In a quiet room on the top floor of the Auction Pavilion, Lin Yue sat with his eyes closed, his mind immersed in the system interface.
"System, show me the current list of redeemable items."
As soon as he willed it, a virtual screen glowing with a faint blue light unfolded in his mind. It listed tens of thousands of goods, neatly sorted into categories and dazzling in their variety. From the lowest-grade healing pills to legendary Divine Artifact fragments, from basic Soul Power cultivation methods to forbidden arts capable of destroying heaven and earth, it seemed to contain almost everything.
However, the vast majority of items were grayed out and unavailable, with prohibitively high Points listed beside them.
"Looks like ten thousand Points won't buy me anything particularly good." Lin Yue gave a slight shake of his head and scanned the items that were available.
[Low-level Soul Power Enhancement Pill: 500 Points/pill] [Ten-year Soul Ring Simulator (single-use): 800 Points/unit] [Hundred-year Soul Beast Positioning Compass: 1,200 Points/item]
These low-level items were of little use to him right now. His gaze finally settled on an item in the special category:
[Basic Auction House Guard (Titled Douluo rank): 5,000 Points/person] (Current special offer: Buy one, get one free)
"No wonder it gave me two Peerless Douluo right away. Turns out it's a new-user perk." Lin Yue understood, gaining a deeper grasp of how the system worked.
He pondered for a moment, then spent 2,000 Points to redeem four Communication Crystals. They could transmit messages in real time across a thousand miles, making them perfect for keeping in touch with Mo Chen.
He decided to hold on to the remaining 8,000 Points for now, in case of emergencies.
"Master." Mo Chen's voice came from outside the door, respectful but tinged with concern. "A group of Soul Masters tried to approach the Auction Pavilion just now. Your subordinate has already turned them away."
Lin Yue opened his eyes. "Turned them away?"
Mo Chen lowered his head. "I gave them a slight warning and crippled one of their Soul Powers. The rest fled in a panic."
Lin Yue nodded without comment. In this world of the strong preying on the weak, it was necessary to establish his authority. A fifty-mile radius around the Auction Pavilion was his absolute domain. Anyone who trespassed would be punished. That was the rule.
"Well done." Lin Yue rose to his feet. "Come with me. Let's take a look."
Meanwhile, the mysterious invitations had set the entire Douluo Continent abuzz with undercurrents.
Spirit Hall, Pope's Palace
Bibi Dong sat upon the ornate papal throne, her fingertips tapping lightly against the gilded invitation. A complex gleam flickered in her beautiful eyes.
Below her, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan stood with their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.
"Auction Pavilion... on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest..." Bibi Dong read the words on the invitation in a cool, authoritative voice. "Yue Guan, what have you learned?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo stepped forward and replied respectfully, "Your Holiness the Pope, I've already sent scouts to investigate. But the Star Dou Great Forest is vast, and we still don't know the precise location. However..."
"However, what?" Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes.
"According to the latest report, a mysterious building has indeed appeared on the forest's outskirts. Its style is unusual, unlike anything known on the Douluo Continent. Several adventuring parties tried to approach it, but were somehow driven back. One of them was led by a Soul Saint. They say... his cultivation was crippled."
A gleam flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes. "To cripple a Soul Saint with ease, the attacker must be at least a Titled Douluo. It seems this Auction House is no simple place."
She looked again at the three auction items listed on the invitation, especially the last one, the Soul Core Condensation Method (Introductory). Even she, the Pope, couldn't help but feel tempted.
"Continue the investigation and send more people. In seven days, I'll go see for myself just what sort of power this so-called Auction Pavilion belongs to." Bibi Dong's voice left no room for argument.
"Yes!" the two Douluo replied in unison.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, meeting hall
Ning Fengzhi examined the invitation in his hands again and again. Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong sat on either side of him, their expressions grave.
"It appeared out of nowhere and was delivered right in front of us. I've never heard of such a method." Chen Xin spoke first, his tone as sharp as any swordsman's. "Fengzhi, something about this is suspicious. We should be wary of a trap."
Gu Rong's hoarse voice rang out. "The old bastard's right. But the invitation's material is extraordinary, and even I can feel a shiver from the energy on it. It doesn't seem fake. If those three auction items are real..."
Ning Fengzhi gave a slight nod, a shrewd gleam in his eyes. "Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, I understand your concerns. But this could also be an opportunity for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
He gently traced the words "Soul Power Enhancement Pill" on the invitation. "If Rong Rong's Martial Soul could evolve further... And the Soul Core Condensation Method should be of great benefit to you two as well."
Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance. Both saw the temptation in the other's eyes. At their level, every step forward was incredibly difficult, and neither wanted to pass up any chance to improve.
"In that case, we'll make the trip in seven days," Chen Xin decided. "Let's see what kind of person could make such a grand spectacle."
Star Dou Great Forest, Core Circle, Lake of Life
Gu Yuena's silver hair cascaded like a waterfall. She stared at the invitation floating before her, a rare gravity in her exquisite features.
Di Tian stood to one side, respectful but worried. "Master, this Auction House has suddenly appeared at the edge of our territory. That can hardly be a coincidence. Humans are full of schemes. We must be on our guard."
Gu Yuena lightly tapped the invitation with her slender finger. It flipped over by itself to the page describing the auction items.
"These items... are no ordinary things." Her voice was soft. Her gaze lingered on the "Soul Power Enhancement Pill" for a moment. "This pill in particular seems to contain a pure form of Life Energy. It may be beneficial to our kind."
Bi Ji spoke gently from the side. "Master, your injuries have yet to heal. You shouldn't put yourself in danger. Why not let me investigate first?"
Gu Yuena shook her head. "Whoever sent these invitations was able to avoid my perception and deliver one here directly. Their strength is unfathomable. Since they've shown us courtesy, we should return it in kind."
She paused, then made her decision. "I'll attend the auction in seven days. Di Tian, Bi Ji, you'll accompany me."
"Master!" Di Tian cried anxiously. "It's too dangerous!"
Gu Yuena raised a hand to stop him. "It's fine. If they truly meant us harm, they wouldn't have gone about it this way. I want to see for myself what sort of being could produce such treasures."
Her gaze passed through the layers of forest, as if she could already see the mysterious Auction Pavilion. Curiosity and scrutiny flickered in her eyes.
Reactions across the major powers varied
Within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, clan leader Yu Yuanzhen scoffed at the invitation, believing it to be someone's prank. A few elders, however, secretly sent people to investigate.
The Clear Sky Sect remained in seclusion. Tang Xiao put away the invitation, uncertain whether to tell Tang Hao, who was in seclusion.
The Lower Four Sects and other Soul Master forces mostly took a wait-and-see approach, but they too sent scouts to the Star Dou Great Forest.
The royal families of both empires were shocked by the mysterious way the invitations had appeared. Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire and Emperor Dai Tian of the Star Luo Empire both ordered their people to keep a close watch.
Nuoding Academy, in Yu Xiaogang's room.
Tang San was asking his teacher about Martial Soul Theory when a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
When he opened it, no one was outside. There was only an ordinary invitation lying on the ground. Unlike the gilded invitations sent to the other forces, this one looked rather plain.
"What's this?" Tang San picked up the invitation and handed it to Yu Xiaogang, puzzled.
Yu Xiaogang took the invitation and opened it. His brows immediately knitted together. "An Auction Pavilion? Auctioning Soul Power Enhancement Pills and the Soul Core Condensation Method? Absurd!"
There was clear disdain in his voice. "There are no shortcuts to cultivating Soul Power. As for forming a Soul Core, that's a field only Titled Douluo can even touch. How could a manual possibly be in circulation? It must be a scam!"
Tang San nodded in agreement. "You're right, teacher. It's probably some con. We don't need to pay it any mind."
For some reason, however, Yu Xiaogang couldn't shake a strange sense of unease, as if he'd missed something important. He carefully put the invitation away, deciding to study it properly later.
In front of the Auction Pavilion on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Lin Yue stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the magnificent building. The last rays of the setting sun fell across the glazed tiles, refracting into brilliant colors.
Long Yi appeared silently behind him. "Master, seventeen groups of scouts tried to approach today. As you instructed, we gave them a slight warning before driving them away."
Lin Yue's lips curled slightly. "It's fine. Let them investigate. We need them to spread the Auction House's reputation."
His gaze stretched deep into the forest, as if it could pierce through every obstacle and see the various powers watching from the shadows.
"The bait's been cast. Now we'll see when the fish bite."
The auction in seven days was bound to be spectacular.
And at that moment, no one knew how this auction would change the balance of power across the Douluo Continent.
Before you continue