The central Main Venue of the Starlight Auction House blazed with light, filled with fragrant finery and elegant coiffures. Tonight's grand auction, personally hosted by Princess Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire, had drawn the attention of the continent's foremost powers. Even before the auction began, the atmosphere was unusually solemn and charged with anticipation.
It was just over two hours before the auction began.
Auctioneer Qing Ya was making her final preparations when a middle-aged man in an inconspicuous gray robe approached her. His face was ordinary, but his eyes were sharp.
When he calmly announced that he wanted to consign three Soul Bones for auction, even the worldly Qing Ya nearly lost her composure.
Three Soul Bones! They were treasures precious enough to cause a sensation anywhere and drive countless Soul Masters wild. Even the championship prize for this year's tournament consisted of only three Soul Bones.
Qing Ya dared not neglect him, nor did she have the authority to handle such an important consignment. She immediately reported it to the person truly in charge behind the scenes, Princess Xu Jiujiu. [Remember this site's domain. Countless novels await you here.]
In an elegantly furnished reception room, Xu Jiujiu met the mysterious consignor. She noticed a Level 5 Soul Engineer badge pinned to his lapel-the Soul Engineer rank Ling Ya had gone to upgrade over the past few days.
Xu Jiujiu judged him to be around forty. Reaching Level 5 at his age indicated decent talent, but it hardly seemed enough to account for his possession of three Soul Bones.
"Sir, are you the one who wishes to consign three Soul Bones?" Xu Jiujiu maintained her princess's elegance and reserve, her gaze appraising. "May I ask your name? As for the origins of these Soul Bones-"
She needed