Ante City.
This place was only half a day's journey from Kuike City.
When Tang San and his group entered the city, they heard about the auction in Kuike City.
"Should we go take a look? Maybe we can buy something that will help us with our sea voyage," Dai Mubai suggested.
If they hurried, they could reach Kuike City within an hour.
Tang San shook his head. "Let's keep moving."
Their funds were limited, and they didn't even know how much it would cost to rent a ship to Sea God Island!
Tang Xiao also didn't want any complications.
"Xiao San is right. A large-scale auction like this attracts most of the nobles and wealthy merchants in the empire. This place is close to Hanhai City. If our identities are exposed, we'll have to wait until things calm down before heading to Sea God Island."
---
As the guests gradually took their seats, the auction officially began.
The large-scale auction was jointly hosted by two experienced auctioneers.
The two auctioneers introduced themselves to the guests and then delivered their opening remarks.
"Thank you all for attending. Without further ado, let's present our first item."
A staff member pushed a small cart onto the auction stage. The item on the cart was covered by a red cloth.
The auctioneer lifted the red cloth, revealing the item underneath.
"Guests who are sea soul masters should be familiar with the use of this item."
"Is this a snowboard?" Ning Rongrong asked.
Back in the frigid Arctic Plains, Ning Tianchen had made similar boards out of wood. However, this board was clearly larger and longer.
"It's a surfboard," Ning Tianchen explained. "It's used to glide across ocean waves."
The items at this auction were all high-end goods. How could an ordinary surfboard appear here?
Before he could think further, one of the auctioneers explained, "This is a soul tool that resembles a surfboard. By infusing soul power into it, one can travel quickly across the sea and surf—it's a rare and unique toy."
"The starting bid is 50,000 gold soul coins, with each increment no less than 1,000 gold soul coins!"
Inside the private box, Ning Tianchen instructed, "You can bid directly if it stays below 70,000 gold soul coins."
They would soon need to embark on a long sea voyage, and this soul tool surfboard could prove highly effective.
Most of the guests were land-based soul masters and weren't very interested in a 50,000 gold soul coin toy meant for surfing in the ocean.
As for sea soul masters, they already had excellent swimming abilities, and using a regular surfboard still provided a good experience.
Moreover, not all sea soul masters enjoyed surfing.
Seeing the auction about to fall flat, the auctioneer was just about to declare the item unsold when Feng Xiaotian called out a bid: "50,000 gold soul coins!"
Afraid he might change his mind, the auctioneer immediately brought down the gavel and announced the result.
"Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Box No. 2. The guest in Box No. 2 will now select the number of the next item."
Before the auction began, the staff handed each guest a catalog containing the numbers of the auctioned items.
"Sixty-six for good luck!" Oscar said.
Soon, the staff retrieved item No. 66 from storage, placed it on a tray, and handed it to the auctioneer.
The two auctioneers on stage exclaimed, "It seems the guest in Box No. 2 has good luck—they've selected an extremely valuable item. In previous large auctions, this item would have been the final highlight."
As they spoke, the auctioneer lifted the red cloth.
On the tray was an object shaped like a right arm bone. It looked like a soul bone but didn't emit the characteristic soul fluctuations of one.
The guests exchanged glances, assuming it was a deactivated arm soul bone.
"Another soul tool?" Ning Tianchen guessed.
Seeing that they had piqued the guests' curiosity, the auctioneer finally introduced the item: "This object resembles a soul bone but isn't one—it's an offensive-type soul tool."
"According to the seller, this item was created tens of thousands of years ago by a soul tool master using a soul bone as the base."
"When strapped to the arm and infused with soul power, it can launch attacks comparable to those of a Soul Emperor."
"Most importantly, with proper maintenance, this item isn't disposable—it can be used repeatedly over a long period."
"The starting bid is 1 million gold soul coins, with each increment no less than 50,000 gold soul coins. Bidding begins now."
Ning Tianchen felt a slight interest in this soul tool.
Though its attacks were only at the level of a Soul Emperor—useless for them—it held significant research value.
Currently, Lou Gao and others were making slow progress in researching soul tools, and none of the designs in their blueprints had been successfully produced yet.
Obtaining a ready-made offensive soul tool would allow for reverse engineering.
However, the price was too high—it wasn't worth it.
After all, they were about to head to the Sun and Moon Continent.
soul tool technology had never been lost there, and they could purchase the desired technology at a much lower price.
With this in mind, Ning Tianchen decided to abandon the bidding.
In the end, this soul tool was purchased by the Dragon-Serpent Family for 1.4 million gold soul coins. Dragon Duke likely bought it for his granddaughter.
However, the Dragon-Serpent Family wasn't wealthy. After purchasing this soul tool, they wouldn't be able to afford other items later.
The next few dozen items were all quite ordinary for Ning Tianchen.
---
The auction began in the afternoon and quickly moved into the evening.
Having found nothing of interest, Ning Tianchen and his group dozed off in their private box.
Suddenly, the auctioneer exclaimed, "Congratulations to the guest in seat 67, row 3—you've selected another high-value item from this auction."
Ning Tianchen became interested and opened his eyes to look at the auction stage.
Once the red cloth was lifted, the true form of the item was revealed.
It was a medicinal herb exuding a radiant aura. Its quality had reached the level of a celestial herb.
"Unfortunately, due to improper storage, this celestial herb has withered, and its potency has been weakened," Ning Tianchen sighed softly.
This item was called the Radiant Fairy Silk Flower, one of the items listed in the note Guangling Douluo had given him.
The auctioneer enthusiastically introduced it: "Soul masters with light-type martial souls can rapidly increase their strength after consuming it."
"The starting bid is 800,000 gold soul coins, with each increment no less than 50,000 gold soul coins."
Light-attribute soul masters were already rare on the continent. Additionally, only two high-value items had appeared since the start of the auction, so the guests weren't willing to spend money on a celestial herb that offered little personal benefit.
In the end, it was purchased by Guangling Douluo for 1.05 million gold soul coins.
Guangling Douluo casually called out a number, and another high-value item was revealed.
"This is a six-thousand-year torso soul bone from a Sharktooth Dragon."
The Sharktooth Dragon was an exceptionally fierce soul beast, though it had been extinct on the continent for 5,000 years.
This soul bone was likely the only one currently available on the market.
"Go all out to secure it!" Ning Tianchen resolved.
Whether absorbed by Feng Xiaotian or stored in the sect's treasury, this soul bone was an excellent choice.
"The starting bid is 3 million gold soul coins, with each increment no less than 200,000 gold soul coins."
The torso soul bone was the most important type of soul bone for a soul master. With a cultivation age of 6,000 years, it was among the finest of the finest.
Thus, the bidding became fiercely competitive.
"3.2 million gold soul coins."
"3.6 million gold soul coins."
"4 million gold soul coins."
"4.9 million gold soul coins."
In just a few breaths, the value of the soul bone reached an astonishing height.
"The maximum value of a 60,000-year torso soul bone is around 7 million gold soul coins," Ning Tianchen mused, stroking his chin.
However, since the Sharktooth Dragon was an extinct soul beast, the value of its soul bone would naturally be higher.
Ning Rongrong sighed bitterly. "We didn't bring much money on this trip. If we bid on this soul bone, we won't have enough left for other high-value items. Don't forget, we still need money to rent a ship for our sea voyage."
"Keep 1 million gold soul coins aside, and pay the rest with soul bones," Ning Tianchen proposed.
The auction house accepted barter trades, and he happened to have plenty of soul bones on hand.
No one objected.
The value of berserk-type soul bones was inherently low, so trading them for other soul bones wasn't a bad deal.
Ning Tianchen raised his bidding paddle. "One forty-thousand-year torso soul bone from a Gale Demon Wolf, plus two million gold soul coins."
A forty-thousand-year soul bone was worth around four million gold soul coins, so Ning Tianchen's bid effectively reached six million.
Upon hearing the bid, the entire venue erupted in murmurs as all eyes turned toward him.
Using soul bones as currency to trade for another soul bone—this was truly a grand gesture.
"Friend, I'll offer you 4.5 million gold soul coins for that torso soul bone. How about it?"
The guest from Box No. 13 knocked on their door.
Of the two remaining torso soul bones in Ning Tianchen's possession, both were forty-thousand-year ones. Keeping one to bring back to the sect would suffice.
Such private transactions were not prohibited by the auction house.
"Accept the offer," Ning Rongrong advised. "The auction house will buy it for at most four million."
Ning Tianchen nodded, and the two parties quickly finalized the deal.
The guest from Box No. 13 took the soul bone and immediately left the auction hall.
For him, his funds were insufficient to compete for the sixty-thousand-year torso soul bone, so settling for a forty-thousand-year one was still a good option.
"Six point two million!" another guest called out a bid.
After completing the transaction, Ning Tianchen now had ample funds and no longer needed to use soul bones as payment.
"Six point nine million!" Ning Tianchen increased the bid by seven hundred thousand in one go.
Each increment had to be no less than two hundred thousand gold soul coins. Bidding over seven million for a sixty-thousand-year torso soul bone required serious consideration.
"He probably won't raise the bid again," Oscar said nervously.
The guest from Box No. 1, who had been competing with them, fell into deep thought.
This was only the third high-value item, and the price was already nearing seven million gold soul coins. There were still other valuable items to come, making future competition difficult.
Moreover, obtaining soul bones wasn't his primary goal this time.
Seeing no further bids, the auctioneer announced, "Congratulations to the guest in Box No. 2."
Just as the gavel was about to fall, a guest seated in the first row of the auction hall called out a new bid: "Seven point two million gold soul coins."
The auction house's rules didn't explicitly state that once the auctioneer announced a winner, the item's ownership was final.
Even if the gavel had fallen, as long as the item hadn't been removed from the stage, anyone could continue bidding.
"Who is this guy?!" Chen Huayu exclaimed angrily.
They had already sold one soul bone. If they failed to secure this one, it would be a significant loss.
Feng Xiaotian frowned. "It's a count from the empire. This guy was transferred from Tiandou City to the northern part of the empire over a decade ago—I didn't expect him to be so wealthy!"
"Looks like he hasn't spared the commoners," Zhu Zhuqing sneered.
At this moment, discussing whether he was corrupt or not was meaningless.
"Seven point five million is my limit," Ning Tianchen furrowed his brow. "Bid seven point four million. If he raises it again, we'll stop."
After the price was called out, the count's expression changed slightly. He glared at Box No. 2 before stopping his bids.
The matter was settled!
Without hesitation, Ning Tianchen immediately went backstage to purchase the previously won items and this soul bone, avoiding any unnecessary delays.
---
The auction continued until the early hours of the next morning.
Out of the ten high-value items, Ning Tianchen's group successfully acquired two.
One was a sixty-thousand-year torso soul bone, and the other was a large-scale domain-type soul tool.
The purpose of the domain-type soul tool was for the sect's defense.
When activated, the device would unleash a domain that suppressed the movement abilities of enemies within its range.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect also possessed such a soul tool, though it had significant limitations.
Once activated, the device couldn't be moved, and it required multiple people to continuously infuse it with soul power to maintain its function.
Thus, its value was only two million gold soul coins, which was within an acceptable range.
Notably, Ning Tianchen also purchased two ten-thousand-year soul bones.
Before departing, Ning Tianchen bought a storage-type soul tool bracelet and stored the soul bones and the domain device inside. Given the unpredictable risks of a long sea voyage, he planned to entrust these items to disciples from the intelligence department to transport back to the sect.
However, Ning Tianchen kept a thousand-year soul bone with him.
On the Sun and Moon Continent, where currency might not be accepted, soul bones could quickly be converted into cash.
After leaving the auction house, everyone returned to the hotel to rest for the night. Early the next morning, they set off for Hanhai City.
On the carriage, Oscar explained, "Tianchen, the intelligence department disciples should have gone to Hanhai City. We'll meet up with them there."
Ning Tianchen nodded.
He sealed the newly purchased soul tool bracelet with his spiritual energy.
Inside were more than a dozen soul bones, with a total value of ten million gold soul coins. If an ordinary intelligence disciple saw them, they might develop greedy thoughts, leading to unnecessary trouble.
However, Dugu Bo could easily unlock his spiritual seal.
Once brought back to the sect, Dugu Bo would handle the contents appropriately.
As the carriage gradually approached Hanhai City, the salty fragrance in the air grew stronger.
Everyone even rolled up all the carriage curtains to embrace the ocean breeze.
For them, this was their first visit to a coastal city, and they were about to see the ocean for the first time. Their hearts were filled with anticipation.
Meanwhile, Tang San's group had arrived in Hanhai City ahead of them.
They stayed in a hotel in Hanhai City, and under Tang San's arrangement, split into pairs to search the city for ships willing to take them to the Sea God Island.
Tang Xiao accompanied Tang San.
Tang Xiao expressed some concern. "Sea soul masters worship the Sea God. After the Spirit Hall's battle with the Sea God Island years ago, the island became a forbidden zone for land-based soul masters. I'm worried no ship will agree to take you there."
"Most importantly, there are pirates in the sea. An attack by pirates would be a major problem for you."
Troubles were already piling up, but Tang San had long since come to terms with them. "Uncle, don't worry too much before setting sail. Things will work themselves out when the time comes."
In his view, defending against pirates was the captain's responsibility—it wasn't their concern.
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