Chapter 273: The Mechanical Soul Beast
"Twenty-five million!"
Elder Xuan of Shrek Academy raised his voice, his tone steady yet filled with authority. The commanding presence of a top power silenced half the room.
"Thirty million!"
Ning Qitian of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect followed coolly, raising the bid by five million in one sweep—a clear display of the sect's vast wealth.
The numbers climbed like wildfire. Within a few breaths, the price had already passed fifty million gold soul coins.
"Sixty million!"
Du Bushi of the Body Sect joined in, his eyes gleaming with resolve. Even if his own martial soul couldn't evolve, the next generation of his disciples could still benefit from this miraculous card.
"Ninety million!"
"One hundred fifty million!"
"Two hundred million!"
At that declaration from Ning Qitian, the entire hall fell deathly silent.
Two hundred million gold soul coins—for a single card.
That was no longer a high price. It was madness.
Even Xu Tiannan's expression darkened. He had deep coffers, but two hundred million far exceeded his auction budget. Besides, more treasures still awaited.
And there was another point that made him hesitate—the card didn't guarantee a hundred percent success rate.
If the martial soul upgrade failed, those two hundred million coins would vanish into thin air.
After weighing the risks carefully, Xu Tiannan forced himself to drop the bid.
Zhongli Wu of the Holy Spirit Church stayed quiet as well. For them, two hundred million wasn't impossible—but for something with only a chance of success? Not worth it.
At the Shrek table, Mu En and Elder Xuan exchanged a weary glance. They both knew the academy's funds were limited, and their target lay ahead among later lots.
Ling Yun glanced across the hall and, seeing no further hands raised, spoke clearly.
"Two hundred million gold soul coins—going once!"
"Two hundred million—going twice!"
The murmuring among the seats waned. No one made another move.
All were performing their own calculations—the price was too steep, and with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's financial dominance, few saw any hope of victory. Better to conserve capital.
"Two hundred million gold soul coins—sold!"
The hammer fell.
A long breath escaped Ning Qitian's chest. A grin tugged at his lips as whispers of excitement spread among his disciples.
This card could very well be the key to their sect's next great rise.
At Ling Yun's gesture, attendants carefully delivered the golden card to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's private area. Then she turned back to the audience, her voice steady.
"Next, we shall begin the fourth auction item."
Anticipation spiked once again. After witnessing the shocking power of the Martial Soul Enhancement Card, no one dared imagine what could come next.
Could there possibly be something greater?
With a wave of Ling Yun's delicate hand, a massive transparent barrier manifested onto the stage.
Inside it crouched a massive spider-like creature.
No—on closer look, it wasn't a spider at all.
Its entire body gleamed with dark-golden metal, its eight razor-sharp legs gleaming like swords under the light.
The most unsettling part was its head—an uncanny humanoid face, perfectly crafted down to the faint metallic sheen of "skin."
"Is that… a Human-Faced Demon Spider?!"
A few gasped aloud, but others immediately shook their heads. "No! The aura—something's off!"
Indeed, although it looked and even felt like a true Human-Faced Demon Spider, there was no trace of life within it.
Instead, what seeped out was an unmistakable mechanical chill.
"Could it be a puppet? The Pavilion has sold puppets before—but never anything so lifelike!"
"No… it's not a puppet. It's more like… a soul tool?"
From the Sun and Moon Empire's section, Mirror Red Dust—the master inventor of Mingde Hall—leapt to his feet, his eyes blazing with disbelief.
"That craftsmanship… that flow of energy… this is no ordinary creation!" he exclaimed. "It perfectly mimics a soul beast—its form, its aura, even its oppressive presence!"
Xu Tiannan's posture stiffened as his eyes lit up. "Master Mirror, are you saying this construct could be useful to our soul tool research?"
"This isn't merely useful, Your Majesty!" Mirror Red Dust was trembling with excitement. "It's revolutionary! Look at its joint mechanisms—its power circuitry! If we can uncover its principles, our soul tool technology will advance by at least ten years! We might even unlock an entirely new class of combat soul tools!"
At Shrek's seats, Elder Xuan frowned deeply. "A mechanical creation that mimics a living soul beast to such a degree… this surpasses anything our continent's current technology is capable of."
Mu En's voice was low and thoughtful. "What kind of place is the Star Auction Pavilion, to craft something beyond everything known to Douluo? This… is not merely a soul tool."
Du Bushi's expression darkened. "That aura may be artificial, but the pressure it emits is real. If such machines were ever mass-produced, they'd alter the world's balance of power."
Zhongli Wu of the Holy Spirit Church tapped a gloved finger against his chin. "Something like this, used for assassination or infiltration missions… the possibilities are endless."
The hall erupted again—this time with tension and unease.
Some were intrigued, others wary. Many simply looked terrified.
The line between machinery and soul power had been shattered, and everyone sensed that something significant was unfolding before them.
Once the noise subsided, Ling Yun spoke again, her tone calm and measured.
"Everyone, allow me to introduce it properly. This is not a living creature, nor a conventional puppet. It is a Mechanical Soul Beast: Human-Faced Demon Spider."
"Constructed from special star-metal alloys, it houses an internal core capable of replicating every ability of a true Human-Faced Demon Spider—venom, agility, and attack included."
"Most importantly," she added, "it runs entirely on soul-guided energy. It requires no sustenance, no spiritual contract, and can sustain combat on par with a ten-thousand-year-level soul beast."
"What?!"
Mirror Red Dust nearly shouted in disbelief. "A fabricated creature capable of ten-thousand-year-level combat—and no soul contract needed? This… this is epoch-making!"
Xu Tiannan's knuckles whitened as his excitement turned fierce.
"We'll have it," he whispered darkly. "With an army of these creations, the Sun and Moon Empire's military will ascend beyond imagination!"
Around him, the other factions' leaders paled. The implications were chilling.
If a power like the Sun and Moon Empire acquired such weapons, the entire continent's equilibrium would collapse overnight.
Ling Yun, however, remained serene.
"This Mechanical Soul Beast is not merely a weapon—it is the perfect model for studying the fusion of soul tool technology and biological design. The starting bid is twenty million gold soul coins, with minimum increases of ten million. Let the bidding begin."
"Thirty million!"
Xu Tiannan's voice cracked like a whip through the air, fierce and thunderous. He would not let anyone act before him.
"Forty million!"
Elder Xuan immediately countered, his voice firm. Shrek could not allow this technology to fall into imperial hands.
"Fifty million!"
Zhongli Wu joined in, his tone chillingly calm. The Holy Spirit Church thrived on chaos—such a weapon would be perfect for their designs.
The price soared higher and higher, rocketing past two hundred million in moments.
The entire auction house once again reached fever pitch.
Everyone understood—this wasn't just another item for sale.
This was a battle for the future of technology itself.
(END CHAPTER)
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