Seeing the situation beginning to spiral out of control, the slender, tall man had already promptly retrieved the pair of puppets and stored them back into his storage bag! Now, upon observing this robust figure pulling out a dark, seemingly scrap-metal object—something that looked like broken copper and rusted iron—and demanding that he present his greatly appreciated item, the slender man couldn’t help but roll his eyes, stating firmly and without hesitation: “Sir, I urge you to calm down! We will certainly assess the value of your offering, but for now, you must return to your original seat. Otherwise, we shall regard your actions as deliberate disruption and will not hesitate to take appropriate measures!” Upon hearing the slender man’s firm warning, the robust figure—so distinguished within his own sect that he had once commanded the attention of thousands—was deeply incensed. How had he ever endured such a humiliating treatment before? He immediately clenched his fists, ready to erupt. Yet, when he glanced at the odd-looking man wearing a cloth bag on his head, he noticed that the latter was motionless, gazing steadily at him, with a touch of patronizing amusement in his eyes. This observation stirred something within him. After a moment's thought, he forcibly restrained his fury and suddenly turned around to walk back to his seat. Some cultivators who had hoped for an impressive display now found themselves somewhat disappointed. The auction of the puppet beasts would continue—yet that dark, solid-looking object had already been handed over to the trio seated at the walnut bench. They were now whispering among themselves about it. Though their facial expressions were concealed behind masks, their intense, deliberate demeanor was unmistakable to all the cultivators. The palm-sized, seemingly cast-iron black object had been examined repeatedly by the three, and finally they reached a unanimous decision. Then, the middle figure in black rose to declare aloud: "One piece of upper-grade iron essence, valued at two thousand spiritual stones!" After making the announcement, he sat down without saying another word. "Iron essence?" The cultivators who heard these words all felt a sudden shock. Those who had originally intended to bid suddenly fell silent! Everyone was astonished, wondering if this person might indeed be a senior cultivator at the Jiandan stage—otherwise, where could he have obtained such iron essence? This was a material that could only be refined using the Jiandan stage's internal flame. Typically, cultivators would immediately incorporate such refined materials into their own treasures to enhance their power. They rarely allowed these materials to be easily shared. If even a small amount—three taels and half a tael—of such iron essence were added to ordinary tools, the tools' power would significantly increase, and in some cases, their rank could even be elevated. Thus, their value soared even further. As for the sturdy man who had just spoken, perhaps he had deliberately suppressed his aura, feigning a Juzhi stage cultivation level! After all, lower-level cultivators were unable to discern the true depth of a Jiandan cultivator. At this very moment, all the cultivators were filled with apprehension and suspicion. The slim, tall man finally spoke again, at the prompting of the three behind him: "Is there anyone still willing to bid for a spirit stone worth over 2,900? If not, then this puppet beast shall be the property of the gentleman here!" Clearly aiming to raise the price further, the man deliberately paced his words, clearly intending to delay the decision. Yet who among the hall's cultivators dared to make a bid? After all, those who had been invited to attend this auction were no ordinary guests—many were key figures from renowned cultivation families or themselves at the stage of foundation-level cultivation. Before even a suspected Jin-Period cultivator, however, how could anyone risk making a move? Even if this gentleman were not himself a Jin-Period cultivator, it was certain that someone of that rank stood behind him. Thus, though they all coveted the secret of the puppet beast, none dared to step forward—everyone simply watched, helpless. The odd man who had been fiercely opposed from the beginning now sat silently in the same place, as if either intimidated by the iron essence or simply unable to afford so many spiritual stones. When Han Li heard about the iron essence, he too was surprised. His rather inexpensive master had lost the bet to the dome elder, losing two iron essences. At the time, Han Li could see clearly from his master's expression that the item was extremely valuable. Thus, the pair of puppet beasts ended up firmly in the hands of the tall man. When he received them, he was so excited that his hands trembled slightly! This development only heightened the curiosity of the onlookers among the cultivators, many of whom longed to seize the puppets and examine their secrets closely. The tall man, wearing a cloak, immediately rose from his seat and walked toward the stone gate upon receiving the puppets. Yet, when he reached the gate, he found it had been closed from the outside! He pushed hard twice—yet the stone door remained motionless! "What does this mean?" "Isn't it enough that we've already arranged everything, that we should now let us go?" The man's voice darkened. What was already an odd tone now became increasingly uncomfortable. "Of course not! As soon as the transaction concludes, we will immediately open the door and allow you to leave. But right now, we simply cannot." The speaker was no longer the slender, officious man overseeing the transaction, but the sharp-voiced black-robed figure seated far to the left. "What? How can this be reasonable? I'm about to leave right now!" The man grew increasingly agitated, raising his voice. "Unfortunately, this is indeed our store's rule—measures taken merely to prevent some unpleasant surprises. You won't mind waiting just a little while, will you?" A low, resonant voice from the black-robed figure on the right spoke, solemn and eerie. "Hmph! I certainly can wait. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" "I was just wondering what else might appear down there!" The man suddenly changed his demeanor, as though struck by an idea, and with a grand, self-assured stride, he actually began to make his way back. This left the others momentarily stunned, deeply surprised. What was he thinking? Didn't he realize that by staying any longer, his own safety would grow more precarious? At this point, most of the present cultivators had clearly observed that this man indeed possessed the foundation stage cultivation level—otherwise, he would not have remained so composed. Yet the staff of the secret shop seemed fully aware of the sturdy man's true capabilities from the very beginning, showing no signs of retreat at all! Since the sturdy man had not yet departed, the bidding session continued. However, most of the attendees found it difficult to concentrate on the bidding itself, and a rather cold silence emerged—two consecutive items went unsold—leaving the slender, tall man particularly embarrassed. Nevertheless, the bidding session was now drawing to a close. Finally, the truly outstanding, crowning item began to make its appearance. "An elite medicinal herb—the Huangjing Zhi, a single specimen of a thousand-year-old plant. As for the rest, I won't elaborate. You all surely know better than I do about its value!" As soon as the tall, slender man finished speaking, a jade box of jade green hue appeared in his hands. After giving a composed glance at the cultivators, he noticed that everyone’s attention had been fully captured by the precious herb he had just mentioned, and thus, with a quiet sense of satisfaction, added: "This specimen of the thousand-year-old medicinal herb has only surfaced a few times in the past century. If you purchase it and refine it into a spiritual pill, it will undoubtedly be your best opportunity to break through your current stage and enhance your spiritual energy. Therefore, the base price starts at five hundred spiritual stones!" Upon saying this, he withdrew the lid of the jade box and held it upright, presenting it proudly to the cultivators. At once, a rich, fragrant aroma filled the entire hall, leaving the cultivators both astonished and delighted! They were amazed—never had they expected such a rare treasure to appear in this auction! To his delight, if they could purchase and refine the herb themselves, wouldn't it then be just as the other said—stronger than even the highest-tier magical artifacts? After all, the enhancement came from their own cultivation technique, not from an external force. Thus, as soon as the tall, slender man announced the base price, several eager voices immediately sprang up! "One thousand spiritual stones!" The first buyer instantly doubled the price, leaving many behind who had been ready to bid, furious in their minds. Yet, others soon followed, raising it further. "One thousand two hundred spiritual stones!" "One thousand..." ...One after another, the bidders continued, and within moments, the price surged past two thousand. Yet Han Li stood in quiet contemplation, gazing at the thousand-year-old herb on the table, lost in thought. When he first heard of the herb, he had not taken it seriously, merely assuming that other places had also discovered such rare medicinal plants. But as soon as the slender, tall man revealed the thousand-year-old Huangjing Zhi from the box, Han Li immediately confirmed that it was indeed one of the two spiritual herbs he had originally sold to Wanbaoli Building. After all, this herb had been nurtured personally by him, and how could he possibly mistake it? Though the spiritual medicine was now in Wanbaoli's hands, Han Li didn't care how they handled it. After a brief pause, he regained his composure and continued to observe the various cultivators competing with calm indifference. Listening to the urgent bidding voices of the cultivators, Han Li felt a sense of pride. After all, something originating from his own hands could inspire such excitement and urgency—what a source of pride that was!