As the man finished speaking, the entire room stirred to life, his face instantly pale as a sheet, his eyes filled with astonishment. "Ah, it's indeed Master Chai from the Shishou Clan. It's rare that you've taken such interest in me. Why don't you stay with me after the auction concludes, and spend several days just enjoying my company? Perhaps that would make you more inclined to settle on a decision." Upon recognizing the middle-aged man's face, the beautiful woman trembled slightly again, her smile becoming even more alluring, though a hint of coldness flickered in her gaze. "Master Chai, you're jesting. My words were merely playful. How could I possibly have any serious intentions toward you!" Gazing at the woman's radiant smile, the man managed only a strained, almost painful smile, as if facing a venomous scorpion, and quickly returned to his original seat, now appearing remarkably humble. "Playful indeed! If Master Chai has no genuine intention of becoming my partner, then I would urge you to speak more cautiously. This time, perhaps, we can simply let it pass. Should anyone else dare to make passes at me in the future, do not be surprised if I truly turn cold and unyielding." The woman's smile vanished instantly, her expression now cool and resolute. The middle-aged man's face grew increasingly stern, yet he said not a word. The others gathered in the square, witnessing the scene, all grew wary and no longer dared to cast their unconstrained glances upon Hu Yubian. "Enough, young lady—you've been lingering longer than necessary. I came here not merely to witness performances, but to see the items auctioned. Proceed, please." A deep, elderly voice suddenly echoed from within a silver flying pavilion, carrying a subtle note of impatience. "Yes, the young servant has been a bit preoccupied, and will now begin the first auction item." Upon hearing the voice from the pavilion, Hu Yubian stiffened slightly, curtsied gracefully. Then, with one hand, she swiftly chanted a series of gestures, pointing it toward the stone platform beneath her. At once, a hum resonated within the light array, and suddenly a translucent white jade long table materialized before them. On the table, three wooden chests of varying sizes lay horizontally, each covered by a layer of soft, milky light. "The first treasure of this auction is not from Fengyuan Continent, but rather a small vial of golden thunder lion marrow that our merchant alliance has painstakingly obtained from Leiming Continent," said Hu Yuduang, extending a finger of jade-like texture toward one of the light veils and then, with a single gesture, capturing one of the chests in her hand. "Golden Thunder Lion Marrow?" "Truly? Is it real? Even among us who have never visited Leiming Continent, the name of the golden thunder lion is well known." "This auction indeed proves remarkable—right from the start, they've unveiled something truly extraordinary." ... Upon hearing the woman's words, the numerous representatives from various ethnic groups in the hall stirred once again, many of them immediately turning their attention to the modest wooden chest now held in her hand. The lady smiled gracefully, lightly tapping the wooden chest with one hand. "Crack!" The lid sprang open instantly, revealing a small purple vial, about the size of a palm, with a faint silvery talisman affixed to its surface, radiating a gentle glow. "The Golden Thunder Lion, one of the Three Sacred Beasts of the Thundering Continent, attains power comparable to that of a Great Stage cultivator even in adulthood. Indeed, from birth, it possesses the innate ability to command lightning. Thus, the Thunder Essence Pills crafted from its marrow grant the body a temporary capacity to withstand lightning strikes. However, such pills are difficult to produce—despite using an entire bottle of golden marrow, one cannot guarantee a successful batch. Yet, once a single pill is successfully made, its significance for someone about to face the Great Transformation is self-evident, and requires no further explanation from me." The woman held the small vial in one hand, her expression serious as she explained. Then, with a single finger, she pointed toward the air several times. As the points of luminous light spun around, they transformed into several golden glyphs that shot out, each flashing briefly and embedding themselves into the silver talismans. A dull thud followed, and the silver talismans trembled before leaping off the vial. Immediately afterward, a series of sharp crackling sounds erupted—right as the talismans had just detached, purple electric filaments surged from the vial's surface, weaving and flickering until they subtly formed a network of shimmering lightning threads. Some of the foreign tribes members gasped in awe, while others' eyes grew unusually bright. Seeing such a remarkable display before the golden lion's marrow even emerged, the rumor that this golden lion's marrow could withstand the power of a thunderstorm seemed well-founded. As a result, many of the stronger members from various tribes, who had originally come to the auction with other objectives, promptly changed their minds. Even some of the senior beings in the silver flying houses, who were at the Great Perfection stage, could not help feeling stirred. "Never expected the merchant alliance to present such rare treasures right from the start of the auction. Since this item helps withstand lightning calamities, wouldn't the elders consider bidding for it?" The blood-soul's eyes sparkled as she glanced at the small vial held by the woman across the distance, then turned to ask韩立. "The Lightning Marrow Pills are indeed marvelous, capable of enhancing one's physical resilience against lightning calamities. However, for a being at the Great Perfection stage, such an enhancement is actually quite modest. As for myself, I differ from ordinary Great Perfection beings—my physical form has already been refined to a level comparable to that of ancient True Spirit beings. Thus, this enhancement is, in effect, nearly negligible. What good would it do to acquire it?" Han Li spoke calmly, offering only a brief explanation, clearly showing no strong interest in the item. "So, counting this, the Lightning Marrow Pills are not essential for Great Perfection beings. If that's the case, then I still have a fair chance." The blood-soul smiled, her face now brightening "Oh, Master, have you taken a liking to this item?" Han Li asked in return. "Forgive me, Master," the blood spirit smiled faintly. "Though I still haven't pinpointed the exact location of the host's true form, I'm certain their current situation is far from favorable. Over the years, their cultivation level has likely remained stagnant, and they've certainly not gathered the treasures capable of withstanding heavenly calamities. In that case, as long as I put in a bit more effort, I can prepare what's needed for them in advance." "Since you've decided to take this item, go ahead and place your bid. Should your spiritual stones be insufficient, I'm more than willing to lend you a few." Han Li spoke calmly. "Thank you so much, Master," the blood spirit expressed with great delight. Han Li smiled gently and turned his gaze once again toward the center of the auction hall. At this moment, the graceful woman had now grasped the small vial with her five fingers, gently inverted it, and allowed the liquid to flow out. A soft "pffft" sound followed, and a golden liquid dripped from the vial, instantly transforming into a shimmering cluster The size of a human head, and a mighty roar began! Seeing this, even those who still harbored a slight doubt about the Golden Thunder髓 were now completely reassured, all beginning to calculate how many spirit stones they would need to secure it. Hú Yù’s eyes sparkled, taking in the expressions of everyone on the plaza. With a gentle smile, she gently shook the small bottle in her hand, and instantly a cascade of silver light surged forth, drawing the golden lightning glow back into the bottle. Then, with a serious tone, she said: "One bottle of Golden Thunder Lion Bone髓. Starting price: one million spirit stones, payable only in premium spirit stones. Bidding now begins." As soon as she finished speaking, the woman swept her sleeve forward, and immediately a hum resonated throughout the light array. Five light pillars rose in parallel, coalesced in the air, and then seamlessly fused together to form a vast, mirror-like light screen, measuring about an acre in size. The screen was smooth and translucent, its surface displaying a clear image of a small purple bottle. "Twenty million" a low voice suddenly emerged from one corner of the plaza, and as soon as it was spoken, the price of the spirit stones was immediately doubled, sending a wave of surprise through many listeners. Suddenly, beside the translucent purple vial image on the light screen, the numbers "one hundred million" and "ten million" appeared, and next to them, a circular symbol emerged, displaying another numerical figure. "Two hundred and one million" "Two hundred and three million" a series of bidding calls rose and fell, echoing throughout the plaza. As the auctioneer's number changed, the auction price on the screen soared continuously, reaching over three million, then three point five million, and finally pausing at four million. Such a high price—just to secure raw materials for a pill-making process, with no guarantee that the resulting pill would be effective—indeed proved to be a record-breaking sum. Though each attendee was wealthy, most of them found themselves feeling financially strained, beginning to question whether they truly had to secure the item. "Four hundred and fifty million" rang out in a lazy voice. Instantly, a pale golden figure appeared on the display screen, and the auction number beside it shifted to a bright crimson gold. The bid came from one of the silver flying pavilions—remarkably, it was a senior cultivator of the Great Perfection stage. Upon hearing this, half the foreign attendees in the plaza immediately reacted with surprise, as competing against a Great Perfection cultivator, who was far beyond their own Consolidated and Immortal Realization levels, was no small feat. "Four hundred and sixty million," someone finally called out after a moment of hesitation, speaking with cautious confidence. "Four hundred and seventy million," the screen updated, now showing a second Great Perfection cultivator stepping in. This time, the entire plaza fell silent—no one dared to bid. "Since my lord has clearly resolved to secure this item, I shall not compete with you." The senior cultivator who had made the second offer spoke with an unusually gentle voice, indistinguishable in gender, and after placing just one bid, immediately stepped aside. "Heh, thank you very much for your gracious yield," the first senior cultivator replied, offering a warm smile of appreciation. "Four million two hundred thousand strings of gold—this golden essence will be extremely useful for the next generation of disciples. Should you be willing to yield, Master, I shall surely make good on my promise later." The first great transcendental cultivator to offer a price finally grew restless, stating the figure and then adding a few words with a softer tone. —— Please vote for the friend participating in the book review contest!