"Ten million gold coins, once."
"Ten million gold coins, twice."
"Ten million gold coins, three times—sold!"
As the auction gavel in Xu Jiujiu's hand slammed down, this frenzied bidding war—one destined to be recorded in the history of the Starlight Auction House—finally came to an end.
The Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade ultimately fell into Jing Hongchen's hands at a jaw-dropping, astronomical price.
Inside Shrek Academy's private booth, the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.
Xuan Zi sat heavily on the sofa, his expression dark, his chest still heaving violently.
He had never imagined that his very first bid would not only fail to succeed, but almost end with him blowing himself up.
"Elder Xuan… please calm down."
Dai Yueheng cautiously handed him a cup of tea.
"Although we didn't get the Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade, we still have our funds. The auction has only just begun—there will definitely be good items later."
Xuan Zi took the teacup and downed a large gulp, barely suppressing the fire raging in his chest.
"Hmph! That old Jing Hongchen has completely forgotten himself just because he has a bit of filthy money!"
Xuan Zi ground his teeth.
"I want to see how much longer he can keep squandering it!"
…
On the auction stage, Xu Jiujiu quickly composed herself and moved on to the next item.
"The next auction item is also a rare top-quality piece."
She smiled as she lifted the red cloth, revealing an ancient-looking shield resting on the tray.
The shield was a deep, dark green throughout, with faint ripples of wind-attribute soul power flowing across its surface.
"Seventh-rank defensive soul tool—Wind Spirit Guardian Shield!"
"This shield not only boasts outstanding defensive power, but also comes with the Wings of Wind ability, greatly increasing the wielder's movement speed. Moreover, it's compact and easy to use, making it an exceptional choice for agility-attack system Spirit Masters or anyone who relies on flexible positioning!"
Hearing this, Xuan Zi's eyes lit up once more.
Wind attribute. Defense plus speed.
Wasn't this practically tailor-made for Chen Zifeng?
He lacked any real defensive capability—this was perfect.
"One million!"
Xuan Zi bid immediately.
However, Jing Hongchen acted just as quickly, snatching the prey straight from the tiger's jaws.
In the end, he took the shield for five million gold coins.
Soon, one auction item after another appeared on the stage.
Yet the following items began to feel… strange.
"Seventh-rank soul tool spear, White Tiger Dragon-Responding Spear! Starting price—one million!"
—Jing Hongchen took it for four million.
"Seventh-rank enhancement soul tool, Power Bracers! Starting price—one million!"
—Jing Hongchen took it for 3.8 million.
…
As Jing Hongchen continued winning item after item, Liu Yuan's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
"Something's not right."
He suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the booth.
"What's wrong, Brother Liu Yuan?" Xiao Hongchen asked in confusion while munching on fruit.
"Grandfather's buying everything—what's the problem?"
Liu Yuan shook his head, his fingers tapping lightly against the table.
"Have you noticed? Starting from the Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade, every item afterward has been a high-level soul tool—seventh rank or above."
"And the most crucial part is—"
His gaze sharpened.
"Every single one of these soul tools lacks a fire attribute. Wind shields, ice-type ray guns, earth-based shells… even pure strength-enhancing bracers."
"It's almost as if they were deliberately prepared for Shrek Academy—to bypass my Fire Immunity."
The booth fell silent.
Ma Rulong thought it over carefully, his expression changing.
"Now that you mention it… that really is the case. The attributes are incredibly diverse, yet fire is the only one missing."
"And the functionality of these tools perfectly covers Shrek's current weaknesses."
Liu Yuan let out a cold laugh, his gaze passing through the one-way glass toward a concealed royal box at the highest level of the auction house.
"If I'm not mistaken, tonight's so-called top-tier auction is nothing more than Xu Jiawei deliberately setting up a special 'favor' for Shrek Academy."
"As the Emperor of Star Luo, he naturally sees Shrek's current predicament. But he absolutely doesn't want to see us take the championship."
"So he's using this seemingly fair auction—actually a backroom operation—to 'legitimately' hand these targeted soul tools over to Xuan Zi."
"It helps Shrek and disgusts us at the same time. A perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone."
Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen suddenly understood—and then flew into a rage.
"That Xu Jiawei is way too insidious! A monarch, resorting to such underhanded tricks!"
Following the logic, his expression grew even uglier.
"So if we keep competing with Xuan Zi, no matter how much we buy, Xu Jiawei will just keep bringing out new soul tools? Since the entire auction house belongs to him, he can pull as much as he wants from storage?"
"Very likely," Liu Yuan nodded.
"As long as Xuan Zi still has money, the auction won't stop—until Shrek is armed to the teeth."
"Outrageous!"
Jing Hongchen suddenly slammed the armrest, cold light flashing in his eyes.
"In that case, I'll fight him to the very end! If Xu Jiawei brings out one, I'll buy one! I want to see how much inventory he has to feed Mingde Hall!"
As he spoke, Jing Hongchen was already reaching for the bidding device.
"Hall Master, don't!"
Liu Yuan reacted instantly, pressing down on Jing Hongchen's hand.
Jing Hongchen froze, turning to him in confusion.
"Xiao Yuan, what do you mean? Are we just supposed to let Shrek buy all this equipment and use it against us tomorrow?"
Ma Rulong, Xiao Hongchen, and the others were equally bewildered.
Liu Yuan shook his head, his tone calm and composed.
"Hall Master, please calm down. If you really do that, you'll be playing straight into Xu Jiawei's hands."
"This is an overt scheme. Even if we see through it, they're not afraid."
"If we buy everything, all we're doing is handing Xu Jiawei money. Mingde Hall may be wealthy, but there's no reason to fill his bottomless pit with these seventh- and eighth-rank soul tools."
"Even if we buy them all in the end, the amount spent would be astronomical. Xu Jiawei would walk away rich, while we'd gain nothing. It's simply not worth it."
Jing Hongchen's hand paused, his brow tightly furrowed.
"But… if Shrek buys them, tomorrow's match will have more variables. After all, Shrek's foundation is still extremely strong."
Liu Yuan smiled faintly, radiating confidence and composure.
"Hall Master, you must trust us."
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over his teammates, his eyes burning with resolve.
"So what if Shrek Academy buys these soul tools?"
"Even ordinary soul tools aren't easy to master, let alone high-level ones. Especially for students like Shrek's, who usually look down on soul tools and rarely use them."
"Even in their hands, it's questionable whether these tools can unleash seventy percent of their true power."
"So let them buy."
"As long as we perform at our best, we can still win tomorrow."
"And besides—if Xu Jiawei truly wanted to help Shrek, he could simply set these items aside and secretly hand them over. What could we do then? Unless they're caught red-handed, there's nothing we can do."
"This is, after all, the Star Luo Empire's home ground."
Jing Hongchen studied Liu Yuan for a long moment.
To be honest, this time, Liu Yuan was even more clear-headed than him—the Hall Master himself.
Just now, he really had nearly lost control.
With a faintly self-deprecating smile, Jing Hongchen nodded.
"You're right, Xiao Yuan."
"I was indeed too impulsive just now."
He patted Liu Yuan on the shoulder.
"Good."
"Since you've said so, I won't be the sucker."
"Let them buy."
"I want to see whether they can stir up any waves tomorrow with those scraps!"
…
Meanwhile, in an extremely concealed royal box at the highest level of the auction house—
A tall, handsome, and dignified middle-aged man in a bright yellow imperial robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing down through the floor-to-ceiling window.
He was the Emperor of Star Luo—Xu Jiawei.
Watching the bidding below, a faint, cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"Heh… has that old fox Jing Hongchen finally stopped?"
He gently swirled the red wine in his glass, his eyes deep and calculating.
"It seems someone has seen through my intentions. But so what?"
"This is my overt scheme."
"Either you spend a fortune and play the fool, or you watch helplessly as Shrek grows stronger."
Xu Jiawei turned to the attendant beside him and gave a quiet order:
"Pass down the command. Bring out the spirit tools prepared for later as well. Since Jing Hongchen isn't bidding anymore, sell them to Shrek as cheaply as possible."
"This will be the final bit of hope I can secure for Shrek Academy."
He tilted his head back and drained the wine in his glass, his gaze drifting into the distance, as if already watching tomorrow's match unfold.
"Shrek… oh, Shrek."
"This is all I can do for you."
"I hope you won't disappoint me tomorrow."
"After all, I have no desire to see those people from the Sun Moon Empire flaunting their power right at my doorstep…"