With Jing Hongchen no longer interfering, Xuanzi's auction went extraordinarily smoothly.
Soon after, Xu Jiujiu presented the next item.
"The next item up for auction is an eighth-tier defensive soul tool—Earth Armor! Starting bid: eight hundred thousand gold soul coins!"
"Eight hundred thousand!"
Xuanzi raised his bidding paddle without the slightest hesitation.
Holding his breath, he stared intently at the private room opposite him. His earlier experiences of being repeatedly outmaneuvered had left lingering trauma; he was half-afraid that Jing Hongchen would suddenly step in again and jack the price up into the millions.
This time, however, the other side remained completely silent.
"Eight hundred thousand once, eight hundred thousand twice… Sold!"
When the gavel finally fell, Xuanzi felt his entire body lighten, followed by an overwhelming surge of joy.
"Hahaha! Has that fatso finally run out of money? Or did he get scared?"
Xuanzi burst into laughter, all his earlier frustration vanishing in an instant. He waved his hand grandly and shouted with unrestrained confidence, "Come on! Keep them coming! I'm going to clean this place out today!"
…
One by one, rare high-tier soul tools were scooped up by Xuanzi as if they were cabbages.
Inside the Shrek Academy VIP room, the atmosphere was as lively as the Lunar New Year.
Staring at the pile of soul tools stacked on the table, Xuanzi had long since forgotten his earlier claims that "soul tools are nothing more than clever tricks" or that "a Soul Master's own strength is what truly matters."
Now, he personally handed out each soul tool with meticulous care.
"Gongyang Mo, this Earth Armor is yours! With it, even a Soul Douluo won't be able to break through your defenses!"
"Xixi, these Wind Chaser Boots are for you! Let's see how Xiao Hongchen plans to catch you now!"
"Xiao Tao, this energy cannon is yours! Blast them to your heart's content!"
A full twenty million gold soul coins!
Xuanzi spent nearly all the funds he had brought in one go, arming the Shrek team to the teeth.
Every current member of Shrek Academy's team now possessed at least two or three high-tier soul tools. Their combat strength had skyrocketed—practically built out of pure money.
"So what if we use soul tools? As long as we win!"
Xuanzi looked at his fully equipped students, fanatic light gleaming in his eyes. "Even if we have to bury them in money, we'll still crush the Sun Moon team!"
…
Inside the royal VIP room, Xu Jiawei observed the scene and nodded in satisfaction.
"That should do it," he murmured to himself. "With their current equipment and their original strength, Shrek Academy should be able to defeat Sun Moon Academy. There's no need for me to interfere any further…"
He waved to the attendant beside him. "Pass down the order. Bring out the final course."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
…
On the auction stage, after successfully selling dozens of soul tools, the smile on Xu Jiujiu's face grew increasingly solemn and mysterious.
The lights in the entire auction hall suddenly dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight shining on the center of the stage.
"Distinguished guests, after such a frenzied round of bidding, I believe everyone's enthusiasm has been thoroughly ignited."
"Now, please allow us to present the true finale of tonight's auction—the treasure countless Soul Masters have dreamed of!"
As she spoke, two burly guards carefully pushed forward a small cart.
It was draped in a red cloth, yet even through the covering, a chilling aura seeped outward.
"The first—and final—item of this auction…"
After a long pause, Xu Jiujiu suddenly lifted the red cloth.
In an instant, an overwhelming wave of extreme cold swept through the hall. Moisture in the air froze into countless ice crystals that drifted down like snow.
Resting on the tray was a crystal-clear left arm bone, lying quietly in place.
Its entire surface shimmered with deep ice-blue light, as if it contained the cold of the far north itself. Deep within the bone, faint shadows of a green scorpion could be seen slowly shifting.
"This is the left arm soul bone of a fifty-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion, originating from the far northern regions!"
Xu Jiujiu's voice grew increasingly passionate as she introduced the soul bone.
In the end, Xuanzi secured it at the staggering price of thirty million gold soul coins and immediately gifted it to Huo Yuhao.
At that point, his pockets were emptier than his face.
However, before anyone could settle down, the lighting in the auction hall shifted once more.
This time, all lights were extinguished, leaving only a single beam of icy blue radiance descending from above and enveloping the center of the stage.
An indescribable pressure instantly washed over the entire hall. It wasn't soul power—it was a tremor that came from the very level of life itself.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Xu Jiujiu announced slowly, "tonight's auction has now reached its final chapter."
"This item is the most precious, most mysterious, and most unbelievable treasure ever presented by the Starlight Auction House!"
As she spoke, a massive cage was slowly wheeled onto the stage.
The cage was forged entirely from a special alloy and carved with countless intricate sealing formations.
At its center floated a strange sphere of light.
The sphere wasn't large—only about half a meter in diameter—but through the hazy glow, everyone could clearly see a tiny figure curled up inside, like an infant.
"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast embryo!"
Xu Jiujiu's words instantly reignited the atmosphere in the hall.
"Finally… it's here!"
Liu Yuan's heart began pounding wildly.
This—this was the reason he had come to the auction!
If he could obtain this embryo, he would have the chance to use the Healing Ball in his possession to attempt to capture the Snow Empress!
If he succeeded, he would not only gain a terrifying ally with ultimate ice attributes—one whose combat power rivaled that of a Limit Douluo—but also receive a brand-new reward from the system.
Two birds with one stone!
"Dean!"
Liu Yuan suddenly turned, fixing his gaze firmly on Jing Hongchen.
"I want this."
Jing Hongchen was equally shaken by the sight of the embryo.
As a ninth-tier Soul Engineer, he understood its value better than anyone else.
Now that Liu Yuan had spoken, there was no reason whatsoever to let it slip away.
"Don't worry, Xiao Yuan."
Jing Hongchen took a deep breath, a wild grin spreading across his face. He slowly stood up, adjusted his collar, and said with a relaxed smile:
"I've held back long enough because of those scraps earlier. Now…"
"It's time to show these country bumpkins what wealth that rivals a nation truly looks like."
"I'm taking this. No one is changing my mind."
At that moment, the atmosphere in the auction hall reached its boiling point.
"Starting bid: one hundred million gold soul coins! Each increment must be no less than five million!"
The astronomical figure alone was enough to make ordinary people tremble.
Even so, the bidding erupted like a tsunami.
"One hundred and fifteen million!"
"One hundred and twenty million!"
"One hundred and twenty-five million!"
The big shots in each private room went completely mad, willing to gamble everything for a chance at godhood.
Then—
Jing Hongchen pressed the bidding button and calmly announced a number that instantly silenced the entire hall.
"One hundred and thirty million!"
That single bid shut down most of the competition.
"One hundred and forty million!"
Someone forced themselves to raise the price once more.
Jing Hongchen sneered, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.
"One hundred and fifty million."
"…"
Dead silence.
No one dared to bid again.
Xu Jiujiu immediately brought the gavel down three times, declaring the auction a success.
Witnessing the outcome, the fire in Liu Yuan's eyes burned brighter than ever.