A crystal chandelier cast a soft glow in the conference room. The auctioneer, Qing Ya, wore the exclusive auctioneer's uniform of Starlight Auction House, with a soft gold-threaded belt around her waist. Every gesture she made exuded elegance.
She moved gracefully to the Shrek Academy group, a perfectly timed smile playing on her lips, her voice melodious and pleasant. "Gentlemen of Shrek, we cordially invite you to our Starlight Auction House. We will be holding a grand auction tonight, usually reserved for VIPs. Of course, as members of the Shrek Academy, you are certainly entitled to this honor."
As she spoke, she Qing Ya raised her hand, and several gold-embossed invitations slid out from her sleeve, their subtle patterns exquisitely crafted. She handed out the invitations one by one, finally bowing gracefully. "I look forward to your arrival. I believe this auction will be well worth your time." With that, she bowed again and left the conference room with light steps.
Huo Yuhao had planned this auction in advance. The Ice Jade Scorpion's Ice Explosion Technique would be featured at this auction, even though he didn't use it at all. A smile involuntarily crept onto his face. The Ice Empress would definitely love this gift.
In addition, I'll find an opportunity to prepare a gift for Xue'er as well. After all, in a relationship, a thoughtfully prepared gift is an important way to express love. Snow Empress is currently my girlfriend, so a gift is definitely in order. Huo Yuhao always manages things reasonably. Ice Empress asked Snow Empress to treat him like a younger sister, so giving her a gift shouldn't be a big deal.
Crystal chandeliers refracted tiny golden rays under the dome, dividing the circular auction hall into diamond-shaped patches of light and shadow. Huo Yuhao habitually took his seat in the curved VIP section, surrounded by the familiar trio—only today the atmosphere was a little subtle: Wang Dong and Ning Tian had somehow squeezed in, forming a semi-encirclement with Ma Xiaotao, Jiang Nannan, and the others.
Ma Xiaotao, dressed in a red outfit, unconsciously rubbed her fingertips against the armrest of her chair;
Jiang Nannan gently embraced Xiao Xiao at her side, their moon-white skirts touching Xiao Xiao's emerald green dresses, like two twin orchids. Ma Xiaotao and Jiang Nannan were on either side of Huo Yuhao, with Xiao Xiao to Jiang Nannan's left and Ning Tian and Wang Dong on Ma Xiaotao's other side.
The auction stage curtain slowly rose, and the auctioneer, dressed in a purple gauze dress, gracefully stepped out—it was Princess Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire. She raised a hand to lightly brush away the stray hairs from her forehead. "Distinguished guests, today's first item for auction— the Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade —is about to be presented."
"Now, let me introduce the first item: the Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade, an eighth-level melee Soul Tool from precious materials, one of which is the right arm bone from a ten-thousand-year-old Tyrant Tiger Soul Beast. The solidified Soul Bone Skill, Tyrant Blade Slash, can amplify the attack power of similar Soul Skill by fifty percent."
"When this Soul Tool attacks, each strike is accompanied by the Tyrant Blade Slash effect, which can be stacked with similar Soul Skill. It only consumes one-third of the Soul Power. It was made by the Mingde Hall of the Sun Moon Empire. Seven-Ring Soul Sage can use this blade, and challenging opponents of higher levels is not a problem. Enjoy watching for five minutes."
"Time's up, starting bid 600,000 Gold Soul Coin."
Huo Yuhao's gaze narrowed slightly. " Level 8 Soul Tool, not bad." Huo Yuhao thought to himself, " Ma Xiaotao will definitely want to get her hands on this, but she just doesn't have much money. In my previous life, it was Dai Yueheng who gave it to her, right? Since that's the case..." A cunning glint flashed in his eyes.
"One million Gold Soul Coin!" Huo Yuhao called out, utterly confident. He planned to put this debt squarely on the Shrek Academy's account, or perhaps, on Yan Shaozhe's account.
A murmur rippled through the hall. Whispers came from the back, "Where did this young man come from?" "Could he be the son of some duke?" "This price is almost doubled, what a terrible rip-off!"
Wang Dong couldn't help but chuckle, while Ning Tian raised an eyebrow at Huo Yuhao, his fingertips tapping a light rhythm on the armrest. Ma Xiaotao turned her head to look at him, " Yuhao is an ice-attribute Soul Master, he doesn't need this Soul Tool at all. It seems like I'm the only one here who's close to the Soul Saint realm, could it be..."
A flicker of surprise and warmth flashed in her red eyes—although she was right, she was naturally unaware that the boy had already decided to "charge the expense to Yan Shaozhe."
On the auction stage, Xu Jiujiu's smile widened, "This young friend has bid a million. Is there anyone who bids higher?" Her gaze swept across the corner of the VIP section, but no one made a sound.
This item naturally went to Huo Yuhao.
make a deal...
Huo Yuhao sat upright in the VIP section, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the armrest of his chair. The dean had once told him: First, in any auction, you can bid whatever you want, Shrek Academy will pay for it; second, Ma Xiaotao is his disciple, what's wrong with buying something for your disciple? Third, I can act however I want, but if you dare not pay, don't even think about him participating in a single Soul Master Tournament in the future...
The spotlight on the crystal auction stage suddenly focused into a deep blue light, and when the frost-covered Soul Bone appeared, the temperature in the entire auction hall seemed to drop ten degrees instantly.
The surface of the crystal-clear Soul Bone is covered with icicle-like fluorescent patterns, as if the essence of a ten-thousand-year-old glacier has been condensed into this small space.
Huo Yuhao's pupils suddenly contracted, and a burning light appeared in his eyes—the chilling aura surrounding the Soul Bone was exactly the same as the " Ice Explosion Technique " of the Soul Bone in his memory.
The eighth and final item in the auction was the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone.
Xu Jiujiu's introduction was comprehensive. " The Ice Jade Scorpion may be unfamiliar to many, but its patriarch, the Ice Jade Scorpion Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, ranked eighth among the Ten Great Ferocious Beast, is undoubtedly well-known—a top-tier Ferocious Beast of our time."
"Once this Soul Bone is fused, the ice attribute of the Martial Soul will be greatly enhanced, and the temperature of the Soul Skill will be lower. This is a comprehensive boost. Secondly, the Ice Jade Scorpion itself is extremely powerful, and the left arm bone will also have the effect of enhancing its strength."
Huo Yuhao's eyes were already gleaming with anticipation; he thought to himself, " Ice Explosion Technique!"
Xu Jiujiu continued, "As the chief auctioneer, I want to tell everyone that this Soul Bone has solidified... and its Soul Skill is a top-tier ultimate technique, Ice Explosion, which is capable of approaching Soul Skill of 100,000 years." Before she finished speaking, gasps of astonishment rose from the audience.
Huo Yuhao thought to himself, "If only this Soul Bone could be given away for free like in my previous life." But looking at the tangible Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone before him, a bitter smile crept into his heart. "But that's only if the Star Luo Emperor is easy to fool."
Wait a minute, Huo Yuhao's voice came. "I'll take this Soul Bone. All expenses will be charged to the Shrek Academy's account."
When this voice came out, the other reserve team members and the current Shrek Devils were completely dumbfounded.
Are we still asleep, or is Huo Yuhao still asleep? It's all on the Shrek Academy's tab! Wait, dude, did you own Shrek?
Xu Jiujiu smiled and replied, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the Shrek Academy delegation in the corner of the VIP section. "Esteemed guest, are you referring to putting it on the Shrek Academy's tab?"
Huo Yuhao's tone was eerily calm, as if he were discussing tonight's dinner menu. "That's right, both items I bid on are recorded on the Shrek Academy's books."
Just then, Wang Yan, the teacher leading the Shrek Academy team, approached Huo Yuhao and said, no longer able to process his surprise—he had already been shocked beyond measure these past few days—"Everyone, everyone, this is a misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding? Who are you anyway?"
The voices of the crowd rose and fell in unison.
He leaned close to Huo Yuhao and said, " Yuhao, what are you doing? Putting it all on the Shrek Academy's tab, Dean Yan won't agree to that."
Huo Yuhao interrupted the other person's attempts to dissuade him, calmly saying, "He will agree."
Huo Yuhao continued, "I'm sure everyone knows Shrek Academy. I'm an Inner Court disciple of the academy, and you can rest assured about my character. If we say it'll be on the Shrek Academy's tab, then it'll be on the Shrek Academy's tab. We won't renege on our promise."
Wang Yan was caught in a dilemma and had to admit defeat. After all, Huo Yuhao was Shrek's trump card, and Dean Yan might actually agree to the conditions he proposed. Even if Dean Yan didn't agree, Xuan Zi would probably agree.
At this moment, someone recognized him, "Isn't that the Shameless who tried to fish in the mud during the competition?"
The nickname "Shameless" has been circulating quite a bit lately, referring to someone Shameless tries to take advantage of others' success while they themselves stay out of the spotlight.
"It really is him."
"Damn, they really Shameless now, they don't even have money to put in the academy's accounts."
Someone shouted, "I'll offer 5 million!"
Another person said, "I'll offer 7 million."
"10 million, 15 million, 20 million"
Huo Yuhao said, "I bid 30 million. Jiujiu, whatever price you gentlemen bid later, I will add 1 Gold Soul Coin to it."
Xu Jiujiu, he said, "Alright, sir, you have won the bid for the Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone. Please come backstage to collect all your auction items."
The auctioneer erupted in shouts and curses, "You shameless bastard!" "You're utterly shameless!"
Huo Yuhao continued, "A bunch of idiots! Ice Jade Scorpion, as the ruler of the Far North, does he think his Soul Bone can be used by anyone at will? Without a corresponding Martial Soul, trying to attach Soul Bone is undoubtedly courting death. I imagine Princess Jiujiu selling a problematic Soul Bone will greatly damage your auction house's reputation."
Huo Yuhao's scheme had only just begun. He needed to elaborate on how to manipulate the princess, and the emperor wouldn't escape either. Either give it to me for free, or I'll take it from you for free. Of course, since he wasn't paying for it himself, he wanted to save every opportunity he could.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jiujiu's expression darkened. It seemed that the item in the auction had a significant flaw, making the transaction a failure.
Furthermore, Xu Jiujiu left the auction venue and found a high-ranking official, namely the current emperor of the Star Luo Empire, her brother. The emperor of the Star Luo Empire also learned of this matter.
Star Luo Emperor, adhering to his principle of maintaining good relations with the Shrek Academy, wanted to do a favor by simply offering a helping hand. Hearing Huo Yuhao's name felt particularly warm, as he seemed to hear his name constantly lately, often jokingly referring to him as " Shameless Huo Yuhao."
He was known as the Shame of Shrek for slacking off on the field, letting his teammates fight while he rested on the sidelines. Regardless, he noticed that this young man possessed Twin Martial Souls, and secondly, he was a citizen of the Star Luo Empire and a subject of the Star Luo Empire. If he could be used by the empire, then the value of his Soul Bone would be negligible.
Xu Jiujiu was stunned by Starfall Emperor's words. After thinking about it, she seemed to understand the young man's identity. "Isn't he Huo Yuhao, who's recently been called Shameless?" "His name has been widely circulated in the competition lately."
Ten minutes later, Star Luo Emperor and Princess Jiujiu arrived at Shrek's private room.
The moment the door opened, everyone bowed deeply, their backs bent at a perfect 45-degree angle. The accompanying maids knelt in unison, their foreheads almost touching the gold threads of the carpet. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Greetings, everyone." Star Luo Emperor raised his hand in a gesture of acknowledgment. "Greetings, everyone. I am a high-ranking member of this auction house. I have long heard of the many talented individuals produced by the Shrek Academy, and seeing them today, I can confirm that their reputation is well-deserved."
Huo Yuhao slowly said, "No wonder Princess Jiujiu, being a princess, would condescend to be the chief auctioneer in an auction house. It's not surprising that she has His Majesty the Emperor as her backer."
Everyone's emotions were in turmoil upon seeing Huo Yuhao's indifferent attitude.
"That's incredibly brave; you won't find another person this brave across the entire continent."
The Star Luo Emperor smiled and said, "Young friend, your senses are quite sharp. No wonder you are a top student from the Shrek Academy."
Wang Yan wanted the emperor to take the seat, Starfall Emperor said, "I won't sit. This auction is over, and there was a problem with this final item. As the emperor, my failure to notice it in time is also a problem on my part as a high-ranking official."
Xu Jiujiu echoed, "We bid on this item ourselves to avoid any credibility issues. Thank you for the reminder from the Shrek Academy."
Faced with Huo Yuhao's nonchalant attitude, the Star Luo Emperor felt a slight embarrassment. However, as the ruler of a nation, he quickly composed himself. Even so, the Star Luo Emperor still maintained his composure and asked...
Young friend, how did you find out?
Huo Yuhao calmly said, "To be honest, Your Majesty, I once saw information about the Ice Jade Scorpion in Shrek Academy's secret library. Also, a friend of mine has the Ice Jade Scorpion as his Martial Soul. I originally bought it for my friend with the intention of making a sale, but I never expected to get involved in something like this."
Star Luo Emperor said, "Secret Library? Ice Jade Scorpion, then there should be no mistake." He thought to himself, "Shrek Academy is the number one Soul Master Academy on the continent, and very few people can enter the Secret Library."
The Star Luo Emperor said, "Since you are a distinguished guest of the Shrek Academy, how about I give this Soul Bone to you, young friend?"
After several polite words, Huo Yuhao said, "How can this be, Your Majesty? This is unacceptable." His hand had already picked up the Soul Bone, but the Star Luo Emperor opposite him seemed unwilling to let go.
The Star Luo Emperor blushed slightly and said with a smile:
My dear friend, I've heard of you. Your performance on the field has already aroused public outrage, haha.
Huo Yuhao replied modestly, "Haha, you flatter me. There are countless heroes in the world, what am I, a mere Shrek student, to boast about? Let them say what they want, let them be indignant."
The Star Luo King's face flushed even more as he said, "Our Star Luo Empire has always valued Shrek Academy, and you are also a citizen of the Star Luo Empire. What you're doing is making us lose face."
Everyone turned to look at the argument on Huo Yuhao's side, including Xu Jiujiu. Huo Yuhao had left a deep impression on him this time, as had his demeanor at the auction.
"Your Majesty, as the ruler of a nation, cannot go back on your word. I clearly heard you say that Your Majesty intends to give this Soul Bone to me, and everyone present is my witness."
The Shrek Seven Devils were also a little embarrassed at this moment. Indeed, Huo Yuhao had been too shameless this time, and they were all too embarrassed to say anything.