Ever since the start of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the originally spacious Star Luo City had become crowded.
Even though night had fallen, its liveliness showed no sign of diminishing.
Wang Yan had specifically instructed everyone beforehand to change into different clothes to avoid drawing too much attention in the dense crowds. After all, after so many rounds of competition, Shrek Academy's traditional dark-green uniform had already left a deep impression in the hearts of the spectators.
Previously, Wang Yan had already brought Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou here once, so he was already quite familiar with the area. After leading the group through a few crowded streets, the surroundings gradually became less packed.
Crossing several wide avenues, a towering building finally appeared before them. The structure resembled the Treasure Pavilion in the northern district of Shrek City.
Above its main entrance hung a sign: on it was the symbol of a hammer resting above a golden platform pattern—the standard emblem of all auction houses on the Douluo Continent.
Not far from the entrance stood a woman who appeared about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. Her features were elegant and refined, her figure graceful beneath a perfectly tailored black gown that accentuated her full, shapely curves.
Under the glow of the night lights, she appeared both noble and dignified, yet her beautiful face carried a gentle, welcoming smile that radiated warmth and approachability.
This woman was precisely the Auctioneer Qing Ya Wang Yan had mentioned earlier.
Noticing the approaching group, Qing Ya immediately stepped forward with a delighted expression.
"On behalf of the Starlight Auction House, I welcome all honored guests."
Wang Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It seems that Auctioneer Qing Ya was expecting us to come tonight?"
Qing Ya maintained her graceful smile and shook her head slightly.
"I couldn't be certain whether the honored guests would come, but my task was to wait here just in case. The auction is about to begin—please, follow me."
She bowed respectfully and turned gracefully to lead the way.
Xu Sanshi's eyes nearly went wide as he leaned toward Xu Zihuang, lowering his voice mischievously.
"Well, Tianhuang, what do you think? This Auctioneer Qing Ya really has charm, doesn't she? A pity you didn't come with us last time."
Before Xu Zihuang could respond, Beibei, walking ahead, shot him a sharp glance.
"Could you try and remember the image of Shrek Academy? Stop acting like a fool."
Xu Sanshi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're so noble!" he muttered resentfully, following behind Beibei, clearly losing the mood to keep teasing Xu Zihuang.
Wang Yan led the four inner court students at the front, followed by Jiang Nannan, He Caitou, Wang Dong, Beibei, and Xu Sanshi. Only Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian walked at the very end.
At that moment, both of their hearts were filled with complex thoughts.
Ning Tian was still not completely recovered from the lingering feelings of closeness she had shared earlier with Xu Zihuang, while Xu Zihuang's mind was occupied with thoughts of tonight's top-tier auction.
Now that the Skydream Iceworm was with him, a chain of consequences was bound to unfold.
Without the Skydream Iceworm, Huo Yuhao would be unable to fuse with the Ice Empress, which meant that Snow Empress might never be sealed by that ninth-level soul engineer using the Deity Sealing Platform. Even the soul bone that came from the seventy-thousand-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion—the one that carried the Ice Explosion Divine Skill—might never appear.
While the two were lost in thought, Qing Ya led them deeper into the Starlight Auction House. When they reached the end of a corridor, two beautiful young women dressed in golden dresses stood waiting.
They bowed respectfully before the guests, and under Qing Ya's instruction, one of them turned toward the wall and pressed gently on its surface.
A strange scene unfolded. The originally solid wall began to ripple like water. Then, with a low hum, light swept from top to bottom, and both sides of the wall slid open horizontally, revealing a hidden passageway.
Unlike the golden and resplendent main hall, this passage was pure white—soft and luminous.
The floor, walls, and ceiling were all made of semi-transparent white jade, faintly carved with mysterious core arrays that shimmered softly. The gentle light filled the narrow corridor, giving it a dreamlike atmosphere.
Leading the way, Qing Ya explained, "This is our first-tier exhibition hall, where the top-level auctions are held. Only our most distinguished guests are invited to enter. Normally, with my rank as an auctioneer, I wouldn't even have the right to step inside. I'm only here today thanks to your presence."
After walking for a while, doors began appearing on both sides of the corridor. Finally, Qing Ya stopped at Room Seven.
It was a rectangular room of roughly two hundred square meters—its luxury far surpassed even the top-floor suites of the Star Emperor Hotel.
One long wall was completely made of crystal-clear glass—the only wall without carvings or decorations.
In the center stood a wide, semicircular sofa facing that transparent wall.
A crystal table in front of the sofa was laden with exquisite wines, fruits, and dishes. The two golden-dressed girls who had followed them stood silently on either side, ready to serve at any moment.
Ning Tian examined the transparent wall with surprise. "Is this a light-conducting screen?"
Qing Ya looked at her in astonishment and nodded with admiration. "This guest truly has keen insight. Yes, it's a light-conducting screen, custom-made for our Starlight Auction House by the Sun Moon Empire. Its core array isn't powered by soul power but by a special mineral found only within the Sun Moon Empire."
She added quickly, seeing their reactions, "But please don't worry. The energy fluctuations from this mineral are very weak—suitable only for powering small devices, not offensive or defensive soul tools."
Even so, everyone's expressions grew somber.
Just from this light-conducting screen, one could tell that the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology was far ahead of the three original empires of the Douluo Continent.
And if this auxiliary soul tool already displayed such advancement—what about those meant for warfare, the ones capable of devastating destruction?
Xu Zihuang's gaze met He Caitou's briefly. Both of them understood better than anyone the potential consequences. Now that Xu Tiannan's family held power in the Sun Moon Empire, investment in military-grade soul tools would only increase—the situation was likely worse than anyone imagined.
Everyone took their seats, and the light-conducting screen flickered to life.
A large, brightly lit auction platform appeared on the display.
Then, a brilliant golden light filled the room, coating everything in a soft, warm radiance.
Qing Ya smiled. "It seems we've arrived just in time. The top-tier auction is about to begin."
As the golden light faded, a clear, melodious voice echoed from the screen.
"Welcome, honored guests, to the Starlight Auction House's Top Auction. Tonight, we will present nine items, displayed in order from lowest to highest price. We hope you enjoy the evening."
The light stabilized, and the auction platform came into view. Standing at its center was a breathtaking young woman in a flowing red dress.
"Good evening, distinguished guests. I am tonight's host, Auctioneer Jiujiu. Your time is precious, so let us begin immediately. Please enjoy our first item of the evening."
At the sight of her, Dai Yueheng stood up almost reflexively.
"Jiujiu?! So that's it—the Starlight Auction House must be run by the Xu Royal Family of the Star Luo Empire!"
Qing Ya's eyes flickered with surprise again. The people of Shrek Academy truly were extraordinary.
Ma Xiaotao suddenly realized, blurting out, "This Auctioneer Jiujiu… she wouldn't happen to be the Princess of the Star Luo Empire, would she?"
"That's right." Dai Yueheng nodded slightly, taking a deep breath before sitting back down.
At the same time, his gaze was drawn toward the first auction item displayed on the screen.
Princess Jiujiu's gentle voice rang out again.
"An eighth-level melee soul tool—the Domineering Tiger Soul Refining Blade…"
But rather than focusing on the item, everyone was far more intrigued by the fact that a princess was personally serving as an auctioneer—a signal that carried deep political meaning.
And judging from Dai Yueheng's words, there was little doubt left about her identity.
Among everyone present, only Xu Zihuang remained calm. Of course, he didn't show that outwardly.
Sitting beside Ning Tian, he silently sipped from his glass of fruit juice, his mind stirring slightly.
The first few items matched perfectly with what he remembered from his past life.
The eighth-level melee soul tool was successfully won by Dai Yueheng, while the second item, a complete set of Fixed-Mount Soul Cannons, was purchased by Wang Yan at He Caitou's insistence.
The following items were mostly high-quality soul bones—as usual, soul bones dominated the top-tier auctions.
And rightly so. Even with the rapid development of soul tool technology, the value of soul bones remained irreplaceable.
Unlike external tools that could break or be destroyed, a high-quality soul bone fused into one's body permanently enhanced strength, even altering a soul master's very foundation—refining their essence and improving their talent.
Most importantly, soul bones were almost impossible to destroy, allowing them to be passed down for generations. Among ancient soul master clans, this was a defining inheritance.
Each time a soul bone appeared on the screen, excited murmurs filled the room.
Several of them seemed quite suitable for the group, but the prices of soul bones worthy of appearing in this top-tier auction started at one million gold soul coins at least.
Although most of them were of prestigious background, few could produce such sums on the spot. Apart from Dai Yueheng, the Duke White Tiger's eldest son, perhaps only Ning Tian, heir to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, could afford such prices.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect might not be the strongest sect in terms of power, but it was undeniably the wealthiest.
With their innate affinity for detecting precious gems and rare metals, the sect's accumulated fortune over tens of thousands of years was unimaginable.
For Wang Yan, however, even he couldn't make such large purchases without authorization. Still, if a soul bone particularly suited Yu Tianhuang, he was prepared to bid—because Shrek's investment in Yu Tianhuang would absolutely be worth it.
Even compared to Ma Xiaotao, the personal disciple of Martial Soul Department Dean Yan Shaozhe, Yu Tianhuang was far more valued by the academy's higher-ups.
When Princess Jiujiu appeared for the ninth time, everyone's attention was immediately captured.
This was the final and most important item of the night.
The previous item had been an exceptionally rare torso bone from a fifty-thousand-year sub-dragon-type soul beast, sold for an astounding 18 million gold soul coins.
Naturally, anticipation surged for the final lot.
Princess Jiujiu smiled gracefully.
"The final item of tonight's auction is undoubtedly the highlight of the evening. I believe many of you will find it quite interesting. In fact, this item may very well be unique across the entire continent. It is also a soul bone—but unlike any other. Its special property is one that every soul master dreams of possessing. Please, take a look."
A flash of brilliant golden light revealed the item—a soul bone magnified countless times on the screen.
It was a translucent deep-purple bone shaped like a human right leg, its very aura stirring the heart with awe and oppression.
Even without touching it, one could sense its extraordinary power.
The surface of the deep-purple bone was covered in golden bamboo-like patterns, while the interior gleamed with flowing purple-gold light, as if liquid lightning coursed within.
Princess Jiujiu's voice deepened slightly, carrying a magnetic resonance that further fueled the crowd's excitement.
"Among the six major types of soul bones, the right leg bone usually ranks among the least valuable. You might all be wondering—why is this one chosen as the grand finale? I can now tell you the reason.
This soul bone originates from a soul beast known as the Thunder Prison Vine—a creature that self-detonated upon reaching the limits of its own existence, possessing a cultivation of over fifty thousand years!"
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