Outside the Golden Cloud Pavilion, a streak of azure light flew from afar and landed on the steps to one side of the palace, revealing the figure of a brawny man with a bushy beard, none other than Han Li, who had altered his appearance.

He sized up the magnificent palace before him and strode towards the palace gate.

On either side of the gate stood many black-clad servants, greeting each cultivator who arrived.

"Senior, have you come to attend the auction?" Seeing Han Li approaching, a black-clad servant immediately greeted him with a smile.

"If I'm not here for the auction, what else would I be doing?" Han Li frowned, sounding somewhat displeased.

"Please forgive me, Senior, but this auction is a little different from previous years, so I need to explain a few things to you," the black-clad servant said apologetically.

"What do you mean?" Han Li asked.

"This time, the number of people attending the auction is much higher than in previous years. To control the numbers and prevent people who are just here to watch the excitement without any intention of bidding, the conference stipulates that participants must pay a certain amount of spirit stones as an admission fee. However, if you bid on any item at the auction, Senior, we will refund the spirit stones to you afterward," the black-clad servant said respectfully.

"Oh, so there are such regulations. How many spirit stones are required?" Han Li said with a hint of indifference.

The black-clad servant was about to speak.

"Presumptuous! How can you speak to a Senior in such a way? Step back!" A middle-aged man, who looked like a steward, quickly walked over and reprimanded the black-clad servant.

Han Li glanced at the middle-aged man, who was a Body Integration cultivator.

"My subordinate was being ignorant. Please forgive him, Senior. These regulations are for ordinary guests. A Grand Cultivator like you, in the True Immortal Realm, can enter through the special VIP通道 (Tong Dao), so you naturally don't need to pay any spirit stones. This way, please." The middle-aged man said respectfully.

Han Li couldn't help but smile wryly upon hearing this.

It seemed that strength was still paramount everywhere, and the treatment one received was vastly different depending on their cultivation level.

Thinking this, he nodded slightly to the man and stepped into the golden palace.

From the outside, it didn't seem like much, but once inside, he was astonished by the immense space.

The palace was divided into three levels. The lowest level was an incredibly vast hall, resembling a gigantic plaza, utterly magnificent.

At the front was a wide auction platform, which was currently empty.

Numerous seats were arranged around the hall in a tiered fashion. Most of them were already occupied, making the place seem somewhat crowded and noisy.

"The lower level is prepared for ordinary cultivators. Senior, please follow me; there are special VIP seats on the second floor." As he spoke, the middle-aged man led Han Li up the stairs to the second floor.

Here, several hundred seats were sparsely arranged. The seats were large, and the spacing between them was quite wide. On the side tables were placed some fruits and spiritual tea, a stark contrast to the treatment in the hall below.

Many people were already seated in these seats, all of whom were True Immortal Realm cultivators. Han Li even faintly recognized some of the people he had seen at the City Lord's mansion that day.

At the invitation of the middle-aged man, Han Li sat down in one of the seats.

From here, the view was excellent. The auction platform below was clearly visible, giving one a sense of superiority over the cultivators in the hall below.

Han Li nodded, then looked up at the third floor and asked, "I wonder what kind of people are the guests on the third floor?"

The third floor consisted of individual rooms, each sealed with restrictions, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. The treatment there was clearly even better than here on the second floor.

He did not feel dissatisfied at not being invited to the third floor; he was simply curious.

"The third floor is reserved for the Island Lords," the middle-aged man replied.

Han Li responded with an "Oh" and withdrew his gaze, not asking anything further.

The middle-aged man was quite busy. He summoned a beautiful maid to serve Han Li and excused himself before leaving.

Han Li paid no attention to this, sitting quietly and waiting for the auction to begin.

Time passed, and the hall was soon filled. The seats on the second floor were also almost entirely occupied.

More than an hour later.

Clang, clang, clang!

Three loud chimes rang out, echoing throughout the palace.

The noisy hall immediately fell silent, and an old man with a white beard and a ruddy face walked onto the auction platform, seemingly the auctioneer for this event.

"Master Wen!"

A buzzing murmur arose in the hall.

Han Li's expression shifted slightly. Could this red-faced old man be Wen Hua? According to rumors, he was one of the three 地阶 (Di Jie) alchemists on Blackwind Island and also a guest elder of the Blackwind Island Lord.

"Hehe, today is the day of the Blackwind Sea Region's once-in-a-century grand auction. I am honored that so many of you have come to support us. As today's auctioneer, I am deeply honored." The red-faced old man said loudly, his booming voice echoing in the hall.

After the old man's voice rang out, the clamorous discussions ceased abruptly, and the scene became completely silent.

"Many of you present are familiar faces, but some of you are attending the auction for the first time. Therefore, allow me to first explain the rules of the event. Bidding is done in units of Top-Grade Spirit Stones. If you do not have enough Spirit Stones, you may use Immortal Essence Stones, which will be exchanged at a ratio of one to one hundred, or you can use items as collateral. As for the value of the collateral, these three gentlemen will determine it." Wen Hua paused before continuing.

As soon as he finished speaking, three cultivators floated onto the auction platform. They were an old man with white eyebrows dressed in gray, a sturdy man in a blue short shirt, and a middle-aged woman with lingering charm, all of whom were True Immortal Realm cultivators.

Without a word, the three of them arrived at a long table next to the auction stage and sat down at the same time.

"Many of you must recognize these three as elders of the Changxing Chamber of Commerce, the Xuan Yue Chamber of Commerce, and the Taibai Chamber of Commerce. They are knowledgeable and experienced, and their valuations will be fair and impartial, so you can rest assured. As for security, fighting is strictly prohibited in Blackwind City, and anyone caught will be severely punished! Alright, without further ado, let the auction begin!" After a brief introduction, Wen Hua waved his hand and announced.

A black-clad strongman walked up, carrying a pure white giant box. After opening it, inside was a red crystal, the size of a human head. The surface had flame-shaped patterns, and even from hundreds of feet away, one could still feel waves of astonishing fire spiritual power emanating from it.

"This is a complete piece of Top-Grade Fire纹煌玉 (Huo Wen Huang Yu), an excellent spiritual material for refining top-tier Spiritual Treasures. The starting price is twenty Top-Grade Spirit Stones, and each bid must increase by at least one Top-Grade Spirit Stone!" Wen Hua announced loudly.

"Twenty Top-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Twenty-one!"

"Twenty-five!"

……

The hall below buzzed, and exclamations rang out. Many people's eyes lit up immediately, and they began to bid.

Han Li sat in his chair, watching everything below with a calm expression.

Although this Fire纹煌玉 (Huo Wen Huang Yu) was a good item, it did not catch his eye.

The price of the Fire纹煌玉 (Huo Wen Huang Yu) soared, quickly reaching a high price of fifty Top-Grade Spirit Stones, at which point no one continued to bid.

"Sold!" Wen Hua announced the result, a smile on his face.

The fact that the first auction item could fetch such a high price was somewhat beyond his expectations and was a good sign.

Before long, the second auction item was brought up, a 30,000-year-old spiritual herb, which also fetched a high price.

Time passed, and auction items were brought up one after another like flowing water.

They were all kinds of materials, elixirs, and some Spiritual Treasures, all of which were quite precious but clearly prepared for the Body Integration and Grand Ascension cultivators below.

Han Li looked on, feeling somewhat disinterested. The True Immortal cultivators on the second floor also rarely bid.

Two or three hours passed quickly, and the value of the auction items gradually began to rise. Some remarkable treasures began to appear, including quite a few exquisite Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, spiritual pills and medicines used during tribulation transcendence, and some advancement elixirs, which caused the True Immortal cultivators on the second floor to become restless and start bidding.

Before long, another auction item was brought up, a large piece of jade that was dark red in color. On the crystal, one could vaguely see streaks of blood-like red纹 (Wen), which vaguely formed a fire phoenix pattern, exuding a strong Fire Law fluctuation.

"The next treasure is this Phoenix Blood Flame Jade Crystal, which was formed from a mass of essence blood within the body of a True Immortal late-stage Fire Phoenix 真灵 (Zhen Ling) after its fall. It contains a trace of Fire Attribute Law and is an excellent main material for refining Acquired Immortal Treasures! The starting price is two hundred Top-Grade Spirit Stones, and each bid must increase by at least ten Top-Grade Spirit Stones." Wen Hua's gaze first slowly swept around, and when he saw everyone's eyes focused on the jade stone, he began to introduce it in a leisurely manner.

Han Li's heart stirred. The Law power contained in this Phoenix Blood Flame Jade Crystal was not bad, and he even had the urge to buy it. However, he did not have many Spirit Stones on him. After a brief moment of contemplation, he restrained himself.

"Two hundred and ten."

"Two hundred and forty Top-Grade Spirit Stones."

"I bid two hundred and eighty!"

"Three hundred!"

Many people valued this Phoenix Blood Flame Jade Crystal, but they were mostly True Immortal cultivators on the second floor. Even if those on the first floor were envious, they could no longer afford such a price.

The price of the Phoenix Blood Flame Jade Crystal quickly climbed to four hundred and fifty, which was bid by a bald man in a red robe on the second floor.

When this price came out, the second floor also quieted down a lot. Those who had been eager to try also stopped bidding.

Seeing this, the bald man's face showed a hint of joy.

"Five hundred!"

At that moment, a voice came from a box on the third floor, quite ethereal, sounding like a female voice, instantly raising the price by fifty Top-Grade Spirit Stones.

The red-robed Loose Immortal was stunned for a moment, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes. However, after a series of expressions changed on his face, he slowly lowered his raised hand and did not continue to bid.

"Five hundred Top-Grade Spirit Stones, sold!" Wen Hua announced the result, his face beaming with joy.

The Phoenix Blood Flame Jade Crystal was quickly taken down and delivered by a special person to the box on the third floor.

Han Li glanced at that box before retracting his gaze, feeling that the price was a bit too expensive.