MTLNOVEL Chapter 10: EVIL EYE
"East Sea City is too small for you, and you'll leave sooner or later. But there are some people you need to be aware of."
Hua Yichen reminded in a low voice, "For example, this one, the eight-star saint craftsman, Mu Chen! He is the junior disciple of Zhenhua, the current Divine craftsman. If you can befriend him, it will benefit you in the future."
The two were in a state of spiritual sharing, so Huo Yuhao naturally noticed the middle-aged man.
Soul Tools was the field Huo Yuhao excelled in.
As for forging, even if he had the talent, he couldn't afford to spend much time on it. He simply didn't have the energy.
That high-level forging master was a hurdle he couldn't avoid when it came to making fighting armor and mechas!
As Huo Yuhao and the others noticed Mu Chen, Mu Chen and his daughter also saw them as they got out of the car.
"Is the Pagoda Master also here to participate in the auction?"
Seeing Hua Yichen, Mu Chen was slightly surprised, especially when he noticed Huo Yuhao following him. "Who is this young man?"
As far as he knew, Hua Yichen's junior shouldn't be in East Sea City. So, the child accompanying him must be someone special...
"His name is Huo Yuhao. He has just awakened his martial soul and needs some heavenly and earthly treasures to lay a solid foundation. Since they are available at the East Sea auction, there's no need to transfer them from the headquarters," Hua Yichen explained politely.
"Yuhao, greet President Mu Chen."
"Hello, President Mu," Huo Yuhao saluted, then nodded to the girl beside Mu Chen. "Hello, Miss Mu."
Not wanting to offend someone who was being polite, Mu Chen smiled and nodded, despite his reluctance to get too close to the Spirit Pagoda.
He gestured to his daughter to return the greeting.
Upon her father's signal, Mu Xi greeted Hua Yichen and Huo Yuhao in turn, then eagerly turned her attention to the museum.
"This girl has been fascinated by forging since she was a child. She insisted on learning it from the age of five, and after two years of persistence, I reluctantly agreed to teach her."
"However, her talent in strength is somewhat lacking. I brought her here this time to find some suitable natural treasures to help her improve her physique and maintain her figure, so she doesn't end up becoming too muscular."
"That's why she's a bit excited, please don't mind her," Mu Chen explained with a helpless yet doting smile, apologizing to Hua Yichen and Huo Yuhao.
"Daddy!!" Mu Xi's face turned red as she looked back at Mu Chen in embarrassment.
Why did he have to mention the reason they came... And she wouldn't become too muscular just because of forging!
She glanced at Hua Yichen and Huo Yuhao, relieved to see that they showed no judgmental expressions.
With a sigh, she walked toward the museum, not waiting for Mu Chen.
Seeing this, Mu Chen smiled helplessly:
"I hope we didn't make you laugh, Branch Pagoda Master."
"Kids should be lively, it's a good thing," Hua Yichen replied with a smile, shaking his head.
"The auction is about to start. Shall we go in together?"
"Of course," Mu Chen agreed, while subtly glancing at Huo Yuhao.
A genius with full innate soul power, capable of catching Hua Yichen's attention... This boy must be extraordinary.
...
The entry threshold for the auction was exceptionally high.
Ordinary attendees had to pay a deposit of one million federal coins, but such rules didn't apply to figures like Hua Yichen and Mu Chen.
The four of them collected their number plates and masks from the auction house.
Since they were already together, they decided to enter the auction hall as a group.
"In the past 10,000 years, this tradition hasn't changed. What's the point of wearing a mask anyway?" Huo Yuhao muttered under his breath as he fiddled with the mask in his hands.
Auction houses 10,000 years ago had the same practice, handing out masks to attendees as if they could conceal their identities.
He wondered who had come up with such a rule... Certainly not Tang San, as far as he knew.
On the other side, Mu Xi glanced at the mask in her hand, then at the badge on Mu Chen's chest, and remarked with a hint of amusement:
"Dad, what's the point of you wearing a mask? Your badge gives you away anyway."
"The mask is just for psychological comfort, it's practically useless," Mu Chen admitted, pausing mid-action.
He decided not to bother with it after all.
This girl really knows how to hold a grudge, he thought to himself.
Hua Yichen, on the other hand, didn't even bother with the mask. He simply stored it in his storage ring.
As Mu Chen had said, the mask was nothing more than a formality.
It wasn't a soul tool capable of altering one's appearance, and everyone in the upper echelons of East Sea City already knew who he was.
In fact, the news of him bringing Huo Yuhao to the auction had likely already reached the ears of those who were paying attention.
Perhaps this auction was even arranged with them in mind.
With that thought, Hua Yichen's eyes narrowed slightly as he strode confidently into the auction hall.
Inside, the grand auction hall was illuminated by crystal chandeliers that cast intricate patterns of light across the dome.
The circular hall was constructed from deep-sea immersion silver, ensuring the highest level of security.
Each seat was a plush leather sofa, accompanied by tables laden with an array of delicacies, fruits, snacks, and a variety of beverages.
By now, the front rows were already filled, so Huo Yuhao and the others didn't fuss over seating.
They found a spot in the middle and sat down, not too far from each other.
After about half an hour, the lights in the hall gradually dimmed, and the chatter quieted down.
A red-clad auctioneer walked onto the stage from the side, and the spotlight focused on her.
"Welcome to the East Sea Auction. Our annual event is about to begin. Since the relevant lots have already been displayed in the previous months, I won't waste time with unnecessary introductions. Let's get straight to the auction," she said with a smile, stepping behind a gilded wooden table.
A cart was wheeled onto the stage, and a large white screen behind the main stage lit up.
"First up, Lot Number One, the Millennium Ice Spirit Fruit..."
The East Sea Auction had a tradition of previewing auction items at the East Sea Museum beforehand, so most attendees were already familiar with the lots.
As the auctioneer's voice rang out, those interested in the Ice Spirit Fruit began bidding, and the atmosphere quickly heated up.
The subsequent lots grew increasingly rare and valuable. Among them, the 10,000-year Whale Gum, extracted from a 10,000-year demon whale, was one of the final highlights.
With its dark yellow hue and exceptional quality, it was secured by Hua Yichen for 30 million federal coins.
Along the way, Mu Chen also bid on several spiritual fruits to enhance his daughter's physique.
However, if the auction had only featured these items, it wouldn't have attracted so many prominent figures.
When it came to the final lot, the auction house didn't present the item directly.
Instead, after some adjustments, the screen behind the stage displayed the lot.
It was a creature that seemed to hover between reality and illusion. It had enormous eyes and was surrounded by countless tentacles.
Just looking at it sent a chill down Mu Xi's spine.
Huo Yuhao, recognizing the creature, narrowed his eyes and glanced at Hua Yichen, who remained calm.
He immediately understood.
So, this auction... it's for them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the final lot of the day, the Heirloom Soul, the 30,000-Year Evil Eye!" the auctioneer announced with a tone of awe.
"Since the mysterious disappearance of the Evil Emperor, ranked second among the ten great fierce beasts, the Evil Eye clan has been relentlessly hunted by soul masters. Now, this species is nearly extinct, with only a few Evil Eyes surviving as soul forms. This is one of them."
"As you all know, in the Evil Eye race, the fewer the innate abilities, the stronger the individual. This Evil Eye possesses only two attributes, Fire and Spiritual, and its quality is exceptional."
"As a heirloom soul, the soul master family it once belonged to has fallen into decline and was forced to break their contract with it. The soul itself hopes for a new contractor who is strong enough to wield its power."
Heirloom souls don't remain with a single soul master family forever.
If the family declines and its descendants prove unworthy, some souls may choose to leave.
Though the auctioneer's words were vague, everyone understood the implication: the family that once housed this soul had weakened, and their descendants were no longer capable of sustaining a contract with a 30,000-year soul. That was why the Evil Eye Tyrant had ended up here.
"The starting price—100 million federal coins, with increments of no less than 10 million. Let the bidding begin!"