Summer nights in Heaven Dou City were always lively, especially during the aristocratic banquets hosted by the City Lord's Mansion, which drew more than half the city's influential figures. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the banquet hall as brightly as day. Maids carried trays of delicate pastries through the crowd, and melodious music filled the air. It seemed like a scene of peace and harmony, but beneath the surface, tensions simmered. Ever since the Auction House had opened, the nobles could talk of nothing but the treasures capable of changing a Soul Master's fate, and tonight was no exception.
Yu Xiaogang sat at a table in the corner, his face so dark it seemed ready to drip. He hadn't wanted to attend the banquet, but he couldn't refuse the invitation from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. More importantly, he'd heard that many nobles planned to exchange their treasured possessions for Points and participate in the next auction. The thought made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. If even these resource-rich nobles threw in their lot with the Auction House, the "orthodox Soul Master theory" he championed would become a laughingstock.
"Have you heard? Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect took the Auction House's 'Auxiliary Amplification Pill,' and his Soul Power has stabilized considerably. Even his defenses have improved by leaps and bounds!"
"I also heard that Spirit Hall bought a Private Auction Room. They'll surely be after the high-value treasures at the next auction, so we'd better hurry up and save our Points!"
"Exactly! My son has been stuck at level 79 for years. If he can win the 'Soul Douluo Experience Card' at auction, he might break through to Soul Douluo!"
The discussion around him pricked at Yu Xiaogang like needles. He suddenly slapped the table. A few drops of red wine splashed from his glass, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Everyone, quiet!" Yu Xiaogang stood up, his voice carrying a deliberately authoritative tone. "The Auction House treasures you're talking about are nothing but harmful!"
The banquet hall fell silent. The nobles turned to look at Yu Xiaogang, their eyes full of surprise. Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire—with Qian Renxue disguised as him—set down his wineglass and watched with interest. He wanted to see what new nonsense this "theoretical grandmaster," who had constantly slandered the Auction House, could come up with.
Seeing that everyone was listening, Yu Xiaogang grew more confident and continued, "Cultivating as a Soul Master requires gradual progress. A solid foundation is essential! The Auction House's 'Soul Power Enhancement Pill' and 'Soul Ring Extraction Fluid' might seem to increase one's strength quickly, but they merely force growth and damage a Soul Master's foundation! One of my students took a similar pill, and now his Soul Power is progressing slowly. He can't even absorb a Soul Ring!"
His words were half true. A Soul Master had indeed damaged his foundation by taking a low-quality pill, but he'd bought it on the black market, and it had nothing to do with the Auction House. To slander the Auction House, Yu Xiaogang deliberately lumped the two together and embellished his account with a vivid description of the supposed damage to the student's foundation.
Many nobles turned pale at the mention of "damage to one's foundation." A Soul Master's foundation mattered more than strength; if the treasures really had side effects, no one would dare take the risk, no matter how quickly they could grow stronger. The banquet hall soon filled with chatter, and the nobles who had planned to exchange for Points began to hesitate.
"Is Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang telling the truth? If it damages your foundation, you're done for!"
"Maybe it's true. After all, there's no such thing as something for nothing, is there?"
"Should we still exchange for Points? What if..."
Watching the crowd waver, Yu Xiaogang curled his lips into a smug smile. He'd known those four words—"damage to one's foundation"—would be enough to make any Soul Master think twice.
Just then, the banquet hall doors suddenly swung open, and a figure in dark robes strode inside. It was Mo Chen, carrying a palm-sized Crystal Ball. The Soul Power radiating from him wasn't especially strong, yet it weighed on everyone in the hall. The weaker Soul Masters, in particular, even took an instinctive half-step back.
"Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, you can eat whatever you like, but you shouldn't go around spreading lies." Mo Chen's voice was calm, yet carried clearly through the hall. "You can't decide whether the Auction House's treasures have side effects just by saying so."
Yu Xiaogang's expression changed the instant he saw Mo Chen, but he still forced himself to reply, "Am I wrong? How could treasures that rapidly increase one's strength possibly have no side effects? You're just a lackey of the Auction House, so of course you'll defend it!"
"Whether I'm defending the Auction House is irrelevant." Mo Chen walked to the center of the hall and raised the Crystal Ball above his head. "What matters is that the facts speak for themselves. This Crystal Ball contains the cultivation records of every Soul Master who has used an Auction House treasure, including Bone Douluo Gu Rong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Soul Masters from Spirit Hall, and many young nobles from the Heaven Dou Empire. You can examine them yourselves and see whether this so-called 'damage to one's foundation' really exists."
Mo Chen infused the Crystal Ball with a trace of Soul Power. It lit up at once, streams of pale blue data flowing within. The nobles hurried over, and Xue Qinghe also rose and approached the Crystal Ball to inspect it carefully.
The records inside were clear and easy to understand: after Bone Douluo Gu Rong took the "Auxiliary Amplification Pill," his foundation stability increased by 12% and his cultivation speed by 8%; after an 85th-level Soul Douluo from Spirit Hall took the "Soul Power Refining Pill," his foundation showed no damage, while his Soul Power purity increased by 15%; after a young noble of the Heaven Dou Empire took a "First-grade Soul Power Enhancement Pill," his level rose from 32 to 33, his foundation remained as stable as before, and his cultivation speed even increased by 5% thanks to the purity of his Soul Power...
Every record pointed to the same conclusion: the Auction House's treasures had no side effects. Instead, while boosting strength, they either stabilized one's foundation or accelerated cultivation. The claim that they "damaged one's foundation" was complete nonsense.
"W-wait... These records are real? Bone Douluo's foundation wasn't damaged—it actually became more stable?"
"My son is in there too! His cultivation really did speed up after taking the pill! Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang is lying!"
"What kind of theoretical grandmaster is he? He's just jealous of the Auction House and spreading rumors on purpose!"
The nobles' attitudes turned around at once. They looked at Yu Xiaogang with scorn and anger. Xue Qinghe set the Crystal Ball down and spoke with a hint of mockery. "Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, your claim about 'damage to one's foundation' doesn't seem to match the facts. Don't tell me you made it up to stop everyone from participating in the auction?"
Yu Xiaogang stared at the records in the Crystal Ball, his face deathly pale as he trembled all over. He hadn't expected Lin Yue to have prepared such a safeguard, or for Mo Chen to present the evidence in front of everyone at the banquet. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but couldn't utter a word. With the records right there before them, any excuse would sound feeble.
"I... I..." Yu Xiaogang's voice shook. Sweat ran down his cheeks and dripped onto his expensive formalwear.
"Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, you said one of your students damaged his foundation after taking a similar pill. Could you have that student come forward and testify?" Mo Chen's voice rang out again, like the final straw that broke Yu Xiaogang's composure.
Yu Xiaogang stumbled back a step, nearly falling over. He had no "injured student"; that had been a lie he'd made up. Now that he'd been exposed in front of everyone, he couldn't bear to stay. He turned and tried to flee the banquet hall.
"Stop!" a noble called out. "Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, you made up lies to slander the Auction House and tried to mislead us into giving up a chance like this. You think you can just walk away?"
The other nobles joined in, demanding that Yu Xiaogang apologize. Amid their accusations, he rushed out of the banquet hall without looking back, as miserable as a stray dog.
As they watched Yu Xiaogang disappear, the nobles' anger gradually subsided, replaced by trust in the Auction House and eagerness for its treasures.
"Lord Mo Chen, could we copy the records in this Crystal Ball? I'd like to take them back and show my family's Soul Masters."
"Lord Mo Chen, when will the next auction begin? If we exchange for Points now, will we still have time?"
"I'd be willing to offer my family's heirloom Jade Ruyi in exchange for Points!"
Mo Chen looked at the eager nobles and nodded slightly. "You can exchange for Points at any time. The Auction House has set up a temporary exchange center in Heaven Dou City. As for the next auction, we'll notify you through Soul Tools."
The nobles cheered and crowded around Mo Chen, asking about the details of exchanging for Points. Xue Qinghe stood to one side, watching the scene with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He'd originally planned to use Yu Xiaogang to put pressure on the Auction House. Not only had it failed, but the Auction House's credibility had grown even stronger. Lin Yue truly was no ordinary man.
After addressing the nobles' questions, Mo Chen turned and left the banquet hall. As soon as he stepped outside the City Lord's Mansion, he saw Lin Yue standing beneath a nearby streetlamp, turning a jade pendant over in his hand.
"Master, the task is complete. Yu Xiaogang's credibility has been completely destroyed, and the Heaven Dou nobles' trust in the Auction House has risen considerably. The volume of Point exchanges is expected to increase by at least 50% over the next few days." Mo Chen bowed as he reported.
Lin Yue nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Yu Xiaogang is nothing but a clown. He can't stir up much trouble. I made him embarrass himself in public this time to warn anyone else who might try to slander the Auction House: if you pick a fight with us, be prepared to face the consequences."
He paused, then continued, "By the way, the system just released a 'Noble Resource Collection' task. Nobles who complete it will receive priority bidding rights. Go notify the temporary exchange center and spread the word."
"Yes, Master." Mo Chen bowed and left.
Lin Yue lifted his gaze to the night sky, his eyes glinting with meaning. Yu Xiaogang's little spectacle had done nothing to harm the Auction House; instead, it had given it free publicity. The Heaven Dou nobles were now firmly on the Auction House's side, Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were actively gathering resources, and the Soul Beast Clan had obtained an important opportunity through the auction. The balance of power across the Douluo Continent was rapidly reshaping itself around the Auction House.
Meanwhile, back at Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang sat in his room, staring out at the pitch-black night, his eyes full of venom. He knew that after tonight's spectacle, his reputation as a "theoretical grandmaster" was completely ruined, and no noble would trust him again. But he didn't reflect on his own mistakes. Instead, he blamed Lin Yue and the Auction House for everything.
"Lin Yue... Auction House..." Yu Xiaogang muttered, a hint of madness in his eyes. "Just you wait. I won't let this go! One day, I'll prove my theories are right, and I'll make you pay!"
What he didn't know was that Ling Shuang, who had been watching him from the shadows, had seen all of it. Lin Yue had already anticipated that Yu Xiaogang wouldn't let the matter rest, so he'd specifically had Ling Shuang keep an eye on him. A new confrontation was quietly brewing, and Yu Xiaogang was no more than a minor detour in Lin Yue's plan to control the entire situation.
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