Auction

After Manager Mo withdrew, Leng Yaozhu glanced at Ruoling and said, "Introduce the remaining auction items to my disciple. Let him choose for himself."

That seemingly indifferent glance made Ruoling feel as though she were facing a fierce tiger. She hurriedly reined in her thoughts and crouched in front of him. Light flashed from an inconspicuous white bracelet on her wrist, and an exquisite Soul Tool screen appeared in her hand.

Her fingers tapped rapidly, and a list soon appeared on the screen.

"Young master, please take a look. I'll introduce them to you one by one."

The boy's gaze rested squarely on the ravine between her snowy peaks before Tang Qingye slowly lowered his head. The contents of the list flashed through his mind one after another as Ruoling's clear, melodious voice reached his ears. "Thousand-Year Profound Ice Grass: a top-tier ice-type spirit herb that greatly benefits the cultivation of ice-attribute Soul Masters. Hundred-Year Heavy Silver Dark Mother: a rare metal essential for forging high-grade Battle Armor. Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform entry ticket: ... Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue: condensed from the brain marrow of a ten-thousand-year deep-sea demonic whale. It can temper the body, widen the meridians, and also..."

Last came the Ten-Thousand-Year Thorn Dragon Crystal. "Within this Ten-Thousand-Year Thorn Dragon Crystal, an inky-black crystal, surges the sharp essence of space. It nourishes spatial and dragon-type Martial Souls. Embedded in Battle Armor, it can naturally generate a spatial thorn defensive formation." Tang Qingye quietly made his selections while Ruoling waited in silence. If not for Leng Yaozhu's earlier glance, Ruoling would already have started massaging him. Tang Qingye slowly said, "Master, I want the Thousand-Year Dragon-Scale Grass, the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, and the Thorn Dragon Crystal."

Hearing her young master's words, Leng Nu Jiao hurriedly spoke up beside him. "Young master, what do you want those for? Your Martial Soul..."

She was a little worried that her young master had been bewitched by this vixen. Some of those things had absolutely nothing to do with his Martial Soul. Although Dragon-Scale Grass could be absorbed by those without dragon-type Martial Souls, its medicinal efficacy would be greatly reduced. As for that dragon crystal, if a Soul Master without a dragon-type Martial Soul or dragon bloodline forcibly absorbed it directly, the violent draconic power inside would batter their meridians. Surely her young master hadn't come to boost this vixen's sales.

Leng Yaozhu gave him a meaningful look, nodded, and said, "All right. As you wish."

Ruoling spoke tremulously. "Your Eminence, everything the young master has selected ranks among the foremost items in this auction. They must be acquired through the auction process."

If that Engraving Knife from earlier and these three items were sold directly, they might as well cancel the auction.

"That's fine. Follow the normal procedure, then."

Leng Yaozhu's expression remained impassive as she spoke.

"Yes... yes, Your Eminence. I'll go prepare to begin the auction."

Ruoling sighed in relief, abandoned Tang Qingye, and hurried out the door, leaving wafts of fragrance behind.

"Come here."

Leng Yaozhu spoke.

Tang Qingye obediently walked over to his master, only to be seized and refined in an instant!

The boy obediently nestled in his master's soft embrace, an elegant, delicate fragrance lingering around his nose.

She raised a hand and gently stroked the top of his head, as though soothing a docile kitten. Leng Nu Jiao watched enviously from the side. She wanted to pet her young master too.

"Master, aren't you going to ask why I'm buying them?" The boy's voice sounded a little muffled.

"If you want to tell me, you will." Leng Yaozhu smiled.

"Actually, I'm only guessing about that dragon crystal. If it turns out to be useless, will you blame me?"

Tang Qingye truly wasn't lying. He had already been considering this while lost in thought during the massage. His Heavenly Cang Art had activated after he fused with his first Soul Spirit, Jiu'er, and only because their compatibility had approached 100%. Activating other arts through the same method wasn't very realistic, then. But what about heavenly treasures of the same origin?

He had wondered about this before. Why had the Taiyi Azure Wood Mark appeared first? He had never absorbed any heavenly treasures related to the power of life. Surely he couldn't have been kissed by the Goddess of Life as a child, like his little brother.

That was why Tang Qingye needed an experiment to verify his idea.

"The dragon crystal's power is far too violent. I'll help you remove some of the violent elements inside. I only hope you're confident you won't get hurt," Leng Yaozhu reassured him.

Warmth suddenly rippled through Tang Qingye's heart. He looked at his master with a gaze that would seem affectionate even when directed at a dog. "Master..."

Just as affection brimmed between master and disciple, an unwelcome guest, Manager Mo, made his entrance.

Leng Yaozhu's expression remained calm. Her arms loosened slightly around Tang Qingye, and she cast Manager Mo a glance.

That single glance plunged Manager Mo into an icy abyss. Why was it so cold? His soul trembled, but he hadn't forgotten his task. He solemnly handed Tang Qingye the box containing the Engraving Knife, then stood shivering to the side.

"Young master, be careful," Leng Nu Jiao said with concern.

"Don't worry." With a thought from Tang Qingye, two powers of his arts condensed into a blue-green film over his right arm.

The instant the brocade box opened, a bone-piercing chill rushed at him. A blue-patterned Engraving Knife lay quietly inside—the Nine Nether Cold Blade.

The moment his fingertips approached the blade and the film touched it, fine white frost spread up his fingers. Pale blue icy mist wreathed the edge. Merely resting there, it seemed to freeze even the surrounding air into stillness.

He gently channeled Soul Power into the handle, and layers of frost immediately rippled across the Nine Nether Cold Blade. Cold gathered at its tip into a slender gleam. What a fine blade!

Seeing her disciple's satisfaction, Leng Yaozhu smiled.

At last, it began.

The auction hall's lights abruptly dimmed.

Before Heaven No. 1's private box, icy-blue halos flowed across the Soul Tool glass curtain wall. Below, the tiered seats formed a dark mass, growing ever more shadowy.

Hum.

A spotlight suddenly shone down into the center of the hall, illuminating the auction stage as brightly as day.

Ruoling, who had been trembling with fear earlier, now stood at the front of the stage. Her dark red Soul Tool evening gown was impeccably tailored, outlining her curves, and her steps were graceful. An impeccable professional smile graced her face. Amplified by a Soul Tool loudspeaker, her clear voice instantly carried throughout the hall.

"Welcome, honored guests, to the Yaluo Auction House. Tonight's lots are all rarities gathered by our merchant association. We hope your visit will be worthwhile. Now, our first lot..."

Ruoling lightly raised her hammer. Rare Soul Tools and Spirit Herbs were presented one after another, and the atmosphere in the hall quickly grew heated.

Bids rose and fell below the stage. The lights of the mid-tier VIP rooms occasionally lit up, driving the prices to new heights again and again.

Tang Qingye sat on the genuine leather sofa in Heaven No. 1's private box, propping his chin on one hand as he calmly overlooked the clamor below. Leng Nu Jiao stood quietly beside him, her emerald-green eyes occasionally drifting downward. Whenever Ruoling's voice rang out, she instinctively glanced at Tang Qingye again.

After an indeterminate stretch of time, the auction neared its end.

Onstage, Ruoling drew a deep breath. An excited flush colored her professional smile, and her voice rose once more.

"Our next item is one of three treasures specially added to this auction: Thousand-Year Dragon-Scale Grass. The starting price is two million Federation coins, with increments of no less than one hundred thousand."

Finally.

Tang Qingye's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Two million one hundred thousand!"

"Two million three hundred thousand!"

Dragon-Scale Grass possessed rather violent medicinal power, but many factions present wanted to cleanse the marrow and temper the bones of their younger family members. It remained a nourishing treasure they couldn't afford to miss. In less than half a minute, the bids clawed their way up to three million eight hundred thousand.

"Four million."

A deep voice came from an Earth-tier private box, immediately suppressing the scattered bids in the hall.

Tang Qingye remained composed. His master would act; all he needed to do was lie back.

Beside him, Leng Yaozhu merely glanced at the console's virtual screen, raised her slender, fair hand, and tapped it lightly.

Outside Heaven No. 1's private box, a cold number instantly lit up on the electronic display.

"Five million."

Ruoling's voice trembled involuntarily when she saw the number. The bidder in the Earth-tier box had intended to follow, but upon recognizing the golden light representing Heaven No. 1, the box instantly fell deathly silent.

In Shrek City, no one would contest the dignity of whoever occupied Heaven No. 1's private box, unless they thought they had lived too long.

"Five million, going once, going twice... sold!" Ruoling wasted no words, settling the matter with a strike of her hammer.

Before the audience below could recover from that suffocating pressure, an attendant had already brought up the second lot on a white jade tray.

It was a gelatinous lump as dark as heavy ink from the deep sea, giving off faint water vapor. The moment it appeared, life and blood energy so rich it was almost tangible rippled outward before the stage.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue."

Ruoling pointed at the jade tray, her voice filled with fervor. "An unparalleled rarity capable of widening a Soul Master's meridians and tempering their flesh and physique. The starting price is eight million Federation coins, with increments of no less than five hundred thousand!"

"Ten million!"

"Eleven million five hundred thousand!"

Ten-thousand-year whale glue was a coveted strategic resource anywhere. Even the pressure from Heaven No. 1's private box couldn't deter some old fellows stuck at their bottlenecks. Like a wild horse freed of its reins, the price broke past fifteen million in an instant.

Leng Nu Jiao clutched the hem of her clothes, watching below with some nervousness.

Just as the price climbed to eighteen million, Leng Yaozhu's finger swept across the screen again.

"Twenty-five million."

The number instantly suffocated the entire hall. So you've got a little money, and now look at you showing off. Damn, that's outrageous.

Several middle-aged men about to raise their paddles turned alternately green and red, finally lowering their number plates in resentment.

"Twenty-five million, sold!"

Two precious treasures in succession had been swept away by the overwhelming wealth of that godlike presence on the top floor. The air throughout the auction hall grew so heavy that breathing became difficult.

Ruoling's high, impassioned voice reached its peak as the final metal vessel, covered by a silver-black Soul Tool Shield, was brought up.

"Tonight's grand finale-the Ten-Thousand-Year Thorn Dragon Crystal!"

Boom!

The instant the shield was removed, violent, razor-sharp spatial ripples that seemed capable of tearing through the void swept madly outward in a fan. Within the inky-black crystal, faint dragon cries accompanied the incessant trembling of spatial waves.

"The starting price is thirty million Federation coins, with increments of no less than one million!"

At that moment, everyone in the ordinary seats became mere spectators. A treasure of this caliber was already beyond the reach of ordinary factions.

"Thirty-five million!"

"Forty million!"

Several presences in the Earth-tier boxes finally lost restraint. Their furious bids almost carried Soul Power tremors.

Leng Nu Jiao bit her lower lip, unable to resist turning toward Tang Qingye. The power inside the dragon crystal was far too violent. She could hardly imagine how much pain his six-year-old body would have to endure if he forcibly absorbed it. But seeing his calm, deep gaze, she ultimately swallowed her words of caution.

Amid the frenzied competition, the price soared all the way to fifty-eight million.

Leng Yaozhu looked down at the floor below and lightly swept her jade-like finger across the screen. You dare covet something my disciple wants?

The number slowly appeared.

"Eighty million."

At that moment, the entire auction hall fell so silent that a falling pin could have been heard.

Faced with that string of cold golden digits, the restless presences in the Earth-tier boxes instantly lowered their flags and silenced their drums, like ducks seized by the neck.

Ruoling's hand trembled slightly. Forcing down her wildly pounding heart, she brought the auction hammer down heavily in the deathly silence.

Ruoling truly adored Tang Qingye to death at that moment. She wished she could bear him a little monkey right away. Mother of the Dao, I've made it! I've made it!

"Sold."

Inside the private box, Tang Qingye watched the dust settle below, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

The three supreme treasures were his.