Auction in Progress (Part Two)

"This item appears to be a fragment of a blade or sword, but it is actually a fragment of an unidentified Divine Artifact! A mysterious guest arrived in Mingdu today and provided us with this auction item. As for its origins, I'm sorry, but to protect our distinguished guest's privacy, I cannot disclose them."

"Divine Artifacts are treasures of incomparable value, so I hardly need to elaborate. Even if it is only such a small fragment, if the great experts of your families can thoroughly study it, it may prove far more useful than any Soul Tool~"

Atop a display counter, a fragment of the Asura God Sword lay quietly on red cloth inside a translucent glass case. A closer look revealed that the entire counter was made from a Class 7 Soul Tool, used solely to store a sword fragment the size of a palm.

Divine Artifacts of the Douluo gods became lighter only in their owner's hands. To everyone else, they weighed tens of thousands of jin at the slightest. This fragment had come from the explosion of a God King's super Divine Artifact; even at palm size, it weighed over ten thousand jin. Only Soul Masters at Soul Douluo rank or above could lift such a small fragment.

This time, the female auctioneer's introduction carried a subtle change. Unlike her previous somewhat seductive tone, her voice now held solemnity, and her expression had become serious. With only a few words, she made everyone keenly feel her sincerity, making them instinctively believe every word she said.

At her words, the entire auction hall fell silent. Even with everyone clad in black robes and masks, one could imagine the shock in their eyes.

A Divine Artifact. No gods had appeared on the Douluo Continent for over Ten Thousand Years, yet someone had actually brought out a fragment of a god's weapon for auction. Just who was this person?

"The starting bid is one hundred million Gold Soul Coins. Each increase must be no less than ten million Gold Soul Coins."

Fortunately, when Lu Xueling put it up for auction, he had not said that it was a fragment of the Divine Artifact once wielded by the fallen Tang San. Otherwise, its price would probably have increased a hundredfold. Of course, whether the auction house believed those claims was their own business.

In truth, one hundred million Gold Soul Coins was cheap for a fragment of the Asura God Sword. What did mortals know of the difference between Divine Artifacts and super Divine Artifacts? Even if it were given to them for free, they would never discover anything through their research.

Once Lu Xueling unlocked the Divine Key's power of creation in the future, would he still need such junk? He might as well trade it for a little money, making it easier to travel through the human world afterward.

The bidding that followed could only be described as brutal. At the beginning, three parties actually joined the competition, and the price continued to rise until it soon reached one hundred thirty million Gold Soul Coins.

After reaching that figure, the pace of bidding began to slow. After all, this was not a sum that ordinary forces could afford.

Then, the number suddenly changed. "One hundred fifty million!"

One party had actually raised the bid by a full twenty million.

Inside VIP Room No. 2, a young man stood before the room's glass wall with his fists clenched. "Let's see who still dares compete with us this time!"

Two people sat on the sofa behind him. One was the old man who had been watching VIP Room No. 1 from beginning to end, while the other was a young girl massaging him.

"Grandfather, wasn't Brother's bid too high? Is it really worth it?" The girl lowered her head and could not help asking the old man.

A kindly expression appeared on the old man's face as he waved dismissively. "I permitted that boy to raise the price. Xiao Meng, you're still young and don't understand the value of a Divine Artifact. Grandfather understands. But what Grandfather is more curious about is the mysterious person who provided the auction house with this Divine Artifact fragment..."

Xiao Meng's eyes rolled. "Is that person in the private room opposite ours?"

The old man nodded slightly, his gaze drifting once more beneath the red curtain. He could vaguely make out four people seated on the sofa. With the eyesight of a Titled Douluo, he could roughly tell there were two men and two women—three adults and one child.

"One hundred fifty million, first time. One hundred fifty million, second time. One hundred fifty million, third time. Sold! Congratulations to the esteemed guest in VIP Room No. 2 for obtaining the divine sword fragment."

The figure of one hundred fifty million Gold Soul Coins ultimately did not rise any further. Such an astronomical sum was terrifying to any faction.

"As expected, they were all scared off by me." In VIP Room No. 2, the white-haired youth responsible for bidding snorted coldly. When he turned around, his expression immediately became obedient. "Grandfather, this supreme treasure is absolutely a hot potato. Once the transaction is complete, we should quickly take it back to our academy. As long as we enter Mingde Hall, let's see who still dares set their sights on it!"

The old man nodded and adjusted his glasses. "But after the auction ends, Grandfather intends to meet the person who provided this Divine Artifact fragment."

"Grandfather, you're going alone?" A hint of worry appeared on Xiao Meng's pretty face.

The old man rotated his wrist and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Xiao Meng. The people in this world who can threaten your Grandfather can be counted on one hand. Grandfather will also send people to escort you back to the academy. Be careful on the road."

"Xiao Hongchen, stop grinning like an idiot! Hurry up and take the Divine Artifact fragment and Xiao Meng back."

The youth who had been showing off before the glass wall immediately wilted at the old man's rebuke. "Yes, Grandfather."

Inside VIP Room No. 1, when Lu Xueling heard that the auction for the Asura God Sword fragment had ended, his expression finally changed. He gently woke Sirin, who was sleeping in his arms. It was time for the finale.

The main event had ended, so what came next was the item meant to close the stage.

Though it could not compare to the finale, it was surely something capable of making people's eyes light up.

The cart holding the Asura God Sword fragment was wheeled away. The female auctioneer stepped to the very front of the stage, her pretty face slightly flushed. Lowering her voice a little, she said, "Distinguished guests, our final auction item is about to appear. It is also today's final lot."

"Originally, it should not have appeared here. But to thank all of you for your continued support of the Sun Moon Empire, our auction house's chief auctioneer approved the special addition of this item. Though its price is extremely high, I believe that everyone who truly understands it will find it well worth the cost."

A cart slowly rolled onto the stage from one side. The auction item was wrapped in red cloth and was not very large, only about the size of an adult's palm.

Onstage, Auctioneer Qingya had already begun her introduction. "Everyone must be eager to know what this final treasure is. It's getting late, and I have never been one to keep people in suspense. To Soul Engineers, this item can be considered both the most ordinary and the most indispensable intimate companion. It is something every Soul Engineer must have."

The instant the covering cloth was lifted, everyone's attention was drawn toward it. Yet the dazzling splendor or peerless radiance they had anticipated did not appear.

What appeared was merely an ordinary-looking tool, just as the female auctioneer had said. It was something every Soul Engineer knew well and could not do without.

It was about half a chi long and only as thick as a finger. From bottom to top, it gradually narrowed. Its uppermost end was an extremely sharp-looking point, while below it was a blade about half an inch wide. Its overall appearance was ancient and dark, with faint patterns engraved across its surface. It gave off a subtle, archaic aura, though there was also something gloomy about it.

This was the Sun Moon Empire, the nest of Soul Engineers. The moment this tool appeared, every Soul Engineer's pupils rapidly contracted. The appearance of this item shocked them all.

"An Engraving Knife?" The old man in luxurious robes inside VIP Room No. 2 frowned slightly.

Yes, it was an Engraving Knife used by Soul Engineers to inscribe core formation arrays. Both ends of an Engraving Knife had their own uses, and their purposes differed when engraving different formations. No Soul Engineer could do without an Engraving Knife; it was a necessity for crafting Soul Tools.