Chapter 53: System Upgrade
"1.2 billion once. 1.2 billion twice."
Jiang Li slowly raised the auction hammer, and the atmosphere in the entire auction hall became tense. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final result.
It felt as if time itself had stopped in that moment. The entire world seemed to fall into silence, with only the sound of nervous heartbeats echoing in everyone's ears.
At that moment, Jing Hongchen immediately raised his bidding card, once again entering the competition for this Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device.
A serious expression appeared on his face: "1.3 billion!"
This price had already exceeded his authority, but he simply couldn't bear to watch such a powerful Soul Guidance Device fall into someone else's hands.
Elder Xuan felt that this price was getting too high. After a moment of hesitation, he glanced at Mu En. When Mu En nodded, he took a deep breath.
"1.5 billion!"
The entire room was in an uproar.
This number was like a thunderclap, echoing loudly in everyone's hearts.
It had set the highest record in the history of Douluo Continent auctions, leaving everyone astonished.
At this point, Jing Hongchen fell silent. A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, and he ultimately decided not to continue competing.
"1.5 billion once. 1.5 billion twice. 1.5 billion three times! Sold!"
With the heavy drop of the hammer, the Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device, which could change the course of a war, was finally claimed by Shrek Academy.
"Grandfather, why did we give up on competing for this Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device?"
Xiao Hongchen, who was sitting next to Jing Hongchen, expressed his confusion.
They had come well-prepared this time and, logically, they should have been able to come up with 1.5 billion Gold Soul Coins.
From his observation, this Thunder Apocalypse Cannon, a Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device, was almost more powerful than all the Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Devices that Mingde Hall owned.
A Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device with such powerful destructive power was crucial, whether for Mingde Hall's foundation or for research purposes.
"Don't worry, I have my plans. Our Mingde Hall has the ability to make Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Devices. Although their power might not match this Thunder Apocalypse Cannon, they still have terrifying destructive capabilities."
"Spending 1.5 billion Gold Soul Coins on this Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device is not worth it. With this amount of Gold Soul Coins, we can easily create several Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Devices."
Jing Hongchen explained patiently, his eyes reflecting wisdom and composure.
"On the other hand, the secret Soul Guidance Device that Mingde Hall has been researching is nearly completed. Once it's finished, Mingde Hall will revolutionize the Soul Guidance Device landscape."
At this moment, Jing Hongchen revealed his inner thoughts, and a confident smile appeared on his face.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongchen fell silent.
His grandfather must have understood the strategic significance of the Thunder Apocalypse Cannon. Since they chose to give up, they must have made sufficient preparations.
"Shrek Academy won't pose any threat to Mingde Hall in the short term. After all, Shrek Academy doesn't have any Ninth-Level Soul Masters, only Eight-Level Soul Masters."
"Moreover, based on my observation, since this Thunder Apocalypse Cannon can unleash such powerful force, its internal structure must be extremely precise and exquisite. It will be nearly impossible for an Eight-Level Soul Master to fully comprehend a Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device without several years of study."
"Not to mention, understanding it is one thing, but creating an entirely new Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device also requires a lot of time."
Jing Hongchen's gaze shifted toward Shrek Academy, a strange look in his eyes.
With Shrek Academy's current level of soul masters, they clearly wouldn't be able to create such a device. Perhaps in a few years, even a Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device might not dominate the entire Douluo Continent.
Of course, there was another reason why Jing Hongchen decided to abandon the competition for this Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device.
That was the presence of the Star Auction House.
After all, in both of the Star Auction House's previous auctions, each item presented was enough to completely change the soul masters' understanding of Douluo Continent.
Perhaps in the future, the Star Auction House might even present a Tenth-Level Soul Guidance Device, or even more powerful offensive tools, which would be no surprise.
"Alright, everyone. This auction has come to a perfect end. A month from now, we will hold another auction. We welcome everyone to attend the Star Auction House."
With a smiling face, Jiang Li handed over the final Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Device to Shrek Academy and immediately announced the official end of the auction.
As the auction concluded, most of the factions began to leave Star Auction House.
However, some factions remained and only left after the crowd gradually dispersed.
At this moment, Xu Tianran, the prince of the Sun and Moon Empire, arrived in front of Jiang Li in a wheelchair. His eyes were filled with seriousness.
"Head of the Auction House Jiang, I wonder if you can help me and treat my legs?"
"Regardless of the cost, I am willing to accept."
Xu Tianran spoke with a solemn expression, as his legs had been a source of disdain for a long time.
Moreover, his legs had caused many irreversible consequences.
Now that he had encountered a powerful Limit Douluo with extreme life attributes, he knew this was his chance to heal his legs.
Just as Jiang Li was about to respond, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:
[System has detected that the host has accumulated over 2 billion Gold Soul Coins. The system upgrade conditions have been met.]
[After upgrading, the system store feature will be unlocked, and Auction Points currency will be introduced. Auction Points can be used to purchase anything the host needs in the system store.]
[Auction Points can be earned by altering the history of Douluo Continent. The greater the change, the more points will be obtained.]
[Would you like to upgrade immediately?]
Without hesitation, Jiang Li chose "Yes."
In an instant, he felt his spiritual world expand infinitely, and a dazzling virtual store slowly unfolded in his consciousness.
The store displayed countless tempting treasures—from god-level soul weapons to super artifacts, and even tickets to traverse different worlds.
Each treasure emitted an alluring glow, as if telling Jiang Li of their strength and mystery.
When the system upgrade completion prompt rang out, Jiang Li's gaze toward Xu Tianran had completely changed.
Healing the legs of Xu Tianran, the prince of the Sun and Moon Empire, was not an excellent opportunity to alter the course of history?
After all, during the Age of the Peerless Tang Sect, Xu Tianran had wielded considerable influence.
"Your Highness."
Jiang Li revealed a mysterious smile.
"Our Elder Ling Yun from Star Auction House indeed has the ability to heal your legs."
"However, it might require some very expensive compensation. I wonder if you can accept it?"
Xu Tianran's eyes exploded with incredible joy, and his voice was filled with excitement.
"Really? As long as Head Jiang can heal my legs, the treasure vault of the Sun and Moon Empire is at your disposal!"
(END CHAPTER)
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