"Oh, indeed, there must be something behind this. Please, Brother Yue, enlighten us with the details." The mage, whose body was enveloped in swirling black energy, nodded with a look of sudden clarity. Also a cultivator at the late True Immortality stage, this mage appeared to hold a status even higher than Brother Yue Liantian. Upon hearing his words, the other magicians attending the auction immediately fell silent. The entire hall fell into quiet. "Since Brother Jinjiao has asked, I shall explain in full, with no concealment whatsoever. The Sacred Brick came to our city for two reasons. First, the owner wished to avoid significant disturbance, so as not to suffer any adverse consequences for himself. Second, the Sacred Brick itself is somewhat damaged—both sets of techniques inscribed within are missing crucial mantras. Moreover, these techniques are not the primary cultivation arts that Master Qiling mastered during her time. Otherwise, how could such a precious artifact have been entrusted to me for auction?" The elderly mage bowed gracefully to Brother Jinjiao before speaking calmly and composedly. "Indeed, Lord Qi Ling must have been of no ordinary status back then. Even if the divine techniques within the sacred brick are incomplete, merely grasping a few of its essences would still make one far surpass peers of the same rank. In terms of value, it truly remains on par with, if not surpasses, the dark-blooded five-colored bell." Jinjiao pondered a moment, as though all his lingering doubts had now been resolved. The other demonic beings, upon hearing the exchange between the two, not only did not express disappointment but actually grew even more enthusiastic about the crystalline brick. Though the techniques within were incomplete, appearing to have lost nearly seven or eight tenths of their original value, this very fact underscored the brick's authenticity. "Yet, I wonder if Elder Yue could kindly reveal the names of these two sets of techniques. Only then shall we know whether they align with our own needs." A sharp voice suddenly resonated through the hall, yet the precise location of the speaker remained elusive—clearly, a secret technique had been employed. "I regret to say, that particular detail, Elder Yue, I am unable to disclose." Since the owner had stipulated at the outset that the name of the technique could not be revealed beforehand, the matter was settled. Well, I've said all that I could. Now, let the bidding begin!" The elderly mage shook his head and then declared with decisive clarity. "Four million magic stones—I take this sacred brick." A thunderous voice resonated from a corner of the arena, belonging to a giant mage with a fierce, lion-like face and towering three zhang in height. "Four million for such a precious artifact? Stone Brother, isn't that a bit too idealistic? I offer five million!" A mage with a single horn on his head and a full beard scoffed. "Six million!" Jinjiao's expression darkened, and he immediately raised his bid. "Six point five million magic stones!" "Six point eight million!" ... Urgent bidding sounds echoed from other corners of the hall. In a short while, several of the wealthiest and most senior mages in the hall had all stepped forward to place their bids. Han Li naturally had some interest in the cultivation technique of a Mahayana existence. Yet unfortunately, this technique was left behind by the Magian Sage and was somewhat incomplete; otherwise, he would have thought of other plans. "Eight million magian stones!" A cold voice slowly emerged. At the same time, a strange, piercing coldness surged through the hall like a rushing wind. As soon as the magian beings came into contact with this sensation, those of lower cultivation levels instantly stiffened, as if immersed in a frozen landscape. Even the beings at the Lingxu stage could not help shivering. "It must be the Magian Sovereign!" The Lingxu-level magians quickly made their judgment, some even exclaiming aloud. The other magians, upon hearing this, were deeply startled, and their eyes instantly turned toward the source of the cold aura. To everyone's surprise, a gray-robed elder with silver eyes had appeared at one of the entrances along the edge of the hall, standing motionless with a serene expression, radiating a subtle aura of vitality. "Lord Mayor?" "Master Bing?" ...As the high-ranking magical beings recognized the elder's face, the entire auction hall fell into stunned silence. "Lord Mayor, how have you come to be here?" Yue Lian Tian was equally astonished, bowing respectfully from a distance. "Is it not possible for me to attend this auction?" the silver-eyed elder replied calmly. "Indeed, it is our great honor that Lord Mayor has agreed to join us. However, we were unexpectedly unaware of your arrival." Moon Lian Tian's heart quickened as he quickly explained. "Then, since you've come, shall this sacred tile be awarded to me as the highest bidder?" the Blood Crow Mayor said, without further hesitation. "Of course." If no bid exceeds that of the Lord of the City, the sacred brick shall be the property of the noble. Does any other esteemed guest wish to place a bid?" Yue Lian Tian nodded repeatedly, raised the crystal brick high in his hand, and then loudly asked. The elderly magical being's voice echoed throughout the hall, yet the entire auction hall remained utterly silent. The previously confident high-ranking magical beings—those who had seemed determined to secure the brick—though their eyes still burned with intensity as they gazed at the crystal brick, remained silent, each one unable to utter a single word. It was only natural. Beyond the fact that Bing Qian Ren held the status of local lord, even the formidable power of a mid-level magical sovereign was enough to command the respect of these magical beings. How could they possibly dare to compete? Seeing this, the elderly magical being took a deep breath and was about to announce the final ownership of the crystal brick when suddenly, a voice unfamiliar to him broke through: "Nine million magical stones!" "Nine million? Really someone dares to challenge the Lord of the City! "Who dares to make such a bold bid? Does this person not know what death awaits?" The sudden cry sparked another wave of agitation among the demons. Many turned in surprise, scanning the crowd, trying to locate the courageous soul. Yet the voice had seemed to materialize out of nowhere, wavering and elusive, leaving no clear point of origin. Upon hearing this, the Lord of Xueya City narrowed his eyes and uttered the figure: "Nine million five hundred thousand." The voice remained "Nine million nine hundred thousand," delivered with unwavering confidence. The Lord of Xueya City's body shivered with a cold wave of blood, and his expression grew steadily gloomier. Witnessing the elder's demeanor, the entire demon assembly grew visibly shaken, holding their breath in silent awe. "Since this esteemed guest clearly intends to secure this item, then I shall not compete for it." The outstanding magi expected that the Blood Crow City's magistrate would hesitate before suddenly declaring his intention to withdraw, then turning around and stepping through the portal behind him, showing not a single sign of hesitation. "Is there still any worth in humanity? None left? Very well, this crystalline tile shall now belong to our esteemed friend." Although Yue Lian Tian was equally astonished, he did not forget his duty. After shouting three times and seeing no further bids from others, he finally announced the winner of the crystalline tile. During this time, several members of the magi clan exchanged glances of uncertain anticipation, ultimately deciding not to make a second bid. After all, this was something the Blood Crow City magistrate had specifically desired—what if, upon securing it, they inadvertently triggered a major crisis? Nevertheless, the present magi could not help but keep scanning the room, trying to determine who dared to be so bold as to compete directly with a Magus for a prized possession. Indeed, a figure suddenly stood up in a corner of the hall and strolled confidently toward the stone platform. Han Li's eyes flashed with sharp insight, instantly taking in the entire appearance of the being. It turned out to be an ordinary middle-aged mage of the demonic race, dressed in a pale blue robe, with only early Transcendent Realm cultivation—nothing particularly remarkable. Yet Han Li frowned slightly upon seeing this. "Ah, isn't this Yang Er? Has he gone mad? How dare he challenge the City's Master for the sacred relics?" The others, upon seeing the middle-aged demon appear, all reacted with surprise and exclaimed in unison. Many of them recognized him immediately. "Excuse me, sir, could you tell me who this Yang Er is? His cultivation seems rather modest, yet so many people recognize him." Han Li then turned to inquire of a sturdy middle-aged demon seated beside him. This magical race man had a few thin bluish scales on his cheeks and had also shown a look of astonishment earlier. "Ah, it seems you must be a newcomer among us. This elder, Yang Er, is a relatively well-known armorer in our city—many people have come to him for repairs on damaged magical artifacts or to commission lower-tier ones. Yet, he has resided here for over a hundred years, always remarkably humble. How could he suddenly challenge the city's lord in a bid for the sacred relics? Could it be that his cultivation techniques have somehow impaired his judgment? That still doesn't make sense—how could someone of his standing afford such a premium price for magical stones?" The magisterial man glanced at Han Li, recognizing him as a late-stage True Void cultivator, and immediately became unusually courteous. Yet, upon finishing his remarks, his face was equally filled with bewilderment. "Ah, now I understand. Thank you for your explanation," Han Li said, his eyes flashing with a glint of insight. He nodded gratefully and then turned his gaze once again to the elder Yang Er, who had now walked over to the stone platform. The mage's expression was utterly still. He raised his hand, produced a storage sack, and handed it to Yue Lian Tian for inspection before taking the crystal brick from the latter's hands and storing it away with a flash of black light. Throughout this process, the elderly mage, gazing at the mage known as "Yang Lao Er," was equally astonished—clearly surprised by what had unfolded. Yet even more striking was that after pressing the crystal brick, "Yang Lao Er" did not immediately leave the auction hall. Instead, he calmly returned to his seat, as if intending to continue participating in the final item's auction. This unusual behavior naturally caught the attention of the other mages, who sensed something amiss. Many mages who had been considering other options or strategies began to abandon their initial intentions. After calming himself, Yue Lian Tian finally began the auction of the final, most important item. With a simple gesture, he summoned a young female mage who had been standing idle, and she stepped forward to the stone platform. With a flick of her wrist, a jade-green ring shot out, spinning smoothly, and a sheet of white light surged forth. Instantly, a massive object several dozen zhang long appeared on the stone platform.