Astronomical Price!

Upon entering the hall, Flender was received by a middle-aged man in his forties. Slightly plump and all smiles, he was clearly a seasoned businessman.

"Lord Soul Master, what would you like to auction?"

Flender took a jade bottle from his robe and placed it on the table.

The middle-aged man picked up the jade bottle and pulled out the stopper. A fresh medicinal fragrance immediately filled the room.

His pupils contracted slightly. As an appraiser for the auction house, he was familiar with all kinds of rare treasures.

This medicinal scent was definitely no ordinary product.

"This is..."

"Recovery Candy Beans made by a six-ring Soul Emperor."

Flender's voice was not loud, but every word carried weight. "After consuming one, it can restore a large amount of physical strength and Soul Power within a short time, with no side effects."

The middle-aged man's hand paused slightly.

"A six-ring Soul Emperor?" His voice rose several notches.

Flender said nothing. Instead, he released the pressure of his Soul Power.

The aura of a seven-ring Soul Saint surged forth like a tidal wave, turning the middle-aged man's face pale.

"This belongs to a friend of that Soul Emperor," Flender said indifferently as he withdrew his pressure.

The middle-aged man's attitude immediately became far more respectful.

He carefully set the jade bottle back on the table, took a deep breath, and calmed himself.

"My lord, our auction house has not seen a recovery item of this quality in a very long time. If you trust me, I suggest putting it up for auction tonight. There happens to be a large auction this evening, and all the attendees are wealthy people."

Flender nodded. "There are other items as well."

He then brought out Oscar's sausages.

After hearing the introduction, the middle-aged man's expression became somewhat subtle.

Sausages made by a two-ring Soul Grandmaster were of decent quality, but compared to Candy Beans made by a six-ring Soul Emperor, they fell far short.

Flender saw through his thoughts and said flatly, "Auction the Candy Beans first. As for whether the sausages sell, we'll see."

"Of course, of course." The middle-aged man nodded hurriedly.

That night, Flender brought Ma Hongjun and Oscar to a VIP private room at the auction house.

Ma Hongjun leaned over the railing of the private room, looking at the dense crowd below as an inexplicable excitement rose within him.

Oscar sat beside him, so nervous that his palms were sweating.

"Hongjun, do you think anyone will buy them?"

"Just wait and see."

The first auction item was a hundred-year Soul Bone, bought at an astronomical price by a fat, wealthy merchant.

Ma Hongjun looked at the Soul Bone and quietly marveled to himself.

There were even more rich people in this world than he had imagined.

The second item, the third item, the fourth item...

Finally, the auctioneer cleared his throat and picked up a jade bottle from a tray.

"Distinguished guests, the next auction item can be considered one of tonight's highlights."

He pulled out the stopper, and the medicinal fragrance spread throughout the hall.

"Recovery Candy Beans personally made by a six-ring Soul Emperor. Ten per bottle, five bottles in total. After consumption, they can restore a large amount of physical strength and Soul Power within a short time, with no side effects whatsoever. Whether for training expeditions or life-and-death battles, they are life-saving treasures."

The entire hall erupted in commotion.

"A six-ring Soul Emperor?"

"Is that real?"

"Something that restores Soul Power? There's such a good thing?"

The auctioneer smiled and pressed his hands down. "Please remain calm, everyone. Our chief appraiser has personally verified them. Their quality is superb, guaranteed without deception."

"The first bottle, starting bid—one thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

Ma Hongjun's eyelid twitched at the number.

One thousand Gold Soul Coins.

And that was only the starting price.

His gaze swept across the hall, and he saw everyone's eyes light up.

"One thousand five hundred!"

"Two thousand!"

"Two thousand five hundred!"

"Three thousand!"

The price soared like a rocket. The auctioneer's hammer was practically about to break from all the pounding.

In the end, the first bottle of Candy Beans sold for six thousand three hundred Gold Soul Coins.

A richly dressed noblewoman held up her bidding plaque, grinning from ear to ear as though she had picked up an enormous bargain.

"The second bottle, starting bid one thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

Another round of frenzied bidding began.

Four thousand.

Four thousand eight hundred.

Five thousand two hundred.

Five thousand eight hundred.

The second bottle sold for seven thousand.

The third sold for seven thousand five hundred.

The fourth sold for eight thousand.

The fifth sold for eight thousand five hundred.

All five bottles of Candy Beans were sold, for a total of thirty-seven thousand three hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Flender sat in the private room with an expressionless face, but the hand holding his teacup trembled slightly.

As Ma Hongjun watched the auctioneer's final hammer fall, his heart churned as well.

Thirty-seven thousand three hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Shrek Academy's yearly expenses amounted to only a few hundred Gold Soul Coins.

This money was enough for the academy to live extravagantly for several years.

He had never expected a Soul Emperor's Candy Beans to be worth so much!

If they had discovered this sooner, Shrek Academy would not have been so poor!

They would have become wealthy long ago!

After all, during this period, food-type Soul Emperors were nearly impossible to find...

"Next, we have several more special auction items."

The auctioneer wiped the sweat from his forehead and took out a sausage wrapped in oil paper from the tray.

"This is a Strength Sausage made by a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. After consuming it, one's strength and defense will greatly increase for a short period, lasting about a quarter of an hour. For Soul Masters lacking offensive methods, it is an invaluable support item."

Compared to the Candy Beans, the sausages were clearly far less appealing.

However, the auctioneer's sales pitch was excellent.

He accurately targeted the weakness of "Soul Masters lacking offensive methods."

"Starting bid, two hundred Gold Soul Coins."

"Two hundred fifty."

"Three hundred."

"Three hundred fifty."

The price did not rise quickly, but it climbed steadily.

In the end, the first Strength Sausage sold for four hundred and twenty Gold Soul Coins.

Ma Hongjun nodded to himself.

Four hundred and twenty Gold Soul Coins could not compare to the Candy Beans, but the cost of this item was practically zero.

The Soul Power Oscar spent making a sausage could be recovered after resting for a while. This was simply outrageous profit.

"The second one, starting bid one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

"Three hundred!"

A rough voice rang out from a corner, directly driving the price up by a huge margin.

Ma Hongjun looked toward the sound and saw a burly middle-aged man dressed in animal-hide clothing, his entire body radiating a fierce, rugged aura.

A deep scar ran along his arm from shoulder to wrist, as though some savage beast had clawed him.

"That man looks like he really needs Strength Sausages," Oscar said softly.

Ma Hongjun nodded.

People who made their living in Soul Beast forests understood better than anyone how important life-saving items were.

Four hundred Gold Soul Coins might be expensive, but compared to one's life, it was insignificant.

All twenty Strength Sausages were sold, averaging around three hundred and fifty Gold Soul Coins each, bringing in roughly seven thousand Gold Soul Coins.

The ten Recovery Sausages also sold for a respectable price. Though their recovery effect was inferior to the Candy Beans, they were still quite practical for low-level Soul Masters.

At an average of two hundred Gold Soul Coins each, they brought in two thousand.

Altogether, the total revenue from that night's auction reached forty-six thousand three hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Ma Hongjun thought to himself, Sure enough, people can't earn money beyond the limits of their understanding.

If not for his guidance, they still would not have known that food-type Soul Masters were this valuable.

Flender set down his teacup, took a deep breath, and stood.

"Let's go."

His voice was calm, but Ma Hongjun noticed that when he walked out of the private room, his steps were much lighter than usual.

Under the night sky, the three of them walked through the streets of Suotuo City.

Oscar was still counting on his fingers. "Forty-six thousand... Heavens, forty-six thousand... I wouldn't even dare dream of this..."

Flender walked ahead of them and suddenly spoke. "After we return, Teacher Shao Xin will receive twenty percent. You and Hongjun will each receive ten percent. The rest will belong to the academy and be used to purchase your daily cultivation resources. It will be considered public property."

Oscar froze for a moment, then suddenly jumped into the air.

"Ten percent?! Three thousand eight hundred?! My monthly allowance is only one Gold Soul Coin!"

"You don't want it? Then forget it."

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Ma Hongjun could not help laughing at Oscar's incoherent excitement.

As he looked at Flender's back, warmth rose in his heart.

In this life, Shrek Academy would no longer be poor.

And all of this was only the beginning.