A delicate fragrance immediately surged forth from the crevice, spreading swiftly and filling every corner of the plaza within moments. Upon inhaling, all the foreign guests felt an extraordinary sense of comfort and well-being. "The final item—originally expected to be a rare artifact—turns out to be a medicinal herb." This thought arose in nearly every mind, instantly invigorating their spirits. Unlike the法宝 and cultivation techniques presented earlier, which were more specialized, medicinal herbs were accessible to everyone. As the final highlight of the presentation, their significance was naturally amplified, and all eagerly anticipated the reveal. Hu Yuzhu gently waved her slender hand, inserting it into the crevice and withdrawing a silver basin of palm size. The fragrant aroma emanated directly from this basin. Half of the foreign guests were astonished. "I'm sure many of you have been eager to learn more about the contents within. Then, allow me to present it to you all now." Hu Yushuang smiled, then tossed the basin forward, causing it to float effortlessly in mid-air. With swift movements, she quickly pressed hand seals and launched several spells in succession. "Pffft!" A series of sounds followed, and the basin burst forth with astonishing luminous energy. As a shimmering crystalline glow rippled across its surface, it instantly became transparent, revealing everything within with remarkable clarity. A wave of astonishment rippled across the plaza. Inside the now-clear basin, a translucent, unknown liquid filled it completely. Within this liquid, a golden five-clawed dragon was gracefully swimming. Though only a few inches long, the dragon possessed all five claws clearly visible, its scales distinct and well-defined. Four delicate filaments near its mouth gently swayed back and forth—exactly as described in the legends of the true celestial dragon. "An offspring of the Celestial Dragon! Hu friend, you must be crazy! You've gone out of your way to capture a true descendant of the celestial dragon and now you're bringing it up for auction?" "The Dragon Clan's true lineage truly descending into our spiritual realm—into Fengyuan Continent, no, into the entire spiritual realm—would indeed be a major crisis. This isn't something to be taken lightly!" "I recall that in other realms, there have been instances where direct descendants of the Celestial Dragons were stolen, resulting in some smaller realms being completely wiped out by the Dragon Clan. Even larger realms have suffered severe setbacks after being retaliated against by the Dragons." "Silence," said the slender merchant alliance elder, seated at one corner of the stone platform, suddenly opening his eyes and speaking coldly. His voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it seemed to resonate simultaneously and clearly in the ears of everyone present. The foreign delegates, who had been somewhat agitated, instantly felt as though a cold stream of water had been poured over them, regaining a measure of composure. They realized then that they were on allied territory, and that several senior cultivators of the Grand Multiplication stage were stationed there to back them up. The delegates who had risen to speak instantly stiffened, and with a sense of embarrassment, sat back down again. Those who had been vociferous immediately lowered their heads and bowed, their voices now subdued, and all of them became remarkably respectful. "Master Jia, what exactly is going on? I truly cannot believe that your alliance would dare to seize the descendants of the Celestial Dragon. But as for this golden dragon—how is it related to the Celestial Dragon lineage? Don't even speak of its lack of connection; unlike the others, we elderly members can clearly sense the true dragon essence radiating from it." The female Great Stage cultivator of the Tianming clan finally spoke up, but her question was no longer directed at Hu Yushuang, but at the slender elder who had spoken earlier. "Indeed, this matter is no ordinary affair. Your alliance must surely provide us with an explanation." Another unfamiliar Great Stage cultivator from a different lineage also spoke for the first time. Hu Yushuang heard this and her expression slightly changed; she opened her mouth to offer an explanation. Yet the slender elder of the merchant alliance, with a graceful gesture, looked at them with a strangely composed expression and said, "What explanation? Simply take a few more moments to observe this miniature golden dragon within the bowl, and you will understand everything." Upon saying this, the elder closed his eyes and paid no further attention to anyone. This naturally caused a wave of excitement among the gathered crowd. Whether ordinary cultivators on the plaza or Great Stage cultivators residing in the floating pavilions, all turned their attention to the miniature golden dragon within the bowl, their divine consciousnesses sweeping over it in dense waves. Han Li also slightly narrowed his eyes, a brilliant blue glow shimmering within his pupils. "Hm, the true essence of this thing seems to be... " A brief expression of surprise flickered across Han Li's face as his thoughts raced. Not only Han Li, but among the other senior cultivators of the Great Perfection stage, there were also several who possessed divine eyes or mastered other strange secret arts. Several exclamations of astonishment rose simultaneously. "This golden dragon appears to have taken the form of a spiritual entity—truly remarkable. Yet, how does it possess such powerful dragon essence?" "Hm, at last, I've finally recognized this as a spiritual entity that has taken form. However, I still cannot discern its true nature. Does any of my fellow cultivators have a clearer insight?" "Indeed, a spiritual entity capable of manifesting as a celestial dragon must surely be no ordinary one!" Waves of admiration and discussion echoed through the various floating pavilions. "I do have some observations, though I'm not certain whether they truly reveal its original form," Han Li said, gently stroking his chin, then added with a calm tone. "Oh, since you're aware of it, why not enlighten us with the details first?" the elder of the Fu Yue clan said, somewhat surprised. Although Han Li had secured the Jin Que Yu Shu earlier, he had never revealed a single word about his own lineage. Yet now, he could instantly discern the true nature of the ethereal being manifesting within the silver basin—a feat that no other major clan's senior cultivators had managed to achieve. This naturally caused many of the elder masters to grow serious, shifting their attention immediately to Han Li's floating pavilion. "If I haven't mistaken it, the original form of this golden dragon should merely be a drop of spiritual blood," Han Li mused and offered his assessment. "A drop of spiritual blood? From Lin Hai's blood?" "That can't be right! How could a single drop of spiritual blood transform into a celestial dragon-like form?" "Could it be the true celestial dragon's blood?" "No, I've seen true celestial dragon's blood before—its appearance was quite different." ...Hearing Han Li's words, the senior cultivators all reacted with astonishment and began to discuss excitedly. As for the ordinary foreign cultivators gathered on the plaza, they were all murmuring among themselves, displaying expressions of puzzlement. Upon hearing Han Li's words, Hu Yushuang's face briefly flashed with surprise. Naturally, Han Li had noticed all this, and with a light smile, he added, "Why bother debating among yourselves? After all, what is this treasure's true nature? Why not let Hu Daojun himself explain it directly?" "Indeed, since the Commerce Alliance has brought this item up for auction, they must certainly know its true essence. Hu Daojun, there's no need to hold back—please reveal the mystery right now." This remark immediately prompted several of the senior cultivators of the Great Transcendence stage, who quickly voiced their agreement. "How could I possibly hold back? I simply never had the chance to speak before, as none of the senior masters gave me the opportunity." Hu Yushuang smiled sadly, her expression one of genuine embarrassment. "Ah, that's our fault. Now we can speak." "Indeed so." Actually, what the elder just mentioned isn't entirely wrong—the true essence of this transformed spiritual creature is indeed merely a drop of spiritual blood. Hu Yuduang exhaled, then suddenly emitted a bright white glow with her hand, pressing her five fingers firmly against the basin before her. A soft "puff" sound echoed. The liquid inside the transparent basin immediately swayed and shimmered, releasing a fragrance that intensified significantly. At the same time, the miniature golden dragon instantly contracted, curling up into an unknown golden liquid. This golden liquid rotated steadily, its surface gleaming with a metallic luster, appearing profoundly mysterious. "Could it truly be a drop of celestial dragon's genuine blood?" someone was astonished. "Of course not. Our He Lan trading alliance has auctioned celestial dragon's genuine blood many times before. If it were truly that, wouldn't it have been noticed by all of you?" Hu Yuduang firmly denied this this time. "Then what exactly is this thing?" "I don't know." Although this drop of vital essence has been identified as such, it differs fundamentally from the vital essences of all known powerful beings. Indeed, it should be said that the owner of this drop of essence is fundamentally incomparable to any of the known powerful entities. Hu Yushuang took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Incomparable—does that even include the True Spirit Tianlong?" someone asked in surprise. "Of course it does. I must not hesitate to share with all of you, we have conducted thorough tests on this drop of essence. Beyond doubt, the energy contained within exceeds that of a drop of Tianlong's true blood by more than a hundredfold. I believe you all understand the significance of that." Hu Yushuang said with serious demeanor. "More than a hundredfold. That's impossible—does this mean the owner of this essence is a being whose power surpasses that of the Tianlong by over a hundredfold!" The woman's words sent shockwaves through the entire gathering, and several people gasped aloud. "Even if not exactly so, the disparity surely cannot be this great." "The beautiful woman said, 'Stronger than the ancient True Spirit Tianlong by more than a hundredfold—this being must not be one of our interface species. Could it be a powerful entity from above?'" Tianming's female cultivator at the Great Perfection level exclaimed, her voice filled with astonishment. By "above," she naturally meant the Immortal Realm. "The blood of an immortal? No—what about this distinct Tianlong aura that seems to be present here?" Another cultivator at the Great Perfection level immediately asked. "Have none of you forgotten that the Immortal Realm itself is home to true dragons?" Hu Yu replied calmly. "You're referring to the Primordial Dragon of the Immortal Realm, are you? Is it possibly a drop of that primordial dragon's blood?" Someone's voice rose sharply. "Although we cannot be certain, our esteemed judges within the Alliance indeed hold this view. This is one of the reasons why we have not kept this item hidden, but instead brought it out for auction." Hu Yu responded with quiet confidence.