Chapter 951: Mo Jin

Han Li sat in a secluded corner of the grand hall, coldly observing a middle-aged man in a black robe standing over a hundred zhang away at the front of the hall. The man held a pale yellow crystal in his hands and was giving a brief introduction to the item.

“Ginger Gold Crystal, sourced from the western deserts of the Southern Border. It can only be found beneath a thousand feet of sand. The material is incredibly hard and can absorb vast amounts of earth-attribute spiritual energy, making it an excellent material for crafting earth-attribute magical treasures. The starting bid is eight thousand spirit stones, with each increment no less than one thousand.” The auctioneer, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, spoke in a measured tone without any exaggerated embellishments.

This was quite normal. If a low-level cultivator were to be scrutinized by hundreds of Nascent Soul-level experts simultaneously, the immense invisible pressure would likely overwhelm them, rendering them speechless.

Han Li carefully assessed the man and found him to be at the peak of mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. Given that no late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were present at the auction, this man was likely the highest-level cultivator in the hall, which made him a suitable choice to preside over the event without fear of disruption.

Despite being a fine material for earth-attribute treasures, the Ginger Gold Crystal did not spark a frenzy of bidding. Only three or four individuals made offers before an unknown cultivator secured it for twelve thousand spirit stones.

The subsequent items auctioned off proceeded in a similarly lukewarm manner.

Han Li watched all this unfold from his seat, his expression calm and unsurprised.

The auction was set to last several days, and the items presented on the first day were naturally not the best. While these materials were relatively rare for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, they could still be obtained outside the auction with enough time and effort. Thus, aside from those who genuinely needed them, most attendees refrained from competing. However, towards the end of the day, a few high-quality items would likely be unveiled to pique interest in the following day’s auction.

With this in mind, Han Li paid little attention to the auction itself, instead lazily observing the numerous Nascent Soul cultivators in the hall. Though they represented only a small fraction of the Great Jin Empire’s top-tier cultivators, they hailed from various factions, both righteous and demonic.

What caught his attention the most were three bald monks seated in the center of the hall.

One was emaciated, another had a plump face and large ears, and the last had a kindly demeanor with a long, snow-white beard. All three wore gray monastic robes, their heads bowed and eyes lowered, exuding the aura of enlightened monks.

This was Han Li’s first encounter with high-level Buddhist cultivators, so he couldn’t help but glance at them a few more times. The oldest-looking monk in the middle immediately sensed his gaze and turned toward Han Li’s direction. Though the monk’s gaze was gentle and warm, Han Li couldn’t help but feel a chill.

*This old monk’s spiritual sense is incredibly sharp. No wonder the Buddhist sect stands on equal footing with the Daoist and Confucian schools in the Great Jin Empire.* Unwilling to provoke unnecessary hostility, Han Li withdrew his spiritual sense and assumed an indifferent expression.

The old monk’s gaze lingered on Han Li for a moment before he calmly returned to his original posture.

Aside from these monks, the hall was filled with many other peculiar-looking cultivators. Han Li silently cross-referenced them with the intelligence he had gathered on the Great Jin’s major factions, memorizing their appearances for potential future use.

As items were auctioned off one after another, time passed steadily. Just as Han Li had predicted, as the day neared its end, a few rare treasures finally appeared, stirring excitement among the previously indifferent crowd.

Several fiercely contested items fetched astonishing prices, heating up the atmosphere. After all, Nascent Soul cultivators rarely hesitated to spend extra spirit stones for something they truly needed, knowing that missing this opportunity might mean years of fruitless searching elsewhere.

“Next, a piece of Dark Gold, weighing three jin and four liang—a rare material for artifact forging. Starting bid: thirty thousand spirit stones, with increments no less than two thousand.” The more precious the item, the simpler the auctioneer’s introduction. He lifted a jade tray holding a pitch-black metal with faint golden glimmers.

Han Li, who had been smiling faintly until now, suddenly tensed, his eyes flashing with delight. He hadn’t expected to find one of the materials he needed so soon. He had searched for Dark Gold for a long time without success.

“Thirty-six thousand!”

“Forty thousand!”

“Forty-five thousand spirit stones!”

Dark Gold was evidently well-known, and many recognized its value. Before Han Li could place a bid, several high offers had already been called out.

Frowning slightly, Han Li decided not to rush. Since he was determined to obtain this item, he would wait until the bidding peaked before making his move.

When the price reached sixty thousand spirit stones, the remaining bidders abruptly fell silent.

“Sixty-five thousand!” Han Li tapped the jade token before him, its surface glowing as he announced his bid.

“Sixty-seven thousand!” The other bidder seemed equally determined, hesitating briefly before countering.

“Seventy thousand!” Han Li’s voice remained emotionless.

This time, the other bidder went silent. Though Dark Gold was rare, the price had far exceeded its usual value, prompting him to withdraw.

Han Li smiled faintly.

The auctioneer was clearly pleased with the unexpectedly high price but followed protocol by repeating the bid twice. Just as he was about to confirm the sale after the third call, a cold voice interrupted.

“Seventy-five thousand!”

Both Han Li and the auctioneer were taken aback, as were most of the attendees.

“Eighty thousand!” Han Li recovered swiftly, responding without hesitation.

“Eighty-two thousand!” The challenger, whose face remained obscured by faint black mist, countered again, matching Han Li’s determination.

This development not only unsettled Han Li but also drew curious glances from the crowd.

The mysterious bidder sat toward the back of the hall, shrouded in dark mist that concealed his features. Only the vague outline of elderly robes could be discerned.

Though puzzled, Han Li had no patience for a prolonged bidding war. With a dark expression, he stunned the entire hall by announcing:

“One hundred twenty thousand spirit stones!”

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the hall shifted dramatically. Such a sum could easily purchase a high-quality ancient treasure, far exceeding Dark Gold’s typical value.

After a wave of murmurs, many couldn’t resist glancing at Han Li, who had disguised himself as a sickly, sallow-faced cultivator. None recognized him.

Ignoring the attention, Han Li focused solely on the shrouded elder’s reaction.

The elder was visibly shocked by the exorbitant bid. Had circumstances allowed, he would have countered, but he had intelligence suggesting another crucial material would appear later. Spending so much now would jeopardize his chances of securing that item, which would be an even greater loss. Moreover, Han Li’s aggressive bidding made it clear he wouldn’t back down easily.

After a brief internal struggle, the elder chose not to raise the bid, allowing the Dark Gold to fall into Han Li’s hands. However, this exchange drew the scrutiny of observant attendees.

Han Li, seemingly uninterested in further bidding, closed his eyes and rested, while the elder later engaged in a fierce competition for a rarer material called “Flame Sand,” ultimately securing it for over two hundred thousand spirit stones.

The elder’s lavish spending naturally attracted even more attention, though he wasn’t the highest spender of the day. The final auctions for high-grade ancient treasures and cultivation-boosting pills each fetched prices in the range of two to three hundred thousand. Still, spending over two hundred thousand on a single forging material was extraordinary, hinting at deeper motives.

As the first day’s auction concluded, Han Li blended into the crowd and exited the venue. At the market’s exit, the Yin Luo Sect cultivators were nowhere to be seen, as if they had given up.

With a light chuckle, Han Li leisurely left the market and returned to his residence.

Unbeknownst to him, the black-mist-shrouded elder also departed the market but later appeared in an inconspicuous residence elsewhere in the capital. There, the black-crowned elder from the Ye Family awaited him.

Without a word, the auction attendee handed over the bag of “Flame Sand” he had acquired.

“I’ve already heard about the ‘Dark Gold’ incident. Thank you for your efforts, Fellow Daoist Gao. I hadn’t anticipated someone would bid so aggressively for it. Otherwise, I would have provided you with more spirit stones. Fortunately, Dark Gold will also be available at the underground auction in a few days, so it’s not a major setback. I’ve already prepared the exchange materials and gathered the necessary information. I’ll trouble you to attend that event as well,” the black-crowned elder said with a smile.

“Heh, if Brother Yunyi had given me too many spirit stones at once, I might have been tempted to misuse them. This was just an unexpected turn of events. The initial amount should have been more than sufficient. I’ll naturally attend the underground exchange in a few days,” the Gao surnamed elder replied with a dry laugh.

“I have full confidence in your capabilities, Fellow Daoist Gao. Here are the spirit pills I promised. Once this matter is concluded, the quantity will be doubled.” The black-crowned elder nodded in satisfaction, retrieving a jade box from his storage pouch and handing it over.

“Excellent! With such integrity on your part, I’ll naturally give my all in the coming days.” The Gao surnamed elder inspected the pills with visible delight before accepting another storage pouch filled with spirit stones and a jade slip detailing the materials to bid for the next day. With that, he took his leave.