Above the Sky Screen, light and shadow flow.
On the left, in the Black World scene, the Shrek reserve team is preparing intensely for the loop race; on the right, in the White World scene, the Sun Moon Team has just finished their loop race.
At the same time, auctions in both Worlds are about to begin.
Shrek Team's stunning performance in the playoffs made this young team memorable to everyone. However, the real test has only just begun.
[After the draw for the round of 16 was announced, Teacher Wang Yan gathered everyone together. He looked more relaxed than a few days ago, but his brow was still furrowed.]
"First match, against Star Luo Empire's advanced Soul Engineer academy." Teacher Wang Yan wrote the opponent's name on the tactics board. "The good news is, this is a Soul Engineer academy."
Bei Bei raised an eyebrow: " Soul Engineer Academy? Isn't that Sun Moon Empire's forte?"
" Outside the Sun Moon Empire," Teacher Wang Yan adjusted his glasses, " the Soul Engineer academies of the former Douluo Three Kingdoms were generally not very strong. This Yunluo Academy, established only twenty years ago, has a strongest member who is only at the Fourth Ring level."
[And this draw happens to be a one-on-one elimination tournament, which is perfect for you!]
[ Xu Sanshi grinned: "Then why bother fighting? I'm enough on my own, I'm the best fit."]
Teacher Wang Yan didn't deny his confidence, but simply said, "Then you can go first."
On the day of the match, the ring was packed with spectators. The Shrek Team name made the match highly anticipated. However, when Xu Sanshi walked into the ring alone, everyone was stunned.
"It's such a pity that Huo Yuhao didn't participate. I wanted to see if his six 100,000-year spirit rings were real!"
"Use your smooth head to think, how could someone break through the sixth ring at the age of thirteen or fourteen? And all of them have a hundred-thousand-year-old spirit ring, how is that possible?"
"Sigh! I know it's impossible for Dao, but that's Shrek Academy, after all. They must have some special methods."
"No matter how Shrek is, he can't go against reality!"
Xu Sanshi stood in the center of the ring, unleashing the Xuanming Turtle Spirit. His entire body was covered in black turtle shells, radiating a calm and powerful aura. His opponent was a Fourth Ring... The Soul Engineer turned pale upon seeing Xu Sanshi's stance.
[The match begins. The opponent unleashes several offensive spirit tools, attempting to create distance for long-range attacks. But Xu Sanshi gives him no chance—First Spirit Ability, Xuanming Tremor! A stomp causes the ring to tremble, throwing the opponent off balance; Second Spirit Ability, Xuanming Shield! The tortoise shell expands, blocking all attacks; Third Spirit Ability, Xuanming Power! A punch sends the opponent flying off the ring.]
The entire process took less than two minutes.
[The second and third matches were also extremely fast-paced, and Xu Sanshi won them easily.]
[The crowd cheered. Xu Sanshi stepped off the ring, but his face didn't show much smugness. He looked at Teacher Wang Yan, who nodded slightly, indicating he had done well.]
...…
Black World, Douluo Continent.
Inside the tavern, the people watched with great excitement.
"One against three! Xu Sanshi is too fierce!"
"Yunluo Academy is indeed weak, but Xu Sanshi's strength is undeniable. Top-tier defensive Spirit, no exaggeration."
"We won the first game, but there are still six more to go. Can we hold on?"
"Yes! Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, He Caitou, and Huo Yuhao haven't made a move yet!"
...
The members of White World were also discussing the results of the match.
" Xu Sanshi is really amazing! It doesn't feel like he's using his full strength!"
"It's not that Xu Sanshi is too strong, but that the Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineer Academy is too weak. How could their spirit tools compare to our Sun Moon Empire!"
"That's right, but the opponent was weak, which highlighted Xu Sanshi's strength. When they encounter the Five Rings Spirit King later, they will know how powerful Dao is."
...
After the first match, Teacher Wang Yan didn't let the team linger and took them straight back to the hotel. Bei Bei was a little confused: "Teacher Wang, shouldn't we watch the other teams' matches?"
Teacher Wang Yan shook her head: "Watching too much of that can easily affect your mindset. What you need now is confidence, not pressure."
[He said that, but Huo Yuhao noticed that Teacher Wang Yan stayed behind and watched the rest of the match alone.]
That night, on the hotel rooftop, Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou gathered together, observing the distant arena through their soul-guided telescopes. That was where their next opponents might clash—two evenly matched teams were battling it out.
[On the ring, lightning flashed. A fighter unleashed a powerful surge of spirit power, five spirit rings swirling around him—two yellow and three black—the five-ring Spirit King!]
" Spirit King?" Xu Sanshi's expression changed slightly. "It seems our group is quite strong! No wonder Teacher Wang told us to come back first; he was afraid of damaging our confidence!"
Bei Bei's expression was grave: "If a team has one Spirit King- level player, then the others must be at least Fourth Ring level." Spirit Ancestor. "This configuration..." He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.
[ Huo Yuhao was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "We can fight."]
Everyone looked at him.
[ Huo Yuhao's gaze was calm: " Senior Bei Bei has a trump card, and so does Senior Xu. He Caitou's cigars can help us improve our strength. As long as we win two more matches, Senior Ling Luochen will be able to recover from her injury and return to the team. By then, we will also have a Spirit King -level powerhouse."]
Xu Sanshi gritted his teeth: "Two games. Just two more wins."
Bei Bei nodded: "Let's give it our all."
...
Black World, Douluo Continent.
The atmosphere in the tavern became tense.
"The Five Rings Spirit King? There's this kind of powerhouse in the lap race? Is Shrek Academy in danger?"
"The other teams aren't weak either. It won't be easy for Shrek to win."
"But Huo Yuhao is right. As long as we win two more games, Ling Luochen will be back. Then we won't be afraid."
"Two games...can we win?"
...
Shrek City, Inner Court.
Xuan Zi looked at the young man calmly analyzing the situation on the rooftop on the Sky Screen, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
Yan Shaozhe said softly, " Huo Yuhao's mentality is more mature than that of a thirteen-year-old."
Qian Duoduo nodded: "At times like this, he can still calmly analyze the situation and give his teammates confidence. This Heart-Nature award is even more valuable than his ability."
...…
[After the first round of the scrimmage, Star Luo City's annual auction was held as scheduled. This was the most prestigious auction event on the entire continent, backed by the Star Luo Empire's royal family, bringing together powerful figures, wealthy merchants, and sect representatives from all walks of life.]
Huo Yuhao didn't want to go, but Teacher Wang Yan suggested he take a look. " You should replace those spirit tools you're wearing. There are plenty of good things at the auction; you might find something you need."
[So, both the regular and reserve members of the Shrek Team followed Teacher Wang Yan to the auction house.]
The venue was resplendent and packed to capacity. Huo Yuhao and his group were seated in the VIP section on the second floor, with excellent views. On the auction stage, one rare item after another was presented—an eighth-grade spirit tool, a ten-thousand-year-old spirit bone, a Heaven and Earth Treasure … each piece was priceless.
Huo Yuhao remained silent until the auctioneer brought out the next item.
Huo Yuhao remained silent until the auctioneer brought out the next item.
[" Ice jade scorpion left arm bone, from a ten-thousand-year-old ice jade scorpion. This Spirit Bone contains extreme ice properties, making it priceless to any ice-type Spirit owner. Starting bid: three million gold coins."]
Huo Yuhao's gaze froze instantly.
[At this moment, his Sea of Consciousness was in complete chaos. Hyotei was furious, and he also knew the situation of the Spirit Bone.]
Meanwhile, the price of that Spirit Bone skyrocketed. Huo Yuhao remained silent, simply watching. He knew that for ordinary Ice-type Spirit Masters, this Spirit Bone was not a treasure, but poison. Only Ultimate Ice... Only a Spirit can withstand its power. If an ordinary Ice-type Spirit Master absorbs it, at best their arm will be crippled, and at worst, they will die.
[ Huo Yuhao quietly rose, found a maid, and whispered, "Please tell Your Highness that there is something wrong with this ice jade scorpion left arm bone."]
[The maid was taken aback, but seeing that he was wearing Shrek's school uniform, she didn't dare to be negligent and immediately turned and left.]
[A moment later, in the VIP box, Princess Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire frowned slightly upon hearing her maid's report. She rose and walked to Emperor Xu Jiawei's side, whispering a few words in his ear.]
[ Emperor Xu Jiawei's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing this. He nodded slightly, signaling Xu Jiujiu to handle the matter.]
[Soon, a royal appraiser was invited backstage to carefully examine the Spirit Bone. A moment later, the appraiser emerged with a grave expression and whispered something in Emperor Xu Jiawei's ear.]
" Your Majesty, this young friend is quite right. This Spirit Bone... truly only comes in Ultimate Ice." Only Spirits can absorb it. For an ordinary Ice-type Spirit Master to absorb it is suicidal.
Emperor Xu Jiawei paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips: "Interesting."
He glanced at the quietly seated boy below the stage, a hint of admiration in his eyes. This child had quietly done him a huge favor—if the Spirit Bone had actually been won by some ice-type Spirit Master, resulting in a death, the Star Luo Empire's reputation would be ruined.
"Win this Spirit Bone," Emperor Xu Jiawei said calmly. "Tell the auctioneer to move on to the next item."
[She nodded after a long pause, then turned to make the arrangements.]
The auctioneer was quickly notified and, despite his doubts, proceeded to bid on the ice jade scorpion left arm bone, then moved on to the next item. The buyers in the audience murmured amongst themselves, but no one knew what had happened to Dao.
Huo Yuhao sat calmly in his seat. He no longer paid attention to the whereabouts of the Spirit Bone, because he knew he had achieved his goal.
...…
Black World, Douluo Continent.
Inside the tavern, the people were buzzing with discussion.
" Huo Yuhao's move was brilliant! He privately reminded the princess to resolve the problem quietly without revealing his own secrets."
" The Emperor of the Star Luo Empire will definitely remember him. This favor is worth more than any amount of money."
"The key point is that he saved someone. If that Spirit Bone had been won by some ice-type Spirit Master, they would have lost their life."
Some people exclaimed about Dao: "This kid is really smart. He got things done without making a fuss."
Shrek City, Inner Court.
Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly: "This child knows how to act appropriately."
Xuan Zi Dao: "It's not about being sensible, it's about being smart. If he says it publicly, he'll reveal his hand; if he says it privately, he'll gain favor. He chose the path that's good for everyone."
Qian Duoduo exclaimed, "At thirteen years old, his mind is sharper than many old guys."
...
The auction continued. Huo Yuhao returned to his seat and paid no further attention to the other items. This continued until the auctioneer brought out the final item—
"The next item up for auction is probably today's most precious treasure," the auctioneer's voice trembled. "A 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast embryo—a 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast on the verge of transformation, preserved intact to this day by a Level 9 Soul Engineer using the Seal of the God-Sealing Platform during its embryonic stage."
[The entire audience gasped. A 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast embryo?! Such a thing was appearing at an auction?!]
"A 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast embryo is priceless to any Spirit Master," the auctioneer's voice echoed through the hall. "Consuming it at the seventh ring grants an additional Spirit, a 100,000-year-old Spirit Ring, and a 100,000-year-old Spirit Bone. The overall talent will be significantly enhanced."
"Starting bid—one hundred million gold coins."
[The room fell silent for a moment, then erupted into even more heated discussion.]
"One hundred million?! Who can afford that?"
[" A Spirit Beast embryo that's been around for 100,000 years… I've lived for 80 years and this is the first time I've ever seen anything like it."]
["What is that Conferred God Platform? A level nine spirit tool?"]
Seal, which can only be created by a Level 9 Soul Engineer Spirit tool. The problem is, only the Sun Moon Empire possesses level nine Soul Engineers. How did this thing end up in the Star Luo Empire?
...
Black World, Douluo Continent.
The tavern erupted in chaos.
"A 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast embryo?! That's something legendary, isn't it?"
"If you take it at the seventh ring, you'll get an extra Spirit, a 100,000-year Spirit Ring, and a 100,000-year Spirit Bone! Just how much Heaven-Defying would that require?"
"That Conferred God Platform is a Level 9 Spirit Tool? Only the Sun Moon Empire has Level 9 Soul Engineers... How come this thing is in the Star Luo Empire?"
"Difficult " Has the Sun Moon Empire produced a traitor? Or was it stolen?
...
Shrek City, Inner Court.
Xuan Zi suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "A 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast embryo?"
Yan Shaozhe's expression was solemn: "I've only ever seen such things in ancient books. I never imagined they actually existed."
Qian Duoduo frowned: "The Conferred God Platform... that's a level nine spirit tool. How could something from the Sun Moon Empire be in the Star Luo Empire?"
The three exchanged glances, all seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.
...
White World, Sun Moon Empire, Bright Capital.
The people watched the Sky Screen and discussed it animatedly.
"A 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast embryo? Do we have those here too?"
"Of course! Didn't Xiao Hongchen take a picture of it?"
"But that Conferred God Platform is a level nine spirit tool, how could it be in the Star Luo Empire? Has our Sun Moon Empire produced a traitor?"
"It's hard to say... but that Conferred God Platform will definitely need to be investigated thoroughly in the end."
...
[On the auction stage, prices soared. Major powers bid, and within minutes, the price had broken through to 500 million.]
"Six hundred million." A young voice rang out. Everyone looked over— Xiao Hongchen, a regular member of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and Jing Hongchen's grandson.
"Seven hundred million." From another direction, someone raised the bid.
Xiao Hongchen's expression remained unchanged: "Eight hundred million."
"Eight hundred and fifty million."
"Nine hundred million." Xiao Hongchen's voice remained calm. " Sun Moon Empire will take this item. If anyone wants to raise the price, I'll see it through to the end."
No one spoke again. Not because they didn't want to, but because they dared not. No one dared to disobey the Sun Moon Empire's authority.
[Ultimately, Xiao Hongchen won the bid for the 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast embryo and the Consecration Platform for 900 million gold coins.]
...
Black World, Douluo Continent.
"Nine hundred million gold coins?! The Sun Moon Empire is really rich."
" Xiao Hongchen said, 'My Sun Moon Empire wants it.' This is using the country to coerce others."
"But who sold that Conferred God Platform to the Star Luo Empire? The Sun Moon Empire will definitely investigate this question."
"So what if they find out? We've already got the stuff."