Killing for Treasure!

Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy's side.

Within Huo Yuhao's mental sea, Electrolux seemed to have sensed something, his aged voice suddenly turning urgent: "Little one, take that carving knife! It holds immense benefits for both me and you."

"Elder Electrolux?" Huo Yuhao wondered inwardly. "But the curse on this carving knife..."

"You need not worry; I have my own ways to resolve it," Electrolux said with conviction.

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao hesitated no longer and decisively raised his placard, shouting, "One hundred thousand gold soul coins."

"Ah! Very well, guest number three hundred thirty-three bids one hundred thousand gold soul coins! Are there any other guests willing to increase the bid?" Qingya immediately responded.

Despite Qingya's repeated inquiries, there was no reaction from the floor. No one was willing to bid on this cursed blade, for everyone knew that once they spoke, they would likely be forced to actually take it.

"One hundred thousand gold soul coins, going once." With no other choice, Qingya began the final call.

"One hundred thousand gold soul coins, going twice."

"One hundred thousand gold soul coins, going three times. Sold!"

"Bang." The auction gavel fell heavily, announcing that this peerless cursed blade had temporarily fallen into the hands of Shrek.

As the final few soul tools were auctioned off, the event drew to a complete close, and the guests began to leave one after another.

"Heh heh heh, Shrek, is it? I've never robbed Shrek before," Xiao Jinchen remarked, looking toward the direction where the Shrek group had departed with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Ice Empress, prepare to move." Xiao Jinchen turned his head to instruct the Ice Empress before standing up.

Upon hearing this, the Ice Empress's orange-gold eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "I've been waiting for this; just looking at those Shrek people makes my hands itch!"

"Let's go." Xiao Jinchen's thoughts stirred as he sensed the soul imprint he had left on the carving knife, quickly locking onto its location. A meaningful curve tugged at the corner of his mouth as he said, "We'll strike directly while they are in the middle of the transaction."

"Fine!" The Ice Empress nodded her head.

The two instantly transformed into afterimages. Xiao Jinchen's sixth soul skill, Mental Field, was quietly released, and invisible ripples of mental power enveloped the entire auction house like water waves.

Under this perfect concealment, their figures completely merged into the void; no matter how the guards within the venue searched, they could not detect a single trace.

On the other side, Wang Yan had the rest of the Shrek group return to the hotel while he stayed behind to handle the payment and collection of the items. Guided by Qingya, he headed to the transaction hall in the back.

"Teacher Wang, these are all the items you won at auction." Qingya picked the objects up from the maid's tray and placed them on the table, a professional and charming smile gracing her features.

"Many thanks, Miss Qingya." Wang Yan gathered all the items from the table into his storage soul tool.

Qingya covered her mouth and chuckled, asking, "Is this your first time in Star Luo City, Teacher Wang?"

Wang Yan shook his head and said, "I have been here before, but every time it was a hurried visit, coming and going in a rush."

"Work at Shrek Academy must be very busy, right?" Qingya continued the small talk.

"Yes, I am quite busy. Hand everything over."

Just as Wang Yan intended to respond, a somewhat abrupt voice suddenly echoed through the silent room.

Wang Yan and Qingya immediately cast their gazes toward the direction of the sound.

They saw that the disguised Xiao Jinchen and the Ice Empress had appeared silently in the transaction hall at some unknown moment.

The two, having undergone a disguise, had their auras and appearances completely masked, leaving not a single flaw.

Xiao Jinchen had deliberately altered his physique, appearing rather bloated and burly.

The Ice Empress's iconic emerald-green hair had also been transformed into a crimson red, like Lie Yan's.

"Who... who are you!" Seeing the two appear suddenly, Qingya was shocked. She quickly ran to the other side of the table, raising her hand to press the emergency alarm button.

"I'll say it again: hand over the items." Xiao Jinchen looked at Wang Yan, his tone cold.

"Hmm?" Seeing Qingya still daring to move, Xiao Jinchen raised an eyebrow.

A cyan flame flew from his fingertip, landing precisely on Qingya.

"Ah!"

The cyan flame ignited upon contact, instantly swallowing Qingya. Accompanied by a short, sharp scream, her entire body dissolved into thin air, leaving not even a speck of ash behind as she was completely reduced to nothingness.

"Who... who exactly are you people! I am a teacher from Shrek Academy!" Witnessing Qingya being instantly incinerated into nothingness, a strong sense of dread spread from the bottom of Wang Yan's heart.

Wang Yan gripped his palm tightly, and as light flickered, a pitch-black Coiling Dragon Staff exuding an ancient aura appeared in his hand.

A wave of soul power swept out from Wang Yan, and five soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black—rose into the air.

Wang Yan gripped the Coiling Dragon Staff tightly, staring at Xiao Jinchen and his companion as if facing a formidable enemy. He felt a deadly, dangerous aura emanating from the two of them.

"Why are you humans always like this? You never listen to what A-Chen says." The Ice Empress raised her right hand in dissatisfaction, her jade finger tapping lightly, and terrifying cold air instantly swept toward Wang Yan.

"Who exactly are you..."

Before Wang Yan could finish his sentence, he was frozen into an ice sculpture. Through the ice, one could even clearly see the frozen expression of terror on his face.

"You could have lived, but you just love to talk nonsense." Xiao Jinchen shook his head helplessly, walked over to the ice sculpture, and pulled the storage soul tool off his finger along with the finger itself.

Xiao Jinchen casually incinerated Wang Yan's finger, probed his mental power into the storage soul tool, and after confirming that the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife was indeed inside, he placed the soul tool directly into his Storage Ring.

"I'll let you die knowing the truth." Xiao Jinchen smiled lightly and raised his hand to dispel their disguises.

When Wang Yan, trapped within the ice sculpture, saw Xiao Jinchen's face, his pupils suddenly constricted. Unfortunately, he was frozen solid and could not make a single sound.

Watching the look of disbelief in Wang Yan's eyes, Xiao Jinchen smiled with satisfaction.

He then flicked his finger, and a spark of the Emperor Flame drifted silently from his fingertip.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, violent flames swept out from where the spark had landed, and the trading hall was immediately engulfed by the terrifying Exotic Flame.

Wang Yan, trapped within the ice sculpture, bore the brunt of the attack. Under the horrific, intense heat of the Emperor Flame, he vaporized before he could even melt, his terror wiped away along with his physical form, leaving not a single speck of ash behind.

"Shrek? Is it really that impressive?" Looking at the raging inferno before him, Xiao Jinchen gave a disdainful laugh. He casually tore open a spatial rift leading to the Exotic Flame Space, took the Ice Empress's delicate hand, and stepped inside.

The spatial rift slowly healed, and their figures vanished, leaving behind only the trading hall completely consumed by the Exotic Flame.

Shortly after Xiao Jinchen and the Ice Empress entered the Exotic Flame Space, frantic shouts began to echo from outside the trading hall.

"Fire! Put out the fire!"

"Hurry, hurry! It's on fire! Go find the manager!"