Auction House

The entire hall was decorated in red. On the raised platform at the center stood a seductive woman in scant clothing, **half-exposed, making everyone's noses burn.

The third floor could be further divided into two levels. Above were nine private rooms led by Yuan Luo, likely reserved for distinguished guests.

Below them were rows of circular seats, enough to hold roughly a thousand people.

This was already a vast area. The Far North was not like other places, bustling with traffic and crowds.

Hardly anyone came to this place. More than a hundred of those thousand seats remained empty.

"Welcome, everyone, to the auction hall. I am Yu Shan, and I will be hosting this Auction House. The auction is about to begin!"

Yu Shan swayed her body as she walked toward the round platform.

Her steps were slow, her peach-like hips rising and falling, stirring the blood of everyone present.

With that catlike gait and seductive figure, some people whistled lewdly from their seats, their faces full of vulgarity.

Yuan Luo also looked at her with interest for a few moments before shifting his gaze to the first item.

Her figure was certainly devilish, but it did not quite suit her as a whole.

She might be fun for a passionate fling, but for something lasting, a beauty like Qian Renxue was better.

He wondered what Qian Renxue was doing. He had not seen her for three years, and he really did miss her a little.

"Achoo!"

In the main hall of Tiandu Royal City, Xue Qinghe covered his mouth and sneezed.

"Is my son ill?"

An elderly man around fifty sat on the golden dragon throne at the very center. Wearing a crown and magnificent dragon robes, he sat alone with the imposing aura of galloping armies and countless subjects bowing before him.

"Thank you for your concern, Father. Your son is fine!"

Xue Qinghe rose from his seat and cupped his hands toward the Heavenly Dou Emperor.

The Heavenly Dou Emperor nodded and gestured for him to return to his seat.

After sitting back down, Xue Qinghe's thoughts drifted beyond the hall. Is Grandfather thinking of me? I haven't gone back in years!

"Now, let us look at the first auction item!"

As the red cloth was pulled away from the platform, a Big Blade radiating silver light appeared before the crowd.

"This is a blade forged from Mystic Silver. It is tough in texture and razor-sharp. Even an ordinary person can use it to pierce the hide of a Hundred-Year Soul Beast."

Yu Shan explained with a smile. That enchanting smile once again stirred the hearts of the crowd.

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

"One hundred!"

The moment Yu Shan finished speaking, someone below began bidding.

Most of those present lived on the edge of a blade. With such a sharp weapon, their safety would be better guaranteed, and their work would go much more smoothly.

"Five hundred!"

A second bid immediately followed. In the eyes of Soul Masters who used blades, this weapon was a treasure.

A smile appeared on Yu Shan's face again. This time, she subtly twisted her waist, making the curve below even clearer and more alluring.

"Is there no higher bid?"

"Hmph! Offering so few Gold Soul Coins is an insult to this blade—and an insult to Miss Yu Shan as well. One thousand two hundred Gold Soul Coins."

A burly man in the crowd could no longer bear it. After swallowing hard, he stood and raised the bid, staring fixedly at Yu Shan's chest and hips, nearly drooling.

Many people present did not even possess one thousand two hundred Gold Soul Coins. Only those with high Soul Power could hunt stronger Soul Beasts and sell them for a large sum of gold.

No one below seemed able to raise the bid further. At that moment, someone in the private rooms spoke up.

"One thousand five hundred!"

The bidder seemed to be a woman. Her voice was slightly hoarse and carried a bloodthirsty quality.

Yuan Luo felt a trace of cold run through his body. From her words alone, he could tell that this woman had slaughtered countless people.

Otherwise, she could not possibly possess such intense killing intent.

Some weaker Soul Masters below had already begun to break out in cold sweat beneath the pressure of that single sentence.

"Any higher bids? One thousand five hundred Gold Soul Coins, going once."

"Any higher bids? Going twice!"

"Going three times—sold! Congratulations to this Soul Master."

Yu Shan's voice was somewhat excited. She had thought this blade was worth only one thousand Gold Soul Coins, yet it had sold for one thousand five hundred. Her commission had increased as well.

Yu Shan seemed to become even more enthusiastic.

"Next, we will auction the second item: a slot!"

Yu Shan paused deliberately at the end, as though building suspense.

"What kind of slot?"

"Could it be for the residence of some powerful expert?"

"Miss Yu Shan, stop keeping us in suspense. We're all straightforward people—we can't stand it!"

"That's right!"

Yu Shan smiled softly and bent her body slightly. A deep cleavage appeared, leaving everyone parched.

"This slot is being auctioned by a Power Attack-type Soul King. He can help anyone hunt Soul Beasts below ten thousand years. If you need to acquire a Soul Ring, do not miss this opportunity."

"Great! I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a team."

"Mhm! Now my third Soul Ring is settled."

"Miss Yu Shan, start the bidding already. I can barely wait!"

Yu Shan pulled away the red cloth, revealing a wooden token.

"After purchasing it, simply present this token. The starting bid is three hundred Gold Soul Coins, with no limit on bid increments."

"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins! I'm determined to get this one!"

A thirty-year-old young man lifted his proud rooster-like head, brimming with confidence.

"Don't celebrate too soon. Five hundred and ten Gold Soul Coins!"

Someone behind him immediately raised the bid. This slot was in very short supply.

Generally speaking, Soul Masters above the Soul King rank rarely fought alone. They usually joined sects or academies.

Only those with backing could have a Soul King lead them to hunt Soul Rings.

That was why independent cultivators had such poor Soul Ring combinations, while disciples from influential forces generally possessed the optimal Soul Ring combinations.

"Six hundred!"

"Six hundred and ten!"

"Seven hundred!"

The two began competing fiercely, ignoring everyone else.

Suddenly, a tender voice came from a hidden corner.

"One thousand!"

The person wore a mask and had a petite build, looking like a **-year-old child.

Everyone's gazes focused on him.

Yuan Luo was no exception, though he seemed to have noticed something else.

This man was at least twenty years old, giving off a gloomy, withdrawn feeling.

After looking at him once, the crowd paid him no further attention, but no one raised the bid again.

In their eyes, one thousand Gold Soul Coins was already an astronomical sum.

That confident man lowered his head as well. He did not have one thousand Gold Soul Coins, only a little under nine hundred.

"Any higher bids?"

"Going once!"

"Going twice!"

"Going three times!"

"Congratulations to this Soul Master for successfully winning the item."

Yu Shan's words seemed to carry a hint of disappointment, though she did not show it.

Yuan Luo felt that perhaps the earlier blade had given her too great a sense of contrast. There was a difference of five hundred Gold Soul Coins between the two.

A tiny tray suddenly appeared in Yu Shan's hand, no bigger than her palm.

Then, smiling, she looked at everyone.

"This item is somewhat special. It was provided by a Soul Emperor."

As the red cloth was removed, a glass bead appeared before everyone.

There seemed to be something inside the bead. Its body was purple, resembling a purple flower.

"This is truly nature's exquisite craftsmanship."

"According to Grandmaster's appraisal, there should be an unknown beast or Soul Beast inside. While in the Far North, it happened to be enveloped by a drop of water. Then the temperature suddenly plummeted, freezing it directly within. It was an extraordinary coincidence."

"Moreover, this bead is icy cold all over, just like Ice. Yet no matter how high the temperature, it will not melt. Wearing it for a long time can make one calmer."

Yuan Luo's lips twitched. He had thought it was something important. Wasn't this basically just amber?