Heaven Dou Auction House.
This was the largest auction house in the entire Heaven Dou Empire. It had once auctioned off Soul Bones, high-grade Soul Tools, and all manner of rare treasures.
However, today's event was merely an ordinary auction themed around "rare treasures."
Most of the items listed were strangely shaped historical relics, damaged crafts of mysterious origin, or "ancient Soul Tools" of questionable function.
Rather than a battleground for Soul Master resources, it was more a place for nobles and collectors to flaunt their discernment and wealth.
The Shrek reserve team was currently seated in a private box on the second floor.
Rather than coming to participate in the auction, they had really only come to see the spectacle.
After all, they were all proud young geniuses who had seen countless rare treasures in their daily lives.
It was hard to believe that such an ordinary auction would have anything capable of stirring their hearts.
There was even less need to mention Xia Ming. He had seen both Fairy Herbs and a Five-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone.
Combined with the knowledge from his previous life, there were few treasures on the entire continent that could move him, much less one appearing at this auction.
Sure enough, after several consecutive items, everyone remained thoroughly uninterested.
"Next is Lot Number Seven."
The auctioneer was a woman in a red dress. Her voice was pleasant, but she clearly lacked confidence in the item to come.
A maid lifted the covering cloth.
What appeared on the display stand was a severely damaged crown.
It had been forged from some unknown dark-gold metal, but its surface was covered in scratches and grime, with nearly one-third of its main body missing.
The remaining portions were warped as well, and the grooves meant for gemstones were completely empty.
Its overall design was ancient and simple, yet it possessed none of the refinement or grandeur of a crown. It looked more like a piece of metal junk dug out of some ruin.
"Distinguished guests," the auctioneer said, doing her best to make her voice sound persuasive.
"This item was discovered deep within a newly excavated ancient ruin in the northern part of the Empire."
"After appraisal, it was determined not to be a Soul Tool and possesses no energy fluctuations."
"However, after testing by several of our Soul Masters, including the full-force attack of a Soul Saint, no marks could be left upon its surface."
"Its material is incomparably sturdy. Even as a collectible or research specimen alone, it holds considerable value!"
"The starting price is five hundred Gold Soul Coins, with each bid increasing by no less than fifty Gold Soul Coins."
When the auctioneer finished speaking, not a single person present raised a bidding paddle.
Those who could sit here were either wealthy and influential or had Soul Master backgrounds.
Five hundred Gold Soul Coins might have been an astronomical sum for ordinary people, but it was not beyond their means.
But spending money on such an unsightly piece of junk?
Even if it truly was durable, no one was willing to be such a fool.
The red-dressed auctioneer sighed inwardly.
This Incomplete Crown had been highly controversial from the moment it was acquired.
Bringing it out today had only been a tentative probe, to see whether they might encounter a buyer who recognized its worth or simply sought oddities.
Judging by the current situation, it would likely fail to sell again.
She was already prepared to follow procedure and begin the first call.
Just then, a bidding paddle was abruptly raised.
"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins."
The one who made the bid was Xia Ming.
After he bid, everyone beside him was stunned.
Chen Zifeng immediately tried to dissuade him. "Xia Ming, that thing isn't worth five hundred Gold Soul Coins."
"This auction house probably only put it up for sale as a trial. Its price will definitely drop in the future."
He was genuinely anxious.
Xia Ming's talent was extraordinary, but he had spent so long at Shrek Academy and was still so young that he might not understand the true value of Gold Soul Coins.
He feared that Xia Ming had acted on impulse and would waste his money.
"This crown is useful to me." Xia Ming smiled faintly, his tone utterly firm.
Seeing this, the others found it difficult to continue persuading him.
Naturally, they did not know what had happened.
The moment that crown appeared, an incomparably intense stirring had erupted from the depths of Xia Ming's Martial Soul, crashing straight into his Spirit Sea!
In that instant, the Soul Power within his body had nearly gone out of control, and a pale golden beastly shadow seemed to flash through the depths of his pupils!
Had his spiritual power not far surpassed that of Soul Masters at his level, and his will not been so tenacious,
he might have been unable to suppress it on the spot and directly entered Martial Soul Possession!
This unprecedentedly violent reaction made Xia Ming understand at once.
This Incomplete Crown possessed an extremely profound connection to his Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul!
That discovery meant Xia Ming had to obtain this crown, no matter what.
Five hundred Gold Soul Coins? It was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
Even if it cost fifty thousand, five hundred thousand, or five million Gold Soul Coins... he was determined to get it today!
Moreover, he was not without support.
His teacher, Mu En, had not yet left Heaven Dou City.
If an exorbitant price truly became necessary, all he had to do was explain that this item concerned his Martial Soul. Mu En would surely pay without a second word.
"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins, first call!"
"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins, second call!"
"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins, third call! Sold!"
The auction hammer fell, sealing the deal.
Only after the maid confirmed the sale and began preparing the next item did Xia Ming secretly let out a sigh of relief.
The auction continued, but Xia Ming no longer had the mind to examine the other items.
On the other hand, perhaps because of Xia Ming's decisive bid earlier, the other reserve team members seemed to have gained a bit of interest.
In the end, Chen Zifeng spent one thousand Gold Soul Coins on an item.
As soon as the auction ended, Xia Ming immediately went to collect the damaged crown.
Suppressing the urge to investigate it on the spot, he stored the crown in his storage Soul Tool and briefly told the others, "I'm heading back first."
Before his words had even faded, his body moved, so fast that only an afterimage remained where he had stood.
After returning to the hotel, he went straight upstairs and immediately shut his room door.
The room was utterly silent.
Xia Ming took a deep breath, calming his excited emotions slightly before walking to the center of the room.
With a flick of his wrist, the crown appeared in his palm once more.
"Let me see what you really are."
He muttered softly, placed the crown on the table, and completely released his suppression of his Martial Soul.
"Roar—!"
Without any need for Xia Ming's mental guidance, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul manifested on its own in an unprecedentedly violent state, instantly completing Martial Soul Possession!
And at the exact moment the Martial Soul Possession was completed, the crown that had been resting on the table suddenly began to shake violently!
An immense force of attraction pulled at Xia Ming, causing his fingertips to touch the crown once again.
"Whoosh—!"
The crown instantly transformed into a streak of light and entered Xia Ming's skin through the finger touching it!
The instant the stream of light entered his body, Xia Ming felt an irresistible torrent sweep through every meridian in his body.
That torrent ultimately converged upon the sea of consciousness between his brows, then vanished without a trace.
The state of Martial Soul Possession automatically ended. Xia Ming stood frozen in place, only recovering after a long while before immediately examining himself internally.
Everything was as it had been before. The crown seemed as though it had never existed.
He focused and sensed his own body, yet discovered nothing.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xia Ming immediately set out to find Mu En, who had just finished a secret discussion with Du Busi and the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
After hearing his account, Mu En's originally gentle gaze suddenly sharpened like an eagle's.
"Do not resist," Mu En said in a low voice, gently placing his right hand atop Xia Ming's head.
The next moment, Xia Ming felt Soul Power as vast as the sea pour into his body.
This power was incomparably precise, examining every inch of his body.
Time slowly passed.
Mu En's brows gradually furrowed.
With his cultivation as a rank ninety-nine Limit Douluo, few in the world could rival his Soul Power or spiritual power.
Yet once, twice, three times... there was no abnormality at all.
Xia Ming's physical condition was astonishingly excellent. His foundation was stable, his Soul Power pure, and his spiritual power active.
But that so-called crown had left behind no trace whatsoever, as if everything that had just happened had merely been Xia Ming's illusion.
After a long while, Mu En withdrew his hand. The sharpness in his eyes gradually faded, and his tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
"Teacher?" Xia Ming looked at him.
Mu En gently exhaled, his gaze turning toward the distant sky as his voice returned to its usual gentleness.
"Being unable to detect it may not be a bad thing."
"Perhaps one day, it will serve an unexpected purpose."
Hearing this, Xia Ming nodded slightly, and some speculation arose within him as well.
For even Mu En to be unable to detect anything, it had to be a divine method.
This crown might be related to the God Position of some deity, and one closely connected to his Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul at that!
At that thought, Xia Ming's heart surged uncontrollably, yet what followed was an even deeper doubt.
A God Position inheritance... could one truly still exist on the present-day Douluo Continent?
Everyone knew of God King Tang's restrictions upon Douluo Continent.
Under his blockade, did Douluo Continent truly still possess a divine position that had not fallen under his control and could be freely inherited?
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