Chapter 582 - 404: Family Fortune Grand Sale

Since Gao Guangsheng of Qi Yun was cornered and killed by Chu Zhen, the Nangong Family had acquired most of his shares in the Black River Auction.

As another major power within Qi Yun, the Nangong Clan ensured the Gao Family didn’t suffer too great a loss when they took over the Black River Marketplace.

Now, under the management of the Nangong Family, a Divinity Transformation Clan, the once-new Black River Square had become a pivotal, massive marketplace in the surrounding lands of the Southern Border. The Black River Daoist Palace and Black River Auction were attractions that captivated the numerous powers from a thousand-mile radius, making them reluctant to depart.

The current Black River Daoist Palace could accommodate up to thirty thousand spectators for its internal competitions and was open to mortals as well as Cultivators.

Now, inside the Black River Auction, a grand auction was held twice a year. Backed by the Nangong Family, the scale of each event was impressive enough to entice even Nascent Soul Cultivators.

This time was no different. Inside his private room, Fang Qingyuan kept one eye on Hao Shi’s movements while keeping the other on the auction, looking for any Spiritual Material Magical Artifacts worth bidding on.

With his Immortal Mansion providing a continuous supply of Spirit Stones, Fang Qingyuan was quite wealthy. While he had been powerless against the price Gui Gu had named, he certainly had enough to bid on a few other treasures.

According to the agreement between Fang Qingyuan and Bear Wind, of the fifty thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones demanded by Ji Jiaqing, Bear Wind would cover thirty thousand, while the Qingyuan Sect would pay the remaining twenty thousand.

At present, the Qingyuan Sect’s accounts only held a little over one thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones, so Fang Qingyuan would have to advance the money himself for now. Ultimately, however, the expense was to be borne by the Qingyuan Sect.

This seemed contradictory, as the Qingyuan Sect belonged to Fang Qingyuan himself. In Bear Wind’s eyes, it was a simple matter of moving money from his left hand to his right—a pointless exercise.

But Fang Qingyuan knew in his heart that the Qingyuan Sect was the Qingyuan Sect, and he was he. The two had to be kept distinct.

The Qingyuan Sect was a sect enfeoffed by the Great Zhou, and Fang Qingyuan was merely its first Sect Leader. Besides him, the sect comprised four to five hundred Cultivators and over a million people. In the eyes of the Great Zhou Academy, none of this was Fang Qingyuan’s private property.

Currently, the Qingyuan Sect’s few profitable ventures were all thanks to Fang Qingyuan. These included the Four-winged Cyan Jade Dragonfly, Cyan Court Wine, and the production of Immortal Mansion Spirit Rice—all businesses that depended entirely on his Immortal Mansion.

However, a normal sect should be financially self-sufficient. Fang Qingyuan felt that the Qingyuan Sect’s current financial state was very unhealthy.

’But I have no good solution for now. The resources from my Immortal Mansion are readily available, and I have the Qingyuan Sect to help distribute them. I can’t just ignore my own sect and build a new merchant caravan from the ground up, can I?’

Therefore, Fang Qingyuan chose to have the Qingyuan Sect deeply involved, cooperating to earn profits. Once the sect developed the ability to sustain itself, he would gradually adjust the proportion of resources coming from the Immortal Mansion, eventually moving them all into a power that belonged exclusively to him.

"A Tier 4, low-grade Water Spiritual Object: one bottle of Eye of Light Spirit Spirit Water. This water can be used to refine one’s eyes. A single refinement can enhance your Pupil Technique cultivation, while multiple refinements offer a chance to awaken new Pupil Technique Divine Techniques. This bottle contains enough for five refinements. The starting bid is five hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones, with a minimum increment of ten."

The auction had now entered its latter half, and the first Tier 4 item was just being presented.

Hearing about the Spirit Water, Fang Qingyuan’s interest was piqued. ’Among the various Lifebound Talents, Pupil Technique Divine Techniques are considered one of the more impressive and high-class abilities.’

’Compared to other, stranger Lifebound Talents, a Divine Technique manifested in the eyes is an incredible value. The eyes are the channel through which people receive over eighty percent of external information. Having a powerful Pupil Technique would be an invaluable auxiliary Divine Technique, and it could even significantly boost one’s combat strength.’

Fang Qingyuan had never cultivated any Pupil Techniques himself. For one, the practice was rather perilous, and for another, he had no interest in low-level ones.

’With my Voice of All Things Divine Technique, Pupil Techniques are of little use to me. But just because I don’t need one doesn’t mean my disciples can’t use it.’

’Jiang Wanqin is a Water Spirit Root Cultivator on the path of healing and restoration. Her role in the sect’s Arrays is indispensable. If she were to gain a Pupil Technique Divine Technique, she could surely become even more effective.’

’By my calculations, the next pioneering war is still over thirty years away. This is the time to prepare for a rainy day and do everything I can to increase the sect disciples’ combat strength.’

With this in mind, Fang Qingyuan made his bid:

"Six hundred fifty Top-grade Spirit Stones."

Someone had just bid six hundred forty, so Fang Qingyuan naturally raised it.

"Alright, Private Room B-3 bids six hundred fifty Top-grade! Is there a higher price? This Eye of Light Spirit has wonderful uses such as seeing through objects, increasing agility, and invoking Qingxin! Among all major Pupil Technique Divine Techniques, it ranks one hundred and seventh! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, don’t let it slip away!"

On the stage, the late-stage Foundation Establishment Auctioneer kept hyping up the Spirit Water. His eloquence was superb, but his constant chatter was starting to irritate Fang Qingyuan.

’Can’t he just shut up and bring down the hammer? So much nonsense.’

As if hearing Fang Qingyuan’s thoughts, the Auctioneer swiftly struck the gavel once. But just as he brought it down for the second time, another voice interrupted:

"Seven hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones."

Inside his private room, Fang Qingyuan’s gaze followed the voice. Though layers of Arrays blocked his vision, preventing him from seeing the bidder directly, his Mind Divine Techniques allowed him to lock onto their aura.