Since you’re a distinguished guest of our Myriad Treasures Trading House, I’ll make an exception this once. Manager Li, fetch the Ten Thousand Refinements Heavenly Art."
Gu Qingfeng saw through the act. He knew Zhao Shilong wasn’t truly hesitant—techniques could be copied, unlike consumable treasures. The display was merely to make him feel indebted.
But some things were better left unsaid.
"Many thanks, Elder. Deduct the cost from my remaining balance."
"Ah, Young Friend, you’re being too formal! We’ve hit it off splendidly, and you’ve just brought our trading house such a lucrative deal. Though the Ten Thousand Refinements Heavenly Art is valuable, it pales in comparison to our esteemed guest. Please, take it without payment."
"How could I possibly accept? Friendship is one thing, but business is another."
Gu Qingfeng had no intention of paying but played along with the polite back-and-forth. After much insistence, he "reluctantly" pocketed the technique.
Now that he had the technique, his mind was at ease.
He smirked inwardly. This was the privilege of being an SVIP!
Auction? Only paupers fought tooth and nail in bidding wars. A distinguished SVIP like him got things for free!
What was so great about auctions anyway?
Not only could someone drive up the price maliciously, but there was also the risk of being targeted afterward—ambushed and robbed.
Gu Qingfeng had read enough web novels to know this trope. Cliché as it was, it reflected reality. Carrying rare treasures inevitably attracted trouble.
To avoid such scenarios, he’d specifically requested the private purchase.
After all, one couldn’t be too careful in a world of treacherous hearts.
"Young Friend Gu, the auction is about to begin. As the host, I must prepare. Manager Li will escort you shortly."
"Please don’t let me keep you, Elder."
Zhao Shilong nodded and took his leave.
Soon after, Manager Li presented Gu Qingfeng with a black robe.
"Young Master Gu, this robe is specially prepared by our Myriad Treasures Pavilion for auction attendees. It conceals one’s appearance and physique while blocking soul-based detection."
Gu Qingfeng mused that the Myriad Treasures Trading House’s success was no accident—they truly thought of everything. The robe ensured no one could identify buyers, reducing the risk of being targeted.
He donned the robe, immediately sensing a faint isolating energy woven into the fabric—clearly embedded with formations.
Then, he followed Manager Li to the auction.
Though he’d already achieved his goal by obtaining the divine condensation method, there was no harm in staying to broaden his horizons. Who knew? He might stumble upon an unexpected opportunity.
A short while later, Gu Qingfeng was led into a grand hall.
Several Human Yuan Realm experts guarded the entrance, with an Earth Yuan Realm expert leading them. Layers of defensive formations enveloped the hall, making it heavily fortified.
Most attendees wore identical black robes, rendering them anonymous.
A few, however, didn’t bother—either powerful experts or arrogant young masters from prestigious families who believed no one would dare cross them.
As an SVIP, Gu Qingfeng bypassed the common seating area and was escorted to a private booth on the second floor.
Inside, two lovely, slender maidens attended to him—one burning incense, the other brewing tea.
Seated in a lavish chair upholstered with exotic beast hide, Gu Qingfeng accepted a teacup, "accidentally" brushing the maiden’s delicate hand.
He grinned. "No need to fuss. You’ve worked hard—come, rest on my lap."
The maidens giggled, feigning shyness before obliging.
The three chatted idly as they waited for the auction to begin.
At one point, one of the maidens fumbled while serving tea, spilling it onto Gu Qingfeng’s robe.
Both gasped in alarm, quickly kneeling to wipe it clean.
.........
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
