Two Hundred Thousand Taels of Silver
Gu Qingfeng let out a sigh of relief. The price of the mid-grade martial art had far exceeded his expectations.
At this point, the auction staff delivered all the items Gu Qingfeng had won, and he immediately paid the silver owed.
"Let's head back," Gu Qingfeng said with a slight smile as he exited Yun Pavilion. He noticed the bustling martial artists outside, moving with purpose. Turning to Gu Yang, he added, "We'll return to the Gu family."
Once back at the Gu household, Gu Qingfeng handed over the resources he had acquired at the auction to Gu Yang.
"With these, it should be much easier for you to reach the Perfection of Skin Refining," Gu Qingfeng said.
"I won't let you down, Father," Gu Yang replied earnestly, knowing it would be disgraceful if he failed to break through with 12,000 taels worth of resources.
Half an hour later, Meng Peng returned.
"Any news?" Gu Qingfeng asked.
"Yes, Patriarch. The one who acquired the Fiery Sun Palm is Yun Tianxing, leader of the Tianyun Sect," Meng Peng reported in a low voice.
Gu Qingfeng remained composed, knowing the Tianyun Sect had several warriors in the Blood Refining Realm. It was widely regarded as the third most powerful force in Baishidao, trailing only the Qin family and the Bone Refining Gang.
It made sense that those capable of bidding for the Fiery Sun Palm would be of considerable power. After all, who else could afford to throw down two hundred thousand taels of silver in one go?
"And where are they now?" Gu Qingfeng inquired.
"The moment the auction ended, the Tianyun Sect left Baishi City. However, I've observed that several forces are already tailing them. I doubt their departure will be smooth," Meng Peng replied grimly.
Gu Qingfeng responded calmly, "It's only natural for various factions to covet a top-tier martial art like the Fiery Sun Palm, which leads directly to the Perfection of Blood Refining. Neither the Qin family nor the Bone Refining Gang will want another power to rise in Baishidao—"
"Does the Patriarch also desire the Fiery Sun Palm?" Meng Peng asked cautiously.
"Who wouldn't want a top-tier mid-grade martial art? If the Tianyun Sect can take it, why not the Gu family? Let's go. They might already be fighting outside the city. If we delay any further, someone else might claim it."
Gu Qingfeng strode ahead with his hands behind his back, and Meng Peng hurried after him.
Outside Baishi City
The fighting had already begun.
As Gu Qingfeng had predicted, the Tianyun Sect hadn't made it far from Baishi City before being ambushed by various forces all aiming for the Fiery Sun Palm.
However, the Tianyun Sect wasn't defenseless. Yun Tianxing, their leader, was accompanied by two elders, all three being warriors of the Blood Refining Realm. Many who had ambushed them fell dead in the early exchanges.
When Gu Qingfeng and Meng Peng arrived, they were greeted by the sight of corpses scattered across the landscape. A dozen warriors still clashed in the field, fighting over the Fiery Sun Palm.
"The Qin family and the Bone Refining Gang are here!" Meng Peng whispered in shock.
Gu Qingfeng observed the chaos below. Though the combatants were masked, their fighting styles gave away their affiliations. Numerous Blood Refining Realm warriors had come to ambush the Tianyun Sect, overwhelming even their powerful defense. In mere moments, two of the Tianyun Sect elders lay dead, killed under the combined assault.
Yun Tianxing, bloodshot and filled with fury, realized he could no longer hold his ground. In a desperate move, he threw the brocade box containing the Fiery Sun Palm into the air and shouted, "The Fiery Sun Palm is right here! Whoever wants it can fight for it!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yun Tianxing turned and fled, taking advantage of the sudden pause as everyone scrambled for the brocade box. Injured and weary from battle, he knew lingering would mean certain death.
Chaos erupted as soon as the brocade box hit the ground. One masked elder, his hoarse voice cutting through the mayhem, shouted, "The Fiery Sun Palm is mine!" With a swing of his sword, cold light forced his enemies back. But before he could grab the box, a burly man shattered the sword's light with his bare hands, launching a fierce fist at the masked elder.
"If you want the Fiery Sun Palm, you'll have to get through me first!" he growled.
A cacophony of metal clashing against fists filled the battlefield as warriors from all sides fought desperately. Gu Qingfeng and Meng Peng remained hidden, silently observing the bloody spectacle.
Before long, several Blood Refining Realm warriors lay dead or gravely injured, leaving only the strongest combatants from two factions still locked in a brutal struggle for the martial art.
"It's time," Gu Qingfeng murmured. The six remaining warriors, though powerful, had suffered significant injuries. Delaying further would only invite more unexpected challenges.
Tearing off a strip of cloth, Gu Qingfeng masked his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. He gestured for Meng Peng to stay hidden before leaping into the fray.
Boom!
Gu Qingfeng surged forward like a hawk, diving for the brocade box. Immediately, the two warring factions stopped fighting and turned their attacks on him.
"Trying to swoop in and take the prize? Over my dead body!" a Blood Refining Realm warrior, likely from the Qin family, sneered as he launched a sword strike at Gu Qingfeng, confident it would impale him.
But before the blade could land, Gu Qingfeng's fist shot out, meeting the sword head-on. His fist, as hard as divine iron, shattered the blade effortlessly. With a roar, his fists blazed through the air, deflecting the flurry of incoming strikes.
The combined attacks of six Blood Refining Realm warriors were enough to level mountains, but even as Gu Qingfeng pushed his Iron Body Technique to its limits, his blood surged hotly within him.
Yet compared to Gu Qingfeng's intense power, the others were even more astonished.
None of them had expected that their combined might would fail to kill—let alone severely injure—their opponent. The sheer ferocity of his strength filled them with dread.
Before they could react further, Gu Qingfeng's energy erupted like smoke rising to the heavens. With an earth-shaking roar, his fists lashed out, and in a single, devastating blow, he sent one of the Blood Refining Realm warriors flying
AN - Give power stones.