Chapter 1747: Auctioning the Spirit Island

The cultivators of Three Realms Island would undoubtedly return to their home island. This was not merely the speculation of the two Wu brothers; most Moon Halos shared this view. Unless the Moon Halos from Three Realms Island were completely irrational, they would not continue to occupy Baiyue Island.

The question then arose: what would become of Baiyue Island? Having painstakingly captured such a high-grade spirit island, they certainly couldn't just abandon it. To be frank, there was no precedent for such a situation in the Myriad Manifestations Ocean. Typically, forces powerful enough to conquer a high-grade spirit island would simply occupy it afterward, rendering the question of 'how to deal with it' moot. However, the situation for Three Realms Island was markedly different. Their home island was still secure, allowing them to retreat at any time, yet they had also successfully captured Baiyue. This 'happy problem' was genuinely enviable.

Before long, however, the Moon Halos learned how Three Realms Island intended to handle Baiyue. Moments later, a voice suddenly emanated from Baiyue Island: "I, Luan Xiaoe, humbly serving as the Grand Island Master of Three Realms Island, sincerely invite all fellow Daoists interested in taking stewardship of Baiyue Island to come ashore. In one hour, our Three Realms Island will host an auction here for the ownership of Baiyue Island."

The voice was not particularly loud, but amplified by the power of a Moon Halo peak cultivation, it reached the ears of every observing cultivator with perfect clarity. Everyone present was momentarily stunned, before a look of understanding and inevitability spread across their faces.

An auction! Indeed, this was an excellent solution. The cultivators of Three Realms Island could not realistically occupy two high-grade spirit islands simultaneously. However, having expended considerable effort to conquer Baiyue Island, abandoning it would be an immense waste of a resource, given its substantial value as a high-grade spirit island. Therefore, auctioning off the ownership of Baiyue Island was the optimal and most pragmatic course of action. This would spare Three Realms Island the awkward predicament of trying to manage two high-grade spirit islands, while also securing a substantial income for its cultivators.

The auctioning of a high-grade spirit island's ownership was an unprecedented event in the Myriad Manifestations Ocean. Consequently, as Luan Xiaoe's words settled, many Moon Halos displayed intrigued expressions, and a significant number were profoundly tempted. Among them, those who already possessed high-grade spirit islands naturally harbored no designs on Baiyue Island itself. However, they were certainly eager to partake in this once-in-a-millennium event and observe the novelty of it.

The majority, however, were Moon Halos who did not originate from high-grade spirit islands. The factions behind them generally possessed decent foundations, but conquering a high-grade spirit island was no simple feat. This was because the major high-grade spirit islands in the Myriad Manifestations Ocean had been cultivated for many years, boasting formidable defenses, making them nearly impregnable to forces of comparable strength. Take Four Directions Island, for instance: with their four late-stage Moon Halos and a thousand Constellations, they barely met the qualifications to occupy a high-grade spirit island. Yet, in reality, they could only reside on a medium-grade spirit island. They had attempted such a conquest once before, only to have their home base nearly infiltrated, forcing them into a panicked retreat. The plight of the Four Directions celestial system was not unique in the Myriad Manifestations Ocean; many others faced similar circumstances.

Now, with an opportunity to seize a high-grade spirit island without shedding blood, who wouldn't be tempted? Naturally, a considerable price would be expected; it was, after all, an auction for a high-grade spirit island, and an insultingly low bid would be unacceptable.

Immediately, a surge of Moon Halos began converging on Baiyue Island from all directions. The auction for the ownership of a high-grade spirit island was an unprecedented event in the Myriad Manifestations Ocean. Did it violate any established rules? No one knew for sure, precisely because there was no prior instance, and thus, no Sunlit Realm guardian had ever established regulations concerning such a matter.

From Three Realms Island's side, Luan Xiaoe and her martial junior, He Baichuan, led several Moon Halos in warmly receiving the cultivators who had rushed over upon hearing the news. This gave Luan Xiaoe the opportunity to meet many Moon Halo powerhouses from various spirit islands.

The main council hall of Baiyue Island stood in disrepair, bearing the residual damage from the recent battle, though fortunately it had not been entirely ruined. One hour later, the council hall was packed with Moon Halos, numbering no less than three hundred. These three hundred-plus individuals represented at least two hundred distinct factions, though it remained uncertain how many were merely curious spectators versus those genuinely intending to bid for Baiyue Island's ownership.

Luan Xiaoe remained the host; ostensibly, she was, after all, the Grand Island Master of Three Realms Island. Under the gaze of the assembled crowd, Luan Xiaoe spoke with a slight smile: "Many thanks to all fellow Daoists for your presence. Today's conquest of Baiyue by Three Realms Island was indeed no simple feat. In taking such a high-grade spirit island, our Three Realms Island sustained considerable losses." Upon hearing this, the three hundred Moon Halos could barely suppress their amusement. They had all witnessed firsthand how minimal Three Realms Island's losses actually were, but they silently accepted Luan Xiaoe's statement.

"'The value of a high-grade spirit island, I trust, requires no elaboration from me. We cultivators of Three Realms are content with our own island. Had Baiyue Island not been so overtly aggressive, secretly ambushing our Three Realms Moon Halos, we would not have instigated this conflict. Now that Baiyue has been conquered, our Three Realms cultivators have no desire for a prolonged stay, and thus we intend to auction off the ownership of this island.'"

Someone, growing impatient, called out: "Island Master Luan, spare us the pleasantries and simply explain how to bid!"

Luan Xiaoe glanced towards the speaker, maintaining her slight smile. "Very well," she assented. "Since this fellow Daoist is eager, I shall proceed directly to the rules." She paused for a moment before continuing: "Fellow Daoists interested in bidding need only engrave their proposed price and their origin onto a jade slip. I will then select the most sincere bidder, and the faction to which that bidder belongs will receive the right to occupy Baiyue Island!"

The Moon Halos suddenly understood: this was a blind auction. Bids would not be revealed openly, which, while reducing overt competition, was undoubtedly more efficient and clearly very advantageous for Three Realms Island. No one could precisely gauge Baiyue Island's true value, as there was no precedent for such an event. However, any faction genuinely desiring to claim Baiyue Island would undoubtedly not be stingy with their bid. There was only one chance to submit an offer, and only one opportunity to acquire a high-grade spirit island with such ease. This method allowed Three Realms Island to maximize its own gains.

After outlining the rules, Luan Xiaoe added: "Fellow Daoists have the duration of one incense stick to deliberate. After this time, please submit your bidding jade slips to me." Having spoken, she took her seat nearby and waited patiently.

Within the hall, spiritual senses immediately surged forth, and many Moon Halos retrieved their sound talismans, clearly intending to transmit messages to their respective factions to inquire about appropriate bidding strategies. The whole affair had been orchestrated too hastily. Prior to Three Realms Island's announcement of the auction, no one had anticipated Baiyue Island being handled in this fashion, leaving everyone unprepared. The duration of one incense stick was very brief, meaning that acquiring Baiyue would require immense boldness.

Within the grand hall, Zhou Chuang and Kang Cheng were also exchanging thoughts via spiritual sense. The Four Directions celestial system also desired a high-grade spirit island, and Baiyue Island presented an excellent opportunity. Acquiring it would allow them to bring more Four Directions cultivators to the Myriad Manifestations Ocean. However, they found themselves hesitant regarding the exact bid. A low offer would surely fail to compete, while a high one would exceed their financial capacity.

Just as they were in a quandary, Zhou Chuang suddenly detected a fluctuation from a sound talisman. He swiftly retrieved it, and his eyes immediately brightened with urgency. Kang Cheng, sensing something, transmitted, "What is it?"

Zhou Chuang offered a slight smile. "Fellow Daoist Lu sent a message," he replied, "telling us to make any bid!"

Kang Cheng froze for a moment, then a look of elation spread across his face. "Does Fellow Daoist Lu mean..."

Zhou Chuang gave a subtle nod. Kang Cheng forcefully suppressed the surge of excitement in his heart, letting out an involuntary sigh. "We owe him yet another great favor." Glancing at the other Moon Halos in the hall, Kang Cheng couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy. These individuals, bustling about, likely had no idea their efforts were destined to be in vain. Baiyue Island would soon be renamed Four Directions Island!

"Senior Brother," Kang Cheng murmured, "Fellow Daoist Lu is doing this likely because he doesn't want to expose the relationship between Three Realms Island and our Four Directions Island." Otherwise, there would be no need for an auction at all. Once Baiyue Island was captured, Three Realms Island could have simply informed Four Directions Island to take possession. By using this auction as a smokescreen, no one would suspect a connection between Four Directions Island and Three Realms Island. When the results were revealed, everyone would simply assume that Four Directions Island had submitted the highest bid.

The decision to gift Baiyue to the Four Directions celestial system was not a spur-of-the-moment idea by Lu Ye. When he initially formulated the plan, he wasn't entirely confident in their ability to conquer Baiyue. After all, he couldn't predict every turn of such a conflict; he could only do his utmost and leave the rest to destiny. Fortunately, the outcome proved favorable.

The cultivators of Three Realms still had shallow roots in the Myriad Manifestations Ocean. While they possessed the Merfolk as their most steadfast allies, the Merfolk were ultimately not suited for direct exposure, and their numbers were quite limited. The Four Directions celestial system was a natural ally of Three Realms Island. Given this, their continued development would also prove beneficial to Three Realms Island. It was plausible that they might need to leverage the power of Four Directions Island at some future point. Therefore, after careful consideration, Lu Ye decided to bestow Baiyue Island upon the Four Directions celestial system. After all, Four Directions Island had contributed to the strategic planning against Baiyue Island.

Moreover, Three Realms Island had already reaped substantial gains from this major conflict. Because Baiyue Island fell with such suddenness, the Baiyue cultivators were utterly unprepared. Upon conquering the island, the cultivators of Three Realms immediately plundered Baiyue Island's treasury. While the plundered spirit jades and spirit crystals amounted to a mere ten to twenty million, other diverse resources were countless. As it was a spirit island cultivated for eight hundred years, its treasury naturally held a plethora of valuable items. The limited quantity of spirit jades and spirit crystals was normal. Cultivators required these resources for their practice, and despite Baiyue Island being a high-grade spirit island, its reserves in this area would not be overly abundant, especially given its lack of commercial activities.

Furthermore, the storage rings of the fallen Baiyue cultivators were also collected. A careful tally revealed that, on the Moon Halo side, apart from Yu Huan, who was decisively slain by Yuan Du, the legacies of the other Moon Halos all fell into the hands of Three Realms Island. This also included the storage rings left behind by over a thousand fallen Constellation cultivators. The gains from this aspect alone represented an enormous fortune. It could be said that this battle had significantly alleviated Three Realms Island's financial pressures. For a considerable period ahead, the cultivators of Three Realms Island would live comfortably, free from concerns about cultivation resources.