Departure, Vast Sea City!

At Sea God Island's harbor, a young couple kept nagging a young man.

"Once you get there, remember to eat on time. Try not to fight with anyone, and make sure you stay at a clean, hygienic inn, understand?"

The woman held the young man's hand and prattled on endlessly. The man beside her felt both jealous and on the verge of collapse.

"Honey! Ming isn't a child anymore. He can take care of himself. We should go!"

Haiming's father grabbed Haiming's mother's hand, discreetly shook off Haiming's hand, and held his wife's instead. He even shot Haiming a fierce glare, as though asking why he still had not left.

Haiming was completely baffled. Had his old man taken the wrong medicine today?

Gently rubbing the black jade ring on the little finger of his right hand, Haiming waved at his parents and boarded the ship bound for the other continent.

"Remember to—"

The ship set sail, and Haiming's mother continued waving. However, he could no longer make out what she was saying.

"Whew... Looks like I'll be gone for quite a long time this time."

Leaning against the railing, Haiming felt the sea breeze brush against his cheeks as he watched Sea God Island gradually recede into the distance, his heart filled with emotion.

"Though I don't know why they suddenly sent me to Slaughter City, now that I think about it, that place really will help me improve the most. Whether it's experience in slaughter or the final Killing God Domain, both can greatly increase my strength."

When night fell, Haiming did not sleep well. Though the ship had stopped, it still drifted with the waves. Anyone who was not used to it simply could not fall asleep.

Ten days later, Haiming saw a magnificent city standing along the coast. He took a deep breath. After Meditation, his mind felt exceptionally refreshed.

Vast Sea City!

It was the only port city on the western coast of the Heaven Dou Empire. Since it had been built beside the sea, most of the people living here came from fishing families or were sea Soul Masters from various regions.

Quite a few people from Sea God Island lived here as well. Before Haiming left, Sea Dragon had specially given him a token, so he would not be completely lost after arriving in Vast Sea City.

"Mm, the air here isn't as good as on Sea God Island."

Setting foot on solid ground, Haiming let out a long breath of relief.

Although he was a sea Soul Master, most of his memories were still of standing on land. The feeling of having his feet firmly on the ground was quite nice.

After taking a light sniff, Haiming felt somewhat helpless. Although Vast Sea City was the largest city on the Heaven Dou Empire's coast, its sanitation was obviously mediocre. The salty fishy smell in the air was still quite strong, something that could not be smelled at all on Sea God Island.

Traveling light, Haiming entered Vast Sea City with a folding fan in hand, dressed in a long robe like a refined young gentleman.

"Esteemed guest, how many people?"

At a fairly ordinary inn, Haiming rented a sizable room for a single Gold Soul Coin. It seemed that the economy here was not as developed as he had imagined.

"Esteemed guest, are you here for this auction as well?"

The attendant who led Haiming to his room casually asked out of curiosity. Over this period, he had seen far too many unfamiliar faces arriving in Vast Sea City to stay.

"Oh? An auction?"

Haiming became interested. Wasn't this something every novel protagonist had to attend?

Treasure appraisals, bidding wars over priceless items, family grudges, murder and robbery for treasure—everything happened at auctions.

"You don't know about it, esteemed guest?"

The attendant was surprised. Then he saw a Gold Soul Coin land in his hand. He immediately bent at the waist, and the smile on his face became far more sincere.

"Tell me. Why did you think I came for the auction?"

Haiming did not particularly care. Small fry like this had their own channels and could obtain information that ordinary people would never notice.

"You may not know this, esteemed guest, but Vast Sea City is close to the ocean and gets plenty of sunlight, so the people here tend to be dark, thin, and short. Judging by your appearance, you should be no more than fifteen. You are powerfully built and have a healthy complexion, so you must be a Soul Master from elsewhere.

"Vast Sea City is a port city. You either came here to put out to sea, or you came for something special. And you carry a faint fishy smell, which means you arrived by sea. Coming all the way to Vast Sea City from another sea region—doesn't that mean you're here for the auction three days from now?"

The attendant's eyes shifted as he lowered his head even further.

The attendant had piqued Haiming's interest. It seemed this so-called auction had drawn quite a lot of attention.

Then he would have to go take a look.

"Attendant, what exactly will be at this auction?"

Another Gold Soul Coin fell into the attendant's hand, making his gaze even more fervent.

Haiming did not mind. Before he left, Bo Saixi had specially given him a storage soul tool ring. It contained a thousand cubic meters of space and was also one of the treasures left behind by the Sea God.

The ring now held large amounts of fresh water, dried fruit, clothing, and the like.

What it held most of, however, was Gold Soul Coins. Sea God Island had little need for money, but money was indispensable on the mainland. Thus, Sea Dragon and the other Sacred Pillars had stuffed quite a few Gold Soul Coins into Haiming's hands. By rough estimate, there were at least thirty to forty thousand Gold Soul Coins in the ring!

So Haiming did not mind spending a few Gold Soul Coins to gather some information.

"My lord, according to some rumors, this auction will... feature a Soul Bone!"

The attendant had already bent ninety degrees at the waist. He stared straight at the ground without even glancing at Haiming.

Buzz!

A surge of soul power spread from Haiming's body, and his heartbeat quickened.

"You may leave. I never asked you anything."

Letting out a soft breath, Haiming tossed a small bag of Gold Soul Coins to the attendant, while also telling him to keep his mouth tightly shut.

The attendant left while still bent over. After closing the door behind him, the smile on his face became impossible to suppress.

He had traded a piece of information everyone knew for at least twenty Gold Soul Coins!

He could marry a wife and raise children with that!

"As expected, Soul Master lords are generous!"

The attendant sighed inwardly, then put away the Gold Soul Coins. His expression instantly became blank as he left the corridor.

Inside the room, Haiming propped up his chin with his folding fan, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

A Soul Bone...

He had no idea why a Soul Bone would appear in Vast Sea City, much less why it would be put up for auction.

But since it involved one of the most precious treasures in the Soul Master world, it would be a real shame not to take a look!

The fourth trial had a time limit of ten years. Spending three days having some fun was not too much, right?

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