When Han Li entered the attic, the lady immediately rose with her eyes gleaming, bowing gracefully and revealing her elegant and graceful posture. Han Li waved her hand, asking her to rise, and said, "When I'm not here, you needn't wait for me. During the trade fair, I'll be unable to accompany you. You are free to act on your own. Here is a pair of Lingxin matching pendants. Wear one of them. Should you encounter any urgent or dangerous matters, simply infuse your spiritual energy—this will generate a protective aura, and I will be able to sense it even from a thousand miles away." After saying this, Han Li produced a pair of jade pendants from his robes and handed one to the lady. "Thank you so much, sir!" The lady was first startled, then a gentle blush spread across her porcelain-like face, and she softly agreed. She took the pendant and attached it to her waist garment. After instructing Mu Pei Ling to return to her room to rest, Han Li proceeded to the second floor of the attic. The woman watched the figure of Han Li ascending the stairs, lowered her head slightly, and gently adjusted the jade pendant at her waist, her delicate features revealing a touch of complexity. Han Li had taken a random bedroom on the second floor of the pavilion and settled onto the bed, closing his eyes to meditate. However, after resting for over an hour, Han Li's eyes opened once more. He turned his head to gaze at the night sky outside and murmured softly, "The time has nearly arrived. It's time to pay a visit to that person." Upon saying this, Han Li immediately rose from the bed and left the room. He moved silently from the pavilion, heading directly toward a familiar location within Qian Tian City. Not long afterward, he arrived at the building he had visited during the day. Gazing at the bronze plaque bearing the characters "Jing Long Pavilion," he stroked his chin, looked intently at the now completely darkened entrance, and then stepped inside without hesitation. "Welcome, esteemed guest, back again! It's truly remarkable how punctual Master Han is—just at the appointed time." Han Li stepped into the attic, and suddenly the entire room became brilliantly illuminated. Tianjing True Person sat behind the long table, as he had seen her during the day, smiling gently at him. "Since it was Han Li who had personally arranged this meeting with the True Person, how could I possibly be late? It seems, however, that the True Person has been waiting for some time—this truly makes me feel rather uneasy," Han Li said calmly. Then, with a single hand motion, he gently pushed the attic door closed, the door closing of its own accord. I wonder if Brother Han still has any more soul stones of this caliber. I’d be happy to exchange them all for yours. As for spiritual stones and materials—please just name your terms!" Upon seeing that Brother Han still possessed such high-grade soul stones, Tianjing truly brightened up, eager to proceed. "Brother Tianjing, there’s no need to rush. I’ve brought out these soul stones precisely with the intention of trading them with you. However, before that, I’d like to ask you two questions. As long as I’m satisfied with your answers, this soul stone shall be considered a gift from me." Han spoke calmly, tossing the soul stone in his hand without any hesitation. Tianjing was somewhat surprised, catching the stone in his hands and glancing at it, his expression now one of surprise and doubt. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, "Brother Han, you truly are generous! I’m certain your questions are quite substantial. Yet, as long as they’re answerable, I promise to fully satisfy Brother Han." "Having said that, the Tianjing True Person carefully stored the spirit stone, then resumed his composed expression. "Since you've stated this, then I shall not hold back. Do you happen to know anything about the Geng Jing? When I mentioned my interest in exchanging information about it at the exchange gathering, your expression seemed somewhat unusual—therefore, you must have some knowledge on the matter." Han Li asked directly and without ceremony. "Indeed, I do have some information regarding the Geng Jing, though it is not yet confirmed. That is why I did not share it at the gathering. If you are truly interested, I would be happy to inform you in full." The Tianjing True Person did not display any surprise, but instead responded calmly. "Even if the information is inaccurate, I would still like to hear it. Please go on, Master." Though Han Li had anticipated this response, he still smiled gently. "In fact, even if I do not mention it, you should find out about the Geng Jing within a few days." My elderly friend, who has been handling affairs at the auction house, recently revealed that during the fair, there might already be a piece of Jingjing on the block for auction. However, my friend mentioned that the current owner of this Jingjing seems inclined to exchange it for other items rather than participate in the auction yet—so the matter remains uncertain. Nevertheless, should this Jingjing indeed be put up for auction, the sword-specializing sects would surely bid fiercely, possibly even depleting their entire resources to secure it. Your expectations truly aren't very high, aren't they?" Tianjing True Man said. "A single three-thousand-year-old Chijing mushroom is already being sold for a hundred thousand spiritual stones. As for a Jingjing—a rare find that appears only once every few centuries—its price will naturally be even higher. If it's auctioned, it's quite possible that the price will rise even further." Han Li's expression of delight gradually faded, and he smiled wistfully. He had a clear sense of his own limitations; though his personal wealth was substantial, it would still fall far short when compared to that of an entire sect. But after a sigh of relief, Han Li adjusted his composure and calmly added, "Regardless of how it turns out, thank you very much for informing us in advance. With that, I'll be able to gather some spiritual stones earlier. By the way, does the True Person know who the master of Jing Bing is? I would like to pay a visit to him beforehand." "I'm not entirely certain who it is, but I know he is a Yuan-Infant cultivator from the Nine-Nation Alliance and currently resides in a small mountain just outside the western gate. You should be able to find him easily," the old monk said, stroking his long beard with a warm smile. "Thank you very much for the guidance. That will suffice regarding the Jing Bing matter. As for what I'd like to ask next, it's somewhat related to the soul stones. I hope Brother Tianjing will be so kind as to share some insights." Han Li nodded, then suddenly his face took on a mysterious expression. "What does the Daoist mean? I don't quite understand!" The previously gentle and benevolent old monk, upon hearing Han Li's words, immediately grew serious, his eyes flashing with keen interest as he asked in a low, steady "Not to be modest, Master Han also possesses some knowledge of puppet crafting. Moreover, within the abodes of ancient cultivators, I have come across remnants of primordial puppet beasts. Among these remains, the spirit stones are concealed. If my judgment is correct, the spirit stones must be the key component in the ancient cultivators' puppet-making techniques. It seems the True Immortal has acquired the ancient method of crafting puppets and intends to personally create some remarkable ancient puppets. I wonder if my understanding is accurate. Should this indeed be the case, would Master be so kind as to share a few details with me?" Han Li stared intently at the elder monk, his eyes never blinking as he spoke. Yet, as soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately raised his alertness by three degrees—though it was unlikely, he could not rule out the possibility that the elder monk might suddenly become enraged and intervene. Upon hearing Han Li's words, the True Immortal's expression remained utterly composed, yet his gaze was unusually cold, his lips tightly sealed, as he silently stared at Han Li. Han Li, seeing this, felt even more cautious in his heart, yet his facial expression remained unchanged. He once again touched his storage bag and produced a jade box about the size of a palm. Opening the lid, he placed it gently on the table before the elder monk, where two crystalline stones—larger than the spirit stones he had shown earlier—suddenly came to rest inside. The elder monk’s previously ice-cold expression finally stirred, and a look of astonishment appeared in his eyes. “Such large spirit stones—how did you obtain them? Are there any more?” the elder monk asked in a solemn, low tone. Upon hearing this, Han Li smiled gently at the Tianjing True Person but showed no intention of answering immediately. “Hmph! I can answer your question, but in return, you must also tell me how you obtained these spirit stones,” the elder monk said, tapping the table with his finger twice before fixing Han Li with a cold gaze. “Absolutely no problem!” Han Li seemed fully prepared, responding without hesitation. "Indeed, as you said, I and several friends discovered ancient techniques for crafting automata at an ancient immortal cultivator site. As mentioned, these automata are exceptionally powerful, yet the required materials are equally precious, and they must be combined with spirit stones during the crafting process to achieve success. However, spirit stones themselves are extremely difficult to find—up until now, I have managed to locate only a few. Otherwise, I would not have been so hasty in directly exchanging them at the fair. Now, Brother Han, could you explain how you have so many spirit stones?" Tian Jing the True Man said coldly. A spark of excitement flashed in the old monk's eyes, and he grew somewhat animated, asking, "I wonder, Master, what kind of ancient automaton you intend to craft? Might I borrow the puppet technique you've obtained to view it at your convenience?" Han Li remained composed, speaking calmly and at ease.