The elder with the black crown saw his smile vanish the moment the other person disappeared from the room. Later that evening, he encountered two more independent cultivators at the same level of Jian Dan, who also brought materials, received rewards, and then departed with great satisfaction. In the following days, Han Li consistently attended the grand auction held at the Jiuxiao Hall every morning. Having secured some gains on the first day, he naturally held high hopes for the subsequent auctions. Yet, unfortunately, he found nothing of value in the days that followed. As the wealthy elder who had exchanged for Chijing Zhī had mentioned, the rare materials of the desired quality were rarely featured in the auctions—appearing only occasionally as the daily floor items. Even the final auction items were mostly finished artifacts and法宝. It seemed that Han Li's success in securing the Mokjin on the first day was indeed a fortunate coincidence. Nevertheless, during this period, Han Li remained actively engaged beyond the auctions themselves. Regarding the underground auction, he has gathered various pieces of information. According to the reports, in the days leading up to the event, it was quite similar to the grand auction—except that the items presented were mostly those needed by the magical arts path, and generally, no particularly rare items appeared. However, on the final day, there was a dedicated barter exchange specifically for cultivators at the Yuan Ying stage. In past several editions, numerous rare materials have been showcased, and it's quite likely that the several materials he still lacks will be found here. Nevertheless, this exchange event is not open to everyone—it seems only cultivators or individuals connected to the magical arts path, who are introduced and recommended, can participate. With this in mind, Han Li felt a sense of relief and temporarily set the matter aside, attending the Nine Sky Hall's auctions on schedule every day. A few days later, during the final day of the auction, Han Li unexpectedly discovered another material he needed. Inspired by this find, he spent over ten thousand spiritual stones to secure it. Soon after, the grand public auction officially concluded. The cultivators surged out of the hall, and Han Li, mingling among them, descended to the ground but did not immediately leave the marketplace. Instead, he headed straight for the Tianji Pavilion. Han Li was unaware that this seemingly simple move had by chance saved him from a looming peril. For several days prior, several senior monks from Yin Luo Sect had vanished from the marketplace entrance—now they suddenly reappeared there, with one additional figure: the Tianlan Holy Maiden, still veiled in a light silk shawl. At present, she was delicately handling a small mirror that shimmered with silver light, occasionally glancing at it as she observed the stream of cultivators entering and exiting the entrance, her dark brows furrowed with concentration. As time passed, the silver glow of the mirror intensified, yet the maiden remained silent throughout. The faces of Ge Tianhao and the others beside them also gradually grew more somber, their expressions less than satisfactory. "There's no trace of that person. Among the cultivators entering and exiting the market ahead, several have used illusions to conceal their true appearances, but none of them is the one in question. Could it be that he truly didn't attend the grand auction? If so, then all their efforts over these days have been in vain." After a pause, Lin Yingshen exhaled slowly and said hesitantly. "It's impossible. Among the senior cultivators recently arriving in the capital, a few might miss this major auction. Moreover, you yourself witnessed it that day, Lin lady. That person stayed at the front of the Palace of Precious Light for a considerable period before departing—clearly showing deep interest and regard for the auction." Ge Tianhao said calmly. Upon hearing this, Lin Yingshen nodded slightly without much emphasis, yet the thoughtful expression on her jade-like face remained unchanged. "Perhaps the Mirroring Resonance of Miao Yin isn't as miraculous as the tales suggest, or perhaps the time required for its cultivation is still insufficient, and Lin friend has not yet fully unleashed its full potential "Thus, it's impossible to locate that person." The senior Yin Luo cultivator with triangular eyes suddenly said. "That's also unlikely. The Mirroring of Delicate Sound is one of the seven true treasures of the seventh true master, Master Qiua, and has long been renowned in the immortal realm. As for the ritual incantations required, ancient treasures generally don't need much preparation—this mirror, however, is special. Without some initial ritual work, it cannot fully unleash its power to counteract spells. Therefore, the ritual work done over these past few days has been sufficient. Otherwise, the other cultivators who also employed secret techniques would have been revealed by me using this treasure." Lin Yinping shook her head, gently explaining with her lips slightly parted. "Then either the person's secret technique of facial transformation is still active and thus not detected by the Mirroring of Delicate Sound, or the person has some other matter keeping them within the marketplace, or has used another method to depart from elsewhere." Ge Tianhao's eyes flashed several times as he pondered, speaking as he thought. "Given the mirror's great reputation, while there may be a few rare illusions it cannot penetrate, such cases are truly few and far between." How fortunate it is that this person possesses such great abilities. In the second scenario, the Eight-Point Divided Light Array—famous among the Daoist sects—is deployed around the market area. It would be impossible for that person to pass through the array silently and depart without being detected; thus, he should still be within the market, likely still present. Lin Yinpeng concluded with confidence. "Lin Brother's meaning?" The elder with the triangular eyes hesitated instead. "Stay here and remain vigilant. As long as that person remains within the market, they will inevitably pass through this location. Additionally, send a few more alert disciples to move around various parts of the market, to see if they can locate any traces of this person." Lin Yinpeng suggested. "Agreed! Your reasoning is sound. We shall remain here until evening. If that person is indeed within the market, they should have appeared by now." After a brief consideration, Ge Tianhao found no objections and readily agreed. Then he raised his hand and sent several transmission scrolls, soon summoning several low-ranking cultivators from Yin Luo Sect. After giving them brief instructions, they bowed respectfully and departed, heading deeper into the marketplace. This exchange among the three roommates lasted well over half a day, and only came to a close when the sky began to darken, with all three of them smiling at one another, each having gained something valuable from the conversation. The wealthy elder and Han Li did not linger any longer at the Tianji Pavilion, and immediately bid farewell, departing. As soon as they stepped out of the pavilion, Han Li found his face blurred instantly, transforming into the face of another unfamiliar yellow-robed cultivator. The wealthy elder was momentarily startled, but soon understood and dismissed the phenomenon without concern. However, Han Li himself grew curious. To his surprise, the wealthy elder did not head toward the marketplace exit, but instead led him directly to a smaller pavilion nearby, bearing the name "Shu Ling Zhai." "Rich brother, what is this?" Han Li asked, still hesitating as he approached the pavilion. "This Shu Ling Zhai is a private merchant establishment, owned by a close friend of mine whom I've known for many years. Recently, he has set up a temporary teleportation array within the pavilion, and the destination is conveniently close to the underground trading venue." "I've already made the introductions and can directly send you through," the wealthy elder said with confidence. "The teleportation array, haven't you heard? Isn't the market strictly prohibiting the installation of such arrays?" Upon hearing this, Han Li was not only puzzled but grew even more surprised. "Heh! Don't worry, my friend. My colleague has considerable standing, and due to special circumstances, he had previously secured temporary approval from the market's influential backroom forces. This teleportation array will only remain active for a few months and will be known to only a small number of people," the wealthy elder explained calmly. "Ah, now I understand!" Han Li said, suddenly clear. The master of Shu Ling Pavilion was a plain, well-groomed elderly man whose manner and speech were truly distinguished, giving one the impression of a gentle spring breeze upon first meeting. Even more surprising to Han Li was that this man was also a well-known master of array techniques, which greatly strengthened his desire to get to know him better. Unfortunately, due to his urgent need to attend the underground trade fair, Han Li simply didn't have the time to chat further with this person and thus used the small teleportation array located in the attic chamber to transport the market. The next moment, the two of them appeared directly within a modest, concealed mountain cave. When they stepped out of the cave and ascended into the air, Han Li realized they had arrived at an unnamed small hill near the southern outskirts of Jinjing City. At a short distance from the hill, the massive city walls of Jinjing were still faintly visible. Even as Han Li had already left the market, Ge Tianhao, who remained at the market entrance, glanced at the sky, paused thoughtfully, and then suddenly said to Lin Yinping: "Lin friend, the underground trade fair is about to begin. There are several items appearing today that will be of great benefit to my future cultivation. I cannot afford to miss them. Now, however, it is already quite late, and that person has not yet arrived. Neither have any of the other disciples spotted him within the market." It seems our earlier assumptions must have gone astray. This person is as cunning as a fox—perhaps he has already moved on from the marketplace. Why not have our friend join me in attending the fair? He might well be there. Even if he isn’t, he will surely gain something valuable at the underground trade fair. It appears that continuing to wait passively, like a farmer watching his tree stump, will yield nothing at all. Very well, I’ll go with you. Perhaps we’ll indeed make some progress there. Lin Yinping bit her rosy lips, glanced toward the deeper part of the marketplace, and reluctantly agreed. After further discussion with others, the two disciples who had been accompanying him—male and female—remained behind at the marketplace. One elder joined him and Lin Yinping to attend the underground trade fair. The elder with the triangular eyes and another elder claimed to have other matters to attend to and thus departed without further ado. At once, the numerous Yuan-Ying stage elders gathered by Yin Luo Sect had already disintegrated and dispersed, without even having the chance to engage with Han Li in combat.