Soul Extinction's final, almost ceremonial whisper echoed faintly in the auction hall, yet it carried a chilling weight that lingered long after the sound faded.
Gu Nanhai's brows knitted together imperceptibly.
He did not understand why Gu Yuena, who had silently intervened earlier, had forbidden him from continuing the bid for the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade. With the Gu Clan's foundation, even matching six billion sacrificial coins would not have been impossible—painful, but feasible.
Yet Gu Yuena's order had been absolute.
And Gu Nanhai, who knew better than anyone how terrifying that silver-haired woman truly was, chose obedience over curiosity.
Some truths were not meant to be pursued blindly.
Letting Go of the Jade
Away from the turbulent undercurrents of the auction hall, Xiao Yan stood beside his father, his voice deliberately lowered.
"Father," he said slowly, each word chosen with care, "the ancient jade is precious, but it is also a calamity."
Xiao Zhan listened in silence.
"If it remains in our hands," Xiao Yan continued, "it will draw the Soul Hall again and again. Today it is a Dou Zong, tomorrow it will be a Dou Sheng. The Xiao Family would never have peace."
He clenched his fist.
"Coins can rebuild a family. Land, manpower, resources—these can all be obtained again. But if people die, nothing can be reclaimed."
Xiao Zhan stared at his son.
The boy who once needed protection now spoke with the calm judgment of a clan head.
After a long moment, Xiao Zhan placed a heavy palm on Xiao Yan's shoulder.
"Well said," he said hoarsely. "Your father… is proud of you."
Xun'er, standing slightly behind them, smiled softly.
"With this sum of sacrificial coins," she added gently, "the Xiao Family will not merely recover. It will rise far higher than before."
Xiao Zhan nodded, but his gaze drifted instinctively toward Gu Nanhai.
A Dou Sheng.
A figure who could erase entire nations with a gesture.
And yet… he stood quietly at Xun'er's side, responding to her unspoken signals.
Xiao Zhan's heart sank.
For a woman to command such a being, her background could only be one thing—terrifying beyond measure.
Yan'er's future path would not merely be steep.
It would be surrounded by storms.
Xiao Yan's expression hardened.
"Senior Shikaku," he asked, "any trace of Lù Protector?"
Shikaku shook his head.
"No. Our intelligence network scoured the Northwest. He vanished completely—no aura residue, no sightings, no informants."
After a brief pause, Shikaku added grimly, "The Soul Hall is shielding him."
Xiao Yan exhaled slowly.
The hatred in his chest had nowhere to go.
Xun'er was about to speak when—
A thunderous announcement rolled across the entire Sacrifice City, amplified by formation arrays.
"To celebrate the opening of the Sacrificial Shop branch, General Manager Yao Chen will personally oversee the refinement of eighth-tier spirit artifacts starting today, at the Central Plaza!"
The words detonated like a bomb.
Soul Extinction stood up abruptly.
Gu Nanhai rose at the same instant.
Their reactions were identical.
Eighth-tier spirit artifact refinement.
Public.
Overseen.
Even for Dou Sheng experts, the value of an eighth-tier spirit artifact was secondary.
What truly mattered was process.
Observation.
Deduction.
If even a fragment of the Sacrificial Shop's refining logic could be understood, it would be worth more than any single artifact.
Without hesitation, both camps moved.
The Central Plaza was already packed.
At its center, Yao Chen sat calmly, robes fluttering faintly, aura deep and unfathomable, like an abyss concealed beneath still water.
When Soul Extinction's perception brushed against him, it struck only chaos.
Not concealment.
Isolation.
A barrier imposed by something far beyond Yao Chen himself.
Soul Extinction's heart tightened.
This was not Yao Chen's power.
It was the shop's.
Gu Nanhai stepped forward and cupped his hands.
"General Manager Yao Chen. Gu Nanhai of the Gu Clan requests refinement."
Yao Chen nodded serenely.
"I do not refine personally," he replied. "The shop does."
The words baffled Gu Nanhai, but he pressed on.
"A top-tier eighth-tier sword-type spirit artifact. What is the cost?"
Yao Chen listed the materials calmly.
Then announced the price.
"1.8 billion sacrificial coins."
The plaza fell into stunned silence.
Gu Yuena's fingers tightened slightly at her side.
Soul Extinction's eyes twitched.
This price was not unreasonable.
But the timing—
Cruel.
Perfect.
Gu Nanhai did not hesitate.
He produced the coins.
Then, at Yao Chen's instruction, forced a drop of essence blood from his brow.
The blood shimmered with terrifying vitality.
Yao Chen bowed toward the void.
"Senior client Gu Nanhai has paid and offered essence blood. Requesting refinement."
The air changed.
Space rippled.
A golden light curtain descended silently.
No pressure.
No energy.
Yet every soul present instinctively lowered their head.
Even Dou Shengs felt… small.
The materials entered.
Purification.
Fusion.
Formation.
No wasted motion.
No trial.
No correction.
Only absolute precision.
Dark clouds gathered.
Nine bolts descended.
The sword endured.
Absorbed.
Evolved.
When the light faded, a cyan-gold sword hovered silently.
Alive.
Aware.
With the power of a Dou Zun.
It flew into Gu Nanhai's hand as if it had always belonged there.
Gu Nanhai's breath trembled.
This was not a weapon.
It was a companion.
The plaza erupted.
Soul Extinction felt cold sweat slide down his back.
This was not a shop.
This was a force on par with the Ancient Clans.
Yao Chen stepped forward once more.
"Any other customers?"
Soul Extinction met his gaze.
Then tilted his head.
Xuan Protector paled—and vanished instantly.