An Auction Masterpiece

Because the situation seemed to be spiraling somewhat out of control, the tall, thin man had already shrewdly tucked his puppet beasts back into his storage pouch.

Now, seeing the burly man pull out a black, seemingly worthless lump of scrap metal to force him into revealing a dramatically appreciated auction item, he couldn't help but roll his eyes and speak without courtesy.

“You would do best to calm down a little! We will assess the value of your item ourselves. For now, returning to your seat is the proper course of action! Otherwise, this establishment will be forced to consider your behavior a deliberate disturbance, and we will not be polite!”

Hearing the tall, thin man’s threatening words, the burly man was initially enraged.

What kind of person was he? In his own sect, he was a figure whose every call was answered by thousands. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? He immediately clenched his fists, ready to explode!

But as his gaze swept over the strange, bag-headed figure, he saw that the other man was watching him intently, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes. This gave him pause. After a moment’s thought, he forcibly suppressed his rising fury. With a sudden turn, he walked back to his seat.

Some of the cultivators who had been hoping to witness a good show couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

The auction for the puppet beasts continued nonetheless. But the black, lumpy object was already in the hands of the trio seated in the rosewood chairs. They were now discussing it in hushed tones. Though their expressions were hidden behind masks, their extremely cautious attitude was plain for all to see.

After repeatedly examining the palm-sized, pitch-black lump that looked like cast iron, they finally reached a consensus. The central figure in black stood up and announced in a loud voice:

“One high-grade lump of Iron Essence. Value: two thousand spirit stones.”

Having said this, the man sat back down without another word.

“Iron Essence?”

At the sound of these words, every cultivator present felt a shock. Those who had been planning to bid immediately fell silent.

Everyone thought in astonishment: could this man be a Core Formation expert in disguise? Otherwise, where would he have obtained Iron Essence?

After all, this was a material for refining Magical Treasures, something that could only be produced through the Nascent Flame of a Core Formation cultivator. Under normal circumstances, a cultivator who refined such material would immediately incorporate it into their own Magical Treasure to enhance its power. They would not let such materials circulate easily.

If even a sliver of these Magical Treasure materials, like Iron Essence, could be mixed into an ordinary magical tool, its power would increase dramatically—it might even be enough to raise its tier. This naturally sent their value skyrocketing.

Could the burly man from earlier be a Core Formation cultivator deliberately suppressing his aura, pretending to be at the Foundation Establishment stage? After all, a lower-level cultivator could not perceive the true depth of a Core Formation expert.

Just as all the cultivators were feeling a mix of fear and suspicion…

At a signal from the three behind him, the tall, thin man finally raised his voice again:

“Are there no further bids above two thousand nine hundred? If not, these puppet beasts go to this brother!”

The tall, thin man seemed to want to push the price even higher, so he deliberately spoke slowly, clearly trying to stall for time.

But who among the cultivators in the hall dared to bid recklessly now?

These people were all extraordinary figures to have qualified for this auction. They were either important members of cultivation clans or cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment. But in the presence of a suspected Core Formation cultivator, who would dare to court disaster?

And even if this man wasn't a Core Formation cultivator himself, he undoubtedly had a Core Formation expert backing him. So no matter how much they coveted the secret of the puppet beasts, no one was willing to be the sacrificial lamb. They could only watch helplessly with wide eyes.

As for the strange man who had been at odds with him from the start, he sat there in silence. Whether he was intimidated by the Iron Essence or simply lacked the funds, no one could tell.

When Han Li heard the words “Iron Essence,” he was also greatly surprised. That cheap master of his had lost two chunks of Iron Essence to that bald elder in a bet. From the look of utter dejection on his master’s face at the time, he knew this item was extremely precious.

And so, the pair of puppet beasts went to the burly man without further dispute. When he took them, his hands were trembling with excitement.

This only inflamed the curiosity of the assembled cultivators. Most of them were itching to snatch the toys away and study their secrets thoroughly.

As soon as he received the puppet beasts, the burly man in the hooded cloak immediately rose and headed for the stone door. But when he reached the entrance, he found the door had been bolted shut from the outside! He pushed hard twice, but the door didn’t budge.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Are you saying that after buying something, one is not allowed to leave?” The man’s voice turned dark, and his already strange tone became even more grating.

“Of course not! As soon as the trading session ends, we will immediately open the door and let you out. But not now.” The speaker was no longer the tall, thin man hosting the auction, but the black-robed man on the far left, whose voice was sharp.

“What? Where is the reason in this? I want to leave this place immediately!” The man grew angry, raising his voice a few notches.

“Unfortunately, this is indeed a rule of our establishment. A small precaution to prevent certain unpleasant accidents. Surely, sir, you can wait that long?” The low, raspy voice of the black-robed man on the right rang out, chillingly.

“Hmph! Of course, I can wait. Do you think I’m afraid of you? In fact, I’m eager to see what other good things will appear next!” The man’s attitude suddenly shifted inexplicably, and he swaggered back to his seat.

This left the others stunned. What was this fellow up to? Didn’t he know that the longer he stayed here, the more dangerous his position became?

By now, most of the cultivators present had concluded that he was indeed at the Foundation Establishment stage. Otherwise, he would not have been so compliant. But the secret shop’s staff seemed to have known the burly man’s true level from the start and showed no sign of backing down.

Since the burly man didn’t leave, the auction continued. But most people’s minds were no longer on the bidding. A strangely cold period ensued where two items in a row went unbid, leaving the tall, thin man greatly embarrassed.

However, the auction was nearing its end. The truly sensational items were finally beginning to appear.

“A top-grade spiritual medicine: a millennium Yellow Polygonatum. I won’t waste words. I believe you all know the value of this herb better than I do.”

As soon as the tall, thin man finished speaking, an emerald-green jade box appeared in his hand.

He then paused for effect, taking a look at the cultivators. Seeing that everyone’s attention was captivated by the mention of a millennium-old herb, he secretly rejoiced and continued:

“This millennium spiritual medicine is one of only a few to appear in the last century. If you purchase it and refine it into a spiritual pill, it is undoubtedly your best opportunity to break through a bottleneck and increase your magical power. The base price starts at five hundred spirit stones.”

Having said this, the tall, thin man pulled off the lid of the jade box and tilted it toward the cultivators.

Instantly, a thick, rich medicinal fragrance filled the entire hall, shocking and delighting the cultivators.

They were shocked because they had never imagined such a rare treasure would appear at this auction. They were delighted because, if they could buy it and refine it into a pill, it would be, as the host said, far more valuable than any top-grade magical tool! After all, it was about enhancing one’s own cultivation technique, not relying on external power.

So, as soon as the tall, thin man announced the base price, someone immediately and impatiently called out:

“One thousand spirit stones!”

The first bidder had instantly doubled the price of the spirit herb! Many who had been about to bid cursed him furiously in their hearts. But soon, others continued to raise the price.

“Twelve hundred spirit stones!”

“One thousand…”

…

Bid followed bid, and in the blink of an eye, it broke through the two-thousand mark. Han Li, however, stared blankly at the millennium-old herb on the table, lost in thought.

When he first heard about a millennium spiritual medicine, he hadn’t paid it much attention. He had assumed it was just another rare herb discovered somewhere else.

But when the tall, thin man revealed the millennium Yellow Polygonatum from the box, Han Li was immediately certain that this so-called top-grade spiritual medicine was one of the two herbs he had sold to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. After all, he had personally nurtured it to maturity with his own hands. How could he mistake it?

Still, since the medicine was now in the hands of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, what they did with it was none of his concern. So after a brief moment of distraction, Han Li came back to his senses and calmly watched the crowd of cultivators bid against each other.

Listening to their rapid, eager bidding, Han Li felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.

After all, something that had come from his own hands could stir up such fervor in others—that, in itself, was a kind of pride.