Han Li breathed a sigh of relief, touching his nose as the tension in his heart eased.
However, he remained deeply puzzled by the words the human-faced Flood Dragon had spoken before leaving.
He was undeniably and entirely human—when had he ever been connected to such a being? Could it be due to the various True Spirit bloodlines he had refined?
That seemed unlikely. Though these True Spirit bloodlines were powerful, once refined, they lay dormant within his body without any outward manifestation. Otherwise, given the numerous formidable beings he had encountered before, something would have surely happened by now.
Han Li pondered for a while but was still filled with confusion. Meanwhile, the gazes of nearby non-human cultivators turned somewhat peculiar. Even the green-robed youth on the stage gave him a few extra glances, though he said nothing.
As for the Body Integration-stage experts on the third floor, many also cast curious glances his way. Among them, Duan Tianren naturally recognized Han Li at once, his expression turning slightly odd.
Realizing he had drawn so much attention, Han Li inwardly groaned.
“Very well, since this matter has been resolved, continue with the auction. I shall take my leave first. Fellow Daoist Lan, you and your companions should avoid the vicinity of the Violet Sea from now on. If any real trouble arises, I won’t be able to intervene. Take care.” The youth withdrew his gaze and spoke indifferently to Xiao Buyi, the long-bearded elder, and the others.
“We will remember your words, Senior! Thank you for your protection earlier—otherwise, disaster would have surely befallen us,” the elder and the others repeatedly expressed their gratitude.
Xiao Buyi, who had been standing to the side, also bowed and said, “We respectfully bid you farewell.”
The youth nodded, stepped down from the stage, and walked away with an unhurried gait. Yet, after just a few steps, his figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished at the hall’s entrance.
With the two Great Ascension cultivators gone, the Body Integration-stage experts on the third floor swiftly returned to their rooms, concealing themselves once more. The rest of the hall’s attendees redirected their attention to the figures on the stage.
“Brother Lan, you are injured—return to your cave abode and rest. Fellow Daoist Kun, I must trouble the three of you to remain a while longer. Fortunately, we are nearing the end, so it won’t delay you much. Additionally, as compensation, I will increase the agreed reward by twenty percent on behalf of my clan,” Xiao Buyi said courteously to the elder and the woman.
“Brother Xiao, rest assured. No matter what happens, since we’ve agreed to assist you, we will stay until the auction concludes,” the woman replied with a bitter smile after exchanging glances with her companions.
“Many thanks, all three of you!” Xiao Buyi was inwardly overjoyed. If these three had chosen to leave, he wouldn’t have known how to persuade them to stay.
As for the blue-robed elder, he merely gave Xiao Buyi a grim nod before using his uninjured arm to summon the severed limb from the ground. He carefully stored it away, then formed a hand seal.
With a low hum, the blue formation beneath him activated, and his figure vanished in a flash of light.
As a Sacred Race cultivator, the elder had always been revered and feared. Yet today, he had lost an arm in front of so many witnesses, leaving him deeply humiliated.
At this moment, he couldn’t bear to stay a second longer. He might even avoid public appearances for a long time.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the previous auction item has been canceled. Fellow Daoist Lu, please reclaim your spirit stones. To compensate for your loss, if you successfully bid on any of the next three items, we will deduct ten million spirit stones as reparation,” Xiao Buyi said with a smile to the curly-haired elder, who had retreated to a corner of the stage unnoticed.
He then tossed the bag of spirit stones back to the elder.
The curly-haired elder, clearly wary of the human-faced Flood Dragon’s retaliation, had silently withdrawn to the corner. Upon hearing Xiao Buyi’s words, he shook his head and sighed, “Forget it. Since the auction was disrupted, it seems fate has decided I am not meant to obtain anything today. No matter how rare the next items are, I won’t participate further.”
With that, the elder took the spirit stones and strode off the stage, heading straight for the exit without a backward glance.
The crowd below stirred once more at this sight.
Xiao Buyi frowned briefly but quickly regained his composure. He nodded to the green-scaled woman beside him.
Understanding his intent, she reached into her sleeve and produced a dark object, which she tossed into the air.
A series of piercing shrieks tore through the sky!
A fierce wind howled across the stone platform as a mass of black clouds materialized overhead, swelling to over a hundred feet in size.
This spectacle instantly drew the crowd’s attention.
The shrieks continued from within the clouds, followed by several thunderclaps. As white lightning flashed, the dark clouds dissipated, revealing a sleek black chariot hovering in the air.
The chariot, about fifty to sixty feet long, was adorned with intricate ancient patterns and exuded a primal aura.
Pulling it were four jet-black winged horses, each clad in dark armor and ridden by a fully armed black-armored knight.
Yet, neither the horses nor the knights moved—they were clearly puppets.
Both the chariot and the knights gleamed with the same cold, eerie light, indicating they were crafted from identical materials.
At the sight of the chariot and its riders, many in the audience showed keen interest.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the second highlight of our auction—the ‘Earth Nether Chariot.’ I won’t elaborate much, but its origin alone will astonish many. Tens of thousands of years ago, the Earth Spirit Clan was annihilated—a name some of you may recall. They were once hailed as the supreme masters of puppet arts on the Thunder Continent. This chariot was discovered in one of their secret ruins. As for its abilities, I won’t demonstrate them all. But I can tell you this: each of these knight puppets possesses the strength of a mid-Deity Transformation cultivator. Together, they can execute a long-lost joint technique capable of repelling an early-stage Sacred Race cultivator. As for the chariot itself, its transformations are boundless—its wonders can only be fully appreciated by its eventual owner,” Xiao Buyi said with a chuckle.
At the mention of the Earth Spirit Clan, many in the audience stirred with excitement. Upon hearing that the four puppets could rival an early-stage Sacred Race cultivator, their expressions turned to delight. Some even attempted to probe the chariot with their spiritual sense, only to recoil in shock moments later.
While the knight puppets posed no issue, the chariot emitted a strange suction force that drew in their spiritual sense, startling them.
Fortunately, since the chariot remained unrefined, they could withdraw their spiritual sense without resistance—otherwise, they might have suffered serious backlash.
This incident, however, only served to further pique the crowd’s interest in the chariot’s mysteries.
Han Li, caught off guard, also suffered a minor setback. Though intrigued, he sighed inwardly.
Even without knowing the starting bid, he could guess that such a treasure—capable of resisting a Sacred Race cultivator—would be exorbitantly priced. He could only watch from his seat.
The Golden Lightning Bamboo still hadn’t appeared, suggesting it was being saved for later in the auction’s highlights.
As Han Li mused, Xiao Buyi finally announced the starting price for the Earth Nether Chariot:
“Earth Nether Chariot, starting bid—one hundred and twenty million spirit stones!”
Though Han Li had expected a staggering price, he still froze momentarily before smiling wryly.
As predicted, the bidding for the chariot was frenzied.
Offers swiftly surpassed two hundred million, yet many remained unwilling to back down.
This time, however, few Sacred Race cultivators from the third floor participated. Those who did quickly withdrew once the price exceeded two hundred million.
In the end, the chariot was claimed by a veiled, slender woman for two hundred and twenty million spirit stones. Many in the crowd eyed her with suspicion—how could a mere mid-Nascent Soul cultivator possess such wealth?
Han Li was also surprised but soon dismissed the matter.
For Xiao Buyi had just accepted a jade box from the two-headed man. Upon opening it, a section of emerald-green bamboo was revealed—Han Li’s Golden Lightning Bamboo!
“Source of the Five Elements’ Divine Wood Lightning—Golden Lightning Bamboo! Starting bid: one hundred and seventy million!” Xiao Buyi declared succinctly, holding the bamboo aloft.
A thunderous roar erupted as countless golden arcs burst from the bamboo, weaving into a dazzling net of lightning before the crowd’s eyes.
“Golden Lightning Bamboo!”
“Evil-Warding Divine Lightning!”
“Divine Wood Lightning!”
Dozens of exclamations rang out simultaneously, some even from the third floor. The appearance of the golden lightning sent shockwaves through the hall.
A buzz of excited whispers filled the air.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage