Chapter 146: Crafting a Divine Weapon
"Two hundred and ninety million gold soul coins!"
As Kong Deming's voice rang out, the entire auction hall fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
This was two hundred and ninety million gold soul coins, not some cheap cabbage!
It's worth noting that in the original timeline, the Snow Empress embryo, which could yield a 100, 000-year soul ring, soul bone, and possibly even a martial soul, had a final bid of only one hundred and fifty million.
Just a little more, and the value of this Mora would have reached the price of two Snow Empress embryos!
Snow Empress: How did I become a unit of measurement?
Of course, in the original timeline, people didn't know that the Divine Sealing Platform contained the Snow Empress, thinking it was just an ordinary 100, 000-year soul beast, which is why the price stayed at one hundred and fifty million.
If they had known it was the Snow Empress, its value would have been immeasurable.
The Snow Empress is ranked third among the Ten Great Fierce Beasts; how could it be worth only one hundred and fifty million gold soul coins?
The VIP rooms were silent. This level of bidding didn't intimidate them, as they had come prepared.
However, they needed to consider whether it was worth continuing to raise the bid.
The four Moras were divided into three auctions, and the first Mora usually fetched the lowest price.
Although Moras had never been auctioned before, similar situations had occurred, and this was based on experience.
"Two hundred and ninety-five million gold soul coins."
A voice came from VIP Room Three, filled with determination.
He was determined to get this Mora.
But the fact that he only raised the bid by five million gold soul coins showed that he wasn't "wealthy."
"Three hundred and twenty million gold soul coins."
Kong Deming stood with his hands behind his back. Although no one could see his expression, they could hear the confidence in his voice.
The hall fell silent again. The first Mora had already reached three hundred and twenty million gold soul coins!
This amount of gold soul coins could assemble a thousand-man soul master army!
"Three hundred and twenty million gold soul coins, first call..."
"Three hundred and twenty million gold soul coins, second call..."
The auctioneer, Xu Jiujiu, was stunned. She never expected that a Mora could fetch such a sky-high price.
Didn't their auction house get an incredible bargain by directly purchasing a Mora?
"Three hundred and twenty million gold soul coins, third call!"
"Sold!"
The price of the first Mora finally settled at three hundred and twenty million, an astronomical figure unimaginable to ordinary people.
Even a Titled Douluo would find it hard to accumulate such wealth in a lifetime.
Only major sects and powerful forces could have such resources.
Kong Deming, as a Royal Elder of the Sun Moon Empire and a Level 10 Soul Engineer, naturally had unfathomable resources.
After successfully bidding for the first Mora, Kong Deming's face showed a rare smile.
No matter how many gold soul coins one had, they were just numbers, but Moras were different. They could help him break through to Level 11 Soul Engineer or even become a legendary Divine Soul Engineer.
Legend has it that a soul engineer once crafted a divine artifact, becoming a Divine Soul Engineer and eventually ascending to godhood.
His dream was to become such a legendary figure. As for gold soul coins, they were just consumables.
Poseidon's Trident was a manifestation of a "Divine Soul Tool." After all, the Heart of the Ocean, also known as the Vast Sea Barrier, was essentially a soul tool.
The Heart of the Ocean served as the core of Poseidon's Trident, which was a divine artifact. Therefore, Poseidon's Trident was equivalent to a Divine Soul Tool.
Zhongli looked toward Kong Deming's VIP room, deep in thought.
He was also curious to see how far this Level 10 Soul Engineer could go with the Mora.
If he wanted to forge a divine artifact in this world, the Moras he had would be enough.
But if he aimed to create an even more powerful divine artifact, the Moras he had would fall far short.
Moras were a manifestation of Zhongli's divine power. Although the amount of divine power in them was small, its quality far surpassed the soul power and divine power of this world.
Thus, forging a divine artifact with Moras was not an impossible task.
"Congratulations, Grandmaster, on achieving your wish!"
Xiao Hongchen clasped his hands at Kong Deming, smiling as he spoke.
Hearing this, Kong Deming looked at Xiao Hongchen and murmured, "If only I could get all the Moras in your hands, then I could truly achieve my wish..."
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen: "..."
This old man still had his eyes on their Moras!
Xiao Hongchen turned his head away, pretending not to hear.
Seeing this, Kong Deming shook his head. He had even sacrificed his dignity for some Moras; couldn't these young people understand the struggles of an old man?
Oh well, it's not right to keep targeting one sheep.
The auction continued. The first Mora fetched three hundred and twenty million, and the second Mora didn't disappoint either, selling for three hundred and forty million.
As for the third and fourth Moras, which were auctioned together, they sold for seven hundred million!
Yes, a full seven hundred million gold soul coins, ultimately acquired by the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.
As everyone knew, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was so rich that all they had left was money.
Seven hundred million gold soul coins wouldn't even make a dent in the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's wealth.
The four Moras, auctioned for a total of one billion three hundred and sixty million gold soul coins, set a new record for the highest single-day auction revenue in history!
"Three hundred and twenty million plus three hundred and sixty million plus seven hundred million... How much is that in gold soul coins?"
Paimon counted on her fingers, feeling a bit dizzy.
When she and Zhongli first arrived in the Douluo Continent, Zhongli had to "scavenge" just to sustain their lives.
Now, after selling just a few Moras, they had gained an unimaginable amount of Moras...
As if thinking of something, Paimon touched her chest and chuckled.
She possessed the first Mora on the Douluo Continent. With that title, the Mora she had should be even more valuable, right?
If she ever ran out of money, she could just sell the Mora and instantly buy loads of roast duck, roast fish...
"I thought ten Moras would sell for one billion gold soul coins, but I didn't expect an unexpected bonus."
Zhongli wasn't particularly interested in money.
Even if he were penniless, his wisdom and knowledge would still be a considerable asset.
"Today's auction has come to an end. We welcome you all to visit us again next time."
"The next auction will feature the remaining five Moras."
After saying this, Xu Jiujiu gracefully exited the stage, marking the end of the auction.
"Lord Martial God, the auction's total revenue is quite substantial and requires some time to tally. Please rest for a while."
Xu Jiawei clasped his hands at Zhongli.
This wasn't just a few million or tens of millions of gold soul coins; this was over a billion!
The annual tax revenue of the entire Star Luo Empire didn't even come close to this amount!
Even the former Shrek City, where over eighty percent of the residents were wealthy merchants, had an annual tax revenue of only two to three hundred million gold soul coins.
How could ordinary residents possibly pay such high taxes?
"No matter, let's continue enjoying the tea."
Zhongli waved his hand, utterly unconcerned.
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Chapter 147: Seven Fusion Technique
The events that took place at the Star Luo Royal Auction House spread quickly.
Billions of gold soul coins! Anyone with a hint of greed in their hearts would be tempted.
They knew who had brought the Mora to the auction and where those gold soul coins had ended up, but they dared not entertain even the slightest thought of taking them!
If they could defeat Zhongli, why would they need to snatch his gold soul coins?
Wouldn't it be better to tie him up and force him to produce Mora?
If Zhongli were merely a Titled Douluo or even a Limit Douluo, some might have taken the risk to seize those billions of gold soul coins.
But Zhongli was a god, an incredibly powerful god!
"If we all rushed at him together, we'd be turned into mincemeat in seconds..."
Even the most brainless evil soul masters knew to hide after Zhongli appeared, let alone those with brains.
They couldn't win. They simply couldn't.
The auction became nothing more than a topic of conversation over tea, but what truly captured the world's attention was the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
Yesterday's elimination round had halved the number of participants in today's rest area.
The losers were only fit to watch from the audience seats; they had no right to remain in the contestants' rest area.
Today's event was the round-robin competition, a scaled-down of the qualifiers and rankings from ten thousand years ago.
Unlike the elimination round, the round-robin was the best opportunity to showcase individual strength!
It was one-on-one, with the loser stepping down, until the seventh person lost.
In the round-robin, a powerful competitor could even achieve a one-versus-five, one-versus-six, or even a one-versus-seven victory.
Defeating all seven opponents single-handedly.
"I'll go first."
In the Liyue Academy rest area, Gu Yuena spoke with a cold, indifferent tone.
Hearing this, Bei Bei and the others shrugged and nodded, saying, "Alright, but please don't hurt anyone."
She hadn't participated in the elimination round, which was already a courtesy to everyone, so the first round of the round-robin would be hers.
What worried Bei Bei and the others was that Gu Yuena and Xiong Jun might not hold back, potentially seriously injuring or even killing their opponents!
"Your opponent is... Shrek Academy."
At that moment, Xuan Ziwen walked up to the group, adjusted his glasses, and spoke expressionlessly.
But a strange glint still flickered in his eyes.
Well, well, the first match of the round-robin was against Shrek Academy!
Bei Bei and the others were stunned, their expressions momentarily blank.
Really? Shrek Academy in the very first match?
"Gu Yuena, please give it your all and show the world the strength of our Liyue Academy!"
Bei Bei bowed deeply to Gu Yuena, his expression serious.
"Didn't you just say not to hurt anyone?"
Gu Yuena looked at Bei Bei, puzzled.
"That was then, this is now."
"Shrek was Shrek in the past, but now..."
Bei Bei's expression was grave, his demeanor extremely serious.
Shrek?
He would change Shrek Academy's lofty attitude!
"Don't worry, I don't like Shrek Academy either. I'll give it my all!"
Seeing Bei Bei's expression, Gu Yuena responded.
Tang Ya and the others twitched at the corners of their eyes, their mouths slightly open, but they held back their words.
This Bei Bei, truly filial to the extreme!
A master of forgetting one's roots!
Friendly to the world, but throwing punches at Shrek Academy!
Most of the students at Liyue Academy had come from Shrek Academy, and they could understand Bei Bei's feelings.
It was the depth of love that led to the intensity of hatred!
Xuan Zi's performance in Shrek City had been deeply disappointed.
"Shrek, we can't go back. It's better for you to vanish into the dust of history!"
They thought to themselves.
When the audience and the other contestants learned that Liyue Academy's opponent today was Shrek Academy, they were all stunned.
Wasn't this a bit too obvious? Not even bothering to pretend with the draw!
Of course, such a draw was also welcomed. Who said strong teams had to meet in the final?
That would be the real cheating!
"Shrek Academy is done for. They were hoping to attract more new students with this tournament."
"Serves them right, for being so blind..."
"Shh, keep it down. Shrek Academy is ruined, but their people aren't dead yet..."
Hearing such comments, Xuan Zi, Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei'er, and others clenched their fists but remained silent.
Shrek had lost all its former glory.
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't been careless, Xiao Tao, Chen Zifeng, and the others wouldn't have ended up like this."
"If they were still here, this tournament would be a sure thing, alas~"
Xuan Zi sobbed, his voice heavy.
Cai Mei'er remained silent, her face dark. What was the point of saying this now?
Only Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something, his face brightening.
"Elder Xuan, Mei'er, we might not be Liyue Academy's match in individual battles, but our ranking won't be low."
"As long as we advance, in the team battles, Shrek still has a chance to win the championship!"
Hearing this, Xuan Zi and Cai Mei'er were stunned, looking at Yan Shaozhe in confusion.
Can't win in single combat, but can win in team battles?
"Elder Xuan, Mei'er, I'm not boasting!"
"I've read a document that recorded the entire process of how Ancestor Tang San and his team won the tournament."
"In one match, Ancestor Tang San, with only four rings, gathered the power of the Shrek Seven Monsters and actually used a Martial Soul True Body!"
As soon as Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, Wang Yan, standing nearby, frowned and said, "Dean, it's true that Ancestor Tang San used a Martial Soul True Body, but once the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill is activated, it could harm the user's soul..."
As a scholar, Wang Yan had also read that document.
The Seven-in-One Fusion Skill of Shrek Academy was an improvement by Master Yu Xiaogang, based on the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill of another academy.
It could combine the power of seven people, allowing one to temporarily use attacks beyond their soul power.
A group of Soul Ancestors using it could allow one to reach the strength of a Soul Sage, thus using a "pseudo" Martial Soul True Body.
But if done improperly, the Martial Soul could shatter, and the soul could be severely damaged!
Wang Yan's worried expression darkened Yan Shaozhe's face.
What business did this teacher speak up when he was talking?
Indeed, such problems might arise, but for the glory of Shrek Academy, was that really a problem?
In the original timeline, the Shrek team would do anything for Shrek's "glory," so it was normal for him to think this way.
Xuan Zi fell silent. He didn't want any more students to get hurt, but the glory of Shrek Academy...
"Shaozhe, you handle it. I'm old."
Xuan Zi shook his head and disappeared in an instant.
Yan Shaozhe: "…"
This old man just didn't want to take responsibility, that's all. Old? Pah!
"Shaozhe, if something really happens, how will we explain it to the students' parents?"
Cai Mei'er still has some conscience, her face filled with worry.
"Mei'er, I proposed this. If something happens, I'll take the blame. It has nothing to do with you or Elder Xuan."