Chapter 270: "A Narrow Victory"
"Two and a half million!"
A new bid rang out—from the seats of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
It was clear they had also recognized the extraordinary nature of this soul bone and wanted to secure it for one of their disciples.
Xu Sanshi's eyes tightened. Without hesitation, he raised his paddle again. "Three million!"
The price climbed rapidly, rising without pause until it surpassed ten million gold soul coins.
By this point, the bidding slowed.
Although the soul bone was exceptional, ten million was already beyond the typical value of a ten-thousand-year-level soul bone.
Many factions faltered. They debated whether such a price was worth the risk.
Yes, the bone came from a Nether Profound Turtle imbued with divine beast blood—and its resulting ability would surely be formidable—but few were willing to invest so heavily in something not suited to their martial soul.
Others held back intentionally, saving resources for the rarer treasures to come.
As the bid crossed the ten-million mark, most soul masters chose to withdraw.
"Fifteen million!"
A deep voice thundered from the direction of the Star Luo Empire's box seats. A middle-aged elder's sharp gaze locked firmly onto the stage, determination etched across his face.
Xu Sanshi drew a deep breath. He had brought roughly twenty million gold soul coins—everything they had scraped together. This was his absolute limit.
In previous auctions, he and his companions wouldn't even have qualified to compete.
He never imagined that the Star Auction Pavilion would present an item perfectly tailored for his martial soul—a chance to unlock its hidden potential.
He refused to give up.
But he couldn't predict the final price. He could only hope it would remain within reach.
Otherwise, he'd have to borrow from Huo Yuhao or Jiang Nannan.
With his hands trembling slightly, Xu Sanshi raised his card and called out. "Twenty million!"
The room fell silent at once.
Twenty million for a ten-thousand-year soul bone was an astronomical sum—almost inconceivable.
Though everyone knew its origin was extraordinary, the price was more than daunting.
Several bidders frowned, calculating quietly before deciding to withdraw.
Even the major factions who had been contemplating another bid turned their attention away. It was simply too high.
Ling Yun's gaze swept across the hall. When no one spoke, she lifted her auction hammer.
"Twenty million gold soul coins, going once!"
Xu Sanshi's heart pounded wildly. His fists clenched tight, the palms slick with sweat.
"Twenty million, going twice!"
Jiang Nannan, Beibei, and Huo Yuhao all held their breath, eyes locked on the auctioneer.
"Twenty million, going three times… sold!"
The hammer struck the podium with a crisp crack!
Xu Sanshi exhaled hard, collapsing into his chair, exhausted yet exhilarated.
"I did it! I actually did it!"
"You got it!" Jiang Nannan grinned brightly, joy sparkling in her eyes.
Beibei clapped his shoulder. "Congratulations, Sanshi. With this, your strength is guaranteed to reach a new level."
Huo Yuhao smiled as well. "Honestly, it was nerve-racking. I didn't breathe for that last bid."
Still flushed from adrenaline, Xu Sanshi rubbed his hands together. "That was too close. If anyone had bid again, I'd have been finished. I barely had enough—it's what you call a real narrow victory!"
Ling Yun observed their celebratory reactions with her usual professional poise. Clearing her throat gently, she announced, "The ten-thousand-year trunk soul bone of the Nether Profound Turtle has been successfully auctioned off for twenty million gold soul coins. Now, we shall proceed to the second item."
With a graceful wave of her hand, the soul bone was delivered to Xu Sanshi's possession.
Moments later, a new object appeared on the stage—a transparent crystal bottle shimmering with starlit brilliance.
Inside the bottle floated a glowing liquid mass that sparkled like condensed constellations.
Merely being in its presence filled the air with pure, soothing energy, resonating faintly with the laws of nature itself.
"What a powerful aura!"
Gasps of amazement spread through the hall.
"This energy… it's so pure! It's almost identical to the divine energy from the Heaven-bestowed Soul Bone auctioned last time!"
"Could this be another treasure of that level?"
The soul masters immediately began drawing comparisons to the Heaven-bestowed Soul Bone that had previously propelled the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to new heights.
Whatever this starlit liquid was, it was clearly something otherworldly.
Curiosity burned hotter than ever; people were already preparing for the fierce bidding to come.
At the Body Sect's section, Du Bushi's eyes gleamed, his breathing quickening.
As someone whose martial soul was his own body, he was especially attuned to pure energy—and this was unlike anything he had ever felt.
"This energy will greatly benefit body-type martial souls," he muttered, then turned to his sect members. "We must claim this item. I have a strong feeling—it's vital to our sect's future. Don't let it fall into anyone else's hands."
His followers nodded solemnly.
Ling Yun smiled faintly as she began her introduction. "Honored guests, this next item is known as the 'Essence of the Stars.'"
"It contains exceptionally pure starlight energy—not of the Douluo Continent, but drawn from the distant starry realms beyond this world."
"Starlight energy?"
"Something from beyond the Douluo Plane?!" murmurs rippled through the crowd.
To soul masters who had never seen beyond their own plane, the concept was staggering.
Even the strongest Limit Douluo could not leave the confines of their world; few could imagine what lay outside it.
The idea that such a treasure came from beyond the Douluo heavens only magnified its value—and its mystery.
At Shrek Academy's seats, Mu En and Xuan Zi exchanged significant looks.
"The Essence of the Stars," Mu En murmured. "A treasure from outside the continent itself… this might be even more precious than the last soul bone."
Ling Yun's smile deepened. "Indeed. The Essence of the Stars—its power and origin are beyond what most of you could ever imagine."
(END CHAPTER)
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