MTLNOVEL Chapter 11: Bid
In fact, it is said that humans and soul beasts coexist in harmony, but this harmony is limited to the Star Dou Great Forest and the Far North, where the two great soul beast gatherings have a contract with the Lord and the Spirit Pagoda.
Many Legendary Soul Spirits stand on their side, ensuring that soul masters do not offend them.
However, the Sun Moon Forest and the Sea Soul Beasts are a different matter.
After all, greed is an inherent human trait...
The Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler disappeared 10,000 years ago, and the Sea Soul Beasts were left without a master, lacking any contract with the Spirit Pagoda.
While the Star Dou Great Forest and the Extreme North became forbidden territories for soul masters, how could the soul masters resist exploiting the soul beasts in these regions?
True, the soul contract left by Spirit Ice Douluo requires the voluntary consent of the soul beast, but ordinary soul rings and soul bones do not need to consider the will of the soul beast!
As a result, over the past 10,000 years, a large number of soul masters have poured into the Sun Moon Forest and the oceans, leading to the complete disappearance of the Sun Moon Forest and the near-extinction of soul beasts in the offshore regions.
This scarcity of soul beasts has made souls that can provide multiple soul rings increasingly precious, elevating the status of souls, especially those above the 10,000-year level.
Although the Star Dou Great Forest and the Far North have reached a cooperation with the Spirit Pagoda, 10,000-year-old soul beasts are not common, and not all soul beasts are willing to be turned into souls.
In today's era, the value of a 10,000-year soul is more precious than a 10,000-year soul bone, especially in a second-tier city like Eastsea City.
Thus, as soon as the auctioneer's voice fell, fierce bidding erupted.
"110 million!"
"130 million!"
"200 million!"
Mu Xi stared at the Evil Eye Tyrant in a daze.
Although one of its eyes looked terrifying, it was a rare 10,000-year-old soul, appearing even stronger than her father's soul.
Moreover, it possessed fire attributes, making it a 10,000-year-old soul that suited her perfectly!
Mu Xi's eyes lit up instantly, and she turned to look at Mu Chen.
"Daddy?"
Mu Chen noticed her gaze, patted her head, and smiled. "Alright, the heirloom soul of the family is my responsibility, and this soul will be reserved for you in the future."
With that, he directly raised the bid.
"300 million!"
This far exceeded the typical price of a 10,000-year soul, but how could such a soul be measured in mere currency?
The Spirit Pagoda claims to sell 10,000-year-old souls, even marking the price at 100 million, but everyone knows that at this level, it is not money but human connections that secure 10,000-year souls...
Huo Yuhao glanced at the escalating prices and turned to Hua Yichen beside him. "It's for me, right?"
Though it is said to have dual attributes, the Evil Eye's soul is most suitable for a spiritual attribute soul master.
Its appearance at this time, as the final lot added temporarily, seemed too coincidental.
Hua Yichen nodded, "There are no impermeable walls in the world. Your recent special treatment in the Spirit Pagoda has clearly attracted attention."
How do I feel like this is your fault?
Huo Yuhao thought about his recent life and felt utterly speechless.
Hua Yichen had been wandering around the Spirit Pagoda all day, meeting him publicly under the guise of guidance. It was no wonder attention had been drawn to him.
Are the branch Pagoda masters really this idle nowadays?
In the early days of the Spirit Pagoda's creation, everyone was busy running around...
Huo Yuhao didn't voice this thought, but if he had, Hua Yichen would have nodded in agreement.
In Eastsea City, he truly was idle.
After all, Eastsea City was too small for Huo Yuhao, but for Hua Yichen, was it too large?
As one of the Eighteen Heavenly Pillar Pagoda Masters, a three-word Battle Armor Master, and a Title Douluo, Hua Yichen's presence in such a small city was almost excessive.
Unaware of Huo Yuhao's thoughts, Hua Yichen glanced at the soul and asked:
"The Evil Eye is a top-tier soul beast with spiritual attributes, and it's one of the most suitable 10,000-year souls for you. Although the Spirit Pagoda currently has some, the best among them are dual-attribute souls, which might not be as good as this one. Do you want this soul?"
"Don't worry about me. It's still too early for me to consider a 10,000-year soul," Huo Yuhao shook his head.
The 10,000-year Evil Eye Soul might be enticing to others, but not to him.
After all, the Evil Emperor was sleeping in his spiritual sea!
Among the gathering places of the three major soul beasts, Di Tian and the Snow Empress were worth discussing, but the Evil Emperor, who had cooperated with the Holy Spirit Sect ten thousand years ago, was hardly worth mentioning!
When Huo Yuhao first arrived, he wiped out the Evil Soul Master Headquarters in the Sun Moon Forest.
Then, for some reason, the Evil Emperor's mind seemed to snap, and he made a decision similar to the original timeline, fighting Huo Yuhao to the death, allowing him to absorb his soul ring while plotting to take over his body.
Well, he had lost the soul of the Snow Empress and others, but in return, the even stronger Electrolux was still there!
Wasn't this an open invitation?
As a result, the Evil Emperor became his soul and contributed a head soul bone...
Thus, the extinction of the soul beasts in the Sun Moon Forest was indirectly related to him, and the sea soul beasts had also suffered earlier because of his actions.
But Huo Yuhao had never claimed to be a saint, nor did he accept moral guilt.
He created the soul contract to ensure that soul beasts like the Snow Emperor and those from the Far North, who had helped him, would face fewer difficulties in this era.
It was a selfish act, and pulling the Star Dou Great Forest into the agreement was merely incidental.
As for the Sun Moon Forest and the Sea Soul Beasts... Except for the mermaid princess Liya's clan, Huo Yuhao didn't care.
The former could seek their own blessings, and the latter could turn to the Sea God. He wasn't a god; he was merely human.
He didn't have the power to control everyone, nor did he believe he was responsible for all soul beasts!
Seeing Huo Yuhao's refusal, Hua Yichen chuckled and shook his head.
He then spoke in a voice that carried a tone of forced reassurance, "It's good to be down-to-earth, but as a member of the Pagoda, you shouldn't underestimate yourself. As I said, with your qualifications, you will be valued at the highest level of the Spirit Pagoda!"
Huo Yuhao possessed a spiritual attribute, martial soul, and his innate spiritual power had reached an astonishing three hundred, a rarity even in Hua Yichen's extensive experience.
This meant that Huo Yuhao would be peerless in the realm of spiritual power, potentially even breaking through to the Divine Origin realm and reaching heights comparable to those of Atlas Douluo!
Thinking of this, Hua Yichen glanced at the auctioneer and said lightly,
"600 million federal coins!"
By doubling the price in one go, Hua Yichen made his determination clear.
The venue fell silent, and many turned their eyes to Hua Yichen, frowning in contemplation.
Mu Chen also looked at Hua Yichen with a furrowed brow. "Pagoda Master, surely the Spirit Pagoda isn't lacking in 10,000-year-old souls, is it?"
"President Mu, you jest. Even in the Spirit Pagoda, a 10,000-year-old soul is an exceedingly rare treasure, especially one as top-tier as the Evil Eye. I have no intention of letting it slip away."
Hua Yichen smiled faintly, speaking openly without the need for subtlety.
Hearing this, most people reluctantly withdrew their gazes and abandoned any thought of competing further.
Against the vast resources of the Spirit Pagoda, which rivaled the wealth of nations, further bidding would be futile.
Others turned their attention to Huo Yuhao, clearly aware of the deeper implications.
Mu Chen's expression shifted for a moment before he finally sighed.
"Ah, so be it..."
The auctioneer spoke quickly, as if afraid someone might raise the bid again, and declared at the fastest pace of her career, "Are there any further bids? 600 million federal coins, going once! Twice! Three times! Sold!"
...
Outside the auction hall, Hua Yichen went to finalize the acquisition of the lots, while Huo Yuhao waited for him beside the soul guide car.
Mu Xi emerged from the auction hall and spotted Huo Yuhao from a distance. Her eyebrows raised slightly, and she walked straight over.
"Hey, did Branch Pagoda Master buy that soul for you just now? I saw him looking at you after securing the bid."
"In a way, yes," Huo Yuhao replied, noticing Mu Xi's displeasure. "Do you want that soul?"
"Hmph, I don't want it."
Mu Xi, as if her pride had been pricked, denied it outright.
"I'm just curious about how impressive the person must be to have Branch Pagoda Master personally accompany them and provide a 10,000-year-old soul."
"But from what I see, you don't seem all that remarkable."
With his ordinary appearance and only his bright blue eyes standing out, Huo Yuhao lacked the arrogance and sharpness typical of the geniuses Mu Xi knew.
Huo Yuhao remained unperturbed, simply smiling lightly.
"My talent really isn't anything special, far from that of a true genius. I've just been... a bit lucky."
"Well, you're certainly lucky."
Mu Xi pursed her lips and turned away with a cold expression.
"I hope your talent is worthy of that soul."