Four Hundred Million? Is Shrek's Glory Really Worth That Much?!

"Shrek Academy, one hundred and thirty million!"

Chi Hong called out at the top of his lungs.

The bid sent the auction hall into an uproar. The smaller academies that had only hoped to raise the price by a million fell silent before such a lavish offer.

Meng Hongchen covered her mouth in surprise.

"Oh, brother. It looks like this guy wants to fight you for it too."

Xiao Hongchen crushed the folding fan in his hand and gritted his teeth.

"Fine. If he dares bid against me, he clearly has no idea how deep Sun Moon's pockets are!"

"Raise it. Sun Moon Imperial Academy bids one hundred and fifty million!"

Xiao Hongchen shot a cold glance across the hall, ready to go head-to-head with Shrek.

Chi Hong was undaunted. He shouted another bid without hesitation.

"Shrek Academy, two hundred million Gold Soul Coins!"

"What? Shrek's bidding that much? This must be costing them dearly."

"My god. No wonder they're the continent's top academy. They must have raked in a fortune."

The crowd discussed the bid in astonishment.

At that moment, Xu Jiujiu onstage and the royal family behind her were delighted.

So was Chi Hong, who was bidding with gusto.

Xiao Hongchen, whose bid had been beaten, was decidedly less happy.

And then there was Xuan Zi, whose vision had gone dark.

"You little brat! Do you have any idea what two hundred million Gold Soul Coins means? That's two years of revenue for the academy! How could you shout out a number like that?"

Xuan Zi was a rank ninety-eight Hyper Douluo, yet anger had left him gasping for breath as he jabbed a finger at Chi Hong and let him have it.

Chi Hong frowned.

"Xuan Zi, you agreed to this. If you'd kept a better eye on the Official Team, would a nobody like me, who isn't even on the Reserve Team, have to win back Shrek's championship and honor for you?"

"You... Two hundred million! The championship prize is only a million Gold Soul Coins!"

Xuan Zi's face flushed red with anguish.

Chi Hong sighed.

"Xuan Zi, you can't put a price on Shrek's glory. Shrek has won almost every Soul Master Tournament. Do you know what losing this time would mean? Our winning streak would end. We'd lose our chance to make history again."

"If Shrek is going to lose the championship, it should at least be a hard lesson—one we can grow from."

"But we'd learn nothing from losing this time. Shrek would only be remembered in disgrace. A teacher who can't protect his own students has failed them in the worst possible way."

He made it all sound perfectly reasonable.

Whether Xuan Zi understood any of it was anyone's guess. Either way, he sank into even deeper despair.

He had brought this situation on himself and was now paying the price.

The other members of the Official Team and Reserve Team dared not speak. None of them was a match for Chi Hong now, so they could only let him have his way.

Seeing how miserable Xuan Zi was, Chi Hong offered him some comfort.

"It's fine, Xuan Zi. All you've lost is money, and at worst, Mu En will give you a scolding. At least I've obtained the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Embryo and won back Shrek's glory!"

Shrek's glory. Shrek's glory.

Those words alone made Xuan Zi feel a headache coming on. He was starting to think they were a curse on him.

Every time they came out of the brat's mouth, disaster followed.

"Everyone, you've seen the treasure we just presented as our grand finale. But our last treasure today is many times more valuable still."

Xu Jiujiu smiled gently.

"What? There's a third round?"

Xuan Zi stared wide-eyed. The young woman did not seem gentle to him now. She looked like a terrifying demon.

A moment later,

Xu Jiujiu lifted the red cloth, revealing a palm-sized purplish-red plate on the display stand. A spiral rune was carved into its center.

"This may be unfamiliar to you, so I'll offer just one hint. This plate is connected to the gods."

Xu Jiujiu pointed toward the sky.

Her words instantly sparked the crowd's curiosity.

Gods?

To most people, they existed only in legends from ten thousand years ago.

"If it's connected to the gods, why aren't you using it yourselves? And how do we know you're telling the truth?"

Someone voiced their doubts.

Xu Jiujiu merely smiled.

"I won't say more. Those who understand already know, and those who don't needn't concern themselves."

Those who did understand could hardly contain themselves.

Meng Hongchen said excitedly,

"Brother, doesn't that look a lot like the plate Grandfather's been studying? I can't believe we found one here."

Xiao Hongchen rose to his feet, greed filling his eyes as he grinned.

"That's right. This is the treasure Grandfather called the most valuable of all. Win it for me, whatever it costs!"

On the other side, Chi Hong looked as though he had expected this. He could sense where the plate was. He had hoped the Star Luo Empire had no top-tier experts who would recognize it, letting him pick it up for a bargain.

Apparently, he would have to spend a little more of Shrek's glory after all.

"The starting bid is still one hundred million Gold Soul Coins. Let's begin!"

Xiao Hongchen was about to speak when someone cut in first.

"Shrek Academy, two hundred million Gold Soul Coins!"

Chi Hong used the same trick again.

Xiao Hongchen swallowed his bid, his face flushing with rage as he cursed.

"How could Shrek possibly have that much money? You're making fake bids! I fucking object!"

Chi Hong scoffed.

"Spoken like someone who's never seen the world. You have no idea how deep Shrek's pockets are. We're the continent's top academy. You're nowhere near our level, so please stop pretending you can compete with us. Shrek's glory will not be insulted."

Xu Jiujiu glanced between them, troubled, but ultimately chose to trust Shrek's bid.

After all, this was the continent's top academy. Its reputation and strength were beyond question!

Xiao Hongchen had no choice but to swallow his anger.

He fixed his gaze on Chi Hong's direction.

Damn it. When we reach the finals, I'll beat you, grind you under my heel, and take back what should be mine.

Shrek's VIP room was quiet, and Chi Hong was in an excellent mood.

Xuan Zi, meanwhile, had gone numb. When Chi Hong called out another bid of two hundred million Gold Soul Coins, he had considered fleeing. He had also considered explaining things to the Star Luo royal family and backing out of the purchase.

But he could not throw away Shrek's glory.

Xuan Zi was out of options.

He could only stare at Chi Hong with lifeless eyes.

"If you don't win the championship, I'll sell you to a mine in the Sun Moon Empire. You'll work there until you've earned back every last one of those four hundred and fifteen million Gold Soul Coins."

Chi Hong meekly accepted the proposal.

If he refused, Xuan Zi looked ready to swallow him whole.

Leaving the numb crowd behind, Chi Hong happily went to collect his three treasures.

The Ice Empress could barely contain her impatience.

"Hurry, hurry, Chi Hong! Bring the Snow Empress back!"

Chi Hong answered as he ran.

"All right. Let me see what this plate is first."

[Ding! You have obtained the Mystery Plate. Path to Godhood (4/17)]