Chapter 86 The Soul-Devouring Carving Knife.
Entering the auction hall. A five-meter-wide staircase, covered with a red carpet, descended continuously.
After descending about twenty meters, they reached the registration area. Wang Yan had already completed these tedious procedures before bringing everyone here, handing each person a number plate. Only with the number plate could a girl in a long red dress lead them inside.
Passing through a simple, ancient wooden door, the scene abruptly changed. Their vision was filled with a dazzling expanse of gold. A wide, resplendent passageway, its luxurious decoration even surpassing that of their Star Emperor Hotel, was breathtaking.
The passageway was over ten meters wide, paved with precious ivory-white jade bricks. Every ten meters on either side, there was a pair of pillars of the same material, carved with exquisite patterns. The walls seemed to be covered in gold leaf, the carvings intricate and ornate. At the top, magnificent crystal chandeliers hung down, yet there was no sense of oppression, for the passageway was a full five meters high. The soft, bright yellow lighting, set against the golden walls on either side, created a three-dimensional golden world that was enough to dazzle anyone.
Wang Yan whispered, "Don't be fooled by its unassuming appearance from the outside. This is actually the largest auction house in Xingluo City. Obtaining a bidding spot is extremely difficult. Not only do you need proof of assets, but you also need an appraisal. I was only able to get in smoothly with Dai Yueheng's help."
As he spoke, they were led through a large door by a hostess. Clearly, this wasn't the end of the passageway. There were similar doors ahead. Further down, a staircase led downwards, its destination unknown.
Bei Bei seemed completely at ease with everything here, unlike Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, and Jiang Nannan who kept looking around. He asked the hostess who opened the door for them, "Could you please give us a brief introduction to the specifications of today's auction?"
The hostess respectfully replied, "Of course. Today's auction is a special auction for soul tools. Because only soul tools below level six will be auctioned, the specifications are relatively low. According to the grading system, it can only be considered a level four auction. Our Starlight Auction House's grading system is from one to five, with level one being the highest. Only level one auctions are held in the main auction hall. This is Hall number twelve, which can accommodate two hundred people to bid simultaneously. It is specifically used for level four auctions."
Bei Bei nodded and said, "Thank you."
"Only a level four auction? That's a bit low! Does that mean there will only be one or two level five defensive soul tools at most?" Wu Xuan frowned.
Level four defensive soul tools can only defend against attacks from a four-ring Soul Master; they are not very effective against attacks from a Soul King. Therefore, this auction of one or two level five soul tools is not even a bonus for the Shrek group.
Xu Sanshi hooked his arm around Wu Xuan's shoulder and lowered his voice, saying, "Level four is fine, just buy it and use it for now. As for the level five soul tool, Teacher Wang will definitely find a way. Wu Xuan, you might not know much about the academy. The academy has no shortage of money, and it's most willing to spend money on us core disciples."
"It's good that we don't lack money!" Wu Xuan smiled. Actually, he didn't lack money at all. The day before, he sold the 40,000-year-old Wind Tiger left leg bone, which he won as the champion of the freshman ranking competition, to the Starlight Auction House at a high price.
As a result, he obtained more than 20 million gold soul coins in savings. So Wu Xuan is not short of money at all now. If he doesn't buy such heaven-defying things as soul bones, he will never be able to spend all this money in his lifetime.
Entering Auction Hall No. 12, the light immediately dimmed, because there were only wall lamps on the surrounding walls. Everyone who entered the auction hall would receive a beautiful mask. Wu Xuan and the others received white ones.
The decoration inside the auction hall had a different feel. It was simple, elegant, and luxurious, yet warm. Just walking in gave one a very comfortable feeling. Two hundred comfortable chairs, upholstered in deep blue velvet, formed an arc around the room. Wu Xuan and his group were seated in the first row, the closest to the auction stage.
Wang Yan reminded them, "Everyone, please wear your masks. Various problems can arise at auctions, so masks are provided to conceal guests' appearances and avoid trouble. The color of the masks also distinguishes guests' ranks, similar to our soul ring color system. White is the lowest, and so on upwards. Gold, above red, represents the auction house's top VIPs. They generally don't appear in this kind of casually seated auction hall."
The group took drinks from the waiters and sat down, waiting for the auction to begin.
"Welcome, distinguished guests, to the Starlight Auction House. Our auction is about to begin. Please take your seats." A beautiful, melodious female voice came from all directions, and the auction hall fell silent. The already dim wall lamps gradually dimmed, while the lights on the auction stage gradually brightened.
A woman in a long purple dress walked onto the stage from one side of the auction hall. She appeared to be around thirty years old, with a dignified and beautiful appearance, a faint smile on her face. Her movements were graceful and elegant, the well-tailored dress perfectly outlining her fully mature figure.
Xu Sanshi's eyes widened instantly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.
Seeing Jiang Nannan's disapproving look beside him, Xu Sanshi quickly straightened up, pretending to be serious.
At this moment, the purple-clad auctioneer on the stage had already walked behind the auction table with a smile. Her soft voice, amplified by the soul-guided speaker on the auction table, gently echoed in Auction Hall No. 12.
"Good evening, distinguished guests. I am Qingya, a purple-level auctioneer from Starlight Auction House. I will be hosting this auction tonight."
After speaking, she stepped out from behind the auction table, bowing slightly to the audience with a smile, immediately winning a round of applause.
Returning to the stage, Qingya smiled slightly and said, "Today's auction is a special session for Soul Tools. All items are Soul Tools below level six, suitable for Soul Masters and Soul Guidance Masters with cultivation levels of Soul King or below. Also, to ensure our distinguished guests have a worthwhile experience, we have a final, mysterious grand prize item. Don't miss it! Our auction will now begin. Please have our staff present today's first item."
Two girls in red dresses pushed a small cart covered with a purple cloth onto the auction stage. They pushed the cart to the center and stopped, then lifted the cloth.
A black Soul Tool was revealed on the cart. This Soul Tool was rectangular, about a foot long, and engraved with intricate patterns.
Auctioneer Qingya smiled and said, "Our first item is a level three attack soul tool, a soul-guided paralysis ray. It has low requirements for the user, but is extremely practical. It's a rare gem among level three soul tools. The starting price is 1,000 gold soul coins, and each bid must be at least 50 gold soul coins. Let's begin."
Before Qingya finished speaking, someone immediately raised their paddle, "1,300 gold soul coins."
Just as Auctioneer Qingya had said, although this soul tool wasn't high-level, it was extremely practical; even a four-ring Soul Master would find it very useful. Its low requirements for use were its biggest advantage.
Therefore, the auction price rose steadily, quickly surpassing the 2,000 gold soul coin mark.
"2,500 gold soul coins." Just then, Wang Yan suddenly raised his paddle.
Auctioneer Qingya's eyes lit up, and she smiled sweetly at the masked Wang Yan. "Guest number 166 has bid 2,500 gold soul coins. Any more bids?"
Auctioneers earn their income by taking a commission from the lots. For example, if an item's cost price is one hundred, and it sells for two hundred, the auction house takes ten percent of the total amount as commission, while the auctioneer takes one-thousandth of the one hundred exceeding the cost.
Don't underestimate this one-thousandth figure. Even in a level four auction, it's normal for a single auction to exceed one hundred thousand gold soul coins. As the largest auction house in Star Luo City, and even the entire Star Luo Empire, this place holds several auctions almost every day. Some high-level auctioneers often only appear once a month, yet they can earn extremely high commissions.
Therefore, when Qingya saw Wang Yan directly raise the bid by five hundred, she was naturally delighted. As a purple-level auctioneer, she understood that often, the price of the first item would determine the price trend of the entire auction. Although this first item wasn't very expensive, if the premium was high enough, it would definitely be a good start.
As soon as the number two thousand five hundred was announced, the entire room fell silent, and the previously hesitant bidders stopped thinking. This price is clearly overpriced, "Two thousand five hundred gold soul coins. Once." After several inquiries went unanswered, Qingya began the final three rounds of bidding.
This is where the grandeur of a top-tier auction house truly shines. Smaller auction houses would typically delay the final three bids as much as possible, but Qingya did not. The three bids were called out consecutively.
"Bang!" The gavel struck the table. "Sold. This Soul Guidance Paralysis Ray belongs to VIP number 166. Thank you for your generosity." Qingya smiled sweetly at Wang Yan again. Wang Yan nodded gently in return.
"Who among you will use this Soul Guidance Device?" Wang Yan turned to the crowd and asked.
Bei Bei was the first to speak up, "Teacher Wang, let's give this Soul Guidance Paralysis Ray to Yuhao. He's the most suitable among us to use it."
The others had no objections; after all, aside from Xu Sanshi, what they wanted most was a defensive Soul Guidance Device.
The auction continued. As a Soul Guidance Device special, it was indeed full of good items. The vast majority were level three to four Soul Guidance Devices. With frequent bids, Wang Yan managed to purchase over a dozen Soul Guidance Devices on his own, distributing them to the crowd.
As expected, only two defensive soul tools of level five or higher were auctioned off, both bought by Wang Yan.
One was given to Wu Xuan, and the other to Bei Bei. The second-to-last item, a level four milk bottle, was an auxiliary soul tool, which Wang Yan also gave to Wu Xuan. The trolley was brought to the front of the auction stage, Qing Ya's pretty face slightly flushed. Lowering her voice, she said, "Distinguished guests, our mysterious grand prize is about to be presented. This is also the last item up for auction tonight. Originally, it shouldn't have been here.
However, to thank you all for your continued support of Starlight Auction, with the permission of our chief auctioneer, this item has been specially added. Although its price is very high, I believe that everyone who truly understands it will feel it is worth the price. Now, please have our hostesses bring this mysterious grand prize up."
The trolley slowly entered the stage from one side. Unlike the previous items, this time the trolley was not only larger, but the cover on it was also a vibrant red.
Everything in this Starlight Auction House is related to color, with gold being the most prestigious, followed by red, the same color as the 100,000-year soul ring.
This clearly indicates the extraordinary nature of this mysterious gift.
Soon, it was pushed to the center of the stage, next to the elegant auctioneer.
Judging from the shape of the covering, the item seemed quite large.
Just then, Huo Yuhao suddenly trembled violently, covering his eyes with his hands, and his whole body shook violently. This startled Bei Bei beside him.
On the stage, the elegant auctioneer had already begun her introduction.
"Everyone must be eager to know what this mysterious gift is. It's getting late, and Qingya never keeps things in suspense. This mysterious gift is like the most ordinary yet indispensable close friend to Soul Masters. Every Soul Master needs it. However, our last item for auction today is completely different. It's not a Soul Tool, which is why I said it shouldn't be here. But its relationship with Soul Masters is too close. Before I lift the veil, let me say one last thing. With its value and rarity, it deserves to be featured in our Starlight Auction House's top auction. Please take a look."
The moment the veil was lifted, everyone's attention was drawn to it. What appeared was an object that looked utterly ordinary, just as Qingya had said—something every Soul Master was familiar with and indispensable.
The item itself was small, about half a foot long and only the thickness of a finger. From bottom to top, it narrowed, with a very sharp point at the very top, and below that, a blade about half an inch wide. The item was ancient and dark, with faint patterns engraved on it, exuding a simple and unadorned aura.
Yet, it also possessed a somber quality. Many bidders sighed in dissatisfaction, clearly not finding this mysterious gift particularly surprising. However, a few people's pupils contracted rapidly; the appearance of this item shocked them.
A carving knife. Yes, this was a carving knife used by Soul Masters to inscribe core magic arrays. Both ends of the carving knife had specific uses, differing depending on the magic array being inscribed. Every Soul Master needed a carving knife; it was an essential tool for crafting Soul Guidance Devices.
Qingya introduced, "A carving knife, as you all know, is a must-have for all Soul Masters, and indispensable for becoming a high-level Soul Master. The carving knife you see before you is one of the top 100 carving knives on the ranking list."
Hearing Qingya's introduction, the audience erupted in commotion.
Even Wang Yan instantly perked up. The Listing Engraving Knife is of great significance to Shrek Academy; even Shrek Academy only possesses two, one held by the Dean of the Soul Guidance Department, Xian Lin'er, and the other by Fan Yu.
The sudden surge of excitement in the audience brought a dazzling smile to Qingya's beautiful face. She wasn't in a hurry at all, waiting for over five minutes before the bidders gradually calmed down.
"Auctioneer Qingya, what are you waiting for? Let the bidding begin!" someone couldn't help but urge.
Qingya smiled slightly and said, "Distinguished guests, please be patient. As you all know, our Starlight Auction House is renowned for its honesty and integrity. We guarantee the quality of every item that leaves our auction. We will never allow any defective or problematic items to be delivered to you without proper explanation. So, please allow me to finish."
As she spoke, Qingya glanced regretfully at the ancient carving knife and sighed softly, saying, "If this were just a normal ranking carving knife, you should all know that it would never be here. Ranking carving knives are among the most precious in the world of Soul Masters, even more valuable than some rare materials. The reason this ranking carving knife is featured as the final piece in today's Level 4 auction is because it has certain problems."
"In the ranking of carving knives, it ranks ninety-ninth. Actually, with its abilities, it shouldn't be ranked so low. It should even be in the top thirty. The reason for its low ranking is mainly because it is a cursed carving knife, the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife, known as the 'murderous knife.'"
"The Soul-Devouring Carving Knife has a history of over three thousand years. Three thousand years ago, it appeared in the Sun Moon Empire. Its creator was an exceptionally talented Soul Master. This Soul Master is said to have reached the ninth level of cultivation. Moreover, he was not only a Soul Master, but also a Soul Master, a terrifying evil Soul Master. Three thousand years ago, he brought a bloodbath to the continent."
"The Soul-Devouring Carving Knife was made by that evil Soul Master in his later years. It is said that shortly after making this carving knife, he encountered his greatest enemy. This genius, but also a ruthless villain, perished. And at the time of his death, he did not take the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife with him. As time passed, this murderous knife fell into the hands of the common people."
"In the history we've traced at the Starlight Auction House, this murderous blade has had thirty-seven owners. However, without exception, all thirty-seven of them met a tragic end. Nine of them even became evil spirit masters. According to legend, this blade, which devours spirits, contains a wisp of the soul of that genius evil spirit master from back then, and it will lead people astray. Only those with weak wills can wield it, and it absolutely cannot be used frequently. Therefore, its ranking has plummeted again and again, finally reaching a point where it can't fall any further."
"It's only because of its history and past glory that it has never been removed from the list of ranked carving knives. Those who love it have always hoped it could find a true master. We hope its master is of the Light attribute, so it's difficult for it to backfire on them. Of course, we don't fully understand this carving knife, so esteemed guests should be cautious when purchasing it. What we can guarantee is that as long as you don't inject soul power into it, it won't backfire on its owner. Therefore, as a ranked carving knife, it's quite good even as a collectible."
After listening to Qingya's long explanation, everyone finally understood why a ranked carving knife would appear at a Level 4 auction. Many people who were originally eager to participate remained silent.
As a ranked carving knife, the price of this Soul-Devouring Knife would definitely not be low. And no matter how good a ranked carving knife is, it can't be compared to life! Buying it at a high price and not being able to use it would be a waste, wouldn't it? After all, this was only a Level 4 auction, and the participants weren't all that wealthy, so many people hesitated.
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