Han Li gazed at the Qi Ling Xue Mu held by the elder on stage. Having witnessed the grand auctions of the foreign races, he now found few things among the human and immortal clans that truly piqued his interest. Thus, he was surprised that the very first item presented at this auction stirred his enthusiasm. With a Jie-Jie Puppet at his side, he would be greatly relieved should he face an unforeseen, life-threatening blow. However, such material was known to exist only within the hands of the Ling clan—could it be that the foreign races actually had representatives attending this Great Treasure Assembly? Indeed, those very foreign races were none other than the Ling clan! As Han Li's thoughts spun, the elder on stage began circulating his spiritual energy, channeling a portion of it into the dark-red, strange wood. Suddenly, the slender Qi Ling Xue Mu flashed with a brilliant blood-like glow, rapidly expanding in size, swelling from its original form to a thick, staff-like trunk measuring several zhang in length. Striking black-and-red, coin-sized spots emerged on the surface of the staff, writhing vigorously in the elder's hands as if a living serpent, emitting deep, mournful ghostly cries. Hearing these sounds, one felt a sudden chill run through their body, their mind growing increasingly uneasy. Those who had initially harbored some doubts now found themselves utterly convinced. When the elder finally announced the base price—two million li stones, an astronomical figure—there was barely any pause before he immediately began to raise it. "Two and a half million," "Three million," "Three point five million." These staggering price increments completely silenced the murmurs of the half-dozen attendees. Even if the Qi-wood were exceptionally fine, the financial resources of cultivators at the Huashen and Lianxu stages were inherently limited. Should they have to deplete their entire wealth just to acquire such a material, many would surely become more rational than before. Such a high cost naturally makes it more practical to select a few satisfactory protective treasures or some pills that can refine one's cultivation and help overcome stagnation. However, among the high-ranking beings from both human and spirit clans who subtly sense that the demonic calamity is imminent, their thoughts differ. Many spirit beings with diverse appearances, as well as human cultivators who have concealed their true forms through various means, are not inclined to easily relinquish the contest for this item. As a result, the price of the spiritual stones displayed on the light screen soared continuously, only pausing briefly once it surpassed four million, yet gradually climbing all the way to a staggering five million. This price would surely cause significant financial strain even for some senior cultivators at the Consolidated Stage. And surprisingly, it is not one of the senior Consolidated Stage cultivators from the third layer who has set this premium price—rather, it is the black wolf spirit being who has been concealing his true form. This development has naturally drawn expressions of astonishment from the nearby members of both clans. Some of the third-layer divine consciousnesses also swept back and forth continuously, clearly indicating that the highest-ranking beings from both clans now shared a similar sense of doubt. Under such constant, powerful divine awarenesss, this black wolf demon clan member remained calmly seated, motionless, as if utterly unafraid of offending those whose cultivation and magical prowess far surpassed his own. The Wolf King, if not meditating in seclusion, how could he find time to send his Black Wolf Avatar here? As I know, Master Tiankui's Five Avatars differ greatly from ordinary ones—each possesses extraordinary functions that assist the main body in refining and comprehending the cultivation techniques. How could he easily dispatch them away from his side? A clear, resonant voice from another room then spoke up. Han Li's expression slightly shifted, recognizing the speaker as the Heavenly Yuan Sovereign. "My true form is not coming, yet I have sent an Avatar—seems I need not have informed the Sovereign or Xiao Master in advance. Should either of you wish to secure the Qi-Weeping Blood Tree, please go ahead and make your offer. I shall not obstruct you in any way," said the Black Wolf Avatar of Master Tiankui. His voice was cold and emotionless, so distinct that it remained vividly remembered. "Ah, that's true! As for Master Tiankui's affairs, how could the Sovereign possibly intervene? My earlier remarks were indeed rather impromptu." As for this segment of Qi Ling Bloodwood, since the Wolf King desires it, the Emperor shall not contest it." The Heavenly Yuan Emperor remained calm, speaking lightly and simply, after which no further words were uttered. As for the Black Phoenix King who had first recognized the Wolf King's form, he smiled gently and said nothing, clearly showing some deference toward the Wolf King. The ordinary members of the two clans seated below were filled with profound reverence, and the grand hall fell into an unusually quiet stillness. "If no one bids, shall we then declare the winner of this Bloodwood?" The Wolf King glanced coldly at the platform, speaking with emotionless clarity. Though the voice was not loud, everyone present heard it clearly, and the white-robed elder felt a subtle chill at the words. That lingering hesitation vanished instantly, and he immediately smiled brightly, saying, "This section of the Spirit Blood Wood has been bid at five million灵stones. If no one else bids within the next three rounds, it shall belong to Master Tiankui." "First!"... "I bid six million灵stones!" As Tianyan just called out, an unusually deep and elderly voice echoed from the third floor. This voice naturally caused a slight ripple of excitement throughout the hall. "Six point two million," Master Tiankui the Wolf King stated calmly. "Six point five million," the elderly voice followed immediately, without any hesitation. This time, Master Tiankui's Black Wolf form did not immediately respond with a bid. Instead, his eyes flashed with cold light, and he said coldly, "Do you wish to take this section of the Blood Wood, Heavenly Realm? It seems my earlier strike of the Heavenly Wolf Paw has settled the matter—now it's truly secure." "Hmph. A mere strike of the Heavenly Wolf Paw? It can't possibly have affected me." "As for the experience of diving into my realm, it's no easier, I daresay," replied the elderly voice with no hesitation. This host—none other than the most enigmatic of the Seven Great Beast Kings, the Mouse King of the Realm! It seems he has a rather strained relationship with the Sky-Quay Wolf King, evident from their past encounters. Hearing this unexpected revelation, the assembled cultivators were all taken aback, murmuring among themselves, sensing that this auction gathering had certainly not been a mere formality. The black wolf form of the Sky-Quay Wolf King flashed green light rapidly in his eyes, then spoke: "Five and a half million—it's precisely the price this section of bloodwood deserves. I shall offer it to the Realm King. I wonder, however, whether your substantial investment in spirit stones will allow you to compete for the other items as well." With that, the black wolf form closed his eyes and truly ceased bidding. The Mouse King of the Realm, upon hearing this, was somewhat surprised, yet after a brief hum, remained silent without further comment. The other combined-stage cultivators, either noticing the bloodwood had drawn in the long-standing rivalry between the two great demon kings, or equally eager for the other standout treasures, failed to make any bids. This time, the Tianyan Zi, without further hesitation, raised his price twice in succession, clearly intending to settle the ownership of this bloodwood segment. Yet at that very moment, Han Li, who had been silently seated in the third-floor chamber, suddenly moved his finger and lightly tapped the magical disk on the table before him. Instantly, the price displayed on the screen above the dais surged from 65 million to 70 million! "Sixty-five... seventy million? First time!" The sudden shift left the Tianyan Zi, who had assumed the bloodwood's fate was now sealed, momentarily stunned, and he hastily revised his words. The members of both clans gathered in the hall were surprised to see this development. It was unclear which one of them had been so ungracious as to still compete with the Tian Tian Mouse King at such a high price point. Even though this person hasn't spoken yet, no one knows who actually purchased the item. Yet it's only a matter of thinking about it—the confidentiality of such public auctions isn't particularly strict. With a little effort, anyone who cares to investigate can always trace the identity of the buyer afterward. But what truly surprised everyone was that the Sovereign of the Heavenly Realm, the Mouse King, made no further move at all—simply and gracefully transferring this fragment of Qi-Ling Bloodwood to Han Li. Perhaps the seven million ling stones were indeed already included in the intrinsic value of the Qi-Ling Bloodwood. After three consecutive bidding rounds, no one else stepped up to compete with Han Li, and thus the Qi-Ling Bloodwood finally came into his hands. Han Li, seeing this, didn't find it at all surprising. As the embodiment of Tian Kui Wolf King had just mentioned, it seemed that not only the three Sovereign Immortal Emperors and other Consolidated Stage beings, but even others, had received some news specifically about this auction—particularly about its most anticipated item. Thus, though this bloodwood was equally rare, it gradually became somewhat unremarkable. For them, if they couldn't secure it at a reasonable price, simply leaving it and bidding on other top-tier items with their spiritual stones would have been a wise move. While he was quietly considering this, a small squad of guards carried the bloodwood together to his room, and after paying for the stones, Han Li sent them on their way. He carefully inspected the bloodwood, placed it safely, and then touched the now empty storage bracelet, a faint smile of quiet regret forming at the corner of his mouth. Although he had acquired the bloodwood, his spiritual stones had been significantly reduced. With the remaining top-tier items, he would likely no longer be able to compete with others. Yet, Han Li felt no regret. He already possessed countless materials and treasures, but the chance of encountering something as rare and suitable as the weeping bloodwood was truly slim. Even if there were other items later on that would be more beneficial to combined cultivation cultivators, they would likely have already been closely watched and coveted by others. The spiritual stones possessed by a sovereign figure like the Three Emperors' Demon King were naturally beyond his reach. Moreover, his focus remained primarily on the materials from the beasts, and it was only the upcoming Black Domain Exchange Fair that truly excited him. Thus, during the auction below, Han Li leaned back slightly, half resting against the chair back, his eyes half-closed, quietly listening as the white-robed elder introduced each item one by one, maintaining a calm and composed expression throughout.