The very first item up for auction turned out to be a top-grade tool of considerable power, which caught Han Li a bit off guard.
This particular tool was pitched by the tall, lanky auctioneer with such vivid eloquence — painted as matchless under heaven and impossible to find on earth — that even Han Li felt a stirring impulse to pull out spirit stones and buy it on the spot, let alone the other cultivators who were desperate for a top-grade tool.
Sure enough, the moment a base price of two hundred spirit stones was announced, three or four impatient bidders immediately jumped in. In the blink of an eye, the price of this Fire Cloud Sword had been driven up to over three hundred spirit stones, quickly extinguishing the buying ambitions of several others who had been considering making a bid as well!
Although the Fire Cloud Sword's accompanying fire cloud attack was decent, it was still noticeably short of a truly fine top-grade tool. Buying it at three hundred spirit stones would make it a rather awkward acquisition — useful but not worth the cost.
Still, just because these people weren't willing to buy didn't mean someone else wouldn't be the fool to take the plunge!
For those willing to purchase, the items that followed in the auction would certainly be better, but they had no chance of winning those bids. It was far more practical to secure a decent top-grade tool that was right in front of them!
And so, the Fire Cloud Sword was still sold without much difficulty for just over four hundred spirit stones, snapped up after a brief contest among several Qi Condensation stage cultivators.
The cultivator wearing a baby-faced mask stepped forward, paid the spirit stones, and then happily carried the sword back to his seat, clutching it as though it were a priceless heirloom to be passed down through generations. The sight drew a few amused looks from the surrounding cultivators.
Once that man had settled back into his seat, the tall, lanky auctioneer cleared his throat and continued: "The second item this shop will put up for auction is a favorite among artificers — a top-grade Crimson Silk Heavenly Furnace. This furnace has passed through the hands of numerous master artificers and has been used to refine many fine top-grade tools. Among them are the Phantom Sound Sword, the Azure Flood Dragon Banner, and the Black Flame Pearl, to name just a few. It is said to provide a certain boost to tool refinement — though whether that is true or not, our shop cannot say for certain! The base price is set at four hundred spirit stones, which is by no means excessive."
As the man spoke, he produced a fire-red pill furnace from his storage pouch and set it on the table for everyone to examine closely.
A murmur erupted through the hall! Though no one had yet spoken loudly, the atmosphere instantly turned heated. Many cultivators fixed their burning gazes on the furnace, unable to look away — clearly, they had all set their eyes on it.
Han Li sat quietly in his corner, observing everything with a cool detachment. However, when he heard that the Azure Flood Dragon Banner in his possession had also been forged in this very furnace, he felt a brief flicker of surprise — but that was all.
He knew absolutely nothing about tool refining, so naturally he had no idea what this furnace was truly worth. But he would never spend money on something that had no use to him — that much he could manage. Besides, while the spirit stones he carried were not few in number, they needed to be spent where it truly mattered!
"Four hundred and fifty!"
"Four hundred and seventy!"
"I bid five hundred spirit stones!"
"..."
No matter what Han Li thought of it, this pill furnace known as the "Crimson Silk Heavenly Furnace" was driven to a terrifying price in no time at all!
"Seven hundred and eighty spirit stones!"
This was the bid ground out through gritted teeth by a portly figure wearing a yellow cowl!
"Eight hundred!"
A female cultivator not far from the fat man called out a higher figure without the slightest hurry, sending the fat man into such a fury that he clenched both fists.
At what was essentially an astronomical price, all other bidders had long since dropped out. They could only watch with unwilling eyes as two wealthy Foundation Establishment cultivators continued to push the price higher and higher with each bid.
"Eight hundred and fifty spirit stones! If this madam can bid even one stone more, this pill furnace is yours!" After raising the price one final time, the fat man glared at the female cultivator with fury in his eyes and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Eight hundred and fifty-one!"
The moment these words left the fat cultivator's mouth, the female cultivator let out a cold laugh and deliberately called out a sum just one stone higher. The fat man's broad face beneath his cloak flushed crimson as blood. Yet after casting several venomous glares in her direction, he actually stopped bidding.
And so, this Foundation Establishment female cultivator paid an astronomical price to claim the famed pill furnace — though whether it was truly worth the cost, no one could say.
Perhaps the fierce bidding had stirred the nerves of every cultivator present. The hall's previously cold atmosphere suddenly burst into life, and one by one, top-grade magical tools and rare materials were snatched up by the enthusiastic crowd of bidders.
But after twenty or so items had been auctioned off, Han Li still had not seen any formation flags or formation discs appear for sale, and this began to wear on his patience.
He could not help but think that if nothing in this area truly turned up at the auction, he would really have to make another trip to Star Dust Pavilion. Even the most basic formation-arranging tools — buying a few extra sets would still be better than having none at all!