Seeing the enticing mission rewards on the System panel, a flame instantly ignited in Liu Yuan's originally calm eyes.
gold of living beings—this was a rare Heaven And Earth Treasure on the Douluo Continent. The massive life force contained within was enough to make any Spirit Master go crazy.
He originally had every intention of taking such an item for himself.
What's more, there were System rewards after obtaining the gold of living beings!
"Thankfully the System reminded me, otherwise I really would have forgotten about this auction."
The corners of Liu Yuan's mouth curled up slightly; he was in a great mood.
This auction was a must-attend!
Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed open the door and walked straight toward Jing Hongchen's room.
At this time, Jing Hongchen was thinking about the tactical arrangements for the future.
Seeing Liu Yuan enter, Jing Hongchen immediately stopped what he was doing, his face breaking into a kind and amiable smile:
"Xiao Yuan, what is it? Do you need something?"
In Jing Hongchen's eyes, the current Liu Yuan was like a living ancestor and the future hope of the Sun Moon Empire; he had to be catered to.
"It's nothing major." Liu Yuan casually found a place to sit. "Dean, I heard there's a top-tier auction in Star Luo City tonight, and I want to go take a look."
"An auction?"
Jing Hongchen was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand grandly and said with heroic spirit:
"Go! You must go! Everyone has worked hard in the competition these past few days anyway, so it'll be good to go and relax."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and the others nearby, saying loudly:
"Since Liu Yuan suggested it, everyone will go together tonight! I'll cover all the expenses!"
"Whether you take a fancy to some rare metal or some high-level spirit tool, bid for it! As long as it helps your cultivation, I won't be stingy!"
"Wow! Long live Grandpa!"
Meng Hongchen was the first to cheer, and Xiao Hongchen's eyes also lit up. Although their grandfather was usually good to them, it was rare to see him being this generous.
"Then I thank the Dean." Liu Yuan smiled slightly; this was exactly the result he wanted.
With a wealthy tycoon like Jing Hongchen around, he could go all out at the auction tonight.
...
Night fell, and Star Luo City was brightly lit.
As one of the largest auction houses on the continent, the Starlight Auction House was exceptionally lively tonight.
Liu Yuan and his group, wearing the uniforms of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, arrived at the entrance of the auction house in a grand manner.
Coincidentally, just as they were about to enter, they ran straight into the crowd from Shrek Academy who had also just arrived.
Xuan Zi walked at the very front, still holding that signature wine gourd, followed by Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao, and Bei Bei from the preparatory team.
Although the mood of the Shrek crowd had improved slightly after Xuan Zi's previous promise of a "massive payout," their expressions instantly became awkward when they suddenly saw the Sun Moon Team, especially Liu Yuan standing calmly in the center.
That deep-seated fear and sense of defeat surged up uncontrollably once again.
"Hmph."
Seeing Jing Hongchen, Xuan Zi gave a cold snort and turned his head away, pretending not to see him.
He was feeling irritated right now and didn't want to deal with this old rival at all.
Besides, after losing so miserably, wouldn't speaking to him now just be asking for humiliation?
Jing Hongchen naturally saw Xuan Zi's constipated expression.
A playful arc curled at the corner of his mouth. He didn't go up to say anything sarcastic as he usually would, but instead took a deep look at the Shrek crowd behind Xuan Zi and then waved to Liu Yuan and the others behind him:
"Let's go, we're going in too."
Even without a verbal confrontation, the smell of gunpowder in the air was impossible to hide.
Upon entering the interior of the auction house, led by a waiter, the two teams entered their respective VIP boxes.
Interestingly, perhaps by the auction house's design, the Sun Moon Team's box and the Shrek Academy's box were actually adjacent, separated only by a layer of special soundproof glass.
Through the one-way visual window, Jing Hongchen could clearly see the movements of the Shrek crowd next door.
He narrowed his eyes, and the playful smile on his face deepened.
"Since enemies meet on a narrow path, don't blame me for being impolite."
...
Soon, the auction officially began.
As a strain of melodious music sounded, a beautiful female Auctioneer in a red dress with a sultry figure walked gracefully to the front of the stage.
"Good evening, distinguished guests. I am today's Auctioneer, Auctioneer."
Auctioneer's voice was sweet and pleasant, instantly attracting the gaze of every male in the audience. After a brief introduction, she went straight to the point:
"Without further ado, let us bring out today's first item!"
Following her gesture, several waiters pushed a small cart forward. The red cloth was lifted, revealing three exquisitely crafted metal objects.
"These are three Class 4 stationary soul tool cannons, crafted by a Class 6 Soul Engineer. Although they are only Class 4, they are powerful and extremely stable, making them a Sharp Weapon for low-to-mid-level Spirit Masters for self-defense and challenging those at higher levels."
"Starting price, one thousand gold coins!"
Hearing the words 'spirit tool,' He Caitou's eyes lit up in the Shrek box.
As Fan Yu's Personal Disciple, he had an almost obsessive love for spirit tools.
"Elder Xuan, this... seems pretty good."
He Caitou scratched his head somewhat honestly and looked at Xuan Zi.
Xuan Zi glanced at the three spirit tools and curled his lip.
In his view, these clever tricks that relied on external force were not as solid as cultivating one's own Spirit.
And they were only Class 4—was this kind of junk even worth buying?
However, since he had already made the promise, he couldn't back down right at the start, could he?
"If you like them, then bid for them."
Xuan Zi waved his hand and said quite grandly.
"One thousand gold coins!"
The Shrek side immediately raised their paddle to bid.
"One thousand five hundred!"
"Two thousand!"
Quite a few people below were also interested in these spirit tools, and the price was quickly driven up.
"Three thousand gold coins!"
Xuan Zi grew a bit impatient and directly called out a relatively high price, attempting to settle the matter in one go.
Sure enough, after this price was called, the room quieted down a bit.
For three Class 4 spirit tools, three thousand gold coins was already considered an overpayment.
"Three thousand gold coins once!"
Auctioneer smiled and raised the auction hammer.
Xuan Zi nodded with satisfaction and was about to pick up his wine gourd for a celebratory sip of his 'opening victory'.
However, at that moment—
"Four thousand gold coins."
A lazy and somewhat playful voice suddenly drifted out from the adjacent box, echoing clearly throughout the auction house.
Xuan Zi's movements instantly froze.
The wine gourd stopped at his lips; before he could take a sip, he was choked by this sudden bid.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Xuan Zi coughed violently, his face turning bright red as he snapped his head toward the direction of the neighboring box.
This voice... why did it sound so familiar?
And the bid went up by a thousand at once? Who was so wealthy and overbearing?
Inside the adjacent box, Jing Hongchen put down the bidding paddle and leisurely picked up his teacup for a sip, his face full of smugness.
Watching this scene, Liu Yuan almost burst out laughing.
The Dean is truly wicked!
He's intentionally trying to compete with Xuan Zi in wealth...
But if it's a competition of money, even ten Xuan Zis tied together couldn't compare to him!
Xuan Zi is going to lose face big time now!
------------------------
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