The first item up for auction was a top-tier magical artifact of considerable power, which took Han Li by surprise.
Especially since this artifact was being touted by a tall, eloquent man as unparalleled in heaven and impossible to find on earth. His vivid and persuasive description even stirred an impulse in Han Li to pull out his spirit stones and make a purchase, let alone other cultivators desperately in need of a top-tier magical artifact.
Sure enough, as soon as the base price of two hundred spirit stones was announced, three or four impatient bidders quickly made offers. In the blink of an eye, the price of the Fire Cloud Sword soared to over three hundred spirit stones, causing other potential bidders to immediately abandon any further intentions.
Although the sword’s fire cloud attack was decent, it clearly fell short of being a premium top-tier magical artifact. Spending three hundred spirit stones on it would have felt like acquiring something rather impractical.
But while some were unwilling to buy, others were more than ready to play the fool!
For those eager to purchase, the items later in the auction might be better, but they were likely beyond their reach. It made more sense to secure a decent top-tier magical artifact right in front of them.
Thus, after some fierce bidding among a few Qi Condensation cultivators, the Fire Cloud Sword was sold smoothly for just over four hundred spirit stones.
The cultivator wearing a childlike mask stepped forward, handed over the spirit stones, and gleefully carried the sword back to his seat, treating it as though it were a family heirloom. The sight drew amused glances from other cultivators.
After the masked cultivator returned to his seat, the tall, thin man cleared his throat and continued, “The second item in our auction is a favorite among artifact forgers—a top-tier Crimson Heaven Cauldron. This cauldron has passed through the hands of many master forgers and has been used to create numerous premium top-tier magical artifacts, such as the Illusory Sound Sword, the Green Flood Dragon Banner, and the Black Flame Pearl. It is said to enhance the forging process of magical artifacts, though whether this is true, our shop cannot verify. The starting bid is four hundred spirit stones, which is undoubtedly a fair price.”
As he spoke, the man retrieved a fiery-red cauldron from his storage pouch and placed it on the table for everyone to examine.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly heated up. Although no one spoke loudly, many fixed their eager gazes on the cauldron, clearly captivated by it.
Han Li sat quietly in a corner, coldly observing the scene. When he heard that the Green Flood Dragon Banner in his possession was also forged in this cauldron, he felt a flicker of surprise, though it was nothing more than that.
He knew nothing about artifact forging and had no idea of the cauldron’s true value. But one principle he adhered to firmly: if an item wasn’t something he could use, he wouldn’t bid on it. Besides, while he had a fair number of spirit stones, they needed to be spent wisely.
“Four hundred fifty!”
“Four hundred seventy!”
“I bid five hundred spirit stones!”
“…”
Regardless of Han Li’s thoughts, the bidding for the Crimson Heaven Cauldron quickly escalated to a staggering price.
“Seven hundred eighty!”
This bid was shouted through gritted teeth by a portly figure wearing a yellow hood.
“Eight hundred!”
Not far from the fat man, a female cultivator calmly raised her bid, which infuriated him to the point of clenching his fists.
By now, the price had reached what could only be described as astronomical, forcing others to withdraw from the competition. They could only watch with reluctant eyes as the two wealthy Foundation Establishment cultivators continued to drive the price higher.
“Eight hundred fifty! If you can bid even one spirit stone higher, madam, this cauldron is yours!” the portly cultivator declared angrily, glaring at the female cultivator.
“Eight hundred fifty-one!”
No sooner had he spoken than the female cultivator let out a cold laugh and deliberately raised the bid by a single spirit stone. The portly cultivator’s face beneath his hood flushed crimson with rage. After shooting her a venomous glare, he surprisingly refrained from making another offer.
And so, the female Foundation Establishment cultivator purchased the famed cauldron at an exorbitant price. Whether it was worth the cost remained to be seen.
Perhaps the intensity of the bidding had stirred the nerves of the cultivators present, for the previously subdued atmosphere in the hall suddenly became fervent. One top-tier magical artifact and rare material after another were snapped up by the enthusiastic crowd.
After twenty or so items had been auctioned off, Han Li had yet to see any array flags or disks being sold, which made him grow impatient.
He couldn’t help but think that if this auction didn’t feature such items, he would have to make another trip to the Stardust Pavilion. Even the most basic array-setting tools would be better than nothing if he bought a few sets.
Just as Han Li was lost in thought, the tall, thin man announced the next auction item.
“A pair of high-grade magical artifacts—Puppet Mechanism Beasts! Their strength is comparable to that of a ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivator. They are utterly loyal and fearless in battle! Purchasing them is like having two personal bodyguards at your side. The starting bid is just one hundred spirit stones!”
“Puppet Mechanism Beasts? Isn’t my high-grade magical artifact also called a Puppet Archer? Could they be similar?” Han Li’s interest was piqued. He straightened up and focused his attention.
The tall, thin man had already placed two dark, doll-like objects on the table. They were only the size of fists, shaped like a cross between a lion and a tiger, yet not quite either—their design origin remained a mystery.
“Many guests may be unfamiliar with or have rarely heard of the art of puppet mechanisms!”
“This is a Dao technique that originated from artifact forging but is fundamentally different from it. Although it is little known here, it is extremely popular in the Far West. There’s even a sect called the Thousand Bamboo Sect that specializes in this art and has taken it to its peak. It is said that top-tier puppet mechanisms can even rival late Foundation Establishment cultivators! Additionally, rating these mechanism beasts as high-grade magical artifacts is our shop’s own classification. According to the official hierarchy of mechanism arts, they should be referred to as second-tier puppet beasts!”
Seeing that the cultivators below seemed uninterested in the mechanism beasts and no one was bidding, the man hurriedly recited the prepared information, hoping to spark their curiosity.
Although his words piqued some interest, no one was willing to spend one hundred spirit stones on two doll-like objects. Besides, what use would ninth-level Qi Condensation guards be to the cultivators present?
“One hundred spirit stones!”
A voice rang out from a corner—someone actually wanted to buy these toys! Instantly, all eyes turned toward that corner.
But it wasn’t Han Li. Instead, it was a masked figure sitting in another corner, someone with their entire head covered by a large gray cloth bag—an absurdly comical sight.
“One hundred fifty spirit stones!”
Just as the other cultivators were dismissing the masked figure as a spendthrift, another bid echoed through the hall, spoken in a strange, heavily accented tone.
The hall fell into stunned silence, and everyone turned to look at the new bidder.
A burly figure wearing a green hood sat in the back row, arms crossed. The new bid had come from him. When the cultivators stared, he met their gazes coldly and unflinchingly, showing no sign of unease.
“Two hundred spirit stones!” The bag-headed oddity seemed determined, immediately raising the bid again.
“I bid three hundred!” the burly man retorted, refusing to yield.
“Four hundred!”
“Six hundred!”
…
In the blink of an eye, the two of them drove the price of the puppet beasts to an unbelievable level!
By now, even the dullest cultivators in the hall could sense that something was amiss.
“Could these puppet beasts conceal some astonishing secret?” This thought arose in the minds of all present.
The cultivators exchanged glances, their hearts racing. A few wealthy and impulsive individuals even joined the bidding.
However, some more cautious cultivators remained skeptical.
What if these two were plants from the secret shop? Perhaps they were deliberately driving up the price of these worthless items to trick others into overspending.
Many shared this suspicion, Han Li among them. He watched coldly, unmoved.
“I bid nine hundred spirit stones, plus this item!”
Seeing more cultivators joining the bidding, the burly man grew anxious. He pulled something from his storage pouch, strode up to the tall, thin man, and placed it on the table.
“This item is worth thousands of spirit stones! It’s more than enough to exchange for these puppet beasts. Hand them over to me now!” he demanded in his harsh tone.
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