When Han Li stepped out of the Chunxiang Pavilion again, he saw a crowd of people already entering the main gate of the auction hall across the way, signaling that the auction was about to begin.
Noticing this, Han Li’s expression flickered slightly, and without hesitation, he strode forward.
The main gate of the hall was nearly three to four times larger than the entrances to the side halls, and the number of blue-robed guards stationed there far surpassed those at the side halls.
However, these guards merely maintained order and made no other moves.
Han Li blended into the crowd and entered without drawing any attention.
As soon as he stepped inside, his vision brightened.
Before him stretched a spacious hall with several parallel corridors. At the entrance of each corridor hung a sign inscribed with simple ancient characters: “Appraisal,” “Pawn,” “Main Hall,” and so on. Beside each sign stood a young attendant, bowing respectfully.
Han Li’s gaze swept over the signs, and a trace of surprise flashed across his face. After a brief moment of thought, he strode decisively toward one of them.
“Appraisal? What does this mean?” Han Li stood at the corridor entrance, pointing at the sign as he asked in a low voice.
“Esteemed Senior, this is where items are appraised for inclusion in the auction. If you possess any rare treasures, you may have them evaluated here for the auction,” the clear-eyed attendant replied with a bow.
“Ah, I see.” Han Li nodded and, without further delay, stepped into the corridor.
Though Cai Liuying had promised to cover nearly half the cost of the super teleportation array, the remaining sum was still astronomical, and Han Li needed to secure it himself.
Thus, as originally planned, he intended to auction off the items he had prepared.
The corridor wasn’t particularly long. After walking a few dozen paces and turning a corner, Han Li arrived before a deep-red door.
The door was wide open but concealed behind a layer of cyan light. In front of the barrier, seven or eight foreign cultivators stood in line, waiting silently.
Han Li was slightly surprised but calmly walked over and took his place at the end of the line.
With a flash of cyan light, the barrier parted, and a red-haired foreigner emerged, his mouth split wide in apparent delight over some good fortune inside.
Ignoring Han Li and the others, the foreigner strode excitedly past the crowd and out of the corridor.
The next person in line stepped forward without a word and entered.
In just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, everyone ahead of Han Li had entered and exited, moving with remarkable speed. Meanwhile, four or five more people had joined the line behind him.
It seemed many shared Han Li’s plan—arriving just as the auction was about to begin to submit their items.
When a dejected foreigner emerged from the cyan barrier, Han Li stepped inside.
Beyond the light curtain was a vast, milky-white room spanning over thirty zhang. Its walls were made of a pale-gray stone, densely inscribed with flickering talismans to ensure secrecy.
The room contained only a jade table, three wooden chairs, and a simple teleportation array in one corner.
Seated on the chairs were three figures shrouded in a hazy white glow, their features and forms indistinct beneath the concealing light.
Han Li instinctively swept his divine sense over them.
Yet, whether due to some treasure they carried, his divine sense detected no aura whatsoever, making it impossible to gauge their cultivation levels.
A flicker of thought passed through Han Li’s mind.
“Fellow Daoist, if you have items to submit for auction, you may present them for our appraisal. However, let us be clear—the Four Races Auction only accepts the finest materials and treasures. If your items are of lesser quality, we advise you to sell them in the side halls instead. Additionally, if you are dissatisfied with our evaluation, you may request a second appraisal from three different appraisers,” the central figure spoke, her voice crisp and melodious—clearly a young woman.
“Thank you for the reminder. I understand,” Han Li replied calmly.
With a flick of his sleeve, he produced two items—a jade-green vial and a pristine white jade box.
Instead of approaching, he tossed both forward.
As if lifted by invisible hands, the objects floated gently toward the three figures and landed steadily before them.
The two silent figures each reached out, one taking the vial and the other the jade box.
As soon as the vial was opened, an overwhelming medicinal fragrance wafted out, accompanied by a faint dragon’s roar. A ball of emerald-green light, brimming with spiritual vitality, shot out.
The figure let out a soft exclamation, quickly resealing the vial. A sleeve swept out in a flash of white light, capturing the green glow and holding it firmly.
Upon closer inspection, the glow revealed a smooth, lustrous green pill, its surface engraved with a lifelike silver dragon.
The figure pinched the pill between two fingers, sniffed it lightly, then lowered its head to examine it carefully.
Meanwhile, the other figure opened the white jade box.
Inside lay a half-chi-long stalk of emerald-green bamboo.
After a brief glance, the figure reached out to touch it. A thunderous crackle erupted as a finger-thick golden arc leaped from the bamboo’s surface.
“Golden Lightning Bamboo!” the figure blurted out in shock.
“Golden Lightning Bamboo? Fellow Daoist, please verify it carefully,” the central woman said, equally startled but maintaining her composure.
“Rest assured, Fairy. I will be thorough,” the figure replied solemnly, taking a deep breath.
Han Li watched with a faint smile, arms crossed, saying nothing.
The figure then retrieved a pitch-black gourd from its sleeve—exquisitely crafted and no larger than a few inches.
Turning the gourd’s mouth toward the bamboo, the figure tapped its base lightly.
A fist-sized puff of black qi shot out, striking the bamboo.
The moment they made contact, a thunderous boom erupted as several golden arcs flared up, instantly dispersing the black qi.
Undeterred, the figure produced a jade-green jar, releasing a wisp of green qi—only for it to be similarly obliterated by the bamboo’s golden lightning.
“Without a doubt, this is Golden Lightning Bamboo. I can confirm it,” the figure declared with finality.
“Well done. Fellow Daoist, what of the pill? Given its spiritual nature, it must be extraordinary as well,” the woman nodded before turning to the other figure.
“This pill is primarily wood-attribute, with secondary earth and metal attributes. It has attained spiritual awareness, making it suitable for upper-tier cultivators at the seventh or eighth rank. For ninth-rank cultivators, its efficacy would be less than a tenth of its original potency. It undoubtedly qualifies as a first-grade treasure,” the figure replied after a prolonged examination, somehow discerning the exact properties of the Soaring Dragon Pill without any visible method.
Han Li couldn’t help but show a flicker of surprise.
“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist. Both the Golden Lightning Bamboo and these pills are eligible for this auction. The former, in particular, is worthy of being a finale item. By the way, do these pills have a name? Also, I will propose a starting bid for your approval,” the woman said, turning to Han Li with a light smile.
Without waiting for his response, she swiftly inscribed something on a pale-white jade slip atop the table and tossed it to him.
Han Li caught it, skimmed the contents, and nodded. “The starting prices are acceptable. I trust neither will sell for these amounts. As for the pills, they are called ‘Soaring Dragon Pills.’ Refining them was no small feat.”
“Soaring Dragon Pills—excellent. We will list them as such. Keep that jade slip safe, Fellow Daoist. It will serve as proof when claiming your payment after the auction,” the woman said slowly.
“Understood. If there’s nothing else, I shall await the results in the main hall,” Han Li said, clasping his hands in farewell.
“Safe travels. We will ensure your items are handled with care,” the woman replied warmly.
Han Li nodded, turned, and walked out.
Without any visible action from the three figures, the cyan barrier parted, allowing him to exit.
Ignoring the others waiting outside, Han Li unhurriedly made his way back through the corridor.
The main hall was now even more crowded, with a steady stream of foreigners entering the central corridor marked for the auction.
Without hesitation, Han Li followed suit.
Passing through a yellow-lit passage, he emerged into an enormous hall.
His gaze swept the space, and his expression shifted slightly.
The hall was staggeringly vast, divided into three tiers—upper, middle, and lower—each suspended in the air without visible support, exuding an air of mystery.
The middle and lower tiers consisted of ordinary tables and chairs spaced a mere zhang apart. The upper tier, however, boasted uniformly sized private rooms, their surfaces shimmering with faint spiritual light, suggesting powerful restrictions.
Clearly, these rooms were reserved for esteemed figures within Cloud City.
Han Li spared them only a glance before losing interest. He found an inconspicuous corner and settled in to await the auction’s commencement.
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