Xue Qinghe or Qian Renxue

Night fell.

As time slowly passed, Dugu Chen found nothing else that interested him and lounged lazily in his seat.

The auction house gradually filled with more people. Nighttime was when the finest items were auctioned, and these important figures only arrived in the evening. It seemed the allure of Soul Bones was still immense.

Soul Bones were treasures coveted by all Soul Masters. In a sense, as long as their Soul Power was sufficient, Soul Masters could almost always obtain Soul Rings; only the quality differed. But Soul Bones were different.

The scarcity of Soul Bones made them the exclusive possessions of a select few Soul Masters. Anyone carrying a Soul Bone would do everything possible to conceal it, lest others find out. Countless bloody incidents had occurred over Soul Bones. Even the most ordinary Soul Bone could fetch an astronomical price.

Although Spirit Hall explicitly prohibited Soul Masters from slaughtering Soul Beasts on a large scale to obtain Soul Bones, quite a few Soul Masters who trusted in their own strength still took the risk. Of course, few were willing to sell Soul Bones. Most were exchanged instead.

They traded them for Soul Bones better suited to themselves or for other precious items.

That was why this Soul Bone auction had attracted so much attention.

One rare treasure after another was bought away. Then, three burly men pushed a small cart covered in red cloth onto the stage. The item inside could not be seen, but judging from its outline, it looked like a large square box.

The host said mysteriously, "Can everyone guess what this is? Let me first reveal the reserve price to our distinguished guests. The starting bid for this item is one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. Each bid must increase by no less than ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. This is truly the finest of the finest."

As the host of an auction house, stirring up the atmosphere and the bidders' enthusiasm was clearly a required skill. He successfully drew everyone's attention.

"Now, distinguished guests, please take a close look." As he spoke, he grabbed the red cloth and yanked it away.

After a flash of red light, what appeared was not a box, but an enormous iron cage. Curled up inside it was a young girl.

Most of the girl's delicate body was bare, with only her vital areas covered by thin gauze, giving her a hazy, alluring charm. Since she was curled up, her face could not be seen, but her figure was nearly perfect.

Her fair skin resembled glistening white jade, and her long black hair cascaded down her back. The host picked up a stick and reached it into the cage, gently lifting the black hair beside her ear to reveal her black cat ears.

"Mm..."

The girl seemed uncomfortable at being prodded by the stick. She let out a soft moan and involuntarily twisted her body, revealing the tail hidden behind her.

"Distinguished guests, this is a rare Cat Girl. The starting price is one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. Those who are interested may begin bidding."

Seeing this, Dugu Chen's anger flared. Yet his expression remained calm. It was not as though he had never considered encountering something like this, but when it truly happened, he found that he could not remain as composed as he had imagined.

Moreover, he did not have enough money to buy the Cat Girl. He knew that if he asked his teacher, his teacher would grant his request, but he would not waste Dugu Bo's money simply to soothe his own displeasure.

He was a smart person and naturally understood that what was happening before him was not something he could change. Even if he truly had the ability to save this one Cat Girl, there might be Leopard Girls or Tiger Girls in the future. Could he arrive in time every single time?

Here, he once again felt the importance of strength. In this world, strength was everything.

"Grandfather, how can they do this? They're selling people as pets." Dugu Yan could not help but jump to her feet.

Dugu Bo reached out and patted Dugu Yan's head, signaling her to calm down. But inwardly, he did not think much of it. He had seen such things countless times over the years. If he got angry over every one of them, he would have been angered to death long ago.

"If Miss Dugu likes her, then this prince shall give her to you."

A deep voice sounded beside them. The three turned their heads and saw an elderly man dressed in lavish robes. He wore a dark yellow robe embroidered with clustered floral patterns, yet it did not look disorderly in the slightest. His graying hair was neatly combed back. He was of average height, slightly plump, and had dignified features.

Only his eyes were somewhat too small, ruining the overall impression of his face.

At that moment, he bid two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins for the Cat Girl. Seeing this, no one around dared compete with him.

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, Dugu Bo looked at his granddaughter, who was tightly clutching his arm, and raised a hand to thank the other party.

"Many thanks, Prince Xue Xing."

At this point, Dugu Chen already knew the middle-aged man's identity. He was the renowned Prince Xue Xing.

It seemed he wanted to befriend Dugu Bo. The Heaven Dou Imperial Family had no Titled Douluo, so Prince Xue Xing had set his sights on Dugu Bo, this unaffiliated Titled Douluo.

Dugu Chen watched Prince Xue Xing desperately try to ingratiate himself with his teacher while his teacher responded halfheartedly. In the original story, Dugu Bo had been saved by Prince Xue Xing once. Could it have been this very time?

If so, that would be ideal. Dugu Chen did not want Dugu Bo to become involved in the struggle between the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and Spirit Hall. He was too fragile for that.

Besides, having that little angel Qian Renxue ascend the throne would clearly benefit his own growth.

Spirit Hall was simply too powerful. He truly could not understand how the original story had lost a situation where victory had been handed to them on a silver platter. But now that he was truly living on this continent, he could not blindly trust that Spirit Hall would lose its mind again.

Keep Qian Renxue planted in Heaven Dou as emperor. Before the continent was unified, Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue probably would not become gods yet. Not to mention that Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong did not get along, so there would inevitably be a struggle between them. That would give him time to quietly develop.

If he had been born twenty years earlier, why would he need all this trouble? He could have simply charged straight through. Now, he could only use magic to defeat magic.

While Dugu Chen was lost in thought, the final Soul Bone was bought by a refined-looking middle-aged man dressed in white. Two others sat beside him.

One looked around seventeen or eighteen. Though not exceptionally handsome, he had straight features and a square mouth. He wore a clean blue cloth robe, giving off a refreshing impression. His long black hair was tied with a blue cloth band and hung neatly behind him. Although his attire was ordinary, he possessed a distinctive air about him. He bore some resemblance to Prince Xue Xing.

The old man's face was gaunt, and his build was astonishing as he sat there. He was not the muscular type with bulging muscles, but his entire skeletal frame was unbelievably large. The already spacious sofa looked noticeably cramped beneath him. His clothes seemed to be supported entirely by his bones. His muscles and skin were shriveled, his eye sockets deeply sunken. If one saw him at night, he would look just like a gigantic Skeleton. A few sparse strands of white hair clung to his scalp. He was as ugly as could be.

Looking at the distinctive old man, Dugu Chen guessed who they were. They should be the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Bone Douluo, and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

Dugu Chen had originally wanted Dugu Bo to buy the Soul Bone, but once Ning Fengzhi joined the bidding, he gave up on the idea. In Heaven Dou City, who would dare compete with Ning Fengzhi in wealth?

With Ning Fengzhi's purchase of the Soul Bone, the auction came to an end, and the people present began leaving one after another.

Dugu Bo had intended to return home directly, but Prince Xue Xing invited him to a banquet. For some reason, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi also wanted to join in the fun.

Invited by all three, Dugu Bo found it difficult to refuse. After taking the items they had won at auction, he brought Dugu Chen and Dugu Yan along and left with them. As for the Cat Girl, someone had already been arranged to send her to the residence. From then on, she would be Dugu Yan's personal maid.

Prince Xue Xing's Mansion.

Inside the magnificent, glittering hall, Dugu Chen's first impression was extravagance. Compared to this place, Dugu Bo's home was practically a country shack. The surroundings were filled with antiques, calligraphy, and paintings that he could not even recognize.

Prince Xue Xing sat in the seat of honor while the others sat on either side. Beautiful dancers performed in the center. Sitting beside Dugu Yan, Dugu Chen could not help sighing again. This was what life was supposed to be!

As the banquet progressed, Dugu Chen could tell that all three parties wanted to recruit Dugu Bo, and none wanted the others to succeed. Who would not want a nuclear weapon? Even if they could not win him over, they had to avoid offending him. Without the confidence to kill him in one strike, it was best not to provoke Dugu Bo.

As Dugu Chen listened to their flattering words, his gaze could not help drifting toward Xue Qinghe. He wondered whether this one was the genuine article or a counterfeit.

Speaking of which, Qian Renxue was also a tragedy. She had gone undercover at a young age, wasted so much time, and gained nothing. After becoming a god, her beloved grandfather was gone. In the final battle, her only blood relative died as well. Her God Position shattered, and her ancestors' legacy was completely destroyed.

She had the greatest talent on the continent, yet she only came out to hand over several waves of experience. Her entire life was a tragedy.

Perhaps because Dugu Chen's gaze was too focused, Xue Qinghe looked at him and smiled warmly.

"Lord Dugu has taken in a fine disciple. Qinghe heard that Little Friend Dugu possesses Innate Full Soul Power. It is truly enviable. Qinghe does not possess such talent."

No one present was surprised to hear of Dugu Chen's talent. So many days had passed; those who needed to know had long since learned of it.

"Fengzhi is also deeply envious of Your Excellency!"

Ning Fengzhi was also very jealous of Dugu Bo's good fortune. The younger generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect still had no one capable of shouldering great responsibility, and it had always been a source of worry for him.

Hearing the two praise him, Prince Xue Xing also joined in, complimenting Dugu Chen's excellent talent.

Listening to so much praise, Dugu Chen answered modestly on the surface. Inwardly, he felt rather pleased with himself and sighed at this decadent life.

"Ah, the current Pope is truly formidable. In merely a few years under her governance, Spirit Hall has become even stronger than before."

As Ning Fengzhi spoke, he began discussing Spirit Hall's power, planting a few seeds of discord among the group.

Dugu Bo showed no reaction upon hearing this. He was alone and had only experienced some friction with Gu Yue. Spirit Hall did make him wary, but as long as he did not provoke Spirit Hall, Spirit Hall would not bother with him.

However, Xue Xing and Xue Qinghe both frowned deeply, clearly harboring many concerns about Spirit Hall.

Seeing that Dugu Bo showed no reaction, Ning Fengzhi could not help feeling disappointed. He had mainly said those words to test Dugu Bo's attitude toward Spirit Hall. Seeing his response, he could only let the matter go for now. It seemed he would have to proceed slowly.

Seeing this, he changed the subject. Time quietly slipped away amid the banquet.

An hour later, three carriages departed one after another from the front of the prince's mansion.