Chapter 7 Tang San Steals Resources for Points.
Yue Guan didn't hesitate: "The Spirit Hall is willing to exchange another 50,000 points to apply for a basic private auction room." The Spirit Hall disciples behind him immediately stepped forward and presented the resources that had been prepared in advance.
Tang Xiao, not wanting to be outdone, although he didn't win the trial card, knew the importance of private auction rooms and immediately decided to exchange 50,000 points to apply for a private auction room for the Haotian Sect. The auction house instantly became lively again, with many forces choosing to exchange points, all vying for a spot in a private auction room.
Lin Yue watched as the points on the system panel steadily increased, eventually settling at 320,000 points, and his smile deepened. Unlocking private auction rooms not only increased point income but also made various forces more reliant on the auction house—after all, no one wanted to expose their trump cards to their competitors.
Meanwhile, in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, Gu Yuena was listening to Di Tian's report. When she heard that the "Contra Experience Card" had been sold for 80,000 points and that the auction house had unlocked a private auction room, a strange light flashed in her eyes: "This Lin Yue is indeed not simple. It seems that the Star Dou Soul Beast Clan should also prepare some decent resources to exchange for points."
Di Tian bowed and said, "Your subordinate will go and make preparations immediately, and will certainly not allow human forces to seize the initiative."
Gu Yuena nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the auction house, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the fabric of her sleeve—she had a vague premonition that this mysterious auction house, and that man named Lin Yue, would completely change the landscape of Douluo Continent. And her encounter with Lin Yue had only just begun.
Meanwhile, inside the Pope's Hall of the Spirit Hall, her fingers lightly tapped the armrest of her chair. The 80,000-point price was within her expectations, but the "fragments of the Glazed Lamp" offered by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School surprised her: "Ning Fengzhi is certainly willing to spend a fortune. It seems that next time, the Spirit Hall will have to bring out some truly precious treasures for the auction."
She looked up at the window, her gaze seemingly piercing through space, landing in the direction of the auction house: "Lin Yue... just how many secrets are you hiding? I'm really looking forward to seeing what surprises you'll bring at the next auction."
An auction for Contra trial cards not only brought substantial profits to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, but also made forces like the Spirit Hall and Clear Sky School realize the importance of points, paving the way for the promotion of private auction rooms. Lin Yue knew that this was just the beginning—as the points system improved and more high-value items appeared, the power structure of the Douluo Continent would gradually undergo earth-shattering changes under his control.
The morning mist on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest hadn't yet dissipated, the damp air carrying the scent of decaying leaves and earth. Tang San gripped the knot of the Clear Sky Hammer at his waist, his knuckles turning white from the force. Behind him, the Shrek Seven Devils' footsteps were somewhat sluggish—from their departure at dawn until now, they had been wandering in the forest for two hours without even catching a glimpse of a thousand-year-old soul beast.
"Little San, are we really going to find a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast?" Dai Mubai wiped the sweat from his forehead, the aura of his White Tiger Martial Soul faintly emanating from his body. "The ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts on the outskirts are either well-hidden or have violent tempers. Although we've broken through to the Soul Master level, we can't fight them head-on..."
"We have to find them." Tang San interrupted him, his voice filled with an undeniable urgency. "At the third auction, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School won the Soul Douluo trial card with 80,000 points, and the Spirit Hall even directly redeemed the qualification for a private auction room. The few points we have aren't even enough to cover the starting price of the next auction!"
He wasn't wrong. In the first two auctions, Shrek Academy only managed to gather 30,000 points, and that was entirely thanks to Oscar exchanging ten thousand-year-old sausages and Ning Rongrong giving up an ancestral crystal pendant. They didn't even manage to snag the "Hundred-Year Soul Ring Extract." Now that the auction house has unlocked private auction rooms, everyone knows that the subsequent items will only become more valuable. Without enough points, they will only fall further and further behind.
Ning Rongrong bit her lip and whispered, "But Teacher Yu Xiaogang said that auction houses need to consider the 'legality' of acquiring resources. Does our active hunting of soul beasts that haven't provoked anyone count as...?"
"What do you mean?" Tang San turned around abruptly, a hint of anxiety flashing in his eyes. "Soul beasts are the very opportunities for soul masters! Are we supposed to wait for others to snatch all the treasures while we're left guarding the 'orthodox' path and starving?"
His words struck a chord with everyone. These past few days, the disciples of the Spirit Hall had been making breakthroughs one after another thanks to the "Soul Power Refining Pills" from the auction house, and the Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was even showing signs of advancing. Only Shrek Academy remained stagnant. Oscar gripped the sausage pouch at his waist, ultimately deciding not to argue further—he also wanted to bid on the "Physique Enhancement Pill" so he wouldn't hold the team back.
The group walked deeper into the forest for about half an hour when they suddenly smelled a faint fishy odor. Tang San immediately raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. The Blue Silver Grass silently spread out, and after a moment, a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "There's a ten-thousand-year-old Azure Phosphorous Purple Scorpion in the pool ahead!"
The Azure Phosphorous Purple Scorpion's soul bone is renowned for its potent venom and control abilities. According to the auction house's previous assessment, a ten-thousand-year soul bone could be exchanged for at least 30,000 points. Dai Mubai immediately became excited, drawing his White Tiger Dagger: "I'll hold them off head-on, Oscar prepare to restore the Sausage, Rongrong, give everyone a boost!"
Everyone quickly took their positions. Tang San circled around to the other side of the pool, and his Blue Silver Grass reached out to the water's surface like a venomous snake, just about to entangle the stinger of the Jade Phosphorous Purple Scorpion, when a dark figure suddenly appeared out of thin air in the center of the pool.
The man was wearing a dark-patterned robe, and there was no fluctuation of soul power around him, yet he caused the entire surface of the pool to freeze instantly—not in a physical sense, but rather a sense of stagnation brought about by his aura, as if even the air was being compressed and unable to breathe.
"Who?" Tang San gripped the Clear Sky Hammer tightly, staring warily at the other party. He could sense that this person's aura was far stronger than that of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, even reminding him of the legends in the Spirit Hall's Hall of Worship.
"Auction House, Mo Chen." The man spoke, his voice calm and even, yet it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer. "Auction House rules: We only accept legal resources; we do not accept anything obtained through plunder."
"Plunder?" Tang San frowned. "Hunting soul beasts to obtain soul bones is a soul master's duty. How can that be considered plunder?"
Mo Chen's gaze swept over the trembling Azure Phosphorous Purple Scorpion beneath the water's surface. Despite possessing ten thousand years of cultivation, the soul beast resembled a frightened rabbit, not even daring to expose its stinger. "This beast has gained sentience and has not attacked humans proactively. Your actions in hunting it are tantamount to plunder."
"Nonsense!" Tang San couldn't help but step forward, black patterns appearing on his Clear Sky Hammer. "Soul beasts are born to provide soul rings and soul bones for soul masters. Why are there so many rules? You're just an employee of the auction house, yet you dare to interfere in our affairs?"