Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 958

Many people tried to examine the puppets using their spiritual senses. However, those who released their senses were startled. A strange suction force emanated from the chariot, drawing in their spiritual senses.

Fortunately, since the chariot didn’t have an owner yet, they quickly retracted their senses without suffering any damage. This further highlighted the chariot’s mystique, causing many to covet it.

Han Li was also interested, but he soon smiled wryly and gave up on the idea. He hadn’t even heard the price yet, but if it was a treasure that could block Saint-level beings, it would undoubtedly be sold at an astronomical price.

By the way, seeing that the Gold Lightning Bamboo hadn’t appeared yet, it was clear that the auction house highly valued his item. Finally, So Poyi announced the auction price of the Netherworld War Chariot on stage.

“The Netherworld War Chariot will start at a minimum price of 120 million.”

Han Li chuckled at the exorbitant price. Despite the high price, the competition for the Netherworld War Chariot was fierce. However, after a few people bid a couple of times, the bidding quieted down when it exceeded 200 million.

In the end, the Netherworld War Chariot was sold to a masked woman with her face covered by a veil for 220 million.

As she went to receive the item, many people looked at her with strange expressions. If someone with only a mid-Nascent Soul cultivation could spend such a large sum, she couldn’t be of ordinary status.

Han Li was also curious, but he immediately lost interest. So Poyi had finally revealed the jade-colored bamboo he had put up for auction.

“This is the Gold Lightning Bamboo, which contains the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning. The minimum price is 170 million.”

This explanation was very concise, and So Poyi lightly shook the bamboo in front of everyone.

Krrrr, KWA-BANG!

Numerous golden lightning bolts shot out from the bamboo, spreading into a lightning net.

“Oh, the Gold Lightning Bamboo!”

“Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning!”

“Supreme Wood Divine Lightning…”

Almost a dozen people exclaimed in joy simultaneously. Some of the voices came from the third floor. Other cultivators also murmured as they looked at the golden lightning.

Han Li had a blank expression, but he was inwardly pleased. It seemed he would get a better price for the Gold Lightning Bamboo than he had expected. Recalling how the demon kings of the Earthly Fiend Region had avoided the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning, he wondered if there might be another secret hidden within the Gold Lightning Bamboo.

So, after arriving in Cloud City, he had searched through various scriptures, but he couldn’t find any other information about the Gold Lightning Bamboo and the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning. As he was thinking this, a Saint Clan member on the third floor shouted out 250 million.

Many of the competitors then fell silent. However, it was only for a moment before other Saint Clan members offered 260 million and 270 million, respectively. One of them was unexpectedly Tian Jizi. Tian Jizi, an elder of the Myriad Ancient Clan, also had his eyes on his Gold Lightning Bamboo.

The other was the man surnamed Yeol, who had competed for the Glazed Heavenly Flower Elixir when the auction started. As they stepped forward, the others who had been eyeing the Gold Lightning Bamboo seemed to give up, albeit reluctantly.

The main hall fell silent.

“300 million!”

‘300 million?’

It was the Saint Clan member who had called out a high price from the beginning. At his shout, even Tian Jizi sighed and didn’t step forward.

“310 million! Could it be Fellow Cultivator Gyeong? I really need the Gold Lightning Bamboo, so please concede it to me.”

The man surnamed Yeol hesitated before offering a price and then politely requested.

“Brother Yeol, that won’t do. When I offer such a high price, I must have my reasons, wouldn’t you agree? I cannot concede. 320 million!”

“I understand. If that is Fellow Cultivator Gyeong’s intention, then I will withdraw.”

The man surnamed Yeol seemed to know a little about his opponent and declared that he would no longer compete.

“Haha, thank you.”

“330 million.”

The man surnamed Gyeong burst into laughter, but it didn’t last long. Someone else from below had offered an even higher price. Surprisingly, it was the masked woman who had won the Netherworld War Chariot earlier.

The cultivators in the main hall, including Han Li, were dumbfounded.

‘She spent so many spirit stones and is still calling out such an enormous amount.’

Of course, that didn’t mean the competition between the masked woman and the man surnamed Gyeong was over.

“340 million!”

The man surnamed Gyeong’s voice, which had been cheerful, turned cold.

“350 million!”

The masked woman didn’t panic and immediately offered a price. After a moment of silence, the man surnamed Gyeong coldly shouted.

“…360 million! If you call out more than this, I will concede.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the masked woman calmly offered ‘370 million.’ The laughter coming from the man surnamed Gyeong on the third floor was filled with anger.

“Ha, impressive! To want the Gold Lightning Bamboo so desperately, I hope you will be at peace with it until you leave Cloud City!”

The Cloud City Saint Clan member, feeling humiliated by being pushed back by a Superior Clan cultivator, didn’t hesitate to threaten her. However, the masked woman pretended not to hear and said nothing. She didn’t even glance at the third floor and calmly went up to the stage to receive the Gold Lightning Bamboo.

The woman’s attitude made the man surnamed Gyeong feel uncomfortable, and he awkwardly laughed and said nothing.

“Now, the last remaining item is something that most of you already know about, even without me mentioning it. It is a total of 13 Myriad Spirit Pills. The Myriad Spirit Pills have a miraculous effect of helping one break through the bottleneck to become a Saint Clan member, and they even improve one’s constitution when taken.

There have been times when Myriad Spirit Pills have appeared at auctions before, but at most, there were only three or four. This is the first time such a large quantity has been put up for auction. Thankfully, some of the elders of the Jeong Clan actively cooperated, making this possible.

If I weren’t in charge of this auction, I would want to compete for them myself. Although I have no need to take them, what a great opportunity it would be to give one to each of my disciples.”

So Poyi finished his explanation with a truly regretful expression. He received a silver bottle from a golden-masked armored soldier and held it up. The members of the other races on the first and second floors all looked at the final auction item with fervent eyes.

“One bottle of Myriad Spirit Pills, starting at a minimum price of 300 million.”

So Poyi began the auction with a smile. Han Li sat in a corner, arms crossed and leaning back, with his eyes closed. He had no intention of competing at all. He was just thinking about where he could find the recipe for the Myriad Spirit Pills.

If the raw materials were plants, it would be best to make them himself. With the mysterious effects of the Myriad Spirit Pills and the assistance of the True Spirit blood in his body, reaching the Fusion stage wouldn’t be difficult.

* * *

Half a day later, inside a secret chamber in the eastern part of Cloud Dream Mountain.

Han Li sat cross-legged, holding a blue pouch and a small bottle. He couldn’t help but smile just looking at the pouch.

It contained the high-grade spirit stones he had obtained at the Four Clans Auction, enough to cover half the cost of the super-large teleportation array. As Chae Ryu-yeong had said, if he paid the other half, he would be able to activate the teleportation array.

Now, all that remained was to go to the Glacial Netherworld, collect the smoke materials that the Myriad Ancient Clan wanted, and help Chae Ryu-yeong and Dan Cheon-in find the item within the restriction.

The Glacial Netherworld was the perfect place to break through cultivation bottlenecks, so he planned to raise his magic power to the peak of the early Void Refinement stage before entering.

‘I’ll borrow the spiritual energy of the Glacial Netherworld and enter the mid-Void Refinement stage within it.’

Han Li carefully reviewed his plan and put away the spirit stone pouch. Now, only the small bottle remained.

“Glazed Heavenly Flower Elixir.”

It was cheaper than the other items that had appeared at the auction, but considering the Divine Spirit Jade that the requester had promised, it was an invaluable treasure to him.

So Poyi had said that although it was a defective product and its power was greatly reduced, it still retained its important effects. However, it was necessary to verify this directly. If it turned out to be useless after taking it to the requester, it would be a big problem.

Han Li immediately opened his mouth and spat out silver flames. The flames that had been circling around him then transformed into a silver firebird with a clear cry.

Then, he floated the jade bottle in the air and opened the lid.

BOOM!

A red pillar of light erupted from the bottle, and a crimson liquid slowly rose. Soon, the entire secret chamber was dyed red, and an immense heat filled the air. At that moment, the Vermillion Spirit Firebird, which had been flying around, saw the red liquid and was overjoyed.

The firebird chirped happily and, without waiting for Han Li’s command, spread its wings and rushed forward.

Han Li raised his eyebrows and formed a hand seal to stop the firebird. The Vermillion Spirit Firebird then chirped in dissatisfaction and hovered around the red liquid.

He hadn’t even tested the power of the Glazed Heavenly Flower Elixir yet, so he couldn’t let the Vermillion Spirit Firebird swallow it. His fingers moved quickly, and the red liquid flew towards various colored magic seals.

Some of them seeped into the liquid, while others bounced off its surface. Some exploded with a burning sound. The reactions were so varied that Han Li’s expression changed frequently as he watched.

When the last white magic seal collided with the red liquid and exploded into a white aura, he lowered his hand and fell into thought. After a while, he summoned a set of exquisite formation flags.

The formation flags turned into beams of light and disappeared into the air. In their place, a light formation appeared. The five-colored light formation narrowed as it went down, looking like an upside-down hat.

Han Li let out a shout and drew the red liquid into the light formation.

WHOOSH!

As the red liquid entered the formation, the silent formation began to hum, and it was hidden from view by a five-colored light barrier. Han Li then flicked his ten fingers towards the light formation.

POW POW POW POW!

Then, a series of air-piercing sounds rang out, and thin crystal threads shot out from his fingertips. As he subtly bent his fingers, the crystal threads that had entered the light barrier were pulled taut.

A chanting sound echoed, and a strange light flowed on the surface of the crystal threads. It seemed that something was being transmitted within the formation.

Han Li fixed his gaze on the crystal threads and didn’t even blink. This was one of the unique secret techniques left behind by the Great Yan Divine Monarch, which connected consciousness with the formation, strengthened the power of consciousness, and had a mysterious effect on the objects within the formation.

The crystal threads trembled and the light flickered. At the same time, countless magic characters jumped into the red liquid, and conversely, magic characters also spewed out from within the liquid. The surface of the red liquid undulated with a red light.

After an hour, Han Li retracted the crystal threads and immediately formed a hand seal.

WHOOSH!

The formation vibrated greatly, and the five-colored light barrier writhed, and a small amount of red liquid escaped.

Han Li pointed at the red liquid with a cautious expression, and the Vermillion Spirit Firebird, which had been hovering around, flashed and flew over, swallowing the red liquid in one gulp.

The firebird chirped happily before turning into a ball of fire and returning into his body. Han Li released a blue light from his sleeve.

BOOM!

The blue light shattered the five-colored light barrier, revealing the light formation. The beams of light escaped from the formation and turned into formation flags before scattering silently.

And in that place, only a fist-sized red liquid remained. The milky white jade bottle flew over and sucked up the remaining Glazed Heavenly Flower Elixir, and Han Li retrieved the jade bottle and sat cross-legged on the spot.

His brow was furrowed as he sat, as if he were pondering something. After a long while, he quietly opened his palm.

WHOOSH!

Silver flames rose, and within them, a red spark flickered strangely. Han Li examined the red spark and then spat out a blue light. The fist-sized silver flame then exploded when it met the blue light.

The light faded, and a silver fire orb that had grown more than a dozen times in size appeared. Han Li nodded and opened his mouth, and the giant silver fire orb immediately turned back into silver flames and disappeared into his mouth.

“So Poyi’s words weren’t false. Although the power is a bit weaker, it still has all the functions of the Glazed Heavenly Flower Elixir. The problem is that it has some unknown impurities mixed in. I wonder if this can still be considered the Glazed Heavenly Flower Elixir…

Anyway, the Vermillion Spirit Firebird has swallowed it and can now borrow pure spiritual energy to increase its power, so it will be useful when facing enemies.”

He settled back down and reviewed what he had seen and heard at the Four Clans Auction. And soon, he determined that there were no particular problems, so he took out a Dragon Ascension Pill from his pocket and swallowed it.

He had begun cultivating again.

He didn’t know when the Glacial Netherworld would open, so he couldn’t neglect his cultivation. He also needed to use the spiritual energy there to overcome bottlenecks, and he needed to increase his strength to be safer inside the Glacial Netherworld.

*