Han Li and the man sat on either side of an octagonal table, exchanging glances. Among the cultivators who came here to shop, no one would bother to strike up a conversation with a stranger—such efforts would only invite hostility. Yet the man across from him kept glancing curiously at Han Li, and at Qu Hun, who stood at the stairwell entrance without entering the main hall. With his keen eyesight, Qu Hun had already discerned his identity as a corpse-cultivator, and the subtle fluctuations of qi emanating from him stirred his deep curiosity. After all, typically, cultivators who created living corpses such as iron-armored skeletons were merely strong, hardworking laborers—lacking any true spiritual energy. Despite this, the man restrained himself, holding back the urge to ask questions. Han Li shared his same mid-jade foundation level cultivation, which made him particularly formidable. When Han Li had finished sipping his clear tea, the woman finally returned to the main hall. At that moment, two sturdy men stood behind her. Neither of them possessed any magical aura, their faces expressionless—indeed, they were lifelike puppets. Yet each of them held a large tray in their hands, the trays filled and lightly covered with red silk cloth, clearly the precious items the female manager had mentioned. Han Li, seeing this, naturally felt embarrassed and could not help but speak, saying with some hesitation, "My name is Han." Then he fell silent, adopting a cold, reserved demeanor. Lan Lady, however, didn't find it at all surprising. After all, among the cultivators who came to this place, out of ten, there were often one or two who displayed exactly this pretense of coldness and detachment—she had grown accustomed to it. With a slight smile, she then gestured toward a puppet man standing behind her, who immediately stepped forward. Lan Lady then extended her slender jade fingers and pulled the crimson silk down, revealing several items on the tray. At the same time, both Han Li and the man from the opposite side, whose surname was Fan, fixed their eyes with sharp interest, gazing closely at the items on the tray. There were long swords, short blades, darts, and circular implements among them, as well as a dark, shining armor piece—each item gleaming with an evident quality, clearly no ordinary objects. Upon closely examining the several items on the tray, Han Li and the man displayed different reactions. The Fu-family cultivator fixed his gaze intently on the tray, his eyes revealing a touch of admiration. In contrast, Han Li glanced at it briefly before immediately shifting his attention away, appearing uninterested—this surprised the blue-clad lady, who looked at him with renewed curiosity. "This one is called the Cold Crystal Blade, crafted from a rare type of xuan crystal and ice jade. It not only delivers powerful attacks but also carries a rare, lingering cold energy that gradually weakens the opponent during prolonged combat, making it a true masterpiece among top-tier artifacts," the lady said, extending her wrist to retrieve a clear, translucent short blade from the tray and presenting it with calm confidence. As she slightly waved the blade, a sudden wave of cool, refreshing cold air filled the room, causing the several maids with only Qi-level cultivation to shiver in response. "Lady, could you please allow me to examine this blade?" The man of the Fan surname gazed at the artifact, his expression brightening with excitement. At this, Lady Lan smiled gently, without hesitation, offered the blade to him, and then glanced at Han Li with a faint, almost imperceptible look. Yet Han Li remained composed, his gaze fixed on the empty teacup in his hands, showing no sign of interest in the artifact. This left Lady Lan somewhat disappointed. "Then I'll take this blade of cold crystal," the man said, speaking loudly as he held the short blade in his hands. "How many spirit stones will it cost?" Upon hearing this, Lady Lan was slightly surprised. "Wouldn't you like to take a closer look at the other items as well?" she asked calmly. "No need," replied the man. "Of course I know the items behind this one will be superior, but my funds are limited—I believe I can only afford this blade. Even if the others are excellent, I simply don't have the means to purchase them. It's better not to look at them at all, so as not to feel envious." "Fan Daojun spoke quite openly and even with a touch of wit, making the beautiful woman cover her mouth with a light chuckle. "This Han Crystal Blade costs eight hundred spiritual stones. Once Master Fan pays, he may take it away," the lady said smoothly, with a composed air. "Very well. Let the lady check these stones to ensure the amount is correct," Fan said, promptly reaching into his storage bag and pouring the stones onto the table. In moments, a pile of stones of various colors spread across the surface. The blue lady glanced over the stones with a slight smile, her lips curling upward. "How could I possibly doubt Master Fan's honesty? There's no need to verify," she said. With that, she took out a storage bag and absorbed all the stones into it. This gesture left Fan Daojun deeply impressed, and he departed with a warm, friendly demeanor. Yet, observing the scene from the side, Han Li showed no outward expression and inwardly chuckled with quiet disdain. "So, no need to check?" What was the faint spiritual awareness hovering over the spiritual stone just now? Clearly, Lady Blue's spiritual awareness far surpasses that of an ordinary cultivator—she could instantly determine the number of stones without being detected, and thus deliberately remarked in a manner that sounded charming and self-assured. Han Li silently chuckled to himself. Lady Blue hadn't noticed that her little trick had been uncovered by Han Li. As she smiled and watched the man named Fan descend the stairs, she turned her gaze back to Han Li. "Master Han seems rather uninterested in these items. Is it possible that these artifacts fail to meet your expectations?" Lady Blue said with a gentle smile. It was strange—though she knew that Han Li's cultivation level was slightly lower than hers, she somehow sensed an unusual sense of danger emanating from him. This made her speak more cautiously and gently to Han Li, instinctively avoiding any potential offense. "While I must admit these artifacts are of excellent quality, the ones I truly seek are quite specific—they must be compatible with my cultivation technique!" Moreover, what I'm seeking goes beyond mere incantation scrolls and talismans—I'd like some rather uncommon items as well.” Han Li replied calmly. “Oh! Then, if Master Han has such specific requests, it would have been better to mention them earlier! I thought you might be like Master Fan, open to any kind of artifact.” Lady Blue looked slightly surprised, offering a quiet, gentle smile. “As long as Master can afford it, our Star Dust Pavilion can provide whatever you desire.” The woman spoke with great confidence. Hearing this, Han Li chuckled softly, without adding anything, and then directly asked, “Since you've made that promise, I’ll be straightforward. May I inquire whether your pavilion offers any formulas for foundational-stage practitioners? Or perhaps a complete set of artifacts—ideally, the more comprehensive the set, the better.” Upon hearing Han Li’s request, the woman’s expression slightly tightened, then settled back into composure. “Master’s request is indeed quite exceptional.” If it had been half a month ago, I truly would have been at a loss. But recently, we have actually received two prescriptions and a complete set of top-tier artifacts. However, the prices for these items are quite high—something I cannot afford on my own. The guest must go to the sixth floor to discuss them!" Lady Lan's beautiful eyes steadily fixed on Han Li, as she slowly spoke. "Then shall I go to the sixth floor?" Han Li seemed to have anticipated this very remark, and calmly inquired. "Of course you can go, but according to protocol, I will need to verify your qualifications," Lady Lan smiled gently, lightly brushing her hair aside. "What qualifications?" Han Li asked without showing much concern. "It's quite simple! If you have over a thousand spiritual stones—or equivalent items to exchange—then you're all set." The woman suddenly looked serious. "Are these sufficient?" Han Li immediately reached into his robes and pulled out the storage pouch containing his spiritual stones, offering it to her. The spiritual stones on Han Li’s person had long since surpassed a thousand—there should now be nearly two thousand of lower-tier stones. Lady Blue took the storage bag, briefly scanned it with her awareness, and then nodded before returning it. "Master Han, please follow me—I will personally escort you to the sixth floor." With that, she turned without looking back and walked toward the staircase entrance. Seeing this, Han Li naturally fell silent and followed closely behind. The red-clad attendant stationed at the staircase entrance promptly made way silently upon Lady Blue’s arrival. Han Li and the attendant ascended together, one in front and one behind, to the sixth floor of the Star-Dust Pavilion.