191: Ancient secret key

Three days passed quickly.

The auction held by Tianxin Sect attracted many people.

Tianxin City surpassed its former prosperity, with a surge in population.

And with the allure of the ancient mystic key, many magnates also came upon hearing the news.

Tianxin City, East District, here, was like a royal palace.

And this was Tianxin Palace.

Among the entire Tianxin City, its scale was one of the best.

It covered tens of thousands of acres, extremely vast and luxurious.

And Tianxin Palace was where Tianxin Sect held its auction.

At dawn, at the entrance of Tianxin Palace, many people gathered.

As one of the three major overlord-level forces in the East Sea, the auction it hosted naturally had a grand presence.

At the main hall entrance, people from Tianxin Sect were specially responsible for guarding it.

This auction was not open to just anyone.

One had to Cultivate to Innate to enter this auction.

This was also the admission ticket.

In any place, strength was the absolute benchmark.

Without sufficient strength, even if one wanted to participate, one couldn't.

Of course, this was not absolute.

There was a second option: if one's status was powerful enough, they could also enter.

If one met either of these two conditions, they could participate in the auction.

However, even with these two restrictions, there were still many people entering.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of forces in the East Sea.

These forces were basically all present.

The auction officially began atSi hour (9-11 AM), and by Chenshi (7-9 AM), many people had already arrived and entered.

Tianxin Palace also became the focal point of everyone's attention today.

Although this auction used the ancient mystic key as a gimmick to attract many forces and Martial Artists from all sides, besides the ancient mystic key, Tianxin Sect also put a lot of effort into other auction items.

Every auction item was a treasure-grade item... Tianxin Palace, the auction venue was a huge circular arena.

The seats were already filled with people.

It was a sea of people.

The venue was enormous, capable of accommodating even hundreds of thousands of people without issue.

And besides the ordinary seats, there were also independent private rooms.

Separated from the ordinary seating area.

There were only a few hundred private rooms.

Each private room had a number.

At this moment, Han Li had already appeared in private room sixty-nine, sitting on a soft chair, with a young maiden standing beside him.

Besides him and the attending maid, there was also Duan Chunfeng and another maid in the private room.

The two were in one private room.

From inside the private room, one could clearly see the situation outside.

It was similar to the Wu Dynasty auction in the past, but on a larger scale.

He also had a number plate, number 88, and a top-tier VIP card gifted by Bai Qiong on behalf of Tianxin Sect, allowing him to enjoy a 10% discount on any auctioned item.

"Fellow Daoist Han, quite a few people have come this time, and many powerful ones too. They're probably all here for the ancient mystic key," Duan Chunfeng said, half-reclining on a chair and looking out of the private room.

Han Li's expression was calm, and he said, "That depends on individual financial resources."

"That's true, but this is no small sum," Duan Chunfeng said.

"Fellow Daoist Han, how confident are you?" Duan Chunfeng looked at Han Li.

Han Li smiled: "We'll know when the time comes."

Duan Chunfeng: "..."

"It seems... he's very confident." Duan Chunfeng's thoughts flickered as he looked at Han Li's calm expression.

——

Si hour (9-11 AM) arrived quickly.

The auction officially began.

On the central high platform, a graceful figure appeared in everyone's sight.

A purple palace dress, a proud figure, very charming, with Peak of the Acquired Realm Cultivation.

Han Li saw through her at a glance.

The woman in the purple palace dress stepped onto the auction stage, and all eyes in the hall focused on her.

The surroundings suddenly dimmed considerably, and the lights converged on the woman in the purple palace dress.

She became the focal point of the entire venue.

"At least eight points, very tasteful," Duan Chunfeng commented, appraising the woman in the purple palace dress on the central high platform.

Han Li: "..."

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you interested? If you are, just say the word, and this woman can surely be yours," Duan Chunfeng turned his head and looked at Han Li.

"...Fellow Daoist Duan, there's a limit to indulging in female beauty. Too much indulgence is not good for Cultivation," Han Li said indifferently.

"Fellow Daoist Han, I don't have your composure. One should enjoy what's to be enjoyed. The harmony of Yin and Yang is the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth, after all," Duan Chunfeng said with a smile.

"..."

——

"Little one Yueqin welcomes everyone to this auction of our Tianxin Sect. This time, our Tianxin Sect has prepared many treasures, and I believe everyone will find something rewarding."

A gentle voice rang out, amplified by True Qi, spreading throughout the venue.

On the auction stage, Yueqin, with a faint smile on her face, said, "Alright, this little one won't waste any more words. Let's begin the auction for the first item!"

As soon as she spoke, everyone's eyes in the hall turned to the auction stage.

Two figures appeared, carrying the first auction item.

Han Li's gaze also turned to the first auction item.

A purplish-gold fruit with patterns like real Dragons.

"This is the first treasure of this auction, a thousand-year dragon soul fruit! The starting bid is fifty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, with each increment not less than one thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

The voice spread throughout the venue, and as soon as it fell, someone immediately called out a price.

"Fifty-one thousand!"

"Fifty-three thousand!"

"Fifty-five thousand!"

..."Thousand-year dragon soul fruit..."

In the private room, Han Li looked at the auction item on the stage, his heart skipped a beat.

This was a rare Heaven And Earth Treasure.

The dragon soul fruit had the dual effects of enhancing the Physical Body and the Soul.

Its effect was extraordinary.

Especially the improvement of the Soul, which was even greater.

"The first item is already this good. It seems there should be many good treasures today."

Han Li looked at the auction item.

Duan Chunfeng: "This Tianxin Sect auction is very well-prepared; there are definitely many good things."

"Fellow Daoist Duan, are you not interested in this item?" Han Li turned his head to look at Duan Chunfeng.

Duan Chunfeng chuckled: "I'm just here to look this time. If there's something suitable, then I'll see if I can make a move."

"Is Fellow Daoist Duan also preparing to bid for the ancient mystic key?" Han Li looked at him, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't have that much money. This thing shouldn't be too low," Duan Chunfeng shook his head.

Listening to these words, Han Li's gaze once again turned to the auction stage.

The Ancient Mystic Realm, it was a rare opportunity to encounter such a good chance. One Secret Realm harvest could far exceed one's own arduous Cultivation.

He was determined to obtain the ancient mystic key.

——

Bids kept pouring in, and the dragon soul fruit ultimately sold for eight hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Soon, the second auction item appeared.

It was a Medicinal Pill.

God-Breaking Pill!

It could increase the chance of Breakthrough to the God Realm, though only by less than three percent, it still made many people flock to it.

The Innate crossing into the God Realm was a fundamental transformation.

It was not just about increasing strength; more importantly, breaking through to the God Realm also meant a surge in one's Lifespan.

Five hundred years of Lifespan, this already transcended the scope of ordinary Martial Artists.

Starting at one hundred fifty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, the price of the God-Breaking Pill soared in a short amount of time.

It directly reached a price of a million Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Finally, it was successfully bid for at a price of one million five hundred thousand.

Han Li sat in the private room, watching quietly.

Until he obtained the ancient mystic key, he would not participate in other auctions.

Moreover, ordinary items did not hold much interest for him.

Only two things could attract his great attention: longevity divine medicine, or Materials that could be used to refine a supreme sacred weapon.

His Heavenly Thunder Sword, fused with dragon vein celestial gold, although only a Medium Grade Dao Artifact, its unleashed power was extremely formidable and terrifying, capable of clashing head-on even with High Grade Dao Artifacts.

Top-tier Materials also made the potential of his Heavenly Thunder Sword extremely vast... Time passed by minute by minute.

On the auction stage, the voice of Tianxin Sect's auctioneer, Yueqin, rang out.

"Next, the item to be auctioned will be the first grand finale item of this auction, the ancient mystic key."

Yueqin's voice spread throughout the venue, and these words instantly ignited everyone's spirits.

All eyes converged on the auction stage.

"It's here."

In the private room, Han Li also perked up.

The first auction item, the ancient mystic key, was also his goal this time.

"Fellow Daoist Han, the item you want has appeared."

"If Fellow Daoist Han's Spirit Stones are insufficient, I can certainly provide some assistance, one or two tens of millions should be no problem," Duan Chunfeng said to him.

Han Li looked at Duan Chunfeng and smiled slightly: "Then I thank you. If it's not enough, Han Li would indeed like to ask for your assistance."

"Haha, no problem," Duan Chunfeng smiled.

Immediately, both of their gazes turned to the central auction stage.

On the auction stage, Yueqin waved her delicate hand, and the next second, golden light flickered in the air, and a golden key appeared in everyone's sight.

A golden key a foot long, with peculiar patterns on it. This golden key exuded a noble feeling.

"ancient mystic key!"

"It's finally here!"

At this, everyone became fully alert.

All eyes were focused on the ancient mystic key.

The admission ticket to the Ancient Mystic Realm.

Those who could participate in the auction basically knew very well what kind of Secret Realm ruin the Ancient Mystic Realm was.

Although it had been opened many times, each time, there were different gains.

The Secret Realm ruins of an ancient Supreme Paragon, this attraction was immense, even for God Realm magnates.

"Everyone, I believe you are all aware of the value of the ancient mystic key. There is still about a month until the Ancient Mystic Realm opens. With this ancient mystic key, you can enter the Ancient Mystic Realm. Now, let's begin the auction. The starting bid is ten million Low-Grade Spirit Stones, with each increment not less than one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Yueqin's voice rang out.

A commotion immediately erupted in the auction hall.

Although the Martial Artists participating in the auction all had extraordinary strength and considerable wealth, ten million Low-Grade Spirit Stones was still an astronomical figure for ninety percent of the Martial Artists in the venue.

"Eleven million!"

Just then, a hoarse voice rang out, and all eyes converged, turning towards the source of the voice.

Adding one million Low-Grade Spirit Stones in one go, truly extravagant!

Their gazes turned towards the direction of the voice, which came from a private room.

However, the private room was shrouded in a Formation, making it impossible to know who was inside.

On this point, Tianxin Sect had also made preparations for secrecy.

"Seventy-nine..."

Han Li looked at the private room that made the first bid, his expression showing no significant fluctuations.

Adding one million Low-Grade Spirit Stones to the bid is indeed a lot, but for him, with his current worth, it's just a small amount.

"Twelve million!"

The next second, another voice rang out, raising the bid by one million Low-Grade Spirit Stones, showing no signs of backing down.

"Thirteen million!"

A voice came from another private room.

"Fourteen million!"

"Fifteen million!"

"Sixteen million!"

... The bidding continued to soar.

The price also broke through to new heights.

"Fellow Daoist Han, why aren't you bidding?"

Listening to the new round of bids, Duan Chunfeng looked at Han Li from the side.

"No rush, let's wait a bit longer." Han Li smiled faintly, his demeanor composed.

"One hundred million!" As soon as he finished speaking, a new bid appeared.

In the auction hall, this price also caused quite a stir.

One hundred million Low-Grade Spirit Stones—this wealth was astounding.

Han Li's expression remained unperturbed as he looked towards the private room that made the bid.

The price of the ancient mystic key continued to soar, and there were still many people competing for it.

"One hundred ten million!"

A voice came from another private room again, showing no intention of backing down.

The bid was directly raised by ten million Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"One hundred twenty million."

Another private room announced the price again.

A new round of competition continued... "Two hundred million!"

An astonishing price was announced, and the entire venue instantly quieted down considerably.

All eyes turned towards the private room that made the bid.

Although some had already withdrawn from the competition, there were still three parties continuously bidding.

However, at this moment, a voice came from a private room.

"Three hundred million!"

The voice echoed calmly in the hall, but to everyone's ears, it was like a clap of thunder.

The whole place was in an uproar.

Shock, astonishment, disbelief!

All eyes turned towards private room ninety-nine.

Raising the bid by one hundred million at once was simply insane.

In private room ninety-nine, Han Li leaned back in a soft chair, his expression indifferent.

Beside him, Duan Chunfeng stared at him, his eyelids twitching violently.

Ruthless!

Too ruthless!

He didn't make a move until he did, and when he did, it was earth-shattering.

Raising the bid by one hundred million at once, good heavens, this was probably a record that had never been seen since the Tianxin Sect's auction.

The auction hall instantly fell silent.

After a long while, on the central auction stage, the auctioneer took a deep breath and spoke.

"Three hundred million, is there anyone else who wants to raise the bid?"

The auction hall was silent.

At this moment, in the other private rooms, several pairs of eyes were looking at private room sixty-nine.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three hundred ten million!"

As the countdown entered its last second, a new bid came from a private room.

In private room sixty-nine, Han Li's expression was calm, still showing no ripples.

Beside him, Duan Chunfeng looked towards the private room that made the bid.

The bid came from private room ninety-nine!

"Fellow Dao..."

"Four hundred million!"

Just as Duan Chunfeng was about to speak, Han Li directly announced the price.

"..."

As the price was announced, the auction hall suddenly fell silent.

At this moment, in private room ninety-nine, a golden-robed old man looked towards the private room where Han Li was, his face ashen.

This scene was also playing out in other private rooms.

The various magnates frowned.

And in one of those private rooms, a young man in a star-patterned robe also looked towards the private room where Han Li was.

"Can you find out who this person is?" the star-robed young man asked indifferently.

Hearing this, the old man standing beside him shook his head: "The Tianxin Sect has confidentiality regulations, so it's probably impossible to investigate."

"He's quite wealthy..." The star-robed young man's eyes flashed.

"Young Master, our goal this time is not the ancient mystic key, so there's no need to make a move." The old man beside him reminded him.

"Four hundred ten million!"

"..."

—

"Five hundred million!"

In the private room, Han Li's expression remained unchanged as he raised the bid again, showing no ripples.

As the bid was announced, the young girl massaging Han Li's shoulders behind him paused slightly.

The auction hall instantly fell silent.

Five hundred million Low-Grade Spirit Stones—this was a huge sum even for God Realm magnates.

"This guy is so rich..."

Beside him, Duan Chunfeng took a sip of tea, looked at Han Li, and his eyes lit up.

"Five hundred ten million!"

After a brief silence, another voice rang out.

Han Li's expression was normal, but his gaze turned towards the private room that made the bid.

"Six hundred million!"

A second or two later, Han Li bid again.

All eyes in the auction hall were focused on the two private rooms.

Now, only private room ninety-nine and private room sixty-nine were still bidding.

As the six hundred million bid was announced, silence fell again.

On the auction stage, Yueqin, the Tianxin Sect auctioneer, maintained her composure.

After waiting for three seconds, and hearing no new bids, she gently raised the auction hammer in her hand.

"Six hundred million, first call!"

"Six hundred million, second call!"

"Six hundred million, third call!"

"Dong!"

With a final strike of the hammer, Auctioneer Yueqin's voice resonated through the hall.

"Congratulations to VIP number eighty-eight on a successful bid."

As the voice rang out, all eyes in the hall turned towards the private room where Han Li was.

Six hundred million Low-Grade Spirit Stones—this price was a fortune that most Cultivators could hardly attain.

It was also the first sky-high auction item of the day.

"Hoo..."

In the private room, Han Li listened to the voice and breathed a sigh of relief.

With the successful auction of the ancient mystic key, he had essentially obtained the ticket to enter the Ancient Mystic Realm.

A Supreme Secret Realm, even if it cost more Spirit Stones, was worth it to him.

He didn't expect to encounter a Heaven-Defying longevity divine medicine like the Phoenix Golden Lotus, but it would still be good to gain other rewards.

"Fellow Daoist Han, congratulations." Duan Chunfeng also recovered and looked at Han Li, a bright smile on his face.

Han Li took a sip of tea, his expression showing no ripples, and gently nodded.

He secured the ancient mystic key for six hundred million, which was even easier than he had anticipated.

Wealth is important, but strength is even more important.

New auction items were brought out, and the auction continued.

Before long, there was a knock on the private room door.

Han Li turned his head to look, and the private room door automatically opened, revealing two figures.

One of them was precisely Bai Qiong, the Tianxin Sect Elder who had previously attended to him.

Behind him was a young girl, holding a golden tray with delicate hands, and on the tray lay the ancient mystic key.

"Haha, congratulations, Fellow Daoist Han, on your successful bid!"

Bai Qiong's face was wreathed in smiles as he stepped in, followed closely by the young girl.

Han Li rose and looked at the ancient mystic key on the tray in the young girl's hand.

"Fellow Daoist Han, please inspect it." Bai Qiong stepped forward, waved his hand gently, and the ancient mystic key was enveloped by a force and sent before Han Li.

Looking at the ancient mystic key before him, the golden patterns on it emitted a special power, along with some tiny designs.

It contained a certain mysterious aura.

Judging from this alone, it should undoubtedly be the genuine article.

"Not bad." Han Li nodded.

Bai Qiong's smile grew even wider as he looked at Han Li and said, "Fellow Daoist Han, since that's the case, let's complete the final transaction. If your Spirit Stones are insufficient, our Tianxin Sect can also acquire other treasures to offset the cost."

"Fellow Daoist Bai, please count them." Han Li waved his hand, and a cosmos ring appeared out of thin air before him.

Seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Bai Qiong's eyes, then he took the cosmos ring. With a sweep of his Divine Sense, the Spirit Stones inside were clear at a glance.

Six hundred million Low-Grade Spirit Stones, exactly the right amount.

Bai Qiong counted them once, confirmed they were correct, and then handed the ancient mystic key to Han Li.

"Fellow Daoist Han, then I won't disturb you any further."

"Mmm."

Han Li nodded, then sat down. Bai Qiong and the young girl left the private room.

The private room door closed, and Han Li looked at the one-foot-long ancient mystic key in his hand.

Beside him, Duan Chunfeng also looked at it curiously.

"This thing is expensive," Duan Chunfeng said, smacking his lips.

"The key to a Supreme Secret Realm, it's worth the price, I suppose." Han Li smiled, then put away the ancient mystic key.

"Fellow Daoist Han is truly wealthy and powerful, I am not his equal." Duan Chunfeng sighed.

Han Li smiled, his gaze once again turning to the auction stage.

Item after item appeared, but Han Li chose not to bid.

The things he needed were not ordinary items that could be compared... Time passed minute by minute, and the auction entered its final stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is the finalPress shaft (finale) auction item of this auction, the Tianlei Bamboo."

Yueqin's voice rang out, and all eyes in the auction hall turned to the auction stage.

"Tianlei Bamboo?"

In the private room, Han Li was surprised.

Tianlei Bamboo is indeed a rare treasure, but it shouldn't be considered the finale item for this auction, should it?

Could it be that it's very old?

Just as Han Li was wondering, a purple-gold light shone on the auction stage.

A Tianlei Bamboo, a full ten feet long, appeared before everyone's eyes.

Purple electric light bloomed, containing a strong power of thunder.

"Buzz—!!"

At this moment, in Han Li's Dantian, the dormant Heavenly Thunder Sword emitted a tremor.

It seemed to have been stirred by the Tianlei Bamboo.

Just then, Auctioneer Yueqin's voice rang out: "Everyone, this Tianlei Bamboo is a hundred-thousand-year-old Tianlei Bamboo. As everyone knows, the older the Tianlei Bamboo, the more powerful it is. It is a rare and precious treasure for forging Divine Weapons, and it contains the essence of thunder, making it even more powerful than other Tianlei Bamboo of the same age. The starting price for this Tianlei Bamboo is ten million Low-Grade Spirit Stones, with each bid not less than one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"A hundred-thousand-year-old Tianlei Bamboo!"

Han Li's eyes flashed.

This Tianlei Bamboo was actually a hundred-thousand-year-old Tianlei Bamboo, which was truly rare.

Although it couldn't compare to the Materials for a supreme sacred weapon, it was still Materials that could forge top-tier Dao Artifacts.

The Heavenly Thunder Sword was his Lifebound Treasure, and it had even fused with Materials for forging supreme sacred weapons like the dragon vein celestial gold, which made it even rarer.

This hundred-thousand-year-old Tianlei Bamboo greatly interested him.

12,000, I wish all readers good luck in the Year of the Dragon, a happy life, good health, and continued support!!