Chapter 943: Chapter 943

Seeing the name "Wu Die" signed on the note, Ding Fan immediately knew that the auction held by the Inner Hidden Gates in Mount Lu would undoubtedly be extraordinary.

The Inner Hidden Gates were inherently more mysterious than the Outer Hidden Gates. Among the Outer Hidden Gates, the Longxi Auction was considered the top one in the world. Ding Fan had once acquired an Ancient Cauldron from the Longxi Auction, and thanks to that cauldron, he had refined numerous high-grade pills.

At this moment, Ding Fan was curious about what kind of treasures might appear at the Inner Hidden Gates auction.

After all, the Inner Hidden Gates boasted a multitude of experts, and the items they decided to sell would naturally be extraordinary treasures.

Furthermore, Ding Fan wondered whether the female disciple from the Immortal Sect, whom he encountered near the forbidden zone outside Yisi City, would show up. After all, that Immortal Sect disciple had been carrying the Seal Stone.

In any case, Ding Fan was determined to go.

"Sect Master, when I came over, news was passed down from the Spirit Sect within their gates. They were also inquiring about the Mount Lu auction," said Mei Zhi.

Ding Fan did not find this surprising.

Since this auction was restricted to the Inner Hidden Gates, and given that the Spirit Sect was one of the Three Great Inner Hidden Gates, such an occasion would naturally involve their presence.

Ding Fan contemplated briefly. "Let's settle it this way. Let's send Lu Shanqi along with a few Spirit Sect disciples to attend as representatives."

Mei Zhi took a glance at Ding Fan. "Sect Master, if such a major event happens and you don't attend…"

As the Sect Master of the Spirit Sect, not going would indeed be unreasonable...

Ding Fan understood Mei Zhi's concerns. "You know the current situation with the Spirit Sect. The Four Elders of the Spirit Sect—Feng Shanxing is no longer with us. Adding to that, during the previous Spirit Sect's Grand Competition, the Ghost Sect severely wounded the Spirit Sect. At this moment, the Immortal Sect's passage is blocked, and the Ghost Sect reigns supreme. I've decided to observe in secret while letting Lu Shanqi represent openly. This way, acting both in darkness and light can provide us some cover."

After hearing Ding Fan's explanation, Mei Zhi nodded. She too understood the dominant strength of the Ghost Sect at the moment.

After giving her further instructions, Mei Zhi left to return to the Spirit Sect to notify them of Ding Fan's plan.

Once Mei Zhi departed, Ding Fan summoned Zhou Ruoran and Hu Jin to give instructions regarding Yongfan Island. Only then did Ding Fan pack up and set off directly toward Mount Lu.

Both Gui Zhen and Gui Xing of the Ghost Sect had crossed paths with Ding Fan before. Knowing that both of them would recognize him, Ding Fan decided to disguise himself for his undercover visit. Taking out Duorou, Ding Fan altered his appearance completely.

Afterward, Ding Fan controlled his sword and flew directly to Lushan City.

Lushan City was the largest city in the Taihang Mountain Region, densely populated. In terms of sheer population numbers, Lushan ranked among the top three cities nationally.

Though Mount Lu was located in Lushan City, it was still quite a distance away from the city center.

After arriving in Mount Lu, Ding Fan didn't rush to proceed but found a place to settle down first.

According to the invitation, the auction at Mount Lu would begin in seven days. If flying by sword from the city center to Mount Lu, Ding Fan wouldn't even need an hour.

One reason Ding Fan arrived early was to see whether he might encounter the Immortal Sect disciple he had met near Yisi City's forbidden zone. This update ıs available on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝓷𝓮𝓽

Another reason was his curiosity about the caliber of individuals attending the Mount Lu auction. Most importantly, he wanted to observe whether the Ghost Sect would engage in any secretive maneuvers.

When it came to the Ghost Sect, Ding Fan harbored some apprehension. Back then, under Gui Xing's assault, Ding Fan had been forced to abandon a Grade Nine Artifact of Attack just to escape with his life.

The strength of the Ghost Sect was undoubtedly something the Spirit Sect alone could not contend with.

The place Ding Fan chose to stay was near the city's entrance, making it convenient to observe those entering the city.

Over three consecutive days, Ding Fan noticed that martial artists entering the Mount Lu region included dozens of Heavenly Level masters alone. There were even a few Profound Level experts among them.

Ding Fan couldn't help being astonished. The Inner Hidden Gates were indeed overflowing with talent. In the mortal world, a Martial Artist at the Peak of Earth Level was already considered exceptional. Here, even Heavenly Level masters didn't seem noteworthy.

On the fourth day, the number of martial artists arriving at Mount Lu increased significantly. Even in the hotel where Ding Fan stayed, there were three or four Heavenly Level martial artists and one Profound Level expert.

However, what puzzled Ding Fan was that he hadn't seen any disciples from the Ghost Sect over the past few days.

For such a grand event, the Ghost Sect had no reason not to attend.

By the sixth day, Ding Fan finally spotted a familiar figure.

When that figure appeared, Ding Fan couldn't help but feel a tremor in his body.

The individual who had appeared turned out to be none other than the Immortal Sect female disciple he had saved in the forbidden zone outside Yisi City.

After entering Lushan City, the Immortal Sect disciple didn't settle down immediately but wandered through the streets.

Ding Fan felt speechless regarding this Immortal Sect disciple. The Immortal Sect's passage is blocked, and she carried a Seal Stone that directly impacted whether the passage could be reopened. Yet here she was, wandering around aimlessly without a clue. If caught by the Ghost Sect, her death would be unstoppable!

Without hesitation, Ding Fan decided to approach the female disciple.

Ding Fan had no intention of revealing his true appearance in such turbulent circumstances. It was always better to err on the side of caution...

The Immortal Sect female disciple who appeared in Mount Lu turned out to be Gusu Qingwen.

On that day, Ding Fan had intercepted Gui Xing, allowing Gusu Qingwen to escape with her life.

However, after evading pursuit for a while, she had returned to the desert forbidden zone once more.

Gusu Qingwen felt deeply unsettled about the fact that Ding Fan had given her the hope of survival during that critical moment.

From Gusu Qingwen's perspective, Ding Fan intercepting Gui Xing meant certain death—an absolute sacrifice.

At one point, Gusu Qingwen even wondered if Ding Fan had recognized her and was protecting her at the cost of his life.

This thought made her dismiss the idea, as she had been careful not to reveal any clues about her identity.

Yet Ding Fan had indeed given her the opportunity to live...

Throughout her years of martial cultivation, Gusu Qingwen had seen the ups and downs of the human condition. In the world, there were many who embellished greatness but few who extended true kindness.

Gusu Qingwen was certain that anyone else faced with her situation—being hunted by Gui Xing—would have chosen to flee without hesitation.

But Ding Fan had chosen to protect her...

Although Gusu Qingwen was sure that Ding Fan didn't realize he was protecting her, this only made her feel that Ding Fan was all the more exceptional.

She had once claimed she wanted to marry a true hero...

At times, Gusu Qingwen had doubted Ding Fan, even coming to the mortal realm this time with the intention of seeing Ding Fan's weaknesses and calming her own emotions so she could focus solely on cultivation.

Yet in reality, Ding Fan displayed extraordinary perseverance. In a short span of time, his cultivation had advanced significantly.

His movement technique, cultivation—it all far surpassed Gusu Qingwen. To think, not long ago, Ding Fan hadn't even been a worthy opponent for her...

Ding Fan was fighting tirelessly for the promises he had made in the past.

At this thought, Gusu Qingwen felt a pang of unease, and an urge to cry welled up unexpectedly.

The main reason for this discomfort was that, during Ding Fan's final effort to intercept Gui Xing, she hadn't informed him that she was Gusu Qingwen...

Gusu Qingwen felt that her attempt to seek Ding Fan's flaws during this visit was both ignorant and disgraceful...

But when Gusu Qingwen returned to the desert to search for Ding Fan, he was nowhere to be found.

There, Gusu Qingwen constructed a memorial tomb for Ding Fan, even though the usually prideful and aloof Gusu Qingwen couldn't quite understand why she was doing this.

At that moment, Gusu Qingwen realized that Ding Fan had left an indelible mark on her heart.

Tragically, the heavens had played a tremendous joke on her—just as she understood her feelings for Ding Fan, he was already gone from this world...

This time, Gusu Qingwen's main purpose for coming to Mount Lu was naturally to seek out the Spirit Sect's Sect Master.

With the Immortal Sect's passage blocked, among the three great Inner Hidden Gates, the Spirit Sect was the only force capable of opposing the Ghost Sect.

For such a major event like the Mount Lu Inner Hidden Gates auction, numerous top experts from the Inner Hidden Gates would surely gather. It was precisely for this reason that Gusu Qingwen decided to come to seek out the Spirit Sect's Sect Master.

However, lacking worldly experience, Gusu Qingwen found herself unsure where to start searching for the Spirit Sect. She wound up wandering aimlessly on the streets.

"Miss, you look like you're searching for someone. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

As Gusu Qingwen struggled to find her bearings, a voice suddenly sounded behind her.

Turning to follow the voice, Gusu Qingwen saw a man who exuded uprightness, emitting a sense of righteousness. She also felt an intense aura of Inner Strength from this man—he was likely at least a Heavenly Level cultivator.

"Are you someone from the Inner Hidden Gates?" Gusu Qingwen's eyes sparkled.

The man nodded slightly. "Yes, I'm from the Minjiang Song Family. My name is Song Jiacheng."

The Inner Hidden Gates included some family-based ancient martial forces. Hearing this, Gusu Qingwen understood that this man was indeed someone from the Inner Hidden Gates.

"Have you seen anyone from the Spirit Sect?" Gusu Qingwen asked urgently.

"The Spirit Sect?" Song Jiacheng paused thoughtfully. "If I recall correctly, I believe I saw some people from the Spirit Sect outside the city."

"Really?" Hearing this, Gusu Qingwen became overjoyed with excitement.

"I happen to need to head out of the city too. How about I accompany you and take a closer look?" Song Jiacheng offered.

Gusu Qingwen hesitated momentarily but ultimately nodded. To her, Song Jiacheng didn't seem like a bad person. Having him along would make the journey safer.

Seeing Gusu Qingwen agree, Song Jiacheng's brow revealed a faint and almost imperceptible hint of satisfaction.

"You know the Spirit Sect? That's great. I also need to find the Spirit Sect—could you bring me along as well?" Just as Song Jiacheng was about to leave with Gusu Qingwen, Ding Fan stepped forward from the side.

Ding Fan had listened closely to the earlier conversation between Song Jiacheng and Gusu Qingwen.

The sinister aura Song Jiacheng emitted made Ding Fan feel that he was far from being a noble character. However, Ding Fan couldn't simply pull Gusu Qingwen away directly.

Knowing Gusu Qingwen well, Ding Fan understood that if he acted so impulsively, she would likely trust Song Jiacheng even more and grow closer to him.

Instead, Ding Fan thought it better to follow them secretly and uncover Song Jiacheng's true intentions...