Xu Zihuang quietly intertwined his long, slender white fingers beneath his chin, studying Yao Yang and Wang Xiao with an unreadable expression.
In his past dealings with the two, he had never hidden his ambition. For them to see through his thoughts was only natural.
And that suited him well.
Seizing the throne of the Sun Moon Empire could not be accomplished overnight.
And everything would begin here, in the Moon South Archipelago.
While Xu Zihuang observed Yao Yang and Wang Xiao, the two were likewise gauging his reaction.
Their gazes crossed in silence, words unnecessary.
"Back then, Uncle Zhengxuan, you helped me inherit my family's hereditary viscountcy. Now, I'll help Zihuang reclaim all that was rightfully his." Yao Yang smiled with genuine resolve, his hands tightening unconsciously.
Wang Xiao appeared much calmer, though his inner emotions were no less turbulent.
"Ah… so the young master has ultimately chosen this path…"
Had Xu Zihuang not possessed twin martial spirits—even with innate full soul power—Wang Xiao would never have allowed him to walk this most perilous road. Having long followed Xu Zihuang's father, he understood too well the terrifying foundations the Sun Moon Empire possessed. A single misstep would mean a plunge into the abyss.
In the empire's tens of thousands of years of history, twin martial spirits had appeared only twice. One was Xu Zihuang. The other was the current Head of the Worship Hall, who had already gone into seclusion years ago, attempting to break through the bottleneck from rank nine Soul Engineer to rank ten.
Once Xu Zihuang matured, his achievements would be no less than that man's. At such a level, he could overturn the very order of the world.
In the auction hall, more and more bidders arrived, though a full hour remained before the event would begin. Their early appearance only proved the value of this auction—its items far surpassed previous ones.
Yao Yang personally poured fruit tea, a specialty of the Moon South Archipelago, for Xu Zihuang and Wang Xiao. After a moment's thought, he turned to Xu Zihuang.
"By the way, Zihuang, I prepared a false identity for you—that of a cousin from my clan's branch left outside. My family was once numerous, so this will not stand out. Later, when things settle, we can announce the truth. For now, it will make life on Moon Axis Island easier for you."
This was the same story he had told Zhu Yao earlier. Given Xu Zihuang's special status, even childhood friends bound by trust were better kept in the dark. The fewer who knew, the safer.
"Brother Yang, I'll leave it to you." Xu Zihuang sipped the fragrant tea, his eyes scanning the scroll laid upon the table.
It listed in detail the items up for auction—ten in all. Among them were the thousand-year Demonic Killer Whale and the ten-thousand-year whale tendons, yet even these were only the eighth and ninth items, each starting at over three hundred thousand gold soul coins.
The final item shocked him: a soul bone, specifically a head bone, second only in rarity to a torso bone.
"A nine-thousand-year Devil Soul Great White Shark head soul bone? Devil Soul Great White Shark?!" Xu Zihuang murmured in disbelief, lifting his gaze to Yao Yang.
"So the seventh item, the thousand-year Deep Sea Fish Oil, also came from this shark's head? Could it be that someone hunted a nine-thousand-year Devil Soul Great White Shark?"
"That's right." Yao Yang nodded gravely. "Sometimes, luck really does exist. But when strength does not match such fortune, it only brings calamity.
"The one who slew it was a soul master from the Star Luo Empire. But when he discovered the soul bone, the Crocodile Demon Pirates set their sights on him. A few days ago, he fled all the way to Moon Axis City. With no choice left, he's auctioning the bone for his safety. The Crocodile Demon Pirates are the strongest crew in the archipelago. Their leader, E'luo, is at least rank seventy-eight. Of the archipelago's seven islands, he controls two. For the sake of his talented grandson, he'll surely attend this auction personally."
Yao Yang's warm smile vanished, replaced by a frosty glare.
"After my clan was destroyed by evil soul masters, our control over the archipelago collapsed. He was the first to seize land—taking Moon Sun Island and Moon Edge Island. Many of my kin fell to his hands."
Xu Zihuang exhaled deeply. Yao Yang's childhood tragedy mirrored his own.
But Yao Yang quickly calmed himself, continuing with his introductions.
First was his own control of Moon Axis Island, with five hundred city guards under him. Each had at least rank twenty soul power, and with soul tools, their combat strength was considerable.
Then came the five great pirate crews, led by E'luo.
The Crocodile Demon Pirates, the Silverfin Pirates, the Violet Serpent Pirates, the Thornback Dolphin Pirates, and the Whale Shark Pirates.
Though their numbers did not exceed the city guards, each crew's leader was at least a Soul Sage. Aside from the Crocodile Demon Pirates, the other four held one island each among the seven.
Even in Yao Yang's father's generation, control of the archipelago had been limited. Too far from the mainland, its seas too dangerous, and refugees from the wars between the Sun Moon Empire and the three Douluo empires constantly arrived. Chaos was inevitable.
Ironically, once these five crews seized their territories, a balance emerged. The archipelago grew more stable than before.
As the two conversed, an hour swiftly passed.
The lights in the auction hall dimmed. Upon the stage, several soul lamps illuminated Zhu Yao, who stepped gracefully forward in her violet gown. With microphone soul tool in hand, her beautiful eyes swept briefly toward Xu Zihuang's suite before she smiled radiantly and began her opening words.
About a quarter-hour remained before the auction's true start, and shadows were already appearing in the other five suites.
Yao Yang stood by the amethyst window, his face solemn.
"Other than the Silverfin Pirates, the leaders of the other four crews have come. Uncle Wang, I'll need you to keep an eye on E'luo. His cultivation seems close to rank eighty."
Wang Xiao frowned at the massive, one-eyed, white-haired elder across the way. "Indeed. But there's no need to fear. With my rank eighty-nine power and the Overlord Tiger martial spirit, I can crush him with ease."
Yao Yang only arched his brow, unsurprised. Even so, he vowed: given time, he would surpass that old man himself, and use his head to honor his slain kin.
Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang's eyes fixed instead on the youth at E'luo's side. About fourteen or fifteen, his skin was tanned, but his hair was half-white, half-red—strange and jarring.
A yin-yang freak, huh? Xu Zihuang sneered inwardly. Even without their enmity with Yao Yang, the boy's arrogant gaze alone was enough to displease him.
The Whale Shark Pirates' leader was a stern middle-aged man, his bare torso inked with blue tattoos. The Violet Serpent Pirates' leader was a sultry woman with purple hair, every movement brimming with seduction. By contrast, the Thornback Dolphin Pirates' leader looked pitiful—scrawny, barely one meter sixty, with messy red hair and a face full of wrinkles.
As for the Silverfin Pirates, they were none other than the two blue-haired maidens Xu Zihuang had seen before. The elder was Shui Jixi, younger sister of the crew's leader. The younger was Shui Qianqian, his only daughter.