Void Dreamweaver Spirit Sea Skull

The east side of Shrek City was the busiest part of the entire city.

Shops lined the streets like scales, crowds flowed like woven threads, and Soul Masters came and went. The air carried the scent of street food and the distinctive medicinal fragrance of rare treasures.

At the very heart of this district, where every inch of land was worth gold, stood a magnificent building made entirely of obsidian. Its eaves swept upward, its edges gleamed with gold, and three bold characters adorned its entrance: Treasure Gathering Pavilion!

It was the largest auction house in Shrek City and one of the finest trading venues on the continent. With Shrek Academy behind it, its reputation was impeccable. Only those holding an invitation or a VIP card were allowed inside.

"Bei Bei, hurry up! I want to see whether tonight's quarterly auction has anything good!"

The crisp voice came from ahead. Huo Yuhao and the other three had just reached the entrance when they paused.

At the sight of the two figures by the door, Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow. Just as I thought.

Unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.

The black-haired girl in front wore a neat blue outfit and had a charming face. She was Tang Ya, the future Blue Silver Saintess.

Beside her stood a tall blue-haired boy with a gentle, scholarly air and a warm smile. He was Bei Bei, the future Thunder Douluo.

In the original story, these two had guided Huo Yuhao onto the path of the Tang Sect.

"Oh? Are you juniors here for the auction too?" Sharp-eyed Tang Ya spotted the four of them at once. She came over with a smile and greeted them warmly. "Hello, juniors! I'm Tang Ya, a third-year at Shrek Academy, and this is my companion, Bei Bei."

Her gaze passed over all four, lingering a few seconds longer on Huo Yuhao, Gu Yue, and Ning Tian. A flash of admiration crossed her eyes.

First-years who could obtain invitations to Treasure Gathering Pavilion's auction had to be among the most talented of their class—the very fresh blood she needed to rebuild the Tang Sect.

Huo Yuhao gave Tang Ya a courteous nod. With the air of Liu Xuande, the Blaze Emperor of Han, introducing himself, he said, "First-year student, president of the Lionheart Club, Huo Yuhao."

Ning Tian, Gu Yue, and Wu Feng exchanged glances. Though they did not understand why Huo Yuhao had deliberately added "Lionheart Club," they followed his lead without a word of discussion:

"First-year student, Lionheart Club, Ning Tian."

"First-year student, Lionheart Club, Gu Yue."

"First-year student, Lionheart Club, Wu Feng."

Four introductions, each containing the words "Lionheart Club." Their position could not have been clearer.

The smile froze on Tang Ya's face. The warmth in her eyes faded, leaving only disappointment.

She had been thinking that these exceptionally gifted newcomers would be perfect recruits for the Tang Sect and could help her strengthen it. But they already had an organization of their own, and judging by its name, it was no small affair.

"Xiao Ya, who are these four?" Bei Bei walked over quickly, his mild gaze sweeping across Huo Yuhao and the others with a trace of puzzlement and caution.

Tang Ya introduced the four listlessly. Understanding dawned on Bei Bei's face, and he smiled and cupped his hands toward Huo Yuhao. "So you're Junior Huo. No wonder your name sounded familiar. The whole outer court has been talking about you lately—the champion of the freshman tournament, founder of the Lionheart Club, and strongest freshman of the year. I've heard a great deal about you."

"You flatter me, senior. I was just lucky." Huo Yuhao smiled, glanced discreetly at Gu Yue beside him, then nodded to the two of them. "If there's nothing else, we'll head inside. Please excuse us."

He truly did not want to spend more time with Tang Ya and Bei Bei.

After all, who knew whether that Tang Buddha far away in the Divine Realm might cast a curse across the planes?

Just thinking about Tang San's all-pervasive manipulation in the original story made Huo Yuhao uncomfortable.

Besides, the Reignbow Arbiter in his palm had been trembling faintly ever since he saw Tang Ya. The Aeon of the Hunt's killing aura stirred restlessly, as though it had sensed another presence and was on high alert.

It had not reacted at all to Ma Xiaotao's phoenix bloodline, yet it had made such a commotion over the faint, still-unawakened devouring power within Tang Ya. He could hardly afford to let his guard down.

(In a splendid palace in the Divine Realm, Tang San suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose and roared through gritted teeth, "Damn you, God of Destruction!!")

"If you have business to attend to, by all means." Bei Bei was perceptive enough to see Huo Yuhao's distance at a glance. Smiling, he held back Tang Ya, who still wanted to speak, and politely stepped aside. His tone kept just the right measure of distance.

They had never received the kindness of that first encounter from the original story, nor had they fought side by side. Courtesy was expected; distance was natural. This was simply how strangers normally treated one another.

Huo Yuhao and the other three nodded to them once more, then turned and entered Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

None of them noticed the crimson eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao's back from the shadows of an alley nearby.

Dai Huabin stood in the darkness, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened. His nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood, but he did not seem to feel it.

His crushing defeat in the freshman tournament, the replacement of Class Zero's homeroom teacher, and the rumors proclaiming Huo Yuhao the strongest freshman throughout the academy—each was a knife driven into his pride.

"Huo Yuhao... Dai Yuhao... you bastard!" Dai Huabin ground the words out between his teeth, his voice thick with hatred that ate to the bone. "So what if you've climbed onto the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's high branch? So what if you've stolen my glory? Stand in the way of my restoring the White Tiger Clan's glory, and I'll kill you!!"

With that, he cast a sinister glance at Treasure Gathering Pavilion's entrance, then turned and vanished into deeper shadow.

The moment they stepped into Treasure Gathering Pavilion, a warm fragrance greeted them, shutting out the bustle outside.

Everywhere they looked, light shimmered amid imposing splendor.

The floor was paved with white jade polished bright enough to reflect a face. A vast crystal chandelier hung overhead, scattering flecks of light that made the hall as bright as day.

Transparent display cases on both sides held all kinds of rare treasures, each with a detailed description. The sheer variety dazzled the eye.

On either side of the entrance stood pretty young hostesses in revealing clothes. They bowed to the four with gentle smiles.

Huo Yuhao glanced over without thinking. The next instant—

Everything went dark.

A soft, warm hand covered his left eye, carrying Ning Tian's faint Gardenia scent. Cool fingertips covered his right, accompanied by Gu Yue's uniquely crisp fragrance.

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Wu Feng, following behind them: "..."

She watched the scene, her mouth twitching. Then she rolled her eyes and turned her head away in speechless exasperation—

I can't watch this. I really can't! They can't even walk without getting all lovey-dovey!

Huo Yuhao froze for two seconds, then could not help laughing.

Apparently, when a person was utterly speechless, laughter really did come on its own.

He reached up on both sides, caught Ning Tian's and Gu Yue's wrists, and gently pulled their hands down. "Ning Tian, Gu Yue, what are you two doing? My standards are high, you know. A sight like that isn't enough to make me stare."

Ning Tian's cheeks reddened. She gave a little huff but did not pull free, merely saying with an air of pride, "What's there to look at? What's so interesting? They're just wearing a little less. Come on, the auction's about to start."

Gu Yue said nothing and let Huo Yuhao hold her hand. Her fingers tightened slightly as she stayed close beside him.

Smiling, Huo Yuhao shook his head and led them farther inside.

Despite his lighthearted words, he could not help sighing inwardly.

An ordinary bottle of century-old medicinal herbs in the display cases cost more than ten Gold Soul Coins. A rare treasure with unusual qualities was priced at over a thousand.

At the moment, aside from the Void Soul Bone Yan Shaozhe had given him, the Secret Soul Bone from Mu Jin, and an unused bottle of Glazed Phoenix Tear, his only available funds were the hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins the Martial Soul Department had allocated as startup capital for his Club. He could not spend them recklessly.

Just then, an individual display case in the center of the hall caught his eye.

The Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone that should have been displayed there in the original story was nowhere to be seen. In its place lay a Head Soul Bone, resting quietly on a base of warm jade.

The Soul Bone was about the size of a palm and had the translucent sheen of glazed crystal. Silver-purple patterns flowed through it like a nebula. Wisps of pale white mist spilled from it, only to be drawn back by the display case's formation.

Even through the glass, he could feel a gentle warmth that soothed his Sea of Consciousness. It resonated faintly with the Heavenly Eye Martial Soul at his brow.

Huo Yuhao stopped dead, heat flashing in his eyes.

A spiritual-type Head Soul Bone! And judging by its aura, it was definitely at least ten thousand years old!

Head Soul Bones were already the rarest and hardest to obtain of the six types of Soul Bone. Spiritual-type ones were as scarce as phoenix feathers and qilin horns!

His Heavenly Eye Martial Soul possessed the Ultimate Spirit attribute. This Soul Bone might as well have been made for him!

In a private room on Treasure Gathering Pavilion's top floor, an elderly woman with snow-white hair stood quietly by the window. Through the one-way glass, she watched Huo Yuhao stop below.

She was Lin Huiqun, master of Treasure Gathering Pavilion and one of the Sea God Pavilion Elders.

Seeing the fervor in the boy's eyes, she sighed softly and murmured, "Mu En, I hope you're right. Can this child really shoulder that burden...?"

No one knew that behind Huo Yuhao's smooth establishment of the Lionheart Club, the Martial Soul Department's support in providing shops, and his progress thus far, Mu En—the Sea God Pavilion Master and a Limit Douluo—had quietly been there to catch him if he fell.

From the moment Huo Yuhao joined Shrek, Mu En had taken notice of this extraordinarily talented and steadfast boy.

Mu En had obtained the Void Dreamweaver Spirit Sea Skull while traveling the continent in his younger days. He had treasured it ever since, waiting for a spiritual-type genius worthy of it.

When Huo Yuhao appeared, Mu En had brought out the Soul Bone without hesitation and placed it in this quarterly auction, giving him a legitimate chance to obtain it.

Lin Huiqun tapped her fingertips lightly against the windowsill and looked at Huo Yuhao again. Understanding flickered in her eyes.

She knew the Soul Bone's core ability by heart: using the wearer's own Spiritual Origin as its anchor, it wove an exclusive spiritual dream domain indistinguishable from reality.

The domain's maximum area and base duration depended on the wearer's current total spiritual power. Its base duration could not exceed the time it took an incense stick to burn, and its range could not extend beyond a thousand meters.

The number of targets it could draw in at once was limited by the wearer's spiritual capacity. Each additional target doubled the spiritual power consumed, and the weaker a target's spiritual power was compared to the wearer's, the harder it was for that target to break free.

This was a divine-level Soul Skill practically made for Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Spirit!

Downstairs, Huo Yuhao had no idea that the Soul Bone had already been set aside with him in mind.

He stared at it in the display case, his fingers curling slightly as the light in his eyes grew brighter.

He had to get that Soul Bone!

Ning Tian and Gu Yue exchanged a glance. Each saw understanding in the other's eyes.

Ning Tian tugged gently on Huo Yuhao's arm and whispered, "Want it? Then we'll bid for it. I have money if you need it."

Gu Yue nodded too, her violet eyes full of certainty. "If you want it, take it. No one can snatch it from you."

Warmth filled Huo Yuhao's heart as he looked at them. Smiling, he shook his head. "Don't worry. I have a way. The red card Teacher Qian Duoduo gave me can finally come in handy. And if that doesn't work, do you think the Lionheart Club's future restaurant empire won't be able to earn this much?"

Wu Feng rolled her eyes and urged them on irritably. "All right, all right, enough flirting. The auction's about to start. If we don't go now, all the good seats will be taken!"

Huo Yuhao laughed and led Ning Tian and Gu Yue by the hand toward the VIP hall on the second floor.