The powerful Heavensplitting Cannon was similar to the super soul cannon that He Caitou used. However, it was much more powerful, and could only be used once per day. Its full power was the equivalent of a full-force blow from a Rank 95 Transcendent Douluo.
The only reason why it was judged to be a Class 8 soul tool and not a Class 9 one was because it was made from inferior materials. This limited the amount of times one could use the Heavensplitting Cannon to only once per day. At the same time, it needed a long time to recharge, and could only hit a single target. In a battle between combatants of the same class, it was rather useless. In the words of Princess Jiu Jiu, it was a Class 8 soul tool that possessed Class 9 formation arrays.
In the end, this Heavensplitting Cannon was bought by some other buyer at the high price of 7 million golden soul coins.
It was not that Wang Yan did not want to intervene. However, at prices like the ones on display, he did not dare to make the call without serious consideration. After all, his power within the academy was limited. As for the students, none of them could use this item, neither did they have the money to buy it. All they could do was spectate.
Other than the first two items, the rest of the items in the auction were sold at increasingly higher prices. Since they were not particularly enthralled with these items, they decided to keep silent.
Qing Ya, the auctioneer, did not provide any additional prompts. All she did was fairly and impartially explain the functions and abilities of every single item up for auction.
Princess Jiu Jiu appeared for the eighth time on the screen as she said with a smile, "The following two items will be the main stars of today's auction. I believe that every single one of you will be interested in them, so seize this chance. You may only see these items once, and you may not find a second chance to see them on the entire continent. Our eighth auction item is one such example. While it's still a soul bone, it is different from the rest. Please, take a look."
Light flashed, and the image of a soul bone, which was maximized many times over, appeared on the soul screen.
This soul bone was completely emerald green. An emerald green halo swirled and pulsed around it, as if it were filled with emerald-green liquid.
From its external appearance, it appeared to be a left arm bone. On top of its emerald green body, it gave off a faint, white mist.
As it had been magnified many times over, everyone could feel that it was something special. The surface of this jade green bone appeared to be dotted with small crystals. These crystals were clear, and they looked as if they had been carved from some precious metal. The other soul bones that had appeared earlier paled in comparison to this one. Evidently, they were not in the same category. Even Wang Dong's Golden Light Left Arm Bone might not be as powerful as this one, superficially.
"How is this possible…?"
"Bastard!"
Two voices rang out simultaneously in Huo Yuhao's brain. The first one belonged to the Skydream Iceworm, and the second one naturally belonged to the Ice Empress.
Huo Yuhao was startled by their sudden reaction, particularly that of the Ice Empress. He could feel her rage.
"What's the matter, Ice Empress?" Huo Yuhao asked quickly.
The Ice Empress did not respond. Huo Yuhao could feel her rage increasing exponentially.
At this moment, Princess Jiu Jiu's alluring voice rang out. Compared to before, it was a bit deeper and more moving. The allure in her voice was stronger too. "Honored guests, I am proud to introduce this soul bone to everyone. Everyone knows that, to a soul master, the most valuable item is either a hundred thousand years soul ring, or a hundred thousand year soul bone. It is extremely rare for these two items to appear at the same time during an auction. Even for our Starlight Auction, such premium items have yet to exist. After all, no matter who possesses these items, he or she will not choose to auction them off, but instead use them to create an elite."
"The bone that is before everyone is the most premium bone to have appeared in our Starlight Auction in recent years. After we obtained it, we planned on keeping it. Originally, we did not plan to auction it off, because it was too precious and too rare."
"I believe that everyone can see that this soul bone is an ice-type bone. Before I elaborate any further on its pros, I want to introduce to everyone to its con. Some guests may be curious: why would we introduce the cons of an object as auctioneers? This is because the Starlight Auction values trust above everything else. Furthermore, the downside of this object can also be said to be a strength."
"The most important downside of this soul bone is that it's an ice-type bone. Everyone knows that most soul bones do not have elemental requirements. Most of them can be used by all soul masters. Their accompanying soul skill will change according to one's martial soul. This applies even to hundred thousand year soul bones. This type of soul bone is mainstream among soul bones. Other than these mainstream soul bones, there are some special exceptions. These types of soul bones have elemental requirements, and soul masters that do not fit these elemental requirements can never fuse with them. Forcing it will hurt oneself, which can even be fatal. Hence, of the eight items up for auction today, this bone is one such object. Hence, its first downside is its elemental requirement. Only ice-type soul masters can use it."
When the auction reached its eighth item, Princess Jiu Jiu became evidently more vocal. Her voice, perfect in its intonation and pitch, was even more alluring. Naturally, many were drawn by her description of the object.
"The ice-type elemental requirement is already very restrictive. After all, less than 1% of all soul masters specialize in the ice element. Hence, I must say that while this soul bone is good, it is only good for those who can meet its requirements."
"Its second flaw is very clear too. However, I believe that it's actually one of its strengths. Its soul skill is set. The Starlight Auction has invited many soul bone specialists to verify it, and our conclusion is that the soul skill of this soul bone is set. No matter what the martial soul of the ice-type soul master that fuses with it is, its soul skill will never change. This is a strong limitation."
"As for its final flaw, it's its age. According to our analysis, this soul bone is between 50, 000 to 70, 000 years old. This is one of its strengths, but at the same time, please don't try to fuse with it if you do not possess the calibre. If not, you will likely die from it. So these are its three flaws."
"Are these really flaws?" Wang Yan's thoughts were evident from his twitching face.
What flaws? These were evidently its strengths. While it was true that its elemental requirement was a severe limitation, all soul bones with elemental requirements were more powerful than those without these requirements. Once a soul master fused with one, its effects would vastly exceed those of one without elemental requirements.
For example, Wang Dong's Golden Light Left Arm Bone was only so valuable because it could only fuse with a light-type soul master. After fusion, its effects were vastly superior to any ordinary soul bone.
As to its second 'weakness', the fact that its soul skill was set was a humongous advantage. Only exceptionally powerful soul bones would have set soul skills!
As for its final flaw, when had the age of a soul bone ever been a flaw? With a few sentences, Princess Jiu Jiu was able to elucidate every single strength of this emerald ice type soul bone under the guise of listing its 'flaws'.
"Now that we are done with its flaws, we shall now talk about its strengths," Princess Jiu Jiu said as her voice turned sincere in an instant.
"As the main auctioneer of the Starlight Auction, and as a princess of the Imperial Household of the Star Luo Empire, I give my solemn word that everything I say is true. Firstly, I want to say that this soul bone is the most perfect one I have seen. Its rarity can be compared to a hundred thousand year soul bone because it did not originate from our continent or any particular country. Instead, it comes the Extreme North, an area forbidden to us humans. Furthermore, it comes from the core regions of the Extreme North. The owner of this soul bone is a transcendent soul beast of the bitterly cold extreme north, the Ice Jade Scorpion."
The moment Princess Jiu Jiu said the three words 'Ice Jade Scorpion', everyone's gaze fell onto Huo Yuhao. Everyone looked surprised, as they all knew what Huo Yuhao's second martial soul was. No one, however, thought that the eighth item up for auction would be the same as Huo Yuhao's martial soul. Doubtlessly, if Huo Yuhao obtained the soul bone, he would be its best fit.
Huo Yuhao was struck by a sudden realization. No wonder the Skydream Iceworm was shocked, and the Ice Empress was filled with rage. This left arm bone came from her fellow tribesmen!
Princess Jiu Jiu continued, "The Ice Jade Scorpion may not be a familiar name for everyone here. However, I believe that everyone is familiar with something else. The leader of the Ice Jade Scorpions is the Ice Jade Scorpion King, otherwise known as the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. Among the Ten Great Savage Beasts, it is ranked eighth. Any beast that could enter the ranks of the Ten Great Savage Beasts is top class. Even if we don't take into account its age, the Ice Jade Scorpion is at the top of the pecking order among all soul beasts."
"This soul bone comes from an Ice Jade Scorpion. As they live in groups, it's a miracle that someone could kill one from a pack of them. This is more difficult than killing a hundred thousand year soul beast from the Great Star Dou Forest. What makes this feat even more difficult was that the slayer obtained a soul bone after killing an Ice Jade Scorpion."
"According to the ancient records, the power of ice is determined by its temperature. The lower the temperature of ice, the scarier and tougher it is. The Ice Jade Scorpion King is recognized as the one who possesses ice of the lowest temperature in the world. Although its clan members are not as outstanding as it is, there are very few others who are able to match up to them in the domain of ice. Hence, I would like to tell all of you that once this left arm bone is infused, there will be an elemental amplification of the martial soul of ice-type soul masters. Regardless of what soul skill is employed, the temperature will be lower than before. This is basically a major benefit, an all-round amplification. It's not too much to claim this as the first advantage of this piece of Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone, is it?"
"Secondly, the Ice Jade Scorpion is naturally powerful beyond measure. After obtaining this left arm bone, the strength of the left arm of the soul master will increase significantly. As for the magnitude of increase, I'm unsure. This can only be tested by the fortunate, distinguished guest that receives it."
"Next is the third benefit of infusing this piece of soul bone. Once it's infused, the solidified skill of this soul bone will also be possessed by the soul master. I shall not beat around the bush any further. This solidified skill is called Ice Explosion. I mentioned earlier that the solidified skill is its weakness and lacks changes. However, I also must clarify that this is also its greatest advantage. Even to the Ice Jade Scorpion, this skill could be considered a divine skill. As long as there's ice, the might of the Ice Explosion will exist."
"I have clearly stated all three huge weaknesses and advantages. An ice-type soul master will not regret possessing it. Now, I shall give all of you 10 minutes to appreciate it."
After speaking for so long, everyone was stunned as Princess Jiu Jiu's voice disappeared. Only Wang Yan remained sober and in full command of his senses. He turned his head rapidly to look at Qing Ya, asking, "Qing Ya, are there many ice-type soul masters among those who are here to bid?"
Qing Ya's pretty face flashed with a tinge of awkwardness. However, she did not deny his words, and nodded her head slightly, "Apologies, it's necessary for our auction house to do this. The items for auction in this top-ranked auction are treasures. Thus, they are naturally allocated to the distinguished guests that need them the most. In fact, the first 7 items on auction are like the appetizers, while the last two items are the main course of this auction. While our auction house does have our own strategy, there was no exaggerated content in Jiu Jiu's introduction. This soul bone is indeed the most exquisite item."
Wang Yan nodded slightly as he twisted his head towards Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen. Then, he said in a deep voice, "There's only one soul bone. If the two of you can achieve a consensus, I can give it a shot for the both of you."
Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen naturally understood what Wang Yan meant. For such a top-ranked ice-type soul bone, it was no longer about money. It was an item that was extremely desirable but difficult to obtain! No matter how many golden soul coins one had, they were just irrelevant numbers without the items that one wanted to get.
There was no need to doubt the value of the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone to Huo Yuhao. But similarly, it carried immense value for Ling Luochen too. It was even fair to say that Ling Luochen's powers would be able to rise a level if she possessed it. She could then reach the level of both Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng. It would also be ideal for her future progress.
An ice explosion sounded very simple. However, as a soul master, how could Ling Luochen not understand its significance? Simply put, this ice explosion was comparable to the corpse explosion unleashed by that Envoy of the Death God that they had met. This Ice Explosion might even be more powerful. To an ice-type soul master, it was nothing to conjure a little bit of ice. If this Ice Explosion move was controlled well after it was set to explode, its might would render it a divine skill!
Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea was a mess. After a brief moment of resentment, the Ice Empress demanded that Huo Yuhao obtain that soul bone by hook or by crook upon hearing the words 'Ice Explosion'. The reason was very simple, but not even the Starlight Auction House knew about it. To the Ice Jade Scorpion clan, this Ice Explosion skill was rarely seen. Even As the Ice Jade Scorpion King, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion did not possess such a skill among her gifts.
Huo Yuhao immediately understood when the Ice Empress explained the strength of this skill using one sentence. The Ice Empress said that she could challenge the leader of the Three Heavenly Kings if she possessed this skill.
However, could Huo Yuhao really say so? He couldn't.
As he saw the radiance of hope in Ling Luochen's eyes that was very difficult to mask, Huo Yuhao's words stuck in his throat.
This soul bone was comparable to a hundred thousand year soul bone to an ice-type soul master. No one would be able to give it up so readily! Ling Luochen definitely wanted it. Without a doubt, this soul bone must be extremely costly. Besides its price, Huo Yuhao was also unwilling to let the mood of his senior change because of him. They were comrades, and still needed to fight alongside each other in the following competition.
After sensing Huo Yuhao's hesitation, the Ice Empress gradually calmed down as well. "Idiot, just give it to her first."
"What?" Huo Yuhao was stunned, "Didn't you ask me to obtain this soul bone at all costs?"
The Ice Empress laughed coldly and said, "I was feeling gloomy just now, and my thoughts were not clear. Do you think that the soul bones produced by Ice Jade Scorpions can be absorbed so readily by anyone? Everything in that auctioneer's introduction was just conjecture. How is anyone clearer than me about the special characteristics of Ice Jade Scorpions? Although she's right in most of her description, there are some parts that were wrong too. This is also why this soul bone is a great problem to ordinary soul masters. Her mistake lay in her claim that fusing with this soul bone can increase the ice-type power of one's body. Do you know why she's wrong?"
Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly. "You are making me anxious. Look at Senior Ling's eyes. Stop beating about the bush."
The Ice Empress snorted before saying a few words to Huo Yuhao.
"What? So this is it?" Huo Yuhao was appalled. Following that, he became much more relaxed from his initial uneasiness and said, "This is much easier then."
"Qing Ya, I have a question." Huo Yuhao did not look at Ling Luochen's shining gaze, but instead looked towards Qing Ya.
Qing Ya smiled and nodded at him without despising him at all. They had dug deep into the profiles of all the students from Shrek Academy who were here to compete. Among all the students, Huo Yuhao was one of the few that they monitored closely. Qing Ya was fully aware of his brilliant performances during the competition. With the strength of his ice-type martial soul, he had relied on his strength as a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster to achieve decisive impacts during the competition. He was also touted as the future hope and star of Shrek Academy.
"Please feel free to ask, my distinguished guest."
Huo Yuhao said in a deep voice, "Can you halt this auction temporarily? There's something wrong with your auction item."
After he spoke, everyone present was stunned. They did not expect him to raise his suspicions with the auction house instead of discussing how they should share the spoils if they obtained the soul bone with Ling Luochen.
Qing Ya creased her eyebrows slightly and replied, "My distinguished guest, that's impossible. All our auction items have been through stringent checks and tests. They are all problem-free for sure. Which auction item are you referring to anyway?"
Huo Yuhao said, "I'm referring to the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone that was just presented. I'm also doing this for the name of your auction house. If such an item is auctioned out for an exorbitant price, it won't do any good for the reputation of your auction house. If you can't make a decision, please ask someone who has the authority to come out now."
Qing Ya furrowed her brows even further and turned to Wang Yan, as if she was looking for his help.
Wang Yan laughed gently and said, "Qing Ya, you don't have to look at me. I trust in the judgement of my students. Furthermore, if there's anyone who has the right to claim that this 8th auction item is flawed, it's him. We won't put you on the spot either. Yuhao, please let Qing Ya take a look at your martial soul."
Huo Yuhao nodded and turned around. He stripped his jacket off and passed it to Wang Dong. After that, he removed his top and revealed his firm upper body.
As his soul power surged, a white soul ring rose from beneath his feet. The temperature in the entire room dipped at an alarming rate. Following that, a tattoo of a huge scorpion appeared on his back.
This tattoo was too big, such that the curled part of the scorpion's tail was hidden underneath his pants. However, most of the tattoo could be seen on his back. Wasn't it the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion?
Of course, it was needless to say that Qing Ya was unable to tell what the tattoo was. Even for Wang Yan, who had decades of experience in the research of martial souls, he could not differentiate between the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion and an Ice Jade Scorpion.
"This, this is…" Qing Ya was stunned as she looked at Huo Yuhao's back.
Wang Yan said, "Qing Ya, the martial soul of this student of mine is the rare Ice Jade Scorpion. It originates from the same soul beast as the soul bone that is on auction. Hence, I believe his judgment when he says that this soul bone is flawed. For the sake of the reputation of this auction house, I think it's best for you to ask for advice from your superiors."
Qing Ya did not hesitate any further, and nodded her head. She said, "All distinguished guests, please wait for a moment." After she finished saying that, she turned and walked out. It was no longer under her authority to make any decisions if there were problems with the auction items. After Huo Yuhao revealed his martial soul, she was convinced, but needed some time to seek advice from her superiors.
After less than a minute, Princess Jiu Jiu's voice rang out on the big screen again, "Due to the value of this auction item, our auction house has decided to extend the time for it's appreciation by a further 10 minutes. This will allow all of you to make a more informed choice."
Ling Luochen walked up to Huo Yuhao and whispered, "Is there really something wrong with this soul bone?"
Huo Yuhao nodded his head slightly and said a few words to her in a low voice. Ling Luochen was dazed for a moment. Following that, her expression changed. Finally, she sighed in exasperation and mumbled, "What's meant to be yours will be yours. What's not meant to be yours won't be yours. We can't force things."
Huo Yuhao comforted her, "Senior, I am not 100% confident either. If we are able obtain this soul bone, you can try it first. If it doesn't work out for you, you can then pass it to me."
Ling Luochen shook her head and touched Huo Yuhao's head. She said, "There's no need to. I was just being greedy. I believe your words. If possible, you can cultivate a few times with me in the future when you have the time."
Before Huo Yuhao even opened his mouth, Wang Dong forced his jacket towards him. "Put it on. What are you trying to achieve by being naked? Do you want our eyes to suffer?"
As he interrupted, they deviated from the subject that they were on.
At this moment, the door opened, and Qing Ya returned to the room. What was unexpected was that the person who followed her was Princess Jiu Jiu, the chief auctioneer of the Starlight auction House, who still wore her long, red dress.
Upon seeing her, everyone stood up. As she was a princess and this was the Star Luo Empire, everyone had no choice but to accord her the respect she deserved.
At close range, the beauty of this princess was astonishing. Her almost flawless face left everyone dizzy. Fortunately, this room already had a ravishing beauty in Jiang Nannan, which relieved a little of the amazement that everyone felt.
Princess Jiu Jiu bowed slightly to everyone, then asked anxiously, "Who is the distinguished guest that claims that our Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone is flawed?"
Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "It's me."
Princess Jiu Jiu sized him up for a moment before saying, "What's the problem? You are an Ice Jade Scorpion soul master?"
Huo Yuhao nodded his head and said, "Yes. There's nothing wrong with this soul bone."
"Oh?" Princess Jiu Jiu's huge beautiful eyes flashed with a chill, and she said in a low voice, "Why is there nothing wrong with it again?"
Huo Yuhao said, "I am referring to the soul bone when I say that nothing is wrong. The person absorbing the soul bone is the one with the problem. This soul bone can't be absorbed by just anyone."
As the royal princess and chief auctioneer, Princess Jiu Jiu was a very restrained person. But now that she was pressed for time, and this concerned the success of the auction, she could not help but feel anxious. Her tone hardened. "I know that not everyone can absorb this soul bone. Only ice-type soul masters and those with a cultivation capable absorbing soul bones of 50,000 years and above can try. Are you pointing out this problem?"
Huo Yuhao said, "The limitations of this soul bone don't end there. I believe that Your Highness doesn't really understand the Ice Jade Scorpion clan. As the strongest species in the Extreme North, the Ice Jade Scorpions have always been very proud. Furthermore, they currently possess the strongest ice available. Hence, there is always a special requirement in order to absorb everything that they produce, including soul rings and soul bones."
As he spoke till this point, Huo Yuhao reviewed what the Ice Empress had said to him earlier, "To absorb the soul bones of us Ice Jade Scorpions, you humans will need Ultimate Ice, regardless of what type of soul bone you want to absorb. Without the Ultimate Ice physique, it's impossible to absorb a soul bone produced by an Ice Jade Scorpion. This is the pride of the Ice Jade Scorpions!"
He had also related this reasoning to Ling Luochen, which had dispelled her desire for this soul bone.
"What is the special requirement?" Princess Jiu Jiu calmed down. Before entering, she had already known who was inside the room. The members of Shrek Academy never spoke without thinking.
Huo Yuhao said in a deep voice, "Ultimate Ice. Without an Ultimate Ice physique, it's impossible to absorb this soul bone."
"That's impossible." Princess Jiu Jiu reacted almost instantly, "Since when have the requirements for a soul bone been so high? Doesn't this mean that no one can absorb it?"
Huo Yuhao calmly said, "This is the pride of the Ice Jade Scorpions. Furthermore, it doesn't mean that no one can absorb it just because it's difficult to. I'm saying all this out of goodwill, as I don't want the credibility of your auction house to be undermined. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I have said my piece. Your Highness, you can continue with the auction."
Princess Jiu Jiu creased her brows and clenched her fists subconsciously. One could see her internal struggle at this point.
It was true that Huo Yuhao's words were one-sided. However, Qing Ya did mention to her that Huo Yuhao's martial soul was an Ice Jade Scorpion. It was normal that he would know a lot about the soul bone of an Ice Jade Scorpion. However, this would spoil her original plan. Moreover, it would be a major flaw in this top-ranked auction.
Not forgetting her status as the chief auctioneer, she took in a deep breath and calmed down. After greeting Huo Yuhao with a palace formality, she said, "Thanks for telling me all this. Time is tight, and I will deal with this matter immediately. If I'm being rude, I hope that everyone can forgive me." After she finished, she turned around and left in a hurry.
Qing Ya only returned to the room after seeing Princess Jiu Jiu out. She wore a gloomy expression.
Wang Yan smiled and tried to comfort her. "Qing Ya, this has nothing to do with you. Don't fret too much."
Qing Ya shook her head and said, "This concerns the credibility of our auction house! It's also a very big thing. The starting bid for this soul bone was initially going to be set at over 10 million golden soul coins. There has never been a case of anyone having any problems with our auction items that cross the 10 million mark."
Wang Yan replied, "It's better to discover earlier than not to discover it at all. At least there's still room to rectify the problem, since it's yet to be auctioned out,."
On the other side, Princess Jiu Jiu went further in after she exited the previous room. She came before a door that was numbered 1 at the very end of the hallway. Without even knocking on the door, she pushed with her right hand, and the door slid open to one side. She walked in hurriedly.
"Brother, we have an issue."
There was only one man seated in this room. He was tall and upright, and he wore a long, black robe. Besides him, there were no other people around, not even maids. However, if one saw the appearance of this man, he would be horrified. That's because this man was the Star Luo Emperor.
After he saw Princess Jiu Jiu entering the room, the Star Luo Emperor said in a low voice, "I know that something has gone wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn't have extended the time for the guests to appreciate the item. What's wrong?"
Princess Jiu Jiu repeated Huo Yuhao's words to him.
After hearing her words, the Star Luo Emperor shook his head and laughed after a momentary daze. "I still wanted to deliver them a favor, but who knew that this favor would be lacking? Go and settle it. In a while, I will go to meet them, and deliver this favor properly."
Princess Jiu Jiu nodded as she understood his hint. "Brother, are they worth it? If we do it this way, the auction house will sustain considerable losses."
"Of course they are. We can even kill two birds with one stone. It's necessary to improve our ties with Shrek Academy. In recent times, the Sun Moon Empire has not been very attuned to peace. The Illustrious Virtue Hall has also produced items that have invoked a sense of crisis within me. Once there's movement by the Sun Moon Empire, we'll be the first on the receiving end. When that time comes, Shrek Academy will be the first to be able to help us. Furthermore, the youth that I noticed even once sparked a conference within the Sea God's Pavilion. He has twin martial souls and an ultimate ice martial soul. Doesn't that make it necessary for us to build up our ties with him? More importantly, he is under the rule of our empire as indicated in his registration information in Shrek Academy. For such a talent, I believe that he'll grow closer to us even if we don't use him. Go, we don't have much time left."
"Alright." Princess Jiu Jiu's eyes flashed with radiance, and her mind floated with the image of Huo Yuhao's confidence earlier. She couldn't believe that he wasn't even 13 years old. But he was very calm earlier!
After the 20 minutes of appreciation time was up, Huo Yuhao was surprised that the auction was not affected by his words earlier. It continued to be held.
The starting price of the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone reached over 12 million. Every increase had to be no less than 50,000 golden soul coins. For such a high price, everyone from Shrek Academy was stunned.
After Wang Yan gritted his teeth and made 2 bids, he couldn't carry on anymore, and had to give up. While Shrek City was wealthy, the taxes that it collected in a year was only a mere few hundred million golden soul coins. For such a treasure that was priced in the millions, it could be the treasure of a city. The amount of money involved meant that Wang Yan was not exactly in a position to make any calls.
The greatest source of money for Shrek Academy did not come from the taxes collected from Shrek City. They came from the monetary rewards obtained when the powerful individuals from Shrek Academy carried out missions or hunted soul beasts outside. For example, if the Sea God's Pavilion in Shrek Academy was willing to act, it was not difficult to hunt and kill a hundred thousand year soul beast. The value of a hundred thousand year soul beast was very difficult to measure in terms of money.
However, in the past thousand years, Shrek Academy had toned down this aspect of their work. The most important reason for doing so was because they did not want to rile up the Great Star Dou Forest. If it did, the situation would be dire. Even if Shrek City could be preserved, the surroundings cities and villages around the Great Star Dou Forest would still be destroyed. Hence, Shrek Academy did not hunt and kill soul beasts in the Great Star Dou Forest even though it was lucrative. They would only do so to help increase the soul rings of their students if they needed one.
The price of the soul bone soared. It indeed attracted a lot of attention. When the price of the soul bone reached 15 million, the sudden shout of a figure caused everyone to be appalled.
30 million!
The number 30 million had appeared on the soul screen. Who said numbers were simple? By looking at this frightening number, all of the Shrek's Seven Monsters started to breathe more anxiously. This figure was enough to buy a mid-sized city! The number referred to golden soul coins too, and not silver or bronze soul coins. The purchasing power of a golden soul coin was enough to buy 150 loaves of bread. It was not simple for even a country to fork out such a sum, but right now, this figure was used to bid on a soul bone. Who could be so wealthy?