Hundredfold Return, Heavenly Net Treasure Lotus

"Just as expected! Auction Master Gu said he wouldn't disappoint us. The final auction item really is a tier-two treasure!"

"A Spirit Heart Lotus! A superb treasure for improving a cultivator's aptitude and comprehension!"

"Even a cultivator with mediocre talent could become a minor genius after eating it. Reaching the Spirit Sea Realm would be a breeze!"

"A supreme treasure! Finally, something more precious than the last tier-two treasure..."

"..."

Everyone stared with burning eyes at the Spirit Heart Lotus the maid carried onto the stage.

Compared with the tier-two treasures in the previous eight auctions, this Spirit Heart Lotus could rank among the top three at the very least!

That alone showed just how precious the Spirit Heart Lotus was!

Even those who had come from elsewhere couldn't help looking excited at the sight, clenching their fists and wishing they could claim it for themselves!

"Ten thousand spirit stones!"

"Thirteen thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

"My apologies, everyone. I've only just arrived in Guangyang City, so I hope you'll show me some consideration. I bid twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

"Hmph! Treasures belong to the worthy. Why should we yield to one another? I bid thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

"Forty thousand!"

The bidding in the hall was frenzied.

The local powers of Guangyang City and the outside powers refused to yield to each other, heatedly driving up the Spirit Heart Lotus's price again and again.

Very soon.

The bids had climbed to the staggering sum of a hundred thousand spirit stones!

The outside powers were so formidable that they even forced Guangyang City's major powers to unite against a common foe!

Since the Spirit Heart Lotus was being auctioned in their Guangyang City, it naturally belonged to their Guangyang City.

How could they let outsiders win it and carry it away?

Thus, in just a short while, the bidding surpassed the highest transaction price of the previous eight auctions, reaching a hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones!

Both sides were burning with hostility.

In the end, however, the outside powers still forcefully secured the Spirit Heart Lotus with a winning bid of two hundred and ten thousand low-grade spirit stones!

A transaction worth two hundred and ten thousand low-grade spirit stones was an enormous sum unmatched in Guangyang City for hundreds, even thousands of years!

Yet at this outcome.

All Guangyang City's major powers felt was regret.

They didn't care how high the transaction price was. What concerned them more was that a treasure as precious as the Spirit Heart Lotus had actually been won by outsiders!

Unfortunately.

They had already exhausted their financial resources during the previous eight auctions. Otherwise, they could have continued competing!

"Auction Master, may fate bring us together again!"

"For Guangyang City to have the honor of your presence is truly a blessing for this little city, Auction Master Gu. When I next visit the royal capital, however, I sincerely hope you will do me the honor of meeting with me..."

"Auction Master Gu, thank you for your treasures. I've now entered the Spirit Sea Realm, all thanks to the treasures you auctioned!"

"May fate bring us together again..."

After the auction ended, the leading figures of Guangyang City's major powers came forward one after another to bid Gu Fan farewell.

They knew.

The opportunities they had gained today were all thanks to Gu Fan.

Although this opportunity had lasted only nine short days, the changes it had brought them were enough to affect their entire lives!

It wouldn't even be wrong to say that Gu Fan had changed their lives.

As these people bid him farewell, Gu Fan cupped his fists to them in turn, observing every courtesy.

Only after they had left did Zhu Huai approach and speak with a hint of reluctance.

"Auction Master, are you truly leaving Guangyang City?"

"Of course."

"Then where do you intend to go, Auction Master? The royal capital?"

Gu Fan shook his head slightly and said, "Send word back to the Gu Lineage. Tell them I'm heading to the Profound Heaven Auction House in Yanshan Commandery City."

"Yanshan Commandery City?"

Zhu Huai froze.

Yanshan Commandery City governed thirty-six cities, and Guangyang City was one of them.

Furthermore, its proximity to the Black Forest, along with the three sects nearby, made Yanshan Commandery City incomparably prosperous and many times larger than Guangyang City!

Naturally.

In such an important city.

The Profound Heaven Auction House also had a branch, which was one of the better-known auction houses among the many in Yanshan Commandery City.

The reason Gu Fan had chosen Yanshan Commandery City.

Was that this was not a suitable time for him to go to the royal capital.

He was currently at Spirit Sea Second Heaven. Going to the royal capital would mean venturing deep into the tiger's den.

The elders had gone to great lengths, risking a rupture with the patriarch, to banish him to remote Guangyang City.

If he returned now.

Especially at this critical juncture, with the grand competition about to begin.

He might well fall victim to the elders' murderous schemes.

After all, he was someone who would die from the backlash of the God-Devouring Physique. Even if he died in the royal capital, it would still be because of his physique!

Would the patriarch really act against the elders over a Gu Fan who was already dead?!

So the most suitable place for Gu Fan.

Was Yanshan Commandery City, which was even more prosperous than Guangyang City.

Once he grew stronger in Yanshan Commandery City, he would at least have the strength to protect himself when he returned to the royal capital.

Having decided where to go and instructed Zhu Huai to send word back to the royal capital, Gu Fan returned to his secluded cultivation chamber.

There had been ten items in this auction.

And because Gu Fan had not taken them out to be auctioned at the Profound Heaven Auction House.

He had received a total of ten system return rewards!

Although nine of the items were ordinary objects, the system's critical-hit returns were at least high-grade tier-one treasures, with the best reaching mid-grade tier two!

And the most precious.

Was, of course, the low-grade tier-two treasure that Commander Mad Wolf had brought to auction, the Spirit Heart Lotus.

After a hundredfold critical hit, the tier-two Spirit Heart Lotus had returned a mid-grade tier-three natural treasure to Gu Fan-the Heavenly Net Treasure Lotus!

The Heavenly Net Treasure Lotus.

Compared with the Spirit Heart Lotus, it could also cause a phenomenon to arise within a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator's Spirit Sea.

A Spirit Sea Phenomenon!

It was a special manifestation that exceptionally talented individuals cultivated through fortuitous opportunities in the Spirit Sea Realm.

It could store spiritual power. Even the poorest phenomenon could hold spiritual power equivalent to a Spirit Sea cultivator's entire reserves at their cultivation level.

Better phenomena could naturally store even more spiritual power!

And it had to be understood that the amount of spiritual power determined whether a cultivator was truly strong.

With abundant spiritual power, even against an evenly matched opponent, one could wear the other down to death!

As someone with the God-Devouring Physique.

Gu Fan had manifested a phenomenon resembling a black hole when he broke through to the Spirit Sea Realm, capable of storing nine times his own spiritual power.

Together with his three-hundred-and-sixty-five-li Spirit Sea, his spiritual power reserves simply dwarfed those of every cultivator at the same realm!

And after devouring this Spirit Heart Lotus.

Gu Fan could manifest a lotus phenomenon in addition to his black hole phenomenon.

The benefits naturally went without saying!

Of course, most importantly, a mid-grade tier-three natural treasure could raise his cultivation realm again!

At this thought.

Gu Fan immediately sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. With a thought, ten treasures appeared before him.

This batch of rewards contained no cultivation methods or martial techniques, only natural treasures, pills, and similar items.

So he could devour all ten treasures before him!

Gu Fan then circulated the God-Devouring Scripture.

And began devouring them.