Desolate Devouring Art

The bidding spiraled out of hand as the three factions fought without yielding. The Mu Clan's decision to compete for the Sumeru Stone was somehow both expected and surprising.

Power in Fourfold City had always rested upon a three-way standoff between the City Lord Mansion, the Wen Clan, and the Mu Clan. Whoever obtained the Sumeru Stone could rise above the other two clans, and neither would tolerate being surpassed by a rival.

The City Lord Mansion and the Wen Clan had clashed for countless years, yet their conflict had never erupted into total war. The Mu Clan's existence was largely responsible for that restraint.

When two tigers fought, one would inevitably suffer injury. The Mu Clan could then stand aside as the third party and emerge as the ultimate victor.

For that reason, the City Lord Mansion and the Wen Clan had always contained their conflicts before either side reached mutual destruction.

"1,600,000," Ye Guhai called, appearing completely relaxed.

The City Lord Mansion had incurred few expenses over the years, allowing it to accumulate a vast reserve of immortal stones.

"1,700,000," the Mu Clan's patriarch countered immediately.

He had a peculiar appearance, with a frame so thin and rigid that he could easily be mistaken for part of a tree trunk.

"1,800,000," Wen Changxing called, raising the bid, otherwise remaining silent.

The three-way struggle soon became a prolonged battle of endurance. If the Mu Clan obtained the Sumeru Stone, Wen Changxing wouldn't be overly concerned. He could always negotiate afterward and purchase it from them at a higher price. If the stone fell into the City Lord Mansion's possession, however, the situation would become very problematic.

The Mu Clan's foundation was far weaker than those of the other two factions, making it difficult for them to profit directly from the conflict. Their gamble rested on the possibility that the City Lord Mansion and the Wen Clan would destroy each other.

"2,000,000," Ye Guhai declared, abruptly raising the bid by 200,000.

The sharp increase in the bid made it clear to everyone that the City Lord Mansion intended to obtain the Sumeru Stone at any cost.

By the established order, the Mu Clan's patriarch should have bid next. Instead, he gave Ye Guhai a meaningful look after hearing the sudden increase.

Two million immortal stones was an enormous amount even for the Mu Clan. Despite killing so many people, Liu Wuxie had obtained only several million immortal stones. Although the Mu Clan ranked among Fourfold City's three dominant powers and earned at least millions of immortal stones each month, that wealth didn't belong solely to their patriarch.

The Mu Clan had to divide that income among its members.

As every gaze shifted toward him, the Mu Clan's patriarch understood that withdrawing now would allow Wen Changxing to place the next bid.

Wen Changxing waited patiently. If the Mu Clan stepped away, only the Wen Clan and the City Lord Mansion would remain in contention.

"2,100,000," the Mu Clan's patriarch called after hesitating briefly.

Throughout the lengthy contest between the three factions, Gu Yi hadn't spoken once or attempted to provoke them further. He merely stood to the side and watched them fight through their bids.

"2,300,000," Wen Changxing declared, raising the price by another 200,000 and driving it upward at a terrifying pace.

Without exchanging a single word, the Wen Clan and the City Lord Mansion had reached a tacit agreement. They would force the Mu Clan out first, then settle the contest between themselves. An auction was nothing less than an invisible battlefield.

Two sworn enemies had temporarily united, astonishing everyone present. As they joined forces to suppress the Mu Clan, tension thickened in the air.

"2,600,000," Ye Guhai called, adding another 300,000 and increasing the pressure on the Mu Clan.

Their plan couldn't afford the slightest miscalculation, so he needed to drive up the bidding quickly.

When the Mu Clan's turn came again, silence fell over the auction house. Not a voice could be heard, only the quiet rhythm of countless people breathing.

One day earlier, Ye Guhai had received a compiled report prepared according to Liu Wuxie's instructions. It recorded the Mu Clan's annual income in detail and estimated the total wealth they could mobilize.

Knowing oneself and one's enemy was the foundation of victory. According to the report, the Mu Clan's limit stood at three million immortal stones. Once the price surpassed that figure, they would most likely withdraw. That was why Ye Guhai wanted to push the bid toward three million as quickly as possible.

Ye Guhai had also estimated the Wen Clan's income, including the proceeds from the assets they had sold over the past few days. By his calculations, the Wen Clan could mobilize only about four million immortal stones.

Likewise, the Wen Clan and the Mu Clan possessed rough estimates of the City Lord Mansion's liquid assets.

"2,700,000," the Mu Clan's patriarch answered without hesitation this time, raising the price by 100,000.

"3,000,000," Wen Changxing called, copying Ye Guhai's tactic and adding 300,000 in a single leap.

Sharp breaths swept through the audience. Never before had a bid reached three million during an auction in Fourfold City.

The Mu Clan's patriarch slumped into his chair upon hearing that figure. Ye Guhai's intelligence report had proven accurate. At three million immortal stones, the Mu Clan had no choice but to withdraw.

They had reached their absolute limit. The Sumeru Stone alone was insufficient to forge a Golden Immortal Realm artifact, and acquiring the necessary supplementary materials would require even more wealth.

The Wen Clan had spent years gathering nearly all those materials. Even if the Mu Clan or the City Lord Mansion secured the Sumeru Stone, either faction would still need years to complete its preparations.

"3,100,000," Ye Guhai continued, raising the bid by only 100,000 this time.

The price had already reached the range he expected. From this point onward, his objective was to make the Wen Clan bleed as heavily as possible.

Time crawled forward, but the Mu Clan did not raise Ye Guhai's bid. Countless gazes converged upon the Mu Clan's patriarch, yet he remained motionless.

Gu Yi did not attempt to rush him. Under normal circumstances, he would have begun counting down, concluding the sale if no one responded within three breaths.

"The Mu Clan withdraws," the Mu Clan's patriarch finally announced.

Liu Wuxie quietly sighed in relief. Ninety percent of his plan was now complete, leaving only one final hurdle. That hurdle, however, lay outside the auction house.

With the Mu Clan gone, every gaze shifted toward Wen Changxing.

"Ye Guhai, only our two factions remain. Whatever you bid, the Wen Clan will follow," Wen Changxing declared, emphasizing every word.

Nothing would shake the Wen Clan's resolve to obtain the Sumeru Stone.

"What a joke! An auction belongs to the highest bidder. If you want the Sumeru Stone, then let's see which of us possesses more immortal stones," Ye Guhai countered.

Only now did the auction enter its fiercest phase. Everything before this moment had been nothing more than a warm-up.

"3,500,000," Wen Changxing called.

Unwilling to waste more time arguing, he increased the price by 400,000 in a single move.

Wen Ding and the others had purchased the Sumeru Stone outside Fourfold City for only about three million immortal stones. The current bid had already surpassed its actual value.

However, it was no longer merely a bidding war. The survival of both factions rested upon the outcome. What use were immortal stones if the opposing faction ultimately crushed them?

When Wen Changxing announced his bid, anger flickered in Ye Guhai's eyes, and everyone saw it. To the audience, that reaction revealed that Ye Guhai was approaching his limit.

Time continued passing, yet no one urged him to respond. On the contrary, the spectators hoped the auction would continue for as long as possible. None realized that Ye Guhai was deliberately delaying his next bid.

According to his calculations, Wu Sheng and the others should have nearly completed their operation by now.

"3,600,000," Ye Guhai finally called out, struggling to raise the bid by another 100,000.

The Wen Clan now held an overwhelming advantage over the City Lord Mansion.

Ye Guhai had radiated confidence at the beginning of the auction. Now the situation had reversed, leaving the Wen Clan seemingly in control.

"3,700,000," the Wen Clan called without the slightest hesitation, though it increased the price by only one hundred thousand.

It was once again Ye Guhai's turn to bid, and several people began urging him to respond. Many in the audience were vassals of the Wen Clan and naturally wanted the Sumeru Stone to fall into their hands.

"City Lord Ye, have you run out of immortal stones? If you can't afford another bid, hurry up and withdraw," several troublemakers mocked.

The amount at stake could devastate even the City Lord Mansion's foundation. Had the Wen Clan not sold several assets, it couldn't have gathered such a fortune either.

"The Wen Clan is mighty. They suppressed every rival and secured the Sumeru Stone," people below cheered.

Their celebration praised the Wen Clan while applying even more pressure to the City Lord Mansion.

Ye Guhai showed little reaction beyond a faint trace of anger.

Anxiety gripped Ye Linghan, and she repeatedly signaled for her father to abandon the plan. If the Wen Clan suddenly stopped bidding, their entire scheme would collapse.

"3,800,000." Ye Guhai forced the words out of his lips while clutching his chest.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, making it seem as though the mockery had enraged him so deeply that even a Divine Immortal like him had suffered internal injuries.

"City Lord!" the disguised Wu Sheng beside Ye Guhai exclaimed, rushing forward and urging him to stop competing.

"4,000,000," Wen Changxing countered with a cold smirk.

Ye Guhai’s condition appeared entirely genuine. To make the performance convincing, he had deliberately thrown his energy into turmoil, forcing himself to cough up blood.

As a ninth-level Divine Immortal, Wen Changxing couldn't be easily deceived. To fool him, Ye Guhai’s performance needed an element of truth.

Once again, it was Ye Guhai's turn to bid.

"City Lord, what do we do now? We can't allow the Sumeru Stone to fall into the Wen Clan's hands," Yuan Jiang and the others pleaded.

The sight of the City Lord coughing up blood made them grit their teeth, but they could not bear to let the Sumeru Stone fall into enemy hands.

The disguised Wu Sheng and the others crowded around Ye Guhai, their eyes bloodshot with fury. The Wen Clan saw every expression, and immense satisfaction spread across Wen Changxing's face.

The Wen Clan elders looked equally delighted. Even if they had to spend four million immortal stones to secure the Sumeru Stone, they could recoup the entire sum and more once they destroyed the City Lord Mansion.

"4,000,000, going once," Gu Yi announced after allowing some time to pass.

"4,000,000, going twice," he called several breaths later.

Everyone waited with bated breath, particularly the Wen Clan experts. They feared that Ye Guhai would continue bidding because their own resources were also nearing exhaustion.

If Ye Guhai raised the price again, the Wen Clan would have no choice but to withdraw. They carried only slightly more than four million immortal stones.

An auction recognized only the highest bidder. Sentiment held no value there.

"City Lord Ye, are you truly surrendering the Sumeru Stone?" Gu Yi asked before announcing the final count.

He turned toward Ye Guhai, seeking confirmation.

Ye Guhai suddenly erupted into a violent coughing fit and spat out another mouthful of blood. He quickly swallowed a pill, and some color gradually returned to his face.

"Manager Gu, could the Skyhalberd Auction House lend me one million astral stones?" Ye Guhai asked, turning toward Gu Yi.