In short, aside from a few possible soul bones, the other items being auctioned, such as soul tools, were of no use whatsoever to Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen. That was obvious—after all, with a grandfather and a master who were both Rank 9 soul engineers and core members of the Mingde Hall, what advanced soul tool could possibly hold value to them? Even the famous Sun and Moon Divine Needle crafted by Ye Yulin, one of the most prestigious Rank 9 soul tools, could be obtained just by asking. That was the kind of backing they had.
As such, for several items after the first lot, both Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen barely spared a glance. Though many of them were Rank 7 or 8 soul tools of exceptional craftsmanship, neither of them had any need.
The Auspicious Beast, however, was drawn to one particular piece—a beautiful, sapphire-blue, ring-shaped Rank 8 storage-type soul tool. And so, our generous young masters, Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen, directly spent ten million gold soul coins to win the little Auspicious Beast a glittering ring made of starlight sapphire.
By now, the Auspicious Beast had firmly decided to stick with the two of them. 'What can I do? They're just too rich!' She proclaimed in her heart, 'From this day on, I, the mighty Emperor Beast, am officially a pampered pet of the human race!'
Finally, the auction brought out something that even Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen found interesting—something of truly significant value.
When the servant unveiled the cloth covering the item, the entire audience went completely still. Even Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen were not spared from the shock. The moment the item came into view, the Auspicious Beast paused her breath, her brow furrowing ever so slightly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, behold our ninth auction item. The number nine symbolizes the utmost nobility in our Sun Moon Empire, and so the value of this ninth lot must live up to its name—a soul bone. Moreover, it is an external soul bone. Behold: a 2,000-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion tailbone."
Gasps erupted throughout the entire auction hall.
A two-thousand-year soul bone, of the Ice Jade Scorpion species, and an external soul bone no less. Each of those factors alone was enough to set a hall ablaze. All three together? That was nothing short of a bombshell.
Huo Yuhao almost choked on his own saliva, while Meng Hongchen staggered and nearly slipped off the sofa.
'What the hell? A two-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion tailbone?'
The Ice Jade Scorpion was a royal species of the Extreme North. Its fame lay, first and foremost, in its overwhelming ice-type capabilities. Second, and equally terrifying, was its razor-sharp scorpion tail.
In the Extreme North, countless soul beasts had fallen victim to those deadly tails—known for their spear-like piercing force, whip-like flexibility, and ability to extend anywhere from half a meter to more than ten meters in length. A single millennia-old scorpion tail could launch dozens of stabbing strikes in a matter of seconds.
One could only imagine how much a soul master's melee combat prowess would be enhanced by fusing with such a tailbone.
"Yuhao, get that external soul bone. I'm telling you, when paired with your Ice Jade Empress Scorpion martial soul and me—the Ice Empress—the potential of this bone will far exceed your expectations."
The Ice Empress's urgent voice rang out in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Even though Huo Yuhao was still reeling from the shock of such a priceless treasure appearing at an auction, he understood well—there could be no soul bone more suitable for him than this.
The hostess of the auction smiled as she watched the crowd burst into amazed murmurs. The value of an external soul bone was undeniable, though the empire was willing to part with it because it was merely two thousand years old. Still, its value remained sky-high, and by selling it publicly, the royal family hoped to gain the loyalty of the northern nobles, uniting them behind the empire and helping the bone find a rightful northern owner—one who would put its power to work for the Sun Moon Empire.
"It seems everyone is quite stunned by our ninth auction item. So let's begin. Starting price: thirty million gold soul coins."
The moment her voice dropped, the hall exploded with chaotic bidding. Prices surged in a frenzy, and the hostess quickly found herself overwhelmed.
Just then, from one of the top-level VIP boxes, a crisp, mature female voice called out clearly,
"Fifty million gold soul coins."
The entire hall fell silent.
The soul bone was precious, no doubt, but no one had expected a VIP guest to immediately double the opening price. What competition was left after that? Many minor nobles shook their heads, sighing in defeat.
Still, a few were unwilling to give up. They desperately wanted the rare, universally compatible external soul bone to boost their strength. Bids climbed again, little by little, and the room gradually grew noisy once more.
Then, just as the hostess was beginning to panic, that same composed voice rang out again from the top VIP box.
"Eighty million gold soul coins."
Silence returned, absolute and total.
No one dared raise the price again. 'Is this a joke?' people thought. 'Who even bids like that?' Whoever was in that box wasn't just determined—they were practically declaring war. Whether you had money or not, nobody on the main floor dared to challenge such an aggressive player.
Even the hostess was startled. She wiped the sweat from her brow and cleared her throat.
"Ahem... it seems this esteemed guest is determined. Very well, eighty million going once, eighty million go—"
"One hundred million gold soul coins."
Everyone in the room:
". . ."
Another madman?!
You could hear a pin drop. All eyes turned toward the other box where the new voice had come from. This auction had taken a turn for the insane.
The moment that one-hundred-million bid rang out, the woman in the original box—who had called out eighty million—was fuming. 'Who the hell dares challenge me here?! Do you even know who I am?!'
Truth be told, for this noblewoman with high status in the north, one hundred million gold soul coins was a price she could afford—but if she paid it, she'd have no hope of bidding on any of the upcoming items.
She clenched her teeth. As someone with an ice-type martial soul, she coveted that external soul bone—king of the Extreme North species—as much as life itself. She'd thought victory was in the bag. But she hadn't expected someone else in this auction hall to be even crazier than her. How many forces in the northern territories could casually throw out a hundred million gold soul coins?
(End of Chapter)
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