Chapter 947: Ink Gold

Han Li sat in a secluded corner of the hall, coldly watching the area a hundred zhang directly in front of the hall. A middle-aged man wearing a soap-colored robe was holding a pale yellow crystal stone, simply introducing the item.

"Ginger Yellow Crystal, produced in the vast desert of the western Southern Border, can only be found in the sand beneath a thousand feet. The material is incomparably hard and can contain a large amount of Earth-attribute spiritual energy. It is an excellent material for refining Earth-attribute magic treasures. The starting price for this item is eight thousand spirit stones, and each bid must be no less than one thousand," this cultivator responsible for hosting the auction was a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, his voice neither hurried nor slow, without any exaggerated language.

However, this was quite normal. If a low-tier cultivator were stared at by hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators simultaneously, that immense invisible pressure would be enough to seize their mind, making it impossible for them to speak.

Han Li carefully sensed it; this person was at the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage. In a situation where no late-Nascent Soul cultivators were discovered at the auction, this person could be said to be the cultivator with the highest cultivation in the hall. Therefore, hosting this auction, no one would dare to cause trouble recklessly.

And this Ginger Yellow Crystal, although a good material for refining Earth-attribute magic treasures, did not see an enthusiastic bidding scene. After only three or four people placed bids a few times, it was taken by an unknown cultivator for twelve thousand spirit stones.

The auctions of other items that followed proceeded in the same lukewarm manner.

Han Li sat in his chair watching all this, his expression exceptionally calm, not finding it strange at all.

This auction would last for several days; the items brought out on the first day naturally couldn't have anything too good. Although these materials were considered rare for average Nascent Soul cultivators, as long as one was willing to spend time, they could be collected outside the auction as well. Therefore, most people in the hall now, except for those who truly needed the items, would not fight over them. However, in the end, a few good things would still be brought out today to stir up everyone's interest in continuing to participate in the second day of the auction.

Thinking this way, Han Li naturally didn't put his mind on the auction, but just lazily paid attention to the many Nascent Soul cultivators in the hall. Although these people were only a small portion of the top-tier cultivators in Great Jin, they represented various forces of different sizes in Great Jin, both righteous and demonic.

What attracted his attention the most were the three big monks with shiny bald heads sitting in the middle of the hall.

These three monks, one was as thin as a withered stick, one was fat-headed and big-eared, and the last one had kind eyebrows and pleasant eyes with long, snow-white whiskers. All three were dressed in gray monk robes, heads lowered and eyes drooping, looking like high-ranking monks who had attained the Dao.

This was Han Li's first time seeing high-tier cultivators of the Buddhist Sect, so he naturally looked a few more times. As a result, the old monk who looked the oldest sitting in the middle immediately sensed it and looked toward Han Li's direction. Although his gaze was peaceful and warm, Han Li still felt a chill in his heart.

This old monk's spiritual sense was so sensitive; the Buddhist Sect being able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Daoist and Confucian sects in Great Jin really had some tricks up its sleeve.

Han Li did not want to innocently provoke the other party's hostility, so he immediately withdrew his spiritual sense, revealing an indifferent expression on his face.

After the old monk's gaze turned on Han Li, his expression remained unchanged as he returned to his original state.

Besides these monks, there were many other cultivators with strange appearances in the hall. Han Li secretly compared them with the intelligence he had mastered about the various forces in Great Jin, verifying them one by one, trying his best to remember these people. Perhaps, it would be useful in the future.

As one item after another was auctioned off, time passed bit by bit. Just as Han Li had expected, as it neared the later stage, some rare treasures finally began to appear. The originally calm cultivators immediately became restless.

After several treasures were competed for fiercely and auctioned off at astonishing sky-high prices, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heated. After all, for the sake of what they needed, most Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn't mind spending a few more spirit stones. Otherwise, missing this opportunity and relying on themselves to collect and search for it, it wouldn't necessarily be in the year of the monkey.

"Ink Gold, weighing three jin and four liang. A rare material for refining tools, starting price thirty thousand spirit stones, each bid must be no less than two thousand." The more rare the treasure, the simpler the explanation from the middle-aged cultivator hosting the auction. At this moment, he held up a jade tray, on which lay a piece of ancient metal that was pitch black like ink but had golden light flickering within it.

Han Li, who had been smiling all along, suddenly tensed his body upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

That it appeared so quickly was beyond his expectations. He had been looking for this Ink Gold material for a long time, but had been unable to purchase it.

"Thirty-six thousand."

"Forty thousand."

"Forty-five thousand spirit stones."

……

The reputation of Ink Gold was indeed not small, and there were even more people who knew its value. Before Han Li could place a bid, with a sweep of the auctioneer's gaze on the stage, several high prices had already been reported one after another.

Han Li frowned upon hearing this, but he wasn't in a hurry to place a bid. Since he was determined to get this item, he would wait until the price reached its highest point before fighting for it.

When this piece of Ink Gold was called to a high price of sixty thousand spirit stones by an unknown cultivator, the few people who had been clinging tightly to it suddenly stopped.

"Sixty-five thousand."

Han Li pointed at the jade token in front of him, and after the spiritual light flickered on it, he reported a price.

"Sixty-seven thousand spirit stones." That person seemed to truly need this item, and after hesitating for a moment, he still placed a bid to suppress Han Li.

"Seventy thousand." Han Li's voice was devoid of emotion.

This time, the cultivator who placed the bid fell silent. Even though Ink Gold was rare, seventy thousand spirit stones was truly too high, and he decisively gave up.

Seeing this, Han Li smiled slightly.

The middle-aged cultivator hosting the auction in front saw that this item had sold for such a high price and was already very satisfied in his heart. But he still repeated this price twice according to the convention, and just as he was about to ask for the third time to confirm the auction's success, another cold bidding voice suddenly came.

"Seventy-five thousand."

Han Li and the middle-aged cultivator hosting the auction were stunned, and most of the other cultivators in the auction hall were also surprised.

"Eighty thousand."

Han Li immediately returned to normal and said without hesitation.

"Eighty-two thousand." This old man placed another bid without changing his expression. This person was just like Han Li, looking determined to get this item.

This time, not only did Han Li's expression change slightly, but other cultivators also couldn't help but sweep their gazes over.

Looking at where everyone was gazing, in a slightly later position in the hall, a cultivator shrouded in pale black mist sat there quietly, unable to see his true face at all, but judging from the vaguely visible clothing, it seemed to be an old man.

Han Li was puzzled, but he had no intention of wasting any more time with the other party. With a gloomy expression, he suddenly said a price that shocked all the cultivators in the hall.

"One hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones."

Once this price was spoken, the other cultivators in the hall all revealed strange expressions. This amount of spirit stones could buy a decent ancient treasure, far exceeding the normal price of Ink Gold.

After a commotion, many cultivators couldn't help but glance toward Han Li's side.

But Han Li, who had changed his appearance, was just a sickly-looking yellow-faced cultivator, so naturally, no one would recognize him.

Han Li ignored the others and kept his attention on every move of the old man shrouded in black mist.

The old man was clearly shocked upon hearing such a high price. If it were possible, he would definitely have placed a higher bid to compete with Han Li for the Ink Gold. But according to his information, another more important material would appear later; if he spent so many spirit stones, he wouldn't be sure of being able to steadily take the other material. That would be an even greater loss. Moreover, seeing the other party raise the price to such a high level in one breath, it was clear he wouldn't give up easily.

After some calculation, the old man finally didn't place another bid.

Thus, this material finally fell into Han Li's hands.

But because of this, Han Li and this old man naturally attracted the attention of those with ulterior motives.

But Han Li was fine; he just sat in his chair closing his eyes and resting, looking as if he was no longer interested in anything else after getting the Ink Gold.

The old man, however, after competing with a large group of cultivators who also had their eyes on another rarer material called "Li Huo Sand," actually purchased it for a high price of over two hundred thousand.

The old man was so generous, naturally attracting even more attention.

This was not to say that the old man was the cultivator who spent the most spirit stones at this auction.

The high-tier ancient treasures and pills that increased cultivation auctioned off at the end were almost all around two or three hundred thousand. But just spending over two hundred thousand to buy a tool-refining material still made people think wildly; it was not something an ordinary cultivator could do.

After the first day of the auction ended, Han Li mingled with the crowd of cultivators and left the auction hall, but at the marketplace exit, those few Yin Luo Sect cultivators were already nowhere to be seen, as if they had given up.

Han Li laughed freely, left the marketplace unhurriedly, and headed toward his residence.

What Han Li didn't know was that the old man shrouded in black mist left the marketplace and quietly appeared in an inconspicuous private house in Jin Capital. The old man with the crow-like crown from the Ye Clan was actually waiting for this person in one of the rooms.

Once he saw the old man with the crow-like crown, the one who had participated in the auction handed over the bag of "Li Huo Sand" he had purchased without a word.

"I already know about the 'Ink Gold' matter. Thank you for this trip, Fellow Daoist Gao. I didn't expect anyone to bid such a high price for this item, otherwise, I would definitely have let you bring more spirit stones. Fortunately, this Ink Gold thing can also be exchanged for by someone at the underground auction in a few days, otherwise, it would really be a bit troublesome. I have already inquired about the exchange materials and have prepared them for you, Fellow Daoist. I will have to trouble you to make another trip then," the old man with the crow-like crown said with a smile after receiving the material.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Yun Yi gave me too many spirit stones this time; I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back. This was just an accident; logically, the spirit stones prepared in advance were more than enough. I will naturally go to the underground exchange in a few days," the old man surnamed Gao replied with a dry laugh.

"I naturally trust Fellow Daoist's way of doing things. This is the spirit pill I prepared for you, Fellow Daoist. After this matter is over, the number of spirit pills will double," the old man with the crow-like crown nodded with satisfaction, took out a jade box from his storage bag, and handed it to the other party.

"Good. Since you are so trustworthy, Fellow Daoist, I will naturally do my best these few days." The old man surnamed Gao was overjoyed, checked the spirit pills in the box, nodded repeatedly with satisfaction, and then took a storage bag filled with spirit stones and a jade slip recording information about the materials to be purchased tomorrow from the old man with the crow-like crown, and took his leave.

Net ===== CHAPTER 948 =====