Yu Tianxin let out a long breath, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. He rose, cupped his hands toward Lin Yue on the raised platform, then led the two elders backstage to settle the points and treasures.
Watching Yu Tianxin's departing figure, Tang San felt a pang of envy. He could clearly sense the energy contained in that bottle of Thousand Year Soul Ring Purification Liquid. If he could get his hands on it, he would be able to break through to Soul Ancestor with ease when absorbing his next Soul Ring. He clenched his fists, a thought taking shape in his mind: I have to accumulate points as quickly as possible and unlock the Auction House's higher-tier treasures. Only then can I keep from falling behind everyone else.
The auction continued. The next two items—a talisman that increased the success rate of crafting Soul Tools, called an "Artifact Refining Talisman," and "Spirit Condensing Dew," which rapidly restored Soul Power—were bought by two hidden Soul Master Families and an Imperial Noble, respectively. Both sold for more than 150,000 points.
After the auction ended, the crowd began filing out of the Auction Hall. Tang San stayed behind and found the Administrator in charge of point exchanges. "May I ask, besides exchanging resources for points, are there other ways to accumulate them?"
Looking at Tang San, the Administrator explained gently, "Besides exchanging resources, you can also earn points by completing tasks issued by the Auction House, such as collecting rare herbs or helping organize information on Soul Beasts. The Auction House also awards points for Arena Matches. If you win a challenge, you can earn quite a few."
Tang San nodded, committing the Administrator's words to memory. He looked toward Lin Yue on the raised platform, his gaze firm. From today on, he would work even harder at cultivation and actively take part in the Auction House's tasks and Arena Matches, building up enough points to unlock higher-tier treasures as soon as possible.
Lin Yue noticed Tang San's gaze and smiled faintly. He knew Tang San's potential was boundless. If the Auction House's point system could guide him, he might one day become a great asset to the Auction House.
Backstage, Yu Tianxin carefully accepted the jade bottle containing the Thousand Year Soul Ring Purification Liquid. He pulled out the stopper, and a rich surge of energy washed over him. Unable to help exclaiming, he said, "What powerful energy! With this pill, the younger disciples of our clan are sure to break through their bottlenecks!"
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan elder looked at the bottle, his eyes full of relief. "We have the young master's decisiveness to thank for winning this pill. I'm sure the Sect Master will be delighted when he hears about it."
Yu Tianxin nodded, his awe of the Auction House growing. Looking at the jade bottle in his hand, he made up his mind: he would maintain even closer ties with the Auction House from now on and seek permission to bid on more high-tier treasures.
The setting sun streamed through the windows and fell across the raised platform in the Auction Hall. Lin Yue sat in the main seat, watching the points on the System Panel steadily increase, and smiled with satisfaction. The success of this auction had not only made the Auction House more famous but also laid a solid foundation for the release of higher-tier treasures.
He knew that as the major factions took the Auction House more seriously, future auctions would grow even more intense. His task was to keep offering rarer treasures and draw in more factions, eventually turning the Otherworld Auction House into the most powerful force on Douluo Continent.
Standing at the entrance to the Auction Hall, Tang San watched the crowd gradually disperse, his heart brimming with motivation. He raised his eyes to the sky, a look of yearning in them. One day, through my own efforts, I'll win the finest treasures at the Auction House and become the strongest Soul Master on Douluo Continent.
The golden Light Screen of the Otherworld Auction House suddenly lit up in the morning glow. Unlike its usual gentle radiance, today it gleamed like gilded engraving, projecting countless lines of text above the plaza. Even Soul Masters a hundred miles away could read them clearly: for the first time, the Auction House had officially updated the Genius Ranking, announcing the top fifty across the entire continent.
The news struck like thunder, sending people from every major faction racing toward the Auction House. The plaza soon filled with people. Soul Masters in all kinds of attire crowded together, staring up at the Light Screen with a mixture of burning anticipation and nervous apprehension. To them, the ranking was more than just a list. It was also proof of eligibility for the Auction House's point rewards—and those points could buy pills and cultivation techniques that might change their lives, or even opportunities to break through bottlenecks.
On the eastern side of the plaza, the Shrek Academy delegation had squeezed into the front row. Flender's Dean's Robe was crumpled from the crush, but he kept his fists tightly clenched, scanning the Light Screen and muttering, "Dai Mubai, Tang San, Xiao Wu... all seven of our Shrek Seven Monsters have to make the list!"
Dai Mubai stood beside him. He instinctively suppressed the aura of his White Tiger Martial Soul, but his chest still rose and fell with excitement. The White Tiger Martial Soul was a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, but at the thought of the Spirit Hall Golden Generation and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's geniuses, his palms still grew sweaty. "Dean, people from Spirit Hall are bound to be near the top. And there's Ning Rongrong from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... Where do you think we'll rank?"
Tang San stood at the back of the group, absentmindedly twisting the hem of his clothes. His Blue Silver Grass came with Innate Full Soul Power, and he also possessed the Clear Sky Hammer as his other Twin Martial Soul, but his combat experience paled beside that of the great clans' disciples. His heart seemed to hang in midair. If I make the list, even a few points to exchange for a Soul Power Pill could help ease my teacher's burden...
The rabbit-ear-like projections of Xiao Wu's Martial Soul bobbed gently above her head. She tugged at Tang San's sleeve and whispered reassuringly, "You've definitely got this! Last time, you used your Blue Silver Grass to tie up that Thousand Year Spirit Beast. You were even better than Boss Dai!"
On the western side of the plaza, Spirit Hall's group in white robes stood out conspicuously. Hu Liena stood at the front, the alluring aura of her Demon Fox Martial Soul barely perceptible. Her gaze at the Light Screen held both confidence and a trace of nervousness. She wanted to surpass her older brother, Xie Yue, and, even more, to show her strength to her grandfather, Qian Daoliu.
"Yan, do you think we can make the top five?" Xie Yue asked, turning to Yan beside him, his tone uncertain. Yan's Flame Lord Martial Soul was domineering, and his Soul Power had already reached level forty, but even he wasn't confident he could reliably outshine the other factions' geniuses.
Not far away, Ning Rongrong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect rose onto her tiptoes, the hem of her pale-yellow skirt fluttering in the wind. She clutched the Staff ID Card at her waist, feeling both hopeful and uneasy. "I'm only level thirty-three, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is a Support Spirit. I'll be happy just to make the list. If I could get into the top ten..."
Suddenly, the text on the Light Screen stopped scrolling. The golden ranking froze in midair like a brand burned into the sky—
Genius Ranking, No. 1: Qian Renxue (Martial Soul: Six-Winged Angel; Soul Power: level 54; Special Talent: "Angel Domain Manifestation"), reward: 150,000 points (redeemable for a Third-grade Peak Pill / Low-grade Divine Artifact Fragment)
No. 2: Sea God Island's Direct Disciple of Bo Saixi, Hai Mingyue (Martial Soul: Deep Sea Spirit Whale; Soul Power: level 48; Special Talent: "Ocean Control"), reward: 120,000 points
No. 3: Yu Tianxin of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan (Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon; Soul Power: level 46; Special Talent: "Instantaneous Thunderstorm"), reward: 100,000 points
No. 4: Tang Chen, Direct Disciple of Tang Xiao of the Clear Sky Sect (Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer; Soul Power: level 44; Special Talent: "Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Entry"), reward: 80,000 points
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