Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
Furina stood at the entrance, glancing down at the gold-embossed invitation in her hand before looking up at the massive, four-story building that stood before her in all its golden splendor.
Standing over twenty meters tall, it was shaped like a treasure bowl and shimmered with radiant light. Two young girls in long skirts stood on either side of the entrance; they looked to be seventeen or eighteen, with sweet faces and slender figures, their fair skin glowing softly under the golden lights.
Furina couldn't help but click her tongue.
"They really are rich..."
Huo Yuhao and the others had gone in long ago; she was the last to arrive. She had been hesitating whether to come at all since, with her background, the items in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion weren't really worth her time. With points in hand, what couldn't she buy?
It was better to focus on her Cultivation. For the Goddess of Life's second trial, the number of humans and Soul Beasts she needed to heal had long since met the requirement, but she was currently stuck on her Soul Power level.
After Cultivating during this period, she had barely reached Rank 57. However, her progress was getting slower and slower, like a snail's crawl.
It was likely the fault of her Ultimate Martial Soul. Ultimate Martial Souls had their own set of cultivation methods; the higher the level, the slower the progress. She would have to ask Shrek for their Ultimate Martial Soul cultivation methods later. Since they were about to cooperate anyway, asking for a few things wouldn't be excessive, right?
But after thinking it over, she had come anyway.
Only a fool passes up a freebie!
With her current talent and strength, getting a Red Card shouldn't be an issue. Being able to take one item for free from the Treasure Appraisal Fair every year meant she definitely had to pick the most expensive and valuable one.
As for the incident in the original story where Dai Huabin sent people to intercept and kill Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, she wasn't worried at all.
Huo Yuhao's Soul Power wasn't low now, and his mental force was ridiculously strong. Wang Dong was also much stronger than in the original. Once they used their Martial Soul Fusion Skill and revealed their trump cards, they wouldn't run into trouble even without Ma Xiaotao's help.
"Welcome, honored guest!" The girls on both sides bowed simultaneously, their voices crisp.
One of the girls in a white skirt stepped forward and gave a slight curtsy. "Allow me to lead you into the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's Treasure Appraisal Fair."
Furina nodded. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, please come this way."
Furina followed the girl in white up the golden stairs to the second floor.
The second floor was much quieter than the first. The booths seemed scattered randomly, but a closer look revealed that each was placed in the most prominent and logical position. Large crystal glass covers protected the booths, which displayed various items on their pedestals.
The girl in white stopped, turned, and smiled. "Once again, welcome to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's Treasure Appraisal Fair! The fair is held here on the second floor; please feel free to browse. If you find an item you like, please go to the west side to register your purchase. If you need to buy on credit, you can also have an evaluation done there."
She paused and added, "The evaluation results will determine the discount you receive and your credit limit."
Furina nodded. "Alright, please take me for the evaluation first. It's my first time here, so I'm not very familiar with it."
"No problem," the girl in white replied, turning toward the west side.
Furina followed her while casually glancing at the exhibits, calculating what she should take home later.
As she walked, she caught sight of a familiar figure.
It was Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao. They were standing in front of a booth, staring at something inside.
Furina's gaze swept over and landed on the Spirit Bone labeled 'Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone'—the one Wang Dong had taken a fancy to in the original story.
She was about to look away when Huo Yuhao seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
Huo Yuhao froze for a moment, then smiled and waved at her.
Furina waved back in response and continued following the girl in white.
Wang Dong was staring blankly at the Spirit Bone when she realized Huo Yuhao had stopped moving. She turned to him and asked in confusion, "What is it?"
"Nothing." Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze and smiled. "I saw that Sister Furina is here too."
"Oh?" Wang Dong was a bit surprised. "I thought she wasn't coming. I didn't expect her to show up after all."
After she finished speaking, her gaze fell back onto the Spirit Bone, her brow furrowing slightly.
Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone — Price: 9,500,000 gold coin.
"This is way too expensive..." Wang Dong couldn't help but mutter.
Spirit Bones were already among the most expensive items on the Douluo Continent. Thousand-year Spirit Bones were rare, ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones were hard to find, and hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bones were priceless treasures. But the Golden Emperor Dragon King described for this Spirit Bone only had a cultivation level of over ten thousand years—it wasn't fifty thousand, let alone seventy or ninety thousand years—so why was it so expensive?
In her memory, Spirit Bones rarely exceeded three million gold coin.
Huo Yuhao pointed at the word 'Pure' on the label and analyzed, "The price lies in that word. How could a Spirit Bone with a Pure Dragon Clan Bloodline be bad? This thing is indeed a treasure, but the price is truly terrifying."
He gave a bitter smile. "I can only try using the VIP card I have. With just your Purple Card, even if I sold all the spirit tools I have on me right now, I wouldn't be able to scrape together enough money."
This time was different from the original story. Huo Yuhao wasn't being fought over by the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department because of his twin spirits—the two departments had started their Dual Cultivation cooperation early, and since Shrek had decided to cooperate with the Axis Cult, they naturally had to show sincerity.
As a member of the Axis Cult with outstanding talent in spirit tools, Huo Yuhao naturally became a key focus of their nurturing.
If this had been before the Sea Gods Pavilion meeting, Qian Duoduo probably wouldn't have been able to resist trying to snatch him away.
Wang Dong turned to look at him, her eyes filled with worry. "Isn't it too precious? Even though you have a VIP card and can take one item for free, it's equivalent to owing the academy a favor. As long as you aren't an ungrateful person, you'll definitely have to pay it back in the future. That wouldn't be good for you, would it? You are a member of the Axis Cult, after all."
Huo Yuhao smiled and patted her shoulder. "Thanks for the concern. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Isn't it just 9.5 million gold coin? Once I become a Rank 9 Soul Engineer in the future and make a few Rank 9 spirit tools for the academy, won't I have paid it back?"
He winked, his tone carrying the pride typical of a youth. "Besides, didn't you say you wanted to become a god? I will too. After becoming a god, I can go wherever I want; who would be able to control me then?"
Looking at him like this, the corners of Wang Dong's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
"Mm, I believe you."
She paused, her gaze falling back on the Spirit Bone, her voice softening. "Then... I want this Spirit Bone. Go and exchange for it; I'll look at some other things."
She suddenly turned her head and looked at Huo Yuhao seriously. "Thank you, Huo Yuhao. Today I am willing to receive from you, and in the future... I will be willing to give for you as well."
Her gaze was soft, making her look like a completely different person from her usual flamboyant self.
Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment, then laughed and patted her shoulder. "What's with the mushy words? Don't be so polite, we're all friends."
With that, he turned and walked toward the counter on the west side.
Wang Dong stood in place, watching his retreating back. Her lips moved, but in the end, she only let out a soft sigh.
"...Sigh, why can't I just say it?"
She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.
"I really am an idiot..."
She looked up again at the Spirit Bone emitting a soft glow inside the crystal cabinet, her gaze somewhat dazed.
In the distance, Huo Yuhao's figure disappeared into the crowd.
And she just stood there quietly, lost in thought.
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