"Then, is there any issue with these fire-melt crystals?" the elder smiled warmly and said. "No, precisely these crystals," nodded Han Li, maintaining his composed expression. He then closed the crystal container and bowed slightly before departing. The green-robed woman felt a flash of brilliant light in Han Li's eyes, and a sudden jolt went through her. The words she had been about to speak suddenly slipped from her mind, unable to form. The yellow-robed woman, observing this, frowned slightly, as though sensing something significant. Yet upon a quick glance, she remained silent. With unexpected revelations now, Han Li grew increasingly eager about the upcoming auction. But at that moment, the Great Derivative Immortal finally spoke: "Han, young man. What exactly is the relationship between the fire-melt crystals and the spirit essences? You should explain it to me, at least." "In fact, you probably already have some idea. One of the fire-melt crystals is actually a seven-tier spirit essence—only that it has been stored for many years, and over time, it has completely crystallized. It now appears indistinguishable from ordinary fire-melt crystals. Even someone with a highly developed consciousness would be unable to detect the difference." Han Li calmly transmitted his words. "A seven-tier spirit essence? Since neither the divine consciousness nor the outward appearance can determine it, how do you come to know? The Dàyǎn Divine Sovereign indeed did not appear overly surprised, yet still harbored some doubt. "Hehe! This is actually related to the lingering yang qi that flows through my body. Back in my days, I personally slew thousands of high-ranking beast creatures, which accumulated into this dense aura of yang qi. As a result, I am especially sensitive to the essence of beast spores. The moment this seventh-tier beast spore was presented, my yang qi immediately responded. Moreover, having handled countless beast spores over the years, I naturally developed some distinctive methods of identification." Han Li said calmly. "Ah, now I understand. If you truly have slain so many beast creatures, the strength of your yang qi indeed makes perfect sense. Yet, the very fact that you have accomplished this also piques my interest. It seems you have many untold stories!" The Dàyǎn Divine Sovereign chuckled, his expression neither clearly joyful nor displeased. "Nothing special—just some fortunate circumstances from back then." After all, I suspect you may not yet be aware of the unique advantages of crystallized immortal dan. Back then, when the affairs of the Lun Xing Sea arose, I didn’t wish to bring up that matter to this ancient master—instead, I shifted the topic to something more of interest to you. "Ah! I’ve never heard of crystallized immortal dan before. What are its uses?" As soon as these words reached the Great Yan Divine Sovereign, his curiosity was instantly piqued, and he no longer hesitated to inquire about the beasts. "In truth, a crystallized immortal dan is no longer truly an immortal dan. Moreover, when used as a medicinal ingredient or in alchemical preparations, it often carries a peculiar toxicity. Though perhaps not among the Ten Most Lethal Poisons, even ordinary cultivators would perish upon ingestion. Yet, this very material proves to be the ideal choice for crafting flying needle-type divine artifacts. It’s said that flying needles crafted directly from this material not only move with astonishing speed and can strike an opponent immediately upon release, but even more remarkable—due to the unique nature of the material itself, the needles appear to fade into the background as they fly, their light almost imperceptible, enabling them Such crystallized immortal dan is extremely difficult to form, and even fewer cultivators can recognize it once it has formed. Had it not been for the presence of that intense yang qi, I probably wouldn't have been able to immediately identify this treasure. Han Li stroked his chin, speaking as if his demeanor were unchanged, though in his mind he recalled the jade scroll that recorded the use of crystallized immortal dan in crafting flying needles. He didn't know when he had first obtained it—perhaps from the unfortunate cultivator he had slain during his time in the Chaotic Star Sea. At the time, he had merely regarded it as a curious anecdote, never expecting to actually encounter a physical specimen. Such a rare crafting material, he certainly could not afford to let go. "I have never heard of this before. Indeed, the world is truly vast and full of wonders. I suspect no cultivator has ever managed to visit every corner of the human realm. As far as I know, there are at least five or six other immortal realms similar to our Tiannan alone. Some places are directly accessible, while others require one to take certain risks to reach. When I was young, aside from the Great Jin realm, I had only visited two such places. Later, due to the passage of time and my declining years, I was compelled to return to the southern lands and diligently study the art of spirit transmission. The voice of the Grand Divine of Daxian grew dim, filled with a sense of wistfulness. If given one more chance, entering the Huashen stage would surely not be a difficult matter for me. The Daxian Shenjun murmured, filled with regret, his voice gradually lowering until it finally faded into silence. Hearing these words, Han Li felt an unexpected sense of melancholy. Once a towering figure in the westernmost region, renowned as the founding master of his sect, he had once dominated the southern heavens with no rivals, undoubtedly more illustrious and confident than Han Li himself at that time. Yet, once he failed to reach the Huashen stage, he had ended up in such a wretched state—deepening Han Li's own sense of weight and gravity. It seemed that the current plight of the Daxian Shenjun might very well be a grim reflection of his own future. As this thought formed, Han Li's expression grew slightly somber, and he found himself no longer eager to speak. The auction proceeded as usual, with the items offered now being far more precious than those earlier, though none of them caught Han Li's particular interest. When only a few treasures and kinds of elixirs remained for auction, Han Li no longer wished to stay. He rose immediately, leaving the two women beside him in surprise, and departed gracefully from the auction hall. After stepping out of the hall, he did not glance at any other stalls or displays. As he exited the plaza, he strolled slowly between the pavilions and residences, appearing distracted. When he encountered other visiting cultivators or descendants from the three participating clans, no one paid him any special attention. Yet, Han Li’s path gradually shifted toward quieter, less-frequented areas. After strolling for a cup of tea’s worth of time, he paused suddenly, coming to a halt. His gaze shifted, and he noticed a White Robe cultivator at Foundation Stage standing in the shade, looking here and there, as though waiting for someone. Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, yet his awareness swiftly swept the surroundings—there were no other cultivators within fifty paces, nor any concealed powerful seals or wards. The more recent cultivator, even at a distance of over a hundred paces, would simply fail to notice this spot. Han Li changed direction without hesitation and strode toward the cultivator. "Is there anything I can assist you with?" asked the sturdy man, who stared at Han Li as he approached, then spoke in a low, thoughtful tone. "Are you a cultivator from the Kong family?" Han Li smiled gently as he drew near. "Yes, I am the external hall steward of the Kong family. Would you like to—?" The man studied Han Li carefully, noting his attire, storage bags, and spirit-beast pouches, all of which indicated he was no ordinary independent cultivator. He responded politely. "I have something I'd like to speak with the headmaster of your family. Would you be able to convey my message to him?" Han Li asked with a composed demeanor. "To see the headmaster? That may not be possible. Our headmaster is currently occupied with urgent matters and does not usually receive visitors. If you have something truly important, perhaps you could share it with me first!" The Han gentleman furrowed his brows, hesitated, and said, "It's this—just now I came out of the auction hall and noticed that one of the items being auctioned seems to have an issue. I'd like to inform the master of your household about it." Han Li deliberately adopted a slightly uncertain tone, as if pondering his words. "The auction hall? Does that mean the item is wrong? If so, wouldn't the bidding partners responsible for the auction have been the ones to address it?" Upon hearing Han Li's explanation, the Han gentleman immediately stiffened, his expression attentive. "This isn't something the auction hall can resolve. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the item I've just purchased, and you'll see." Han Li sighed and casually reached down with one hand to his waist. Instantly, drawing on years of experience, the Han gentleman unconsciously placed one hand on his own waist, adopting a defensive posture. Yet, when Han Li flipped his hand and produced a glowing red crystal, he offered it gently. Only then did the Han official begin to suspect something was amiss, his entire body relaxing as he lifted his hand, still marveling, "This isn't fire-melted crystal. How could such a thing still need to be presented to the Master?" As he spoke, he reached out to grasp the crystal. Yet, as his fingers just touched it, a flash of blue light shot forth from the crystal, vanishing instantly—so close that there was no way for him to evade it. Startled, he shouted aloud, but a sudden coolness spread across his forehead, followed by a deep chill that instantly froze his entire body in a layer of shimmering blue frost, paralyzing him. His robe fluttered, and a wave of emerald light surged out, sweeping him into the glow and carrying him directly into the pavilion before him. Then, with a subtle shift of form, Han Li stepped silently through after him.