Tang San and Master, First Taste of Defeat

The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest were buzzing with voices.

Compared to three days prior, the number of forces attending this auction had nearly doubled. Many sects and clans that had held back last time, upon hearing of the First Auction's grand spectacle, could no longer contain themselves and had dispatched important figures to come.

On the open ground before the Auction Pavilion, carriages and horses formed a long line, banners fluttering in the wind. The various forces kept clear boundaries, maintaining wary distances from one another as they murmured in low voices, yet their gazes all unconsciously drifted toward the entrance of that mysterious building.

Among the crowd, an ordinary-looking group was inconspicuous—it was Flender, Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, and their party from Shrek Academy. They had blended into a small sect's team, trying to enter with a low profile.

"So that's the Myriad Worlds Auction Pavilion?" Tang San gazed at the magnificent structure in the distance, a faint, barely noticeable flicker in his eyes. Mysterious Heaven Skill activated on its own, allowing him to keenly sense the terrifying energy field shrouding the building.

Yu Xiaogang nodded solemnly, clutching the plain invitation tightly in his hand: "It looks unremarkable, yet it can easily produce those treasures... Either it's an earth-shattering scam, or..." He didn't finish, but deep confusion and resentment lingered in his eyes.

Flender adjusted his glasses, his small eyes glinting with shrewdness: "Scam or not, with so many people gathered, just the entry fee alone is a tidy sum! What a pity, what a pity..."

Beside him, Xiao Wu nervously leaned closer to Tang San and whispered, "Brother, I feel like there's something terrifying inside that building..."

Tang San gently took her hand: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Just then, the Auction Pavilion's doors slowly swung open, and Mo Chen appeared once more like a gate god. His overwhelming pressure instantly silenced the noisy scene.

"Please line up in order for asset verification and entry." Mo Chen's voice was calm but piercing. "I repeat the Auction House rules: No fighting within the premises. Violators will be severely punished."

With the precedent of Mad Rhinoceros Douluo from last time, no one dared to cause trouble this time, and they all obediently queued up for verification.

When it was Shrek Academy's turn, Flender stepped forward with a fawning smile and placed his hand on the verification orb—a faint white light flickered, just barely meeting the entry standard.

"Regular seating, please enter." Mo Chen directed expressionlessly.

Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly but could only lead the group inside the Auction Pavilion.

As soon as they entered the hall, everyone was stunned by its luxury and wonder. The spacious, bright space, the exquisite decor, and the clearly expanded spatial feel all exceeded their imagination.

"Such a massive undertaking..." Flender muttered to himself, his professional habit kicking in as he began estimating the construction costs, growing more alarmed with each calculation.

Tang San, meanwhile, swept his sharp gaze around, quietly activating Purple Demon Eye in an attempt to see through the place's secrets. But an invisible force blocked him, instead stinging his eyes with pain.

"Third Brother, what's wrong?" Xiao Wu asked with concern.

Tang San shook his head, his expression grave: "This place is no simple matter. My Purple Demon Eye can't penetrate it at all."

The group found their seats and waited for the auction to begin.

Just then, a commotion erupted at the entrance. A team clad in Martial Soul Hall attire strode in imposingly, led by a woman in a magnificent papal robe, a purple-gold crown on her head, and a scepter in her hand. Her face was stunningly beautiful yet carried an suffocating authority.

"Pope Bibi Dong!" someone exclaimed in shock.

The entire hall fell into dead silence. All eyes focused on that figure. The Pope of Martial Soul Hall in person—this was a monumental event!

Bibi Dong ignored the stares around her and walked straight to the verification orb. When her hand touched it, the orb erupted with an unprecedented brilliant blue light, faint traces of gold swirling within.

"Martial Soul Hall, please proceed to the third-floor VIP box." Long Yi bowed slightly, his demeanor noticeably more respectful than toward other forces.

Bibi Dong nodded faintly and ascended gracefully to the third floor under the awed gazes of the crowd.

Tang San stared fixedly at Bibi Dong's retreating back, his fists clenching unconsciously. Martial Soul Hall—his mother's murderers...

Yu Xiaogang's expression was even more complex. Looking at that once-familiar figure, pain, hatred, and a trace of lingering reluctance flickered in his eyes.

"Alright, the auction's about to start." Flender reminded them in a low voice, pulling both their attentions back.

The lights dimmed, a beam illuminated the Auction Platform, and Lin Yue's figure appeared once more.

"Welcome back, everyone." He smiled as he scanned the crowd. "Today's auction will feature six treasures. I believe they won't disappoint."

The first Auction Item was quickly brought up—a Soul Tool called the "Seven Star Array Flag," capable of setting up a simple defensive formation, with a Starting Price of 3,000 credits.

Bidding began swiftly, and it was eventually won by a mid-sized sect for 8,500 credits.

Then came the second and third items, rare herbs and Soul Tools that sparked considerable competition.

Yu Xiaogang kept frowning, muttering under his breath, "These things are valuable, but still within normal bounds... Was last time just a gimmick?"

Just then, the fourth item was presented. It was a peculiar Crystal, emitting a soft glow.

"This item is called the 'Treasure-Identifying Eye.'" Lin Yue introduced it. "By fusing it into your eye, you can greatly enhance your treasure-identifying ability for a short time, seeing part of an item's essence and energy flow. The effect lasts one hour and can be used three times. Starting Price: 8,000 credits!"

As soon as the words fell, Yu Xiaogang shot upright, a blazing light erupting in his eyes!

This was practically tailor-made for him! If he could see through the essence of items, it would be a revolutionary breakthrough for his theoretical research!

"Teacher?" Tang San noticed Yu Xiaogang's abnormality.

Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled with excitement: "This... this thing is too important to me! I must win it!"

But when the bidding began, Yu Xiaogang quickly fell into despair.

"10,000 credits!" Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect made the first bid.

"12,000!" came a calm voice from the Martial Soul Hall box.

"15,000!" The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan refused to back down.

The price skyrocketed, soon breaking through the 20,000-credit mark. Yu Xiaogang's face grew paler and paler. All his assets combined couldn't even cover a fraction of that.

Flender shook his head with a bitter smile: "Xiao Gang, this price is too absurd. We..."

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth and suddenly stood up: "I... I can use my Theoretical Research Notes as collateral! They contain the essence of my lifelong research!"

The hall fell into instant silence, then erupted in waves of mocking laughter.

"Theoretical Research Notes? What's that supposed to be?"

"Is he out of his mind? Who'd accept that as collateral?"

"Looks like he's gone crazy for treasure..."

Even Lin Yue shook his head slightly: "Apologies, this establishment only accepts physical collateral."

Yu Xiaogang's face turned deathly pale as he slumped back into his seat. Tang San quickly comforted him: "Teacher, don't worry. That kind of thing is flashy but impractical—it might not even be as miraculous as claimed."

But Yu Xiaogang's eyes were filled with loss and unwillingness. He had devoted his entire life to theoretical research, yet he couldn't even obtain a single treasure that could aid his studies...

In the end, the "Treasure-Identifying Eye" was snapped up by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for a high price of thirty-two thousand points.

Ning Fengzhi took the crystal and nodded with satisfaction: "With this item, the sect's treasure-identifying ability will greatly improve, and commercial profits should increase by at least thirty percent."

The next two auction items also sparked fierce competition, but the Shrek group had lost all interest. Yu Xiaogang was mired in his sense of failure, while Tang San silently clenched his fists, developing an inexplicable resentment toward this auction house.

Just as the auction was about to end, Lin Yue suddenly spoke: "Finally, we have a special last-minute item—the 'Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well Map.'"

An exquisite map appeared on the display stand, clearly marking the location and terrain of a certain valley.

"This map points to a treasure site abundant with rare medicinal herbs, greatly beneficial for Soul Masters in their cultivation." Lin Yue smiled meaningfully. "Starting price: five thousand points."

Tang San's head shot up, shock flashing in his eyes—Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well? Wasn't that Dugu Bo's herb garden?

He instinctively looked toward Dugu Bo's direction and found the man's face ashen, clearly having never expected this secret to be made public.

"Ten thousand points!" Dugu Bo practically roared. He had to protect this secret!

Yet the Martial Soul Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect also made bids in succession, and the price quickly skyrocketed.

In the end, Dugu Bo was forced to put up a large quantity of rare herbs and poisons as collateral, securing the map at a staggering fifty-eight thousand points to keep the secret of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well safe.

The auction ended, and the crowd filed out one by one.

The Shrek group walked out of the auction hall in silence, the atmosphere oppressive.

"Damn it!" Dai Mubai couldn't help slamming his fist into a tree. "Those big sects are too bullying—they don't give small forces like us any chance at all!"

Oscar gave a bitter smile: "No choice. We're broke."

Yu Xiaogang remained silent the whole time, his eyes hollow. Today's experience had hit him hard.

Watching his teacher's dejected state, Tang San's resentment toward the auction house reached its peak. He silently swore that one day, he would make this arrogant establishment pay...

What they didn't know was that on the top floor of the auction hall, Lin Yue was watching their retreating figures through the Crystal Window, a faint, elusive smile tugging at his lips.

"The seed has been sown. Now we just wait to see when it sprouts..."