Chapter 962: Disturbance

## Volume 6: Heavenly Spiritual Treasures

However, cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage showed little interest in crafting puppets and unique magical artifacts. After only three or four individuals bid against Han Li for a round, he easily acquired the item for 170,000 spirit stones, which brought him considerable joy.

Among the items subsequently auctioned by the white-robed figure, Han Li took interest in two more, acquiring them for 190,000 and 310,000 spirit stones, respectively. The latter material was a very famous ingredient for magical artifacts, forcing Han Li to bid furiously against numerous other cultivators. He had to grit his teeth and pay a hefty price to win it.

These purchases depleted Han Li's spirit stones by seventy or eighty percent. Fortunately, no other puppet materials he needed appeared later, allowing him to involuntarily let out a sigh of relief.

When the last item was auctioned off and the storage bags on the jade table were completely empty, the white-robed figure seemed quite satisfied with the preceding auction. After a brief pause, he chuckled and said:

“All of our items have been auctioned. Fellow Daoists who wish to exchange treasures may now come forward one by one to display and trade their items. To be clear, since this is a voluntary exchange, we bear no responsibility if exchanged items are fake or if you misjudge them. We merely provide the venue; you must bear all consequences yourselves. Furthermore, according to the usual rules, regardless of what or how many items are exchanged, as long as a trade is successful, we will collect a handling fee of 10,000 spirit stones per person afterward. Now, fellow Daoists, please proceed as you wish. As long as no one violates the rules, this old man will merely observe.”

The figure was quite straightforward. After uttering a few simple sentences, he immediately flickered and suddenly appeared at the edge of the open space. He then sat down cross-legged, seemingly entering a meditative state.

This scene did not surprise most of the surrounding cultivators. Instead, figures stirred, and several streaks of dazzling light shot out. One of them was distinctly faster than the others; its light converged, revealing a figure enveloped in red mist, who appeared first behind the jade table. The figure then clasped his hands and said with a smile:

“My apologies, this old man has taken the first step. Fellow Daoists, please wait a moment.”

Seeing this, those streaks of light could only circle helplessly before returning to their original seats.

Han Li smiled faintly at this.

Those wishing to exchange items for materials generally found an advantage in acting first, as it prevented the items they needed from being snatched up by others.

However, such instances weren't common. Moreover, the rarer the material to be exchanged, the less likely it was to overlap with what others sought. Therefore, most cultivators remained composed and did not contend with those who rushed forward.

The few materials Han Li still lacked were relatively obscure, so he had little to worry about.

These individuals who rushed forward to exchange probably sought items with broad applications, hence their eagerness to contend.

Indeed, after the cultivator in red mist presented several rare materials, the items he specified for exchange were all alchemy ingredients usable in various elixirs.

Moments later, several people indeed came forward and exchanged for most of those materials, leaving the individual in the red mist quite satisfied as he departed.

The subsequent individuals who came up also found their exchanges relatively smooth, each gaining something to varying degrees.

However, when a yellow-robed figure held up a shimmering blue metal and specifically requested a water-attribute material that Han Li had never even heard of, he asked three times in a row, but no one came forward to trade. The individual could only walk away dejectedly.

After this person, cultivators who returned empty-handed gradually began to appear. After thirty or forty individuals had taken their turn, the majority even left with nothing, and only a minority managed to acquire anything.

Of course, this did not mean that the items these cultivators wished to exchange for were genuinely unavailable among the others present. Rather, it was highly probable that cultivators who possessed the desired items felt that the other party's offerings were not worth the trade, or that the items offered were simply not what they desired, and thus remained indifferent, choosing not to come forward to trade.

Therefore, in this bartering system, the more valuable an item offered was not necessarily the key to a successful exchange.

Naturally, some cultivators took interest in the materials of others but did not possess what the other party desired. They would then approach discreetly to discuss exchanging with other treasures. However, only a handful succeeded, as most were coldly rejected. But among the successful few, one exchange involved Han Li.

Han Li's approach was straightforward. He directly used several rare thousand-year spirit grasses and some high-grade demon cores to exchange for the materials he needed. These two types of items were highly useful to any cultivator. While one or two might occasionally be auctioned in some markets, gathering such a large quantity at once was naturally very difficult.

Therefore, the cultivator only hesitated for a moment, then no longer insisted on his original intention, and nodded in agreement.

Beyond this, Han Li also obtained two more puppet materials using items from his own reserves. Now, only two of the rarest items remained for him to gather all the necessary puppet materials.

These two items were exceedingly rare, and it was unlikely anyone would casually bring them out for trade.

“Han, what do you plan to use to exchange for the materials?” Grandmaster Dayan suddenly transmitted into Han Li’s spiritual consciousness. “If it’s anything less than exceptional treasures, others might not easily part with the materials, even if they have them.”

“I’ve already decided on what to use,” Han Li said calmly. “Most cultivators here follow the Demonic Dao. Don’t I happen to possess something the Demonic Dao considers a supreme treasure?”

“Are you referring to *that* material? Are you willing to part with it?” Grandmaster Dayan was quite surprised.

“Even if I’m reluctant, there’s no alternative,” Han Li transmitted with a faint smile. “I’ve gathered puppet materials to this point, so I absolutely must obtain the last two items. Otherwise, my previous efforts would have been for naught. If the puppet is truly as powerful as you say, then it’s worth it.”

He then glanced around, feeling that the time was about right.

As one cultivator returned somewhat dejectedly, Han Li finally rose from his seat and calmly walked forward to stand behind the jade table.

The cultivators present instinctively looked at him, eager to see what rare items he might present.

Han Li flipped both hands, revealing a small jade box in each. However, he did not rush to open them. Instead, he briefly scanned his surroundings and spoke in a slightly altered, hoarse voice:

“Two Demon Marrow Drills, a material for crafting supreme demonic treasures, to exchange for Five-Element Jade and Dazzling Crystal. Fellow Daoists, if you possess these, you may trade for them.” As soon as Han Li finished his concise announcement, he immediately gave a slight shake of his hands, and the lids of both boxes simultaneously fell open. Slowly, two pitch-black, sparkling, several-inch-long objects floated up from within the boxes, emitting a faint dark aura. These were precisely the two Demon Marrow Drills Han Li had obtained from the Myriad Abyss of Devils.

“Demon Marrow Drills! The material for crafting Dragon Blades? Did I hear that correctly?!” exclaimed one. “Impossible, how can such an item truly exist in the world?” another wondered. “Is it real, or fake?”

No sooner had Han Li finished speaking than the entire hall erupted in chaos. Many, amidst their shock, cried out in surprise.

The white-robed figure who had been meditating with closed eyes at the edge of the open space also opened his eyes in surprise, staring fixedly at the two Demon Marrow Drills before Han Li without a single blink.

“Honestly, if I didn't cultivate non-demonic arts, I would never offer such an item for exchange,” Han Li said with his usual composure. “As for authenticity? As long as someone can produce the items I need, I will personally allow them to inspect it thoroughly.”

Hearing Han Li's confident declaration, the cultivators who had been somewhat agitated immediately fell silent. Everyone gazed at the Demon Marrow Drills with varied expressions, remaining quiet.

While Five-Element Jade and Dazzling Crystal were indeed rare, compared to a supreme demonic treasure material that only appeared in legends, they were naturally a notch below, tempting everyone present.

“I recall having another Dazzling Crystal in the warehouse, but because it was too precious, it wasn’t put up for auction. I can immediately send someone to retrieve it. May I first examine the Demon Marrow Drill?” To everyone’s great surprise, the white-robed figure, who was the host of the trade fair, suddenly spoke thus after observing the Demon Marrow Drills from a distance for a moment.

“Since it is you speaking, it certainly wouldn’t be empty words. Fellow Daoist, you may proceed with the appraisal,” Han Li said without hesitation, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

The white-robed figure seemed to nod. With a raise of his hand, a streak of fire shot out, flying directly to the ceiling of the hall, and vanished in a flash.

Only then did he slowly rise and walk towards Han Li.

The other cultivators, hearing Han Li and his conversation, stirred once more, but this time no one spoke. Since the cultivator in white light was entrusted with hosting this exchange fair, he was naturally a person of extensive knowledge and extraordinary experience. Therefore, everyone widened their eyes, quietly observing the results of his appraisal.

The white-robed figure indeed seemed to know a good deal about Demon Marrow Drills. After skillfully taking one into his hand, he first opened his mouth and directly sprayed a stream of white Nascent Flame onto it. However, as the white flame touched the dark aura on the crystal drill's surface, it seemed to encounter a nemesis, immediately parting to both sides, unable to come close enough to refine the Demon Marrow Drill.

A trace of excitement appeared on the face of the figure in the mist. He then formed a hand seal, withdrawing the Nascent Flame from his mouth, and surprisingly, exhaled a cloud of blue cold air. This cold air enveloped the crystal drill but failed to freeze it in the slightest.

His gaze flickered a few times. He then raised a single hand, extending a finger to lightly tap the crystal drill. Immediately, a surge of black demonic energy directly infused into it. However, like a mud ox entering the sea, the Demon Marrow Drill showed no reaction at all.

“Indeed, it is a Demon Marrow Drill. I want this item.” Whether by coincidence or not, no sooner had he uttered these words than three or four zhang away, spiritual light flickered, and a masked cultivator shrouded in a grey robe bizarrely appeared.