Heart of Space

The thing looked like a heart without an owner. Even through the screen, they could clearly see its surface trembling without pause. Each tremor seemed to send a ripple through the surrounding space.

But a closer look revealed that it was not the heart's surface trembling. It was the overlapping layers of deep-blue crystal that formed it.

The thing gave off no light of its own, yet it seemed to draw in the light from the space around it at every moment. The surrounding space sank into an almost deathly black, leaving only the radiance it cast to shine on, undying.

Jiang Yu's Martial Souls stirred. More precisely, the Space-Time Dragon bloodline hidden within him stirred.

This thing was meant for him.

Jiang Yu licked his lips and made up his mind at once. He had to get his hands on it.

He had a feeling that if he obtained it, he could slack off and stop cultivating altogether and still merge his Twin Martial Souls into one without a struggle, transforming completely into the Space-Time Dragon.

Only when someone tugged at his sleeve did Jiang Yu snap back to himself. He turned and found that Ning Tian had come to his side without him noticing.

"Little Yu, why did you react so strongly all of a sudden? Is it because of this auction item?"

Jiang Yu nodded. "Sister Tian, the power within the source of my Martial Souls resonated with this thing. I have a feeling it's very important to me."

"The source of your Martial Souls resonated with it?" Surprise crossed Ning Tian's face.

Jiang Yu's Twin Martial Souls, which shared the same source, were a strange pair: one light, the other space. Their attributes seemed unrelated, yet they worked together perfectly. The degree to which their Soul Power fused was even higher than that of Soul Masters who shared the same attribute.

After years of research, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had concluded that the power in Jiang Yu's bloodline most likely came from a powerful true dragon that possessed both the power of light and the power of space.

Yet among all the true dragons known to humanity or mentioned in its records, not one fit that description.

The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had wanted Jiang Yu to complete the fusion of his Martial Souls before he reached seven rings. Unfortunately, the many precious natural treasures it had gathered over the years to benefit dragon Martial Soul users had done little for him. Some had been less useful to Jiang Yu than a piece of candy.

Now that they had finally found a treasure that might let Jiang Yu fuse his Martial Souls early, Ning Tian turned to Ning Yunxiu without a second thought.

"Mom..."

Ning Yunxiu raised a hand to stop her. She tapped the armrest of the sofa, the crisp sound echoing in everyone's ears.

"If it will help Little Yu, then we must buy it. But don't rush. Let's first hear where it came from and what it actually does."

Ning Yunxiu's words gradually calmed the others.

That was right. They had been so excited that they had not even learned the most basic facts about the thing.

Realizing this, Jiang Yu and Ning Tian sat back down on the sofa and listened closely to what the auctioneer Mia said next.

A little later, as the Heart of Space entered its fifteen-minute viewing period, Jiang Yu and the others all wore thoughtful expressions.

Wu Feng stole a glance at the others deep in thought and tried her best to look serious too.

There was little else a warrior who struggled with scholarly matters could do if she did not want to seem too out of place.

In the end, Ning Yunxiu spoke, breaking the subdued atmosphere in the VIP room.

"All right. I thought it over carefully, and I do remember hearing about the Heart of Space from my elders when I was young."

"This thing was apparently found after the Seven-God Era by a powerful figure from the Heaven Dou Empire, inside a Super-Large Spatial Rift. Somehow, it later came into the hands of the Heaven Dou Royal Family. It was so mysterious that no one managed to unravel its secrets over thousands of years, so it was deemed a treasure on the same level as the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Even after the Heaven Dou Empire split apart, the Heaven Dou Royal Family continued to pass it down as a national treasure."

Wu Feng scratched her head in confusion.

"Sect Master, if it's a national treasure, why is the Heaven Dou Empire selling it?"

Ning Yunxiu gave a disdainful snort before answering.

"Because they're broke. The Heaven Dou Empire is rotten to the core, with holes everywhere money can leak through. Who knows how much of its military budget and other funds get carved up and swallowed every year?

"The Heart of Space has a starting price of thirty million Gold Soul Coins. By the usual rule for auctions across the continent, it should sell for at least twice its starting price. As long as it sells, the Heaven Dou Empire will walk away with at least sixty million Gold Soul Coins! That's enough to plug the hole."

Jiang Yu's expression shifted.

As the times changed, the purchasing power of Gold Soul Coins had steadily risen. These days, an ordinary family spent only a few dozen Gold Soul Coins in an entire year.

A sum certain to exceed sixty million Gold Soul Coins would be enough to cover the Heaven Dou Empire's enormous shortfall. Still, selling a national treasure to do it was hardly dignified.

Seeing the change in Jiang Yu's expression, Ning Yunxiu thought the price of sixty million Gold Soul Coins had made him hesitate. She reached over and gently pinched his cheek, then said with a smile:

"Sixty million Gold Soul Coins is nothing to the sect. It wouldn't even sting. What we really need to watch out for are the other factions that have their eyes on the Heart of Space."

"When the continent's top auction houses hold a Top-Tier Auction, they adjust the lots at the last minute based on which factions attend and what attributes the attending Soul Masters possess. They brought out the Heart of Space today partly because they urgently need to fill that shortfall, and partly because they're certain a faction or a powerful individual here will want it."

At this point, Ning Yunxiu's expression turned cold.

"The Heaven Dou Grand Auction House does a good job protecting its guests' privacy, but that won't necessarily stop someone determined to investigate. Once we win the Heart of Space, we won't take a carriage. We'll fly straight back to the sect."

"Once we reach the sect, we'll be able to protect ourselves even if an Ultimate Douluo comes after us."

What followed was just as Ning Yunxiu had expected. Bidding for the Heart of Space was fierce, with nearly every major faction on the continent joining in.

Only three bidders kept pace with Ning Yunxiu, but the factions behind them clearly could not match the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's wealth. Once the price passed fifty million, their bids grew increasingly hesitant.

In the end, Ning Yunxiu raised the price by five million in one stroke and won the Heart of Space for sixty million Gold Soul Coins.

Less than three minutes after the sale, Manager Ao and an elderly man arrived in person with the several lots Ning Yunxiu had won, as well as those she had reserved. Without a change in expression, Ning Yunxiu settled the bill of over one hundred million Gold Soul Coins. She paid no further attention to the final lot. The five of them immediately left Heaven Dou City through an underground passage, then flew toward Nine Treasure Mountain as fast as they could.

They flew at top speed all the way to Nine Treasure Mountain. Only then did Wu Feng, who had spent the journey choking on the exhaust from Ning Yunxiu's Level Seven Soul Guidance Flying Device until her pretty face was black with soot, get a chance to speak.

"Grandpa, you forgot to put a Soul Power barrier around me!"

Wu Lie remained unmoved as Wu Feng stamped her feet. He and Ning Yunxiu kept their eyes fixed on the direction they had come from.

A moment later, Wu Lie's deep voice, charged with explosive force, rang out across the silent night sky.

"Since you three have escorted us all the way home, why not show yourselves and come in for a cup of tea? I wouldn't want anyone saying the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect neglects its guests..."