“Little girl, I don't think anyone will offer a higher bid than mine. Hurry up and bring the hammer down,” Luo Yu turned his head towards Qian Jinjin and urged.

Qian Jinjin looked around. Seeing that no one else intended to bid, she quickly announced, “Is there anyone else offering a higher price? 40.1 billion going once! 40.1 billion going twice! 40.1 billion going three times!”

“Sold! Congratulations, Mr. Luo!”

Qian Jinjin’s small hammer struck the table heavily, officially announcing that the Living Wood was sold. Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Even though the auction hadn’t lasted long, it felt like an eternity. They were more nervous than the one who won the bid.

Although the auction had ended, not a single Gu King chose to leave.

All the Gu Kings’ eyes were fixed on Box Number 1, their expressions shifting mysteriously, each harboring their own intentions.

No matter what they were thinking, everyone was paying close attention to Luo Yu’s next move.

Luo Yu naturally noticed the malicious gazes from the crowd below and snorted coldly in his heart.

Before long, Qian Jinjin led a group of Qian Clan Gu cultivators into Box Number 1, carrying a giant Living Wood.

Upon seeing the Living Wood, Luo Yu’s eyes lit up immediately. He hurried over and carefully touched the bark, his fingers trembling, his face brimming with joy.

“Haha… Is this the legendary Living Wood? Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!”

“To witness a heavenly-grade spirit herb in my lifetime, I, Luo Yu, have lived without regrets!”

Luo Yu laughed excitedly and threw a storage pouch toward Qian Jinjin.

“These are 40.1 billion spirit stones. Count them.”

Qian Jinjin caught the storage pouch and, with a quick glance inside, somehow managed to swiftly verify the staggering number of over 40 billion spirit stones.

“The amount is correct. You can now take the Living Wood with you.”

“Once you leave this auction house, any issues with the Living Wood will have nothing to do with the Qian Clan Auction House.”

Luo Yu understood what she meant and laughed heartily, “Of course. Don’t worry, the Living Wood won’t be lost in my hands.”

He smiled confidently, as if he had a perfect plan to bring the Living Wood back safely.

“Since Mr. Luo is so confident, we’ll leave it in your capable hands.”

After leaving the Living Wood behind, Qian Jinjin and the group of Qian Clan Gu practitioners exited Box Number 1, with no intention of continuing the conversation.

As Luo Yu watched them leave, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.

He quickly took out four black formation flags and placed them in the four corners of the room. Instantly, a square black barrier enveloped the space.

Now, no one outside could see or hear what was happening inside.

After setting up the formation, Luo Yu eagerly approached the Living Wood, patted its bark, and gently pried off a small piece of it.

He examined the piece closely, a faint smile appearing on his face, before taking out a silver snake from his insect pouch.

The small snake slithered onto the trunk of the Living Wood. With a flash of silver light, both the snake and the tree vanished into thin air.

Luo Yu smirked in satisfaction. He placed the piece of bark into a large chest, then turned to the group of Luo Clan Gu practitioners beside him and said sternly:

“I’ve used the Transfer Gu to relocate the Living Wood. It’s now in the hands of the Ninth Prince. Even if those Gu Kings exhaust themselves, they’ll never find it.”

“Now, let me explain my plan. Shortly, I will leave the city as quickly as possible, while you all remain inside.”

“I’ll pretend to be using a trick, though there’s no need for us to act too much. Some clever people will suspect that I didn’t take the Living Wood with me but instead left it in the hands of you low-realm cultivators, thinking that I’m deliberately luring all the Gu Kings out of the city so you can escape with the wood from another direction.”

“Someone will definitely think that way, and it won’t be just one person. So, some of them will target you.”

“This chest cannot hide the aura of a heavenly-grade spirit herb. A piece of the Living Wood’s bark is enough to convince everyone that the wood is inside the chest.”

“When you’re driven into a corner, make a desperate move and destroy the chest completely.”

“My clone will self-destruct and take a group of Gu Kings with me to the grave. Everyone will believe that the Living Wood was destroyed in the battle, and from then on, the Great Yin Dynasty will forever keep a Living Wood hidden from the world.”

“In this plan, your sacrifice is necessary. We must make it look like our perfect plan was exposed.”

“If I were to recklessly charge out with the Living Wood and have it destroyed in the siege, everyone would suspect a trap.”

“Rest assured, your deaths will not be in vain. Your families will be taken care of by the Great Yin Dynasty. The treasures the dynasty rewards your families with will be worth ten of your lives.”

Luo Yu’s expression suddenly grew stern as he looked at them with murderous intent, “Remember, none of you should complicate things by fearing death. The emperor of the Great Yin Dynasty doesn’t have much time left and desperately needs the Living Wood.”

“If this plan fails and the emperor dies, chaos will erupt in the Great Yin Dynasty, and you will be traitors to the nation.”

“On the contrary, if our plan succeeds, it will be a great contribution. All of us will have made a significant achievement in protecting the nation, and even our families will benefit immensely.”

Upon hearing this, the other four people in the room nodded in agreement. Their eyes were filled with determination, and there was no hint of fear of death on their faces, only a readiness to face it with valor.

They were all death warriors, and from the moment they arrived, they knew their fate. They had already mentally prepared themselves, so how could they fear death?

Seeing their fearless expressions, Luo Yu nodded in satisfaction. With such resolve, he felt completely at ease.

As long as they didn’t mess things up, the plan was foolproof. It was enough to deceive everyone and achieve their goals without raising suspicion.

Luo Yu couldn’t help but marvel at his own wisdom, deeply satisfied with his strategic brilliance.

The plan was simply too perfect, utterly seamless. He didn’t believe anyone could see through it.

However, just as he was thinking this, a person standing far away on a spire showed a look of shock.

What’s going on? Why has the infinite progress suddenly disappeared?

He couldn’t help but rub his eyes and focus again, but he still couldn’t find the ∞ symbol. His expression froze.

Just a moment ago, the infinite symbol ∞ had suddenly vanished without warning. It disappeared without a trace, as if it had been erased from existence, which was truly eerie.

What was happening? How could the progress suddenly vanish? The situation startled him.

Could it be that the Living Wood was destroyed? Absolutely impossible! Long Xuan shook his head, quickly dismissing the absurd thought.

After going to such lengths and spending so many resources to acquire the Living Wood, how could it be so easily destroyed? It was impossible. He didn’t believe that the people inside the room would be willing to destroy the Living Wood.

And if the Living Wood hadn’t been destroyed, there could only be one explanation for the progress disappearing—it had been instantly transferred away by some miraculous method.

Long Xuan’s eyes flashed with brilliance as his mind raced.

He believed he had figured out the people’s scheme. They had used some unknown method to transfer the Living Wood away in an instant.

The Gu cultivators of the Great Yin Dynasty inside the room must have taken a fake Living Wood to draw attention, leading all the Gu Kings away.

Once all the Gu Kings were lured away by the fake Living Wood, another group of Gu cultivators from the Great Yin Dynasty would calmly leave with the real Living Wood.

At this point, there shouldn’t be many Gu Kings left in the city. The chances of them safely returning to the Great Yin Dynasty with the real Living Wood were quite high.

Interesting. It seems they’re trying to pull off a deception. The plan is clever, very clever.

No wonder the peak Gu King of the Great Yin Dynasty was so confident—it turns out they had this trick up their sleeve.

Long Xuan’s lips curled into a slow smile.

Unfortunately, no matter how brilliant the plan, they made a grave mistake by encountering me. Do they really think they can deceive me with their little scheme? They’d better not mess this up.

Long Xuan’s eyes darted around. Any teleportation ability would have a distance limit. To transport something over a vast distance would require a costly teleportation array. The Living Wood couldn’t have been teleported far—it must still be nearby, maybe even within the city.

Long Xuan’s eyes brightened as he eagerly activated his Eye Of Heaven, using all of his visual power to scan the entire city, leaving no corner untouched.

It didn’t take long for him to spot the familiar ∞ symbol in a small, unassuming house at the edge of the city.

Long Xuan’s eyes widened in astonishment, and his pupils gleamed with light.

Upon seeing that only two Gu cultivators at the Spiritual Sea stage were guarding the small courtyard, his eyes flickered with excitement. His breathing quickened, and his heart raced uncontrollably. He was too exhilarated.

This was a heaven-sent opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance!

There wasn’t a single Gu King in the surrounding area. It was incredibly rare for a priceless treasure to be left unguarded by strong forces. If he didn’t act now, when would he?

Long Xuan clenched his fists, ready to make his move.

Originally, he hadn’t planned on fighting for the Living Wood, as extending his life by five hundred years didn’t interest him.

But after witnessing this scene, his thoughts became lively, and he began to covet the Living Wood, wanting to claim it for himself.

He couldn’t help it. The Living Wood might not be of much use to him, but now that it was laid bare in front of him, easy to obtain, it was almost like a free gift. Who wouldn’t be tempted?

Something free? Why not take it?

Long Xuan’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he jumped down from the spire and quietly made his way towards the small house.

Meanwhile, inside the auction house, after a secret conversation among the members of the Great Yin Dynasty, Luo Yu finally withdrew the barrier and strode outside, heading straight for the city gates.

The Gu Kings in the auction hall brightened at this sight, immediately trailing behind him from a distance, flowing out of the auction house in a large crowd.

In just an instant, the auction hall, which had been full of Gu Kings, was now empty, with not a single Gu King remaining.

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