Before long, some cultivators had run out of spirit stones and began offering rare items as collateral instead. Each piece was more expensive and more extraordinary than the last, leaving Han Li dazzled by the spectacle.
"I'll trade a complete set of Inverted Five Elements Array formation tools for this spirit grass!"
Someone blurted out in desperation, their sudden shout cutting through the clamor of the other cultivators and silencing them all.
It wasn't because the voice was particularly loud. It was because the "Inverted Five Elements Array" they mentioned was far too famous. It had reached a point where practically everyone knew about it! In certain respects, it was absolutely valued even more highly by cultivation families and sects than this thousand-year spirit herb.
This miraculous formation, known as the "Minor Sealing Array," covered a smaller area and lacked any offensive killing power, but its ability to illusionary disguise a mountain gate, confuse enemies, and trap them was in no way inferior to the grand protective formations of the major sects!
If your own family or sect had such a wondrous array guarding it, wouldn't that provide tremendous security?
However, in principle, a formation this powerful could only be deployed by a formation master who specialized in this particular array, toiling away at a location for a year or two while expending enormous manpower and resources. To say nothing of actually converting the array into a portable artifact!
If this was genuine, then this auction was truly full of surprises and a real eye-opener.
Han Li's eyes gleamed with interest when he heard this, and his spirits lifted. He turned to look at the person who had spoken.
It was a youth at the Qi Refining stage wearing a tiger-head mask. His build was short and stocky, thoroughly unremarkable — he hardly looked like someone who could possess such a wondrous item! Yet the anxious look in his eyes suggested otherwise.
"You possess formation tools for the Inverted Five Elements Array?" The tall, thin auctioneer, after an initial startle, calmed down and studied the youth with deep suspicion. Although he didn't really believe it was true, if the young man truly had this set of formation artifacts, then the thousand-year herb would naturally be his.
The other cultivators all turned their attention to the youth, waiting for his response.
"I do have them, but they're not yet fully successful. They can only produce one-tenth of the array's true power! However, if you're willing to give me this spirit grass, I can guarantee that within several years, I will increase the power of the formation tool set several times over — at the very least, to half its intended strength." Seeing so many eyes fixed on him, the youth couldn't help but feel a flutter of panic. But the thousand-year spirit herb was simply too important, so he stammered out his offer anyway.
"So it's not real after all — just an incomplete prototype still in development!" Many cultivators were greatly disappointed upon hearing this. They had been planning that if he truly possessed a complete set of such tools, they would place an order regardless of how many spirit stones it cost. But now that it was merely a defective prototype, they naturally lost interest.
Formation masters in the cultivation world were even rarer than alchemists and artifact refiners! Once a person decided to study formations in depth, they were essentially giving up any hope of achieving the Great Dao. After all, human energy was limited — it was impossible to simultaneously dedicate oneself to cultivation and to the deep study of complex formations within one's finite lifetime.
Still, some began plotting to find the formation master behind this youth once the trading session ended. After all, a formation master capable of researching the conversion of this wondrous array into an artifact could certainly deploy the formation on-site as well! For certain families and smaller sects, as long as this array could protect their critical locations, whether it could be turned into an artifact or carried around was entirely irrelevant!
"You must be joking! This is an auction — we don't wait several years to see results! This time, I'll let it slide because of your youth. But next time, if you make false bids and speak untruthfully again, don't blame our people for being unforgiving!" The tall, thin auctioneer's face darkened immediately upon confirming that the claim was hollow, and he spoke in a harsh tone.
The short, stocky youth opened his mouth beneath the mask, seemingly wanting to say something more. But the auctioneer had already turned away from him, leaving the young man to let out a long, helpless sigh before slumping back into his seat.
Han Li, witnessing this scene, narrowed his eyes. He studied the youth carefully for a few moments, memorizing his appearance and attire in detail.
Meanwhile, the thousand-year spirit grass ended up in the hands of a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had bid two thousand spirit stones plus several pieces of Phantom Moon Stone.
And just like that, the secret shop's auction came to a close. The remaining time was designated for free trading among the attending cultivators. Those who felt they had nothing to trade could, of course, leave through the stone door that had just opened.
The burly, tall figure who had traded iron essence for the puppet beast was in no hurry to leave. He remained seated leisurely in his chair, seemingly intending to participate in the free trading as well. In contrast, the strange person wearing a cloth bag over their head departed the moment the stone door opened, hurrying off without a glance back. This left certain observant onlookers puzzled and suspicious.
Han Li didn't waste time pondering these matters — he had enough on his own plate! His original plan had been to find the short, stocky youth as soon as the free trading period began, to see if the young man would be willing to transfer the formation tools to him.
Although that so-called "Inverted Five Elements Array" formation artifact set could only produce one-tenth of the original array's power, for Han Li, that was more than sufficient!
He had long heard of this wondrous array's reputation, and he was confident that even this fraction of its power would be far more than enough for his own crudely established cave dwelling. It would be more than ample to protect that tiny patch of land — with room to spare!