"Then thank you, Brother Huo."
Xu Jiujiu stood up, placed her hands on her hips, and approached Huo Tian. She bent down and smiled at him, bringing the two of them very close together.
"Master, we've finished shopping. When are we leaving?"
Huo Yutong sat upright nearby and spoke in a soft, weak voice. She watched this girl who had suddenly appeared and seemed so familiar with Huo Tian.
Huo Yutong pressed her lips together, rubbing her hands behind her back. She did not know why she was acting this way, either. She just felt very uncomfortable inside.
Over the past few days together, Huo Tian had taken great care of her. In all her ten years, aside from the love Huo Yun'er had given her, only Huo Tian had treated her so well.
"Brother Huo, where did you kidnap such a cute little loli?"
"Who would've thought? Who would've thought you had a taste for this?"
Xu Jiujiu had been chatting with Huo Tian and had not noticed Huo Yutong beside him. Only now, upon looking closely, did she realize how exceptionally pretty the little girl was.
Because of prolonged malnutrition, Huo Yutong was only a little over 1.4 meters tall. Her figure was still somewhat thin and frail, but that could not conceal her charm.
"What are you thinking? Am I that kind of person? This is my new disciple."
Using his soul power, Huo Tian leaped up and landed behind the sofa. He truly looked speechless now.
How could Huo Tian possibly harbor improper thoughts about a girl who had only just turned ten? So what if she was a loli? If Huo Tian really did something like that to Huo Yutong, the God of Destruction would be zapping him with his divine destruction artifact.
"All right, Brother Huo, wait for me in the auction house lobby! We'll set off for Liuchun City together in a bit."
Xu Jiujiu lingered no longer. She turned, pushed open the door, and headed straight into the auction house's interior.
"Little Yutong, let's go!"
Huo Tian took Huo Yutong's fair little hand. Huo Yutong, who had been standing in a daze nearby, immediately came to her senses. The moment her little hand touched his palm, she gripped his hand tightly.
Huo Tian had not expected Huo Yutong to hold on so tightly, but he paid it little mind. The two left the reception room, one behind the other.
They walked north along the corridor. Huo Tian brought Huo Yutong to look around the auction house's exhibition, and they entered the exhibition hall, which was packed with a sea of people.
The Star Luo Auction House was particularly lively that day. Many rare items were on display, with even the cheapest starting at several thousand gold soul coins.
Holding Huo Yutong's hand, Huo Tian continued farther inside. There were many things on display here: soul tools, soul bones, rare ores, whale rubber over three thousand years old, and all sorts of heavenly treasures...
Huo Tian kept an eye on the exhibits as he walked. He had already purchased four portions of whale rubber over three thousand years old and continued wandering around with Huo Yutong.
After they had made a full circuit, Huo Tian still had not found what he wanted. He had also forgotten to ask Xu Jiujiu earlier.
"Master, what are you looking for?"
Huo Yutong rubbed her eyes. After wandering around with Huo Tian all day, she was getting a little sleepy.
"A soul bone. It'll help your cultivation in the future."
Looking at his adorable little disciple, Huo Tian crouched down and firmly pinched her fair cheeks with both hands.
Huo Tian took out a mint and popped it into Huo Yutong's mouth to perk her up for now. The two left the exhibition area and headed toward the front desk.
What Huo Tian needed was precisely the seventy-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone. The power this soul bone unleashed rivaled that of a hundred-thousand-year soul bone, and it came with the skill "Ice Explosion Technique."
This soul bone came from the Far North and required its absorber to possess the ultimate ice attribute, making it a perfect match for Huo Yutong's future second martial soul.
"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
The receptionist looked at the approaching pair and asked politely.
"Hello. Doesn't your auction house have a seventy-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone? I'd like to buy it."
Huo Tian stated his request with a serious expression. This seventy-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone had been put up for auction many times without finding a buyer. Even when placed in a conspicuous spot in the exhibition hall, nobody had given it a proper look.
The main reason was that soul masters with ultimate ice martial souls were far too rare. For other soul masters, buying it was basically damn useless, so this soul bone had been kept in the treasury.
"Certainly. Please wait here a moment. I'll have someone bring it over right away."
The receptionist froze in surprise for a moment. She had not expected the soul bone that had been stored for so long to actually sell today, and immediately notified the treasury staff to fetch it.
Huo Yutong stood obediently beside Huo Tian and tilted her head up to look at him. She felt that this soul bone must be worth quite a fortune.
Huo Tian looked at his storage soul tool ring and sank into thought. He had now obtained two of the fortuitous opportunities that belonged to Huo Yutong.
All that remained were the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, Electrolux, the immortal herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and the Earth Dragon Sect's ten thousand year profound ice marrow.
Huo Tian could use the ten thousand year profound ice marrow to see whether he could strike a deal with the Ice Empress and Snow Empress of the Far North, letting the two become Huo Yutong's second and third martial souls, respectively.
Because of his own evil fire, Huo Tian could only reduce his cultivation time for now. Otherwise, the evil fire's backlash would grow even worse.
Another reason was that Huo Tian could not be bothered to cultivate. He planned to have Huo Yutong cultivate diligently and then feed the benefits back to him. All he needed to do was nurture her.
Huo Tian had cultivated for eleven years. It was time for him to step down and properly enjoy life.
"Sir, here is the soul bone you requested!"
The receptionist's reminder roused Huo Tian from his thoughts, and he turned to look at the treasury staff member.
The treasury staff member held a soul tool case in both hands. Terrifying, extreme cold kept seeping from within it.
"Brother Huo, so you're the one buying this soul bone, too!"
Xu Jiujiu emerged from the auction house's interior, followed by a muscular middle-aged man. This middle-aged man was a Soul Douluo.
"Yes, Miss Xu. How many gold soul coins does this soul bone cost?"
Huo Tian turned to ask Xu Jiujiu. Seeing that this woman had returned, Huo Yutong tugged at his red robe with her little hand.
"I'll give you a friend's price! Sixteen million gold soul coins. I won't make anything off you, just enough to recoup the cost!"
Smiling, Xu Jiujiu walked toward the two of them.
"What? That expensive?"
Hearing such a huge sum of gold soul coins, Huo Yutong's entire face darkened. Two gold soul coins had once been enough for her and her mother to live on for a year.
"Master... let's not buy it."
Huo Yutong knew Huo Tian was buying this soul bone for her and immediately began trying to dissuade him. It was far too precious for her.
Huo Tian took out his gold soul coin card. After paying, he accepted the seventy-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone in its container, crouched down, and released his soul power to place the soul bone inside Huo Yutong's storage ring.
"Miss Xu, let's set off for Liuchun City!"
Holding Huo Yutong's little hand, Huo Tian strode out of the Star Luo Auction House. Huo Yutong was still immersed in shock. She had not expected him to be so decisive.
Huo Yutong's eyes instantly reddened. She was so moved that she wanted to cry, and she resolved to cultivate diligently. She could not let Huo Tian's wholehearted sincerity down.
"I really didn't expect Brother Huo to be so devoted to his disciple."
"Let's go, Uncle Wang!"
Xu Jiujiu followed closely behind Huo Tian. They were now setting off for Liuchun City.