"Come on, boss, that's about enough. Even a live Hundred-Year Soul Beast in good condition would only fetch this much!"
"Besides, all you have left is a little piece of dried-up bone. Who knows if it's even useful anymore?"
Quite a few people around them nodded in agreement. For a bone of unknown origin, however unusual the presence lingering on it, fetching sixty Gold Soul Coins was already quite a feat.
Yet the vendor remained unmoved by the offer. He merely tightened his grip on the bone, his gaze still quiet and unruffled.
He had traveled far and wide for years. Though he was not particularly strong himself, he had developed an exceptionally sharp eye.
He had already noticed quite a few important figures hiding among the crowd watching the excitement. This bone's true value was certainly higher than that. Otherwise, why would it have drawn their interest?
Sure enough, after a brief silence, a refined, courteous voice rang out from the crowd.
"Boss, the energy lingering on this bone is exceptionally dense and mysterious. Though I don't know its exact origins, I can sense that it would greatly benefit Soul Masters with Beast Martial Souls."
"How about this? As a show of sincerity, I'll offer three hundred Gold Soul Coins to start. If you have something else in mind, we can discuss it further."
As the words fell, an elegantly mannered middle-aged man in luxurious designer clothing slowly stepped forward, waving a folding fan.
"Hiss-"
The surrounding crowd immediately sucked in a breath of cold air.
Three hundred Gold Soul Coins! That was enough to cover more than half a lifetime's expenses for an ordinary Soul Master!
Amid the ensuing commotion, a sharp-eyed Soul Master in the crowd soon recognized the middle-aged man and exclaimed in a low voice:
"Isn't that Lin Yun, the sect master of the Phantom Nether Sect?! Their inherited Martial Soul is the Phantom Nether Green Snake. Though their sect's strength doesn't rank anywhere on the continent, they control several medicinal herb trade routes leading to the Star Luo Empire. They're rolling in wealth!"
"No wonder he offered such a high price right off the bat. I heard Lin Yun reached a bottleneck in his cultivation long ago. Maybe this bone could help him in some unexpected way. With his wealth, taking a gamble is no problem."
That enormous sum finally brought a flicker of temptation to the vendor's cold face.
Three hundred Gold Soul Coins!
His breathing grew somewhat heavy despite himself. With this windfall, he could buy fertile farmland in some remote little city and settle down comfortably, putting a complete end to his wandering days of never knowing whether he would make it through tomorrow.
The vendor swallowed, delight spreading over his face as he prepared to accept the deal outright.
"Heh, the Phantom Nether Sect? A bottom-tier sect that plays with snakes. A little filthy money, and you can't even tell east from west anymore. Is this bone something you deserve to lay your hands on?"
Just as everyone thought the deal was settled, a disdainful sneer tore straight through the atmosphere.
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw two boys around ten years old stride forward together through the parting crowd.
The slightly older one on the left wore a fitted blue outfit, with a lifelike lightning-blue dragon crest pinned to his chest. He stared coldly at Lin Yun of the Phantom Nether Sect.
The other wore martial attire as black as ink, without any distinctive markings to reveal his precise origins. Yet the arrogance and domineering air between his brows surpassed even his companion's.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan..."
Someone murmured those words, and the crowd immediately cleared a path through the packed marketplace.
They had no choice; circumstances forced their hand. At the sight of people from the Upper Three Sects, the unaffiliated Soul Masters watching might not have panicked or lost their composure, but they were still afraid of offending one of the continent's most powerful clans for no reason.
Who didn't know how notoriously protective these top sects were of their own?
Several guards followed silently behind the pair. A casual sweep of their eyes over the crowd was enough to make most of those present feel a terrifying pressure, as though a great stone had been laid upon their chests.
"My young friend, I was merely making a reasonable offer, naming the price I thought appropriate. If you wish, you are quite welcome to offer a higher price. Why must you be so overbearing?"
Hearing the boy's mockery, Sect Master Lin Yun of the Phantom Nether Sect showed little change in expression. His gentle smile remained as he spoke slowly.
"How dare you!"
Unexpectedly, the moment Lin Yun finished speaking, a guard behind the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon boy suddenly roared in anger.
With that furious roar, Soul Power surged around the guard. A wild pressure came crashing down like Mount Tai bearing down from above, driving straight toward Lin Yun.
"Xiao Hei, they're so overbearing. Acting like that isn't good at all. Xiao Hei, don't you think I'm right?"
Taking advantage of her small size, Qian Renxue had squeezed into the very front row and witnessed everything that had just happened.
She couldn't help pursing her little lips. Reaching out, she stroked Chen Qianqiu soothingly in her arms, afraid that her Xiao Hei might be frightened.
Sect Master Lin Yun was forced two steps backward by the sudden pressure. His face alternated between pale and livid, his expression shifting repeatedly as he spoke in extreme indignation.
"This is Spirit City! You've gone too far! Aren't you afraid Spirit Hall will hold you accountable afterward?"
He had never imagined that members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would be bold enough to act right under Spirit Hall's nose!
"Hmph, Spirit Hall..."
The boy from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan gave a cold snort through his nose. Because of what he had heard and seen growing up, he thought little of Spirit Hall. It had nothing but an empty reputation.
But he was on Spirit Hall's territory, after all, and had come at their invitation. In the end, he still had some reservations and said nothing further.
Then he turned his head and looked indifferently at the trembling vendor clutching the bone, saying flatly:
"I'm not a bully! I'll offer three hundred Gold Soul Coins too! I'm taking this."
At those words, everyone fell as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to say more.
It was the same price as the previous offer, but with the other party's terrifying backing as one of the Upper Three Sects, no one could compete for this bone anymore. Who would dare court the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's displeasure?
Standing to one side, the sect master of the Phantom Nether Sect heaved with anger. His mouth opened, but in the end, he said nothing more.
If this had merely been a contest of wealth, he would absolutely have been willing to see it through to the end.
But he was facing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!
Before such a colossal power, which could easily wipe out his Phantom Nether Sect, he had to swallow his anger, however boundless his resentment, for the sake of his sect and the lives and livelihoods of its disciples.
"Since no one else is bidding, I'll... I'll sell this bone to this young master for three hundred Gold Soul Coins."
Seeing how those around him did not even dare breathe loudly, the vendor gave a bitter laugh inwardly.
After the boy's disruption, no one could possibly dare bid again. Otherwise, he might still have been able to negotiate the price with someone else.
In fact, even taking ten thousand steps back, with everyone offering the same three hundred gold coins, he would still rather sell to someone else. But who would dare voice even half a word of objection now?
The vendor carefully wrapped the bone in cloth and bent at the waist, preparing to hand it over.
"Everyone, hold it right there! I offer one thousand Gold Soul Coins!"