At this moment, Shui Jixi, seated on the sofa in her VIP suite, was the complete opposite of the pitiful, tender image she had shown before.
Her long, slender legs crossed beneath her white gauze dress, one fair wrist propping up her flawless chin. But now her face was cold as eternal ice, and in her aquamarine eyes flickered resentment and venom.
She turned her gaze through the amethyst wall, staring down at the auction floor.
"Hmph! That Viscount of Moon South!"
It was the first time she had ever suffered such deep humiliation from a man. From the moment she met Yao Yang five years ago, she had deliberately tried to draw closer to him.
Not from admiration, but because his status, position, and strength promised benefits worth pursuing. For five years she had gone so far as to act the part of a white lotus, all to draw Yao Yang's attention.
At her side, Shui Qianqian frowned at her aunt's icy stare, unable to stop herself from softly persuading:
"Auntie, please, let it go. If you keep this up, it won't lead anywhere. Our Silverfin Pirates may be weak, but we still control Moon Jade Island. There's no need to tangle with that Viscount of Moon South."
"Qianqian, you don't understand. The tax revenue of Moon Axis Island is at least three times ours. It's the richest island in the archipelago." Shui Jixi's coldness instantly vanished, replaced once more by her fragile, tender facade. She stroked her niece's face, even fairer and more delicate than her own.
"Our looks are our greatest capital. You must learn to use them, to extract benefits from men. If not for that slut Zhu Yao meddling all these years, I would have had my way long ago. Then tell me, would we need to pay for that thousand-year Demonic Killer Whale at this auction?"
Shui Qianqian was left speechless. Her worldview clashed sharply with her aunt's. But remembering their family ties, she could not refute her aloud.
With a sigh, she quelled her feelings and lifted her gaze to the auction below.
Unbeknownst to them, their every word and movement was clearly visible to Xu Zihuang, Yao Yang, and Wang Xiao from their own top-level suite.
"Hmph." Yao Yang chuckled coldly, then turned to warn Xu Zihuang:
"Zihuang, women like that will cling to you in the future. You must stay on guard."
Xu Zihuang only smiled lightly and nodded. With the keen perception of his Golden Eyes martial spirit, he had seen through Shui Jixi's false facade from the start.
By now, the first auction item had been carried onto the stage by a maid with a tray. Zhu Yao, standing at the center, bowed gracefully with a smile before introducing it.
"As you all know from the notices, today's auction is unlike any other. I'll keep it brief. The first item is a rank-five soul tool: the Invincible Barrier. The starting price is one hundred thousand gold soul coins. Bidding will open in five minutes, with each raise no less than five hundred coins."
Her words were simple, but just the name "Invincible Barrier" sent the bidders' blood surging.
The Invincible Barrier was a soul tool developed from the extremely rare soul skill, Invincible Vajra Body. It required the Sun Moon Empire's specialty, golden crystal stones, as the medium. When infused with a core array, the golden crystal stone's energy could be released in an instant, generating immense defensive power.
Of course, "invincible" was only relative.
The lowest level of Invincible Barrier was rank five, requiring at least Soul King-level cultivation to activate. A rank-five barrier could block any attack below Contra level for three seconds. At rank six, it could withstand even the strike of an ordinary Title Douluo for three seconds. Rank-seven and higher barriers were exceedingly rare, each worth no less than a high-quality ten-thousand-year soul bone.
A soul bone could only strengthen oneself, but owning a rank-seven Invincible Barrier was like carrying an extra life.
Such tools were treasures in desperate moments. Alongside soul tool "milk bottles" that replenished soul power, Invincible Barriers were among soul masters' most beloved treasures—always in short supply.
But their drawbacks were clear: the exorbitant price. While not too difficult to craft, the golden crystal stones were produced in tiny quantities, and higher ranks required higher quality stones.
More importantly, all Invincible Barriers were consumables. Once used, the golden crystal stone shattered, and the soul tool itself was destroyed. Ordinary soul masters could scarcely afford such luxuries.
By comparison, the soul shields used by the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion against the Demonic Killer Whale pod were far more practical.
Xu Zihuang showed no reaction to the item. Not only had he already reviewed the auction catalog, he also knew this very barrier was crafted by the Imperial Dragon Legion.
High-rank Soul Engineers never lacked money. A single sale of such a tool meant tens of thousands of coins. What they lacked was not wealth, but rare metals. Among high-level engineers, top-tier metals were true currency.
The bidding rose quickly, soaring to two hundred thousand before finally closing at two hundred fifty thousand gold soul coins—won by the leader of the Violet Serpent Pirates. Here in the remote archipelago, a rank-five barrier was a rarity.
The following items were likewise soul tools crafted by the Legion's members. Naturally, none revealed core technology.
Xu Zihuang watched coldly. For nobles of the imperial clan, his standards were far higher. What others considered treasures, he found ordinary.
But when the seventh item appeared—the head oil of the nine-thousand-year Devil Soul Great White Shark—he finally signaled Yao Yang to bid on his behalf.
That oil nourished meridians and cultivated spiritual power. Even at his former status, Xu Zihuang had seldom had the chance to obtain it.