Chapter 2037: Relic Bones of the True Spirit

This object shimmered with a verdant green hue, resembling the remains of an unknown colossal beast.

Though merely a fragment of bone, the moment it was revealed, a vast and primal aura surged forth. Even Yue Lian Tian, who had been prepared, hastily retreated several steps in caution.

As for the others in the auction hall, under the pressure of this aura, many gasped in surprise. Some weaker individuals even had to summon protective demonic light, their faces filled with shock.

“Just a beast bone—how can it emit such a terrifying aura?”

“Could this be the remains of one of those legendary ancient beasts from the wastelands?”

“Impossible! Even the bones of those colossal creatures wouldn’t possess such an astonishing presence.”

“Brother Yue, please explain quickly!”

The demonic crowd erupted in commotion once more, their gazes fixed on the translucent giant bone as they spoke in awe.

“Hehe, fellow Daoists need not fret. Since this is an item brought to auction, I will naturally clarify its origins. However, it seems many of you are already quite intrigued, so I won’t keep you in suspense. This is not the remains of a wasteland beast—it is a bone from an ancient True Spirit,” Yue Lian Tian said with a light cough and a smile.

“An ancient True Spirit bone? That would be priceless!”

“Impossible! A treasure like this would surely attract the attention of even the Sacred Ancestors. How could it appear here?”

The uproar this time far surpassed the earlier reaction to the “Sacred Brick.” After Yue Lian Tian’s explanation, nine out of ten demons wore expressions of disbelief.

As for Han Li, the moment he heard the term “True Spirit bone,” his expression beneath the hood shifted abruptly, and his gaze locked onto the emerald giant bone.

Only then did he faintly detect a trace of a familiar, sweet scent within the primal aura—something akin to the fragrance of medicinal herbs.

However, this scent was incredibly faint. Had he not frequently handled various spiritual medicines, he might not have noticed it at all.

At the same time, a voice filled with excitement suddenly echoed in Han Li’s mind:

“Master, this thing seems incredibly useful to me. If possible, please do your best to acquire it!”

The voice was delicate and crisp—none other than Qu’er, the transformed Nine Revolutions Spirit Ginseng. Her words trembled slightly with excitement.

Han Li was momentarily stunned but did not respond immediately. Instead, he extended a strand of divine sense to sweep over the giant bone.

A soft exclamation escaped his lips.

Meanwhile, Yue Lian Tian spoke again in a solemn tone:

“Fellow Daoists need not doubt. This bone is not native to our realm—it accidentally drifted here through a spatial rift. However, I must clarify: while it is indeed a True Spirit bone, it has endured the passage of too much time. After examination, it no longer contains any trace of True Spirit marrow. Thus, not only is it impossible to determine which True Spirit it belonged to, but even its original aura has diminished to less than one ten-thousandth of its former intensity. It cannot compare to the other True Spirit bones that have appeared in our realm before. Even so, this bone remains incredibly sturdy. If refined into a treasure, its power would still rival that of an ordinary spirit treasure. As for why it appeared in our city, the reason is similar to that of the Sacred Brick—the owner wished to avoid trouble and sought to offload it quickly. Before the auction begins, I will allow one incense stick’s worth of time for fellow Daoists to examine this ancient spiritual bone. Those truly interested may even step onto the stage for a closer inspection.”

With those words, the elderly demon flicked his sleeve, and a green incense burner flew out, landing steadily on a corner of the stone platform. Inside the burner, a half-foot-long incense stick had just been lit, emitting faint wisps of smoke.

Yue Lian Tian then flipped his palm, revealing a silver talisman, which he pressed onto the spiritual bone.

Instantly, the overwhelming aura receded, no longer suffocating the onlookers.

Most demons, upon hearing the elderly demon’s words and seeing the sealed bone, lost much of their skepticism.

Since this bone was not a True Spirit bone in the truest sense, it was merely a rare material for artifact refinement—hardly an outrageous item to appear in Blood Crow City.

Even so, many high-ranking demons remained highly interested. Not only did they extend their divine senses to probe the bone, but four or five disguised demons even stepped forward to inspect it personally.

However, whether through divine sense or physical examination, all left disappointed.

The giant bone was exactly as Yue Lian Tian had described—aside from faint residual traces of aura, it contained nothing particularly valuable.

The true worth of a True Spirit bone lay in its remnants of True Spirit essence and marrow. Even a trace of either would multiply its value a thousandfold. Without them, its worth plummeted accordingly.

Han Li sat quietly for a while. When no more demons approached the stage, he suddenly rose and stepped forward, pressing a finger lightly against the bone.

Yue Lian Tian glanced at Han Li briefly but did not interfere, merely smiling faintly.

Han Li stood before the bone for only a moment, lost in thought, before nodding and withdrawing his finger. He then turned and walked back to his seat.

No one else came forward after that.

When the incense finally burned out, Yue Lian Tian waved his sleeve, causing the burner to vanish. He then announced solemnly:

“Time’s up. The auction for this ancient True Spirit bone begins now! Starting bid: fifty million!”

In stark contrast to the earlier frenzy over the Sacred Brick, the auction hall fell into silence. No one placed a bid immediately.

Yue Lian Tian, however, remained unperturbed, smiling faintly as if unconcerned.

“Fifty million demon stones.”

After a long pause, a demon finally called out hesitantly.

“Fifty-two million.”

“Fifty-six million.”

With the first bid, others followed, but only six or seven participants joined, their increments cautious—far from the fervor of the previous auction.

This was unsurprising. Though the bone’s origins were extraordinary, its utility was limited to artifact refinement, so few were willing to bid exorbitantly.

Even so, the price climbed steadily. With three or four bidders still competing, it eventually reached a staggering “seventy million.”

The highest bidder was a demoness dressed like a noblewoman.

At this price, the remaining bidders fell silent, seemingly resigned to conceding.

The demoness’s eyes gleamed with triumph.

“Seventy million—going twice! If no one else bids, this ancient True Spirit bone will belong to this fellow Daoist. Hehe, missing this opportunity means you may never encounter such a bone again,” Yue Lian Tian said with a chuckle, seemingly dissatisfied with the current price.

“If one lacks sufficient demon stones, can other items be exchanged on the spot?” A calm male voice suddenly spoke—none other than Han Li.

“Of course. Whether demon tools, materials, pills, or cultivation techniques—any item of significant value can be exchanged for demon stones at two-thirds of the market price. However, once exchanged, the items cannot be reclaimed, even if the bid fails,” Yue Lian Tian replied, perking up with a smile.

“Good. I lack sufficient demon stones and need to exchange some. Pause the auction briefly,” Han Li said firmly.

“Very well. Proceed to the rear hall, where specialists will assist you,” Yue Lian Tian agreed, gesturing for a demoness attendant to guide Han Li.

Han Li followed her silently through a door into the rear hall…

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Han Li returned to his seat and calmly called out:

“Eighty million.”

The astonishing bid sent murmurs rippling through the crowd. Many scrutinized Han Li, speculating about his identity.

“Eighty-two million.”

The noble demoness’s expression darkened, but she countered with a higher bid, seemingly determined to win.

“Ninety million.”

Han Li remained impassive.

This time, the demoness hesitated, glancing at Han Li before gritting her teeth:

“Ninety-one million.”

She then addressed Han Li directly:

“I am from the Hai Clan of Withered Silence City. This bone is of great importance to our family. If you yield, the Hai Clan will repay you handsomely.”

“The Hai Clan of Withered Silence City? The one under the protection of the Withered Silence Sacred Ancestor? Why would they come all the way to Blood Crow City?”

“The Hai Clan is one of the few great artifact-refining families in the Sacred Realm. No wonder they’re interested in this bone!”

“This woman’s cultivation is formidable—could she be a direct descendant of the Withered Silence Sacred Ancestor?”

The demoness’s status was clearly extraordinary. Many demons reacted with awe upon hearing her words.

“One hundred million demon stones.”

Han Li ignored her entirely, coldly announcing a bid that made the entire hall shudder.

Even if this woman had ties to a Sacred Ancestor, as long as she wasn’t in Blood Crow City, he had no reason to care.

The Hai demoness’s face twisted with fury. She spat out three “Good!”s but ultimately refrained from further bidding.

“Sold! This ancient True Spirit bone belongs to this fellow Daoist!” Yue Lian Tian declared eagerly.

Han Li rose, approached the stage, handed over the spirit stones, and stored the bone in his storage bracelet.

With that, the auction concluded.

As Han Li walked leisurely down a street, Qu’er’s excited voice echoed in his mind:

“Master must have sensed the secret of this ancient True Spirit bone. With it, the spiritual body of the Immortal Mushroom you possess may one day attain the powers of a Mahayana cultivator!”