The Second Fragmented Map

"Next is this fragmented map." Will raised the piece of the map. "This map, along with some of the previous auction items, came from the same ruin, though it was merely an accidental discovery."

"But interestingly enough, the drawing on this fragmented map is... far too abstract! Not a single person in our auction house could make sense of it! We have no idea what it depicts."

At that, laughter broke out throughout the auction hall.

Yan clapped his hands and laughed loudly. "Hahaha, I want to see what this fragmented map actually looks like too!"

Will smiled and continued, "However, our auction house's tests determined that this fragmented map is made from the silk of the exceedingly rare Snow God Silkworm. How could an ordinary map possibly be made from Snow God Silkworm silk?"

"Treasure belongs to those fated to find it. That is why our auction house has brought out this fragmented map today, in hopes that it may meet its destined owner."

"Alright, enough talk. The auction for the eighth item, an unidentified fragmented map, officially begins! The starting price is one thousand Gold Soul Coins, and each bid must increase by no less than one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

Yet, somewhat to Ling Qing's surprise, the seemingly useless fragmented map drew fierce competition once the auction began. Bids rose one after another without pause.

After giving it some thought, however, he was no longer surprised by the outcome.

On one hand, Will's earlier words had stirred some people's curiosity. They wanted to uncover the mystery of this strange map for themselves.

But the more important reason was that most people hoped to strike it rich. Who knew? Perhaps they were the destined ones.

Ling Qing frowned unconsciously.

At this rate, something that should have cost only five thousand Gold Soul Coins would end up costing at least three thousand more!

Although the people of Spirit City were wealthier on average than those elsewhere, three thousand Gold Soul Coins was still no small sum.

"Eight thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

The current highest bid had been called.

"Eight thousand one hundred Gold Soul Coins!"

Ling Qing made his first bid of the day.

Yan looked at him in confusion. "Brother Qing, why are you buying something useless like that? You might not even be able to collect all the pieces, and you can't even understand it."

Ling Qing shrugged and said carelessly, "I just want to see what this incomprehensible map actually looks like. I can't exactly leave empty-handed today, can I?"

Yan scratched his head. "Oh."

Yan believed Ling Qing's casual explanation, but a trace of suspicion flashed through Hu Liena's eyes. She was not so easily fooled.

Could it be... that he has other fragmented maps? Or can he understand this one? How is that possible... Hu Liena kept speculating inwardly.

But Ling Qing did not notice Hu Liena's change at all.

After several more rounds of bidding, the fragmented map ultimately fell into Ling Qing's hands for thirteen thousand Gold Soul Coins. Once the auction ended, he would have to go backstage to collect it and pay the fee.

The next auction item was brought onto the stage...

Outside the auction house, the sunlight was warm and the breeze gentle. Passersby filled the streets, and everything seemed peaceful and calm.

Yet the next moment, a squad of soldiers hurried past. In the arms of their leader lay an old man covered in blood, with a grotesque bloody hole in his right chest!

However, everything happening outside the auction house had nothing to do with Ling Qing. Well, not for now.

What was being auctioned now was a cracked shield.

The shield was black, but the countless cracks across its surface were blood-red.

And when the shield was first taken from its box, Ling Qing sensed a trace of bloodlust, along with... an eerie aura!

This aura was especially similar to the one he had once sensed from Zhang San.

Will raised the shield and poured Soul Power into it with his right hand.

The shield immediately emitted a pitch-black, ghostly glow. The originally cold and sinister aura was completely suppressed by another, far more violent aura.

Like sunlight driving away the darkness of night.

Will said, "This shield is a defensive Soul Tool. However, as you can all see, the cracks on its surface are extremely obvious. That's right, it is not intact."

"Still, according to our auction house's appraisers, this shield was of exceptionally high quality before it was damaged. Though it is somewhat damaged now, even the full-force strike of a Spirit King could not leave the slightest crack upon it."

"No matter what, it still holds great value. The starting price is one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! Each bid must increase by no less than ten thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

People began placing bids one after another.

Ling Qing pursed his lips and lowered his head in silence. Since this Soul Tool possessed such powerful defensive capabilities, both its core formation and materials were certainly anything but ordinary.

He would be lying if he said he was not tempted.

Even if he currently lacked the ability to create such a Soul Tool himself, it did nothing to lessen his desire to analyze its formation.

Time gradually passed, and the shield's price climbed to two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, still rising steadily.

Two hundred thousand, two hundred and ten thousand, two hundred and twenty thousand...

Amounts of money enough to support an ordinary family for ten lifetimes were casually spoken from these people's mouths.

When the price reached three hundred and thirty thousand, its rise finally began to slow.

Then...

Hu Liena pressed the button on her armrest. "Three hundred and fifty thousand!"

Ling Qing raised an eyebrow as an intriguing thought kept surfacing in his mind.

If Hu Liena won this shield...

He turned to look at Hu Liena, and she gave him a sweet smile. Ling Qing read the answer he wanted from that smile, so he smiled back at her, brightly and sincerely.

Seeing Ling Qing's smile and his bright eyes, Hu Liena froze for a moment. This was a genuine smile she had never received from Ling Qing before.

She asked carefully, "What is it?"

"Nothing. I just feel that this shield suits you very well. If you didn't bring enough money, I could cover part of it for you."

"Thank you, but I brought more than enough."

Hu Liena replied before throwing herself back into the bidding.

In the brief time they had spent talking, the price had risen by another fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins.

In the end, Hu Liena won the shield for four hundred and fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins, leaving Ling Qing absolutely delighted.

Among the following auction items, Ling Qing won a Sword Pellet, a single-use consumable. Once activated, it could instantly unleash a burst of sword energy comparable to the full-force attack of a Spirit Emperor.

But Ling Qing had not bid on the Sword Pellet solely because of its function. What truly drove him to bid was the thirst for knowledge he had cultivated over decades in his previous life.

He wanted to understand how the Sword Pellet worked, then produce them in batches.