Chapter 47: Auction

When Ling Luocheng and Huo Yuhao stepped off the stage, the others from Shrek Academy also exchanged puzzled looks, and only then did they realize just how powerful the primary‑controlled Soul Master on the front line was.

Chen Qiye stood in the audience and clapped, "Not bad, Senior Sister Ling, how does the ice‑type flavor of an ultimate martial soul feel?"

"Fine," Ling Luocheng said, looking at Chen Qiye on the stage. "But I'm curious— with your strength you could handle them easily, why did you end up with one? two serious injuries and four minor ones?"

Chen Qiye replied indifferently, "If they can't even get past those, I wouldn't need to step in either."

"After all, a competition isn't an individual match; it judges overall strength. If the overall strength is lacking, even if I can boost them, their growth will still be limited…"

"Sure enough, it's you! Even the competition's honor looks so simple to you."

"Likewise!"

"Sigh, at this rate only Senior Sister Da Shi can cure you."

At that moment Chen Qiye noticed several gazes falling on him, curled his lip into a smile, and said, "Soon I'll let you all see what real strength is…"

Wang Yan exhaled, feeling an almost fainting sense of relief. Ling Luocheng returned, and Shrek Academy finally regained its strong‑team demeanor; the pressure on him as the team‑leading teacher lightened enormously. Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yuheng were also about to return, making the upcoming round‑robin much easier.

Since he started leading the team here, he has constantly borne enormous pressure. The responsibility on his shoulders is certainly far greater than that of the trainees; Chen Qiye's inaction added to his mountain of pressure, and at this moment he can finally relax a bit.

As usual, the Shrek Academy representative team did not linger after the match, quickly leaving the venue and returning to the hotel. What remained were the other academies fervently discussing Ling Luocheng's ice‑type strong control. How to counter her has become today's hottest topic.

But only those who participated in the match know who the real threat belongs to?

The round‑robin reached its fourth round, already in the middle stage. In the first group where Shrek Academy resides, there are only eight teams, each required to play seven matches to complete a cycle.

In the next three matches, Shrek Academy encountered no opponents that could threaten them, marching to victory. After two single‑elimination duels and one team battle, they swept all opponents, finishing the group with a perfect 7‑0 record and advancing to the forthcoming brutal knockout stage.

Unsurprisingly, the other team that advanced from the first group alongside them was the Zheng Tian Academy, which had once caused them great trouble.

Because the other groups still had nine teams each, after Shrek Academy's matches ended they received a three‑day rest period.

Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yuheng's injuries have fully healed, yet they did not appear in the round‑robin, not even going to the arena; this was a tactic arranged by Wang Yan. When unnecessary, concealing strength benefits later matches.

During these days, the Shrek team received frequent good news. Xiao Xiao's body has essentially recovered; that grueling battle finally helped her break through the level‑30 bottleneck, and now she only lacks a third soul ring.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, after continuous hard fights, through the ongoing cultivation of the Haodong Power, each raised their soul power by one level in a short time. Wang Dong's soul power reached level 32, Huo Yuhao reached level 28, moving closer to level 30.

The door of the conference room in the Star Emperor Grand Hotel was knocked.

Wang Yan furrowed his brows and shouted in a deep voice, "Didn't I say not to let the staff disturb us?"

A pleasant female voice came from outside the door, "Sorry to disturb you, I'm not staff; I come from the Star Light Auction Hall."

"Star Light Auction Hall?" Hearing that somewhat familiar voice, Wang Yan couldn't help but pause; the nearest to the door, Beibei, stood up, gave Wang Yan an inquisitive look, and after Wang Yan gave an affirmative nod, walked over to open the door.

A woman in a black long dress stood outside the door; appearing twenty‑eight or nine, she possessed a mature charm yet still a youthful aura. Huo Yuhao and his companions recognized her as the auctioneer, Qing Ya, they had met at the auction that day.

At the same time, Chen Qiye stepped ahead into the auction hall.

It was a room of about two hundred square meters. The interior was lavishly decorated with precious wood, jade, and various ornaments whose high price was obvious at a glance. The décor exuded decadence, yet also a strange feeling that compelled you to praise its elegance.

Inside Room 7 of Hall 1 of the Star Light Grand Auction House, the decoration was extremely luxurious.

The golden light on the projection screen gradually dimmed, and a melodious voice rang out, "Welcome, distinguished guests, to the Star Light Auction Hall's premier auction. Today we will present nine precious items to you, displayed from low to high value. We hope you enjoy."

The soul‑guided screen cleared again; the previously shown platform was now suffused with a faint white hue, and at its center stood a girl in a red long dress.

The girl appeared only seventeen or eighteen, her beauty could rival Jiang Nannan's. Moreover, being a few years older than Jiang Nannan, her figure was well‑developed. The red silk dress highlighted her icy skin, giving a perfect impression.

"Greetings, distinguished guests, I am today's auctioneer, Jiu Jiu, honored to host this premier auction. Your time is precious, so the auction begins now. Please, esteemed guests, appraise today's first item."

As she spoke, she gave a sweet smile, performed a complex yet elegant gesture, and with her right hand made a beckoning motion. Instantly, the scene shifted, and the soul‑guided screen on the wall displayed an item.

Chen Qiye gave no glance to the earlier items; he quickly turned to the finale piece he cared most about.

"Next, we present today's centerpiece item."

The soul‑guided screen turned golden again; as the golden light faded, Princess Jiu Jiu reappeared on the screen, now wearing a gold long dress.

Princess Jiu Jiu's stunning beauty, set against the opulent golden attire, exuded regal elegance without losing delicate grace; the tailored cut perfectly highlighted her alluring curves.

Earlier Qing Ya had already introduced herself; now dressed in a gold auction outfit, indicating that the upcoming item's final price could exceed one hundred million Gold Soul Coins.

Even though the item was still unknown, Jiu Jiu's costume change alone exhilarated everyone. As a top auctioneer, this princess truly knows how to sway the crowd! "Distinguished guests, from Princess Jiu Jiu's attire you can infer how precious today's centerpiece will be. Honestly, this is the only time I've ever seen such an item in my life. In my view, its rarity is beyond monetary measure."

With the gold gown on, Princess Jiu Jiu's voice subtly changed; unlike her earlier slightly seductive tone, it now carried a solemnity, and her expression grew serious. Even a few sentences made people fully sense her sincerity, causing them to instinctively trust every word she says.

"I won't reveal the name of this item yet; first let me explain its function. The previously shown Ice‑emerald Scorpion left‑arm bone was already extremely rare. Today, I can say this final piece is truly unique. Its value shouldn't even be measured in money."

"It is a single‑use consumable, or rather a medicine, and there is only one piece. Please take a look, distinguished guests." As she said, Princess Jiu Jiu drew her right hand, and the soul‑guided screen instantly changed, adding a white tray with a wooden base inlaid with over a hundred assorted gems. Upon this modest wooden base floated a gently wavering white aether.

The aether appeared white; its soft hue doesn't convey its power, and from the screen it looks merely…

But this qi flow remained condensed and unscattered, lurching left and right as if trying to break out of a heavy encirclement, while the wooden support beneath it continuously emitted a pale golden light shield during its impact, enveloping it and preventing it from breaking through.

"Distinguished guests must be very curious what this actually is. When I first saw it, I couldn't confirm its existence. However, after countless studies, we can now confirm its specific…"

………

"Having said all this, perhaps the honored guests think, 'I already know this, why do we need you to remind us!' But I must tell everyone that these are not idle words; what I say is closely tied to today's centerpiece auction item. Because the qi flow you see with your eyes is a hundred‑thousand‑year soul beast that, after reaching a bottleneck and choosing to reincarnate as a human, was seized by a great being during its transformation and sealed within the 9th‑grade Soul Conduit Divine Sealing Platform. In a sense, this qi flow can be considered the unformed embryo of the soul beast's human reincarnation. Such a sight—no, I dare say, across the entire Douluo Continent, few have ever witnessed it."

(End of Chapter)