Chapter 179: One Month Later, Puppet Auction?
As the leader of Spirit Hall, Zhong Liwu's strength had reached the level of a Limit Douluo, enough to intimidate a region.
He did not personally intervene, signaling that this battle was merely the beginning, a move carefully orchestrated by Spirit Hall.
Jiang Li paid no more attention to the matter and began to tally the large number of auction points he had just acquired.
[Shrek Academy suffered significant damage, further weakening its strength and prestige. Auction points acquired: 7273]
[Feng Ling made an early appearance, disrupting the subsequent plans of both Shrek Academy and Spirit Hall, greatly altering the future direction of Douluo Continent. Auction points acquired: 6713]
[Other forces on Douluo Continent noticed the conflict between Shrek Academy and Spirit Hall, which prompted new plans and further changed the power structure on the continent. Auction points acquired: 4599]
...
A series of notifications about the auction points kept the smile on Jiang Li's face from fading.
With these auction points, the Star Auction Pavilion would be able to offer even rarer items at future auctions, attracting more powerful figures and further solidifying its position on Douluo Continent.
"Pavilion Master, do we need to continue monitoring Spirit Hall and Shrek Academy's movements?"
Soul Heaven Emperor, seeing that the war had ended, flashed over and curiously asked Jiang Li.
"Not for now. There won't be any more friction between Spirit Hall and Shrek Academy in the short term. The next time they clash, that battle might spread across the entire Douluo Continent," Jiang Li replied, shaking his head. His eyes turned serious as he gazed into the distance.
He knew better than anyone that, after this conflict, the two major forces would undoubtedly gather strength and wait for the right moment to erupt again.
When that time comes, the entire Douluo Continent would be plunged into turmoil.
"Let's begin preparing for the upcoming auction. This little episode is over," Jiang Li continued.
"Both Spirit Hall and Shrek Academy are top forces on Douluo Continent, each with at least two Limit Douluo-level experts. Any large-scale conflict between them will ignite a war that engulfs the entire continent."
After speaking, Jiang Li turned and returned to his room to prepare the five items for the next auction.
...
Time passed quickly, and a month soon went by.
Today was the day for another auction at the Star Auction Pavilion.
Due to the previous battle between Shrek Academy and Spirit Hall, a significant stir had been caused.
Now, a month later, the surface of Douluo Continent had seemingly returned to peace.
But beneath that calm, various forces were surreptitiously moving, carefully testing each other's limits.
Today, the top forces from all over the continent made their way to the Star Auction Pavilion.
Once all the forces arrived, most eyes were focused on the people from Spirit Hall and Shrek Academy, eager to see what their next moves would be.
No one wanted these two forces to erupt into war again, as the impact would not just be on Shrek City, but the entire Douluo Continent.
If war broke out again, countless lives would be lost, and all the forces' interests would suffer significant losses.
Elder Xuan's gaze was fixed on the people sent by Zhong Liwu, his anger nearly bursting forth. He could barely resist the urge to strike and make them stay there forever.
After a month of accounting, Shrek Academy had suffered heavy losses, and several talented soul masters had fallen, drastically reducing the academy's prestige.
All of this was the fault of Spirit Hall.
How could Elder Xuan not be furious?
Those fallen talented soul masters were the future stars that Shrek Academy had carefully nurtured, and their deaths caused Elder Xuan immense pain.
"Elder Xuan, this is still the auction pavilion. All grievances can be dealt with after the auction," Old Mu, who was sitting next to Elder Xuan, said calmly. However, he too was seething with anger over the events of a month ago.
He was well aware of the consequences of causing trouble in the Star Auction Pavilion. Not only would it provoke conflict with the Pavilion, but it could also allow other forces to take advantage of the situation.
At the time, Old Mu had been in deep seclusion and, because of the power of the Golden Tree, had been completely cut off from any perception of the outside world.
He had originally thought that with Elder Xuan breaking through to Limit Douluo and taking charge, the academy would not make any significant mistakes in the short term.
But he had underestimated the ambition of Spirit Hall. With the Martial Soul Replication Mirror in their possession, they had failed to trap Feng Ling from Spirit Hall.
Thinking of this, Old Mu's heart was full of regret and frustration.
"I understand, Old Mu!" Elder Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. His tightly clenched fist turned white, and his gaze was fixed ahead as he waited for the auction to begin.
His body trembled slightly, revealing his inner turmoil, but he chose to endure.
He knew that for the sake of Shrek Academy's future, now was not the time for rash action.
...
"Pavilion Master, it seems that once this auction ends, Shrek Academy may take action against us," an elder from Spirit Hall said anxiously to Zhong Liwu.
Now, Shrek Academy had two Limit Douluo-level experts at the Star Auction Pavilion, while Spirit Hall only had Zhong Liwu as a Limit Douluo.
Feng Ling had also arrived today!
"Why be afraid? Spirit Hall has long been prepared, and with the Martial Soul Replication Mirror, Shrek Academy cannot do anything to us," Feng Ling replied, shaking her head. A cold light flashed in her eyes. She knew that Old Mu and Elder Xuan wouldn't easily act. If they did, it would lead to a series of complications.
Jiang Li, seeing that the time was right, walked from the backstage to the auction platform. This auction was to be personally hosted by him.
"Welcome everyone to the Star Auction Pavilion once again, for our monthly auction. Let the auction officially begin," Jiang Li said with a smile, his voice clear and magnetic, echoing in the auction hall.
Everyone's eyes were on him, especially the top experts, each of them showing a flicker of surprise in their gaze.
They noticed that Jiang Li's aura was even deeper than it had been a few months ago, but they couldn't gauge his strength. All they could do was quietly wait for the first auction item to be presented.
Jiang Li ignored the gazes and lightly waved his right hand, sending three beams of light to the auction platform.
When the light dissipated, three puppets appeared in front of everyone.
The three puppets were remarkably similar, each about the size of a palm, carved into the shape of a cute child. Their brows and eyes were exquisitely detailed, and their mouths curled into a slight smile, as though carrying a mysterious grin.
They were made from a special kind of wood, a milky white color with fine textures on the surface, as if containing some mysterious power.
What was astonishing was that they gave off no aura, appearing to be ordinary objects.
"What is this? It looks like a puppet carved into a humanoid toy," a soul master said, confused, his eyes full of bewilderment.
He examined the three puppets carefully, trying to find something special about them, but found nothing unusual.
"Quite strange. They don't emit any soul power aura. The items from Star Auction Pavilion have always been extraordinary, so these three puppets must have some other secret function," another elderly man said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
His eyes revealed a hint of curiosity. Auctions at the Star Auction Pavilion had never disappointed, and these three puppets, seemingly ordinary, must have an amazing secret hidden behind them.
As everyone saw the three puppets, they expressed confusion at first. No matter how they looked, they couldn't figure out the trick. They could only quietly wait for the Star Auction Pavilion to explain the puppets' mysterious purpose.
The entire auction hall fell into a brief silence, with only the sound of soft breathing and whispered conversations.
(END CHAPTER)
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