Chapter 346: The Soul Bone Set
As the six beams of icy-blue light struck down onto the auction stage—
Boom!
Before the crowd could even discern what was hidden within the light, a wave of bone-chilling frost burst forth, like a tidal surge engulfing the entire Starry Sky Auction Pavilion.
This was no ordinary winter's cold. It carried the ancient, primal essence of a soul beast's ice element—the kind of power that could freeze not only the body but even soul power and vitality itself.
Weaker Spirit Masters were hit immediately. Their soul power stagnated within their meridians, their teeth clattering uncontrollably.
Tiny crystals of frost spread across their skin, and their breaths turned to visible mist as they huddled into themselves to withstand the cold.
Even Soul Saints frowned in alarm, hastily releasing their soul power to form layers of glowing rings around themselves, trying to block the invading chill.
But even they found frost forming at the corners of their eyebrows and hair. The flow of their energy had slowed significantly.
Only Titled Douluo-level experts could withstand the frost's assault. Their deep reserves of power and solidified soul cores formed invisible barriers around their bodies, keeping the icy energy at bay.
Yet their faces remained tense, their sharp gazes locked on the six columns of light still hovering above the stage.
Whatever radiated such terrifying elemental might could not be anything ordinary.
…
Moments later, the blue light began to fade, revealing the objects resting beneath.
And when the crowd finally saw them clearly, silence fell like snow.
It was the kind of silence so deep that even breathing seemed frozen.
Then—
Hissss!
The sound of dozens inhaling sharply shattered the stillness. Eyes widened in disbelief, their pupils trembling.
Laid neatly across the platform were six distinct pieces of soul bone—each exuding power that made the air vibrate.
From left to right: a skull bone shaped to fit the crown of the head; left and right arm bones following the contours of the human form; matching leg bones filled with concentrated energy; and, at the center, a special torso bone shrouded in dense, bone-freezing frost.
But what truly stunned everyone were the faint crimson patterns flowing across each bone.
Those lines gleamed like molten metal—and they were unmistakable.
They were the marks of ten-thousand-year-old soul bones.
"What… what?! Impossible!"
"Ten-thousand-year soul bones—six of them?!"
One representative of a smaller faction shouted in shock, his voice trembling.
"Has the Starry Sky Auction Pavilion lost its mind—using such treasures as a finale?!"
"Wait," another said, pointing with shaking fingers. "It's not just their age. Look at the aura—each bone gives off the same source energy! These are all of identical origin!"
An elderly man with white hair and piercing eyes leaned forward, stroking his beard as realization dawned.
"No… that's impossible. When a soul beast dies, only one soul bone forms, and even among the same species there are subtle differences in energy flow."
"But these six—they're identical, identical to the very core! It's as though they all came from a single soul beast!"
His words sparked immediate uproar across the hall.
"From one beast? Absurd! There's no record of such a thing ever happening!"
"Maybe they're from the same species—say, six different beasts from the Titan Snow Demon Clan? But there are barely any of that level alive! Gathering six bones from six separate ten-thousand-year beasts would be a feat greater than ascending to the heavens!"
"No matter their origin, if all six cores match—it means they make a set! For an ice-element Spirit Master, this set would surpass the value of any divine weapon!"
Amid the rising chaos, one figure in the back stiffened visibly—Huo Yuhao.
His hands clenched unconsciously at the edges of his robe as his body shuddered.
The Ice within him—the Ultimate Ice martial soul—had suddenly begun to stir, reacting to the aura from the stage as though being summoned.
Within his spiritual sea, two presences surged violently—those of the Ice Empress and the Heavenly Dream Iceworm.
The Ice Empress's projection shimmered into view within Yuhao's mental space, her icy eyes locked on the six bones with growing rage. Cold energy spiraled around her physical form, nearly tangible in its intensity.
"This aura…" her voice trembled with fury. "It's the Titan Snow Demon! There's no mistake! A member of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North!"
"The Titan Snow Demon carries the ancient bloodline of the Ice God! At the ten-thousand-year level it could rival a top-tier Titled Douluo—how could anyone slay so many of them and craft an entire bone set?!"
She knew the Titan Snow Demons well, having crossed paths with them in ages past. Their kind was sacred and nearly extinct.
For six of their kind to die like this—her heart roiled with anger. The frost storm raging in her spiritual domain intensified violently, making Huo Yuhao's complexion turn pale.
"Ice Empress, calm down!"
The Heavenly Dream Iceworm quickly floated forward, using its spiritual waves to steady her turbulent emotions.
"Think carefully. The Titan Snow Demons are few to begin with—ten-thousand-year individuals even rarer."
"Even if someone had the strength to slay them, what are the odds of obtaining head, torso, arms, and legs to form a complete set? It seems too deliberate, too perfect. That's no natural hunt."
Centuries of experience filled the Iceworm's tone. It studied the stage's projection carefully, its multiple eyes narrowing.
"These bones feel… off. They bear the Titan Snow Demons' external aura, yes—but within them, I sense traces of manufacture. An artificial stamp."
"Remember the previous auctions? The soul spirits the Pavilion sold—those weren't from actual soul beasts, but created through special crafting techniques. This might be similar."
"These could be no ordinary relics—but creations of the Starry Sky Auction Pavilion itself."
The Ice Empress's fury subsided slightly, her mind clearing enough to analyze.
Extending her own perception through Yuhao's core, she probed deeper into the scene—and sure enough, faint anomalies surfaced.
The energy flow was too uniform, the essence too stable, lacking the inherent fluctuation of life-born bones.
She took a long breath and spoke directly to Yuhao's consciousness.
"Yuhao, move closer. Let me examine them in detail through your spiritual power. There may be clues we've missed."
Obediently, Huo Yuhao rose from his seat, inching toward the front. He focused his mind, threading his spiritual energy into ultra-fine strands that extended carefully toward the artifact display.
The Auction Pavilion had never prohibited spiritual probing—every attendee was allowed to inspect the wares through soul power.
Moments later, Yuhao's consciousness returned with faint tremors. "Ice Empress, Senior Tianmeng… the structure inside these bones is unnatural. It's like someone condensed the Titan Snow Demons' blood essence by force and fused it manually."
"The energy inside flows too smoothly—there's no pulse of life, only stability… artificial stability."
"Exactly!"
The Heavenly Dream Iceworm's voice rang out in realization. "These aren't natural bones at all—they're manufactured! The Pavilion has learned to create soul bones!"
"First they engineered artificial soul spirits—and now this. Their technology… it's beyond terrifying."
The Ice Empress fell silent.
Her gaze turned cold and distant as she thought of their homeland in the Extreme North—of the shrinking territories, of humans' relentless hunt for resources.
If the humans could now forge soul bones from nothing…
Then perhaps, one day soon, the true soul beasts of the world would have nowhere left to exist.
(END CHAPTER)
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