Auction House

Because Ning Rongrong had ordered only specialty dishes, which were quite expensive, the chefs at Immortal Soup Tower worked efficiently and served Qian Yuling and Ning Rongrong first.

Immortal Soup Tower had become Suotuo City's finest restaurant not only because of its delicious food, but also because diners could enjoy exciting performances while they ate.

These performances were actually battles between soul masters. They did not take place inside the restaurant; instead, diners watched the soul master battles held in the attached arena outside through the large screen in the center of the restaurant.

Whether ordinary people or soul masters, everyone loved watching soul master battles. Moreover, the soul masters who participated could receive Gold Soul Coin rewards from the restaurant. The higher the Soul Power Levels of both sides, the greater their pay. However, the highest-ranked participants so far had only been Soul Kings. After all, soul masters above Soul Emperor rank disdained doing such things.

Qian Yuling and Ning Rongrong were naturally no exception. While waiting for their dishes, the two stared at the large screen and watched the ongoing soul master battle.

On the screen, two Soul Grandmasters were fighting. Though their ranks were not high, it was still a battle between soul masters, making it very entertaining. To ordinary people, even a single soul master was already an important figure.

On the screen.

Two broad-shouldered, muscular middle-aged men crouched slightly. One wore a white short-sleeved shirt, while the other wore a black one. The man in white spoke first. "We've fought for five years now, and neither of us has ever won. But today, you're definitely going to lose."

The man in black replied, "Is that so? Then I'll be watching."

"Sunshine Blaze." The middle-aged man in white released his Second Soul Skill. His martial soul was an Overlord Flower, and one white and one yellow Soul Ring bobbed up and down around him. At that moment, the yellow Soul Ring began to shine.

"Ironclad Fortress." The middle-aged man in black likewise released his Second Soul Skill. His martial soul was a shield, and one white and one yellow Soul Ring bobbed up and down around him. At that moment, the yellow Soul Ring lit up.

A yellow beam as thick as a water bucket shot forward, aimed at the middle-aged man in black. Yet he remained calm, raising his shield before him and blocking the attack.

"Ah, I still can't break your shield. It's another draw this time," the man in white sighed.

"That's all it can be," the man in black agreed.

Soon afterward, the referee announced the result as well. The match was a draw.

At that moment, thunderous applause erupted throughout Immortal Soup Tower. "Excellent!"

The battle could only be watched through Immortal Soup Tower's large screen, and it had brought the restaurant no small amount of fame.

Whether they were soul masters or ordinary people, all the diners had been swept up by the atmosphere and were extremely excited.

Qian Yuling and Ning Rongrong were also very excited, though not because of the soul master battle. Their dishes had arrived.

"Please enjoy." The waiter politely spoke before leaving.

Qian Yuling's eyes immediately fixed on the platter of dragon ribs in the middle. She was very curious whether they really were dragon ribs. Though reason told her it was impossible, she still held a small hope.

She picked up a small piece of meat with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth.

"As expected, it's just Earth Dragon Meat. It was probably only a Hundred-Year Soul Beast at most when it was alive. How awful—meat from a Hundred-Year Soul Beast actually costs one hundred and ninety-nine Gold Soul Coins." Qian Yuling could not help complaining after taking a bite.

Naturally, Ning Rongrong heard Qian Yuling muttering. Ning Rongrong smiled. "Yu Ling, you're so naive. How could it possibly be real dragon ribs? Still, it does taste quite good."

That was true. Although they were not ribs from an actual giant dragon, the flavor was undeniably excellent. The high price was not without reason.

"Yu Ling, are you interested in taking part in one of those soul master battles later?" Ning Rongrong asked, her large eyes wide.

Qian Yuling shook her head. "We still have to go to the auction house after we finish eating, don't we? Let's not do a soul master battle this time. We can go another time."

Ning Rongrong was somewhat disappointed by Qian Yuling's answer, but when she thought of the auction house, her mood brightened again.

The meal passed amid the two girls' laughter and cheerful chatter.

They spent a total of nine hundred and sixty Gold Soul Coins. Ning Rongrong had wanted to pay for everything herself, but Qian Yuling insisted on splitting the bill, and Ning Rongrong could not argue her out of it.

Although it was extremely expensive, they both enjoyed the meal. Compared to the food in Shrek Academy's cafeteria, the food at Immortal Soup Tower was clearly much more delicious.

By the time Qian Yuling and Ning Rongrong arrived at the auction house, the auction was about to begin. Better to arrive at the right time than early—those words were indeed true.

Led by an attendant, the two arrived at their seats. They had not chosen a private room, since they merely planned to look around and would only bid if they saw something they wanted. As they were together, they had only one number paddle: number sixty-six.

Moreover, the auction house attendants were very professional. They would not look down on Qian Yuling and Ning Rongrong simply because they were children. Who knew whether they might be young ladies from some great family? Such a thing was entirely possible.

After the two waited for a while, the auction finally began.

A young woman in her twenties stepped onto the stage and spoke. "Welcome, everyone, to this auction. My name is Li Li, and I will be hosting today's event. Without further ado, our first auction item is the Flower Palace Wind Chime. The starting price is one thousand Gold Soul Coins. Each bid must increase by no less than fifty Gold Soul Coins. Bidding begins now."

The Flower Palace Wind Chime was a bracelet made from Five-Colored Stone from the Extreme North.

The soul masters and ordinary people present were not particularly interested in the bracelet. Only a few people placed bids.

"One thousand and fifty."

"One thousand one hundred."

At that moment, Ning Rongrong's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She hurriedly called out, "One thousand two hundred Gold Soul Coins."

Everyone present followed the sound and saw Ning Rongrong raising her paddle.

Since Ning Rongrong carried herself with aristocratic grace, no one continued competing with her.

"Then the Flower Palace Wind Chime goes to number sixty-six." Seeing that no one else was bidding, Li Li announced the result.

"Next is our second auction item, Phantom Shadow. The starting price is five hundred Gold Soul Coins, and each bid must increase by no less than twenty Gold Soul Coins." Li Li introduced the second item.

The second auction item was a two-piece set: a blue T-shirt and a black short skirt. It was made from Ice Silkworm Silk from the Extreme North and designed by a senior clothing designer from Suotuo City. Some special materials had also been added, giving the outfit a faintly sparkling appearance.

Since this outfit was clearly intended for younger girls, no one at the venue spoke up.

Just as Ning Rongrong was considering whether to buy it, she noticed that Qian Yuling had already taken the paddle.

"Five hundred and twenty Gold Soul Coins." Qian Yuling's voice rang out.

Qian Yuling's eyes looked just like Ning Rongrong's had earlier. When it came to pretty clothes, Qian Yuling had absolutely no resistance.

Ning Rongrong actually wanted it too, but seeing Qian Yuling like that, she decided to let her have it.

Qian Yuling also bought the T-shirt and short skirt.

Having bought the outfit, Qian Yuling was extremely satisfied.

Ning Rongrong was amused by Qian Yuling's expression.