Upon seeing Han Li staring steadily at her, the woman was first taken aback, then immediately showed a flicker of thought. However, when her spirit sense swept over him, she found absolutely no traces of spiritual energy emanating from him—this unsettled her deeply, so she promptly turned her body away. At that moment, Han Li finally regained his composure, his expression once again calm and steady. As he gazed at her, he found himself pondering. This blue-robed woman reminded him so vividly of the one he had long kept hidden deep within his heart, someone he had always tried to avoid disturbing—this revelation left him both astonished and hesitant. Gradually, the image of Chen Qiaoqian—the woman who once expressed her affection toward him—began to unfold in his mind, growing in clarity and intensity until it filled his entire consciousness. This blue-robed woman, in terms of appearance and bearing, was astonishingly similar to Chen Qiaoqian, who had already perished in the mortal realm back then—save for a certain coldness in her demeanor, everything else was almost identical, as if she had been reborn. When Han Li heard the news of her demise, he appeared outwardly composed, yet his heart was deeply moved, filled with a complex, indistinct emotion. Though their bond may not have reached the level of deep love, any ordinary man would naturally harbor a profound and intricate sense of nostalgia for a woman he once cherished. Yet Chen Qiaoqian could never truly die and be reborn, nor could she reincarnate into the mortal realm. Even if this blue-robed woman bore such striking resemblance, she was merely a woman from a different race. Han Li swiftly circulated thoughts in his mind, calming the stirring emotions within himself. After a brief hesitation, he proceeded as originally planned, walking steadily toward the stone wall. Though the blue-robed woman did not turn around, it seemed she possessed some special ability to sense what was unfolding behind her. Frowning slightly, she moved gracefully and stepped away from her original position. Han Li, equally unceremonious, advanced with composed dignity and soon stood precisely where the woman had previously stood. Even without turning, Han Li could feel the blue-robed woman glaring at him steadily from behind, then briskly proceeding toward another stone wall slightly farther away. It appeared clear that she had judged him to be a lustful, beauty-obsessed suitor. Han Li smiled inwardly, then settled his focus, directing his attention fully to the stone wall before him. The silver script on the wall matched his expectations—listing various precious materials and rare treasures—yet strangely, none of the items bore price tags. Instead, each was followed simply by a number ranging from one to thirteen. Upon observing this, Han Li's mind sparked with realization, and he immediately turned his gaze toward the distance. To his sight, the jade pavilions surrounding the crimson pavilion were precisely thirteen in number, each crowned with a golden digit floating mid-air. Upon seeing this, Han Li instantly grasped the significance of the numbers inscribed behind the stone wall materials, without needing to guess. He did not rush, calmly examining the entire stone wall with focused attention before turning without a word toward the next one. With his swift, cursory glance, he had almost completed a thorough review of half the stone walls in the span of a moment. Yet his expression remained unchanged, as if he had not yet found a suitable target, and he continued his composed search. At that very moment, however, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from the central crimson pavilion, followed immediately by a sharp, startled cry of astonishment. "What? You, Old Master Song, claim this thing is false?" Impossible! This was something I'd struggled for nine lives, even nearly losing him to a group of golden-winged giants. "What's the fuss? If it's fake, it won't hold up. If it's genuine, I wouldn't dare refuse it either. Once the item has been appraised, Qiu brother may now leave." Another sharp voice echoed from the pavilion, speaking without the slightest courtesy. "I've spent the better part of seven or eight years in my abode just for this thing—only to find out it's all a falsehood. Don't let me see that person who first informed me of it again, or I'll simply grab him by the throat and tear his head off right then and there." The first speaker had a booming voice, and under the force of his fury, his voice subtly carried spiritual energy. As a result, the sound carried clearly outside, so that nearly everyone could hear it distinctly. Yet most of the people present were not natives of Yun City. Shocked by what they'd just heard, they naturally exchanged glances, puzzled and astonished. Suddenly, the crimson pavilion's surface flashed with red light, and a colossal figure, three zhang tall, surged directly out of the glow, landing on the ground with a single motion. The ground trembled with the force of the impact. The figure seemed impossibly heavy. Most of the people on the square immediately turned to gaze at him. Everyone gasped in astonishment. From the waist down, the figure's body was half flesh and half metal—on the metal side, dark gray and gleaming with an eerie gray hue, while the other half was a rich copper tone, as solid and unyielding as flesh. Looking upward, one was struck by a fierce, grotesque face adorned with green tendrils. The nose and eyes were twice the size of a normal human's, and the head itself was conical, crowned with a few sparse strands of green hair. After scanning the figure with his spirit senses, Han Li's face grew pale. He could not determine the figure's cultivation level—mirroring the same peak of the combined body stage as Qian Jizi. However, although Han Li didn't recognize the stranger, it didn't mean that no other ethnic minority residents in the area knew him. Almost immediately after the stranger landed, several dozen people stepped forward from the crowd, bowing with great respect and offering formal greetings. "Greetings, Senior Dan!" "Respectfully, Senior San!" A series of courteous salutations poured out from their mouths. These individuals, noticeably taller than ordinary people, were all members of the Shijian clan—the same clan as Tie Jian. And this very stranger was indeed a senior elder of the Shijian clan. "Ah, you've all come to attend this auction as well. I hope you'll find something worthwhile. Honestly, I brought back a fake—so I've no desire to stay and participate anymore." With a glance at the group offering greetings, the stranger casually waved his hand and then strode outward without pausing to speak to anyone. Naturally, those standing in his path stepped aside with profound reverence, making way for him. To his surprise, the path the Han had taken happened to pass right by Han Li's position. Seeing this, Han Li also subtly retreated a bit, intending to yield to this impressive stranger. But then, something unexpected occurred that made Han Li's heart leap. As the stranger passed by Han Li, his steps halted abruptly, his nostrils twitched, and then his face suddenly turned expression of disbelief—he sharply turned his head and fixed his gaze firmly on Han Li. This strange occurrence naturally caused the nearby people to be stunned, with many of them now turning their attention toward Han Li, eager to detect something unusual. "Senior, may I ask what you would like me to do?" Han Li, sensing something amiss himself, was equally puzzled. After bowing slightly and forcing a smile, he asked. "What is your name? Which clan are you from?" Not knowing the stranger's intentions, Han Li hesitated and only offered a vague response. "Excellent. Very good!" I am Duan Tianren from the Shijian Clan. Should you encounter any major troubles in the sky-clouds in the future, feel free to mention my name. I couldn't tell whether the odd man truly heard what Han Li said—his form suddenly blurred, only to quickly return to normal. Yet Han Li himself was visibly startled. He could sense clearly that, at the very moment the stranger's form became unusual, his own shoulder had been gently tapped by the stranger. Though Han Li possessed the divine vision ability, he had clearly caught the trace of the stranger's movement. Yet the stranger's actions were so swift that Han Li's body had no time to react or dodge at all. Moreover, a strange aura emanated from the stranger's palm, flowing along the entire length of his arm before gradually dissipating. "What does this mean, elder?" Han Li asked, his face now stern. The scene of the Han official lightly tapping Han Li's shoulder just now was only clearly noticeable to a handful of foreign guests. To most, Han Li's question seemed naturally a response to the stranger's earlier remarks, yet his expression and tone appeared strangely off. Upon seeing Han Li's sudden change in demeanor, the stranger scanned Han Li's face with eyes sharp as blades, then smiled calmly and said, "Nothing at all. I've noticed you've been practicing some kind of bodily cultivation technique—quite refined. I simply wanted to find an opportunity to exchange a few insights with Li Dao on the subject." After the stranger's gaze swept across Han Li's face, Han Li felt an inexplicable, subtle ache spreading across his features, which startled him deeply. Though he had employed the black silk combined with the newly mastered illusion technique to conceal his true appearance, he still felt utterly uncertain whether he had truly succeeded, given the significant gap in their levels of cultivation. Yet Han Li naturally didn't believe the claims about the communication cultivation technique, nor could he fathom the purpose behind the man's earlier palm strike. Han Li's expression remained gloomy, his mind racing, yet he couldn't quite grasp why the man had suddenly turned his attention toward him. He had never seen such an odd individual before. When he lifted his eyes and met the numerous unusual glances from around him, he couldn't help muttering a few grievances to himself, and immediately turned around, walking toward the entrance.