(Oh my! I just got a call—there's something going on at my parents' place, so I'll have to go over there in the afternoon. I'll have to send out just a short chapter of 2,000 characters first. As for whether I can still manage the next one in time, that depends on how things unfold—please understand!) "You...!" The man looked extremely annoyed, clenched his fists, and took a step forward. "What do you want? Do you think you can force us to buy just because you're making a show of it? Our Ye family isn't someone you can easily intimidate!" The vendor flipped him off, speaking with no hesitation. "Hmph! The Ye family must be quite impressive!" Although the black-clad man didn't yield verbally, he loosened his fists, clearly showing deep respect for the Ye family. The man was deeply frustrated by the vendor's use of the Ye family's prestige to pressure him. As a tenth-level master, he had always been accustomed to receiving praise from others. Now facing such an embarrassment, he had originally intended to walk away in frustration. Yet, he genuinely couldn't bear to part with the "Return Wind Basin." After all, this But at this moment, aside from this fragment of the divine artifact, all his other items were useful, and his spiritual stones had been completely spent just a few days ago, leaving him now in a difficult position. "Sir, how about you sell this fragment to me? I'll offer ten spiritual stones," said a man who stepped forward from the crowd, wearing a large gray robe. He bowed sincerely as he approached the man. "No, I won't sell it! If you want to buy it, offer me thirty stones," the black-clad man shook his head vigorously, clearly unable to accept this price. "Ah! If this fragment were a bit larger, it would indeed be worth thirty stones. Unfortunately, it's rather small—there simply isn't enough space to cover much!" Seeing the man remain firm, the gray-robed man expressed his regret, then returned to the crowd without further pressing the matter. "Twelve stones—will you take it at that?" "How about thirteen?" … The surrounding cultivators were many who were genuinely interested in this fragment of the divine artifact. Even if they couldn't use it immediately, keeping it for further study would be a valuable addition. Maybe they'll gain some insight from this! Soon, the price rose to twenty Ling Stones, and the bidder was a plain-faced young man with a round face. In the face of such a high price, everyone else fell silent—each of them felt that twenty was already quite generous, and any further increase would be a bit wasteful. After all, for the lower-tier cultivators, having ten or twelve Ling Stones was already considered quite fortunate. The bidders themselves were mostly young disciples from various families, who were slightly better off. "Twenty?" The black-clad man's expression changed—he had just reached his limit. If he could add one or two other items, he might be able to secure the "Return-Wind Basin" from the vendor. "Are you willing to pay twenty Ling Stones?" the man asked the round-faced youth warmly. Yet for some reason, the young man grew flushed, then pale, becoming increasingly agitated. "I... I... don't have that many Ling Stones!" "A stammering sentence tumbled out of the young man with the uneven, anxious face, leaving everyone in the crowd stunned. "No! What did you just say? Did you deliberately try to tease me?" The black-clad man erupted in fury, his already simmering anger now surging forth, his powerful aura pressing the young man down firmly. "I was merely amused by the way the seller was setting the price—I just casually added a few words of my own! Please forgive me!" The young man hurried to defend himself, now drenched in sweat, large beads of perspiration rolling down his forehead. As a mere fifth-level cultivator, how could he possibly withstand such potent spiritual pressure? "Who exactly called for nineteen spirit stones? I'd be happy to give you one free, so you may take this item!" The young man, thinking quickly, called out. Unfortunately, the surrounding crowd remained silent, no one stepping in. It seemed the person who had made that offer had also changed their mind. "And who called for eighteen spirit stones?" The young man watched the black-clad cultivator's face grow increasingly stern, nearly on the verge of tears. He was but a humble, independent cultivator with only two spiritual stones—something he had earned through years of hard work. Just as everyone expected a thrilling scene to unfold, "Hold on!" a calm voice suddenly broke in. A figure stepped forward from outside the arena, stopping the black-clad cultivator. "What do you want?" the black-clad cultivator asked, his expression grim. His patience had long since worn thin; if this person was merely creating obstacles, he wasn't going to hesitate in dealing with him—though this person wasn't weak either, being a cultivator at the ninth realm. "I'm very interested in this item," the newcomer said, pointing to the "cloth," and smiled warmly. The cultivator whom the black-clad figure had initially mistaken for an opponent turned out to be none other than Han Li. From the very beginning, when Han Li heard that this artifact fragment could render objects invisible and shield spiritual energy, a vague idea had sparked within him. After the black-clad man demonstrated the hidden dagger, Han Li's thoughts became even clearer, and his desire for this divine relic grew stronger. Thus, even if the round-faced young man truly offered twenty spiritual stones to purchase it, Han Li would step in firmly, intercepting the item and securing it for himself. " How much would you offer?" the black-clad man was momentarily surprised, but his expression softened as he asked. "I don't intend to buy it—I'd like to exchange this instead." Han Li calmly withdrew a scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the stall, ensuring everyone could see it clearly. "A Flying Scroll!" someone with discerning eyes immediately exclaimed. "A mid-level high-rank spiritual scroll!" Other cultivators also expressed astonishment. After all, mid-level high-rank scrolls have only appeared five or six times since the beginning of the Tai Nan Gathering, and each one has fetched remarkably high prices.