Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 954

The appraiser, responsible for examining the bamboo, took a deep breath and produced a jet-black gourd. He then extracted a dark energy and channeled it onto the bamboo.

*Kwarurung!*

A thunderous sound echoed as golden lightning bolts lashed out at the dark energy. However, Han Li simply smiled, arms crossed, and waited patiently.

When the dark energy had completely dissipated, he produced a green bottle and poured its contents onto the bamboo. The result was the same.

“Indeed. I, this old one, am certain it is Golden Thunder Bamboo,” the appraiser declared with a sigh.

“Thank you for your efforts. Fellow Daoist, what about the pill? It possesses spiritual properties, so it cannot be ordinary,” the woman said, nodding and turning to the other appraiser.

“It’s a pill primarily focused on wood properties, but it also contains earth and metal properties. It already possesses spiritual properties, making it suitable for cultivators in the 7th and 8th levels of the Upper Realm [a higher cultivation realm]. Even those in the 9th level would experience a tenth of its effects. It’s a precious pill indeed,” the appraiser of the pill stated, accurately identifying the effects of the Ascending Dragon Pill. Han Li was slightly surprised by this.

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist! Not only the Golden Thunder Bamboo but also the pill can be put up for auction at this event. The Golden Thunder Bamboo, in particular, will be among the final items showcased. Ah, could you tell us the name of this pill? And here is the minimum price we have in mind for the auction. Are you satisfied?” the woman asked, smiling at Han Li. She wrote something on a white jade tablet before tossing it to him. Han Li checked the amount and nodded.

“The minimum price seems acceptable. In any case, these aren’t items that will be sold at the minimum price. And the name of the pill is ‘Ascending Dragon Pill.’ It’s an extremely difficult item to refine.”

“Ascending Dragon Pill, a fine name. We’ll put it up for auction then! After the auction, you can bring that jade tablet and receive your share, Fellow Daoist.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll be on my way. I’ll see you after the auction.”

“Yes, we will keep your items safe.”

As Han Li turned to leave, one of the appraisers manipulated a restriction, and a protective barrier flickered open. Han Li passed by other cultivators waiting for appraisals and slowly exited the passage.

In the main hall, numerous alien races were gathered, but most were moving toward the passage marked ‘Auction Grand Hall.’ He didn’t hesitate and followed them.

After passing through a yellow-lit passage, a massive hall came into view. The three-story hall was spotless, as if made of some special material.

The first and second floors were filled with ordinary tables and chairs, but the second and third floors were suspended in the air without any pillars, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

Also, on the third floor, there were private rooms with restrictions covered in spiritual light. These were undoubtedly seats for those with status and position in Yun City.

Han Li glanced around and soon found a spot in an inconspicuous area.

While waiting for the auction, numerous alien races entered the Auction Grand Hall. The third floor still had some space, but the first and second floors were almost full.

The participants in the auction ranged from Nascent Soul cultivators [a lower cultivation stage] to Integration stage cultivators [a higher cultivation stage], and Han Li recognized five people, including Dan Cheon-in and Cheon Gi-ja.

There were 60 to 70 people seated on the third floor, and the thought that they were all Integration stage or higher made him sigh.

Although 13 races were gathered in Yun City, and there were other alien races, it was surprising that so many Integration stage beings were gathered in one city. When he was in Cheonyeon City, there were only about ten people from both the Human and Demon races combined.

*Ding! Ding! Ding!*

The bell rang three times, and five-colored lights spread out brilliantly as the doors of the Auction Grand Hall slowly closed. Once the doors closed, the auction would begin.

At the front of the hall, a tall stage was set up. The only difference was that there were humanoid puppets holding silver spears next to the stage.

In the center of the stage, a navy-blue formation was spread out, and a red table could be seen inside it. The table was also densely covered with magic characters, suggesting it had some special purpose.

*Whoong!*

Finally, the doors closed, and the navy-blue formation glowed and hummed softly. Then, someone appeared from behind the table. The navy-blue formation was a teleportation array.

The elegantly dressed middle-aged man was wearing a silk robe, and his beardless white face was no different from that of a human. But after scanning the crowd, he was startled.

The middle-aged man was in the mid-Integration stage and exuded a dangerous aura. Perhaps he was a well-known figure in Yun City, because as soon as he appeared, the noisy hall fell silent.

Many cultivators showed fear upon seeing the middle-aged man on the stage. The middle-aged man surveyed the hall and smiled.

“Most of the cultivators gathered here know that I am So Po-ui. So, I will skip the introductions and get straight to the point. This Four-Race Auction is hosted by the Four-Race Alliance, and I will be overseeing it. The auction rules are the same as other auctions.

To give you a preview of the auction items, the organizers expect this auction to have higher bids than any other Four-Race Auction. There will be items that surpass the highest bid recorded so far, the ‘Creation Pill.’ With that said, let’s begin the Four-Race Auction.”

So Po-ui did not raise his voice, but he spoke with spiritual power so that every cultivator in the hall could hear him clearly. It was simple and concise, but it was enough to capture the attention of the cultivators gathered in the hall.

*Whoong.*

As he finished speaking, a dozen or so miniature light formations appeared on the table. Each formation flickered, and a dozen or so large and small boxes and a jade tablet appeared.

The auction participants stared intently at the table. So Po-ui picked up the jade tablet, quickly scanned its contents, and calmly opened the first jade box.

“The first items I will introduce are various materials and ingredients. First, let’s look at this Phoenix Stone.”

As he floated the jade box in the air, a five-colored stone resembling a bird appeared.

“The Phoenix Stone is a rare material found only in places where True Phoenixes are born. It can be used to great effect whether you are refining magical artifacts or adding it to pills. This is a Phoenix Stone of the highest quality with no impurities. The starting price is 2 million spirit stones.”

Han Li was also moved by So Po-ui’s explanation. The Phoenix Stone was quite large and had many uses, so 2 million spirit stones was a reasonable price.

‘Even if I don’t need it now, I might need it someday.’

However, he quickly gave up on the idea due to the situation that unfolded. The cultivators were raising the price without hesitation.

“3.5 million!”

“4 million!”

The price of the Phoenix Stone easily exceeded 4 million, and when a Murok race woman won the bid, it had risen to 5.2 million. She paid the spirit stones on the spot and took the item.

It was an astonishing amount for those who were new to the Yun City auction, like Han Li.

‘It’s a good item, but isn’t the price too high?’

“This is a 6,000-year-old Golden King Flower. It’s perfect for enhancing the medicinal properties of rare pills. The starting price is 3 million.”

So Po-ui opened the next jade box and took out a golden flower. The flower petals had magic characters floating on them and looked as hard as if they were made of gold.

Unlike the Phoenix Stone, there was a moment of silence in the hall. Some frowned, while others looked puzzled. Most of them were hearing the name ‘Golden King Flower’ for the first time.

Han Li also stroked his chin and pondered, but it was a flower he had never seen before. However, So Po-ui on the stage remained calm and smiled.

“3 million.”

Finally, someone offered a price. Quite a few people turned their heads toward the source of the voice. There, a thin old man with white horns on his head was sitting.

“4.2 million.”

Someone else spoke up.

“4.5 million!”

“4.8 million.”

As soon as the old man called out a price, others began to offer prices in competition. Although the number was not large, the momentum of the price increase was the same as before. It seemed they knew the true use of the Golden King Flower.

The Golden King Flower was finally won by the old man after he gritted his teeth and called out 7 million. The auction continued in this manner, and each item that was brought out was a rare material that was hard to find in ordinary shops.

After all the dozen or so boxes were sold, and the light formations flickered, they brought out jade bottles containing spiritual liquids and spiritual water.

The liquids in the jade bottles were incredibly rare, and as soon as their identities were revealed, several people rushed to compete. Most of them were sold for more than three or four times the minimum price, making those with lower cultivation levels feel chills down their spines.

After all the spiritual liquids disappeared, only a milky white small bottle remained on the table. Even So Po-ui, who had been expressionless until now, had a different look in his eyes when he looked at the last bottle.

He sighed as if he regretted it and pulled the jade bottle toward him with one hand.

“Half a bottle of Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid. Starting price is 18 million!”

Many people were momentarily in an uproar, as if they couldn’t believe it.

“G-Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid? Such a precious item is up for auction?”

“Isn’t that one of the seven great spiritual liquids of the Spirit Realm [a higher realm]!”

Many people looked greedily at the small bottle that So Po-ui was holding.

Even from the private rooms on the third floor, various noises could be heard. Han Li, who was sitting in a corner of the hall, also had a change in expression upon hearing the name of the spiritual liquid.

‘Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid!’

It was one of the main ingredients that Qing Yuan-ja had asked him to gather. It was one of the essential ingredients for refining Integration stage pills, and just one drop could reduce cultivation time by a year.

So, how high would its value be!

Also, the Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid was not extracted from trees or stones but was refined from rare extraterrestrial fire, making it extremely difficult to obtain.

Therefore, when Han Li looked at the materials that Qing Yuan-ja had asked him to gather, it was one of the items he thought would be the most difficult to obtain.

‘To suddenly see the Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid here! And the price…’

18 million spirit stones was an enormous amount, but it was incredibly cheap compared to the value of the spiritual liquid. Han Li was sure that So Po-ui would explain the strangely low price.

It wasn’t just him who was thinking this, as the cultivators in the hall also had complicated expressions. So Po-ui, who was observing the reactions on the stage, smiled and said,

“I believe everyone is surprised by the price of the Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid. The reason is that this spiritual liquid was damaged during the refining process in the extraterrestrial fire. However, I guarantee that its efficacy is the same. The effect will be greatly reduced, though.”

“A flawed product!”

The noisy hall fell silent. Everyone was in a dilemma. Although flawed treasures had been traded before, the reviews after the auction were not good. Pills and magical artifacts were both strict about the amount and quality of the required materials.

There were many cases where using flawed treasures resulted in a significant drop in power or even failure in refining. The hall’s atmosphere cooled down as if ice water had been poured on it.

“A flawed treasure for 18 million! Isn’t the starting price too high rather than low!” a man on the third floor said sarcastically.

“If you are not interested in the Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid, Fellow Daoist Yeol, then it doesn’t matter whether the price is high or low. However, those who have a fire spirit as their main body, like you, Fellow Daoist, would need this spiritual liquid more than anyone else, wouldn’t they?” So Po-ui calmly retorted, looking at the private room on the third floor.

“If it were a perfect item, I would have obtained it by any means, but what use is a flawed product?” Fellow Daoist Yeol remained indifferent and still grumbled. This time, So Po-ui did not answer and pointed at the jade bottle. Then, a blue light flickered, and the bottle’s stopper shot up.

*Shhh!*

A bright red pillar of light shot out of the bottle, and a red mass of liquid slowly floated up. The red light looked like a brilliant jewel.