Chapter 180: The Giant Whale (Part One)

"If I could bring the Po Clan under my command, that would be great," Li Xuan thought, a bold idea flashing in his mind; he squinted slightly, stroked his chin and muttered.

Although Li Xuan now has his own territory, his domain is still just a makeshift troupe, with hardly any soul masters at all.

But that's normal; after all, Li Xuan has only been walking the Douluo Continent for two years, hasn't built his own power yet. Given enough time, Li Xuan could also cultivate his own Title Douluo.

However, if at this moment he could recruit Yang Wudi, a Soul Douluo on par with Title Douluo, the safety of Li Xuan's territory would greatly improve, since Yang Wudi's combat power is evident to all.

If Yang Wudi joins Li Xuan's forces, Li Xuan could also help him break through the Title Douluo Realm.

Not only is Yang Wudi's combat power extremely high, he is also the only "alchemy master" on the Douluo Continent; just by looking at the auction prices of elixirs, one can tell that Yang Wudi's elixirs are truly of excellent quality.

"Kid, stop dreaming; the Po Clan's waters are deep, you're still too green," Lou Gao said after hearing Li Xuan, laughing and shaking his head.

Li Xuan, after hearing Lou Gao's words, felt no setback; instead he nodded in agreement.

The Po Clan, having been abandoned by the Clear Sky Sect, does not intend to join any faction, and the Spirit Hall is still watching nearby; if the Po Clan makes any rash move, a Title Douluo will immediately come to investigate.

So now is not the best time to recruit the Po Clan.

Lou Gao stared at Li Xuan's expression and was momentarily stunned; he had thought Li Xuan was just joking, but didn't expect he truly wanted to win back the Po Clan.

One has to admit, the youngster is indeed brave.

In the end, Lou Gao just laughed and shook his head, saying nothing to discourage Li Xuan; after all, it's good for a youngster to have dreams.

Li Xuan also knows that recruiting the Po Clan is not a simple matter; it must be pursued gradually.

Neither Li Xuan nor Lou Gao continued to discuss the issue; they fell into a tacit silence—Li Xuan felt his strength insufficient and saw no need to keep talking, while Lou Gao thought Li Xuan was merely bragging…

As the auction went on, items ranged from gold and silver jewelry to slaves and land deeds, though the prices were all somewhat inflated, so Li Xuan made no bids.

After all, this is an auction; many bidders act on impulse, there's no need to compete with them, and these items are of little use to him anyway.

Lou Gao had little interest in these items either and made no bids; only Ning Fengzhi bid twice, buying a few pieces of jewelry, presumably as gifts for Ning Rongrong.

"Esteemed guests, the next items up for auction are those needed by soul masters. The first lot is a marvelous Soul Guide Device, said to be a treasure a friend retrieved from an ancient tomb. Please take a look," the auctioneer announced while pulling back the red cloth behind him.

A palm-sized model of a small boat appeared on the display stand.

However, Li Xuan, on the fourth floor, couldn't see the exact shape of the model.

"This little boat is called the Giant Whale, the mount of the Han Hai Douluo three hundred years ago. When the Han Hai Douluo fell unexpectedly three hundred years ago, the Giant Whale's whereabouts became unknown. This should be the first time in three hundred years that the Giant Whale has reappeared in public view, and rest assured, we've tested this Soul Conductor Ship; it is indeed the complete Giant Whale. Please feel free to bid." the auctioneer proclaimed passionately about the boat on the stand. "Lou Lao, this isn't on the auction list? Could the list be incomplete?" Li Xuan was startled, then asked Lou Gao with a puzzled expression.

Li Xuanqing clearly remembered that the first Soul Guide Device up for auction was supposed to be a massive‑space Soul Guide Device, yet now it turned out to be a ship; according to the introduction, it's even a sea vessel.

"That's normal. During the auction, some people settle debts with goods, so such items end up on the auction block, and this is also inventory of the Star Luo Empire," Lou Gao turned his head and explained to Li Xuan.

After hearing Lou Gao's explanation, Li Xuan silently nodded; no wonder there was a Soul Conductor Ship here—it was from debt settlement.

"Attendants, present the lot," the auctioneer clapped his hands.

A scantily clad maid slowly stepped onto the stage, carefully raising the tray; simultaneously, soul power flickered behind her, and a pair of translucent dragonfly wings appeared on her back.

Then the wings behind the maid flapped rapidly, and the maid rose gently, carrying the tray to the private rooms on the third and fourth floors, displaying the lot to the distinguished guests.

Li Xuan could easily see the exquisite little boat on the tray, so detailed that every component was visible!

This truly is a treasure! Li Xuan felt a flutter of excitement.

"Lou Lao, this item is off, it's not the best time to sell it now; Han Hai City still has a sea ban," Li Xuan said to Lou Gao in disbelief.

"This ship should be a collection of the Star Luo Royal Family; presumably they're short on money, so they put this thing up for sale. As for the sea ban… no one knows when it will end. If the sea ban never ends, the ship has little value; they probably can't wait." Lou Gao stroked his chin and analyzed.

"Back then, the Han Hai Douluo, with a 96‑level cultivation, roamed the seas, amassing endless wealth. It relied not only on its martial soul, but more importantly on this ship. This ship is said to be a creation from tens of thousands of years ago, 100 meters long, 30 meters wide, its hull made from the corpse of an 80,000‑year‑old rusted‑iron water‑resistant tree, and it incorporates a lot of Soul Conductor Craft." Lou Gao then explained the ship's origins to Li Xuan with interest.

"Lou Lao, after hearing your description this thing looks pretty good; shall we buy it?" Li Xuan raised an eyebrow and said to Lou Gao with a smile.

After hearing Lou Gao's introduction, Li Xuan also thought it was a treasure, and since the sea is rich in resources, in a few years when the sea ban lifts, he could sail the ship to Sea God Island.

Li Xuan has little interest in the Sea God's divine position, as it doesn't match his attributes, but Sea God Island is resource‑rich, and he wants to earn some extra profit.

Additionally, he could replicate such large ships to more efficiently harvest the sea's resources.

"Buy it? We don't have that kind of money. As soon as your arch‑rival makes a move, I won't be able to budge a finger." Lou Gao gave Li Xuan a serious look, then said irritably.

The Blacksmith Guild really isn't wealthy.

"Please, Lou Lao, help me bid for it; as for the money, I have plenty," Li Xuan said, smiling and shaking his head at Lou Gao.

(End of Chapter)