"Can they be exchanged?!" The crowd erupted at once. A burning light flared in the Soul Masters' eyes, as if they had seen a lifeline. The Genius Ranking and Simulation Arena had only shown them the "hope of improvement," but the appearance of Battle Skills showed them the "possibility of surpassing the existing system." Even a single Yellow Tier Battle Skill could make them invincible among those of the same level, or even let them fight opponents of a higher level and change their fate!
"Your Excellency Lin Yue! How many Points are needed to exchange for a Yellow Tier Battle Skill? I'm willing to trade ten years of savings for one!" a Level 40 Soul Ancestor called out, his voice urgent and almost incoherent.
Lin Yue smiled and shook his head, lightly tapping his folding fan against his palm. "The specific exchange requirements will be announced once the Cultivation Method Ranking goes live. But I can tell you this: as long as you actively participate in the Simulation Arena and accumulate Points, or provide the Auction House with the rare resources it needs—such as Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones, Ancient Ore, or even Spirit Beast's Essence Blood—you'll have a chance to obtain a Battle Skill."
At this, Lin Yue paused and swept his gaze across the various factions in the plaza. His voice took on a deeper meaning. "Also, there's something I'd like to tell you all—the Otherworld Auction House doesn't only have Battle Skills." He pointed his folding fan at the Light Screen. Countless blurry images appeared on it in an instant: weapons that shimmered with light, pills that gave off a fragrant aroma, and ancient books inscribed with mysterious characters. "There are treasures here from all kinds of worlds: Magic Scrolls, Cultivation Methods, Technological Weapons... As long as you have enough capital, whatever you want, we have it here; and even things you can't imagine, I have those too."
His words landed like a bomb, setting off another uproar in the plaza. The Soul Masters' eyes were full of anticipation, but also tinged with fear. The Otherworld Auction House came from another world, and a single item it produced could overturn the system of Douluo Continent. If it ever decided to attack Douluo Continent, who could stop it?
Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect felt a chill. Looking at Lin Yue's smile, he suddenly realized that this mysterious Auction House might be more terrifying than the Spirit Hall—or even the gods. But then he thought that if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could draw on the Auction House's power, it would be able to maintain its foothold for a long time, and he couldn't help feeling a flicker of longing. Risk and opportunity went hand in hand,
Perhaps this was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's only chance to surpass the Spirit Hall. Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, suppressing the complicated emotions in his heart, then stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Lin Yue. "Your Excellency Lin Yue, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to offer three pieces of Thousand Year Glazed Jade and ten stalks of Spirit Calming Grass in exchange for priority access to the Cultivation Method Ranking. Would you agree?"
Lin Yue looked at Ning Fengzhi, the smile on his lips unchanged. "Sect Master Ning is quite straightforward. Thousand Year Glazed Jade can help Soul Masters stabilize their Soul Power, while Spirit Calming Grass can improve mental strength. Both are rare resources. I accept this trade."
After receiving his confirmation, Ning Fengzhi finally felt at ease and immediately sent someone to fetch the resources. Seeing this, the other factions also stepped forward to bid. Yu Tianxin of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan moved forward, his voice urgent. "Your Excellency Lin Yue, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is willing to offer five pieces of Thunder Pattern Jade and the Essence Blood of a Thousand Year Thunder Bear, in exchange for priority access to the training requirements for a Mysterious Tier Battle Skill!"
A hidden disciple of the Clear Sky Sect couldn't help stepping forward either, lowering his voice. "We're willing to offer one piece of Ten Thousand Year Ironwood in exchange for a clue about how to obtain a Yellow Tier Battle Skill."
The envoy from the Heaven Dou Empire was even more direct. "The Heaven Dou Imperial Family is willing to offer ten thousand gold taels, as well as the mining rights to three mines, in exchange for reserving a Yellow Tier Battle Skill for a member of the imperial family!"
For a time, the factions in the plaza competed with one another to make offers. The names of rare resources came one after another, from Thousand Year Spirit Beast Inner Cores to ore from ancient times. Some even brought out their family's inherited Soul Tool Blueprints. Lin Yue accepted every offer, a gentle smile always on his face, as if these treasures, worth a fortune in other people's eyes, were nothing more than ordinary goods.
Among the crowd, Tang San watched all this, and the urgency in his heart grew stronger. He quietly tugged at Xiao Wu's sleeve, wanting to talk with her about their plans for the future, but he saw that her gaze remained fixed on the Light Screen, her eyes full of longing for Battle Skills. She hadn't even noticed his movement. Tang San's hand froze in midair, and a trace of disappointment welled up in his heart. Ever since they had come to the Auction House, Xiao Wu seemed to have changed. She no longer relied on him as she once had, and instead was especially interested in these novel powers.
"Tang San, look at that Wind Splitting Leg. If I can learn it, I'll be able to protect myself better in the future." Xiao Wu suddenly spoke, her voice full of excitement, unaware of Tang San's complicated expression.
Tang San managed a faint smile. "Yeah, Battle Skills are really powerful, but they definitely won't be easy to cultivate. Let's build up our Points first and wait until the Cultivation Method Ranking goes live."
Xiao Wu nodded, then turned her gaze back to the Light Screen without saying anything more. Tang San looked at her profile and sighed inwardly. He could feel the distance between them growing, little by little, without either of them noticing.
On the other side of the plaza, the others from Shrek Academy were also discussing Battle Skills. Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his eyes full of longing. "If I can learn Thunderstorm Fist, I won't have to fear fighting Soul Ancestors anymore! Dean, we need to get everyone organized and start earning Points as soon as possible. Let's try to exchange for a Yellow Tier Battle Skill early!"
Flender came back to himself, picked up the smoking pipe from the ground, and lit it again before taking a deep drag. "That's right. These Battle Skills are crucial for Shrek. Xiao San, you're good at observing. Pay close attention to the battles in the Simulation Arena from now on and see if you can find a way to earn Points quickly."
Tang San nodded, but his resolve only grew firmer. He had to exchange for Battle Skills for himself and improve his strength as quickly as possible. Only if he became strong enough could he bridge the distance between himself and Xiao Wu again, and protect the people around him.
At that moment, in the Spirit Hall's contingent, the Special Envoy watched the various factions compete to trade with Lin Yue, his expression growing darker by the moment. He quietly pulled Bai Feng aside and instructed him in a low voice, "Send someone back to Spirit City at once and tell Lady Bibi Dong to have the people from the Worship Hall come here as soon as possible. We absolutely can't let the other factions get their hands on the Battle Skills first! Also, keep a close eye on Lin Yue's movements and find out who he really is and whether he has other factions supporting him."
Bai Feng nodded and immediately arranged for a disciple to slip away unnoticed. The Special Envoy turned his gaze back to Lin Yue, a vicious glint in his eyes. If the Spirit Hall couldn't get the Battle Skills, then even if it had to destroy the Auction House, it couldn't let them fall into someone else's hands.
Lin Yue seemed to notice the Special Envoy's gaze and turned to look at him, a meaningful smile tugging at his lips. The Special Envoy's heart tightened, and he instinctively took a step back, not daring to meet Lin Yue's eyes again. He could feel that an unfathomable power lay hidden in Lin Yue's gaze, as if he could see right through his thoughts.
The sun slowly sank in the west. The Battle Skill demonstrations on the Golden Light Screen faded away, and it returned to displaying the three characters "Battle Skill Ranking." The Soul Masters in the plaza still hadn't left; they continued excitedly discussing the Battle Skills and planning how to accumulate Points. The line in front of the Simulation Arena had grown even longer. Some Soul Masters had even pitched tents in the plaza, preparing to earn Points through the night.
Lin Yue looked at the lively scene in the plaza, then slowly turned and walked back into the Auction House. Mo Chen followed behind him and asked quietly, "Master, the factions are all competing to get their hands on Battle Skills. Should we raise the exchange requirements a little?"
Lin Yue shook his head, gently waving his folding fan. "No. If the requirements are too low, the Battle Skills will seem cheap; if they're too high, the others will lose their motivation. This is just right. Let them see hope, but make them work for it. That way, they'll become even more dependent on the Auction House."
Mo Chen nodded, then asked, "When will the Cultivation Method Ranking go live? All the factions are waiting."
"Three days from now," Lin Yue replied. "For these three days, double the Points cap in the Simulation Arena, then release some low-grade Battle Skill fragments as rewards to whet their appetites. Also, keep a close eye on the Spirit Hall's movements. They definitely won't let this go."
"Yes, Master," Mo Chen replied respectfully.
Lin Yue walked to the second-floor window and looked down at the still-fervent crowd in the plaza, a profound glint passing through his eyes. The launch of the Battle Skill Ranking was only the second step in his plan. Next would come the Cultivation Method Ranking, the Divine Artifact Ranking, the Otherworld Map... He would draw the factions of Douluo Continent into the system he had built, one step at a time. Once they had become completely dependent on the Auction House's resources, once Battle Skills and Cultivation Methods had spread throughout Douluo Continent, only then would he truly be able to control the fate of this world.
Night fell, and the lights of the Auction House came on, illuminating the plaza as brightly as day. The Soul Masters' cheers and discussions rose and fell, and even the air was filled with excitement. The shock brought by the Battle Skills was like a seed, taking root and sprouting in everyone's heart. Everyone understood that from this day on, the history of Douluo Continent would turn a new page—a chapter belonging to the Otherworld Auction House, to "Battle Skills," and to countless Soul Masters in pursuit of new power.
Tang San stood at the edge of the plaza, looking at the brightly lit Auction House in the distance, then at Xiao Wu, who was absorbed in discussing Battle Skills. He made a silent vow. I must accumulate Points as quickly as possible, exchange for Battle Skills, and improve my strength. I'll protect my companions, and I'll show Xiao Wu that I'm still the Tang San who can shield her from wind and rain.
At that moment, in Spirit City, Bibi Dong received the Special Envoy's message. She stood by the window in Pope's Palace, looking out at the night, a mad glint in her eyes. "The Otherworld Auction House... Lin Yue... Wherever you come from, the Spirit Hall is determined to obtain those Battle Skills!" She summoned Ghost Douluo with a wave of her hand, her voice cold. "Take three Titled Douluo with you and go to the Otherworld Auction House at once. Remember, you must get your hands on the Battle Skill training methods, no matter the cost."
Ghost Douluo bowed in acknowledgment, then disappeared into the night. A battle for the Battle Skills was about to begin on Douluo Continent, while Lin Yue, the one who had set it all in motion, had already laid an even larger net inside the Auction House, waiting for the various factions to walk into it.
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