Three million spirit stones was a sum Han Li could naturally afford, but it was extremely unwise to spend it on such a small amount of True Toad Spirit Blood.
Even though he had spiritual herbs that could be exchanged for large quantities of spirit stones, given his cautious nature, he would never sell too many of those rare, millennia-old herbs within a short period. Otherwise, if someone took notice, the consequences would be endless!
From the tone of the previous bidder, it seemed they were determined to obtain this jar of True Toad Spirit Blood. Even if Han Li offered three million, he might not win the bid, and it would only draw unwanted attention.
Moreover, for Han Li, this small amount of spirit blood was only enough to familiarize himself with the refining process of True Toad Liquid—it wouldn’t be sufficient to actually produce much of the spiritual medicine.
After careful consideration, he ultimately refrained from bidding, his expression darkening.
Han Li’s abstention didn’t mean others would give up. After a brief silence, several bids followed in quick succession. These bidders were clearly late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, desperate for True Toad Liquid to break through their cultivation bottlenecks. Ordinary cultivators would never pay such an exorbitant price.
In the fierce competition among these bidders, the jar of True Toad Spirit Blood was ultimately sold for an astonishing four million spirit stones—claimed by the first bidder.
The exorbitant price drew the attention of many curious cultivators, who frequently glanced toward the flying stone chamber where the buyer resided, speculating about their identity. Naturally, they found nothing.
The next few materials were equally rare—items required by Void Refinement cultivators for pill refinement. Though the number of bidders dwindled, the prices soared even higher, leaving many dumbfounded.
Among them, a single purple, ten-thousand-year-old barbarian fruit was sold for nearly ten million spirit stones—a sky-high price that left first-time attendees of such an auction utterly stunned.
If mere materials commanded such prices, the cost of finished pills useful to Void Refinement cultivators would be unimaginable.
Before long, the auction of materials and secret manuals concluded. The white-robed elder clapped his hands lightly, and the ten female cultivators standing behind him gracefully descended from the auction stage.
At the same time, three cultivators in different attire slowly ascended from below—a plain-dressed woman in a green skirt, a ruddy-faced elder, and a refined middle-aged scholar.
The appearance of these three caused a stir among the assembled cultivators.
Han Li faintly overheard murmurs of “appraisers,” realizing these were the three chief appraisers the red-robed elder had mentioned earlier.
Their cultivation levels were lower than the white-robed elder’s, merely early-stage Nascent Soul, but each carried an extraordinary aura. Their ability to stir such excitement among the crowd proved they were no ordinary figures.
As Han Li pondered this, the white-robed elder stepped forward and addressed the crowd:
“Next, we present the three most precious treasures of this auction, each carried by Fellow Daoist Qin and the others. The first is a set of three scales shed by the True Spirit Black Qilin from the barbarian lands. These scales can be used to refine the legendary Kui Water True Spirit Pills or serve as the highest-grade material for crafting water-attribute spirit treasures. Spirit treasures forged from such materials have a chance to rank among the Chaos Myriad Spirit Treasures. As for the Kui Water True Spirit Pills, consuming just one can elevate an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator directly to the mid-stage. Of course, whether refining spirit treasures or the pills, even with a master artisan, the success rate is not high. However, if any fellow Daoist wins this item and intends to refine a spirit treasure, this old man is willing to assist free of charge—a small personal indulgence.”
With a smile, the white-robed elder retreated behind the three appraisers.
Upon hearing the words “Black Qilin scales,” most of the cultivators in the flying chambers gasped in shock, staring dumbfounded at the three appraisers on stage.
Those with deep pockets, who had come specifically for the finale, were immediately overjoyed. Their patience had paid off.
Even without considering the remaining two items, the Black Qilin’s scales alone were worth an all-out bidding war.
However, most of them were eyeing the Kui Water True Spirit Pills—less than one in ten likely intended to refine a spirit treasure, and even those were likely water-attribute cultivators.
When Han Li heard the name “Kui Water True Spirit Pill,” his heart trembled violently. Such a heaven-defying pill, capable of instantly advancing a cultivator’s realm, was precisely what he had long dreamed of. Now that the opportunity was before him, he resolved in an instant to secure these three scales at any cost—even if it meant taking risks.
His eyes flickered with determination.
At this moment, the middle-aged woman among the three appraisers stepped forward. With a wave of her hand over her storage bracelet, a translucent jade box about a foot in size appeared, its surface shimmering with faint runes and emitting a hazy white glow—clearly no ordinary object.
Without needing an introduction from the white-robed elder, she tapped the box with a finger.
With a *pop*, the lid opened, and three streaks of black light shot out, darting toward the ceiling.
But the woman was prepared. With a casual upward grasp, an invisible force materialized, ensnaring the three streaks and yanking them down.
After a brief swirl, the black light transformed into three fist-sized black-green scales, forcibly pulled into the woman’s hand.
She placed two back into the jade box, sealing it with a talisman, then held up the remaining scale for the crowd to see.
“As all know,” she said leisurely, “the Black Qilin is a natural water-attribute True Spirit. Its shed scales are among the highest-grade water-attribute materials in the world, especially valuable to those who cultivate water-attribute techniques. However, there are only two ways to verify their authenticity. First, though shed, these scales contain astonishing water-attribute spiritual power. Even without refinement, they rival top-tier water-attribute treasures.”
As she spoke, she channeled spiritual power into the scale in her hand and waved it through the air.
A blue radiance burst forth, and a dazzling blue lotus bloomed on the scale’s surface, shimmering like a diamond.
With a flick of her fingers, the lotus spun rapidly, expanding to the size of a human head amidst deep blue light.
As its petals trembled, countless blue motes scattered, filling the hall with an overwhelming concentration of water-attribute spiritual energy.
From his flying chamber, Han Li raised a hand, catching one of the blue motes. It vanished into his palm.
Closing his eyes, he felt a cool sensation spread from his hand throughout his body.
When he reopened them, his expression was one of complete satisfaction.
The water-attribute spiritual power was indeed extraordinarily pure. For the scale to unleash such power, it had to be genuine.
Han Li wasn’t the only one convinced. Most of the other cultivators, sensing the purity of the spiritual energy, were now at least seventy to eighty percent certain of the scales’ authenticity.
With a flick of her wrist, the woman dispersed the blue lotus. The countless motes of light in the hall vanished instantly.
She continued calmly, “Among the True Spirits of heaven and earth, the Qilin’s scales rival the hardness of even the mighty True Dragons. Though shed scales lose some of their durability, ordinary attacks still cannot destroy them.”
With that, she tossed the scale into the air, where it hovered motionless as a mass of black light.
Then, a golden glow flashed in her hand, materializing into a foot-long axe, gleaming coldly.
With a stern expression, she swung the axe. A golden arc shot upward, striking the scale with a resounding *clang*.
The scale’s surface flickered with black light, repelling the axe effortlessly, leaving itself unscathed.
Unfazed, the woman began chanting. A pillar of azure flame erupted beneath the scale, engulfing it completely.
“Three-Colored Azure Calamity Fire!”
Gasps of recognition echoed through the hall, many cultivators eyeing the flames with envy.
Yet when the woman dispelled the fire, the scale remained intact, now faintly glowing with azure light.
She proceeded to test the scale with lightning strikes, ice seals, and other elemental attacks—all formidable, yet none left a mark.
Finally, she unleashed a blood mist from a demonic treasure, but even that failed to corrode the scale.
Satisfied, she recalled the scale, returning it to the jade box and sealing it once more. Holding the box, she stepped back, her demeanor serene.
The white-robed elder returned to the forefront, smiling briefly before announcing, “Three scales of the True Spirit Black Qilin. Starting bid: fifteen million spirit stones. Minimum increment: one million. Bidding begins now!”
“Seventeen million!”
“Eighteen million!”
“Twenty million!”
…
The price skyrocketed by one to two million with each bid, leaving many first-time attendees pale-faced, quickly abandoning any thought of competing.
Though Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. He hadn’t expected so many wealthy cultivators to remain at this late stage.
Yet he didn’t rush to bid. Instead, he coldly watched the astronomical figures climbing on the massive disk above the stage, his lips tightening slightly.
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