Auction in Progress (Part One)

This was a room of roughly two hundred square meters, lavishly furnished with precious woods, jade, and all manner of decorations that were clearly worth a fortune. The decor exuded extravagance, yet somehow carried an elegance that one could not help but admire.

Room Seven of Auction Hall One at the Mingdu Grand Auction House was rectangular. One of its longer walls was entirely crystalline and white, and it was the only wall without any decoration.

The spacious sofa was made from the hide of some unknown beast. Its long white fur was exceptionally soft, making one feel as though they were sinking into it when seated, yet it still offered excellent support.

The sofa could accommodate at least twenty people, and the jade table was laden with all kinds of drinks and food.

Under the guidance of a maid, Lu Xueling, Sirin, Bella, and Huo Yuhao entered the private room, took their seats on the sofa, and waited quietly.

"Sir, the auction will begin shortly. Please wait a moment with your companions. Of course, if you take a liking to any other lots during the auction, you may bid on them as well. The cost will simply be deducted directly from the Gold Soul Coins earned from your lot."

Lu Xueling gave a slight nod. "Understood."

The maid bowed again. "All food and drinks here are complimentary. After a successful bid, the item will be delivered to your room immediately. You need only settle the bill together at the end. Please enjoy some refreshments first, esteemed guests. This humble one shall take her leave."

Everyone had been chewing on the Myriad Monster King's Tree Fruits throughout the journey. Though sweet and fragrant, they had not eaten proper human food in quite some time. Especially little Yuhao—these things were nothing less than mountain and sea delicacies to him. Without another word, he pounced on the table and began eating with gusto.

Sirin and Lu Xueling each picked up a glass of juice, while Little Bella Dragon had no interest in such things. Naturally, she took on the role of Queen Sirin's dragon maid.

Within minutes, the entire room was bathed in a golden glow. The three humans and one dragon all instinctively turned their gazes toward the venue below the glass wall.

The soft, non-dazzling golden light came from the Soul Tool lamps within the private room, instantly adding a touch of nobility to the previously warm and comfortable atmosphere.

A spotlight shone down as a female auctioneer stepped forward and respectfully bowed to all the guests.

She looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. Her red gauze dress set off her icy skin and snowy complexion, and her melodious voice rang out. "Welcome, esteemed guests, to the Mingdu Auction House's premier auction. Today, we will present a total of nine precious lots, displayed in ascending order of value. We hope they will meet with your approval."

Lu Xueling and Sirin had no interest in the first few items; they were of little use to them. Little Yuhao, however, remained lively throughout, his eyes sparkling as he watched each precious lot. But he was still a child. After watching for a while, his attention shifted to the next item, his eyes filled with little stars.

"Human~ I'm sleepy." Sirin set down her juice and rubbed her brow.

Lu Xueling gently stroked Sirin's head and said fondly, "Then lean against me and take a little nap."

"Mm☆" Sirin hummed softly, nestling into Lu Xueling's arms and closing her eyes to rest.

Little Bella Dragon held a fruit platter, a faint trace of jealousy slipping quietly through her eyes. She wanted to be Queen Sirin's pillow too—perhaps even her lap pillow.

"Next is the third-to-last lot of today. After this item comes today's grand finale. I believe everyone will be very pleasantly surprised then."

A ceremonial attendant wheeled out the second-to-last lot. From the shape of the covering cloth alone, it was clear that the item was not large; the cloth nearly clung to the cart.

Holding a sound-amplifying Soul Tool, the auctioneer walked over to the cart and introduced it with a smile. "I believe all of our esteemed guests who have studied Soul Tools extensively are very familiar with this item. It also appears frequently at Soul Tool auctions. It has an amusing name: the Milk Bottle."

As she spoke, she lifted the covering cloth and picked up the lot from the cart.

It was a silver necklace, its pendant a metal charm shaped like a milk bottle, roughly the size of an adult's thumb.

A Milk Bottle? That sounds familiar...

Lu Xueling focused a little more on the Milk Bottle.

If he remembered correctly, this was a Soul Tool capable of storing Soul Power—a support-type Soul Tool that could improve a Soul Master's combat endurance.

If it could be researched and improved...

While thoughts raced through Lu Xueling's mind, the auctioneer continued her introduction.

"The proper name for this Milk Bottle should be a Charging Soul Tool. Both Soul Masters and Soul Engineers can use it. A Milk Bottle can be a Soul Tool of any grade, but it requires at least a third-ranked Soul Engineer to create one."

"The purpose of a Milk Bottle is naturally to replenish Soul Power. Whatever grade the Milk Bottle is, it can replenish an equivalent amount of Soul Power for Soul Masters of that grade. Before use, one simply needs to charge it with Soul Power in advance. However, it has a certain limitation: when using it, one must stop and devote their full attention to absorption. Otherwise, if one's mind is unfocused, they will be unable to guide this Soul Power."

"All right, the auction begins now. The starting bid is six thousand Gold Soul Coins, with each raise no lower than one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

The moment the auctioneer finished her introduction, bidders immediately began raising their paddles. In less than a minute, the price had reached thirteen thousand.

"Huo Yuhao," Lu Xueling suddenly called.

Huo Yuhao, who had been watching the auction intently, immediately turned around. His gaze toward Lu Xueling carried a hint of reverence. "Mr. Lu?"

Lu Xueling twirled the straw in his hand and said seriously, "I intend to buy this and give it to you. It will be both a gift and a future assignment for you."

"For me?" Huo Yuhao pointed at himself, uncertainty appearing on his face.

Lu Xueling nodded calmly. "Yes."

As he spoke, he raised his paddle and made his bid. "Thirty thousand."

The moment a private room placed a bid, the entire venue fell silent. The female auctioneer's professional smile became eager. No one disliked a wealthy patron.

What was more, she had received word that the finale item later on had been provided by this very guest.

"Thirty thousand, going once! Thirty thousand, going twice! Thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins, going three times! Sold!"

Perhaps to leave a good impression on Lu Xueling, the auctioneer brought down the hammer especially quickly. The Milk Bottle was his.

It was only thirty thousand—less than one-thousandth of the starting price for the Asura God Sword fragment he had put up for auction. Calling it a drop in the bucket was already giving it too much credit.

Then next...

Opposite Lu Xueling's private room sat an old man who appeared to be only in his forties. He was not tall, but extremely broad. Put simply, he was short and fat.

A short, fat figure was undoubtedly ill-suited for long hair, yet he had deliberately kept his hair long. Brownish-red strands hung loose behind his head, making his short, thick neck even harder to see.

He stood less than one and a half meters tall, but his waist circumference definitely exceeded one and a half meters. A black robe embroidered with golden patterns covered his rotund belly.

(Don't blame me, Huang San really did describe Jing Hongchen like this.)

"A Divine Artifact fragment... To obtain such a rare treasure, just who are you people? But at the very least, this hall master is determined to have it!!"