The first item sold was a solid top-tier artifact. Particularly, this artifact was described with great enthusiasm and eloquence by the tall, slender man with a fluent tongue, who proclaimed it unparalleled in the heavens and hard to find on earth—so much so that even Han Li felt a strong urge to reach into his pocket and offer a purchase. Much less so for other cultivators who urgently needed top-tier artifacts. Indeed, as soon as the base price of two hundred spiritual stones was announced, several eager bidders quickly raised their offers. Within moments, the price of the Fire Cloud Sword soared to over three hundred spiritual stones, leaving other potential bidders who had been contemplating further offers to abandon their hopes. It's actually more practical to purchase this excellent top-tier artifact right now! Thus, the Fire Cloud Sword was smoothly sold for just over four hundred spiritual stones amidst the competition among several Qi-level cultivators. The cultivator wearing a baby-faced mask paid the stones and then happily carried the sword back to his seat, as if he were going to treat it as a family heirloom. This left other cultivators somewhat amused. After this man had settled back, the tall and slim man cleared his throat and added, "Our second item for sale is a top-tier Hong Luo Heaven Furnace—favored by master artisans. This furnace has passed through the hands of many renowned furnace craftsmen and has been instrumental in producing numerous premium artifacts, such as the Harmony-Sound Sword, the Azure Dragon Banner, and the Black Flame Pearl. It's said to offer certain enhancements to artifact crafting—though we ourselves aren't entirely sure whether this is true or not!" Therefore, selling it now at a base price of four hundred ling stones is absolutely reasonable. As he spoke, the man reached into his storage pouch and produced a crimson-colored pill furnace, placing it on the table for all to examine closely. Boom! Though no one had yet spoken aloud, the atmosphere instantly warmed up—many of the cultivators were now fixating on the furnace with intense, almost piercing glances, clearly all eager to secure it. Han Li sat quietly in the corner, observing the scene with calm detachment. Yet, when he learned that his own green-jade banner had been crafted in this very furnace, he felt a moment of surprise—but no more than that. Being completely unfamiliar with the art of crafting, he naturally had no idea of the furnace’s true worth. Still, he would never part with something he couldn’t personally use. That principle he could always uphold. Moreover, although he carried a substantial amount of ling stones, he would only use them where they mattered most. "Four hundred fifty!" "Four hundred seventy!" "I'll offer five hundred spiritual stones!" "...” No matter what韩立thought, the named "Hong Luo Tian Lu" pill furnace had soon soared to an astonishing price! "Seven hundred and eighty stones!" This stout man, wearing a yellow cloak, shouted with gritted teeth! "Eight hundred!" A female cultivator standing nearby, not at all hurried, raised her bid even higher, making the man grip his hands tightly in frustration. By now, the price had reached a level almost beyond belief, and all others had already withdrawn from the competition, only watching with growing dissatisfaction as the two well-funded Foundation-stage cultivators kept raising their bids. "Eight hundred and fifty stones! If this lady can raise it just one more stone, then this furnace shall be yours!" After raising his bid once again, the man fixed a scowling gaze on the female cultivator and said firmly. "Eight hundred and fifty-one!" "As soon as the plump monk spoke, the female monk sneered and deliberately quoted a price only one piece higher, causing the large, flushed face beneath the monk's cloak to turn crimson. Yet, after glaring at her with sharp, hostile eyes several times, the plump monk finally dropped his offer without further contention. Thus, this female cultivator at the Foundation Stage paid a premium price for the renowned alchemical furnace—whether it was worth it remained uncertain. Perhaps the intense bidding had stirred the nerves of many cultivators. The previously quiet atmosphere in the hall suddenly became lively, with one after another of the top-tier artifacts and rare materials snapped up by eager participants. However, after the twenty-level items were sold, Han Li still hadn't seen any offerings for the array flags or array discs, which began to irritate him. He silently mused that if no such items were presented during this bidding session, he might have to visit the Star Dust Pavilion once again." It's just the most fundamental array device—buying a few sets would be far better than having none! Han Li was thinking this as the tall, slender man announced the name of the next item. "An upper-tier artifact: a pair of puppet mechanical beasts! Their combat strength rivals that of a ninth-level cultivator. They are absolutely loyal and fearless—they will fight to the death. If you purchase them, you'll effectively have two personal bodyguards always at your side. The base price is merely one hundred spirit stones!" "Puppet mechanical beasts? My own upper-tier artifact isn't it also called a puppet archer? Could this be the same thing?" Han Li's mind snapped into focus. He sat up straight and gave the man his full attention. The tall man had already displayed two dark, doll-like figures on the table—each about the size of a fist, with a form resembling both lion and tiger, yet neither quite lion nor tiger, and the exact creature they were modeled after remained unclear. "Many of our guests may not have heard of, or may only have heard of sparingly, the art of puppet mechanical engineering!" "This is a way of cultivation that originates in the crafting of ritual implements yet differs fundamentally from those implements themselves. Though it is little known here, it is highly popular and thriving in the far west—so much so that there is even a sect called the Qiuzhu Sect, which has established itself specifically around this discipline and has refined it to its peak. It is said that the most advanced mechanical beings can even compete with a cultivator at the late Foundation Stage! Moreover, classifying this pair of mechanical beasts as upper-tier ritual implements is merely our store’s private designation; according to the official classification of mechanical arts, they should actually be designated as second-tier mechanical beasts." Moreover, what use could a ninth-tier Qi Condensation stage guard be to the cultivators present? "One hundred spiritual stones!" A voice rose from the corner, and surprisingly, someone actually wanted to purchase this trinket! The cultivators immediately turned their gaze toward that corner. But this person wasn't Han Li—he was a masked figure seated in another corner, a rather comical and absurd sight, completely enveloped in a large, bulky gray cloth bag covering his entire head! "One hundred and fifty spiritual stones!" As the other cultivators thought the man was wildly extravagant, a new, oddly accented and distinctly stilted voice rang out in the hall. Now the cultivators in the hall were stunned, turning their attention to the newcomer. A tall figure, wearing a green cloak, sat with arms folded on the very last row of chairs. It was precisely this man who had made the new offer. When numerous cultivators turned to him, he simply looked back with an unyielding, composed gaze, showing no sign of discomfort whatsoever! "200 Ling Stones!" The strange man, his bag covering his head, seemed determined to secure the deal and immediately called out again. "I'll offer 300!" The sturdy man, equally resolute, stood his ground. "400!" "600 Ling Stones!" ...In a matter of moments, through their back-and-forth bidding, the price of the two puppet beasts had been pushed to an astonishing level! At this point, even the most ordinary cultivators in the hall began to sense something was amiss. "Could there be some remarkable secret hidden within these two puppet beasts?" This thought arose spontaneously in every cultivator's mind. The cultivators throughout the hall exchanged glances with one another, their hearts racing. Several wealthy and eager ones even joined the bidding immediately. Yet, a few more seasoned cultivators, though stirred by the excitement, remained doubtful. Could these two be mere representatives sent by the secret shop? Might they have deliberately inflated the price of such a modest offering, intending to make the buyers pay a premium? Many cultivators harbor this idea, and Han Li is one of those who remain skeptical. Thus, he has been observing silently, showing no signs of enthusiasm. "I'm offering nine hundred spiritual stones, plus this item!" Seeing the number of cultivators joining the bidding grow steadily, the sturdy, unusual man grew increasingly anxious and finally produced an item from his storage pouch. He then strode several paces to the tall, slender man's side, placed the item on the table, and said in a stiff tone, "This item is worth several thousand spiritual stones—more than enough to cover the cost of these two puppet beasts. Please hand them over to me now!" (There's one more chapter coming! However, everyone won't be able to see it until tomorrow morning. Please return your monthly subscription to Weng Yu. Weng Yu would rather trade these puppet beasts with all of you!)