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Chapter 323: For Mount Shu

The attendees, hearing the bid, all had the same thought... This guy must be a fool, right?

Seeing Chu Liang happily collecting the four gourds of "fruit-flavored Spirit-Concentration Pills," Wen Yulong was momentarily stunned.

He had thought Chu Liang to be a smart and frugal person that would never waste any money. But now, it seemed that Senior Brother Chu had changed.

After all, nobody\'s money grew on trees, but Chu Liang\'s did.

Collecting tens of thousands of spirit stones by standing in the wind would be exhausting, but Chu Liang\'s method was much easier than that.

He must have become arrogant. Even his Spirit-Concentration Pills had to be fruit-flavored... Wen Yulong thought.

Seeing Wen Yulong\'s strange look, Chu Liang explained, "I have a use for these."

How refreshing... Isn\'t it better to keep your money for other purposes? Wen Yulong secretly mocked Chu Liang and continued watching the auction.

The subsequent items became increasingly interesting, each one quite tempting, and the competition grew fierce. The starting bid units changed from Vermillion-Bird coins to Tiger-Head coins, leading up to the final item.

"Fellow Daoists!" the auctioneer called out, "Next is the final item of this auction! The highly anticipated Demon-Subduing Pestle!"

"As one of the six demon-eliminating treasures, the Demon-Subduing Pestle was once ranked eighty-second in the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures! Even after its loss, it still holds the eighty-seventh rank. In the past, the combined power of the Six Treasures suppressed a demon god! Against evil entities, it unleashes unparalleled might! Today, at the Pavilion of Celestial Fate, the Demon-Subduing Pestle reappears!"

Whoosh—

With that, he dramatically unveiled the long tray.

On the red silk lay a four-chi-long gold-embossed short staff. One end was sharp, and the body of the staff emitted a dark luster. The entire object appeared ancient and mysterious.

At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, it exuded an aura that was as heavy as a mountain!

The audience collectively gasped in amazement, their eyes widening in disbelief.

For ordinary cultivators, witnessing a top one hundred legendary artifact from the Catalog of the Mortal World\'s Ten Thousand Treasures was a rare and extraordinary opportunity.

"We here at the Pavilion of Celestial Fate have been doing business for decades, and this is the first time we are auctioning a legendary artifact ranked in the top hundred! Everyone, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The starting bid for the Demon-Subduing Pestle is one thousand Azure-Dragon coins, with each increment at one hundred Azure-Dragon coins! The auction begins!"

The atmosphere in the hall reached a climax with the appearance of the Demon-Subduing Pestle.

Since the Demon-Subduing Pestle was announced, it had caused a sensation. After all, this was a top 100 legendary artifact. Any small immortal sect that obtained it would definitely keep it as a treasured heirloom; even large immortal sects might not have many such items.

Who would normally put such a treasure up for sale?

The Mount Shu Sect and Penglai were not the only sects here. Representatives from the other immortal sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten were also present, all eager to compete for this item.

However, joining the competition required substantial capital.

One Azure-Dragon coin was equivalent to ten Tiger-Head coins, and one Tiger-Head coin was equivalent to ten Vermillion-Bird coins. A thousand Azure-Dragon coins would be equivalent to a hundred thousand Vermillion-Bird coins.

Chu Liang\'s entire fortune was just barely enough to cover the starting bid.

But he was, after all, an individual, and having this much was already impressive. The Demon-Subduing Pestle was clearly aimed at the major immortal sects!

"Three thousand Azure-Dragon coins!"

A clear voice instantly quieted the heated atmosphere in the hall by ninety percent. Many small immortal sects and families that were eager to try suddenly calmed down.

"It\'s an esteemed senior from the Penglai Supreme Sect!" the auctioneer shouted, "The bid is now at three thousand Azure-Dragon coins!"

A beautiful maid standing outside Penglai Supreme Sect\'s private room on the second floor just raised the bid paddle. Each private room had a maid responsible for receiving and placing the bids.

Revealing that the bidder represented the Penglai Supreme Sect was also mandatory here. If a bid was made from a private room, the identity was made public. The auctioneer announcing it could deter some competitors by using the name of a major immortal sect, which was beneficial.

If an immortal sect in the Divine Nine or Terrestrial Ten wanted to buy something anonymously, they would naturally sit in the main hall below.

Inside Penglai Supreme Sect\'s private room, Daoist Chi Niu\'s eyes were fixed on the Demon-Subduing Pestle on the stage, filled with greed.

Daoist Xuan Lu remained calm and said, "This way, we can knock out the insignificant competitors and see who are the ones that remain bidding."

Meanwhile, in Mount Shu Sect\'s private room, the Weapons Master frowned and said, "They tripled the bid instantly."

Tantai Jing nodded and said, "It\'s understandable. If they hadn\'t raised the bid like this, I would have done that. First, we identify the main competitors, then we slowly compete with them."

"The sect leader has allocated us a budget of five hundred thousand sword coins this time. If we exceed it quickly, we might face trouble," Elder Weapons Master said with some concern.

"Our competitors are likely in a similar situation," Tantai Jing mused. "Although other sects might be wealthier, they don\'t have the same determination to secure this with the entire sect\'s resources as we do. I estimate that very few can afford a budget exceeding five thousand Azure-Dragon coins."

The representatives of each immortal sect carried only a limited amount of spirit-stone coins, just enough to maintain their liquidity. For the Mount Shu Sect, withdrawing five hundred thousand sword coins significantly impacted their finances, and the entire sect would need to repay this debt in the future. Ordinary sects might not have this level of determination.

"We can only wait and see," Tantai Jing said calmly.

"Three thousand five hundred Azure-Dragon coins!"

After Penglai Supreme Sect raised the bid, a bid paddle was also raised outside the private room of Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals.

The Mount Shu Sect and the Penglai Supreme Sect were indeed not the only ones competing for the item. All the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten were fighting to have this item as well!

"Three thousand and eight hundred Azure-Dragon coins!"

The Celestial Pivot Pavilion also raised its bid paddle.

This move made the other sects frown once more. The Celestial Pivot Pavilion\'s wealth was ranked among the top in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. If they were determined to bid, it would be hard for any sect to compete.

The Penglai Supreme Sect was rich enough to compete for this item, but of the Penglai Supreme Sect, only the members from the immortals\' island Fanghu came[1].

"Four thousand Azure-Dragon coins!"

The paddle outside the private room belonging to the Mount Shu Sect was quickly raised for the first time.

The auction quickly entered a stage where titans clashed. While a few thousand Azure-Dragon coins might not sound like much, tens of thousands of Vermillion-Bird coins piled up to form a small mountain!

Many cultivators would never see that much money in their lifetime.

"I suspect Mount Shu Sect\'s budget to be between four and five thousand, and while Celestial Pivot Pavilion\'s determination isn\'t as strong as Mount Shu Sect\'s, they have a solid foundation. Their budget should be between five and six thousand," Daoist Xuan Lu mused.

"Does the Celestial Pivot Pavilion have that much money?" Daoist Chi Niu asked. "We only brought enough money to exchange for five thousand Azure-Dragon coins."

"It isn\'t going to be easy for us to get a legendary artifact of this level," Daoist Xuan Lu pondered. "Judging by the situation, it\'s unlikely we\'ll secure it with just five thousand. We\'ll have to compete. If necessary, we can borrow from the Yingzhou faction. We have a good relationship with them, so it shouldn\'t be a problem."

"So how much should we bid this time?" Daoist Chi Niu asked.

"Bid the full amount and see if we can kick the Mount Shu Sect out of the competition first," Daoist Xuan Lu suggested.

Soon, the bid paddle was raised again outside the private room belonging to the Penglai Supreme Sect.

"Five thousand Azure-Dragon coins!"

As Chu Liang and Wen Yulong watched the titans clash from the second floor, they were stunned. As disciples of Mount Shu, they had some understanding of their sect\'s situation.

The Mount Shu Sect had never been particularly wealthy.

The reason they could muster tens of thousands of sword coins this time was likely thanks to the Dark King Sect.

When the Dark King Sect attacked Mount Shu, they suffered a crushing defeat. Aside from revealing Baize\'s secret, they didn\'t cause significant damage to Mount Shu. They left behind many corpses, and the spoils from those diabolical sect members amounted to a substantial windfall.

However, reaching the amount of five thousand was already staggering and likely the upper limit for the Mount Shu Sect.

Chu Liang felt a twinge of worry.

"We can\'t give up," the Weapons Master said firmly.

"Yes," Tantai Jing nodded. "With our 10% discount, we can afford to go slightly over our budget. Our opponents are likely reaching their limits as well. Now, it comes down to who has the stronger resolve."

"I\'ll sell off my private assets later. I should be able to raise a hundred thousand sword coins to cover the extra costs," the Weapons Master said.

Having overseen Mount Shu Sect\'s Hall of Weapons for many years, he had naturally accumulated a wealth of valuable items and materials. In terms of personal wealth, the Weapons Master and the Alchemy Master were the strongest contenders for the title of Mount Shu\'s richest. Aside from a few important items that couldn\'t be sold, if he were to liquidate his collection, it would be worth a significant amount.

However, doing so would be tantamount to bankrupting himself.

"Weapons Master..." Tantai Jing couldn\'t help but feel moved.

He immediately turned his head and said, "Bid seven thousand Azure-Dragon coins."

"What?" The Weapons Master was shocked. "This..."

Even with a ten percent discount and his personal contributions, it still wasn\'t enough. Tantai Jing\'s bid was clearly far exceeding the available amount.

"There\'s no need to worry," Tantai Jing smiled slightly. "You aren\'t the only one. I also have some private assets."

The Weapons Master went silent for a moment before saying, "For Mount Shu."

"Yes," Tantai Jing nodded with a smile, "For Mount Shu."

"Seven thousand Azure-Dragon coins!"

As soon as Mount Shu Sect\'s bid was announced, the entire audience was instantly stunned.

It went up by two thousand directly!

It reached the maximum!

There had never been an auction for a legendary artifact before, so such a sky-high price was unprecedented.

What kind of determination does Mount Shu have?

It seemed that they were unwavering in their resolve to bring back the Demon-Subduing Pestle this time, even if it meant depleting all the resources of their entire sect.

The amount of this auction has already surpassed any transaction made in Taotie City!

Bang.

Daoist Chi Niu slammed the table with great force.

"How did they get so much money?!" he exclaimed.

"It seems Mount Shu is going all out," Daoist Xuan Lu pondered. "Their sect definitely doesn\'t have this much stored up. This means they are either taking from their own disciples or borrowing from external sources. Either way, this amount shows their great determination."

"Should we keep bidding?" Daoist Chi Niu asked, gritting his teeth as his eyes began to redden.

This number was already making people\'s heads spin.

"Bid," Daoist Xuan Lu said with very calm gaze. "No matter what it takes, Mount Shu has definitely reached their limit. Other sects likely won\'t join in their madness. If we borrow money from Yingzhou, we will definitely secure it."

Soon, a paddle was raised again outside the Penglai Supreme Sect\'s hall.

"Seven thousand five hundred Azure-Dragon coins!"

Hearing this, the Weapons Master\'s gaze dimmed.

Tantai Jing furrowed his brows and sighed, "Penglai\'s foundation is too strong. Even if Fanghu Immortal Island can\'t come up with this much money on their own, they just need to ask the other islands, and they\'ll find a way."

The Weapons Master fell silent.

Putting in such great determination only to fail would undoubtedly deliver a blow.

But at this point, gathering more money seemed unlikely. They couldn\'t decide for the other sect members and sell off other people\'s possessions.

Moreover, there weren\'t that many wealthy people in Mount Shu.

Not only was he silent, but the entire hall was also silent. Such a number was staggering. It seemed the Demon-Subduing Pestle would end up belonging to the Penglai Supreme Sect.

Daoist Chi Niu heaved a sigh of relief, but his expression remained serious. "Although we\'ve won, there will be trouble when we return. We\'ll have to deal with the members of the Yingzhou faction."

"As long as they can help us, it\'s fine. Our island share an alliance with their island, after all," Daoist Xuan Lu said, shaking his head with indifference.

As Penglai was much more powerful, the other two islands would work together as allies.

As they discussed how to deal with Yingzhou Island after retrieving the Demon-Subduing Pestle, a voice suddenly echoed from the main hall on the first floor.

"Eight thousand Azure-Dragon coins!"

1. There are three islands of Penglai: Penglai, Fanghu, and Yingzhou. As mentioned before, the Eminent Ones who stayed on the Mirage Mountain came from different either Penglai, Fanghu, or Yingzhou, which means the sect is divided into three factions. ☜