The remaining four team members.
In the end, Xu Sanshi chose to withdraw.
Compared to the injured Xu Sanshi, the other three were unscathed. After absorbing soul bones, they could immediately compete as full-fledged fighters.
Though the team could rely on Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiuer, it was wise to prepare for contingencies.
If Xu Sanshi absorbed the remaining soul bone, he could only partially recover, unable to fully contribute in battle.
He chose to step back for two additional reasons.
First, as the young master of the Mysterious Underworld Sect, soul bones under 50,000 years weren't particularly valuable to him unless they were highly compatible. Unfortunately, the remaining soul bones weren't a perfect match.
Second, he wanted to impress Jiang Nannan with his selflessness.
Jiang Nannan was indeed moved, even touched by his gesture.
Xu Sanshi grinned so wide you'd think he'd won all the soul bones himself.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao each got a soul bone too, and both were thrilled.
All seven who received soul bones chose ones relatively suited to them.
Huo Yuhao got a 20,000-year ice-attribute left leg soul bone.
Compared to the others, he was far calmer.
He planned to hold onto this soul bone for now, using it later to enhance the age limit of his existing soul bones.
Using soul bones below 50,000 years to strengthen his Ghost Banner martial soul was no longer very effective. It was better to save them as "dog food" for nurturing more suitable soul bones in the future.
If no suitable ones came up, he'd use this one to boost his Ice Glow Left Arm Bone. If it could reach 200,000 years, the soul skill's effect would improve significantly.
Besides the seven soul bones, a soul master's corpse was delivered—a Soul Douluo, no less!
Its head was crushed, making the face unrecognizable.
This was sent by the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, claiming the deceased was the culprit behind Zhou Yi's public assassination, manipulated by the Holy Spirit Cult's demon.
True or not, a Soul Douluo's life was a hefty price.
The seven soul bones also showed ample sincerity.
Elder Xuan didn't press further.
He took the corpse, planning to send it back to Shrek Academy for Fan Yu to handle.
Those who received soul bones returned to their rooms to absorb them.
Jin Qiuer, who didn't get one, returned to her room bored, visibly in a sour mood.
Xu Sanshi offered to guard Jiang Nannan's door, essentially acting as her watchdog.
But he was happy to do it!
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but marvel—Xu Sanshi was practically invincible.
As for Jiang Nannan's actions, Huo Yuhao didn't need her, so he reserved judgment. He'd address it if necessary later.
Ling Luochen took her soul bone back to her room, locked the door, and sat cross-legged on her bed. But she didn't absorb it immediately.
She was calculating.
"Absorbing this soul bone will help my injuries somewhat, but not enough to compete. I'm still not guaranteed to fully recover before the finals."
"If I go to Yuhao…"
"I need to decide soon. If I wait until after the round-robin, I'll miss my chance to recover."
"Everyone's worked so hard. I have to carry their will and stand in the finals!"
Ling Luochen was torn, struggling internally.
She knew that with Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiuer, they had a shot at the championship. But she was unwilling to sit it out, and… there was a faint anticipation!
Her desire to recover wasn't as pure as it once was.
Unbeknownst to her, a faint peach-colored glow flickered in her pupils, a result of Ma Xiaotao's desire-fueled aura accumulating.
This was a new trait of Ma Xiaotao's flames that Huo Yuhao had discovered.
Even Ma Xiaotao herself hadn't noticed. It was only through Huo Yuhao's relentless, thorough "research" with her and Wei Na as test subjects that he uncovered it.
Her transformed evil fire had new properties.
Its aura could ignite desire in others, clouding their rationality.
If, like Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na, the desire was regularly vented, it wouldn't affect the person. Instead, it would bring joy and enhance mental strength.
But if unvented, the desire fire wouldn't extinguish. It would pile up, corrupting the heart and will.
Until a pure maiden turned into a woman of desire!
Ling Luochen, unaware of this, suppressed her inner turmoil and began absorbing the soul bone.
She was nearing her limit.
…
After absorbing the soul bones, everyone's strength increased.
Except for Huo Yuhao, the others' soul power rose by about one level on average.
Xiao Xiao even broke through to Level 30, just one soul ring away from becoming a Soul Elder.
The gains lifted the team's spirits considerably.
The joy lasted all day.
At night, Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na were more proactive than ever, unlocking new "combo moves."
But as the three were engaged in their "three-lane push," Huo Yuhao's door was suddenly pushed open.
Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na froze in shock.
Huo Yuhao, intrigued, looked toward the door.
There stood Ling Luochen, clad in a thin nightgown that loosely draped her curvaceous figure, leaving little covered below her chest.
Her usual icy aura lingered, like a snow princess or a night elf.
But her eyes glowed with an unnatural peach-colored light.
"Senior Ling? What are you doing?" Huo Yuhao asked, feigning surprise.
Suppressing the tingling and itching in her body, Ling Luochen clutched one arm with the other, holding herself tightly. Maintaining her usual cold demeanor, she fixed her gaze on Huo Yuhao and said icily, "Yuhao, I want you to help me recover my injuries!"
"W-What?"
Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na were stunned.
Ling Luochen, ignoring them, stepped into the room and locked the door behind her.
Though it was a bit hypocritical, she didn't want anyone peeking from outside.
Without another word, she walked to the bedside. As she moved, excess clothing slipped to the floor.
Then she closed her eyes, slightly tilting her neck, presenting herself as if ready to be claimed.
She had exhausted all her courage to get this far and couldn't take another step.
The rest was up to Huo Yuhao and the others…
After their initial shock, Ma Xiaotao and Wei Na exchanged a glance, smiled, and each took one of Ling Luochen's arms, pulling her onto the bed.
They'd long forgotten restraint—they only sought joy.
They flanked Ling Luochen, one on each side.
"Luochen, since you've made your choice, let us help you…" Ma Xiaotao whispered in her ear, her breath warm and teasing.
Ling Luochen's lashes trembled, but she stubbornly kept her eyes closed, saying only, "It's all for Shrek's honor!"
Ma Xiaotao gave a radiant smile.
Then, with a gentle push, the ice and snow on the mountain melted, turning into trickling streams, flowing through the crevices of the valley, nourishing the fertile land below.
…
The subsequent matches went smoothly.
Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiuer didn't hog the spotlight, allowing others to take turns competing and soaking in the atmosphere.
In the end, Shrek Academy won seven consecutive matches, topping their group.
The Nuohua Team came in second.
Tu Xijun's gaze toward Huo Yuhao always carried a hint of complex emotions.
What intrigued Huo Yuhao was that her phoenix aura had recovered significantly.
Another sustainable mine to tap!
After the round-robin came the knockout rounds.
Only sixteen teams remained.
The match schedule for the top 16 to top 8 was soon released.
Ling Luochen went to collect it. Her complexion was much better now, though still icy, no longer pale.
It seemed her injuries might heal before the finals.
The knockout round: top 16 to top 8.
The first-place teams from the group stage would only be matched against the second-place teams from other groups.
Shrek Academy's opponent was Zheng Tian Academy.
In the original story, Zheng Tian Academy had received quite a bit of attention and had caused significant trouble for Shrek Academy during the round-robin stage.
Just like now, they had also made it into the knockout stage.
And again, they had advanced as the second seed.
This time, although they avoided facing Shrek Academy, they ended up running into the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
"Didn't expect we'd still end up facing Zheng Tian Academy. Looks like the two academies are destined to clash,"
Of course, this was just a joke—Huo Yuhao knew it was only a coincidence.
But since Zheng Tian Academy had been a focus in the original work, they were much easier to deal with now—because he'd already seen the "strategy guide."
In the original story, Shrek Academy had faced Dou Ling Royal Academy at this stage—one of the previous tournament's top four—which was now matched against another academy.
Huo Yuhao also noticed that the Nuo Hua Advanced Soul Master Academy had been paired with the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
"They're toast. Should I sneak in a side-battle? Tu Xijun's phoenix aura is still pretty enticing…"
A tempting thought.
The knockout stage had new rules.
Unlike the round-robin stage, where the match format was drawn randomly, each knockout match would now be spread over two days, featuring both team battles and individual elimination battles.
Losing the team battle didn't mean instant elimination—if a team could use only three members to defeat all seven of the opposing team the next day, they could turn the tables and win.
Conversely, if a team won the team battle, they just had to use their seven members to defeat any three of the opposing team to advance.
Still, not a big problem.
With Huo Yuhao around, victory was practically guaranteed.
Solo or group battle, take your pick.
Huo Yuhao could solo all seven, or lead a group takedown.
Before the knockout stage began, just like in the original, an invitation to the top-tier auction was delivered to Shrek Academy.
This time, it wasn't Qing Ya who extended the invite, and there was no awkward excuse like "to make up for the last time."
What status did Qing Ya even have? How dare she show up again?
Instead, Xu Jiujiu personally visited, inviting Shrek Academy to the top-tier auction in the name of the royal family, and stated that a rare treasure would be auctioned this time.
This was giving them serious face.
The Star Luo royal family now knew that Xuan Zi was here, and they had to pull out all the stops.
Xuan Zi, who had been secretly observing, was quite satisfied with this.
The invitation to a top-tier auction carried real weight.
Normally, only dukes, royals, major merchants, and top-level soul masters or soul engineers could attend such events.
Many of the auction items were rare, and their prices were naturally astronomical.
No one from Shrek Academy declined the invite—they were all curious about the so-called rare treasure.
It was also a chance to broaden their horizons.
Top-tier auctions didn't only feature soul tools, so naturally, Wang Dong didn't decline either.
"Will the Snow Empress embryo show up this time?" Huo Yuhao wondered.
Logically, it shouldn't.
But if it did… it would raise suspicions of that person's schemes.
Xu Jiujiu simply delivered the invitation and left politely, without showing any other intentions.
But Huo Yuhao could tell that Xu Jiujiu had secretly observed him multiple times.
And of course, Huo Yuhao had stolen a few glances at Xu Jiujiu… at the dragon aura around her.
"Tianmeng bro, I feel like eating fish~"
Tianmeng Iceworm: "Yuhao, you better be talking about actual fish!"
"As long as it can spray water, it counts as fish!"
"You never change!"
"Hahaha…"
Nighttime.
Starlight Auction House.
Huo Yuhao and the others donned casual clothes and arrived at the auction venue.
To their surprise, Xu Jiujiu herself was waiting at the entrance to receive them.
Starcloud Douluo Man Yiyi was still hidden in the shadows.
"She's not hosting the auction?" Huo Yuhao thought to himself in surprise.
There was no shortage of capable auctioneers—but this was her chance to interact directly with Huo Yuhao and the others.
With Xuan Zi in attendance, it was necessary to have someone with the appropriate status accompany them, even if he didn't show up personally. The attitude had to be right.
It was easy to see what really mattered here.
Xu Jiujiu was dressed in a royal purple palace gown, making her appear even more elegant—icy skin and jade-like features, absolutely stunning. Even compared to the girls of Shrek Academy, she stood out.
"Welcome, friends from Shrek Academy. Tonight, I, Jiujiu, will personally accompany you to the top-tier auction." Xu Jiujiu greeted them gracefully, wearing a perfect smile.
"Princess Jiujiu? You're accompanying us yourself? What an honor!" Xu Sanshi was visibly shocked.
This kind of reception made the younger members of the team feel absolutely dazzled.
However, Wei Na calmly glanced at Xu Sanshi and said quietly, "An honor? Seems like royal princesses from the Star Luo Empire really are something else."
Xu Sanshi suddenly realized his reaction had been too enthusiastic.
After all, there was another princess in the team.
His earlier behavior had clearly neglected Wei Na's dignity.
"No, no, Princess Wei Na, that's not what I meant…" Xu Sanshi quickly tried to explain himself.
He was panicking.
Wei Na, however, ignored him.
Only then did Wang Dong and the others realize—Wei Na was also a princess.
It was just that she had always been close with them, and never acted with any royal airs, making them nearly forget her status.
They were secretly relieved that Xu Sanshi had taken the heat for them.
Xiao Xiao nervously clung to Wei Na's arm and gave her a smile. When Wei Na smiled back, she finally relaxed.
Xu Jiujiu looked at Wei Na and smiled as she broke the awkward silence, "It's an honor for me as well to host Princess Wei Na and the distinguished guests from Shrek Academy."
Xu Jiujiu certainly recognized Wei Na. Based on intelligence gathered by the Star Luo Empire from Shrek City, she also knew that Wei Na was one of Huo Yuhao's open admirers.
What intrigued the Xu family even more was—why was the Heavenly Soul Empire letting their princess pursue Huo Yuhao?
It couldn't just be for love, right?
Uncovering the truth behind this was one of Xu Jiujiu's goals.
Wei Na was indifferent to the flattery—she just nodded and remained silent.
She simply didn't want to lose face in front of Xu Jiujiu. As for the rest, Huo Yuhao still came first.
Of course, Wei Na's status didn't quite match Xu Jiujiu's.
But Wei Na's talent and her connection to the Body Sect weren't things Xu Jiujiu could match.
In fact, in terms of overall strength, Wei Na even surpassed her.
Xu Jiujiu might have a Titled Douluo escort…
But if Wei Na cried back home, several Titled Douluo would show up the next day—including even Poison Undying, a Super Douluo.
The Body Sect was notoriously domineering and protective.
Ma Xiaotao stepped in to exchange a few words with Xu Jiujiu, then didn't waste more time.
The Shrek Academy team followed Xu Jiujiu into the auction house.
The top-tier auction was held in the deeper areas of the auction house.
Under Xu Jiujiu's lead, they soon arrived at Shrek Academy's designated private booth.
Just like in the original story, Shrek Academy was arranged to stay in Box No. 7 of Auction Hall No. 1.
After all, it was a top-tier auction, and every private box had been booked well in advance. Box No. 7 was the best option currently available for Shrek Academy.
Other than Box No. 1 reserved exclusively for the royal family, Box No. 7 was on par in grade with Box No. 2.
The private room was a spacious 200 square meters, rectangular in shape and lavishly decorated. It was furnished with all kinds of rare woods and jade. Even the ornaments used for decoration were visibly valuable.
Despite the opulence, the tasteful décor and color coordination gave the room a sense of elegance.
It didn't come off as tacky at all.
One of the longer walls of the room was entirely made of translucent white crystal, with no other decoration. This wall was actually a massive soul tool light screen, used to watch the proceedings of the auction and to place bids.
Naturally, it was custom-made in the Sun Moon Empire.
What made it especially rare was that this soul tool could operate without a soul master injecting soul power. It relied on a special type of ore found only in the Sun Moon Empire.
Although this rare ore could only power soul tools with very minimal energy consumption, it was still enough to amaze most soul engineers.
In front of the wall stood wide, plush sofas made from the hide of some unknown beast. The long white fur was exceptionally soft, providing a sinking comfort while still offering firm support.
On the jade table in front of the sofas sat various high-end drinks and snacks, some of which were rare fruits transported from distant borderlands with extremely short shelf lives.
The nine members of Shrek Academy, along with Xu Jiujing, sat on the sofa together, yet it still looked spacious—clearly able to seat twice as many people.
Huo Yuhao naturally took the center seat, Wei Na sat to his left, and Xu Jiujing smoothly sat on his right.
This made Ma Xiaotao pause in surprise.
However, she said nothing and instead pulled Ling Luochén to sit beside Wei Na, making it hard to tell what she was thinking.
Ling Luochén, as always, maintained her aloof demeanor and quietly followed Ma Xiaotao.
But on closer inspection, compared to her formerly icy aura, Ling Luochén now carried a hint of maturity and charm in her expression. Her soft blue-purple hair was now elegantly coiled up, revealing a long, snow-white neck.
Except for Huo Yuhao, Ma Xiaotao, and Wei Na, the others didn't think much of it, assuming Ling Luochén had merely changed her hairstyle.
There are some ancient customs in the Douluo Continent, but not many, and the rules aren't particularly strict.
"Hmph!" Jin Qiu'er snorted coldly in dissatisfaction toward Huo Yuhao. She kept her distance with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
Wang Dong rolled his eyes dramatically at Huo Yuhao.
Xiao Xiao had already started imagining a dramatic scene of two women fighting over a man, her cheeks turning red with excitement.
Xu Sanshi looked at Huo Yuhao with envy. Two princesses, one on each side—and not even from the same country! What a lucky dog!
But Xu Sanshi quickly regained his composure, discreetly wiped his mouth, and shamelessly sidled up to Jiang Nannan.
Jiang Nannan, however, was seated with Jin Qiu'er and the others.
So Xu Sanshi ended up on the far left of the sofa.
After everyone had chosen their seats, it turned out that Huo Yuhao's left side was full, while his right had only the lone figure of Xu Jiujing.
This gave the impression that Xu Jiujing was being isolated.
But Xu Jiujing didn't seem to mind. After all, she wasn't from Shrek Academy and wasn't close with the others.
Thanks to the large sofa, even though most people sat on the left, it didn't feel crowded.
Man Yiyi remained hidden as always. As long as she didn't reveal herself, the Shrek Academy group couldn't detect her.
Besides the group, there were also two beautiful young women in golden dresses respectfully standing behind the sofa. They were auction house staff, responsible for assisting the guests and placing bids for them.
Xu Jiujing maintained a polite smile and said, "There's still some time before the auction begins. Let me explain the rules of this top-tier auction."
"With pleasure," Wei Na replied with an equally composed smile.
Compared to her usual gentle demeanor, Wei Na now exuded the poised grace of a true princess.
Huo Yuhao clicked his tongue in amazement, inwardly marveling at how different Wei Na was now—nothing like the girl who used to cry from just a few teasing words.
"Perhaps it's time to develop some new kinds of PLAY~"
Actually, the rules of this top-tier auction weren't very different from those of ordinary auctions, except that the privacy level for guests was much higher.
And everything in the room was free to use.
Huo Yuhao wasn't sure if the two young women counted as part of that "everything," but he didn't ask. After all, aside from their looks, the two had no particularly special traits.
None of that typical "the maid always has a rare physique or talent" trope.
After briefly explaining the rules, Xu Jiujing began casually chatting with Huo Yuhao and the others.
She clearly wanted to probe into Huo Yuhao's affairs.
But Wei Na frequently took over the conversation, casually yet skillfully engaging with Xu Jiujing—her vigilance toward the latter was obvious.
Seated between the two women, Huo Yuhao sipped juice and nibbled on fruit at his own pace.
The offerings were indeed excellent, and many of the items even had slight benefits for cultivation, though the effects were limited.
Finally, the auction began.
The soul tool screen lit up with a golden glow—not too dazzling.
A melodious voice rang out:
"Welcome, honored guests, to the Starlight Auction House's top-tier auction. Today, we will present to you nine exquisite treasures, in ascending order of value. We hope you enjoy."
The soul screen gradually cleared, revealing a soft white mist on the auction platform. At its center stood a woman in a red gown.
This woman was even more enchanting and seductive than Xu Jiujing. Her skin was as fair as jade, and her charming smile only added to her allure. She wore a vivid red "goldfish-style" gown.
The gown was embroidered with opulent peonies in golden thread, the craftsmanship both luxurious and delicate. The dress perfectly accentuated her alluring curves.
A glimpse of her long, fair legs below the gown stirred a primal heat in the viewers. Her waist, slender and delicate, was wrapped in a silver belt, emphasizing its dainty contour.
Her appearance was stunning—more mature than Xu Jiujing's, exuding seduction from every pore. Her long, narrow, peach-blossom eyes seemed to whisper sweet nothings, tempting one to hand over every last coin.
To many men, this woman was a walking temptation.
Like a seductive feline, she stirred the hearts of the crowd.
Xu Sanshi had already lost his composure, drooling openly.
This made Jiang Nannan's gaze turn frosty again.
Xiao Xiao sneaked a glance at Wang Dong, only to find that he wasn't entranced at all. On the contrary, he muttered under his breath, "Vixen!"
Huo Yuhao, however, narrowed his eyes.
His Spiritual Detection spread toward the auction stage. He activated his Aura Vision, allowing him to see the woman's strong fortune aura and three Fate Attributes:
[Sacrificial Spirit Cat], [Beauty's Fate], and [Wealth Magnet].
"Sacrificial Spirit Cat? This Fate... could it be..."
The woman's fate projection revealed a feline martial soul, though it wasn't a Netherworld Spirit Cat. Instead, it was a small, elegant-looking cat with golden patterns—more noble in appearance, daintier in size, and notably cuter.
"A mutated martial soul?" Huo Yuhao thought to himself.
But regardless, since she possessed the destiny trait of [Life-Sacrificing Spirit Cat], it meant she was somehow fated to connect with him.
Huo Yuhao took a sip of juice, not showing the slightest abnormality. His gaze toward the screen remained clear and composed.
A true powerhouse must have absolute control over both body and mind.
Especially when it's just a screen.
A 2D waifu could only be admired from afar.
But the woman on stage—Huo Yuhao might one day get a taste of her "flavor."
Xu Jiujiu felt slightly uneasy seeing Huo Yuhao's calm demeanor. "He's at the age when his blood should be boiling, yet he's completely unaffected. Is he not interested in women? That would complicate things…"
If Huo Yuhao wasn't interested in women, then her physical advantages would be completely useless.
"No wonder the princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire chased after him," Xu Jiujiu secretly admired him.
Truly a tough opponent.
"I heard that back in the academy, he was always surrounded by girls. Maybe he's just used to it—his standards might be too high now," she speculated.
Xu Sanshi's reaction, by contrast, was exactly what she expected. To her, he seemed the easiest to manipulate.
But Wang Dong's reaction puzzled her even more.
Why did he look so disgusted and disdainful?
Something was definitely off.
Still, Wang Dong wasn't her target, so she didn't bother digging deeper.
People are entitled to their preferences—as long as it doesn't affect her, she could respect that.
The woman on stage opened her mouth slowly. "Esteemed guests, good evening. I am today's auctioneer, Zijin. It's my great honor to preside over this high-end auction. Time is precious, so let's begin. Please enjoy our first item of the night."
She smiled sweetly and gave a refined, aristocratic salute, gracefully gesturing with her right hand.
The screen on the wall shifted, revealing the first item.
The auction item was magnified on a massive 10-meter-wide screen, its details displayed in exquisite clarity.
"Tiger-Slaying Soul Blade – Grade 8 Melee Soul Tool.
Made with rare materials, including the right arm bone of a ten-thousand-year Overlord Tiger Soul Beast. The soul bone skill Tiger Blade Slash is embedded and can amplify similar soul skill attacks by 50%."
Zijin's voice accompanied the image, sounding like a kitten softly pawing at one's heart—ticklish and enticing, making people eager to bid.
Unfortunately, the Tiger-Slaying Soul Blade, though featured in the original story, wasn't suitable for the Shrek Academy students—none of them intended to buy it.
Xu Jiujiu looked surprised at their calmness and asked, "This blade is perfect for assault-type soul masters. Don't you like it?"
There were four assault-type soul masters present.
Wang Dong replied first, "I dislike soul tools." Her face showed clear irritation and even a bit of anxiety.
"I've got something better," Jin Qiu'er said flatly, showing off.
"I don't need it for now," Ma Xiaotao answered indifferently. She was still recovering and wouldn't be fighting soon. Better to spend on equipping Huo Yuhao and the others.
Lastly, Huo Yuhao, capable of both control and assault, smiled. "I prefer using my fists. Maybe in the future, I'll consider learning a weapon."
Xu Jiujiu hadn't expected that answer.
But it didn't matter much.
She'd just asked casually, but she still gathered some useful intel on Huo Yuhao and the others from Shrek Academy.
Viewing time ended quickly.
The bidding began.
After fierce competition, the Tiger-Slaying Soul Blade sold for a high price of 1.55 million.
Then came the second item—and it differed from the original storyline.
Originally, the second item was a set of 12 fixed-mounted soul cannon shells of different attributes, powerful enough to threaten a Soul Douluo.
But now, the second item was a beast claw frozen in ice!
It was about a meter long, pitch black, with upright bristling fur and gleaming sharp claws capable of ripping someone apart.
The container preserving the claw was clearly a high-grade soul tool.
Zijin's voice introduced it:
"Ninety-thousand-year Highland Werewolf Left Claw, harvested during a soul beast tide in the extreme north two months ago. Sealed using a special soul tool to maintain soul power. Top-tier material for soul tool crafting—potential base for a Grade 9 Soul Tool!"
Shrek Academy's group had little reaction since they weren't soul engineers.
But the soul engineers attending, especially those from Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, were visibly excited.
Yes, their team had received an invitation too.
In the original, this auction partly served to lure the Sun Moon team—and it still did now.
Inside their private booth:
"A 90,000-year soul beast claw?"
"Potential base for a Grade 9 soul tool?"
After their initial surprise, all students looked toward Elder Ma.
And he looked at the mysterious, black-robed protector sitting alone in a corner.
Though he didn't know the person's identity, Elder Ma knew they were powerful—and a senior soul engineer.
The cloaked figure remained composed, examined the claw, and nodded.
"If the auctioneer is truthful and the claw's preservation is sound, it could be used as a base for a Grade 9 soul tool."
"However, the auction house and the auctioneer clearly don't understand—Grade 9 soul tools aren't that easy to make. Besides a base, you still need the rest of the components. Most critically, you need the blueprint."
"In short, this claw is valuable—but not extremely so. If it were from a 100,000-year beast, that would be priceless."
Despite his words, the others remained excited.
Even Elder Ma was tempted.
Even if it couldn't be made into a Grade 9 tool, it could greatly boost the success rate of crafting a Grade 8 one.
For top-tier soul engineers aiming for the next level, getting this claw at a reasonable price would be a huge win.
And the claw was just the beginning.
Subsequent auction items included:
Herbs for alchemy
Rare materials from soul beasts
Even a 60,000-year soul bone
Most of these came from the soul beast tide in the extreme north.
Clearly, even though the Star Luo Empire was far from that region, they hadn't just stood by—they secretly sent people to profit.
Some items were consigned by other soul masters, but not many.
After all, soul masters wouldn't usually travel far when they could easily sell in the Heavenly Soul Empire or Dou Ling Empire.
To the delight of the Sun Moon soul engineers, prices here were 10% cheaper than back home.
That 10% might not sound like much, but with large purchases, it was a big deal.
High-end goods are expensive everywhere, and back home, intense competition pushed prices even higher.
So the Sun Moon engineers went all in—like bigmouth fish hooked by bait—even selling off their own soul tools to gather funds.
Local soul masters struggled to compete against these wealthy engineers.
The Sun Moon Empire's people felt they were getting insane deals.
They even mocked the Star Luo Empire for being underdeveloped—unable to process these materials, so they had to auction them off.
But the Star Luo Empire also felt they were winning big.
Even outdated soul tools abandoned by the Sun Moon engineers could be reverse-engineered, helping Star Luo's technology leap forward.
Like how some poorer nations profit by recycling the waste of wealthier ones.
As for the materials sold? Whether the Sun Moon Empire could actually produce Grade 9 soul tools was unclear.
What was certain was that keeping the materials wouldn't help the Star Luo Empire progress.
Huo Yuhao also felt like he'd won big:
"I didn't expect that even an auction could drop fate energy! And this much, too!"
"Last time didn't have this effect. Is it because the scale wasn't large enough?"
In any case—let the fishing begin!
His spiritual manifestations of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise were already frolicking.
"They've hit a bottleneck. If I can't evolve them soon, maybe I should expand my visualization targets for a quantitative breakthrough…"
Huo Yuhao's eyes shimmered as he fell into deep thought.
The auction quickly progressed to the eighth item, which was also the second-to-last.
Just like in the original work, it turned out to be the 70,000-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone.
It came with the soul skill Ice Explosion Technique.
The enlarged image of the soul bone was displayed on the screen.
Zijin enthusiastically introduced it, her voice increasingly seductive, eloquently explaining the soul bone's so-called three major advantages and three major disadvantages.
Among the soul masters listening, all except the ones with ice attributes appeared quite regretful. Meanwhile, the ice-type soul masters stared at the screen with burning eyes.
In the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's private booth, Meng Hongchen stared intently at the soul bone on the screen without blinking. She shouted at Xiao Hongchen, "Xiao, I want it!"
Xiao Hongchen trembled—how could he possibly refuse his sister's request?
So, he turned to look at Elder Ma.
After all, Xiao Hongchen didn't bring much money with him either.
Elder Ma felt a headache coming on.
He muttered internally, "As expected of a top-tier auction. One treasure after another... It's a shame I didn't bring enough funds this time. Otherwise, I'd be tempted to buy everything!"
But even without enough cash, items could be used to offset the cost, or they could rely on the Empire's credit.
So Elder Ma looked at the black-robed powerhouse.
The man in black remained silent for a while before finally saying, "A soul bone that can enhance ice-type soul masters? And it's the Ice Jade Centipede's? Definitely worth getting."
"If the price is reasonable, go ahead and buy it. If Meng Hongchen intends to use it herself, she'll need to reimburse the funds with gold soul coins when we return to the Empire. Understood?"
In consideration of Jing Hongchen, the black-robed man agreed to help Xiao and Meng Hongchen this time.
"Of course," Xiao Hongchen quickly replied, smiling.
As long as he could help Meng Hongchen get the soul bone, the money could always be taken care of later—he'd just get his grandfather to cover it.
"This way, Meng will admire me even more! And I could even exaggerate the price a little... make a profit off the difference!" Xiao Hongchen schemed silently.
Meanwhile, in Shrek Academy's private booth—
Ice-type soul masters Ling Luochen and Wei Na also looked at the screen with yearning eyes.
But Wei Na soon looked disappointed—she already had a left arm bone, gifted by the royal family before she entered Shrek Academy.
Ling Luochen also withdrew her gaze.
She realized that the soul bone would be more suitable for Huo Yuhao than for herself.
However, when everyone looked at Huo Yuhao, they were all shocked to find that he appeared completely indifferent, even leisurely eating grapes.
Xu Jiujiu was puzzled but kept a polite smile. She gently asked,
"Yuhao, do you have any thoughts about this soul bone?"
"You don't have to worry about the cost. If you want it, the Star Luo Empire can purchase it for you."
All night, Shrek Academy hadn't bought a single item—not even placed a bid. They were essentially just "tagging along" for the show.
To Xu Jiujiu, it seemed Shrek simply didn't bring enough money.
Sure, everyone wanted those valuable items, but they were too advanced. For the current students of Shrek, they weren't essential.
Even if purchased, they couldn't be used right away.
And since no one knew if the Academy would foot the bill, everyone refrained from bidding.
Hearing Xu Jiujiu directly call Huo Yuhao by name, Wei Na frowned slightly, feeling she was being a bit too familiar.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao sneered inwardly.
"The Star Luo Empire wants to buy it for me? Who doesn't know this soul bone was prepared by your empire in advance?"
"If you want me to owe you a favor, just say so!"
This soul bone would only serve one purpose for Huo Yuhao—enhancing his Ultimate Ice attribute.
But it wasn't something he urgently needed.
Currently, as long as he didn't go courting death in front of a few special individuals, his Ultimate Ice could already dominate most opponents.
As for the Ice Explosion Technique, he wasn't interested.
He had already learned Corpse Explosion from the Death God Envoy and was close to completing a derivative Poison Explosion.
With the Eye of a Thousand Laws, developing similar techniques like Ice Explosion or Light Explosion would be no problem.
Thousands of techniques, all paths lead to the same end.
So Huo Yuhao wasn't going to bite the bait.
He was greedy—but he knew uncontrolled greed leads to destruction.
Opportunities must be pursued without compromising safety or revealing flaws.
In a dangerous situation, the first reaction should be to flee, not to investigate.
The best way to deal with bait is to avoid it, unless you're immune to the damage.
Never think you can eat the sugar coating and toss the bomb back.
The ones who drown are those who know how to swim.
And the bomb-throwers know that.
"I don't need this soul bone," Huo Yuhao said with a smile.
Suddenly, Jin Qiu'er exclaimed, "Oh right! Huo Yuhao already has a left arm bone!"
Everyone: "???"
Huo Yuhao: Old man, subway, cellphone!
Girl, are you serious??
Is that something you should be saying out loud?!
Though he wasn't afraid, it was extremely inappropriate.
But Jin Qiu'er clearly had no intention of stopping. She grabbed Wang Dong and began to complain,
"Wang Dong, I almost forgot to tell you—remember that Golden Light Left Arm Bone you wanted at the treasure exhibition? Huo Yuhao was the one who exchanged for it!"
She also knew that after fusing the soul bone, Huo Yuhao's Frost Centipede martial soul grew new wings.
She hadn't cared much at the time—but now that she remembered, she had to say something.
Sure enough, Wang Dong glared at Huo Yuhao with a mix of annoyance and resentment.
"So he fused with that soul bone! No wonder I've felt a strange attraction to him recently—it was the soul bone's effect!"
That's right—Wang Dong was slowly beginning to feel drawn to Huo Yuhao.
The God King was doing his best to push them together.
Unfortunately, Wang Dong mistook the feeling for the soul bone's influence.
Huo Yuhao wanted to gouge out the four eyeballs of Jin Qiu'er and Wang Dong.
In his heart, he already passed judgment:
"Hmph! Jin Qiu'er, you've already invited death upon yourself. Time to deal with this demoness!"
On Huo Yuhao's other side, Xu Jiujiu looked worried.
"Huo Yuhao already has a left arm bone? Then…"
"But even if you can't use this one yourself, buying it for your descendants wouldn't be a bad idea," Xu Jiujiu added subtly.
"That won't be necessary," Huo Yuhao said calmly. "My descendants would be better suited for dragon-type soul bones. And I'm still young—not in a hurry to have kids."
Xu Jiujiu: "…"
You brat, you're really unyielding, huh?!
On the other hand, Ling Luochen's eyes lit up again.
If Huo Yuhao already had a left arm bone, then she might have a shot at this one.
"If you want it, go ahead and bid. The Academy will cover the cost," said Ma Xiaotao suddenly.
Grand Elder Xuan had just messaged her with his guarantee.
So Ma Xiaotao reminded them.
Wei Na and Ling Luochen now felt reassured.
Finally, the bidding began.
Xu Jiujiu could only smile bitterly—there was nothing more she could say.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao's gaze turned deep and dark, as though he could already see the moment this trap would be triggered.