Because Su Wen had joined Mingde Hall, his dorm had also been moved from the sixth-year dorms to the special dorms for Mingde Hall students. To be honest, compared to Shrek Academy, the dorms on the Sun Moon Empire's side were indeed a cut above.
At the very least, you wouldn't see the grand spectacle of a few hundred people fighting over the toilets…
Autumn wind blew bleak and cool. On both sides of the Sun Moon Imperial Royal Soul Engineer Academy's main avenue, rows of Maple Spirit Trees stood tall. Under each was a pile of swept-up, withered yellow maple leaves. Whenever a gust of wind blew past, they scattered and swirled, giving the scene a unique charm.
"Su Wen!"
Meng Hongchen stood under one of the Maple Spirit Trees in front of Su Wen's dorm building, a silver-white dress matching the color of her hair and eyes. She was on tiptoe in her little white shoes, waving vigorously at him.
She looked exactly like that white moonlight in countless people's dreams.
"Huh?"
Su Wen froze for a moment.
"Why aren't you back resting?"
"Today all the Mingde Hall teachers are on break, and Grandpa gave me two VIP tickets to the Mingdu Auction House. My brother went to Shrek for the exchange program, so… do you have time to go take a look with me?" Meng Hongchen clasped her hands behind her back, as if reciting some rehearsed line she'd practiced countless times. She stammered conspicuously.
Hmm…
Su Wen pursed his lips.
Why did this sound exactly like a little couple where one side bought an extra movie ticket as an excuse to invite the other out…?
"Sure."
He hesitated for a moment, then still nodded.
To condense a soul core, he naturally needed as many resources as possible. Since this was the top-tier auction in Mingdu, there definitely wouldn't be a shortage of good items. If he could win a treasure, it would be pure profit. If not, he could treat it as accompanying Miss Meng out for a stroll.
"Yay!"
Meng Hongchen raised two fingers in a victory sign, her pretty face full of excitement.
"I'll go grab something."
Su Wen pointed upstairs.
"Mhm, mhm!" It was the first time she'd successfully asked him out. Meng Hongchen kept nodding, lightly biting her red lip as she glanced around erratically, unable to suppress the joy in her eyes.
"Beep~"
As his dorm room door slid open—
Su Wen took off his Mingde Hall uniform and was just about to find a different set of clothes when a hand appeared, holding a finely made, complete black outfit out to him. Right after, a lazy face popped in through the crack of the wardrobe.
"Here. I went to buy this for you just yesterday. Since it's a date, at least put some effort in, okay? That girl spent half the day putting on makeup for you~"
"Na Na, you're still up?" Su Wen raised a brow as he took the clothes, looking them over.
"Mhmm."
Na Na leaned against the wardrobe, wearing only a bathrobe. The full, graceful curves of her body were vaguely outlined beneath the fabric.
She pushed Su Wen into the inner room. "Go on, try it."
"…"
A few minutes later.
As Su Wen stepped out, Na Na's face was full of genuine surprise. "Not bad! I didn't expect you to look this handsome with clothes on."
"So I'm not handsome without clothes?" Su Wen arched a brow.
"Without—" Na Na's lips curled. Her fingertip lightly traced across his chest, and a wave of heat rose in Su Wen's body. This little girl was getting bolder and bolder. He had no idea where she'd learned these tricks.
Or maybe… some kind of natural talent had finally broken free of its shackles.
Born to be a maid?
…
Downstairs.
The two of them took a carriage together toward Mingdu's core district.
Funny thing was, the Sun Moon Empire was the country with the most widespread use of soul tools on the entire continent, and Mingdu was the peak of that… yet the main transportation on its streets was still carriages…
All along the way, Meng Hongchen couldn't stop stealing surprised glances.
Clearly, she was shocked by the usually sloppy Su Wen suddenly appearing in formalwear. Combined with his handsome features, he was absolutely slaughtering on sight.
In the past, relying on that face alone, he'd been picked up out of the Star Dou Forest and brought back to Shrek Academy by Ma Xiaotao. Su Wen had genuinely thought it was thanks to his combat results. But in reality, this kind of thing also depended heavily on one's… model.
Inside the carriage, the light was dim.
Meng Hongchen rested her chin in her hand, staring obsessively at Su Wen's side profile. The youth had his chin slightly lifted. The faint lamp glow drew smooth lines along his face; a few strands of tea-brown hair fell casually across his forehead. Under his sword-shaped brows was a pair of amber eyes. Within them shone a starry brilliance so dazzling that it almost snared the girl's very soul.
"Miss, we've arrived."
The coachman's voice came from outside.
"Gulp…"
Meng Hongchen swallowed guiltily, like a thief whose crime had just been discovered.
Only then did she hurry to straighten the hem of her dress.
This was Mingdu's core district. Not far away was the imperial palace. People flowed back and forth in an endless stream, and judging from their attire alone, none of them were ordinary. Meng Hongchen led Su Wen straight into a magnificently decorated building.
After the attendants checked their tickets, they were invited in with great respect.
Following the golden-patterned floor, they stepped into a vast hall. Unlike the Star Luo Empire's auction house, there were no independent VIP rooms here. Even at the top-tier auction, the most they would give you was a seat in the front row…
Su Wen's appearance immediately drew the eyes of quite a few noble ladies. Even with Meng Hongchen by his side glaring at them one by one, she could barely hold back their scorching gazes.
They practically wanted to eat him alive on the spot.
For this kind of handsome youth, calling him a "noble lady killer" was no exaggeration.
But in the next instant, Su Wen took Meng Hongchen's hand, his body leaning slightly toward her as he looked down with a faint, gentle smile.
"Buzz…"
Meng Hongchen's brain blue-screened. She stared blankly at Su Wen, white steam practically rising from the top of her head, her eyes filled entirely with his reflection.
Only when the auction host's voice rang out did the ambiguous atmosphere between them finally break.
"Ahem, ahem…"
Meng Hongchen hurriedly turned away—but her hand still clutched his tightly, unwilling to let go.
"Honored guests, welcome to the Mingdu Royal Auction House. Today is our once-a-year Ninth-Level Auction. I won't say any more nonsense—I hope each of you can enjoy yourselves."
The host was an old man with white hair tied into a wolf tail. He wore a specially designed formal suit; even his beard stubble had been meticulously trimmed. With a kindly smile, he looked over the crowd.
"Ninth-Level Auction?" Su Wen murmured in surprise.
"The Mingdu Royal Auction House is simply divided into levels one through nine. Ninth-level is naturally the highest—held once a year. None of the items that appear here are below a ninth-level soul tool." Meng Hongchen covered her mouth and explained softly.
"How has… Hallmaster Hongchen been recently?" Su Wen made small talk without much thought.
"Not good! Really not good!" Meng Hongchen pouted, her face filled with indignation. "Grandpa was completely screwed over by those traitors in Mingde Hall. That lab was one of the most important core labs in the entire Sun Moon Empire. A lot of data was stored there and didn't have time to be backed up. Not to mention there was also…"
She suddenly remembered something, hesitated, but still continued, "I'll tell you, but you can't spread it around, okay? One of the Sun Moon Empire's most core research projects was also being conducted in that lab. They say the Body Sect people came precisely for it. But after Mingde Hall combed through the ruins over and over, they found that thing wasn't destroyed by any soul tool shells detonated there, and it wasn't taken away by the Body Sect either. It vanished long before that…"
"Because they never found any trace of its remains."
"So a lot of people think it was done by a high-level insider. After all, to move that thing out without anyone noticing, only core high-level personnel could possibly do it. Grandpa became one of the first suspects. Right now he might not even be able to keep his position as Mingde Hall's hallmaster."
"Damn traitor! If this young lady ever catches you, I'll tear you into eight pieces!" Meng Hongchen huffed angrily.
"…"
Su Wen's expression turned odd.
Looked like his own operation had helped completely clear Xuan Ziwen of suspicion instead.
Because according to Meng Hongchen, the Sun Moon Empire's list of suspects had to be internal top brass—and not just any high-level, but those in charge of Mingde Hall's very core, bigshots on Mirror Hongchen's level.
Aside from the "anchor" Kong Deming, the others like Jing Hongchen, Ye Yulin, and even the commanders of the royal soul engineer legions stationed around Mingdu were all prime suspects.
Xuan Ziwen, on the other hand, was simply too weak and too low-ranked. He was directly ignored.
"Hallmaster Hongchen will be fine." Su Wen comforted her softly.
"Mhm, you're the best," Meng Hongchen giggled foolishly, swinging their joined hands.
Even though Grandpa was under investigation, her own circumstances hadn't changed much.
Even if Jing Hongchen was stripped of his hallmaster position, his foundation remained. Even if he stepped down for a while, it wouldn't be hard to climb back up. His influence in Mingde Hall was unrivaled. It was like a certain regiment commander surnamed Li— even if he became the mess hall captain, he'd still be the one commanding the entire regiment.
This was the Douluo world. Strength was supreme. Authority was largely propped up by one's own power, unlike in Su Wen's previous life, where once you left the power structure, you'd be like a fish on the chopping board, never to flip over again…
"The first item: the Dark Star Bulwark." As he spoke, the wolf-tailed old man signaled a maid to carry forth a metal tray and lift the red cloth on it, revealing a deep-purple wristguard.
"The entire piece is forged from Starfall Meteor Iron. Once activated, it forms an absolute defensive field with a diameter of one hundred meters, able to negate a full-force strike from any Title Douluo below rank ninety-five. Note: at full soul power, it can 'automatically' reflect seventy percent of incoming attacks."
"Starting price… ten million gold soul coins."
"Gentlemen and ladies, please!"
The old man raised a small hammer and tapped it lightly against the auction table.
"Twelve million!"
"Thirteen million…"
Watching the price quickly rocket past fifteen million, Su Wen touched his chin.
This thing was a bit similar to Hongchen's Blessing, but its functions were more complex and its level clearly higher. If Hongchen's Blessing was a pseudo ninth-level, then this would be a solid mid-tier ninth-level soul tool.
"Too expensive…"
Su Wen clicked his tongue.
Still, the fact that a soul tool like this—which was practically priceless outside—could be openly put up for auction here showed just how valuable this Ninth-Level Auction was. It also made him more expectations for the items to come.
"The second item is something that can't be brought onto the stage, so we'll only be presenting images of it to you honored guests." The old man smiled as he gestured. The massive screen behind the platform lit up, displaying several rotating images.
"Wow~"
Gasps of surprise rippled through the hall.
Even Su Wen's expression grew a little serious.
The image was of a colossal object, pushing through fog and thick cloud in a gloomy, overcast sea. Only part of its body could be seen, but its sleek hull lines were clear. From various angles, its whole shape could be assembled in one's mind—like a giant blue whale in the deep sea. If it had been in the past, Su Wen would've been completely confused. But now that he'd been exposed to the Sun Moon Empire's cutting-edge soul tools, he could vaguely guess…
The core of its technology could be summed up in four words: Bionic Technology.
Sure enough, the old man smiled.
"This is the empire's newly developed warship: the Abyssal Stealth Submarine. It optimizes the flaws of the previous generation of battleships, increasing speed up to two thousand nautical miles, reducing energy consumption, and boosting defense to the point of projecting an energy shield with a diameter of three hundred meters. It would take the full-force coordinated assault of at least three ninth-level soul engineers to break through. Maximum dive depth: thirty thousand meters…"
"Of course, its flaws are also obvious."
The old man shrugged. "It has almost no offensive power. When faced with true deep-sea beasts, all it can do is run for its life. What's more, its energy supply comes from… ahem, the lava-spring companion ores on the seabed. Those are found only at true ocean depths. The few offshore deposits near the Sun Moon Empire have already been mined dry…"
"In other words, it looks good but isn't very useful?" someone bluntly commented.
"Not necessarily…" The old man looked a bit embarrassed.
"What if we discover more of those mineral veins along our coasts one day? This big fellow's performance is several times that of the old battleships—in speed, defense, and transport capacity…"
"Without fuel, it's just a pile of scrap metal. Mingde Hall's bionic research rejects that got scrapped, and you actually brought it here for auction? And at the highest-level auction, no less? Isn't that a waste of a slot?" That person spoke sharply and righteously.
"Ehh…" The old man let out a bitter laugh, but still continued: "The starting price… has been reduced from five million to three million. Please, everyone, continue."
"Five million!"
The man didn't even wait for him to finish before shouting a bid.
Su Wen: "…"
So you were just haggling from the start, huh.
Still, jokes aside, bionic technology was indeed the Sun Moon Empire's current frontier. Though it was showing signs of being replaced by artificial soul tools, its role across various aspects of soul tool research remained significant.
This Abyssal Stealth Submarine, in particular, had excellent accomplishments in its mimicry systems and bionic design.
Of course, no one here was really counting on it to actually move.
"To reach that sort of insane speed underwater…" Su Wen pondered. If the final price stayed under ten million, he might actually consider it. The deep sea was still a region that humanity had yet to truly set foot in during this era.
And if he remembered right, tens of thousands of years in the future, there would be that Demon Soul Great White Shark Princess named Bai XiuXiu. Under Tang San's little sandboxed rule set, perhaps he could visit Sea God Island one day…
"Six million."
Su Wen said quietly.
At once, several surprised looks fell on him.
In their eyes, this young man was probably just a "pretty boy" sitting here by virtue of Meng Hongchen, Hallmaster Hongchen's granddaughter. But to calmly call out six million without even blinking… he clearly wasn't simple.
"Seven million!" The earlier man glanced at Su Wen with a frown and continued to bid.
"Ten million."
"Hiss…"
The man's expression twisted in shock. He drew in a sharp breath.
He studied Su Wen's still-calm face for a long moment before shaking his head helplessly and giving up.
Others were tempted as well, but once the price jumped to ten million, it was a bit much…
"Ten million, sold!"
The wolf-tailed old man cast a smiling glance at Su Wen.
Who cared who he was? As long as the item sold, it was a good day.
Besides, the fact that Mingde Hall dared to put this on the block to clear it out meant they were already prepared for it to leave the Sun Moon Empire.
Not his concern…
"Let's go for a ride at sea!" Meng Hongchen cooed playfully.
"I'll chip in five million. Let's count this warship as ours together, okay?"
"Sure."
With a little rich lady sharing the burden, Su Wen grinned and nodded.
"Next is an item, uh… called the Soul-Devouring Blade, a ninth-level offensive soul tool. Its blade is carved with a Blood Erosion Array, and its characteristic is that it will recognize one and only one master for life. Furthermore… for each person it kills, it will imprison that person's soul within, increasing its power by one percent, up to a maximum of one hundred percent." The wolf-tailed old man's brows furrowed deeper with each line he read.
"Starting price: ten million gold soul coins."
It was clearly a soul tool forged specifically for evil soul masters.
The hall fell deadly silent.
"Hehehe… Since it's a product of Mingde Hall, I'll take it off your hands…" In the front row, a lean middle-aged man in a black cloak gave a chilling laugh. He raised his hand. "Eleven million."
Su Wen's expression remained flat as he turned slightly, his gaze landing on the man.
The man's cold eyes moved as well, resting on Su Wen. When he saw the young man looking, his lips curled ever so slightly in a provocative smirk.
A certain elder? Or one of the worshippers?
Su Wen withdrew his gaze without a sound.
"Soul tools like this show up at auctions all the time and always end up in those guys' hands. I asked Grandpa once. He said there's nothing we can do. Right now the Sun Moon Empire has to cooperate with them. We can't break away…" Meng Hongchen whispered, her willow brows drawn together.
"Mhm."
Su Wen nodded, his mind already turning.
He thought a long while, then still shook his head.
He knew why Long Xiaoyao had come looking for him.
If he pushed things too far and forced Ye Xishui to make a move, it would be troublesome. He still didn't have combat strength on par with an Ultimate Douluo. If those sewer-dwelling rats wanted to jump around for a while longer, let them.
…