Chapter 243: The Fountain of Life
When Jiang Li heard the final bid, his gaze shifted toward the Soul Beast delegation. He had originally assumed that the Soul Beasts would never let the Heart of Origin go.
Given its miraculous properties—and the possibility that, if acquired by humans, it could produce a top-tier genius or powerhouse—the Soul Beasts had every reason to intervene.
Yet as time passed and they remained silent, Jiang Li understood their choice.
He raised the gavel once more.
"Two and a half billion gold soul coins—first call."
"Second call."
"Third call."
"No further bids. The fifth auction item, the Heart of Origin, is hereby sold for two and a half billion gold soul coins."
After confirming once more that no one else intended to raise the price, Jiang Li struck the hammer, officially closing this round.
With the fifth auction item concluded, he briefly withdrew backstage. The auction paused for half an hour.
When he returned to the stage, he found that the crowd's energy was still high; not a single person looked fatigued. Expectation filled every gaze.
Jiang Li lifted his hand lightly, and a soft emerald glow illuminated the hall.
A spherical object appeared before them—its surface rippling with patterns of green vortices, from which an endless tide of life energy flowed.
"What a dense life force! Could this be another life-attribute treasure?"
"I wonder how it compares to the other life treasures sold in past auctions."
"This energy feels more like ordinary life force, though—not the extreme kind."
The murmurs spread across the room.
Some soul masters looked intrigued, while others seemed mildly disappointed after sensing the gentle quality of its energy.
Their standards had grown exceedingly high; only objects radiating the aura of ultimate life could truly impress them now.
Still, considering the order of appearance, this sixth item should be even more precious than the Golden Dragon Spear or the Heart of Origin.
That thought rekindled the audience's anticipation.
"What a rich surge of vitality... it keeps generating fresh life force nonstop. It's somewhat similar to our Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest," said Bi Ji, her expression one of admiration and surprise.
Although it fell short of the lake's intensity, its constant, self-regenerating nature was astonishing.
In mere moments, the entire Starry Auction Pavilion filled with dense life energy, yet the orb showed no sign of depletion.
Bi Ji immediately realized what this meant.
"Indeed," Di Tian added beside her. "We'll have to wait for the Pavilion to reveal how long it can sustain this effect, but its power is undeniable."
Both of them recognized that this treasure mirrored the properties of their Lake of Life—though on a smaller scale.
The human factions, too, were captivated.
If one could harness such abundant vitality, the strength of their respective powers would surely rise exponentially.
And being the sixth item of this extraordinary auction, it promised something truly beyond expectation.
"This," Jiang Li began, "is the sixth auction item: the Fountain of Life."
"It possesses immense restorative energy—able to rapidly heal injuries, replenish stamina and soul power, and even extend lifespan. It is one of the rarest treasures in existence."
"What makes it truly unique is this: it is not merely a container but a living spring. As long as it remains undamaged, it will endlessly generate life force."
"Moreover, this Fountain can absorb elemental power from the surrounding world and convert it into life energy. You need not fear it ever running dry."
"However, if too much energy is drawn too quickly, the fountain will enter a temporary dormant state. Only through balanced use can it continue to produce endless vitality."
Jiang Li described the item's properties at length. Its potential, the audience realized, was nothing short of incredible.
"This treasure isn't very useful for us Soul Beasts," Bi Ji sighed quietly after comparing it to the Lake of Life. "It's similar in nature but weaker in purity."
While the Fountain's energy regeneration far surpassed the Golden Dragon Spear or the Heart of Origin in sustainability, its purpose overlapped with what the Soul Beasts already possessed.
If undamaged, it could last for tens of thousands of years—nearly identical to their Lake of Life.
To Bi Ji's knowledge, this would be the only true spring formed entirely from life force on the entire Douluo Continent, aside from their sacred lake.
She could already predict how fiercely the human factions would fight for it.
And as she expected, the atmosphere shifted instantly—whispers turned to sharp, eager breaths.
Shock and excitement rippled through the great powers present.
The Fountain of Life could heal, restore, strengthen, and lengthen one's lifespan.
Any one of these abilities would be enough to drive every faction to madness.
If installed within their territories, it could give rise to generations of powerful cultivators.
How could anyone resist such temptation?
"What a pity…" Yan Shaozhe muttered under his breath. Shrek Academy had only just spent nearly all their wealth winning the Heart of Origin.
If not for that, this would have been theirs to claim.
Without question, every other faction in the hall would compete fiercely for it now.
"We'll have to let it go," said Elder Xuan after a long sigh. "Our Sea God Island already has the Golden Tree, which radiates its own life energy. While it's weaker than this Fountain's power, it's sufficient for now."
"In the future, if the Pavilion auctions another top-tier life treasure, we'll seize that opportunity and further strengthen our Golden Tree."
His calm tone carried resolve. For now, Shrek Academy would step back—only to wait patiently for the next great chance the Starry Auction Pavilion would inevitably offer.
(END CHAPTER)
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