"Sorry, dear guest, but as it's your first time at Starlight Auction House, you cannot participate in the auction. We need to evaluate your assets."
Well, so much for experiencing the auction.
Lin Xiao hadn't expected to be stopped, but upon reflection, he vaguely recalled something about this in his memories. Those with special identities could enter directly, but he clearly didn't fall into that category.
"How do you conduct the evaluation, and how long will it take?"
The red-dressed girl in front of Lin Xiao maintained an exceptionally friendly demeanor. Though it was his first visit, anyone who could enter was a potential client.
"If you don't mind, sir, you can register your background and family details. It takes about half a month for verification. Once confirmed, you'll be able to participate in the auction."
Family details?
Lin Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly.
If he truthfully reported his connection to the Holy Spirit Cult, he'd probably be arrested on the spot.
"Is there a faster way?"
"Well…" The girl paused briefly. "If I may be so bold, may I ask about your cultivation level? If your cultivation meets the requirements, you can participate directly."
As expected, this was a world that valued strength above all. Here, cultivation itself was a form of wealth.
"Alright. What's the requirement?"
"The items we auction here require at least Soul King cultivation to use, so only soul masters with a soul power level of 50 or above can directly enter the auction."
"Got it." Lin Xiao nodded. "Where do I test my soul power level?"
"No need, no need!" The girl's attitude grew even more respectful upon hearing his response. From his words, it was clear his cultivation was at least that of a Soul King. In the Holy Spirit Cult, this wouldn't even qualify for the Soul Ascension Ceremony, but out here, it was enough to establish a small sect.
"If you don't mind, please follow me. Displaying your soul rings will suffice."
Lin Xiao started to rise but paused briefly. "I'd prefer to test my soul power level."
His soul rings weren't exactly convenient to show to others.
"Very well, please come this way." The girl didn't press further. Some soul masters had unique Martial Souls they preferred not to reveal, and the auction house naturally had alternative methods.
"Soul power level… 69?"
In a secluded room, the staff member responsible for testing soul power levels at Starlight Auction House stared at the crystal ball glowing with deep blue light, then glanced up at Lin Xiao.
Just one step away from Soul Sage, and he didn't even look thirty yet.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, sir. Here's your tag. You can enter the auction hall directly."
Lin Xiao took the tag and glanced at it. Aside from some patterns, the most prominent feature was the number 13, which seemed to indicate a relatively high priority. He wasn't sure how they assigned these.
"Thank you both."
"No trouble at all, sir. Please, this way." The girl who had escorted him quickly gestured for him to proceed.
Lin Xiao didn't linger and followed her into the auction hall.
"Fifty thousand gold soul coins—"
"I bid eighty thousand—"
The qualification process had delayed him slightly, and by the time Lin Xiao entered the auction hall, bids were already ringing out one after another. Almost everyone's attention was fixed on the auction item, and few noticed his arrival.
Glancing at the stage, he saw what appeared to be the fur of some soul beast. Lin Xiao frowned slightly and found his seat, number 13.
Judging by the bids, the item he was interested in hadn't appeared yet. However, this auction didn't seem to be related to soul tools, so there was no guarantee his target would show up.
"One hundred thousand. My father is out fighting battles, and this would make a fine cloak to keep him warm."
A somewhat youthful voice suddenly echoed through the hall. Lin Xiao turned his head slightly and saw a young boy speaking, flanked by two guards exuding a strong aura of menace.
At these words, the auction hall fell silent for a moment.
The fur of a soul beast was already heavily overpriced at eighty thousand gold soul coins. To jump to one hundred thousand in one bid—this bidder's status was likely extraordinary, and others lost the will to compete.
Lin Xiao didn't pay much attention. He leaned back in his chair, feeling the soft cushioning, and closed his eyes slightly, listening to the auctioneer introduce the next items.
As expected, this auction wasn't focused on soul tools. By the time the final item was presented, not a single soul tool had appeared.
It seemed he'd have to stay in Star Luo City for a while.
Lin Xiao was already preparing to leave.
But just then, the auctioneer on the stage spoke again.
"Please, esteemed guests, stay a moment. Although the final item of this auction has been sold, Starlight Auction House has prepared a special mystery item for you all."
The auctioneer spoke with enthusiasm, but the audience showed little interest. Some people had already started to leave.
Lin Xiao glanced around curiously. Not far away, the boy who had spoken earlier voiced the question on his mind.
"Didn't they say there's a mystery item? Why is everyone leaving?"
"Young Master, you may not know," one of the boy's guards leaned down slightly, "the mystery item at Starlight Auction House is a carving knife. Rumor has it they acquired it for three hundred thousand gold soul coins."
"But that carving knife has significant flaws and could even cause its owner's death. As a result, it's never been successfully auctioned. Starlight Auction House doesn't want to take a loss, so they've been bringing it to various auction halls, presenting it as a mystery item to try and sell it."
Though the guard spoke in a hushed tone, Lin Xiao's cultivation allowed him to hear clearly. His gaze shifted to the stage, where, as expected, the auctioneer had begun her introduction.
"…And that's the situation regarding this Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife. Starting bid: one hundred thousand gold soul coins."
"The starting bid dropped again?"
"Yeah, last time I was here, it was still one hundred twenty thousand."
"Didn't expect Starlight Auction House to misjudge something like this…"
Murmurs of discussion rose from the audience. The auctioneer on stage heard them clearly but maintained a strained smile.
As an auctioneer, how could she not be aware of the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife's flaws?
"Esteemed guests, Starlight Auction House guarantees that as long as you don't infuse soul power into the carving knife, it won't backlash against its owner. Though it cannot be used, as the ninety-ninth ranked carving knife on the list, it's still an exceptional collectible."
The auctioneer did her best to keep the audience engaged, but most had already left. Even the boy who had thrown around money earlier shook his head after a glance and left with his entourage.
"May I take a closer look?"
Just as the auctioneer thought the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife was about to go unsold again, a voice suddenly rang out.