The Qiguang Trading Company said there were three secret techniques inside, but it was actually just a travelogue, describing the author's process of creating these three secret methods during their journey, and none of them are powerful Dao-protecting dharma methods.

No one was very interested in it, Yu Ziqing bid three times, and nobody contested him.

Soon, the sixty-four-sided crystal was taken out, which wasn't considered a top treasure.

Yu Ziqing sipped his tea, feeling amused; the owner of Qiguang Trading Company was indeed an interesting person.

He'd rather bear the reputation of being clueless, giving this treasure an incorrect valuation, saying outright that they had no idea what it was but thought it had research value, so they brought it out for sale.

During the introduction, it was even explicitly said that this item might be liked by Dao cultivators.

The implication being, besides research value, this ghostly thing had no power.

As expected, after this introduction, everyone felt the price was too high.

Yu Ziqing kindly made the first bid, and it was the starting bid.

He knew quite a few deans and could afford it, giving it away wouldn't be a problem.

With the first bid, others began to follow suit.

The New Five, disguised in painted skin, called out a bid; the transforming jellyfish also bid, while Fish Bone watched coldly.

They competed for a while, and when the bidding slowed down, the strong man in the opposite box also increased the bid once.

At this time, another person from a different box also made a bid.

Yu Ziqing was a bit curious; honestly, the valuation given by Qiguang Trading Company was low, albeit intentionally. But for an item with only research value, which was still unknown, the price was already high.

Yu Ziqing noticed people from the Lihuo Institute, who did not bid.

Of course, maybe Lihuo Institute's budget had been tight recently.

Yu Ziqing remembered the identity and appearance of the other party, coming from a new emerging power in the west of Dali, also involved in business with Almsgiving Town, a major channel dealer under Deceitful Ghost.

Back when the Crown Prince of Dali was disaster-relief in the west, developing the west, along with the Abyssal Rift stabilizing and the emergence of Almsgiving Town, a vast area here began to be developed, with population increasing year by year, decades later, it was no longer what it used to be.

The powers emerging here all bore some shadow of other major forces, lacking heritage, but they were wealthy, as rich as upstarts.

The current bidder was a typical upstart.

Because they found a spirit stone ore vein on their land, a rich vein at that.

Truly poor but having nothing but money.

Anything that could be bought with money wasn't a problem.

Yu Ziqing made two bids, then gave up and watched the show instead.

He not only watched those who bid but also paid attention to those who didn't, as someone among them might want things for free.

For example, the jellyfish gave up after two bids, evidently surprised by the level of wealth on land, exceeding his expectations, and surpassing what he could gather from public channels outside.

Fish Bone hadn't bid from start to finish.

He wore a slightly crazed smile, as if everything here was different from what was described in the Jade Tablet, which particularly put him at ease.

These two saints were definitively ones aiming for a free ride.

The auction of the sixty-four-sided crystal didn't come with any big surprises; the crystal ball was purchased by the upstart for a price six times higher than the starting bid.

There were three more final treasures; Yu Ziqing wasn't interested in two of them, and the ultimate one was a book containing information about a production spot for Green Soil.

Yu Ziqing spent a large sum, competing with people from the Lihuo Institute and Langya Institute, finally obtaining it.

After paying the bill, the upstart who bought the sixty-four-sided crystal had already left.

All those who participated in the auction for the sixty-four-sided crystal were also gone.

Someone left a message for Yu Ziqing; upon checking, it was New Five, pointing him westwards.

Yu Ziqing took the Flying Boat, wobbling towards Jinlan Mountain, anyway, anyone looking at him wouldn't think he was following someone.

Less than a thousand miles out, he saw ahead, a faint red divine light shining, that eerie power mixed with a hint of violence rising.

The saints had already engaged with the other party.

Yu Ziqing adjusted the direction of the Flying Boat, bypassing the battlefield. From the side, a tunneling light flew, and the robed figure materialized mid-air.

"Pardon the interruption, but I have something to ask."

"No need for such formality, please go ahead," Yu Ziqing stood up, bowed politely.

"I want to know, when can Dadui return? A bit more specific timeframe."

Yu Ziqing was a bit taken aback; wanting to know this news, there are not less than eight or ten thousand people.

But how would he know?

He hadn't even decided for himself.

"To be honest, I'm not sure either, I can only generally determine, between a hundred and four hundred years, the specific time is still uncertain."

"Thank you." The robed man was somewhat disappointed, yet still politely returned the bow.

"May I know how to address you, sir?" Yu Ziqing asked, seeing the robed man didn't answer immediately, he quickly added: "If I'm able to predict the time, I could inform you, sir."

The robed man looked at Yu Ziqing's sincere face, pondered for a moment, and said:

"My name is Qingping."

After leaving these words, the robed man turned into a tunneling light and flew away.

"Sir, leave a contact method, or how can I notify you..."