The first-floor auction hall of the Lin Auction House.
Lin Yuan had only just finished introducing the current auction item, Wuzhiqi, when it received its first bid.
A woman's voice rang through the auction hall.
"Ten million Gold Soul Coins!"
The bid came from Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi, whose Soul Power Level had reached Level 99, just like Angel Douluo Qian Daoliu's.
The instant Dai Weisi, the Star Luo Empire's eldest prince, heard the words "ten million Gold Soul Coins," he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
Like Ning Fengzhi and Di Tian, that man and beast, Dai Weisi had taken a fancy to Wuzhiqi after Lin Yuan's introduction and wanted to bid for him.
Why had Dai Weisi taken a fancy to Wuzhiqi?
The reason was simple.
Although the Star Luo Empire backing Dai Weisi was a powerful nation, capable of crushing the Heaven Dou Empire, which dominated the northern Douluo Continent, and suppressing the kingdoms and duchies within its borders, it was sorely lacking in high-end combat power. That was why he wanted to win Wuzhiqi, who could beat a hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape to a pulp, so the Star Luo Empire would have high-end combat power to hold down the fort.
Unfortunately, Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi had opened with ten million Gold Soul Coins, scaring Dai Weisi into backing down on the spot.
Dai Weisi didn't want to back down, but he had no choice. He had brought only fifteen million Gold Soul Coins to the Lin Auction House, and Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi's opening bid alone was two-thirds of his entire fortune. He had no choice but to back down.
"Alas."
Regret and disappointment on his face, Dai Weisi sighed.
Once again, he couldn't compete for the auction item.
He hoped a suitable item would come up later that he could compete for.
The first guest to bid was Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi. The second was Ning Fengzhi, master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. "Eleven million Gold Soul Coins!"
Right after Ning Fengzhi, Beast God Di Tian, whose true form was the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King and who came from the Great Ferocious Land of the Star Dou Great Forest, also made a bid. "Twelve million Gold Soul Coins!"
Once Di Tian had bid, Spider Emperor Douluo Bibi Dong, seated on sofa number four, parted her jade lips and made her first bid of the auction. "Twenty million Gold Soul Coins!"
Unlike Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, and Beast God Di Tian, whose true form was the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, who were bidding because they had taken a fancy to Wuzhiqi and wanted to obtain him, Spider Emperor Douluo Bibi Dong was bidding to drive up the price and drain the eventual winner's Gold Soul Coins, making it easier for her to bid on the God-Level Martial Soul, Immortal Herb, and divine artifact later.
Of those three auction items-the God-Level Martial Soul, Immortal Herb, and divine artifact-Bibi Dong had to obtain at least one.
Getting two would be even better.
Gulp~
On the sofa, Dai Weisi swallowed. Sweat poured down his forehead; he had never been so nervous.
Today, he might really have to leave the Lin Auction House empty-handed and return to the Star Luo Empire. After all, the bidding was simply too fierce. In no time at all, Wuzhiqi's price had risen from ten million to twenty million Gold Soul Coins, an increase of a full ten million. Anyone who didn't know better would think Gold Soul Coins were cabbages lying unwanted by the roadside.
Just then, Dai Weisi received a voice transmission.
It came from none other than Zhu Zhuyun, his fiancée beside him, whose Martial Soul was the Hell Spirit Cat.
"Dai Weisi! Bid! Hurry!"
Dai Weisi was startled, bewildered, and curious. After a moment's pause, he recovered and immediately asked Zhu Zhuyun by voice transmission, "Bid? Why should I bid? I don't have enough Gold Soul Coins to win Wuzhiqi."
Dai Weisi soon received Zhu Zhuyun's reply.
"Dai Weisi, only if you bid will you have a chance of winning an auction item today. If you don't bid, you'll definitely come away with nothing! You don't necessarily have to bid to win an item. You can also do it to drain your competitors' Gold Soul Coins. So, Dai Weisi, if you want to win an item today, keep bidding and drain your competitors' Gold Soul Coins. The more Gold Soul Coins they spend, the better your chances of winning an item!"
Dai Weisi's eyes lit up at her answer. "I understand!"
Then Dai Weisi spoke up, making his first bid of the auction, just like Bibi Dong. "Thirty million Gold Soul Coins!"
"Thirty-one million Gold Soul Coins!"
"Thirty-two million Gold Soul Coins!"
"Thirty-three million Gold Soul Coins!"
As time passed, Wuzhiqi's price rose with the tide, breaking past forty million Gold Soul Coins in no time.
In the end, Di Tian secured the Soul Beast Wuzhiqi for forty-eight million.
Just as he had delivered the Auspicious Beast Qilin earlier, Lin Yuan brought the Soul Beast Wuzhiqi before Di Tian.
This time, Di Tian again made no move to hold him. He turned to Emerald Swan Bi Ji beside him and said, "Bi Ji, I'll leave Wuzhiqi in your care."
"No problem, Lord Beast God. Leave him to me." Having answered Wuzhiqi, Emerald Swan Bi Ji immediately reached out to pick him up.
Unlike the sleeping Auspicious Beast Qilin, who had been safely gathered into Hell Demon Dragon Zi JI's arms, the Soul Beast Wuzhiqi strongly resisted Emerald Swan Bi Ji's hands. In a few swift moves, Wuzhiqi leaped onto Di Tian's shoulder, then waved his hand at Emerald Swan Bi Ji to show that he didn't want to be held.
Seeing this, Emerald Swan Bi Ji said helplessly to Di Tian, "Lord Beast God, the little fellow doesn't want me to hold him."
Di Tian looked at the green-bodied, white-headed Wuzhiqi on his shoulder. "Then let the little fellow stand on my shoulder."
Wuzhiqi nodded repeatedly at Di Tian, his face full of approval.
Watching Wuzhiqi stand on Di Tian's shoulder, Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi looked regretful and disappointed.
Bo Saixi had originally wanted to win Wuzhiqi, take him back to Sea God Island, and nurture him into the island's second guardian divine beast after Demon Soul Great White Shark Xiao Bai. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to outbid Di Tian.
If she had insisted on competing, Bo Saixi could have done so, but after some thought, she had decided against it. The God-Level Martial Soul was still to come, and she was very interested in it.
The thought of the God-Level Martial Soul filled Bo Saixi with anticipation and curiosity.
Bo Saixi looked forward to its auction.
Bo Saixi was curious about what the God-Level Martial Soul was.
Bo Saixi fixed her beautiful eyes on Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan stepped over to the next glass case, the sixth one.
Like the previous glass cases, it was covered with a red silk cloth.
Lin Yuan reached out and lifted it off.
The next moment, Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up.
Inside the square glass case stood a plant.
Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen understood: the Immortal Herb was here!
Lin Yuan looked at Ning Fengzhi. "Sect Master Ning, you mustn't miss this auction item!"