Chapter 1622: Liuli Heavenly Fire Liquid

An hour went by quickly, and during this time, a vast number of diverse beings continuously streamed into the great hall.

The seemingly immense three-story hall was quickly packed with countless figures. Even the rooms on the uppermost floor saw people flying directly into them, using their escape light.

Among the alien races participating in the auction, the lowest cultivation level observed was Nascent Soul, while the higher-tier cultivators were at the Body Integration stage. Han Li alone noticed four or five individuals at the peak of the Body Integration stage.

Duan Tianren and Gan Jizi were conspicuously present. As for the remaining few, Han Li presumed they were also high-ranking elders from their respective races. At least sixty to seventy people had already entered the rooms on the third floor. All these individuals were at or above the Body Integration stage. However, the whereabouts of Cai Liuying remained unknown. It was unclear whether she had entered one of the rooms earlier or had no intention of attending the auction. This sight filled Han Li with astonishment, followed by a quiet sigh.

Although Cloud City was known as a place where thirteen races coexisted, along with other non-affiliated alien races, it was still astonishing that a single city could gather so many Body Integration stage cultivators. In comparison, even combining all the Body Integration stage cultivators from both human and demon races in Sky Abyss City, there were only a dozen or so. And Sky Abyss City was considered the stronghold for the elites of both human and demon races.

After another period of waiting, the great hall was almost entirely full.

Three lingering and crisp chimes echoed, and amidst the flashing five-colored light, the wide-open hall doors slowly began to close. Once the hall doors fully closed, the auction was finally ready to commence.

At the very front of the hall, much like any standard auction venue, a platform over ten zhang high had been erected. The sole distinction was the presence of four golden humanoid puppets, several zhang tall, standing at each of its four corners, each gripping a massive silver glaive. Their design was ancient, yet they exuded an intimidating chill! Though the puppets remained motionless, they emanated an incredibly formidable and unsettling aura, clearly suggesting they were not to be trifled with.

At the center of the platform, a blue magic array was inscribed, within which sat a light red table. The table's surface was also covered with intricate runes, making it appear unusually mysterious, its purpose unknown.

The moment the hall doors closed, the blue magic array flashed and emitted a low hum. As runes flickered across the array, a figure shimmered into existence behind the table. This magic array, surprisingly, was a teleportation formation.

Once the figure solidified, it became remarkably clear. It was a gentle and refined middle-aged man. Dressed in a brocade robe, with a fair, beardless face, he appeared no different from an ordinary human. However, after Han Li's divine sense probed him from a distance, his heart was instantly wary.

This middle-aged man was a cultivator at the mid-Body Integration stage. What's more, Han Li subtly sensed an extremely formidable aura emanating from him. This aura was unusually sinister, yet it perfectly complemented the middle-aged man, making him appear incredibly dangerous and formidable.

The middle-aged man seemed to have a considerable reputation in Cloud City. The moment he appeared, the previously bustling sounds in the great hall immediately subsided. Han Li noticed that many individuals gazing at the man on the stage subtly revealed a hint of fear.

After the man scanned the audience, he began to speak with a slight smile: "My name is Xiao Buyi. I believe many of you present already recognize me, and some have even dealt with me before. In that case, I won't waste time on self-introductions and will get straight to the point. This Four-Race Auction, which involves my Sand Race, will be presided over by me. As for the rules, there's no need for me to elaborate; they are no different from any ordinary auction. Anyone capable of attending this event naturally knows the regulations. Furthermore, I can give you some preliminary information about the grand finale item. This time's finale treasure is absolutely no less valuable than that of the previous Four-Race Auction. In fact, for some fellow cultivators, its value far surpasses even the sacred medicine that fetched the highest price at the last auction. Now, I declare: This Four-Race Auction has begun!"

Xiao Buyi's voice was not loud, but imbued with spiritual power, it resonated clearly in every corner of the great hall. With just a few simple sentences, he successfully piqued the interest of the tens of thousands present, and then the auction commenced.

The moment the middle-aged man's words ceased, the blue magic array below hummed once more. Suddenly, over a dozen miniature light arrays appeared side by side on the previously empty tabletop. Then, with a flash of light, over a dozen boxes of various sizes, along with a palm-sized jade tablet, instantly appeared on the table.

Witnessing this, most people in the great hall fell silent, their gazes swiftly converging on the table.

Xiao Buyi stepped forward, first picking up the jade tablet and glancing at it, his divine sense instantly immersing to absorb all the information within. Then, without a change in expression, he calmly picked up one of the jade boxes and opened its lid.

"As with previous auctions, the first items to be presented are various raw materials. We'll begin with this Phoenix Stone." With a flick of the box in his hand, Xiao Buyi caused an item to float out. It was a strange, five-colored mottled stone, strikingly resembling a large bird.

"This is a Phoenix Stone, a rare material that only forms in places where true phoenixes are born. Its value is exceptionally high, whether used for refining artifacts or as an ingredient in alchemy. This piece of Phoenix Stone weighs three jin and four liang. Its quality is superior, absolutely free of impurities. The starting bid is two million spirit stones!" Xiao Buyi surveyed the five-colored stone before slowly addressing the audience.

The Phoenix Stone had a wide range of uses, and for such a large piece, a starting price of two million was clearly underestimated. Even Han Li felt somewhat tempted upon hearing this. Even if the material was not immediately useful, he could certainly acquire it for future use. However, the subsequent events quickly made him abandon this idea.

The moment Xiao Buyi announced the starting price of two million, a flurry of bids—two million, two and a half million, and so on—immediately erupted from various parts of the auction hall.

"Three and a half million!""Four million!"

Without the middle-aged man needing to utter any further persuasive words, the price of the Phoenix Stone easily exceeded four million, more than doubling the initial bid. Ultimately, this five-colored stone was secured by a woman of the Dark-Green Race for a price exceeding 5.2 million. She immediately paid the spirit stones on the spot and took possession of the item.

Such a substantial transaction caused even Han Li, despite his extensive experience with large-scale auctions, to involuntarily gasp. The item was indeed good, but the price was astonishingly steep. Han Li mumbled to himself, naturally having no intention of making a bid.

"Next is the Golden King Flower, six thousand years old, an optimal medicinal primer for certain rare elixirs. The starting bid is three million spirit stones." Xiao Buyi then opened another jade box and retrieved a shimmering golden spiritual flower. The spiritual flower was the size of a human head, its surface naturally adorned with spiritual runes, and each petal seemed to be crafted from pure gold.

The auction for this flower unfolded very differently from that of the Phoenix Stone. The moment it appeared, the entire hall fell silent, and many individuals frowned, creating an awkward lull. This was understandable, as for most of the attendees, this "Golden King Flower" was indeed too unfamiliar; they had never even heard of it before. Yet, its starting bid was higher than that of the Phoenix Stone.

Seeing this, Han Li stroked his chin, his thoughts racing. He, too, was encountering this peculiar flower for the first time. Xiao Buyi stood on the stage, smiling faintly and remaining silent, seemingly confident in the item.

"Three million!" Finally, someone placed a bid. Many looked over to see a gaunt old man with a pair of white horns on his head, his race unknown.

"Four point three two million!"Immediately, another person placed a bid."Four and a half million!""Four point eight million!"

One bid after another, prices were announced from various parts of the hall. Although the number of bidders was small, only about a dozen people, the upward momentum of the price was no less significant than before. It appeared that only these individuals knew the flower's true purpose and were in dire need of it. When the initial bidder, the old man, gritted his teeth and declared the exorbitant price of seven million, the other bidders finally withdrew.

Thus, Xiao Buyi continued to present the treasures from the boxes one by one. With such a multitude of high-level cultivators in the hall, these rare items—seldom found in markets—were quickly bid upon and acquired after only brief explanations from him.

Once the dozen or so jade boxes had been auctioned off, the teleportation array flashed blue, and seven or eight jade bottles appeared on the table. This time, several types of spiritual liquids and waters were being auctioned. These items were even rarer, with virtually every bottle being simultaneously contested by countless bidders. The first few bottles sold for prices three to four times higher than their starting bids, fetching sums that made many in the hall gasp. This was hardly surprising, as auctions inherently operated this way. The same item could hold vastly different values in the eyes of different individuals, with discrepancies being quite significant.

In the blink of an eye, most of the spiritual liquids on the table had been auctioned off, leaving only a single milky-white bottle.

Throughout the preceding auctions, Xiao Buyi had maintained an extraordinarily calm demeanor. However, when his gaze fell upon the last small bottle, a hint of fervent desire flickered in his eyes. After regretfully taking a slight breath, he single-handedly drew the item into his grasp. Then, with a solemn expression, he slowly stated: "Half a bottle of Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid, starting bid: eighteen million spirit stones!"

"What, Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid! Did I hear that right? The auction actually has such a treasure?""Only eighteen million? Glazed Heavenly Fire Liquid has such a low starting price? Is this for real?""How is this not the grand finale item? It's one of the seven great spiritual liquids of our Spirit Realm!"

With a 'boom,' the great hall erupted in commotion. Many people gasped aloud, all wearing incredulous expressions. Even more individuals stared intently at the small bottle in Xiao Buyi's hand, their eyes burning with extreme greed. Even from many of the rooms on the third floor, several soft exclamations of surprise could be heard.

Meanwhile, Han Li, seated in a corner of the great hall, changed his expression the moment he heard the name of the spiritual liquid.