System Triggered Again, Unknown Crisis

"Next up is the final item of our auction. I imagine quite a few distinguished guests came specifically for this item, didn't they?"

Auctioneer Xiaowei gave a light laugh and pointed toward the crystal display stand slowly rising from the auction platform.

"This is the Lingxi Dream-Guiding Blade, ranked thirty-fifth among the Ranking Engraving Knives!"

Xu Tianming's gaze followed Xiaowei's finger and settled on the crystal display stand.

A purple engraving knife roughly seven and a third inches long lay quietly within. Near the handle, its blade was set with a strange crystal shaped like an eye.

Under the bright lights of the auction platform, the entire knife appeared almost translucent, surrounded by a hazy glow.

"This engraving knife was forged by a Level 9 Soul Master of our Sun Moon Empire, using a meteorite from beyond the heavens as its main material and Slumber Crystal as a supplement."

"It is said that a ten-thousand-year Phantom Moon Fox's External Soul Bone was also consumed during the making of this knife."

The materials used for engraving knives came in all varieties, though rare metals were generally the primary choice.

However, quite a few of the Ranking Engraving Knives had also been forged from Spirit Bones through secret methods.

"This knife's core ability is that when engraving a Core Array, it allows its user to enter a focused illusion, greatly increasing their concentration."

"Furthermore, Soul Tools made with this knife will possess an effect that leaves opponents mentally dazed."

At this point, Xiaowei called out clearly to the audience.

"Ranking Engraving Knives are already treasures that can only be encountered by chance. Distinguished guests, don't let this opportunity slip away."

And just as Xiaowei had said, there were only one hundred Ranking Engraving Knives in all.

Some of them had even ended up in the Three Douluo Kingdoms, while most Ranking Engraving Knives already had owners.

Encountering an ownerless Ranking Engraving Knife truly was an extremely rare occurrence.

"We can only feast our eyes on this engraving knife."

Zhang Tiezhu smacked his lips, obvious regret showing on his face.

As a high-level Soul Engineer, who wouldn't want a Ranking Engraving Knife of their own?

Xu Tianming did not particularly care. Having obtained that half of a divine artifact's broken sword, this trip to the black market had already been worthwhile.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the long-absent voice of the system suddenly rang out in Xu Tianming's mind.

[Ding~ The host is about to face a difficult choice. God-Level Choice activated. Please make a choice according to your own wishes!]

[Choice One: Run away immediately. There is still a chance to leave. Reward: Soul Power increases by three levels.]

[Choice Two: Surrender without resistance and do not reveal your identity for now. Reward: Spirit Master Summoning Card.]

Xu Tianming was slightly stunned. Although triggering the system meant he could obtain a reward, which made him happy,

the choices given by the system this time were completely out of nowhere. He had no idea what was about to happen.

Still, an instinctive sense of foreboding rose within him.

"Three levels of Soul Power are useless, and I haven't even gotten my hands on that broken sword that looks so much like the Angel Holy Sword yet!"

Taking a deep breath, Xu Tianming immediately gave the system his command.

"System, I choose option two!"

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained one Spirit Master Summoning Card!]

[Spirit Master Summoning Card: After use, randomly summons one Spirit Master from among all those who appeared in the original work.]

[Does the host wish to use the Spirit Master Summoning Card now?]

"Not for now!"

Xu Tianming swept his gaze around. This truly was not the place to use any kind of summoning card.

Moreover, the Spirit Master Summoning Card was somewhat different from the Title Douluo Summoning Card he had obtained before.

At least the Title Douluo Summoning Card guaranteed the summoning of an expert at the Title Douluo level.

But the Spirit Master Summoning Card might not necessarily summon a Title Douluo.

If it summoned someone like Su Yuntao, Xu Tianming would really have to cry.

"Something's not right."

Taking a deep breath, Xu Tianming carefully extended his spiritual power, intending to investigate what exactly was about to happen.

Those capable of attending an auction held by the underground black market were naturally no pushovers.

With all of them concealing themselves, Xu Tianming failed to discover anything unusual.

Furthermore, the auction house was covered in a metal capable of blocking spiritual power, leaving Xu Tianming unable to detect even the slightest thing outside it.

Just as Xu Tianming was examining the surrounding environment, the auction for the Lingxi Dream-Guiding Blade had reached a fever pitch.

Starting from an opening bid of one million Gold Soul Coins, its price had already broken through ten million.

It could only be said that the Soul Engineers of the Sun Moon Empire truly were not short on money. Every one of them was willing to throw around fortunes for a Ranking Engraving Knife.

"Since you are all competing so fiercely, I think you should stop competing."

An aged voice carrying a faint note of melancholy suddenly rang through the auction house.

A look of astonishment flashed across Xiaowei's face, while the other auction guests also turned toward the source of the voice in shock.

Xu Tianming's body stiffened. He knew this was the reason behind the system's choices.

An elderly masked man in the rear rows slowly rose to his feet. His hunched body showed that he was no longer young.

"Who are you? How dare you disrupt an auction hosted by our Pingfan Alliance and the Aotuo Chamber of Commerce?"

Following a sharp shout, several black-robed Spirit Masters appeared from nowhere and immediately surrounded the old man.

"Pingfan Alliance?"

"Aotuo Chamber of Commerce?"

The old man sneered.

"They are nothing more than shady outfits that cannot bear the light of day."

"You...!"

One of the Black-Robed Men surrounding the old man stepped forward. Three yellow, two purple, and three black Soul Rings flashed beneath his feet, revealing him to be a Spirit Douluo.

Yet before he could finish his threat, his head separated from his body in full view of everyone—and without making a sound.

Disbelief filled the eyes of the head that had fallen to the ground.

Even with Xu Tianming's eyesight, he had not seen how the old man had attacked.

"Making large private transactions involving rare metals expressly prohibited by the Empire—you have quite the nerve."

The old man gave a cold snort, and two yellow, two purple, and five black Soul Rings rose beneath his feet.

"A Title Douluo?"

Whether they were attendees or organizers of the auction, everyone's pupils constricted slightly.

How many Title Douluos were there in the entire Sun Moon Empire?

Now that a Title Douluo had appeared before them, naturally none of them dared act rashly.

Especially that unlucky Spirit Douluo, who belonged to either the Aotuo Chamber of Commerce or the Pingfan Alliance—his head was still lying on the floor, silently warning everyone.

"Men, take them all."

The old man glanced at the crowd and spoke coldly.

Several hundred fully armed soldiers wearing Sun Moon Empire military uniforms immediately rushed in through the doors. In only a few moments, they had completely brought the situation under control.

"Damn it, this is the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Master Legion..."

Noticing the sun-and-moon insignia on the chests of the soldiers' uniforms, Zhang Tiezhu's face immediately twisted with despair.

The other auction attendees naturally recognized the soldiers as well, and none of them dared resist.

Some were even trembling like sieves.

"Your Excellency Ying, what should we do with these people?"

The leading officer scanned the room, stepped forward, and bowed to the elderly Title Douluo as he asked.

"Take them all away."