Chapter 138: Certain Victory

"You..." The man seemed extremely angry, clenching both fists and stepping forward.

"What do you want? Trying to strong-arm me into a deal? The Ye family isn't to be trifled with!" The stall owner retorted, rolling his eyes without reservation.

"Hmph! The Ye family is so impressive!" Though the dark-skinned man didn't back down verbally, he unclenched his fists, clearly wary of the Ye family.

The man was furious that the stall owner was using the Ye family to pressure him. As a Level 10 master, he was accustomed to being flattered, and this humiliation made him want to leave immediately. However, he was truly reluctant to part with the "Whirlwind Bowl." This magic artifact was highly compatible with his cultivation technique, and acquiring it would significantly boost his power. But at that moment, apart from the artifact fragment, all his other items were useful, and his spirit stones had been spent days ago, leaving him in a difficult position.

"Brother, how about selling this fragment to me? I'll offer ten spirit stones." From the watching crowd, a person in a large grey robe stepped forward. He clasped his hands before the man and spoke sincerely.

"No deal! If you want it, pay thirty spirit stones." The dark-skinned man shook his head vigorously; he simply couldn't accept that price.

"Ahem! If this artifact fragment were a bit larger, it might be worth that price. Unfortunately, it's quite small and can only cover very few items!" Seeing the man's refusal, the grey-robed individual showed regret and, without further argument, returned to the crowd.

"Twelve spirit stones, will you sell?"

"I'll offer thirteen?"

Many cultivators watching were tempted by the artifact fragment. Even if they couldn't use it directly, keeping it for study could be beneficial. Perhaps they could glean some insights from it.

In this manner, the price soon rose to twenty spirit stones, offered by a simple-looking, round-faced young man.

Faced with such a high price, the others fell silent. They felt this price was already exorbitant, and any higher would be wasteful. After all, low-level cultivators rarely possessed more than ten spirit stones. Most of those who had bid earlier were disciples from various families, who were generally more affluent.

"Twenty?" The dark-skinned man's expression shifted. This price had reached his bottom line! If he could add another small item, he might be able to trade for the "Whirlwind Bowl" from the stall owner.

"Are you willing to pay twenty spirit stones?" The man asked the round-faced youth, his tone remarkably gentle.

For some reason, the round-faced youth's face flushed and paled, showing extreme panic.

"I... don't... have that many spirit stones!" a stammering confession blurted from the anxious round-faced youth, astonishing everyone present.

"You don't?! Then why did you bid? Are you trying to trick me?" The dark-skinned man roared, his simmering anger exploding. A powerful aura burst from him, pinning the youth down.

"I just thought it was fun watching people bid! I just blurted it out! Please forgive me, Brother!" The round-faced youth hastily explained, sweat pouring down his face, beads the size of soybeans rolling off. As a mere Level 5 cultivator, he couldn't possibly withstand such spiritual pressure!

"Who bid nineteen spirit stones earlier? I'm willing to give you one spirit stone for free, so you can buy this!" The youth, thinking quickly, shouted.

Unfortunately, silence met his plea, no one responding. It seemed that bidder had also changed their mind.

"What about the brother who bid eighteen?!" The youth, seeing the dark-skinned man's increasingly grim face, was almost in tears. He was just a humble rogue cultivator with only two spirit stones, earned through a year of hard work.

Just as everyone anticipated a good show, "Hold on!" a calm voice suddenly rang out. A person entered from outside the crowd, calling out to the dark-skinned man.

"What do you want?" The dark-skinned man asked, his face grim, as he looked at the newcomer. His patience was wearing thin; if this person was also trying to cause trouble, he wouldn't mind dealing with them too, even though this individual was not weak, being a Level 9 cultivator!

"I'm very interested in this item and would like to acquire it!" The person said, pointing to the "cloth" and smiling at him.

The cultivator the dark-skinned man mistakenly thought was causing trouble was none other than Han Li.

It turned out that when Han Li first heard the man say that the artifact fragment could provide invisibility and conceal spiritual energy, his heart stirred, and a vague idea popped into his mind!

After the dark-skinned man demonstrated the dagger's invisibility, Han Li's idea became much clearer, and he immediately became determined to acquire the artifact fragment! Therefore, even if the round-faced youth genuinely had twenty spirit stones and wanted to buy it, Han Li would have stepped in to intercept the item.

"How much will you pay for it?" The dark-skinned man was momentarily surprised, but his expression softened, and he asked.

"I don't intend to buy it; I'd like to exchange it for this item." Han Li calmly pulled a talisman from his sleeve and placed it on the stall, allowing everyone to see it clearly.

"A Flight Talisman!" Someone who recognized it immediately exclaimed in surprise!

"It's a high-grade elementary spirit talisman!" The other cultivators were also astonished. After all, only five or six high-grade elementary talismans had appeared at the Tai Nan Gathering since its start, and each had sold for astonishing prices!