Han Li sat down and remained there for a full hour. The seemingly vast three-story hall was instantly crowded with dense rows of figures. Even the rooms on the uppermost level saw people riding their flight lights directly entering. The participating foreign guests ranged from at least Yuan Ying stage to the higher-level Hé Tǐ stage. Han Li noticed no fewer than four or five Hé Tǐ top-tier practitioners—Duan Tianren and Qian Ji Zi were among them. The others, he presumed, were likewise high-ranking elders from their respective clans. At least sixty or seventy individuals had already entered the rooms on the third level, all of whom were at the Hé Tǐ stage or above. As for the figure named Cai Liu Ying, however, Han Li could not see her anywhere—either she had entered the rooms earlier, or perhaps she had no intention of attending the auction at all. This left Han Li both startled and quietly sighed in admiration... Although it was said that Yun City was a shared home for the thirteen clans, with some outsiders also residing there, the sheer number of combined-tier beings gathered within just one city was astonishing. As for Tianyuan City, even when combining the combined-tier human and spirit-beast clans, the total number barely reached twenty. And yet, this city too was home to the elite of both human and spirit-beast clans. Though these figures remained motionless, they exuded a profoundly intimidating presence, clearly no ordinary beings. At the center of the dais, a blue magical array was inscribed, within which stood a pale red table. The table's surface bore an intricate network of runes, appearing both mysterious and purposeful, though the exact function remained unclear. As the hall doors closed, the blue array flashed with a brief glow and emitted a low, resonant hum. As runes across the array flickered, a figure materialized suddenly behind the table. This array proved to be a teleportation seal. The figure solidified instantly, becoming sharply defined. A composed middle-aged man in a richly embroidered robe, with a clean, unlined face, appeared entirely ordinary—much like any common human. Yet, upon casting a distant spiritual probe, Han Li felt a sudden chill. This man was a mid-stage Consolidation-stage being, and more remarkably, an aura of exceptional potency emanated subtly from him. This atmosphere was unusually somber, yet it complemented the middle-aged man perfectly, creating an extremely dangerous and intimidating presence. The middle-aged man seemed to be well-known within Yun City; upon his appearance, the previously bustling sounds in the hall instantly fell silent. Han Li noticed that many people's gazes toward the man on stage carried a subtle sense of apprehension. After a brief glance at the audience, the man smiled gently and began: "My name is Xiao Bu Yi. I'm sure many of you here already know me, some even having interacted with me personally. With that in mind, I won't waste time on formal introductions and will proceed directly to the point. This four-tribe auction, featuring my own tribe, the Sha Clan, as a participant, is being hosted by me. The auction rules will remain unelaborated—no different from those of a regular auction. Those who have managed to attend this event naturally already understand the established customs. Additionally, I'd like to share some preliminary information regarding the final auction item. The grand finale offering of this auction is absolutely no less than that of the previous four-tribe auction. In fact, for some of our guests, the value of this concluding treasure surpasses even the highest-priced sacred medicine—'Zhaochao Pill'—sold at the last auction. Alright, I now announce that the four-tribe auction has officially begun! Master Xiao Bo Bi's voice is modest, yet when infused with spiritual energy, it carries clearly to every corner of the hall. With just a few simple words, he has instantly captured the interest of tens of thousands present. The auction commences. At the very moment the middle-aged man pauses, the blue magical array beneath emits a resonant hum. Suddenly, several dozen miniature glowing arrays materialize side by side on the previously empty table. A flash of light follows, and instantly, a dozen boxes of varying sizes appear, along with a jade plaque the size of a palm. Upon witnessing this, most of the audience remain silent, their eyes instantly fixed upon the table. Xiao Bu Yi stepped forward, picked up the jade plaque, and in an instant his spiritual awareness immersed itself within it, fully absorbing all the information. Without making a sound, he first took one of the jade boxes into his hands and opened it. "As in previous auctions, the first items offered are still various raw materials. Let us begin with this piece of Phoenix Stone." With a simple gesture of his hand, the box, a strange stone floated out. It was a five-colored stone, in shape resembling a large bird. "Phoenix Stone is a rare material that only emerges in the very birthplace of true phoenixes. It is highly valued in both weapon crafting and medicinal preparation. This particular piece weighs three jin and four liang. Of exceptional quality, free from impurities. Opening bid: two hundred thousand spirit stones!" Xiao Bu Yi glanced at the five-colored stone and then calmly announced it to the audience. Given the stone's broad range of applications, and the fact that such a large piece is being offered at a starting price of only two hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones, it appears to be quite competitive. Even Han Li was somewhat moved. Though the material might not be immediately useful, it was certainly worth recording for future use. However, the situation that followed immediately dashed this plan. As soon as Xiao Bu Yi announced the starting bid of five hundred thousand, a series of bids—two million, two and a half million—rose instantly from various parts of the grand auction hall. "Three and a half million!" "Four million!"... Without needing any further stirring words from the middle-aged man, the price of the Phoenix Stone easily surpassed four million, doubling the initial bid. Yet, the final five-colored stone was secured by a woman of the Mugu Clan, who paid over five and a half hundred thousand. She immediately settled the payment in spirit stones and took possession of the item. This substantial transaction, even for someone as experienced as Han Li in handling numerous large-scale auctions, left him momentarily breathless. The item was indeed excellent, but the price was astonishingly high. Han Li murmured to himself, naturally having no intention of bidding. "Golden King Flower, six thousand years old—some of the finest herbal remedies' ideal infusion sources. Starting bid: three hundred thousand spiritual stones," Xiao Bu Yi opened another jade box and withdrew a golden-flowered spirit bloom. The flower was as large as a human head, with natural spirit inscriptions forming its surface, each petal appearing as if forged entirely of pure gold. The auction of this flower was vastly different from the initial Phoenix Stone offering—when it first appeared, the entire hall fell silent, many attendees furrowed their brows, and a noticeable cold spot emerged. It was no surprise, for most of the audience had never heard of this so-called "Golden King Flower" before. In fact, the starting bid was even higher than that of the Phoenix Stone. Han Li, observing this, stroked his chin, his thoughts racing—this was the first time he had encountered such a rare bloom. Xiao Bu Yi stood calmly on stage, smiling gently, clearly confident in this offering. Finally, someone placed a bid for "three million." To the surprise of many, it was an emaciated elder with a pair of white horns growing from his head, belonging to an unknown race. "Four million three hundred and twenty thousand," another voice quickly followed. "Four million five hundred thousand." "Four million eight hundred thousand." ... One after another, the prices were announced from various corners of the hall. Though only a handful—around a dozen—had stepped forward, the upward trend of the bids was no less vigorous than the initial ones. It seemed only these individuals truly understood the flower's essential purpose and had an urgent need for it. When the first elder, after a deep breath, finally bid "seven million," the others gradually withdrew their bids. Thus, Xiao Bu Yi one by one removed the treasures from the box, and with the hall's numerous high-level cultivators present, each simply needed a brief explanation before they too began placing their bids. And as soon as the dozen jade boxes were all auctioned off, the transmission array flashed blue, and then seven or eight jade vases appeared on the table. This time, the items being sold were likely several rare elixirs and spring waters. These were exceptionally precious, with each bottle being fiercely contested by countless bidders at once. The prices achieved for the earlier vases were often several times higher than the base bids—so high that many in the hall gasped in astonishment. It was no surprise, for the auction tradition had always been that the same item could hold vastly different values in the eyes of different people. In a matter of moments, the elixirs on the table were nearly all sold out, leaving only one small, milky-white bottle. Throughout the earlier auctions, Xiao Bu Yi had remained calm and composed, but when his gaze settled on the final bottle, a spark of intense enthusiasm flickered in his eyes. After a sigh of regret, he grasped the item single-handedly, drawing it into his hands, and then said slowly with a serious expression: "Half a bottle of Lvy Tian Huo Liquid, at a base price of one and eight million灵stones!" "What? Lvy Tian Huo Liquid? Did I hear that right? The grand auction has something so precious?" "Only one and eight million? That's the base price for Lvy Tian Huo Liquid? Really?" "How could this not be the grand finale? It's one of the Seven Sacred Liquids of our spiritual realm!" A wave of commotion erupted in the hall. Many people gasped, stunned, their expressions filled with disbelief. Numerous others fixed their eyes intently on the small bottle in Xiao Bu Bai's hands, their gazes brimming with intense desire. Even several voices of mild astonishment could be heard from rooms on the third level. Meanwhile, Han Li, seated in a corner of the hall, felt his face change noticeably upon hearing the name of the liquid. ------------ Let me share a few things with you all—please come in and take a look! Recently, my family has been busy, and every day I'm rushing to finish drafts, which has left me feeling extremely tired. Moreover, due to lack of time to carefully reflect on the finer details, I often find myself stuck during writing, with plot points not flowing smoothly. To ensure the quality of the upcoming chapters, I need to take a two-day leave to organize my thoughts. Additionally, the update schedule has been less consistent lately, and I can't really do much about it. I've always been a slow writer, and my current mental state is quite poor—my actual writing pace has even slowed down compared to before. Fortunately, the total number of chapters updated each month hasn't dropped significantly—only a few chapters are missing. Please rest assured: I will strive to write as many chapters as I can. After all, writing is now my livelihood, and every chapter I write translates into a corresponding fee. No one is willing to compromise their income. Of course, this is all under the condition of maintaining quality. Otherwise, if we simply followed our own instincts and wrote freely, without any constraints, the pace wouldn't be too slow. But the resulting work would likely not please readers. As for the book "The Ordinary People," while it may not be perfect in every aspect, it does hold some merit in terms of logical coherence. To ensure each chapter flows smoothly and maintains a coherent narrative, we've had to consider numerous details and invest considerable time—truly a time-consuming process! We're confident we can make the second half of "The Ordinary People" even more engaging, but we kindly ask readers to be patient and understanding with our update schedule. Otherwise, being constantly interrupted by updates would leave me quite overwhelmed. I'd also like to avoid staying up late for long stretches, as that would eventually take a toll on my health. I still have several exciting outlines in mind, and I'd love to write more books for everyone to enjoy. Heh, I've said quite a bit here—please don't mind my verbosity. I usually don't talk much. The voting for the Annual Best Work is wrapping up in just two days, and the gap from the earlier standings isn't that significant—we still have a good chance of catching up. By the way, I'd kindly ask everyone to vote for Fanren. I'm quite satisfied with its performance last year and truly hope it can win this honor! Over the next couple of days, I'll be at home carefully refining the plot. As for the voting, I'll fully rely on all of you!