In fact, without Xu Zihuang even needing to speak, Yaoyang had already planned to help him secure those Demon Soul Great White Shark head oils.
Back when he was a child, his family had once been fortunate enough to hunt down a solitary hundred-year Demon Soul Great White Shark. He knew all too well the effects of deep-sea fish oil—it was an excellent supplement for spiritual-attribute soul masters.
So he directly raised the price to three hundred thousand gold soul coins. That figure was already somewhat inflated.
Viscount Yaoyang of Yuenan still had a resounding name, and since Yuexu City was his own territory, when others saw such a high bid, the present competitors were more than happy to offer him this courtesy.
But at the last moment, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.
"Three hundred and ten thousand gold soul coins." Through the sound-transmission soul tool, a vigorous voice echoed, particularly jarring in the slightly quiet auction hall.
"That old bastard…"
On stage, Zhu Yao's smile stiffened slightly at the sound, though she could not afford to damage Yuexu Auction House's reputation and could only continue hosting.
In the top VIP room, Yaoyang's expression also grew ugly, but without hesitation, he raised his bid again.
"Three hundred and fifty thousand."
"Three hundred and sixty thousand."
"Four hundred thousand."
When Yaoyang bid four hundred thousand gold soul coins, a mocking gleam flickered in the sole remaining eye of E'luo in another VIP room, but in the end, he refrained from raising the price further.
His aim had merely been to disgust Yaoyang, to embarrass him on his own turf. Now was not yet the time to completely tear things apart.
The deep-sea fish oil was secured. Soon, the eighth item was wheeled onto the stage. As the heavy red cloth was lifted, a massive pitch-black beast over six meters long appeared before everyone.
Though its body was bound tightly with thick iron chains, its fierce aura could not be concealed.
When its dark red eyes shifted, fixing on the crowd, many of those seated in the front rows leapt up in terror.
"An Evil Demon Killer Whale?!"
This was no surprise. Living in the Yuenan Archipelago, they understood better than mainlanders the horror of such top-tier soul beasts. At sea, the Evil Demon Killer Whale was among the very last beings one should provoke. With their savage nature, there were virtually no cases of anyone encountering one at sea and surviving.
Zhu Yao's expression softened, regaining her polite smile.
"I believe many esteemed guests have already recognized it. Yes, today's eighth auction item is this Evil Demon Killer Whale, with a cultivation of fifteen hundred years. You all know the power of this species better than I. I can assure you, on the reputation of Yuexu Auction House, that this whale's vitality is strong enough to survive at least another four or five days. Which means that whoever wins it has ample time to absorb the precious soul ring it will leave upon death. Not to mention the priceless thousand-year whale glue within its skull."
"The starting bid is three hundred thousand gold soul coins. Each raise must not be less than one thousand."
The moment Zhu Yao finished, the hall's atmosphere exploded.
Most of those living in the Yuenan Archipelago were sea soul masters, so compatibility with the Evil Demon Killer Whale's soul ring was no concern. Which sea soul master didn't dream of one day fusing with such a ring and soaring along the path of cultivation?
A soul ring of this caliber could even enhance a soul master's aptitude. And unlike soul bones, it was not a hot potato. For a time, the hall descended into a frenzy.
"Three hundred and ten thousand!"
"Three hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Four hundred thousand!"
"The allure of this thousand-year Evil Demon Killer Whale is greater than I imagined," Xu Zihuang remarked as he sat back on the sofa, casually popping a pastry into his mouth.
All the better. The more frenzied the crowd, the greater their profit.
But unlike Xu Zihuang, Shui Qianqian and Shui Jixi in another VIP room did not feel so pleased.
"Five hundred thousand." Shui Qianqian bit down on her silver teeth, naming the highest sum she could afford. Before coming to Yuexu Island, her mother had only given her four hundred thousand. The other hundred thousand had been lent by her aunt.
If even five hundred thousand wasn't enough, she could only give up and hunt another soul beast as her third ring.
Beside her, Shui Jixi also sat upright, watching the auction closely. Though her views differed from Shui Qianqian's, their bond was deep.
At such a high bid, the others fell silent.
After three strikes of the gavel, no one else offered a price. The sisters successfully won the thousand-year Evil Demon Killer Whale.
The atmosphere in the auction house grew ever more heated. Yet when the ninth item—a piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue—was brought out, an awkward scene unfolded.
Despite being a rarity nearly unseen in human history, no one placed a bid. It ended unsold.
Even Xu Zihuang had not anticipated this result.
Yaoyang, however, remained calm.
It was simply due to the unique geography of the Yuenan Archipelago. While ten-thousand-year whale glue could raise the limit for soul ring absorption, the exact increase was unpredictable. Unlike Xu Zihuang and Yaoyang, not every spiritual-type soul master could perceive such details with their mental power. Moreover, soul masters of the archipelago had only the sea from which to obtain soul rings. Though the sea teemed with more and stronger soul beasts than the continent, its sheer vastness made finding a suitable one even harder than for mainland soul masters in soul beast forests. Luck was paramount.
Taking the great risk of roaming the seas just for the chance of obtaining a slightly older soul ring—clearly not worth it.
"And now, the finale of tonight's auction," Zhu Yao's crisp, charming voice rang out again.
This time the display was grander than ever. A young girl carried a black rectangular metal case in both hands, flanked by no fewer than fifty Yuexu City guards in platinum armor.
Zhu Yao stepped forward, opening the box with slender jade fingers as she introduced:
"This is tonight's final item—a soul bone. More precisely, the head soul bone of a nine-thousand-year Demon Soul Great White Shark. According to Yuexu Auction House's appraisal, it can be fused easily by any soul master. After fusion, it will grant an attack-type spiritual attribute soul skill and greatly boost spiritual power. Starting bid: one million gold soul coins, with raises of no less than ten thousand."
But no one present listened to her words.
Every gaze was locked on the small, translucent bone in the center of the case.
It resembled a shrunken human skull, about the size of a palm.
Dense waves of soul power radiated from it, mingling with its faint silvery glow, exuding an indescribable sense of perfection.