The strategic planning they underwent didn't take too much time. After that, they returned to their respective rooms to cultivate all the way till dinner time, when they switched into a set of ordinary clothes.
Huo Yuhao decided on an unbuttoned black jacket over a white t-shirt, long black pants and formal black shoes. He looked at himself in the mirror and nodded, it looked good enough. Not too casual, and not too formal.
He thought about changing his face up a bit but decided not to.
The simple reason being that it simply wasn't needed.
It was better to do it when the auction people didn't know of his identity.
With the invitation letters from the Starlight Auction in hand, the thirteenof them went back to the auction house, with Wang Yan leading them.
Surprisingly, waiting for them at the entrance was auctioneer Qing Ya.
"Hello, auctioneer Qing Ya. We meet again." Wang Yan politely said.
Qing Ya had a delighted look on her face as she said, "Distinguished guests, welcome."
Wang Yan and Qing Ya momentarily exchanged small pleasantries before the latter led them into the Starlight Auction.
The interior of the Starlight Auction was identical to their previous visit. Led by Qing Ya, they walked towards its inner parts, quickly passing by the auction hall they had entered last time.
After reaching the end of the corridor, two young ladies who were clad in golden cheongsams walked up to them. They bowed in Wang Yan's direction and greeted him, then exchanged a few words with Qing Ya. After that, a girl turned toward the wall and pressed on it with her right hand.
Immediately, a bizarre scene occurred. Wave-like ripples started to appear on the wall, and a few layers of light gradually stabilised on it.
'Hmm. Just to create a hidden passageway, they used multiple soul arrays to match a class six, no, class seven soul tool is....so wasteful!' Huo Yuhao carefully hid his disdain, and subtly gestured He Caitou to keep his expression calm.
Unlike the dazzling gold outside, this path was pure white. The floor, roof, and walls were tiled with a semi translucent white jade, below which could be seen faintly hidden patterns. However, these hidden patterns couldn't be seen clearly. Yet, this room was clearly much more refined than the outside passage.
Qing Ya explained softly, "This is the Number One auction that we use to conduct top-ranked auctions. Only our most distinguished guests will be invited here to partake in an auction...."
Huo Yuhao tuned her out, she was basically flirting with Wang Yan at this point anyway, and calmly walked forward with his friends.
It didn't take them long to arrive at a luxurious room, with the decorations as posh and extravagant as they could be. Almost everyone was looking wide eyed at the luxurious room.
This was inside the first auction hall of the great Starlight Auction, in the seventh room, and it was ostentatious.
The entire room was rectangular, and the longer side of the wall was crystal clear with a radiant white hue. Located before it was a large soft sofa, enough to accommodate twelve people. There were also all kinds of refreshments and condiments laid out on the jade table stand at the side.
Huo Yuhao quickly realized that he had never even seen the things laid out on the table before, not even a single kind of fruit.
Curious, he randomly picked one, subtly analyzed it for any strange substance injected into it, and took a bite out of it after finding nothing wrong with it.
"Huh. It tastes like an apple....but also a mix of orange and peach? What?" Huo Yuhao stared at the weird tasting fruit in his palm. Was this what rich people eat?
Everybody else was just comfortably spreading out on the long sofa. Qing Ya, the auctioneer, and the two other young girls clad in flowing golden dresses stayed back.
Qing Ya was standing by the side of the sofa and grinned as she said, "I will explain the rules of our top-ranked auction."
As she spoke, she signaled to the two young girls beside her.
One of the girls stepped over to the smooth wall and tapped lightly on its surface. Instantly, a layer of gentle light started to radiate from the entire wall.
Impressively, it was a soul called the Soul Light Screen or Light-Transmitting Screen, imported from the Sun Moon Empire, it can display all sorts of images.
Huo Yuhao was highly interested in it because this soul tool's array formations weren't activated by soul power—instead, it is activated by a kind of ore from the Sun Moon Empire.
Although auctioneer Qing Ya explained that it can only carry out the lighter tasks of weak soul tools, Huo Yuhao was doubtful.
One of the rules of being a Shinobi, "Suspect and Expect Everything" aka, S.E.E.
Hearing a lot of good resources from the Sun Moon Empire, made Huo Yuhao more interested in visiting it.
The Light-Transmitting Screen was becoming clearer. Some images were displayed on either side, while an auction station was presented in the middle.
Qing Ya continued, "In order to protect the privacy of the participants of this top-ranked auction, all valued guests will have their own designated rooms, just like the one everyone is in right now. All viewing and the contest for items up for auction will be carried out inside this room, and I will be responsible for introducing the items up for auction in detail. These two girls will report the quotations during the auction."
"All you have to do is quote the price. Everything in here—the food and refreshments—are complimentary. After the auction, the items will be sent into the room as soon as possible and will be settled with a final overall bill at the end of everything. As our guests, you can grab something to eat before we officially begin the auction."
As they waited for the auction to begin, some people began to have some light chatter.
"Dong'er," Huo Yuhao said.
"What's up?"
"You're rich, right? And Ning Tian. Have both of you ever participated in this kind of auction before?" Huo Yuhao asked.
While Wang Dong'er shook her head, Ning Tian nodded and said, "Once, in Heavenly Soul Empire, when daddy first started to teach me how to make connections and to properly spot valuable items. In an auction such as this, I had bought for myself my very first storage-type soul tool."
By her side, Wu Feng shivered, her eyes showed the eyes of a soldier that had witnessed the tragedy of war.
"Even though that storage-type soul tool of hers was enough to carry a boat-load of items, she still insisted on buying more."
"So, you were her gofer?" Wang Dong'er asked.
"Yes," Wu Feng nodded raising both her hands and clenching them. "As I had looked at my tiny hands, terrified and burdened by the responsibility I was given, I made a promise to myself—to become stronger, better, not just to protect milady, but to also carry her burdens properly and without any worry."
"Why did you make it sound so serious?" Wang Dong'er looked at her with deadpanned eyes.
"Because it is serious," Wu Feng replied with a straight face.
"....You're screwing with me."
"Gasp! Why, I never—Are you making fun of my purpose in life? How dare you!"
Huo Yuhao and Ning Tian at the duo's banter. The former turned to the latter and asked, "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you, has your clan managed to find a way to increase the floors of your martial soul pagoda?"
Due to the God-like support capabilities of the Seven Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda, the auxiliary soul masters of this martial soul could only reach a cultivation of seven rings or Soul Sage.
That was until ten thousand years ago, when the Nine Color Douluo, Ning Rongrong, appeared and shocked the world alongside the rest of the original Seven Shrek Monsters.
Ning Tian wryly smiled, "Ancestor Ning Rongrong's case was special—she ate some sort of heavenly herb that had allowed her Seven Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda evolved into the Nine Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda. Due to how rare the immortal herb was, all attempts of cultivating it have failed."
"And for the last few thousand years, there have been no sightings of the immortal herb."
"Ah, sorry." Huo Yuhao apologized upon seeing the look in Ning Tian's eyes.
Ning Tian smirked, "What's there to apologize for? Just like my ancestor, I will find the immortal herb and evolve my martial soul into the Nine Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda—becoming the second Titled Douluo of my clan's history!"
Huo Yuhao had a stunned look for a moment at the resolute tone and look of determination on Ning Tian's face.
With a smile on his face, he patted her shoulder. "I see, good luck on your endeavor."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
"....By the way, why is your martial soul's name so long? Couldn't you just call it the Seven Tile Pagoda?"
"Well, it just doesn't sound cool enough!"
Right at this moment, the entire room was abruptly plunged into a layer of golden light, and everybody turned toward the soul screen.
Qing Ya announced, "My honorable guests, our auction is about to begin."
The golden light coming from the screen gradually receded as a charming voice rang out from within. "Welcome to the top-ranked Starlight Auction. Today, we are placing nine exotic items up for auction. These items will be shown to you, our honorable guests, by their value from the lowest to the highest. We do hope you will enjoy yourselves."
The soul screen cleared up again, and the platform that had appeared before was now covered with another layer of pale white light. In the middle of the platform was a young girl clad in a lengthy red dress.
This girl appeared to be no more than eighteen, and she was enchantingly pretty – to the point where she rivaled even the looks of Jiang Nannan. The combination of her flowing red dress and her pale white skin gave onlookers a feeling of perfection.
Xu Sanshi, the casanova that he secretly proclaimed to his brothers, let out a low whistle. "Well, who is she?"
"Greetings, valued guests. I am today's auctioneer, and my name is Jiu Jiu. I am honored to be here today to host this top-ranked auction. Your time is valuable to us, so we shall begin the auction right away. Subsequently, do feast your eyes upon the first item of the day."
As she spoke, the scene switched right away, and the soul screen on the wall presented the first item up for auction.
"The Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade is a Class 8 close-combat soul tool. Its components are extremely valuable, including the right arm bone of a ten thousand year Tyrannical Tiger. It also contains a soul bone skill called the Tyrannical Slash. At the same time, it can boost the offensive powers of compatible soul skills by fifty percent."
"Do take note, honorable guests, that every strike using this precious close-combat soul tool will produce the effect of a Tyrannical Slash, and this effect will add onto the effects of any related soul skills. In addition to the inherent energies contained within the soul bone, the amount of soul power required to use the Tyrannical Slash is only a third of what it normally is."
"Lastly, the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade originates from the Sun Moon Empire's Illustrious Virtue Hall. I think these three words – Illustrious Virtue Hall – are enough to prove its quality. Soul Sages can use this weapon, and they will be able to challenge a Soul Douluo. You will have five minutes to inspect the item."
Once Princess Jiu Jiu completed her introduction, deep breaths could be heard being drawn across the room, this was only the first item up for auction!
It was a Class 8 soul tool, and even though both Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were from the Soul Tool Department, they had never seen this before.
'It's like my Frostbane!' Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up, his heart racing at the sight of the soul tool.
But he quickly calmed down. Although the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade sounds more powerful than Frostbane, the latter was more suitable for him and had more room for growth. He had made it from the external soul bone of the Snow Deer King, the owner of his second soul ring.
Not only does it enhance his second soul skill, Snow Dream, by almost double the effect and his other Sharingan-related soul skills—but it also helps him control his Ultimate Ice and channel the Ice God Legacy more precisely.
Frostbane is a Class 7 soul tool for now, but as he grows stronger and/or adds new materials to it, its grade would certainly rise to a newer grade.
Who knows, it might become the first ever Class 10 soul tool.
But as for the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade, it's already 'perfect'—so to say. It wouldn't be able to be strengthened further as the main material, the soul bone of a Tyrannical Tiger, was of low quality or else it would've been absorbed by a soul master.
Huo Yuhao and the rest observed the Tyranids Tiger Soulblade for a while.
The Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade was four feet six inches long, while the blade itself was at least an inch wide. It was modeled like a saber, the hilt extending to the handguard, and it was shaped like a bone.
The handguard itself was ten centimeters wide, and was a caricature of a tiger's head—it was where the soul tool's formation arrays were located. The tiger's head radiated with a crystal yellow hue, and seemed to have been made from a special jewel.
"Time's up." Jiu Jiu softly said, taking everyone's attention. "The Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade's opening price is six hundred thousand golden soul coins, and every bid cannot be less than five thousand golden soul coins."
"All of you, my honorable guests, are experienced with this, and I trust that we won't need Jiu Jiu to explain too much. If a bid is unanswered after a minute, the deal is done." Then, with a bright smile on her face, she says, "Let's begin!"
The screen started to transform into a pale white color. The image of the Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade gradually grew more obscure as it faded into the background, while a giant number that read "six hundred thousand" flashed on the surface of the screen.
'Damn!' Huo Yuhao's eyes widened and felt slight disappointment in his heart. Even if he wanted the soul tool, he didn't have enough money to buy it.
As for borrowing money from others? You kidding? He still owes Ning Tian!
'I wonder who's the sucker that's going to buy it.' He briefly entertained the idea of robbing the one who got it.
Although it couldn't be compared to his Frostbane, it is still highly useful. It's a Class 8 close-combat soul tool! Not only would it be useful in a fight, but also for research in making other soul tools made from soul bones.
"650,000." A playful, female voice said aloud.
Huo Yuhao and the rest turned towards Ma Xiaotao in shock. "What? Although the soul tool's theme doesn't fit me well, it is Class 8 close-combat soul tool. There's not a lot of that in the academy."
"Do you have enough money, Xiaotao? You have to understand, this is just the starting bid and it might possibly cross the 1 million mark." Huo Yuhao carefully said.
Ma Xiaotao smirked and playfully winked at him, "Ah, don't worry about me Yuhao. Big sis here has a giant backer that had promised her a few things for my last birthday—and I'm cashing in on that promise now."
On the side, Wang Yan sweat dropped, realizing who she was talking about and silently prayed to dean Yan's financial account.
Back in the academy.
"Achoo-!" Yan Shaozhe rubbed his nose. He scrunched his face, feeling a chill up his spine for some reason.
Time passed quickly, the number on the soul screen had already changed rapidly.
The golden soul coin figure soared and crossed the 1 million mark very quickly. In the end, Ma Xiaotao used 1.56 million golden soul coins to bid for this Tyrannical Tiger Soulblade.
'Dean Yan is going to have a heart attack when he finds out...' Wang Yan gulped at the astronomical amount of money that Ma Xiaotao had used.
...
❄️Shout out to the great Cultivators of my patreon, may you reach the peak of the heavens and conquer the earth! Pursue immortality and receive enlightenment!
•Julien
•Swift Arrow
•SpamSubi
•matatank
•B1G_DREAM
•Albert Jojo
❄️A bigger shout out to the ones who ascended to become a One Above All!! The GOATS! THE MAJESTIES!!
•Tyler Dann
•Adrian Durand
•weykerz h
•Gilgamos
•Orion Chung
Wanna read 10 advanced chapters, other stories, photos of the characters and support me all at the same time so I can pump out more chapters, and possibly dish out extra chaps? Well then, head on over to my patreon and become enlightened cultivators!
P.a.t.r.e.o.n.com/FroztDouluo