Автор: sergey

Even though they were already holy race beings, they knew that the difference between the Grand Ascension Stage and the Body Integration Stage was like that of heaven and earth. After reaching the Grand Ascension Stage, one would attain unfathomable power, thereby creating an insurmountable gulf between themselves and Body Integration Stage beings.

Under normal circumstances, a few beings at the pinnacle of the Spatial Tempering Stage could perhaps put a fight against an early-Body Integration Stage being, but a few beings at the pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage would only be able to flee for their lives in the face of an early-Grand Ascension Stage being.

After reaching the Grand Ascension Stage, one was essentially half a true immortal, and through their cultivation, they could grasp some extremely powerful laws of heaven and earth, making them virtually completely invincible to Body Integration Stage beings. As for the final Tribulation Transcendence Stage, that was actually only an arbitrary division. Aside from a slight change in the nature of ones magic power, beings who reached that stage wouldnt actually be a whole lot more powerful than Grand Ascension Stage beings.

Furthermore, after reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, there were no longer any early, mid, or late classifications. Most of them would also go into indefinite seclusion to try and transcend their true immortal tribulations in an attempt to ascend to that higher realm.

As such, Grand Ascension Stage beings were the most powerful beings in the Spirit Realm aside from those true spirit beings.

The four guest members of the Heavenly Cloud Races had just captured the daughter of such an unfathomably powerful being, so they were naturally completely petrified.

However, they were situated in Cloud City, and there were so many powerful beings from all 13 races around them. As such, if the Human-faced Wyrm had come here alone, then they wouldnt have been all that fearful toward him. The most worrying thing to them was that the young man with the Fei surname seemed to be an acquaintance of the Human-faced Wyrm, and he had even led the Human-faced Wyrm to this place. Hence, it would naturally be impossible for them to try and encourage everyone to attack the Human-faced Wrym together, which was why they were so horrified by this current situation.

If it werent for the fact that the young man had dispelled the lethal attack that was about to take the elderly mans life, they wouldve already fled for their lives.

Alright, Ill do you a favor and spare their lives, Brother Fei, but they tortured my daughter on the way, so I have to punish them, the silver-robed man suddenly chuckled coldly after a brief silence. freewebnvel.com

He then swung his hand toward the elderly man in a lightning-fast chopping motion, and before the old man could react, one of his arms had already been dismembered amid a flash of silver light, and a geyser of blood erupted from the wound.

The elderly man was greatly startled by this, yet before he had a chance to administer treatment to himself, the young man suddenly appeared by his side before gently thrusting a palm toward his wound.

Brilliant green light flashed, and the bleeding was immediately stopped, following which the wound began to heal at a rate that was discernible to the naked eye.

The elderly mans face turned deathly pale, and he was just about to say something when the young man waved a hand toward him, and said, Seeing as Brother Tu has already punished you, the others will be spared of further punishment. However, this is not the end of the matter. I dont care how you captured Brother Tus daughter, but all of you must give him 100,000,000 spirit stones each as compensation for mental damages. If youre unwilling to do so, then you can all leave one of your arms here.

The four beings all heaved internal sighs of relief upon hearing this.

If they could settle such a major issue through spending just 100,000,000 spirit stones each, then that would naturally be close to the ideal outcome. Otherwise, even if they were to be spared now, theyd have to essentially hide in Cloud City for the rest of their lives as venturing out of the city could result in them being hunted down by this Grand Ascension Stage being.

The elderly man had lost an arm and some blood essence, but at his cultivation base, reattaching a limb was a simple matter.

Thus, the four beings immediately gathered together and brought out four bags of spirit stones, all of which they handed to the young man in a respectful manner.

The young man took the bags of spirit stones from them before turning to the silver-robed man with a smile as he said, Im sure these spirit stones wont be enough to assuage your rage, but this is the first time Fellow Daoist Lan and the others had visited your Crepe Myrtle Sea, so they were completely oblivious and certainly didnt intend to offend you. As such, please do me a favor and let bygones be bygones.

The silver-robed mans expression remained quite furious upon hearing this, but after glancing at the elderly mans dismembered arm, then turning back to the young mans smiling face, he finally gave a reluctant nod in the end.

Alright, Ill do you a favor and spare them on this occasion, but from now on, they are prohibited from coming to my Crepe Myrtle Sea. If I find them there again, dont blame me for putting an end to their lives. A set of blurry silver patterns appeared on the silver-robed mans face as he spoke, giving him a far more sinister appearance.

The young man wasnt surprised at all by the silver-robed mans condition, and he tossed the bags of spirit stones over to him as he replied with a smile, Of course. If Fellow Daoist Lan and the others dare to venture into your Crepe Myrtle Sea again, then theyll be rid of their statuses as guest members of our Heavenly Cloud Races, and youll be able to do with them as you pleased.

The four beings in question began to sweat profusely again after hearing this.

The silver-robed man caught the four bags of spirit stones, and his expression eased slightly as spiritual light flashed from his hands, following which the four bags abruptly disappeared.

Immediately thereafter, the man suddenly patted the small beast on the back, and purple light flashed as the small beast disappeared, only to be replaced by a little girl who appeared to be six or seven years old.

The little girl had snowy white skin and a pair of bright black eyes. There were several purple little braids woven into her hair, and she was extremely adorable.

Many peoples expression changed slightly upon seeing this.

This small beast clearly wasnt powerful enough to be able to manifest a human form on its own, yet the silver-robed man was able to assist her in doing so, thereby presenting a further indication of his immense powers.

Even after adopting a human form, the small beast was still clinging tightly to the silver-robed man while uttering a series of unintelligible syllables. At the same time, she was pointing insistently at the four beings who had captured her with a pitiable look on her little face.

Alright, Ive already taught them a lesson, so thats the end of this matter. Let this be a lesson to you as well, this is what you get for being so disobedient! After we go back, make sure to focus on your cultivation, and I wont let you leave the cave abode until you reach the metamorphosis stage. The man was speaking in a stern voice, but the doting expression on his face made his scolding words completely weightless.

The little girl pouted upon hearing this, and a hint of moisture began to well up in her eyes as she threatened to burst into tears.

The silver-robed man heaved a resigned sigh and no longer paid any heed to the little girl as he turned, instead, to the young man beside him.

Its all thanks to you that I was able to recover my beloved daughter, Brother Fei, my Dao Companion and I will repay you for this favor in the future. However, shes currently still waiting at home for further news on our daughter, so I have to go back right away. As his voice trailed off, the silver-robed man cupped his fist in a farewell salute.

In that case, I wont keep you any longer, Brother Tu. I wish you and your daughter a safe and smooth return journey. Seeing as the Human-faced Wyrm was willing to spare the four beings who had captured his daughter, the young man heaved an internal sigh of relief.

Those four beings were all guest members of the Heavenly Cloud Races, and they were also holy beings as well, so he naturally couldnt allow them to be killed in front of so many people.

However, it was also most definitely not in Cloud Citys best interest to make the Human-faced Wyrm its enemy. Not only was this silver-robed being extremely fearsome, the thought of his immensely powerful Dao Companion also sent shivers running down his spine.

Otherwise, even if he were acquainted with or even a good friend of the Human-faced Wyrm, he definitely wouldnt have led him to this place and essentially conceded to everyone present that Cloud City was fearful of him.

As such, this was about as ideal an outcome as he could hope for.

The silver-robed man nodded before turning around, and spiritual light flashed around his body as he prepared to leave. However, right at this moment, the little girl suddenly tugged on his robes and said something that was unintelligible to everyone again, then pointed toward a certain direction in the auction hall.

Oh? Is that true? The spiritual light around the silver-robed mans body faded as a hint of surprise crept into his voice.

The young man faltered upon seeing this before asking, What did your daughter say, Brother Tu?

Its nothing important, it appears that she may have identified a being here who is somehow related to my Dao Companion, the Human-faced Wyrm replied as he cast his gaze toward the direction that the little girl was pointing toward.

The young man was rather taken aback to hear this, and he also narrowed his eyes as he turned toward that direction.

Under the scrutiny of two Grand Ascension Stage beings at once, all of the beings sitting in that direction immediately grew quite uneasy. Even if they knew that this clearly had nothing to do with them, they still couldnt help but feel quite anxious.

Han Lis expression also changed slightly as he knew that the person the little girl was pointing at was most likely himself!

However, he had no idea why she singled him out from the crowd.

During the exchange that just took place between the silver-robed man and the young man, someone had cast a temporary restriction that allowed everyone to still see everything that was happening on the stage, but not hear what was being said.

On top of that, in that instant, an extremely fearsome burst of spiritual sense suddenly swept through this area, and many beings faces paled as this spiritual sense washed over them.

In the instant that this burst of spiritual sense swept past his body, Han Li was also struck by the harrowing sensation that his entire being had been completely bared to the owner of the spiritual sense. This feeling was like being scrutinized by a primordial beast that was too powerful for him to even consider resisting.

His heart sank slightly, following which he immediately sensed the silver-robed mans gaze lock onto him from afar.

All of a sudden, the man raised a foot, and in the next instant, Han Li felt his vision blur slightly, following which a humanoid figure suddenly appeared before him.

It was none other than the silver-robed man and the little girl that was being held in his arms.

The little girl was currently appraising him with curiosity shimmering in her bright eyes, and Han Li immediately rose to his feet. He was feeling quite uneasy, but he still maintained a calm expression as he extended a respectful salute to the silver-robed man.

I pay my respects to Senior Tu!

In the face of a Grand Ascension Stage being, he didnt dare to show any disrespect.

The man took an errant glance at Han Li before shaking his head in an aloof manner. He does indeed possess a hint of aura that belongs to the race that your mother hailed from, but its very slight. Even if there is some kind of bloodline connection, its completely negligible. What am I going to do with you? Your mother has so many powerful abilities for you to inherit, but you inherited her most useless sensory ability. Seeing as he doesnt have much of a connection with your mother, lets leave him be.

Before the little girl had a chance to say anything, silver light flashed from his body, and he immediately flew out of the auction hall as a streak of silver light.

Everyone was finally able to glean the appearance of the intruder, and they discovered that this was a silver-robed middle-aged man. He had a set of rather delicate facial features, but his expression was as cold as ice.

Many of the beings in the auction hall immediately tried to sweep their spiritual sense toward him, only for their spiritual sense to be repelled by a burst of mysterious power emanating from the mans body, thereby completely thwarting their attempts to ascertain his cultivation base.

However, a being who dared to barge into the Four Races Auction in such a reckless manner naturally had to be an immensely powerful one.

What everyone failed to notice was that as soon as the purple beast caught sight of the man, an ecstatic expression appeared on its face. However, its body was still bound by the golden and silver chains, so it was unable to do anything.

Who are you and how did you get in here? What happened to all of the guards outside? Xiao Buyi asked with a solemn expression.

I brought him in here, and I told the guards outside to grant us passage. Do you have a problem with that? Another unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out, following which another person strode into the auction hall.

This was a white-robed young man who appeared to only be around 27 to 28 years old. His appearance was extremely ordinary, and there were no memorable features about him whatsoever. However, as soon as the young man entered the auction hall, an alarmed expression appeared on Xiao Buyis face as he hurriedly extended a respectful bow.

Xiao Buyi pays his respects to Senior Fei!

We pay our respects to Senior Fei!

The other holy race beings on the stage also seemed to have recognized the young man, and their expressions also changed drastically as they hurriedly extended respectful bows.

Not only that, but all of the holy race beings on the upper level also flew out of their cabins before paying their respects to the young man.

Han Li looked up to find that even Qian Jizi and Duan Tianren were among these holy race beings. Both of them were at the pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage, yet they were also appraising the young man with awe and veneration in their eyes.

As such, it was not difficult to deduce that this young man had to be a Grand Ascension Stage being! With that in mind, Han Lis expression was also filled with astonishment as he cast his gaze toward the young man.

At this point, all of the other foreign beings in the auction hall had naturally also guessed this young mans true identity, and many of them gulped nervously with shock and alarm etched on their faces.

The entire hall fell completely silent once again.

Why have you come here, Senior Fei? Didnt you go into seclusion? The one who had spoken wasnt Xiao Buyi. Instead, it was another being at the pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage that Han Li didnt recognize. This was a strange being with dark green stripes all over his face, wearing a set of beasthide robes.

Oh? So youre here as well, Junior Hei. I came out of seclusion and arrived in Cloud City due to the recent Jiao Chi Race invasion, but Im here today because of Fellow Daoist Tu, the young man sighed.

May I ask who this Senior Tu is? the green-faced being asked with an uneasy look in his eyes.

The young man merely smiled upon hearing this, but didnt offer a reply. Instead, he turned to the silver-robed man, and asked, Brother Tu, have you found the one youre looking for?

Of course! The silver-robed man looked around before his gaze finally settled on the stone stage.

A hint of elation flashed through his eyes at the sight of the purple beast, but his face quickly fell at the sight of the black cage and thin chains that the small beast had been bound by.

His body swayed, and he disappeared amid a flash of silver light.

In the next instant, silver light flashed on the stage, and the silver-robed being reappeared in a soundless manner.

The brocade-robed man was given quite a fright by the sudden appearance of the silver-robed man right next to him, and he couldnt help but exclaim, Senior, you…

Piss off! The silver-robed man had no intention of speaking with him, and he cut him off in an abrupt manner before casually sweeping a sleeve toward him.

An immense burst of power was immediately sent hurtling toward the brocade-robed man, and he was naturally quite alarmed and enraged by this sudden unprovoked attack.

He reflexively drew a sharp breath, and a layer of yellow light surfaced all over his body as he prepared to withstand the attack.

Following an earth-shattering boom, the yellow light around his body tremored violently, and he was forced back seven or eight steps in quick succession, almost falling off the stage in the end.

Xiao Buyis expression changed drastically upon seeing this.

He was well aware of just how powerful this brocade-robed man was. He specialized in an earth-attribute cultivation art of an extremely high caliber, and defense had always been his forte. However, he wasnt even able to withstand a casual strike from the silver-robed man, and that was absolutely astonishing.

It appeared that this silver-robed man was most definitely a Grand Ascension Stage being as well.

The other four beings on the stage had also clearly come to the same conclusion as Xiao Buyi, and al of them hurriedly took a few steps backward at the sight of the approaching silver-robed man.

However, an unexpected turn of events then unfolded.

The silver-robed man completely ignored them as he strode directly toward the cage, then tore it apart with his bare hands with ease as if it were nothing more than a papier-mchstructure.

Thus, the ruined cage and the small beast plummeted downward at the same time, and the two halves of the cage disappeared into clouds of black Qi before they had even fallen onto the ground below.

Meanwhile, the small beast let loose an elated peal of laughter as it was caught by the silver-robed man, who then swept his other hand over the golden and silver chains around its body.

Following a string of dull thumps, the chains were all shattered, and as soon as the small purple beast was freed, it dove into the silver-robed mans arms and rubbed its head against him an extremely affectionate manner.

Hmph, thats what you get for not staying in the cave abode and running off on your own! Tell me who captured you and brought you here. The man stroked the small beasts head in a doting manner before a frosty expression suddenly appeared on his face. reeebnovel.om

The four mid-Body Integration Stage beings nearby were quite alarmed to hear this, and they all exchanged fearful glances with one another.

This small beast had been captured by the four of them and transported to the auction hall. Otherwise, as guest members of the Heavenly Cloud Races, they most likely wouldnt have been invited onto the stage.

At this moment, the small purple beast turned to the bearded elderly man with a resentful expression, then let loose a string of low snarls as if it really were communicating something to the silver-robed man.

What? He tortured you? How dare you! The four of you can all pay with your lives! An enraged expression appeared on the silver-robed mans face, and an astonishing baleful aura erupted from his body.

His shoulder swayed, and his arm shot forth toward the elderly man like lightning. There was a distance of over 100 feet between them, but his arm somehow elongated drastically, and his five fingers shimmered with silver light as they reached the elderly man in a flash.

The attack was so fast that it reached its target almost instantaneously. At the same time, an asphyxiating burst of spiritual pressure crashed down upon the elderly man.

He was already prepared for an attack, but never did he think that the attack would come with such immense power and ferocity.

In the face of this lightning-fast attack, he only had a chance to opened his mouth to expel an azure bead that hurtled directly toward the oncoming hand. At the same time, he activated an incantation seal that hed already prepared in advance, and his body suddenly blurred as three light barriers of different colors instantly materialized before him.

However, the events that unfolded next plunged the elderly man into a state of extreme horror.

Before the azure bead even had a chance to unleash its power, it was shattered into countless fragments by a flash of silver light.

Almost at the exact same moment, the silver-robed mans hand pierced through all three light barriers in an instant, and five streaks of silver light flashed directly toward the elderly mans head.

The man naturally had countless other abilities that he had yet to unleash, but in this dire situation, there was nothing that he could do.

As such, his face immediately turned deathly pale as a sense of impending doom dawned upon him.

However, right at this moment, a calm voice sounded nearby.

Please stop, Fellow Daoist Tu, have you forgotten what you promised me? All of a sudden, an ordinary-looking palm appeared out of thin air, swatting the five streaks of silver light aside with a casual wave.

Immediately thereafter, spatial fluctuations erupted nearby, and the young man with the Fei surname appeared beside the silver-robed man with a serious expression on his face.

The silver-robed man seemed to be rather wary of the young man, as indicated by the fact that he didnt unleash any further attacks after his first attack was nullified. However, he still wore a dark expression on his face as he said, Hmph, I did indeed promise that I wasnt going to kill anyone here, but I never said Id spare them from all punishment.

Of course. Seeing as these fellow Daoists have hurt your daughter, they naturally must be punished, the young man said with a smile.

Daughter? That means youre a Human-faced Wyrm! The elderly man was yet to recover from that near-death experience, and his face paled even further upon hearing the young mans words.

Indeed, my true form is that of a Human-faced Wyrm. Do you want to capture me as well? The silver-robed man turned to the old man with a cold look in his eyes.

I wouldnt dare to even dream of it, Senior! We didnt know that this spirit beast was your daughter, so I implore you to spare us, Senior! The elderly man was a holy race being, but he knew the importance of cowering when required. As such, he immediately begged for his life in this grim situation.

You were far too reckless, Brother Lan, how could you have gone hunting for spirit beasts near Brother Tus cave abode? You should thank the heavens that no harm has befallen Brother Tus daughter, the young man scolded with a dark expression.

I didnt know that Senior Tus cave abode was under than region of the sea. Otherwise, I certainly wouldnt have dared to venture anywhere near it! Cold sweat began to pour down the elderly mans face upon hearing this, and the other three beings faces had also paled significantly.

A pea-sized ball of light shot forth from his fingertip before disappearing into the cage in a flash.

In the next instant, azure light erupted from a corner of the cage, following which the small purple beast reappeared. At the same time, it bent its four limbs slightly to absorb the impact before landing on the ground in a soundless manner like a ball of cotton.

Thus, the small beast was finally revealed to everyone as a purple beast that resembled a fox.

The beasts body was only around half an inch in size, and its eyes were darting around incessantly. Those eyes were no different from that of highly intelligent beings, thereby indicating that it had already attained a good level of intelligence.

The only thing that set this beast apart from a normal spirit fox would be the faint silver scales that could be seen on its nose and ears. However, these patches of scales were only the size of fingernails, and it was really difficult to see them unless one was paying particularly close attention.

Is this really a spirit beast thats inherited the bloodline of the Human-faced Wyrm? It looks no different from a normal fox beast, someone exclaimed in a disappointed manner.

Many of the other beings present were also appraising the small beast with furrowed brows, unable to identify how it was supposed to be special in any way.

A normal fox beast? Id advise all of you to take a closer look, Fellow Daoists.A sinister look suddenly appeared on the elderly mans benevolent face, and he abruptly thrust a palm toward the black cage from afar.

A resounding boom erupted from within the cage, following which white lightning flashed, and a layer of white electricity appeared.

A string of loud thunderclaps then rang out as countless thin arcs of lightning transformed into sharp blades that hurtled directly toward the small beast in the cage.

An extremely humanized expression of alarm and fury appeared on the small beasts face upon seeing this, and it let loose a low snarl as purple light swirled over its body. All of a sudden, a projection surfaced above it, shielding its body within.

This was the projection of a faint silver wyrm.

The wyrm projection was extremely blurry and indistinct, making the onlooker only barely able to identify it as a wyrm, but all of the blades of lightning disappeared like sandcastles in the tide after striking the projection.

After absorbing so much lightning, the wyrm projection had swelled to several times its original size, almost filling up the entire cage as it raised its head to let loose an enraged roar.

All of a sudden, the cage began to screech and groan as if it were to struggling to hold itself together.

All of the beings present drew a sharp breath in unison upon seeing this.

Just a projection conjured up by this purple beast in its infantile stage was this powerful, it was indeed displaying astonishing potential.

At the sight of the astonishment etched on everyones faces, the elderly man knew that he had achieved the intended effect, and he chuckled as he raised a hand up into the air.

Brilliant golden and silver light erupted, and the thin chains appeared again before hurtling toward the cage to bind the small beast.

The chains were somehow able to completely disregard the wyrm projection and wound themselves tightly around the purple foxs body, rendering all of its struggles completely futile.

Immediately thereafter, the silver wyrm projection that it had conjured up vanished, and the black cage settled again.

Xiao Buyi knew the importance of striking while the metal was hot, so before everyone could recover from their shock, he immediately announced, Im sure all of you have witnessed this beasts powers and no longer have any doubts about its capabilities. This starting price for this mystical beast will be 80,000,000 spirit stones, let the bidding begin!

85,000,000!

90,000,000!

…

As expected, after witnessing the beasts powers, a series of astonishing bids were made, and within mere moments, the price had been bid up to over 100,000,000 spirit stones.

However, Han Li merely sat on the spot and didnt participate in the bidding.

This beast did indeed possess brilliant potential, but it would definitely take a long time to nurture. He already had his Weeping Soul Beast, Leopard Kirin Beast, and his Gold Devouring Beetles, so another spirit beast would most likely be superfluous to his requirements.

On top of that, even if he were tempted to bid for the beast, he simply didnt have enough spirit stones to participate in the bidding anyway.

At this point, even the holy race beings on the upper level were beginning to participate in the bidding. As such, even if he hadnt purchased the Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid earlier, the chances of him securing the beast now were extremely slim.

However, at this moment, a peculiar look appeared on Han Lis face as he appraised the silver fox in the cage.

Perhaps it was simply a figment of his imagination, but the appearance and demeanor of the bound purple beast somehow struck him with a sense of familiarity. In his eyes, the small beast bore a strong resemblance to Silvermoon.

Even though Silvermoons true form was a silver wolf, she had also possessed a spirit fox in the human world, so it wasnt particularly strange that there was a certain level of resemblance between the two.

Even though he was well aware of this, he still couldnt help but feel slightly saddened at the sight of the pitiable purple fox that was bound in the cage.

Back when Silvermoon had left him, he certainly hadnt failed to notice the emotions hidden deep within her eyes prior to her departure.

However, at his pitiful cultivation base at the time, he couldnt do anything aside from look on as she returned to the Spirit Realm.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that Han Lis expression was different from those of the other foreign beings in the auction, but the immobilized purple fox seemed to have taken notice of him and suddenly turned its gaze toward him. As soon as their eyes met, it blinked its intelligent eyes, and a hint of confusion intermingled with elation suddenly appeared on its face.

The changes in the purple foxs expression were extremely minute, but they certainly couldnt escape the notice of Han Lis spirit eye ability.

As such, he immediately faltered slightly, and a hint of befuddlement welled up in his heart.

130,000,000! An astonishing bid was made by the owner of an elderly voice on the upper level, and the entire auction hall finally fell completely silent.

It seemed that no one was able to outdo that astronomical bid.

130,000,000 going once!

130,000,000 going twice!

… going thrice!

Xiao Buyi was clearly also of the opinion that no one else would be able to place a higher bid, so after completing a quick count of three, he turned to the upper level with a smile, and said, Congratulations, Brother Lu! With this mystical beast by your side, Im sure youll become even more formidable.

It seemed that he recognized the final bidder.

Hehe, I didnt think that youd still recognize my voice after weve been apart for so many years, Fellow Daoist Xiao, the final bidder chuckled in response.

Immediately thereafter, a burst of light suddenly flashed from a stone cabin near the back of the upper level, following which a ball of yellow light flew forth from within before landing on the stage in the flash.

Han Lis eyes narrowed as he looked on from his seat, and he discovered that this was an elderly man with yellow skin wearing a set of brocade robes.

The man had a head of curly hair, and had quite a burly and intimidating stature that was almost two feet taller than Xiao Buyi.

A hint of wariness flashed through Xiao Buyis eyes a the sight of the elderly man, but he still said in a respectful manner, I suggest that it would be best for you to knock this beast unconscious before you take it. Otherwise, it could be a little troublesome to control.

Are you afraid that I wont be able to control a mere infantile beast? Dont worry, just tally up the spirit stones, and Ill be taking this spirit beast as is. You can get rid of the cage now, Fellow Daoist Lan. The brocade-robed man seemed to be very confident in his own abilities, and he casually tossed a bag of spirit stones at Xiao Buyi before turning to the bearded elderly man.

Hehe, if you say so, Brother Lu, Ill be removing the restriction now. The elderly man nodded before slowly raising a hand as he prepared to make a grabbing motion toward the cage.

The small purple beast in the cage seemed to be aware that something bad was about to happen upon seeing this, and all of its fur stood up on end as it let loose a sharp screech.

As soon as this piercing screech rang out, the beings of lower cultivation bases present were struck by a ringing sensation in their heads, following which the magic power within their bodies became stagnant and disobedient.

These beings were naturally stunned by this turn of events.

However, for a Spatial Tempering Stage being like Han Li, the effects of this screech were naturally quite negligible. As for the elderly man, his expression didnt even change in the slightest as azure light flashed from his fingertips.

Meanwhile, the brocade-robed man had made quite a confident and bold declaration earlier, but he didnt actually dare to get too complacent. His eyes were fixed intently on the small beast as he readied himself to restrict it as soon as the elderly man withdrew the cage.

All of the other beings in the auction house also had their eyes fixed firmly on the stage.

At the sight of the purple foxs alarmed expression, a thought suddenly seemed to have occurred to Han Li, and his eyelids abruptly twitched as a dull crack rang out.

His hand was resting on the armrest of his chair, but he had abruptly clenched his fingers and crushed the jade armrest into dust.

Right at this moment, a startling turn of events abruptly unfolded!

An earthshattering boom erupted from outside the auction hall, following which the massive gates that were flashing with spiritual light suddenly exploded into countless shattered fragments.

The entire auction hall fell deathly silent as expressions of astonishment appeared on everyones faces.

This was the Four Races Auction, who would dare to do something so brazen and reckless here?

However, the entire auction hall then immediately erupted into a frenzy as countless voices rang out at once.

Argh, what happened?

Whats going on?

Guards! Guards!

…

Due to the fact that the restriction on the gates had been broken, there were spiritual lights flashing erratically at the entrance, making it impossible for everyone to see who the intruder was.

Xiao Buyi was also quite stunned by this sudden development, but as a Body Integration Stage being, he was able to quickly recompose himself as he yelled, Theres no need to panic! With our four races hosting this auction, no one can wreak havoc here without consequences!

His voice was like a loud thunderclap that instantly instilled a sense of clarity into everyones minds.

He was right. Setting aside all of the guards that had been deployed to the auction house, with so many upper race and holy race beings here, no one could possibly expect to barge in and not suffer the consequences of their actions.

The four races, eh? You sure do dare to talk! Do you really think I wouldnt dare to kill all of you here? A thunderous male voice sounded from outside the shattered gates.

Xiao Buyis heart sank upon hearing this bold declaration, but his expression remained calm as he asked, Who are you and how dare you wreak havoc in our Cloud City?

Is your Cloud City some kind of lethal realm? Why wouldnt I dare to wreak havoc here? The sound of footsteps rang out from outside the auction hall, following which a humanoid figure slowly strode in.

Han Li merely chuckled coldly in his heart upon seeing this.

Even if there were beings here who had cultivated certain special secret techniques, all theyd be able to identify would be that he was in some kind of disguise.

After all, even Duan Tianren, who was at the pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage, hadnt even been able to glean his true appearance, and there was no way that the most powerful beings in this auction hall would bother to come after him for a half vial of flawed spirit liquid.

As such, after returning to his seat, Han Li merely closed his eyes as if he werent interested in the rest of the auction.

Everything proceeded quite smoothly thereafter, and there were even two other items that were sold for a price that exceeded that of the Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid, but they hadnt been reserved for the finale, either.

One of them was a treasure that had been passed down since ancient times, known as the Myriad Beast Conch Horn. Even though it wasnt a Divine Spirit Treasures, its whistle could make all of the low-grade spirit beasts within a certain area obedient to the user, so it was quite an extraordinary treasure.

The other auction item was the vial of Rising Dragon Pills that Han Li had refined.

After Xiao Buyi had explained the astonishing effect of the pills, the entire auction hall had burst into an elated frenzy.

These pills were greatly beneficial both for enhancing ones magic power and for breakthroughs, so it really was a case of the more the better.

Furthermore, Spatial Tempering Stage pills were extremely rare in auctions, so an intense round of bidding ensued as soon as they were unveiled.

Even the beings below the Spatial Tempering Stage in the auction hall were bidding up the price for all they were worth. Theyd rather purchase the pills and use them in the future than miss out on this brilliant opportunity.

As for the Spatial Tempering Stage beings who were stuck at bottlenecks and desperately needed these pills, they were naturally unwilling to back down, either. Who knew if Spatial Tempering Stage pills would feature again in the upcoming editions of the Four Races Auction?

As such, after a bout of frenzied bidding, the vial of Rising Dragon Pills was sold for an astronomical price of 63,000,000, even higher than the price that Han Li had purchased the Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid for.

Much to his surprise, the pills were purchased by the holy race woman who had been competing with Han Li for the Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid earlier. This woman naturally no longer needed this pill, so she was most likely purchasing them for one of her juniors.

This was quite a disheartening outcome for all of the people on the lower and middle levels.

Han Li also heaved a forlorn internal sigh upon hearing this final price.

This wasnt because he was displeased with the price that the pills had been sold for. Instead, he was thinking back to all of the Rising Dragon Pills hed consumed in the past two years, and calculating how many spirit stones they wouldve fetched him had he sold them instead. Unsurprisingly, it was an extremely staggering sum.

Furthermore, he was most likely going to have to continue consuming Rising Dragon Pills for the next few centuries, it was a massive waste!

But then again, if it werent for the fact that he had all these pills that he could consume to assist him in his cultivation, there was no way that hed be able to progress to the Spatial Tempering Stage from the early-Deity Transformation Stage in just a few centuries with his ordinary aptitude.

This was why the mysterious small vial was even more valuable than the profound heavenly treasure in his heart.

With the profound heavenly treasure, he could reign supreme over the entire Spirit Realm in the future, but without the mysterious small vial, he had no confidence in his ability to even make it to that point.

Just as these thoughts were running through Han Lis mind, the auction finally reached its climax.

After a blue puppet was taken away from the stage by its buyer, Xiao Buyi looked around as a serious expression appeared on his face.

I presume many of you are already growing quite impatient, so without further ado, Ill now be presenting the final few auction items for today. Two of these items are precious treasures supplied by our four races, while the other two were supplied by other fellow Daoists.

Just as Xiao Buyi was making this announcement, a burst of light erupted from the teleportation formation on the stage, following which four humanoid figures emerged.

The four consisted of a short elderly man with a long beard, a tall and broad armored being wearing a golden mask, a woman with a gorgeous figure, yet a hideous face that was riddled with green scales, and a strange black being with two identical heads.

In the face of the widespread scrutiny they were receiving, the four beings all remained quite calm as if they were completely unfazed.

However, all of the beings in the auction hall drew a sharp breath in unison upon seeing this, and a burst of chatter rang out again.

Its those four seniors!

Indeed, those are the four great guest members of our Cloud City! To think that theyve been invited to this auction as well!

At the same time as the four beings appeared on the stage, Han Li also opened his eyes and his heart stirred as he discovered that they were all mid-Body Integration Stage beings. It was no wonder that their emergence was creating such a massive stir.

Xiao Buyi turned to the four beings with a smile on his face, and cupped his fist to extend a salute as he greeted, Thank you for coming, fellow Daoists.

Youre welcomed. We were paid to be here, so we certainly werent going to not show up, the bearded elderly man chuckled in response.

In contrast, the other three were rather cold and aloof toward Xiao Buyi, and they merely extended customary salutes in return, but remained silent.

Xiao Buyi was clearly already accustomed to this, and he merely nodded before turning around as he continued, There are only four items that have been reserved for the finale, but they include all types of items like spirit beasts, materials, and spirit treasures, so you surely wont be disappointed.

After that, Xiao Buyi turned to the elderly man, and said, Brother Lan, please reveal your auction item first. freewbnoel.com

The man nodded before rustling his sleeve, and a strange cry rang out, following which an object flew out from within.

It was a palm-sized black leather pouch that was completely mundane and nondescript in appearance.

However, the old man was treating the pouch with great care as he began to chant something while carefully pointing his finger a few times at the leather pouch.

Black light swirled around the surface of the pouch, following which bursts of black mist suddenly erupted from within. Immediately thereafter, the mist began to swell, then converged to form a black cage that was around 10 feet tall in the blink of an eye.

Within the cage was a small purple beast that was huddled up into a ball, and its entire body was bound tightly by a series of thin golden and silver chains. Due to the fact that its head and limbs were all burrowed into its body, it appeared to be like a large furball from afar, making it impossible to glean its true form.

At this moment, everyone below the stage, including Han Li, was staring intently at the small purple beast.

It had been reserved for the finale, so they knew that this was definitely no ordinary spirit beast. After all, there was a fourth-tier upper race sentient puppet that had been sold earlier, and even that hadnt been reserved for the finale, could it be that this spirit beast possessed holy-grade power?

The same thought flashed through everyones minds, and hints of scorching yearning appeared in their eyes.

However, the faint black light emanating from the cage managed to keep out all of their prying spiritual sense, thereby thwarting their attempts to glean the small beasts true appearance.

Hehe, looks like all of you are growing rather impatient. Brother Lan, Ill let you introduce this beast to everyone, Xiao Buyi chuckled.

Sure thing. There are not too many people who are aware of this beasts origins, but Im sure many of you know about the eight mystical beasts of our Spirit Realm, which are only ranked below the almighty true spirits, the old man said with a stroke of his beard.

What? The eight mystical beasts? Could this be one of them?

The entire auction hall instantly erupted into a frenzy, and there were even many astonishing auras that erupted uncontrollably from within the stone cabins on the upper level.

Thats not the case, Fellow Daoists. The eight mystical beasts are all extremely powerful creatures, and even though they arent comparable to true spirit beings, theyre definitely not creatures that can be capture by holy race beings. The spirit beast in the cage is actually a mixed-blood descendant of one of the eight mystical beasts, the Human-faced Wyrm. Even though its only a mixed-blood creature, it possesses an extremely large amount of the Human-faced Wyrms bloodline, and if carefully nurtured, its not impossible for it to become just as a powerful as a true Human-faced Wyrm in the future. According to the results of our examination, this beast should be less than 100 years old, but the spiritual Qi fluctuations emanating from its body are already comparable to upper race beings of the lower tiers. Most importantly, this beast has already displayed several powerful endowed abilities of the Human-faced Wyrm. Even for holy race beings like me, it wouldve been impossible to capture it alive had it not been for the fact that several of us joined forces to do so. By the way, this beast was captured by none other than the four of us, the elderly man chuckled as he made a grabbing motion toward the black cage.

The golden and silver chains around the small beasts body split apart of their own accord amid a dull thump, and all of then flew into the elderly mans hand as a thin streak of golden and silver light.

The entire hall immediately fell completely silent.

Everyone wanted to see the true appearance of a spirit beast that had inherited most of a Human-faced Wyrms bloodline.

As soon as the chains were removed, the small beast shuddered, but it still didnt immediately rise to its feet, choosing instead to continuing lying motionlessly in the corner.

Many people began to exchange glances with one another upon seeing this.

However, in the next instant, a ball of scintillating purple light suddenly erupted from the small beasts body.

All of the people staring at the cage closed their eyes involuntarily, yet Han Li managed to keep his eyes open as a burst of blue light flashed through his pupils.

Argh!

Impossible!

Where did the spirit beast go?

After everyone finally re-opened their eyes, many of them were shocked to find that the small beast had disappeared without a trace from within the black cage.

However, the expressions of the beings on the stage remained unchanged, and the elderly man harrumphed coldly, You still dare to play these little tricks even now, looks like we didnt discipline you enough on the way here.

The elderly man raised a hand as he spoke before flicking a finger toward the black cage from afar.

Han Li had naturally heard of this Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid, and it had been quite a sought-after treasure to him for a long time.

This liquid was something that was refined from an extremely rare type of heavenly flame, and compared to other spirit items of the same caliber, it was even rarer and harder to find.

After doing some research on the spirit liquid, Han Li had thought that it would be the most difficult to find among the list of materials that Qing Yuanzi had given him, but who wouldve thought that it would appear on this auction with such an incredibly low starting price?

Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid was so rare and precious that it could easily be the auction item that was reserved for the finale.

18,000,000 spirit stones was not a small sum, but compared to the value of this spirit liquid, it was cheap beyond belief.

With that in mind, Han Li had a feeling that Xiao Buyi was definitely going to be providing an explanation regarding why the starting price was so low.

Han Li was not the only one in the auction hall waiting for an explanation. Many other people were also looking at Xiao Buyi with astonishment intermingled with a hint of anticipation in their eyes, awaiting further elaboration on the situation.

As expected, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Buyis face as he continued, I know that that the starting price for this Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid comes as quite a surprise to everyone, but theres naturally a reason for this. This spirit liquid was refined from a heavenly flame, but something went wrong during the refinement process, so its technically a flawed item compared to true Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid. However, I can guarantee that it possesses all of the main functions of normal Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid, its just that its efficacy will be severely hampered in comparison.

A flawed item? The rowdy crowd immediately fell silent, and many people furrowed their brows with indecision.

There had been precedents of flawed spirit medicines and even flawed treasures that had been sold during auctions, but it was said that all of these items were very lackluster and couldnt hold a candle to their perfect counterparts. After all, both pill and tool refinement required extremely strict regulation of the materials, as well as the refinement methods and processes used. Even the slightest mistake or discrepancy could result in a complete failure.

Thus, the frenzied crowd suddenly calmed down as if a massive bucket of cold water had been poured over everyones heads.

Id thought that 18,000,000 spirit stones was a ridiculously low starting price, but seeing as this is a flawed item, I now feel that its far too high, a man in one of the cabins on the upper level chuckled coldly.

Xiao Buyi turned to a certain cabin on the upper level, and replied, Theres no point in trying to barter with me, Fellow Daoist Lie, the starting prices of the auction items were all set by the auction house. Come to think of it, wouldnt this Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid be perfect for your flame spirit body?

If it were a perfect item, then I would naturally try to purchase it at all costs, but if its flawed, then its next to useless to me, so why should I be interested in it? the man who had spoken countered in a cold voice.

Xiao Buyi merely smiled in response, but didnt say anything in reply on this occasion. Instead, he waved a sleeve over the lid of the vial in his hand, and azure light flashed as the lid flew off of its own accord.

A pillar of crimson flames immediately shot forth out of the vials opening, following which a small ball of red liquid slowly emerged from within.

The ball of liquid was translucent and shimmering with red light.

Xiao Buyi focused his gaze on it, and white light flashed in one of his hands as he summoned a flying sword that was around a foot in length.

This was an antiquated sword that was flashing with a cold light, and it was quite apparent even from a single glance that this was a weapon of quite a high caliber.

Xiao Buyi flicked his wrist, and the flying sword instantly shot forth as a swath of cold light that hurtled directly toward the ball of red liquid.

An astonishing scene then ensued.

In the instant that the cold light came into contact with the ball of liquid, a loud sizzling sound rang out as a plume of white smoke wafted through the air. Immediately thereafter, the entire flying sword turned bright red and began to melt, completely disappearing after just a few flashes.

That demonstration was sufficient to display the spirit liquids fearsome might!

Xiao Buyi could sense everyones hesitation, and he explained, I hope everyone saw that clearly. Even though this spirit liquid is flawed, it still possesses the ability to melt metal and rocks, so itll be very useful for tool refinement.

After that, he opened his mouth to expel a ball of azure spiritual Qi that immediately enshrouded the ball of red liquid within.

The liquid began to burn in a frenzy like a phoenix rising from the ashes, transforming into a head-sized fireball amid a dull thump.

A burst of scorching heat proliferated from the stage, quickly surging into the distance in all directions.

All of a sudden, the air temperature in the entire hall was raised significantly, and the foreign beings sitting on the front few rows closest to the stage felt as if theyd been plunged into a sea of lava.

All of the beings in the hall were high-grade cultivators, so they naturally wouldnt be injured by this level of heat, but many of them were still quite stunned by what they saw.

Everyone could see that Xiao Buyi had only expelled a ball of pure spiritual Qi as a catalyst to draw forth that wave of scorching heat, so this was entirely a display of the spirit liquids power alone.

It came as quite a surprise to everyone that even a flawed ball of Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid could possess such staggering power.

Thus, quiet chattering rang out within the silent hall again, and the yearning in everyones eyes was rekindled as they stared at the ball of fiery liquid.

Xiao Buyi knew that he had already achieved the intended effect at this point, so he casually swept a sleeve toward the fireball. A swath of light swept forth, and the scorching flames were snuffed out to reveal the ball of liquid again before it disappeared into the vial in a flash.

Xiao Buyi made a grabbing motion, and the vial was sealed shut again using its original lid. After that, the vial itself slowly descended onto the center of his palm.

Bidding for the Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid will now commence! he announced without any further delay.

30,000,000! An astonishing bid was immediately made by someone from a certain corner of the auction hall. As opposed to matching the starting price, the bid was instantly upped the price by almost twofold.

Many people who were just about to make lower bids were quite stunned by this opening salvo, and they all turned to find that the bidder was a pale-faced man in a set of long black robes.

It was none other than Han Li!

After a brief internal struggle, many of the beings present finally decided against making further birds.

Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid was indeed extremely precious, but the inescapable fact of the matter was that it was still a flawed item, and it simply wasnt worth such a lofty price to them.

Meanwhile, Han Li was merely sitting still on his chair. He wore a calm expression, but he was internally quite excited.

Even though this spirit liquid was flawed, thereby significantly hampering its efficacy, it was still Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid, so it would most likely still be useful to Qing Yuanzi. If he were to give up on this opportunity, he most likely wont be able to obtain perfectly refined Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid anyway, so he was determined to get his hands on this spirit liquid, even if it were flawed.

As such, he didnt hold back at all, and immediately bid the price up to a staggering height from the get-go.

He wasnt hoping to be able to actually secure the spirit liquid at this price, but at the very least, he was going to scare off most of his potential competitors.

If there were many people bidding for the same item, it was easy for them to get swept up in the heat of the moment, thereby bidding the price up to something that no one would be willing to pay had they retained their sense of logic.

It was quite clear that Han Lis plan had proven to be effective as the entire hall remained silent after that initial bid that hed placed.

This fellow Daoist has placed a bid of 30,000,000 spirit stones. Are there any other bidders? If not, this vial of spirit liquid will go to this fellow Daoist after a count of three, Xiao Buyi announced as he glanced at the corner that Han Li was sitting in.

Going once!

Right at this moment, an elderly voice sounded. 32,000,000!

Han Lis brows furrowed as he turned toward that direction to find that the bidder was a yellow-robed elderly man sitting at the center of the auction. The man had a head of straw-like hair, but his eyebrows were quite bushy, and his blue eyes were bright and piercing.

Its Old Man Fu! Why is he interested in this spirit liquid? Many people were quite surprised to see this new bidder, and they began to chat among themselves.

It appeared that this old man was quite a renowned figure in Cloud City.

40,000,000!

Before Han Li had a chance to formulate his next bid, another bid was placed by someone on the upper level. To Han Lis surprise, the bidder had a pleasant female voice, so it clearly wasnt the man with the Lie surname who had spoken earlier.

As soon as that bid was made, a hesitant look appeared on Old Man Fus face. He cast a glance up at the upper level and opened his mouth as if he were contemplating placing another bid, but shook his head and remained silent in the end.

40,000,000 going once!

40,000,000 going twice!

A faint smile appeared on Xiao Buyis face as he quickly completed two counts. It was quite clear that this price was already higher than what was projected by the auction house, and he was also of the opinion that no one would dare to bid against a holy race being from the upper level.

However, just as he was about to complete the third and final count, Han Li placed another bid in an expressionless manner. 45,000,000!

Everyone else in the auction hall, including even Xiao Buyi himself, couldnt help but cast their eyes toward Han Li with peculiar expressions on their faces.

It was not every day that they saw an upper race being who dared to bid against a holy race being.

47,000,000! The female holy race being on the upper level seemed to have been irked by Han Lis insolence, and her voice cooled significantly.

Han Lis eyelids twitched slightly upon hearing this new price, but he still immediately followed up with a bid of 50,000,000 without any hesitation.

This was basically the extent of the number of spirit stones he currently possessed, so if the price were to be raised any higher, hed have no choice but to give up.

Thankfully, this price seemed to have also exceeded the limit of what the woman on the upper level was willing to pay, and she gave a cold harrumph before falling silent.

After completing a quick count of three, Xiao Buyi announced, Alright, this half vial of Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid goes to this fellow Daoist for 50,000,000 spirit stones. Please issue your payment right away.

Han Li heaved an internal sigh of relief before immediately rising to his feet and making his way onto the stage.

Upon reaching Xiao Buyi, Han Li brought out a bag of top-grade spirit stones that hed prepared in advance from his within his storage bracelet.

Xiao Buyi swept his spiritual sense toward the bag before nodding with a faint smile and handing the small white vial over to Han Li.

Han Li removed the lid of the vial and took a quick glance inside, upon which a hint of elation appeared on his face. After extending a slight bow toward Xiao Buyi, he walked down from the stage in an unhurried manner before returning to his original seat.

During this process, Han Li naturally sensed many pairs of eyes fixated on him, and needless to say, most of them were not appraising him with benevolent expressions on their faces.

Han Li sat on in his chair for around two hours as large numbers of foreign beings poured into the hall.

The spacious three-level hall was entirely filled in the end, and even the cabins on the upper level had all been occupied.

Even the weakest foreign beings to attend the auction were at the Nascent Soul Stage, while the most powerful beings were at the Body Integration.

Just the Body Integration Stage beings that Han Li counted amounted to around four or five, and both Duan Tianren and Qian Jizi among them.

As for the other few Body Integration Stage beings that Han Li saw, those were also presumably all important figures akin to elders in their respective races.

At least 60 to 70 beings had already filed to the cabins on the upper level prior to Han Lis entrance, and all of them were at the Body Integration Stage.

However, Han Li didnt see Cai Liuying among their ranks, which meant that she had either take a cabin before Han Li had arrived or she had no interest in participating in this auction at all.

As he looked around at the packed auction hall, Han Li couldnt help but heave an internal sigh of awe and wonder.

It was indeed true that Cloud City was inhabited by beings from all 13 Heavenly Cloud Races and even foreign beings outside of those races, but it was still quite extraordinary for so many Body Integration Stage beings to appear in a single city. After all, there were only a dozen or so Body Integration Stage beings among the human and demon races combined in Deep Heaven City, and that city had also been where the cream of the crop among the human and demon races resided.

After waiting for a while longer, the entire hall was virtually packed to the rafters.

A string of three crisp bell chimes rang out, and the gate leading to the main hall slowly swung shut amid bursts of flashing five-colored light.

When the gates were completely shut, the auction finally commenced.

At the very front of the hall was a tall stage that was over 100 feet in height, similar to the kind of stage one would find in a normal auction house.

The only thing that was different was that there was a golden humanoid puppet standing on each of the four corners of the stage. These puppets were all antiquated in design and several tens of feet tall, wielding a giant silver halberd each.

Even though they were standing in a completely motionless manner, they gave off quite a fearsome aura, and it was quite apparent that they were extremely powerful.

At the very center of the stage was a blue formation, within which was a faint red table. There were many runes carved all over the table, giving it an extremely mysterious appearance.

As soon as the gates swung shut, the blue formation lit up and began emitting a low buzzing sound.

As the runes on the spell formation flashed, a humanoid figure appeared behind the table.

That spell formation was a teleportation formation.

The humanoid figure was a little blurry when it first appeared, but it quickly became clearer and revealed itself to be a refined and graceful middle-aged man.

The man wore a brocade robe and had a clean-shaven face. He appeared to be completely identical in appearance to a normal human being.

However, as Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward the man from afar, he was stunned to discover that the middle-aged man was a mid-Body Integration Stage being. On top of that, he could sense an extremely fearsome aura emanating from the mans body, and this observation told him that this man was an extremely dangerous being.

The middle-aged man seemed to hold quite a resounding reputation in Cloud City, as indicated by the fact that the chatter in the auction hall immediately died down following his appearance.

In fact, Han Li noticed that many of the beings around him were appraising the man on the stage with a hint of fear in their eyes.

In contrast, the middle-aged man adopted a warm smile as he said, Greetings, fellow Daoists, I am Xiao Buyi. Im sure that many of you know of me already, and there are even some among you who have met me in person. As such, Ill skip the self-introduction and cut straight to the chase. Due to the fact that the Sand Race, which I am a member of, is partly responsible for holding this Four Races Auction, I was asked to act as the host. I wont elaborate too much on the rules of the auction, theyre completely the same as that of normal auctions. Seeing as all of you are attending an auction of this level of prestige, Im sure you all know basic auction rules and etiquette. Aside from that, I can disclose some information about the most precious auction items that are to be brought out near the conclusion of the auction, those auction items are definitely not inferior to any that have been offered during the last Four Races Auction. In fact, for some fellow Daoists, the final auction item will be far more valuable than even the Great Fortune Pill that was sold for the highest price during the last Four Races Auction. Alright, without further ado, let the auction begin!

Xiao Buyis voice wasnt very loud, but he had injected his spiritual power into it, so it was clearly audible to everyone in the auction hall. Just a simple introduction had piqued the interest of the hundreds of thousands of beings present.

In the instant that Xiao Buyis voice trailed off, a buzzing sound rang out from the blue formation again, and a dozen or so miniature light formations suddenly appeared on the empty table.

Immediately thereafter, spiritual light flashed, and a dozen or so boxes of different sizes emerged along with a palm-sized jade badge.

Everyones attention was immediately drawn to the table as a result.

Xiao Buyi strode forward and picked up the jade badge before seeping his spiritual sense into it to glean the information within. He then picked up one of the jade boxes before removing the lid as he announced, Similar to how the Four Races Auctions have operated in the past, the items well be auctioning off first will still be different types of materials. Well start off with this Phoenix Stone.

Xiao Buyi raised the box in his hand before him, and an object immediately hovered out from within.

It was a strange rainbow stone that resembled the shape of a bird.

Xiao Buyi inspected the stone briefly before announcing, Phoenix Stones are rare materials that can only be found at the sites where true phoenixes are born. They are extremely prized and sought-after both as a tool refinement materials, as well as a pill refinement ingredient. This Phoenix Stone weight 1.7 kilograms, and it is of the highest quality with no impurities whatsoever. The starting price for this item will be 2,000,00 spirit stones!

Phoenix Stones were extremely versatile in their uses, and 2,000,000 spirits stones was quite a modest starting price for such a large chunk.

Even Han Li was rather tempted to place a bid for it. Even if he had no use for it in the immediate term, he could purchase it so that hed always have it on hand for future usage if required.

However, the events that unfolded next immediately made him give up on the item.

As soon as Xiao Buyi announced the starting price of 2,000,000 spirit stones, bids came flying in thick and fast.

Xiao Buyi didnt even have to employ any auctioneer strategies to liven up the crowd, and the price was still quickly bid up to over 4,000,000 spirit stones, which was double the starting price.

In the end, the stone was purchased by a woman from the Dark Green Race for the lofty price of over 5,200,000 spirit stones.

She immediately issued the spirit stones on the spot in exchange for the item.

Even though Han Li had attended many prestigious auctions in the past, he still couldnt help but draw a sharp breath upon seeing this.

Phoenix Stones were indeed precious materials, but this price as way too staggering.

As such, Han Li naturally had no intention of joining in on the bidding.

After that, Xiao Buyi opened another jade box to reveal a shimmering golden spirit flower. Next up is a 6,000-year-old Golden Monarch Flower. These flowers are the perfect medicinal catalyst for refining some precious pills, and the starting price is 3,000,000 spirit stones.

The flower was comparable in size to a human head, and each and every one of its petals looked as if it had been forged from pure gold.

In stark contrast with the Phoenix Stone, the entire auction hall remained silent after the flower was revealed, and many people looked on with furrowed brows as an awkward atmosphere quickly began to permeate.

This wasnt a surprising occurrence. After all, most of the beings gathered here hadnt even ever heard of this so-called Golden Monarch Flower, yet it had an even higher starting price than the Phoenix Stone.

Han Li began to stroke his chin with a contemplative look on his face upon seeing this. This was also the first time he had ever seen this flower, but from the faint smile on Xiao Buyis face, it appeared that he was quite confident in this auction item.

3,000,000. Someone finally made a bid.

Many people turned toward the bidder to find that he was a thin and frail elderly man from an indeterminate race with a pair of white horns on his head.

3,200,000. Someone else immediately made another bid.

3,500,000!

3,800,000!

One bid after another rolled in from various locations in the auction hall, and there were only a dozen or so participants in the bidding, but the price was climbing just as quickly as it had for the Phoenix Stone.

It appeared that very few people knew how to use the flower, but the few beings that did held the flower in extremely high regard.

After the white-horned elderly man gritted his teeth and made a staggering bid of 7,000,000 spirit stones, all of the other bidders finally remained silent.

Thus, Xiao Buyi took out one auction item after another from the boxes on the table. All of the beings gathered here were high-grade cultivators, so he didnt have to present in-depth introductions for these items before they were sold after rounds of intense bidding.

After all of the items in the jade boxes had been sold, blue light flashed from the teleportation formation again, and seven or eight jade vials appeared on the table.

This time, several types of spirit liquid were being sold.

These items were all extremely precious, and countless beings clambered to place their bids in rapid succession.

The first few vials were all sold for prices that were three to four times their starting prices, and many beings in the auction hall were stunned by the ferocity of the bidding. freewbnoel.com

This was the beauty of auctions like this, the same item could be worth nothing to someone, but be regarded as a priceless treasure by others.

In the blink of an eye, all of the vials of spirit liquid had been sold aside from a final white vial.

Xiao Buyis expression had remained quite calm throughout the auction, but a hint of desire finally flashed through his eyes as he cast his gaze toward the final small vial.

He heaved a faint forlorn sigh before picking up the vial as he introduced in an extremely concise manner, This is half a vial of Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid. The starting price will be 18,000,000 spirit stones!

What? Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid?! Did I hear that right? How could this item possibly be sold in an auction?

And the starting price is only 18,000,000? Is it real?

How could that not be one of the final auction items? Its one of the seven most precious spirit liquids of our Spirit Realm!

The entire auction hall immediately burst into a frenzy as everyone stared at the small vial with incredulity and scorching yearning in their eyes.

There were even a few cries of surprise that rang out from within the cabins on the upper level, and Han Lis expression also changed drastically as he heard the name of this spirit liquid being announced.

When Han Li re-emerged from the Rich Aroma Pavilion, there were already many people making their way into the main hall of the auction house, indicating that the auction was about to commence.

Han Li immediately also followed suit without any hesitation.

The entrance to the main hall was about three to four times the size of the entrances leading to the side halls, and the number of blue-robed guards outside also far outstripped that of the guards stationed in front of the side halls.

However, these guards did nothing aside from maintaining basic order.

Han Li followed the crowd into the auction house in an inconspicuous manner, and after walking through the entrance, he found himself in a hall with several corridors leading elsewhere.

Each of the corridors had a sign hanging next to their entrances, upon which were written simple words like Appraisal, Pawn, and Hall. There was a young man standing next to each of the signs in a respectful manner, and they seemed to be employees of the auction house.

Han Li cast his gaze toward the signs, and a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes. After a brief pause, he made his way toward one of them, and asked, What can I expect to find in here?

The young man standing next to the Appraisal sign bowed, and replied, This is the place where auction items are taken to be appraised. If you have any precious items, they can be added to the list of auction items if the appraisers deem them to be worthy.

Oh, I see. Han Li nodded before making his way into the corridor.

Cai Liuying had promised to issue half of the expenses required for him to use the super teleportation formation, but the remaining half was still an astronomical sum that he had to take care of himself.

As such, Han Li wanted to sell off some items to the auction house as hed originally planned.

The corridor wasnt a very long one, after walking for several tens of feet and rounding a corner, Han Li found himself standing before a dark red door.

The door was wide open, but an azure light barrier concealed the entrance, and there were seven or eight foreign beings standing in a line in front of the light barrier.

Han Li was rather surprised to see this, but he made his way over to the line calmly before standing at the rear.

Azure light flashed, and the light barrier opened up of its own accord as a red-haired foreign being emerged from within. Judging from the wide smile on his face, he seemed to have received some good news.

The foreign being paid no heed to everyone else lined up outside as he passed through the crowd and made his way out of the corridor in high spirits.

Thus, the next person in the line proceeded to stride toward the light barrier.

After only about 10 minutes, everyone in front of Han Li had gone in and re-emerged, indicating that the appraisers were quite quick and efficient. However, four or five more beings had since joined the line before Han Li. It appeared that many people had the same plan as Han Li, choosing to sell off their items to the auction house right before the commencement of the auction.

After another foreign being emerged from the azure light barrier in a dejected manner, it was finally Han Lis turn, and he made his way into the room.

After stepping through the light barrier, Han Li found himself in a massive room that was over 300 feet in size. The entire room had been constructed from some kind of greyish-white stone, and there were many runes carved all over the surfaces of this material, thereby ensuring secrecy within this appraisal room.

There was also a jade table and three wooden chairs in the room, as well as a simple teleportation formation in the corner.

There were three murky white humanoid figures sitting on the chairs, and due to the fact that their bodies had been entirely concealed under spiritual light, there was no way to glean their true appearances.

Han Li reflexively swept his spiritual sense toward them, only to find that all three seemed to be carrying some kind of aura concealment treasure that completely thwarted his attempt to gauge their cultivation bases.

If you have something youd like to offer to the auction house, you can show it to the three of us now. However, our Four Races Auction will only be selling materials and treasures of an extremely high caliber, so if you dont have anything thats extremely rare or special, you can go to the side hall to sell your items there. On top of that, if youre dissatisfied with our appraisals, you can raise the issue to us, and well get another panel of three appraisers to offer their appraisals. The one who had spoken was the humanoid figure at the center of the trio, and she had a pleasant young female voice.

Thank you for the information, Im sure I have something that will be of interest to you. Han Li nodded before rustling his sleeves, then flipping his hands over to produce a green jade vial and a pristine white jade box.

Instead of approaching the three appraisers, Han Li tossed the items toward them from afar, and they were immediately caught by an invisible force before being slowly carried over to the trio.

The two humanoid figures who hadnt spoken immediately grabbed a container each before opening them.

As soon as the vial was opened, an extremely rich medicinal aroma wafted forth along with an indistinct dragons roar. A ball of green light then flew out of the vial, and the item within the light seemed to possess abundant spiritual nature.

The humanoid figure who was holding the vial let loose a faint cry of surprise as he hurried closed the vial again. At the same time, he swept a sleeve through the air, and a swath of white light shot forth to ensnare the ball of green light before drawing it into his grasp.

He stared intently at the ball of light to find that there was an azure pill within it. The surface of the pill was smooth and supple, and an extremely life-like silver dragon insignia could be seen on it.

The humanoid figure picked up the pill before taking a light whiff, then began to carefully appraise it in silence.

Meanwhile, the other humanoid figure also opened the white jade box in his hand to find that there was a green section of bamboo that was around half a foot in length within it.

The humanoid figure inspected the section of bamboo briefly before reaching out to touch it, upon which an arc of golden lightning that was as thick as a finger erupted from the surface of the bamboo amid a loud thunderclap.

This is Golden Lightning Bamboo! the humanoid figure exclaimed.

The woman in the middle was also quite surprised to hear this, but she repressed her shock as she cautioned, Golden Lightning Bamboo?! Please ensure that youve appraised it correctly, Brother Dao.

Rest assured, Ill be sure to appraise it carefully, the humanoid figure holding the jade box replied.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this, and he crossed his arms as he waited in silence.

Immediately thereafter, the humanoid figure reached a hand up into his sleeve before pulling out an inky-black gourd. The groud was only several inches in size and extremely intricate in design.

The humanoid figure tipped the gourd over and aimed its opening at the green section of bamboo in the jade box before gently patting the underside of the gourd.

Black light flashed from the opening of the gourd, and a fist-sized ball of black Qi was expelled before striking the green bamboo.

As soon as the two came into contact, a loud rumbling thunderclap erupted, and several arcs of golden lightning erupted once again to vanquish the black Qi.

After doing that, the humanoid figure still wasnt satisfied. He pulled out a green jar and released a burst of green Qi from within, only for that to also be destroyed by the arcs of lightning unleashed by the section of bamboo.

Theres no mistaking it, this is Golden Lightning Bamboo, Im sure of it! the humanoid figure confirmed.

Thank you for your efforts. How is the pill appraisal coming along, Fellow Daoist? The pill possesses some spiritual nature already, so it must be quite an extraordinary item as well, right? The woman nodded before turning to the other humanoid figure.

This pill predominantly contains wood-attribute power with earth and metal-attribute powers as secondary components. The pill has already attained very basic sentient will, and its suitable for consumption for seventh and eighth-tier upper race beings. However, if a ninth-tier upper race being were to consume it, the effect of the pill would be less than a tenth of what it would be otherwise. This pill can qualify as a first-grade pill. After staring at the pill for a long while, the humanoid figure was somehow able to gauge the properties of the Rising Dragon Pill down to a fault.

Even Han Li couldnt help but be struck by a hint of surprise upon hearing this unerringly accurate appraisal.

Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, this Golden Jade Bamboo and these pills both qualify as auction items. In particular, the section of Golden Jade Bamboo will be one of the most precious auction items that will be brought out near the end. By the way, is there a name for these pills? Also, Ill propose a starting price for both of these items, and you can tell me whether those starting prices are satisfactory to you, the woman said with a smile as she carefully appraised Han Li.

Before Han Li had a chance to say anything, she picked up a white jade badge from the table before quickly scribbling something on it with her fingertip, then tossing it to Han Li.

Han Li caught the jade badge and merely took a cursory glance at it before nodding as he replied, Im happy with these two starting prices. In any case, Im confident that these two items wouldnt actually be sold for just their starting prices. As for those pills, theyre called Rising Dragon Pills, and they were very difficult to refine.

Rising Dragon Pills, got it! Well sell these pills under that name. Please keep that jade badge safe, that will act as your receipt for you to claim the spirit stones for those two items at the conclusion of the auction, the woman reminded.

Ill be sure to do so. If thats all, then Ill be heading into the auction now. Han Li cupped his fist in a calm salute as he prepared to take his leave.

Enjoy the auction, Fellow Daoist. Well be sure to issue your spirit stones to you in secret at the end, the woman replied with a smile.

Han Li nodded before turning to leave.

It was unknown which of the trio was operating the restriction in the room, but none of the three appeared to have done anything before the azure light barrier parted to allow him passage.

After emerging from the appraisal room, Han Li paid no heed to everyone outside as he made his way out of the corridor in an unhurried manner.

There seemed to be even more foreign beings in the hall now, and a steady stream of people was filing into the corridor leading to the auction hall.

Han Li didnt delay any further as he also followed suit.

After passing through a passageway that was shimmering with yellow light, he found himself in a massive hall.

After assessing his surroundings, Han Li was slightly stunned to find that not only was the hall extremely large and spacious, it had also been split into upper, middle, and lower levels.

He couldnt tell what kind of material the middle and upper levels had been refined from, but they were entirely pristine white in color, and they managed to hover in mid-air despite the complete lack of support structures, creating quite a mysterious sight to behold.

The middle and lower levels were filled with sets of normal tables and chairs that were each situated around 10 feet away from one another, yet the upper level consisted of a series of cabins of the same size. Furthermore, these cabins were occasionally shimmering with spiritual light, thereby indicating that some kind of restriction had been applied to them.

It was quite clear that those cabins were reserved for beings of high status in Cloud City.

Han Li only took a quick glance at the upper level before withdrawing a gaze and finding a random obscure corner to sit down at, where he silently awaited the commencement of the auction.

A hint of surprise flashed through the womans eyes upon hearing this, but she then smiled, and said, Indeed, we will require you to do something for us in the Vast Glacial Realm. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Li, even though youre not a member of our 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, we are both relatively important figures in our respective races, so it wont be an issue for us to grant you a spot to enter the Vast Glacial Realm. As such, well be giving you this splendid opportunity in return for your help, what do you think?

A peculiar look appeared on Han Lis face. After a long while, he finally sighed, I havent reached a bottleneck in my cultivation, so entering the Vast Glacial Realm wont do me much good. On top of that, I can enter the Vast Glacial Realm without any additional effort on your part, Senior.

You can enter the Vast Glacial Realm without our help? Surely not! I can see that youre in disguise right now, but Im certain that youre not a being from one of our 13 races, how can an outsider like you have the right to enter the Vast Glacial Realm? A hint of surprise appeared on Duan Tianrens face as he spoke.

A flash of realization suddenly appeared in the Crystal womans eyes, and she chuckled, Dont be quick to jump to conclusions, Brother Duan. If were talking about outsiders, then there really is one who was granted the right to enter the Vast Glacial Realm recently. I think we need to stop referring to you as Fellow Daoist Li, isnt that right, Fellow Daoist Han?Han Li heaved an internal sigh upon hearing this.

As expected, these two beings were too powerful to be fooled by his disguise. Thankfully, from the sounds of it, they could tell that he was in disguise, but they still couldnt glean his true appearance.

After a brief pause to collect his thoughts, Duan Tianren mused, Fellow Daoist Han? Now that you mention it, I did hear someone in my race tell me about this. There was a certain outsider who activated a Vast Glacial Bage around a year ago, and he seemed to be requesting access to our super teleportation formation at the time as well.

Indeed. It appears that this Fellow Daoist Han and Fellow Daoist Li are one and the same, the woman said with a smile. Hehe, in that case, he has to enter the Vast Glacial Realm anyway, thatll save us a lot of hassle. Duan Tianren was quite elated to hear this.

I still dont know what youd like me to do, and on top of that, Ive accepted another mission from your Stone Cocoon Race as well, so itll be quite difficult for me to juggle two missions at once in the Vast Glacial Realm, Han Li said in a hesitant manner.

Oh, youre talking about gathering the tool refinement material, right? Dont worry, that wont take you long at all, so it definitely wont delay you. If you have to choose between one or the other, then naturally prioritize the task that Fellow Daoist Cai and I are assigning you. Even if you dont manage to gather the tool refinement material, our Stone Cocoon Race wouldnt hold you accountable as long as I have something to say about it, Duan Tianren said in a proud manner.

As for what task were going to be assigning you, seeing as its assured that youll be entering the Vast Glacial Realm, it couldnt hurt to divulge some of the details to you. What do you think, Brother Duan? the Crystal woman asked.If you think its fine, then go right ahead, I have no objections, Duan Tianren replied.

Its actually very simple. We need you and two other beings who also possess the Essencefused Body to combine your powers in order to open a hidden restriction in the Vast Glacial Realm, then secure a few times from within the restriction. Those items will assist Brother Duan and me greatly in our heavenly tribulations, and if you succeed, our survival will essentially be ensured for the next few tens of thousands of years, the woman elaborated in a serious manner.

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this, and he couldnt help but think of Qing Yuanzi, who was hiding in the infernal river.

Despite his extraordinary cultivation base, he had no choice but to reside in a space outside of the main ream in order to delay his next major heavenly tribulation.

At their cultivation bases, dying of old age was no longer a concern, but the major heavenly tribulations that were guaranteed to befall them periodically was something that they had to try to avoid or delay at all cost.

It seemed that even after reaching the Body Integration Stage, one still had to toil away in the ever-present hamster wheel of cultivation.

Han Li heaved an internal sigh as he came to that conclusion.

The Crystal woman continued, This restriction is something we discovered in the Vast Glacial Realm back before we reached the holy race, and I wasnt able to open it at the time, but I was lucky enough to learn some information about it through other avenues. There are a few items in there that are next to useless for upper race beings like you, but theyre life-saving treasures to holy race beings like us.

Seeing as this restriction lies in the Vast Glacial Realm, then doesnt that mean it wouldve been left behind by an immortal? Ive heard that many beings have perished within various restrictions in the Vast Glacial Realm, are you really certain that well be able to bypass it unscathed, Senior? Han Li asked in a cautious manner.

Perhaps my combat prowess is slightly inferior compared to that of the average holy race being, but in terms of mastery in restrictions, I can confidently say that Im ranked within the top five beings in all of the Heavenly Cloud Races. At the time, I painstakingly studied the restriction to find that it had existed for countless years, and the vast majority of its power had already faded. Otherwise, I wouldve completely given up on it from the get-go. Do you not believe me, Fellow Daoist? the woman asked with a meaningful look in her eyes.

I wouldnt dare, Han Li hurriedly replied.

It would only be natural for you to be skeptical under these circumstances. Rest assured, I may be a woman, but Im not so petty as to begrudge you for doubting my words. I spent over 1,000 years to devise this method to break the restriction using the powers of three beings with Essencefused Bodies, and theres at least a 70% to 80% chance that it would succeed. As for the other two beings with Essencefused Bodies, theyve been here in Cloud City this entire time. One of them was naturally born with the constitution and is currently a guest member of our Crystal Race, the other acquired the Essencefused Body through assistance from Bother Duan. If they were to join forces with you, Im sure the three of you will be able to break that restriction, the woman said in a confident manner.

If Senior Duan can help a being attain the Essencefused Body, then why didnt he just replicate that with another being rather than wait all this time? Han Li asked with furrowed brows.

The other being was only able to attain the Essencefused Body with Brother Duans assistance through the use of Essencefused Stones. These stones are extremely rare, and its very difficult for beings to absorb them into their bodies. At the time, Brother Duan attempted to assist six of his brethren to attain the Essencefused Body at once, but only one of them succeeded. After that, we couldnt gather any more Essencefused Stones, so that course of action was no longer feasible. At the core of the matter, we simply want to ask you to help the other two break a restriction in the Vast Glacial Realm, were not asking you to take some kind of outrageous risk, the woman explained.

After a brief pause, a wry smile appeared on Han Lis face. I probably have no choice but to agree, right? Hehe, what do you think? At this moment, Duan Tianren had finished his flagon of wine, and he turned to Han Li with a cold expression on his face.

If it really is as simple as you say, then Im naturally willing to help. However, the Vast Glacial Realm is fraught with peril, and that restriction was very likely left behind by an immortal, so there could be many unpredictable circumstances involved. Will you really be able to ensure my safety? Han Li asked after taking a deep breath.

Hehe, nothing is set in stone in this world. Even if I were to guarantee your safety, would you believe me? the woman asked with a hint of a smile on her face.

Han Li fell silent for a moment before continuing, Seeing as youre unable to make that promise, Id like you to agree to two conditions of mine in return. As opposed to being annoyed, the woman was quite relieved to hear this. The fact that Han Li was willing to state conditions indicated that he was willing to undertake this task. Of course! Even if you didnt state any conditions, Brother Duan and I would be sure to reward you handsomely for your efforts as long as you succeed.

My first condition is very simple. As you know, I wish to access the super teleportation formation after returning from the Vast Glacial Realm, but using the teleportation formation requires the expenditure of a vast number of top-grade spirit stones. Im afraid I wont be able to issue such a massive sum on my own, Han Li said in a calm manner.

Using the super teleportation formation does indeed require the expenditure of an astronomical number of top-grade spirit stones. How about this? Ill supply half of the spirit stones required, are you happy with that? the woman promised without any hesitation.

It seemed that providing this astonishing sum wasnt an issue for her at all.

Han Li was rather taken aback by the fact that she was willing to offer so many spirit stones to help his cause, but he merely smiled as he continued, Thank you, Senior. My second condition is that after breaking the restriction, I want all of the other treasures aside from the few designated ones.

No problem. We only want those few treasures, so you and the other two fellow Daoists can take everything else, the woman immediately replied, seemingly completely unsurprised by this condition.

She didnt even discuss the matter with Duan Tianren, but he merely glanced at the woman and didnt state any objections.

Im not a greedy person, seeing as youve accepted both of my conditions, I have no further objections. Im willing to lend you my assistance after entering the Vast Glacial Realm. Han Li rose to his feet as he cupped his fist in a salute.

Great! With your help, Im sure well enjoy resounding success. Brother Duan and I will visit you to disclose the specific details closer to the opening of the Vast Glacial Realm. Also, I hope that you wont reveal what we discussed here to anyone else, the woman cautioned with a smile.Rest assured, Senior, Ill be sure to keep this a secret. If thats all, then Ill be taking my leave, Han Li replied with a respectful bow.

Alright, you can go now. If you encounter any difficulties during this time, you can refer to myself and Brother Duan as your backers, that should take care of most troubles that come your way. Oh right, you still dont know my full name, right? Im Cai Liuying, the woman said with a smile.

All of a sudden, Han Li felt a scorching sensation in his dantian, which then spread through his limbs, meridians, and all over his body to create an extremely comfortable sensation.

Han Li closed his eyes to savor the aftertaste of the wine for a long while before finally praising in a heartfelt manner, This wine is indeed extraordinary! This is the first time Ive had such delectable spirit wine.

Hehe, if that werent the case, then I wouldnt come here every year to beg for wine, Duan Tianren chortled heartily.

It is a great honor for me that you two enjoy my spirit wine. However, we didnt invite you here just to drink wine, Fellow Daoist Han, the woman said with a smile.

Han Lis heart stirred upon hearing this, and he put down his cup as he asked, Im also quite curious, why did you and Senior Duan ask me to come here?

Seeing as youve raised the question, I wont waste any more time. Fellow Daoist Li, would you be able to roll up that sleeve so I can see your hand? the woman asked with a peculiar look on her face.

My hand? Han Li feigned a surprised expression, but he actually heaved a long sigh of relief internally.

It appeared that these two werent after his profound heavenly treasure.

Indeed, Id like to see your hand, the woman confirmed as she pointed at Han Lis sleeve.

Alright, no problem, Han Li reluctantly agreed after a long hesitation.

He then rolled up his sleeve to reveal his hand, and it appeared to be no different from the average human hand.

The womans brows furrowed upon seeing this, following which the crystal on her glabella flashed as a streak of silver light shot forth. The streak of light hurtled through the air at an astonishing speed, reaching Han Li in the blink of an eye before stabbing down with ferocious might toward the hand that Han Li had just unveiled.

The woman appeared to be quite warm and gentle, but she was attacking without any premonition in a display that completely belied her appearance.

Han Li was completely caught off guard by this attack, and he reflexively spread his fingers apart before grabbing toward the silver streak of light.

The silver light struck his palm with a loud clang, following which the sound of metal grating on metal rang out.

Han Li then grabbed onto the silver streak of light before unfurling his fingers to reveal a silver needle that was several inches in length.

The needle was shimmering with translucent light and trembling slightly in his hand, seemingly possessing extremely abundant spiritual nature.

At this moment, Han Lis entire hand had already turned a glossy black color as if it had been forged entirely from black iron.

On top of that, a shimmering silver miniature mountain insignia had appeared on the back of his hand, and that was none other than a manifestation of the Divine Essencefused Mountain.

After mastering the Hundred Meridian Refinement Mantra, the mountain had completely fused as one with his hand, so despite the lethality of the silver needle that the woman had unleashed, there was no way that it would be wound him.

However, Han Li wasnt triumphant in the slightest to have withstood that attack. Instead, his expression darkened significantly.

In contrast, the Crystal woman was staring at his black hand with undisguised excitement in her eyes, and Duan Tianren also wore an elated expression on his face.

You really do possess an acquired Essencefused Body. In that case, well be able to achieve our objective! the woman murmured to herself before raising a hand, and the silver needle escaped Han Lis grasp before flying back to her.

In the end, the needle disappeared into the crystal on her glabella in a flash.

Han Li took a deep breath to compose himself before asking, What do you mean by Essencefused Body, Senior?

An Essencefused Body naturally refers to someone capable of using the Divine Essencefused Light. Seeing as youve fused an Essencefused Treasure with your body, you technically possess an acquired Essencefused Body. Speaking of which, this cultivation art that allows you to fuse a treasure into your body is quite similar in effect to the cultivation art youre using, Fellow Daoist Duan. The only difference is that instead of treasures, you fuse all types of precious tool refinement materials into your body instead, Brother Duan. The woman seemed to be in very high spirits.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he didnt ask any questions. He knew that the woman would definitely explain the situation to him anyway, even if he didnt ask her anything.

As expected, seeing as Han Li wasnt saying anything, the woman continued, Even though weve essentially confirmed that you possess an Essencefused Body, I still want to see you release your Divine Essencefused Light. You wouldnt turn down that request from me, would you, Fellow Daoist Li?

Instead of answering the question, Han Li merely waved a hand before him, and a layer of grey light instantly surfaced to create a light barrier around his body. freewebnove.com

The womans eyes lit up upon seeing this, and she rubbed her hands together before raising them toward Han Li.

A string of spluttering sounds rang out, following which several crimson fireballs flew toward him.

Initially, they were only fist-sized fireballs, but not long after they left her hand, they swelled to the size of human heads, and seemed to be quite powerful as well.

Han Li looked on at these fireballs and displayed no intent to evade them, merely allowing them to strike his grey light barrier in quick succession instead.

As soon as the fireballs came into contact with the grey light barrier, they disappeared amid dull thumps like sandcastles in the rising tide, completely vanishing before they could unleash any power.

Theres no mistaking it, Divine Essencefused Light combats the power of the five elements. From the ease with which youre using your Divine Essencefused Light, I can tell that youve clearly cultivated it to the maximal extent, and your mastery of it is no less proficient than in those who are born with Essencefused Bodies. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Duan? The woman clapped her hands with elation before turning to Duan Tianren.

A peculiar light flashed through Duan Tianrens eyes upon hearing this, and he suddenly made a grabbing motion toward Han Li.

Several large runes flashed from his fingertips, following which a vast expanse of grey light surged forth, sweeping directly toward Han Li.

Divine Essencefused Light! Han Li exclaimed with alarm as he looked on at the familiar grey light surging toward him.

He then reflexively made a hand seal, and brilliant light erupted from the grey light barrier around the body as it prepared to withstand Duan Tianrens Divine Essencefused Light.

Immediately thereafter, the two bursts of grey light flashed amid a string of strange crackling noises.

Even though both bursts of light were grey in color, it was not impossible to tell the difference between the two.

It was quite clear that the color of Duan Tianrens Divine Essencefused Light was slightly darker, but it was clearly more volatile and unstable, as if he were unable to completely control it as he pleased.

A hint of surprise flashed through Han Lis eyes, and after a brief pause for contemplation, he suddenly pointed an inky-black finger toward the grey light up ahead. All of the Divine Essencefused Light suddenly converged toward the center to form a large ball of light that rapidly rotated on the spot.

An astonishing scene then ensued.

The grey light unleashed by Duan Tianren seemed to have encountered a massive vortex, and it all disappeared into the ball of light in a flash.

Alright, thats enough! Even though Fellow Daoist Lis Essencefused Body is an acquired one, its quite clear that hes far more proficient in using the Divine Essencefused Light than you are, Brother Duan. Tsk tsk, his level of mastery is no different from that of a being naturally born with an Essencefused Body, the woman remarked with a wide smile.

Hmph, of course thats the case. My Divine Essencefused Light is only released from forcibly using my magic power to activate the Essencefused Stones that Ive fused with my body, so theres no way it can compare with Fellow Daoist Lis Divine Essencefused Light. Tsk tsk, speaking of which, your secret art to fuse treasures with your body is quite extraordinary, Fellow Daoist Li, Duan Tianren clicked his tongue with wonder.

Its quite fortunate that you fused a large quantity of Essencefused Stones into my body. Otherwise, you wouldnt have been able to detect the Essencefused Treasure within Fellow Daoist Lis body, the woman said with a smile.

Han Li was left a little speechless upon hearing this.

At this moment, Duan Tianren raised a hand to withdraw the Divine Essencefused Light that hed released, then lowered his arm in a calm manner.

Han Li also made a hand seal to withdraw the silver light around him before asking, There must be a reason why you hold this ability in such high regard, right, Senior?

We do have our reasons, of course. In all honesty, weve waited thousands of years for someone capable of wielding the Divine Essencefused Light, but we were still unable to gather enough people, so wed originally already given up. Who wouldve thought that youd appear us at this juncture to rekindle our hopes? the woman replied with an excited gleam in her eyes.

Gather enough people? Does that mean you found others with the Essencefused Body as well? Han Li was quite surprised to hear this.

Of course. Well have to tell you everything eventually, so Ill fill you in now. We have an objective that we want to achieve, and only beings with mastery of the Divine Essencefused Light can achieve it, but one person alone definitely isnt enough. After searching for thousands of years, Brother Duan and I have found three beings with the Essencefused Body, including yourself, the woman explained.

The Divine Essencefused Light isnt a unique secret cultivation art, but its most definitely extremely rare, so we werent confident at all that wed be able to gather enough people, but it appears that the heavens have blessed us with immense fortune, the woman continued with a smile.

Alright, I now understand why I was invited here, but how may I be of assistance to you, Senior? Han Li asked with a wry smile.

Thats quite an important matter, and I can only reveal the specific details to you after discussing some things with Brother Duan. However, one thing is for sure, well need you to do something for us, and well require your services at several years to a century from now, the woman replied.

What? Several years to a century? Han Lis brows furrowed upon hearing this familiar timeframe.

Is there something wrong, Fellow Daoist Li? the Crystal woman asked.

Han Li was silent for a long while before a peculiar look appeared on his face, and he asked, Does this have something to do with the Vast Glacial Realm?

Han Li had originally planned to disguise himself before selling off some of his spirit medicines and spirit herbs in exchange for spirit stones.

However, after what had just happened, he had become the center of everyones attention, so he naturally wouldnt be able to act according to his initial plan.

As such, following a brief moment of contemplation, he departed from the side hall, seemingly in a calm manner. He then arrived at a plot of empty land reserved for beast-drawn carriages to park at, then cast a solemn gaze across the street.

When he had first arrived, he hadnt noticed this so-called Rich Aroma Pavilion, but now that he was actively searching for it, he discovered that there really was such a place.

The pavilion wasnt very large, but it was situated almost directly across from the auction house. The building was three levels tall, and there was a sign hanging above the door with flowing and elegant text inscribed upon it.

After a brief moment of observation, Han Li discovered that in contrast with all of the other nearby buildings, which were all quite lively and bustling, there was no one entering or exiting the pavilion at all.

This was the place that Duan Tianren had asked him to go to.

Han Li was feeling rather hesitant about how to proceed. The auction wasnt going to commence for some time, and before ascertaining Duan Tianrens true intentions, he wouldnt be able to focus on the auction anyway.

As such, he suddenly rustled a sleeve, and his hand reached out from within as he appraised it in an expressionless manner.

The hand was inky-black in color, and it was none other than the hand in which the Divine Essencefused Mountain had been infused.

Han Lis brows furrowed slightly.

Duan Tianren had done his best to disguise this, but through the use of his spirit eye ability, Han Li was still able to see that his gaze had almost been focused entirely on this sleeve of his.

However, he didnt know whether it was just his hand that had caught Duan Tianrens interest or his entire arm instead.

If it were the former, then he was most likely interested in the Divine Essencefused Mountain, but if it were the latter…

Han Lis heart sank slightly as a realization dawned on him.

At the thought of his arm, Han Li abruptly raised his other hand and stroked a certain section of his arm through his sleeve.

Even though he couldnt sense anything amiss in that arm, it was undeniably true that the longsword that the Profound Heavenly Fruit had transformed into was sealed within his arm.

Could it be that Duan Tianren had managed to detect the existence of that sword?

Han Li was growing more and more uneasy as he followed this train of thought.

He was still oblivious to the fact that the many races, including the human race and the Flying Spirit Race had been indirectly affected by this profound heavenly treasure, and nor was he aware that some smaller races had even been entirely slain to facilitate a blood sacrifice due to this. However, he had witnessed the power of the sword in person, and he knew that if he could use the sword at will someday without crippled by it, hed essentially be invincible in the Spirit Realm.

As such, even though he had only used the sword once, it had already become one his biggest secrets, second only to that mysterious small vial and it was even more important to him than his mature Gold Devouring Beetles.

However, it wasnt very likely that this Stone Cocoon Race elder had actually managed to detect the presence of the profound heavenly treasure within his body. Otherwise, Qian Jizi wouldve been able to detect it as well.

Even though the profound heavenly treasure was sealed within his arm, even he couldnt detect its presence unless attempted to wield it.

Of course, it wasnt impossible that Duan Tianren possessed some kind of special secret technique that allowed him to detect the profound heavenly treasure.

In any case, he was no march for a being at the pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage as he currently was, and even without the wisp of spiritual power that Duan Tianren had injected into his body, it would be next to impossible for him to escape from the heavily guarded Cloud City anyway. Hence, he essentially had no choice but to do as he was told regardless of whether it would spell fortune or disaster for him.

Thus, after hesitating for a long while, Han Li finally gritted his teeth and made his way toward the Rich Aroma Pavilion.

Thankfully, even if Duan Tianren really were interested in his profound heavenly treasure, there was no immediate threat to his life.

Han Li made his way into the Rich Aroma Pavilion in a slightly resigned manner to find that there was a handsome young Crystal being standing inside by the entrance.

This was a Core Formation Stage Crystal being, and he immediately greeted Han Li with a smile as he said, Senior Li, right? Elder Duan has already been waiting in the fourth VIP booth for a long time. Please come with me, Senior.

Han Li glanced around at the first level of the pavilion, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes, but he merely nodded, and said, Lead the way.

The entire hall around him was completely empty without any ornaments or furniture at all, and the walls were constructed from some kind of unknown material that was flashing with faint blue light.

Thus, the Crystal being led Han Li up a staircase, and a short while later, Han Li found himself on the third floor of the pavilion, standing in front of a booth that was enshrouded under faint golden light.

The Crystal being stopped there and made a hand seal before raising a hand toward the door of the booth.

A burst of silver light immediately shot forth from within his sleeve, following which he stepped away to the side in a respectful manner.

Moments later, a voice sounded from within the booth.

Seeing as youre already here, then come in.

Han Li was rather bewildered to hear this voice as it belonged to a woman.

Right at this moment, golden flashed up ahead, the and door to the booth slowly opened of its own accord.

After a brief hesitation, Han Li strode into the booth, and the door swung shut again amid another flash of golden light.

I pay my respects to my two Seniors! Han Li cupped his fist in a calm salute after cast his gaze around the booth.

This was an antiquated room that was over 100 feet in size, and there were two beings sitting beside a table in there.

One of them was Duan Tianren, while the other was a Crystal Race beauty who appeared to be in her thirties, and she was at the early-Body Integration Stage.

The female voice that Han Li had heard earlier undoubtedly belonged to this woman.

No need for excessive formalities, Fellow Daoist Li, please take a seat, the woman said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Duan Tianren was pouring wine directly into his mouth from a pink wine flagon, and he showed no sign of stopping even as he glanced at Han Li out of the corner of his eye.

Even for Han Li, who very rarely consumed alcoholic beverages, the rich fragrant aroma emanating from the wine was quite tempting to him.

Thus, after extending another respectful salute, Han Li took a seat on one of the other chairs in the booth.

At this moment, the woman turned to appraise Han Li, and he could sense that her gaze paused momentarily when it traveled to his sleeve.

It appeared that Duan Tianren had to have told her something.

Han Lis brows furrowed slightly, and he felt as if he had landed himself in a lot of hot water. All of the Crystal beings were extremely intelligent, and high-grade Crystal beings that could cultivate to the Body Integration Stage were all supremely prodigious beings.

As such, it wouldnt be easy to try and swindle these two.

Duan Tianren finally finished the contents of the entire wine flagon before wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he said, Alright, hes here, and Ive told you everything I need to tell you. The rest is up to you now, Fairy Cai. Im just a thick-skulled idiot, so using my brain certainly isnt my forte, but I have to get the biggest share out of the things that we obtain in the end.

Theres no rush, Brother Duan. Ive only heard a verbal account from you, so I have to verify the specific details for myself, the woman said with a smile.

You can do whatever you want. In any case, Ive verified it in person, and Im sure its real. By the way, your Nine Fragrance Spirit Wine is becoming more and more delectable by the day, get me another flagon, will you? Duan Tianren waved the empty wine flagon in his hand in a demanding manner.

Do you really think my Rich Aroma Pavilion is a pub, Brother Duan? It takes 100 years just to brew around 10 jugs of this Nine Aroma Spirit Wine, and youve already drunk three flagons. Next time you come here, I can only bring out some ordinary spirit wine for you. The woman rolled her eyes at Duan Tianren, but she still complied in the end. A green wine jug appeared in her hands amid a flash of spiritual light, and she refilled the pink wine flagon in Duan Tianrens hand.

Haha, thats because youre the only one in Cloud City who knows how to brew this wine. Ive asked to purchase the brewing method from you on several occasions, but you refuse to sell it to me. It really is quite strange how youre able to brew the finest spirit wine in the entire Cloud City when you dont even drink wine yourself, Duan Tianren said with an amused smile after downing another large mouthful of wine.

I never proclaimed that my wine is the best in Cloud City, this is merely an honorary title given to me by other fellow Daoists. On top of that, Im not refusing to give you the brewing method because Im stingy. Instead, its because the brewing method is closely related to the cultivation arts that Im using, so you wouldnt be able to brew this Nine Aroma Spirit Wine even if I were to give you the method, the woman chuckled.

Duan Tianren merely smiled in response before continuing to chug down wine without offering a reply.

Meanwhile, the woman flipped a hand over to produce a fist-sized golden cup, which she filled with wine from her jug before offering it to Han Li.

The cup was enveloped by a ball of green light and slowly hovered toward him.

The fact that youve come here today shows that you must have some affinity with my Rich Aroma Pavilion, why dont you have some Nine Aroma Spirit Wine as well? the woman said with a smile as Han Li reflexively caught the cup of wine.

Thank you, Senior, Han Li replied in a grateful manner, but he didnt immediately down the contents of the cup. Instead, he looked down at the golden cup in his hand to find that this so-called Nine Aroma Spirit Wine was translucent and viscous, and slightly pink in color. With the golden cup acting as a backdrop, it was as if he were holding a mesmerizing miniature lake filled with agate rocks.

There was also a unique aroma wafting from the wine in the cup, and as he took a faint whiff, the aroma changed several times in an instant, presenting quite an extraordinary phenomenon.

Not only is my spirit wine extremely aromatic, consumption of it can clear the eyes and cleanse the body. Each and every mouthful of wine can save you over a month of arduous cultivation, the woman introduced.

I am extremely fortunate to be able to taste such extraordinary wine. At this point, Han Li had also ascertained that the wine in the cup hadnt been tampered with, so he raised the cup to his lips to take a sip.

He felt as if a block of glacial ice had entered his mouth, immediately following which the block of ice melted and turned into a warm liquid that extremely smooth and aromatic.

The captivating aroma then slid down his throat and into his stomach, even without the need for Han Li to actively swallow.