Han Li sat in a quiet corner of the hall. An middle-aged man in a dark blue robe was gently holding a pale yellow crystal, introducing it. "This is Jiang Huang Crystal, originating from the western desert of Nanjiang Province. It can only be found deep beneath the sand, at depths of over a thousand feet. The crystal is exceptionally hard and has an excellent capacity to absorb earth-based spiritual energy, making it an ideal material for crafting earth-elemental法宝. The base price is eight thousand spiritual stones, with each increment not less than one thousand." The cultivator overseeing the auction was at the mid-stage of the Yuan Ying stage, speaking calmly and without any exaggerated emphasis. This was quite normal—when a lower-level cultivator is being watched by hundreds of Yuan Ying cultivators, the immense, invisible pressure can easily overwhelm their spirit, rendering them unable to speak. Han Li carefully sensed that this man was at the peak of the Yuan Ying mid-stage, and given that no Yuan Ying late-stage cultivators were present in the hall, he could be considered the highest-ranked cultivator among those present. Therefore, no one dared to cause any disturbance during the auction. Though the turmeric crystal was an excellent material for crafting earth-element法宝, it failed to attract enthusiastic bidding—only a few scattered participants offered prices before it was ultimately secured by an unnamed cultivator for 12,000 spiritual stones. The auctions of the other items proceeded steadily and unremarkably. Han Li sat quietly in his chair, his expression calm and composed, unsurprised by the scene. The auction would last several days, and the items presented on the first day naturally could not be considered exceptional. While these materials were relatively rare even for ordinary meteors, they could still be gathered with sufficient time and effort outside the hall. Thus, aside from those who truly needed them, most attendees would not actively compete for these items. Nevertheless, by the end of the day, several fine pieces would surely be unveiled—enough to spark interest and encourage continued participation in the second day's auctions. Thinking thus, Han Li naturally paid no special attention to the auction. He merely lazily observed the various Yuan-Ying cultivators gathered in the hall. Though these individuals represented only a small fraction of the top-tier cultivators of the Great Jin, they embodied the diverse factions—both from the orthodox and the martial traditions. Most striking to him were the three large, bright-headed Buddhist monks seated in the center of the hall. One was thin and frail, another stout and broad-shouldered, and the third gentle-faced with snowy white beard and kind eyes. All three wore gray monastic robes, bowed their heads, and gazed downward with the serene demeanor of enlightened masters. Han Li had never before seen such high-ranking Buddhist cultivators, so he naturally glanced at them more closely. Yet, as soon as the eldest monk seated in the center—appearing the oldest—felt his presence, he turned his gaze toward Han Li. Though his expression remained calm and warm, Han Li could not help but feel a sudden sense of awe. The monk's awareness was so acute—indeed, the Buddhist tradition could truly rival the Daoist and Confucian schools in Great Jin, and this was no mere coincidence. Han Li did not wish to inadvertently provoke hostility from his adversaries, so he immediately withdrew his awareness, maintaining a composed and indifferent expression. The named elder monk, after glancing at Han Li, remained unchanged and resumed his original demeanor. Aside from these monks, there were numerous other cultivators with unusual appearances within the hall. Han Li silently cross-referenced these figures against the intelligence he had gathered on the various factions of the Great Jin cultivation network, verifying and committing their identities to memory—perhaps some of them would prove useful later. As one after another item was auctioned off, time passed steadily, just as Han Li had anticipated. Toward the later stages of the event, several rare treasures began to emerge, instantly stirring the previously calm assembly of cultivators. With several items competing fiercely and fetching astonishing prices, the atmosphere grew noticeably lively. After all, for the needs of their own cultivation, the Yuan Ying-level cultivators were generally not inclined to spend extra spirit stones. Otherwise, if they rely on their own efforts to search and gather it, they might not even manage it for years to come. "One piece of Mokin, weighing three jin and four liang. A rare crafting material, starting bid at thirty thousand spiritual stones, with each increment not less than two thousand." The more precious the item, the more succinctly the middle-aged cultivator explaining the auction would be. At this moment, he lifted a jade tray, upon which rested a peculiar metal dark as ink, yet subtly glowing with a golden sheen. Huan Li's brows furrowed slightly, but he did not rush to bid—since this item was clearly essential, it would be better to wait until the price reached its peak before making a move. When the item was finally called out at a high price of sixty thousand spirit stones by an unknown cultivator, several previously eager bidders suddenly paused. "Sixty-five thousand," Huan Li tapped his jade plaque, and with a flash of light, announced the price. "Sixty-seven thousand spirit stones," the previous bidder seemed genuinely in need of the item and, after a moment's hesitation, raised his bid to surpass Huan Li's. "Seventy thousand," Huan Li spoke with calm indifference. This time, the bidder fell silent. Though the ink-gold was rare, seventy thousand spirit stones was indeed a high price, and he promptly decided to withdraw. Seeing this, Huan Li smiled slightly. The middle-aged cultivator overseeing the auction, now seeing the item sell at such a premium, was clearly satisfied. Yet, following the customary habit, he repeated the price twice more. Just as he was about to ask the third time to confirm the auction's success, another cold bid suddenly rang out. "Seventy-five thousand,"韩立 and the middle-aged cultivator hosting the auction were both taken aback, and most of the other cultivators in the hall expressed surprise. "Eighty thousand,"韩立 immediately regained his composure and spoke without hesitation. "Eighty-two thousand," the bidder, calm and composed, once again raised his bid. This person, too, seemed equally determined to secure the item, much like Hàn Lì. This time, not only did Hàn Lì's expression shift slightly, but the other cultivators also turned their attention toward him. They noticed that at the slightly elevated platform, a cultivator completely enveloped in a soft, pale gray mist sat quietly, his true form barely visible. From the faint outline of his robes, he appeared to be an elder. Hàn Lì was puzzled, yet he had no further patience to waste on this individual. With a serious expression, he suddenly announced a price that sent ripples through the entire assembly of cultivators. "Twelve thousand spiritual stones." As soon as the figure was spoken, the other cultivators in the hall exchanged puzzled glances. This amount—enough to purchase a fine ancient artifact—far exceeded the usual price of the ink-steel. After a moment of commotion, several of them turned to look at Han Li. However, Han Li, now with a transformed appearance, remained merely a wan-faced cultivator appearing unwell, and thus no one recognized him. Han Li paid no attention to the others, instead remaining vigilant, observing every movement of the elderly cultivator enveloped in dark qi. Upon hearing such a high price, the elder was clearly astonished. If possible, he would have certainly offered a higher sum to compete with Han Li for the ink-steel. Yet, according to his information, another even more crucial material was expected to appear shortly afterward. With such a substantial outlay, he could not guarantee securing that second material—thus, the potential loss would be even greater. Moreover, the way the elder had pushed the price so high clearly indicated he wouldn't be easily satisfied. After a moment's thoughtful consideration, the elder finally decided not to bid again. Thus, the material ended up in Han Li's hands. However, this naturally drew the attention of those with keen eyes. Han Li, on the other hand, remained seated, eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to everything else once he secured the ink gold. The elder, though, engaged in a spirited competition with a large group of cultivators over a rarer material called "Li Huo Sha," ultimately securing it at a price of over twenty thousand spiritual stones. His generous spending naturally made him even more noticeable. This didn't mean he had spent the most spiritual stones among all participants in this auction. In fact, the final high-tier ancient relics, as well as the elixirs that enhanced cultivation, were nearly all priced between twenty and thirty thousand stones. Yet, securing a mere twenty多万 to purchase a single alchemy material still seemed remarkable—something far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. After the first day's auction concluded, Han Li wove himself into the crowd and departed from the auction hall. However, by the time he reached the marketplace exit, the several Yin Luo Sect cultivators had vanished, as if they had given up hope. Han Li smiled calmly, unhurriedly left the marketplace, and headed toward his residence. Unaware of this, the elderly figure cloaked in black mist who had been at the marketplace had quietly appeared at a modest household in Jinjing. There, the elder from the Ye family was already waiting for him in one of the rooms. Upon seeing the elder in the black hat, the bidder immediately handed over the bag of "Li Fire Sand" he had won in the auction. "I've heard of the 'Mo Jin' matter," he said. "Thank you for making this trip. I didn't expect anyone to pay such a high price for this item—otherwise, I would have asked you to bring more spiritual stones." Fortunately, there are already people attending the underground auction several days from now who are exchanging for this ink. Otherwise, it would indeed have been quite troublesome. I've already inquired about the exchange materials and have prepared them for you. You'll need to make a trip over then, as well." The elder with the black hat, upon receiving the materials, smiled warmly and said. "Hehe, Yunyi brother has truly given me so many spiritual stones this time—I'm afraid I may not be able to hold on to them all. This was just an unexpected turn of events; normally, my reserves should have been more than sufficient. I will certainly be there at the underground trading event in a few days." The elder with the high surname chuckled and replied. "With High Brother's reliable nature, I am fully at ease. Here is a set of spiritual pills I've prepared for you. After this matter is settled, the number of pills will double." The elder with the black hat nodded in satisfaction, then took out a jade box from his storage bag and handed it over. "Very good. With your consistent reliability, I will do my best over the coming days." The elder of the Gao family was delighted, carefully examined the spiritual pills inside the box, nodded satisfiedly several times, then took from the elder in the black hat a storage sack full of spiritual stones and a jade scroll recording the materials to be purchased tomorrow, and then departed.