The streets of the market were filled with Cultivators dressed in various styles, many of them in strange and exotic attire.
After Han Li passed through the Restriction and entered, he noticed several Black Robed Cultivators with gloomy faces and emanating black Qi at the entrance, constantly scanning everyone entering the market.
"Yin Luo Sect?"
Feeling this familiar aura, Han Li frowned slightly, they were pursuing him quite closely.
Although he felt disgusted, he wouldn't make a move in such a setting. Moreover, he was confident that with just a few of them, it would be impossible for them to see through his illusion.
The Divine Sense of the Yin Luo Sect members swept over him. Han Li was disguised as a Core Formation Cultivator, so he generally wouldn't detect such subtle Divine Sense probes, and thus showed no reaction.
They merely gave a simple scan before immediately moving on to another person.
Han Li walked towards the auction hall as if nothing had happened.
Not long after, Li Feiyu also walked in, gently fanning himself with a silk fan, looking like a dashing Young Master from a wealthy family.
"Yin Luo Sect?"
Li Feiyu also looked down on them a bit. He gave a charming smile, "How dare they sweep their Divine Sense over me?"
He activated the Bright King Art, and two beams of light shot out from his eyes. After splitting, they directly targeted the Yin Luo Sect members.
The two Core Formation stage Cultivators immediately screamed and fainted, while the Nascent Soul Late Stage Elder looked pained, as if his head was being pried open.
"How dare you casually probe this old man? Are you tired of living?"
After Li Feiyu passed them, a sinister voice echoed in the Nascent Soul Late Stage Elder's ear.
"Consider this a lesson for now. If I see you again later, you will bear the consequences!"
Li Feiyu followed closely behind Han Li into the Nine Heavens Hall.
This auction was divided into Core Formation stage and Nascent Soul Stage. The Core Formation stage auction was held in the Treasure Light Hall, while only those above Nascent Soul Stage could enter the Nine Heavens Hall, and they had to pay a thousand Spirit Stones.
By the time Han Li reached the main hall, he had already raised his hidden Realm to the Nascent Soul Stage.
As soon as he entered the hall, a Divine Sense message came from behind him, "Han Li, let's see where you run this time!"
Han Li was startled. When he turned around, he saw a young man dressed as a Young Master, fanning himself with a silk fan and smiling at him.
He frowned, "Fellow Daoist, are you speaking to me? You've mistaken me for someone else. My name is Li Feiyu, not Han Li!"
"Li Feiyu, huh!"
Li Feiyu drew out his words, smiled, and continued with a Divine Sense message, "Junior Brother Han, this is truly inappropriate. You're impersonating me right in front of me again!"
Han Li's dark, square face showed a hint of surprise, along with a wry smile.
"Cough, cough, Senior Brother Li, what a coincidence."
"It is a coincidence. I just saw you outside and followed you in, I didn't expect…."
"Sigh…"
"Never mind, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's go, the auction is about to begin."
Han Li was extremely embarrassed, but he was both surprised and deeply suspicious of Li Feiyu's sudden appearance before him again.
Could there really be such coincidences in the world?
When all coincidences come together, is it still a coincidence?
How exactly did Senior Brother Li track my whereabouts?
Han Li walked towards the auction hall, deep in thought, while Li Feiyu had no such worries, strolling leisurely and at ease.
The two found a secluded spot in the main hall and sat down.
"Senior Brother Li." Han Li hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did you do something to me?"
Li Feiyu smiled at him, "What do you think?"
"Am I the kind of person who would do such a thing?"
"Although your Divine Sense is slightly inferior to mine, it is by no means worse than that of an ordinary Great Cultivator. If I had done anything, you wouldn't have been able to detect it."
"Junior Brother Han, are you surprised why you ran into me?"
"It's all a coincidence. With such a large-scale auction in Jin Capital, I figured you would come here if you arrived."
"And sure enough, we met."
Han Li reluctantly accepted this explanation.
He needed to find many Materials, and such a large-scale auction was indeed not to be missed, especially since there would be a Nascent Soul Stage exchange convention afterward.
This was an excellent opportunity to collect the specific items he needed.
If he missed this chance, it would be difficult to encounter such a large gathering of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators again.
"Alright, let's not talk about this for now. I see your cultivation hasn't increased, but your strength seems to have grown quite a bit. You must have had some opportunities these past few years."
"It's decent, but definitely not as great as yours, Senior Brother."
"By the way, I found a Buddhist Cultivation Technique that can solve the problem of Evil Qi invading the body. Senior Brother Li, do you need it?"
"What Cultivation Technique?"
"The Bright King Art. It's a Body Refining Cultivation Technique, adapted from a portion of a top-tier Demonic Technique, and it has some connection to me."
"Is it the Vatican True Devil Art that you mentioned was recorded on the copper plate?"
"Precisely. The Bright King Art corresponds to its foundational part, but even with this part, the Vatican True Devil Art is still incomplete."
"It seems that the Vatican True Devil Art is indeed extraordinary! It's probably a famous Demonic Technique even in the Upper Realm."
"But never mind, I've already found a Body Refining Cultivation Technique suitable for me. It's quite resource-intensive, but you know my ability to accumulate wealth, so it's not too big a problem, just a matter of spending more time collecting the Materials."
After a pause, Li Feiyu asked Han Li about his Material collection.
"Elder Monarch Soul Divergence's needs are almost met, but for the three-flame fan, I'm still missing some crucial components."
"Spirit Bird Feathers?"
"Elder Monarch Soul Divergence said that if we add the feathers of a Three-Legged Fire Crow, which possesses True Spirit Bloodline, the power of the three-flame fan could increase by up to 50%, or even 55%."
"That high?!"
Li Feiyu was slightly surprised. "The Seven-Flame Fan is a Sky-Connecting Spiritual Treasure with immense power. At 50% of its power, if you reach the Late Stage of Nascent Soul Stage, you could probably contend with Deity Transformation Cultivators who don't possess similar imitation Spirit Treasures, without being at a disadvantage."
"After adding the Crimson Crow's feathers, perhaps it should be called the Four-Flame Fan."
Li Feiyu looked at Han Li with a smile, "You want the Crimson Crow's golden feathers, those are his most precious and proud possessions. Be careful, he might fight you to the death."
Han Li gave a wry smile, "That's why I want to ask Senior Brother Li for help. After all, he is your Spirit Beast, so you might have a chance if you talk to him."
"I see. But the Crimson Crow's golden feathers are incredibly valuable. He recently had some good fortune and is already close to Level 9 Peak. He should be able to fully stabilize at the Level 9 Peak Realm within one or two years."
"What are you prepared to exchange for them?"
Han Li thought for a moment, "I have a small bottle of cold marrow in my possession. I can offer half of it as compensation."
"cold marrow? A top-tier rare Material produced from ten-thousand-year-old Black Jade?"
"Precisely. It is not only a Material for refining some special Medicinal Pills, but it is also incredibly important for Demon Beasts. Just one drop can greatly reduce the damage from lightning during their transformation tribulation, significantly increasing their success rate."
"It is indeed a rare treasure."
"Alright then. Although it's a bit of a loss, I happen to need cold marrow, so I accept this trade."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Li."
Han Li continued, "There's one more thing. Elder Monarch Soul Divergence's lifespan is nearing its end. He plans to have me help him refine the last Puppet, then he intends to undergo dissolution and enter Reincarnation."
"Reincarnation, ah. How can one speak clearly of Reincarnation? In the next life, no one knows what they will be like, whether male or female, human, Yao, or demon, it's hard to say."
With a sigh, both fell silent.
"How is the collection of the Bottle Spirit Liquid coming along?" Li Feiyu asked.
"Aside from the Spirit Medicine I cultivate myself, I've collected everything else as you instructed. Does Senior Brother need it?"
"This Spiritual Liquid is extremely beneficial to the profound heaven immortal tree, so it naturally needs to be used continuously."
"However, rest assured, Senior Brother will not let you suffer a loss."
"I captured a Tianlan Holy Beast from the Tuttu Clan and learned about the Silver Script and Golden Seal Script of the Upper Realm from him. I can teach them to you."
"If you encounter the golden tablet jade book or related items in the future, this will be of great benefit to you."
Han Li was unsure what the golden tablet jade book was, so Li Feiyu explained its origin.
Han Li was greatly shocked.
An item of the Heavenly Immortal naturally was incredibly precious.
This exchange was indeed not a loss.
The auction quickly began. Han Li made a few bids, securing several rare Materials like dark gold, but he wasn't interested in anything else.
Li Feiyu found nothing he liked, so he simply watched quietly.
After the auction, which lasted for several days, there was also an underground trade fair targeting the Demonic Path, which required an introduction to attend.
After Han Li told Li Feiyu about it, Li Feiyu seemed very interested.
The two immediately hit it off and went to the Tianji Pavilion.
Elder Wang saw Han Li and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Han, you've arrived. Fellow Daoist Fu hasn't arrived yet, please rest for a while."
"By the way, who is this?"
Li Feiyu had changed his appearance, and his aura was completely different from before, so Elder Wang couldn't recognize him at all.
"This is my Senior Brother. He is also quite interested in the trade fair, so I brought him along."
"I see."
"Speaking of which, a few years ago, a major patron named Han also came to my Tianji Pavilion and purchased our pavilion's Mustard Seed Space Secret Art."
"Oh, someone named Han? What did he look like?"
"His age is similar to yours, but in terms of appearance, you are far inferior to him."
Han Li looked at Li Feiyu with a suspicious expression. Li Feiyu remained composed, showing no change in his demeanor.
"It's a pity I haven't seen him again these past few years, otherwise, this old man would really like to buy some Five-Colored Dao Tea leaves from him. That is an immortal-grade tea, much better than our Mist Rain Spirit Tea."
Saying this, Elder Wang took a sip of tea with a look of regret.
Li Feiyu couldn't help but feel speechless. This old man, why is he so talkative!
He didn't say it earlier or later, but he had to say it when I was here!
Sure enough!
Han Li understood in his heart.
However, it had become common for them to use each other's surnames, so he didn't pay too much attention.
Not long after, Elder Fu walked into the Tianji Pavilion.
Han Li introduced Li Feiyu to him, hoping to bring him along.
Elder Fu was naturally willing. Not long after, they bid farewell and left, but they didn't fly there. Instead, they used a temporary teleportation array to reach a place not far from the trade fair venue.
When they reappeared, they were on an unnamed small mountain south of Jin Capital. Looking into the distance, the huge city walls of Jin Capital were still faintly visible.
Upon arriving, Elder Fu explained the reason for using the teleportation array and also revealed his identity. It turned out he was an Enforcement Elder of the Nine Serenities Sect.
The Nine Serenities Sect was also one of the Ten Great Demonic Sects of the Great Jin, and its current Sect foundation was even stronger than that of the Yin Luo Sect.
They had some grievances with the Yin Luo Sect, so they used the teleportation array to help Han Li.
Although Han Li didn't care much about those from the Yin Luo Sect, he accepted this favor.
They hurried along, stopping in a desolate, dark mountain range about three thousand li from Jin Capital.
They walked to an ordinary stone wall, which was slightly green and very unremarkable.
Elder Fu shot a palm-sized round disk from his sleeve. A flash of white light, and it disappeared directly into the stone wall.
A moment later, the stone wall suddenly glowed with yellow light, and the wall vanished into thin air, revealing a huge cave entrance about ten zhang in diameter.
In front of the cave entrance stood two Core Formation stage Cultivators in green robes.
Elder Fu was an old acquaintance here, so they naturally recognized him. But for Han Li and Li Feiyu, they needed to confirm their identities.
Elder Fu put on an impatient look, briefly explained the two's origins, and then urged them to provide their identity plates.
An identity plate required ten thousand Spirit Stones.
Li Feiyu and Han Li readily paid, then followed Elder Fu deeper into the passage.
Li Feiyu said, "It seems Fellow Daoist Fu is quite polite to the two Core Formation stage Cultivators. Could it be that they have significant backgrounds?"
Elder Fu replied, "That's right, they themselves are nothing special, but their master is Yi Xitian, the most mysterious of the Great Jin's Four Great Loose Cultivators, who advanced to the Late Stage of Nascent Soul Stage many years ago."
"I once saw him easily slay a Level 8 transformed Demon Beast. His Divine Ability is extraordinary."
"It is said that this person and Zen Master Biyue of the Pure Fire Sect are considered the two most likely to advance to Deity Transformation in a thousand years."
Li Feiyu smiled faintly, "If I have the chance, I'd really like to meet him and have a spar."
Elder Fu merely thought Li Feiyu was boasting and chuckled, "Fellow Daoist Li, your ambition is truly not small. I cannot compare. I'm currently stuck at the Nascent Soul Stage Bottleneck and haven't made any progress for over two hundred years. I don't know if I'll have a chance to advance to the Late Stage of Nascent Soul Stage in the future."
The group chatted and laughed, and soon arrived at the trade fair hall.
There were four to five hundred seats here, evenly distributed around a circular open space in the middle.
Earlier, when they passed through a door, a masked Cultivator affixed a special talisman to them, and then they arrived here via a teleportation array.
They were all enveloped in a shimmering aura of various colors, and looking around, everyone else was the same.
This aura could block a Cultivator's Divine Sense probes, ensuring their identity would not be revealed.
The talisman itself naturally didn't possess such powerful effects, but it was combined with the grand array here, making the talisman's concealing effect incredibly miraculous.
The three of them didn't know who was who. They glanced around, casually took their seats, and then quietly waited for the trade fair to begin.
After half a day had passed.
The number of people in the hall had reached over two hundred, and a white jade table, several zhang wide, had appeared in the middle of the open space.
A figure enveloped in white aura appeared behind the white jade table.
"This exchange meeting, as always, will primarily feature various rare Materials. Ancient Treasures and Magic Treasures can also be exchanged if they are rare."
"Next, let us begin by offering a few items as a prelude."
He flicked his sleeve, and several Storage Pouches appeared on the white jade table. Then he pointed to one of them, and a dark, gleaming fruit, shaped like a date, appeared in his palm.
"Yin Date, occasionally grown on the graves of those born in the Yin year, Yin month, and Yin day. It bears fruit every three hundred years… Starting bid is one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, with each bid not less than five thousand."
As soon as the figure spoke, someone immediately made a bid, and quite a few people were vying for it.