100,000 gold soul coins! Sold!
With the fall of the auction hammer, the Soul-Devouring Inscription Knife was officially sold.
Seeing that the blade hadn't been passed over, the professional smile on the auctioneer's face gained a touch of genuine relief.
Inside, the cheongsam-clad auctioneer thought happily: Thank heavens someone made a bid in the last five seconds. If the Soul-Devouring Inscription Knife had been withdrawn, my performance record would've taken a hit. That was close—so close.
As an auctioneer, her pay was tied directly to successful transactions. The higher the final sale price, the larger her commission. If an item failed to sell, there were even penalties.
That was the last outcome she wanted to see.
Meanwhile, the soul engineers attending the auction were all a little stunned.
Some muttered:
"That cursed blade that devours its master, and someone actually dared to buy it? Truly not afraid of death."
Others scoffed:
"Must be another hot-headed youngster thinking he can subdue the Soul-Devouring Knife. Doesn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. Tired of living."
And some even laughed with their companions in their private rooms:
"I just want to see how long this new master lasts before the curse of the knife claims him."
While the guests were whispering, the auctioneer recovered her composure and announced with a smile:
"Congratulations to the honored guest who has acquired the Soul-Devouring Inscription Knife. Next item—a Grade-7 soul tool, the Storm Roar Cannon!"
Inside the private room…
Wang Chen was a little surprised that he'd secured the blade so easily.
He had expected competition.
So much so that he had gone out of his way to eat a little "soft rice," borrowing a staggering one million gold soul coins from the little rich girl, Meng Hongchen.
But in the end? Just 100,000 gold soul coins, and it was his. It felt like using a cannon to swat a mosquito.
Still, Wang Chen didn't consider being over-prepared a mistake. Having one million on hand was far from redundant.
That was just who he was—meticulous, unwilling to gamble on luck. If he had come with only 100,000 and someone else had joined the bidding, the knife could've slipped away.
Crying over regret afterward would've been far too late.
Exhaling softly, Wang Chen felt relief. His goal for this trip was achieved. All that remained was to finish the payment and take the knife back to the family estate.
In his heart, he thought: I'll return that one million to little Hongchen later. Who would've thought the Soul-Devouring Inscription Knife would be so unwanted in the Sun Moon Empire? Not a single soul engineer made a bid. What a steal.
And indeed, there was a reason no one here wanted it.
Those who might have needed such a blade were too weak to suppress it.
And the powerful soul engineers who could resist its curse already owned better inscription knives—they had no need for one that backfired on its wielder.
Thus, over the years, the Soul-Devouring Knife gradually became forgotten in the Sun Moon Empire.
Otherwise, with its power, the starting price never would've been a mere 100,000 gold soul coins.
Soon, the auction ended.
Before long, an attendant knocked politely and entered Wang Chen's room, carefully presenting the knife inside an ornate box.
"Honored guest," the attendant said, "this is the item you won—the Soul-Devouring Inscription Knife. Please inspect it. Once verified, the payment will complete the transfer.
"There are some precautions you should be aware of:
As long as neither soul power nor spiritual power is poured into it, the knife will not backfire against the owner.
It is recommended that you have someone standing by to guard you the first time you use it…"
Wang Chen listened calmly, examined the knife, and confirmed it was authentic.
Then he produced a card loaded with 100,000 gold soul coins and handed it over.
The attendant bowed deeply. "Congratulations, honored guest. From this moment, the Soul-Devouring Inscription Knife is yours.
"For your safety, we recommend departing through the private passage connected to this room—it offers the highest level of protection."
Truly, the Sun Moon Auction House took guest security seriously.
After the attendant left, Wang Chen stored the knife in his storage-type soul tool and lingered for a short while.
About fifteen minutes later, his two guards returned from their errands with the purchases he had sent them to collect.
"Young master," one said with a smile, "the items are all bought."
Wang Chen nodded, rose, and together they exited through the private passage.
Once outside, they boarded the soul tool vehicle and headed back toward the Wang Clan estate.
On the way, while gazing at the glittering lights of Mingdu, Wang Chen's mind was preoccupied: How should I remove the evil intent and curse sealed inside the Soul-Devouring Knife?
Flying soul tools would have been faster, but within Mingdu's central districts—where nobles and high officials resided—flight was forbidden.
Anyone foolish enough to hover about would instantly be arrested by the Soul Engineer Defense Corps.
Of course, if you were a Rank-9 soul engineer or some similarly powerful figure, rules didn't apply. Otherwise, best to stay low-key.
The vehicle sped through the city and soon returned to the Wang Clan residence.
After dismissing his guards, Wang Chen greeted his father and mother briefly, then went upstairs to his own room.
Once inside, he shut the door eagerly and placed the knife on the desk, beginning his careful study.
He followed the auctioneer's warnings closely, not infusing soul power or spirit power into it.
Even so, he could sense the lurking malice within the knife—an icy hostility that seemed eager to devour him.
From the original story, he knew why.
Three thousand years ago, its first master had been a terrifying figure: a Rank-9 soul engineer and a powerful evil soul master besides. He had imbued the blade with his malice and curse.
That was why every subsequent wielder faced its wrath.
Wang Chen considered two possible solutions:
Find a soul master with a holy-attribute martial soul. Using holiness to restrain evil, the curse could be purified, restoring the knife's true form.
Use the crystal mark function of his Golden Finger, the Black Book, to simulate or perfect a purification skill or technique—and then erase the curse himself.
His instincts leaned toward trying the second plan first.
The crystal mark worked by injecting spiritual power into it along with a recorded skill. Then it would simulate and refine it, potentially creating an advanced or perfected version.
The results depended on the potential of the skill, how incomplete it was, and how much spirit energy was invested.
The problem was—he didn't possess any purification skills. To his knowledge, no general-purpose purification abilities even existed on the entire Douluo Continent.
So his idea was to cobble together a crude, nonsensical "purification" skill—then let the Black Book refine it.
If the book didn't even recognize it as a valid skill, then this plan would be dead in the water.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and meditated all night, trying to create something.
But by dawn, his "skill" attempts were too laughable for the Black Book to accept. None were recorded.
When morning sunlight streamed in, Wang Chen opened his tired eyes with a sigh.
As expected, I'm no freakish prodigy. To create a skill that the Black Book would accept in just one night was never realistic anyway.
He turned his gaze to the Soul-Devouring Knife on the desk. Its aura of cold malice made his expression firm.
Giving up was not an option.
After all, this was no ordinary blade—it was forged from the legendary Life Gold.
Life Gold was a material so precious that it could aid even gods. The Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena had healed using it, and the Undead Holy Magister, Electrolux, had stabilized his divine sense with it.
For ordinary soul masters, the effects were even more dramatic: complete rebirth. Even a talentless waste could, after absorbing Life Gold, transform into a genius with the potential to become a god.
Stronger physique, surging vitality, dramatically extended lifespan—the benefits were endless.
If he could refine it, Wang Chen was sure his essence, energy, and spirit would transform.
Faster cultivation, the ability to absorb higher-year spirit rings, even his stamina for "night battles" would rise…
Faced with such gains, a little setback could never deter him.
Since the second plan had failed, he would move to the first.
He needed to find someone with a holy martial soul to purify the curse. The existence of Life Gold was unknown to the continent—there was no risk in seeking help.
He packed the blade away, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
In the original Peerless Tang Sect, he remembered clearly: in Mingdu, there was indeed a soul master with a holy attribute martial soul.
And not just any martial soul—it was the Angel itself.
One of the strongest of the strong, the Angel martial soul had incredible potential. It grew stronger by slaying evil soul masters, even allowing rapid breakthroughs when enough were killed.
In short: the more evil you slay, the stronger you become.
Wang Chen recalled carefully, then snapped his fingers.
Ye Guyi. Martial Soul: Angel.
She had first appeared during the Soul Engineer Tournament, brought in by Shangguan Wei'er—the leader of the Pingfan Alliance, one of Mingdu's three great underground forces—to help them win.
If Shangguan Wei'er had ties to Ye Guyi, then finding her meant dealing with the Pingfan Alliance.
Fortunately, Wang Chen knew quite a bit about Mingdu's underworld.
Three powers ruled it: the strongest, Xishui Alliance; the Pingfan Alliance; and the Aodu Chamber of Commerce.
The Pingfan Alliance controlled the city's sex industry—one of the most visible but still underground trades.
The Aodu Chamber specialized in killers, thieves, and other shadow trades: protection rackets, assassinations, theft.
The Xishui Alliance dealt in the most lucrative trades of all: drugs, arms, and even human trafficking.
All three had powerful backers.
Pingfan was supported by the high nobility.
Aodu was backed by the military.
Xishui, by none other than the Holy Spirit Cult.
Of the three, Xishui was the strongest.
Pingfan and Aodu were closer, faintly allied in resistance against Xishui's dominance.
As a marquis household, the Wang Clan naturally belonged to the nobility faction, giving Wang Chen indirect access to Pingfan's circle.
Especially with the family standing behind the Second Prince, finding the Pingfan Alliance wouldn't be hard.
Ye Guyi, Wang Chen thought with a sharp gleam in his eyes. It's decided—you're the one.