The Arriving Mercenary Groups

Spirit Sea Eighth Heaven!

After devouring eight treasures, Gu Fan had advanced from Spirit Sea Fifth Heaven to early Spirit Sea Eighth Heaven!

The hundred-year stalactite milk had played a major role.

A single drop had allowed Gu Fan to break through a minor realm outright.

Otherwise, he might only have barely reached Spirit Sea Seventh Heaven by now.

And because his cultivation had reached the Eighth Heaven.

Gu Fan now ranked as the second-greatest expert among those publicly known in Yanshan Commandery City.

Apart from the Commandery Prince of Yanshan, whom everyone knew to be a Divine Treasury Realm cultivator, Gu Fan was already unrivaled within the commandery city!

Moreover.

The supreme-grade third-tier Bright Moon Sword Record and Vajra Demon-Subduing Palm he cultivated were no pushovers either.

At that thought.

Gu Fan rose from his meditation cushion in the secluded chamber and began practicing these two martial techniques.

The red sun began rising slowly on the horizon.

Inside the Profound Heaven Auction House.

The door to the secluded cultivation chamber opened as well.

In an instant, incomparably sharp Sword Qi poured out from within.

Fortunately, no one was nearby, or such keen Sword Qi would surely have injured someone.

Several breaths later, the Sword Qi dissipated.

Gu Fan walked leisurely out of the chamber.

In the main hall, aside from the busy maids, the steward Feng Xu was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing this, Gu Fan asked the blushing maid beside him.

"Master... Steward Feng invited a mercenary group leader who came to auction treasures into the side hall..."

"I see."

Gu Fan smiled faintly.

Leaving the bashful maid where she stood, he went to find Feng Xu and his guest.

Inside the side hall.

Feng Xu was warmly handing a cup of tea to the burly man before him.

The latter was the leader of one of Yanshan Commandery City's ten great mercenary groups, a Spirit Sea Sixth Heaven cultivator.

"Steward Feng, I hope calling on you so early in the morning won't disrupt your work."

With a warm expression, Hou Tu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Not at all! Leader Hou, you're a rare guest at our auction house. I couldn't be happier..."

As the two conversed warmly, Gu Fan walked in through the door.

Seeing him arrive, Feng Xu hurriedly rose and respectfully introduced them. "Leader Hou, this is the master of our Profound Heaven Auction House. Master, this is Leader Hou..."

"Master..."

"Leader Hou, please sit!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the three sat down in the side hall.

"Master, I came here after hearing some rumors about your auction house. I simply don't know whether they're true."

Hou Tu's expression grew serious.

"Which rumors do you mean, Leader Hou?"

"The commission, holding an auction every day, and your auction house putting supreme-grade second-tier treasures up for auction tonight!"

Hou Tu's bright eyes fixed firmly on Gu Fan, as though trying to discern something extraordinary on his face.

Gu Fan smiled at this. "Naturally, they're true."

"Even the supreme-grade second-tier treasures?!"

"Naturally."

"Whew..."

Hou Tu let out a heavy breath, then took a rectangular jade box from his storage ring and pushed it before the two.

"A mid-grade second-tier magical treasure... the Soul-Chasing Bow!"

Gasp!!!

Feng Xu's expression changed as he stared wide-eyed at Hou Tu.

A mid-grade second-tier magical treasure?

This was a treasure worthy of being the finale at the three great auction houses' monthly auctions!

Yet here it was, in an auction house that had still been a small establishment two days ago!

Feng Xu was both astonished and delighted.

Although the auction house had already auctioned two supreme-grade second-tier treasures, he had never seen either of them. Now, one was laid out right before him!

"To be honest, I originally intended to entrust this treasure to one of the three great auction houses. But after hearing the rumors about your establishment, I naturally wanted to work with you, Master..."

"Besides this Soul-Chasing Bow, there's also a matching low-grade second-tier martial technique beneath it-Soul-Chasing Archery."

Just as Hou Tu had said.

Inside the jade box, beneath the Soul-Chasing Bow, lay a matching martial technique manual.

The magical treasure and martial technique formed a set, bringing their value close to that of an upper-grade second-tier treasure!

"Are the two of you satisfied with such treasures?" Hou Tu asked with a smile.

"Very satisfied!"

Feng Xu nodded eagerly. "Leader Hou! May I ask whether you intend to entrust this treasure to our auction house?"

"If it's true that you're auctioning supreme-grade second-tier treasures... then naturally, I'll entrust it to you."

At this point.

Hou Tu smiled, closed the jade box, and pulled it back in front of himself.

His actions undoubtedly showed that he did not trust the Profound Heaven Auction House, unless...

"You certainly speak plainly, Leader Hou."

At this moment, Gu Fan, who had remained silent, spoke.

He looked at Hou Tu with a smile, then said, "Xiao You, come out and greet Leader Hou."

As his words fell.

Hou Tu's expression immediately grew solemn.

However, after frowning for a while, he still saw no sign of the supreme-grade second-tier treasure he had expected.

"Master?" Hou Tu asked in confusion.

Yet in the next instant, he sensed a terrifying presence gathering behind him!

His face paled, and Hou Tu turned his head with incredible speed.

There... he saw a dark silhouette slowly taking solid form!

And as this dark silhouette appeared, an utterly terrifying presence enveloped the side hall!

"This is... Spirit Sea Great Perfection!"

Hou Tu's expression changed drastically as he cried out in shock!

As his words fell, the dark silhouette before him slowly solidified, becoming a pitch-black... sheep?

The demonic beast's fleece resembled ghostly mist, and even its horns and pupils were pitch-black, as though it could turn into mist and vanish before their eyes in the next instant.

Though Hou Tu was appalled after seeing the demonic beast's full appearance.

He discovered that he had no idea what this demonic beast was called!

As though aware of his confusion, Gu Fan introduced it unhurriedly. "A perfection-stage second-tier demonic beast... the Ghost Sheep. It comes without a shadow and leaves without a trace. There is only one in the entire Azure Yang Domain."

The Ghost Sheep was unseen not merely in the Azure Yang Domain, but even in most parts of the Mysterious Heaven Continent!

As for why, Gu Fan offered no further explanation.

"Such a... supreme treasure!"

Hou Tu's face flushed red, and greed flashed in his eyes.

But a moment later, he could only give a bitter smile.

Greed?

This was a Spirit Sea Great Perfection demonic beast. Killing him could hardly be easier!

Suppressing the thoughts in his mind, Hou Tu spoke somewhat respectfully. "Master, in that case, I'll entrust this Soul-Chasing Bow and Soul-Chasing Archery to your auction house."

"That would naturally be welcome."

Gu Fan nodded with a smile.

What sort of treasure could the mid-grade second-tier Soul-Chasing Bow and Soul-Chasing Arrow Technique return?

Gu Fan did not know... because this was his first time auctioning them.

Upon coming out of seclusion, he had secured an excellent auction item.

As time passed, perhaps because the Profound Heaven Auction House's reputation had now reached its peak.

Before night fell, all ten items for this auction had been prepared.

The Soul-Chasing Bow and Soul-Chasing Archery, together comparable to an upper-grade second-tier treasure.

Three low-grade second-tier treasures and six supreme-grade first-tier treasures.

These were the ten items for this auction.

Although they could not match those of the three great auction houses, they were not far behind.

Moreover, Gu Fan's auction house held an auction every day!

To have prepared these treasures on such short notice, it was not hard to see that the Profound Heaven Auction House's reputation in Yanshan Commandery City... had already surpassed the three great auction houses to become number one!