Chapter 8: Obstructed by Mo Chen.
As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Chen suddenly released a wisp of soul power pressure. There were no earth-shattering phenomena, not even the booming of soul power fluctuations, yet the Shrek Seven Devils were as if crushed by an invisible boulder, instantly kneeling to the ground. Dai Mubai's White Tiger Martial Soul was directly forced back into his body, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth; Oscar's sausage, which he had just taken out, fell to the ground, covered in mud; Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda flickered twice in her palm before collapsing completely.
Tang San gritted his teeth, trying to activate his Purple Demon Eye to resist, but found that Mo Chen before him was like an abyss; his spiritual power was completely swallowed up the moment it reached him. He then realized that the person before him was not a Title Douluo at all, but the legendary—Peerless Douluo!
"The rules of the auction house are the rules of Douluo Continent now." Mo Chen's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "If you dare to acquire resources through plunder again, next time it won't be just a simple matter of obstruction."
Having said that, he raised his hand and waved it, a gentle yet irresistible force pushing the Shrek Seven Devils back several feet. Taking advantage of the moment, the Azure Phosphorous Purple Scorpion in the pool submerged and vanished instantly. Mo Chen turned around, his figure disappearing as if merging into thin air in the blink of an eye.
Only after the oppressive aura completely dissipated did everyone collapse to the ground, panting heavily. Dai Mubai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice still filled with lingering fear: "That...that was a Peerless Douluo? How could Lin Yue have such a powerful expert under his command?"
Tang San lowered his head, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He wasn't unfamiliar with defeats, but he had never lost so humiliatingly—he wasn't even given a chance to fight back before being completely crushed. What hurt him even more was that the source of points he had painstakingly found had been cut off.
"Let's...let's go back." Ning Rongrong's voice trembled. She still felt cold all over. The fear of being targeted by a peerless Douluo was even more terrifying than facing a 100,000-year-old soul beast.
Oscar nodded: "We can think of other ways to deal with the points, such as gathering spiritual herbs or mining ores. It's better than going against a peerless Douluo."
Tang San didn't move. He stared in the direction Mo Chen had disappeared, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes. He didn't believe in any "legitimate resources," and only felt that the auction house was deliberately targeting Shrek Academy—hadn't the Spirit Hall hunted enough spirit beasts? Why didn't anyone stop them?
"A solution?" Tang San muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tracing the patterns on the Clear Sky Hammer. "Teacher Yu Xiaogang once said, rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Since a direct approach won't work, then we'll..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the light in his eyes made Dai Mubai and the others feel a chill in their hearts. Oscar wanted to persuade him, but Tang San stopped him with a look—at this moment, Tang San was like a lone wolf that had been provoked, and he wouldn't listen to any advice.
The group dragged their weary bodies back to Shrek Academy, only to bump into Yu Xiaogang as soon as they entered. Seeing their disheveled appearance, Yu Xiaogang immediately frowned: "What happened? Didn't you get the soul bone?"
Tang San lowered his head and recounted his encounter with Mo Chen. Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's face turned ashen with rage. He slammed his fist on the table: "Outrageous! An auction house is nothing but a place for reselling treasures, yet they dare to be so domineering! 'Legal resources'? I think they're trying to monopolize all opportunities!"
"Teacher, but Mo Chen is a peerless Douluo, we can't beat him at all." Tang San's voice was filled with resentment.
"Can't beat them?" A calculating glint flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes. "So what if he's a Peerless Douluo? He can't be watching the entire Douluo Continent all the time. Next time you go to Sunset Forest, the soul beasts there often attack humans. Hunt them down then, and let's see what Mo Chen has to say then!"
Tang San's eyes lit up. That's right! The spirit beasts in Sunset Forest are violent and often attack passing caravans. Even if the auction house finds out, they can't find fault.
"I'll go prepare right away!" Tang San turned to leave, but Yu Xiaogang stopped him.
"Wait a minute." Yu Xiaogang lowered his voice. "Don't bring too many people this time. Just you, Mu Bai, and Zhu Qing. Too many people will attract unwanted attention, and if the auction house people notice you, it will only cause trouble."
Tang San nodded, a hint of urgency flashing in his eyes. He didn't notice the strange smile that appeared on Yu Xiaogang's lips as he turned away—his true purpose was not simply to help Tang San gain points.
Meanwhile, in the top-floor attic of the auction house, Lin Yue was watching the surveillance footage on the system panel. The conversation between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang was clearly visible on the screen, while Mo Chen stood to the side, bowing and asking, "Master, should we issue a further warning?"
Lin Yue shook his head, his fingertips tracing the "task list" on the panel, a faint smile playing on his lips: "No need. If they want to play, then let's play along. Coincidentally, the system just released a 'Combating Illegal Resource Acquisition' task. Completing it will unlock the 'Resource Tracing' function. Then, even if they hide in Sunset Forest, they won't escape the system's eyes."
Mo Chen bowed in agreement and withdrew. Lin Yue watched Tang San's hurried figure in the scene, his eyes growing cold—the order of Douluo Continent could not be disrupted by these so-called "orthodox Soul Masters." Those who wanted points had to follow the rules; those who didn't would pay the price.
Meanwhile, Tang San was still preparing for his upcoming trip to Sunset Forest. Unaware that he had already fallen into Lin Yue's trap, and even less aware that this seemingly "reasonable" hunting plan would plunge him and Shrek Academy into even greater trouble, Tang San was just beginning to prepare for his trip. A contest over the "legitimacy of resources" was about to unfold.
Inside the council hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, morning light streamed through the carved window lattices, illuminating a translucent, white pill that reflected a soft yet pure glow. Ning Fengzhi gently held the pill between his fingertips, his fingertips clearly feeling the energy flowing within it—this was the "Support Amplification Pill" he had purchased at the second auction for 88,000 points. According to the auction house's description, this pill could not only permanently enhance the amplification effect of support-type Soul Masters, but also had a remarkable effect on stabilizing the Soul Power foundation of offensive-type Soul Masters.
"Sect Master, are you really going to give this pill to Elder Gu Rong?" The elder at the head of the left couldn't help but ask, his tone tinged with reluctance. "Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is based on the support system. If this support enhancement pill is given to Rong Rong, her enhancement ability might break the sect's records in the future!"
The other elders in the hall nodded in agreement. Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had a profound foundation, treasures that could directly enhance support effects had always been scarce. The value of this pill was enough to drive any support-type Soul Master crazy. Ning Rongrong stood to the side of the hall, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt. Although there was longing in her eyes, she didn't say a word—she knew that the safety of the sect was more important than her personal improvement.
Ning Fengzhi shook his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall before finally settling on Gu Rong, the Bone Douluo sitting on the right: "You all only see the effect of the Auxiliary Enhancement Pill on the support type, but you forget that the sect's stability is due to the protection of Elders Chen Xin and Gu Rong. Gu Rong has been stuck at level 95 Super Douluo for five years. If he can break through this bottleneck with this pill, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's deterrent power can reach a new level."
He handed the pill to Gu Rong, his tone solemn: "Gu Rong, please accept this pill."