Han Li, however, sneered inwardly. With his illusionary disguise masking his true appearance, all he had to do was revert to his original face, and no one would recognize him.
Even if some among them cultivated special techniques, at most they could only discern that he wasn’t showing his true face. After all, even someone as formidable as Dantian, a peak late-stage Body Integration cultivator, had only managed to detect that much when they had faced each other earlier. The few top-tier figures in the hall were unlikely to take an interest in the flawed Skyfire Liquid.
Once Han Li returned to his seat, he closed his eyes slightly, appearing indifferent to the ongoing auction below.
Under Xia Buyi’s guidance, the auction proceeded smoothly. Two more items even fetched prices comparable to the Glazed Skyfire Liquid, though neither was the final highlight.
One was an ancient treasure called the “Ten Thousand Beasts Conch.” Though its power didn’t reach the level of a Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure, blowing it could command low-level spirit beasts within a certain range—an extraordinary effect.
The other was none other than the “Soaring Dragon Pill” Han Li had submitted.
When the pill appeared on the stage and Xia Buyi explained its astonishing effects, the hall erupted in excitement. No cultivator would ever refuse a pill that could enhance spiritual power and aid in breaking through bottlenecks.
Moreover, Void Refinement-level pills were exceedingly rare in auctions. The moment it appeared, fierce bidding ensued. Even those below the Void Refinement level frantically raised their offers, unwilling to miss this opportunity.
For Void Refinement-level beings who were stuck due to a lack of such pills, the competition was even more intense. Who knew when another pill of this caliber would appear?
After a frenzy of bidding, Han Li’s Soaring Dragon Pill sold for an astronomical price of 63 million spirit stones—even higher than what he had paid for the Glazed Skyfire Liquid.
Unexpectedly, the pill ended up in the hands of the Saint Race woman who had previously competed with Han Li for the Skyfire Liquid. Though she had no personal use for it, she likely intended it for her disciples.
This outcome left many in the first and second levels of the hall sighing in disappointment. When Han Li heard the final price, he couldn’t help but wryly smile.
He wasn’t dissatisfied with the auction price. Rather, he was mentally calculating the staggering amount of spirit stones he had effectively consumed by ingesting Soaring Dragon Pills over the past few years. And with centuries of cultivation ahead, the expenditure would only continue—an extravagance bordering on recklessness.
But then again, without relying on such pills to forcibly advance his cultivation, how could someone of his mediocre aptitude have progressed from early-stage Deity Transformation to Void Refinement in just a few centuries?
This was also why, in Han Li’s mind, the value of the mysterious small vial far surpassed even that of the Profound Heavenly Treasure.
While the Profound Heavenly Sword might allow him to dominate the Spirit Realm in the future, without the small vial, he would never have had the confidence to reach this point.
As Han Li sat with lowered eyelids, his emotions churning, the auction progressed through over a dozen more items, finally reaching its climax.
After a deep-blue puppet was claimed by its buyer, Xia Buyi swept his gaze across the hall, his expression turning solemn.
“Many fellow Daoists must be growing impatient. Next, we will present the carefully selected finale items. Two are treasures contributed by our four races, while the other two are rare items provided by other fellow Daoists.”
As he spoke, the teleportation array on the stage shimmered, and four figures emerged—a short, long-bearded elder, a tall armored warrior with a golden mask, a curvaceous but green-scaled woman, and a dark-skinned man with two identical heads.
Though their appearances varied, all four remained composed under the scrutiny of the crowd.
The moment they appeared, the hall erupted in murmurs.
“It’s those four seniors!”
“Indeed! They are the four great guest elders of Cloud City! To think they were invited for this auction!”
Han Li’s eyes snapped open, his heart tightening. These four were all mid-stage Body Integration cultivators—no wonder they caused such a stir.
Xia Buyi smiled and clasped his hands in greeting. “We’ll be troubling the four fellow Daoists this time.”
The long-bearded elder chuckled. “No trouble at all. Since we’ve been compensated, this is but a small task.”
The other three remained aloof, offering only slight nods.
Unfazed, Xia Buyi turned back to the crowd. “There are only four finale items, but they span spirit beasts, materials, and spiritual treasures—guaranteed not to disappoint. Brother Lan, please present your item first.”
The elder nodded and flicked his sleeve, releasing a small, unremarkable black leather pouch.
Yet, he treated it with utmost care, chanting incantations and tapping the air toward it.
The pouch shimmered with dark light, releasing black mist that swirled and expanded, forming a ten-foot-tall black cage. Inside lay a small purple beast, curled into a ball and tightly bound by gold-and-silver threads.
The audience, including Han Li, focused intently. Any spirit beast worthy of being a finale item had to be extraordinary—especially since even a fourth-tier sentient puppet hadn’t made the cut earlier.
Could this beast possess Saint-level strength?
The thought flashed through everyone’s minds, their gazes turning feverish.
However, the cage itself was clearly special. Despite the barrage of divine senses probing it, the faint black light repelled all attempts to penetrate it.
Xia Buyi smiled. “It seems many fellow Daoists are eager. Brother Lan, please introduce this beast.”
The elder stroked his beard. “Very well. Few know of this beast’s origins, but many must have heard of the Eight Wonders beneath the True Spirits of the Spirit Realm.”
The hall erupted in shock.
“One of the Eight Wonders? Could this be one of them?”
The elder quickly clarified. “A misunderstanding. The Eight Wonders are beings whose individual strength rivals True Spirits—far beyond what even Saint-level cultivators could capture. This beast is a hybrid descendant of one of them, the ‘Human-Faced Flood Dragon,’ inheriting most of its bloodline. Though a hybrid, with proper nurturing, it could one day reach the terrifying heights of a true Human-Faced Flood Dragon.
“Born less than a century ago, its spiritual energy already matches an early-stage upper race being. More importantly, it has begun manifesting several of the Human-Faced Flood Dragon’s formidable innate abilities. Even Saint-level cultivators could only subdue it through joint effort—indeed, the four of us captured it together.”
With that, he waved a hand, and the gold-and-silver threads binding the beast loosened, flying back into his grasp.
The hall fell silent as everyone strained to see the beast’s true form.
Freed from its restraints, the small beast trembled but remained curled up.
Just as confusion spread, purple light erupted from its body, blinding all who looked.
Han Li’s pupils flashed blue, allowing him to resist the glare.
When the light faded, the cage was empty.
Gasps filled the hall.
The elder snorted. “Still playing tricks? Haven’t you suffered enough?”
He flicked a finger toward the cage.
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