"The final auction items this time are truly invaluable; otherwise, I would never have dared to suggest Master Ming invite the four elders to step out." Hu Yushuang spoke with respectful deference. "Not at all—only a few days have passed, and that won't interfere with our cultivation. Hu, you needn't entertain us four old fellows anymore. Just continue with the auction." The slender elder smiled, while the other three remained silent, standing motionless by the side. "The four elders, please wait a moment. I'll swiftly sell off these three final items." After nodding, Hu Yushuang turned and gestured to the three women in imperial robes. Immediately, the three women stepped forward, coming to a distance of just a few paces from her, then stood still, motionless. Meanwhile, the four elders of the Hélián Commercial Alliance moved gracefully, each appearing at one of the four corners of the stone platform and settling into a seated posture. At this moment, the numerous people from various ethnic groups on the plaza were astonished to see the Hélián Commercial Alliance summoning four great cultivators of the Multiplicative Stage all at once. It seems this final item is truly exceptional, otherwise they wouldn't have gone to such lengths. After a series of gestures, Hu Yushuang caused the shimmering light screen on the soft silver tray to vanish instantly, and then retrieved a small, grayish banner from within. The banner was only about half a foot long, with a shallow gray staff and a plain surface—lacking any visible luminous glow. Only a few faint yellow spiritual patterns, of unknown origin, were etched upon it, making it appear unremarkable at first glance. Yet, densely affixed to its surface were seven or eight small to medium-sized pale silver talismans, which still emitted a series of strange pulses, giving the surrounding space a peculiar, hazy quality. The woman's gaze swept gracefully across the square, her expression graceful and alluring. "Master Hu mentioned these words—does it mean the final offering is a Heavenly Treasure?" one of the cultivators at the Consolidation Stage couldn't help but ask. "Ah, you all are so wise," the woman chuckled, lifting the small banner in her hands. "The treasure I hold is indeed a Heavenly Treasure, specifically the 'Tian Fan Banner,' ranked ninth on the Ten-Thousand-Spirits List." "The Tian Fan Banner?" "Impossible! Haven't this Heavenly Treasure been missing for decades?" "Back then, the very existence of this treasure caused profound exhaustion among seven or eight major clans across the Tian Yuan Continent. Two smaller clans even vanished entirely. Now, here it is, reappearing once again!" ...At once, the entire square erupted with excitement, filled with murmurs and lively conversation. Even the senior cultivators at the Flying Palaces, who had been seated in several dozen floating pavilions, were half-startled. "The Inversion Banner—I’ve heard of it before. It’s truly surprising that such a precious artifact should appear at an auction. The He Lan Commercial Alliance truly deserves its status as a top-tier power!" Han Li glanced at the woman standing on the stone platform in the distance, his face briefly expressing astonishment. As for the blood spirit and Zhu Guo'er standing beside him, their eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief. "Allow me to ask, is this indeed the celestial treasure listed on the Ten-Thousand-Spirits Ranking? Hehe—if it truly is this item, I can’t believe the Ghost Alliance would be willing to auction it off rather than quietly retain it themselves..." The senior cultivator, who had previously competed with the blood spirit for the golden marrow, said coldly. "Your insight is truly remarkable. If the item I hold is indeed the original, fully authentic treasure listed on the Ten-Thousand-Spirits Ranking, then even if our alliance possesses considerable strength, we would never dare to present it so boldly. Simply put, should even a few ancient true spirits come knocking, we would face endless troubles." "But just now, when I mentioned that this very artifact is the 'Tian Tian Banner' listed on the Universal Efficacy Rank, there was no exaggeration at all." Hu Yushuang bowed slightly, speaking with solemnity. "From the tone of your voice, it seems this treasure has some special significance. Don't hold back—please explain clearly." Another unfamiliar Master of the Great Perfection stage also spoke slowly. "Yes, I'll elaborate. While most of the present guests are familiar with the name of the Tian Tian Banner and know about its brief, fleeting fame in the past, few may be aware that the original artifact was actually divided into two parts—specifically, split into a yin and a yang banner. The one I hold is merely the yin banner. When used alone, this artifact can only manifest the ordinary powers of a celestial spiritual treasure. Only when both the yin and yang banners unite can it fully unleash its complete, ten-thousand-perfect divine potential. Otherwise, our alliance would never have brought it up for auction." The beautiful woman quickly explained. "Unity in duality," "the two banners of yin and yang"... Naturally, the foreign delegates on the plaza stirred once again, many of them expressing sudden clarity. "Indeed, this treasure is merely half of the Tian-Tian Banner. Yet such a celestial artifact is always profoundly responsive. Since the banner of yin has now appeared, it seems logical that the banner of yang should likewise emerge. Does your alliance have any news regarding the banner of yang?" A deep, resonant voice echoed from a floating pavilion occupied by another being at the grand stage of cultivation. At this question, the foreign delegates on the plaza instantly held their breath, fully attentive. Clearly, the query had struck a chord with them. "Your senior has mistaken us. If our alliance had any knowledge of the banner of yang, we would have secured it long ago—how could we have brought out the banner of yin alone for auction? Even this banner of yin was obtained by us by accident. As for the banner of yang—indeed, we are completely unaware of its whereabouts." Well, I have just recounted the tale. Though this treasure may not display the might of Xuan Tian, I believe it should suffice to allow all the esteemed friends and elders to discern its authenticity." With respectful words, the lady grasped the small banner in her hand and shook it gently. At once, the originally hazy banner emitted a resonant hum, and waves of golden light burst forth, coalescing into countless clusters of yellow blossoms that swiftly enveloped the entire stone platform. Immediately thereafter, the lady murmured a soft incantation, then gave a gentle exclamation, and the yellow blossoms began to spin and rise. The celestial and elemental energies of the entire realm trembled, then surged forth in a powerful wave, pouring into the blossoms and vanishing into them. A deep, resonant roar rose up. The yellow blossoms radiated brilliant light, expanded rapidly, and began to float and spread swiftly throughout the entire plaza. In the span of a moment, the entire square had transformed into a world of towering yellow blossoms. The foreign attendees, swiftly scanning their spiritual awareness through these yellow blooms, all instantly grew pale. Each could clearly sense the terrifying power emanating from the blossoms. What struck them even more was the remarkable instability within the flowers themselves—seeming poised to burst at any moment. Yet at this very instant, a cold exhalation echoed from a floating pavilion: "Hmph. No need to display further. Isn't it obvious to us old timers that this is a Heavenly Treasure? After all, such a marvel isn't something ordinary people can lay hands on. Let's begin the auction!" As soon as the words were spoken, a surge of misty, vibrant green wind suddenly swept forth from before the pavilion. Upon contact with the yellow blossoms, they instantly disintegrated and vanished—within moments, half of them had disappeared from the sky above the square. "Indeed, young master, I shall begin the auction immediately!" Hu Yushuang was startled and hurriedly shook the small banner once more, dispersing the unusual ripple. After the wave passed, the remaining yellow giant flowers flashed briefly and then vanished mid-air. The woman's figure reappeared clearly on the stone platform. "The 'Fen Tian Banner Yin Period' auction officially begins! The base price is three hundred million spiritual stones. If your spiritual stones are insufficient, you may settle your bid with various treasures!" After gently shaking the banner, which then returned to its previously dim appearance, the woman spoke seriously. "Five hundred million spiritual stones!" As soon as the woman finished speaking, the senior cultivator who had previously spoken stepped forward immediately and announced the bid. Most of the combined and transcendent-level foreign delegates on the platform fell silent. A bid of five hundred million spiritual stones was simply beyond their financial reach. It seemed these top-tier items, much like those in the merchant alliance's past auctions, had already been secured by the senior cultivators. After all, in the spiritual realm, strength always determined the outcome. Even when it came to their wealth and strength, the foreign beings, though unwilling, dared not express any dissatisfaction. "Five hundred million spirit stones to purchase a single Xuan Tian treasure? That's quite a joke. I'll offer eight hundred million." A lady's light, cheerful laugh echoed from another floating pavilion, immediately raising the bid by half. "Hmph. If it were the complete Fanzhuan Flag, it would indeed be priceless—no amount of spirit stones could secure it. But even just half its celestial treasure power, I've already offered a competitive price. Should you believe its value exceeds this, then I shall yield to this immortal maiden." The first elder to bid, a senior cultivator, scoffed and stepped out of the bidding. A sudden silence fell across the other pavilions—either moved by the elder's words or perhaps restrained by other considerations—no one else dared to raise their bids. The second bidder, however, didn't care at all about what the others were doing. With a light laugh, she directly turned to Hu Yushuang and said, "Hu girl, since no one else is willing to bid, shouldn't I now be declared the winner of this item?" "Yes, I'll ask once more. If indeed no one else has any interest..." The beautiful woman felt a sudden surge of concern, and managed a polite smile before speaking. But before she finished her words, a soft, clear voice of "900 million" suddenly rose, floating through the air like a ripple across the plaza. Both the blood spirit and Zhu Guo'er in the floating pavilion looked in surprise at Han Li seated on the bench. The bidding sounds from just a moment ago had clearly been his composed utterances. "Nine hundred and fifty million." "One billion." "One billion three hundred million."... Han Li's bidding seemed to suddenly awaken the other great immortals, who immediately began to respond with a continuous stream of bids, pushing the price all the way up to twelve billion spirit stones. The plaza fell silent once again.