“Student Ling Luocheng, this—!” Wang Yan looked at Ling Luocheng with an awkward expression.

He had just bought the Holy Phoenix Armor for Ma Xiaotao, and his gold soul coins were almost completely spent.

Given the rarity of this soul bone, the price probably started at ten million. Ling Luocheng, after all, wasn’t Ma Xiaotao, and he didn’t have the authority to use academy funds to buy this soul bone for her.

Ling Luocheng’s eyes dimmed slightly, regretful but understanding Wang Yan’s predicament. “I understand, Teacher Wang Yan, let’s give up.”

Just then, Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke up, “Teacher Wang Yan, Senior Ling Luocheng, this soul bone comes from an Ice Jade Scorpion. If I’m not mistaken, only an Ultimate Ice-type soul master can absorb it. Any other ice attribute soul master would fail.”

“Hm? Huo Yuhao, are you serious?” Wang Yan and the others all looked at Huo Yuhao, full of confusion.

“You should all know, my second martial soul is the Ice Jade Scorpion, so I can say for sure: ordinary ice attribute soul masters absolutely cannot absorb this soul bone.” Huo Yuhao nodded firmly.

“Ah! What should we do then? Should we inform the auction house?” Xiao Xiao asked, hesitating.

“Of course we need to tell them!” Ma Xiaotao said decisively. She knew very well about the relationship between Jade Chamber and Haiyuan City. If Jade Chamber’s reputation suffered, it wasn’t something she wanted to see.

“That’s right, Jade Chamber is a property of Haiyuan City. Don’t forget, March 7th, Ye Guyi, and Senior Dan Heng, who have helped us, are all from Haiyuan City,” Ling Luocheng added in a deep voice.

Bei Bei and the others all nodded. They were not the type to bite the hand that fed them.

“Alright, I’ll inform the auction house staff immediately.” Wang Yan stood up, pressed the call button, and summoned a staff member to relay the message to the auction host.

In VIP Room 2, Xu Jiujiu received the news and looked at Xu Jiawei in surprise, “Brother Emperor, the people from Shrek Academy say that this Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone is defective—it can only be absorbed by ultimate ice-type soul masters!”

Xu Jiawei frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, “I remember that Huo Yuhao from Shrek Academy is an ultimate ice attribute. Then it must be true. No wonder so many soul masters failed to absorb it before. So that’s the reason!”

“I’ll go find Sister Ningguang!” Xu Jiujiu said, flustered, and immediately stood up.

She had originally brought out the soul bone to boost Jade Chamber’s prestige. If her good intentions had caused harm, she wouldn’t know how to face Lu Jingming.

Soon, Xu Jiujiu hurried to VIP Room 1, disregarding the presence of others, and quickly explained the issue with the auction item in detail.

“Don’t worry, Sister Jiujiu, it’s not a big deal.”

Lu Jingming smiled gently, soothing Xu Jiujing, then looked at March 7th, “Since this soul bone has requirements for absorption, let the right person buy it.”

“Huh? Me?” March 7th blinked innocently, pointing at herself.

Lu Jingming rolled his eyes. “This girl, how could you forget your Six-Phased Ice Ice martial soul? In Douluo Continent, your martial soul is the ultimate ice!”

“Oh, right! I am ultimate ice!” March 7th finally realized, her face showing enlightenment.

The others, like Robin, shook their heads helplessly, while Xu Jiujiu and Jiang Nannan looked at her in shock.

They never expected that this seemingly lively and harmless pink-haired girl was actually a powerful ultimate ice-type soul master!

With a solution found, Xu Jiujiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She had been afraid this matter would tarnish Jade Chamber’s reputation. Now, it seemed there was still time to fix things.

She secretly felt grateful that the problem was discovered before the sale. Otherwise, if Jade Chamber’s reputation suffered, she’d have to make it up to Lu Jingming with special benefits.

…

Twenty minutes passed quickly.

Huo Yuhao and the others thought that, after their warning, Jade Chamber would replace the Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone. Unexpectedly, the auction continued as scheduled.

Soon, the bidding for the Ice Jade Scorpion’s left arm bone began, starting at a high ten million gold soul coins, and the price skyrocketed like a rocket.

Especially VIP Room 4, which kept raising the bid, quickly pushing the price to fifteen million.

Just as the competition seemed to reach a fever pitch, VIP Room 1 suddenly intervened, directly calling out a sky-high thirty million.

This price instantly stunned the entire room. All other bidders were suppressed by this overwhelming price and had to give up.

Even the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, faced with such an unexpectedly high price, could only give up helplessly.

Meng Hongchen looked at the auction stage, her eyes full of regret.

She liked that Ice Jade Scorpion left arm bone very much, but thirty million was simply not worth it for a soul bone, no matter how rare.

Moreover, they still had their eyes on the finale item.

Usually, a ninth-level soul tool made by Lady Herta or this Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone would be the highlight of any auction, but this time they were only preludes, making everyone all the more excited for the grand finale.

“Honored guests, next up is the star item of tonight’s auction! To be honest, even I was shocked when I learned what this item was!”

Xu Jiujiu’s voice was full of undisguised amazement.

As the auctioneer, she had only just found out what the mysterious final item was, which showed how rigorous and meticulous Jade Chamber was with keeping secrets.

As the soul tool screen changed, a blood-red, diamond-shaped crystal slowly rose on the display table.

Inside the crystal, it was as if some mysterious creature was sleeping, radiating an unfathomable aura.

“Honored guests—in my opinion, the value of this item is truly inestimable, even beyond the reach of money! It breaks a long-standing iron rule of the soul master world and creates a new history!”

Xu Jiujiu’s tone turned especially serious, making everyone perk up.

Though no one could see the secret of this crystal at a glance, Xu Jiujing’s attitude hinted at its extraordinary value.

“A hundred-thousand-year Stigmata: Mountain-Moving Ape! Starting price: one hundred million gold soul coins!” As Xu Jiujiu’s words fell, the entire auction house exploded.

Everyone began whispering, speculating about what this “Stigmata” could be to command such a price—on par with a hundred-thousand-year soul bone.

Inside VIP Room 1, Lu Jingming couldn’t help but twitch his lips as he looked at the blood-red crystal.

From the moment he saw the crystal, he’d had a suspicion. When Xu Jiujiu announced the name, he was certain—it was definitely Mobius’ handiwork.

The secret of the Stigmata might be unknown to others, but he knew it perfectly well.

“Sigh, well, this thing had to come out sooner or later. This auction is as good a time as any.” Lu Jingming shook his head inwardly, somewhat helpless.

Mobius seemed to have an uncanny grasp of his thoughts and bottom lines. Though her actions often surprised him, they were always within his tolerance.

“I’m sure everyone here is unfamiliar with the Stigmata. Not long ago, I knew nothing about it myself. Now, let me give you a detailed introduction.”

Xu Jiujiu’s voice sounded again, pulling everyone’s attention back.

“This hundred-thousand-year Stigmata—Mountain-Moving Ape—was crafted by extracting the gene and soul information of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, the Mountain-Moving Ape, meticulously created by a genius at great cost.”

“Its most astonishing effect is that after a soul master absorbs it, they will obtain at least one hundred-thousand-year soul ring! Please note, at least one! Furthermore, it requires no soul beast hunting, and the requirements for the soul master are greatly reduced—most Soul Douluos can absorb this Stigmata and gain the coveted hundred-thousand-year soul ring!”

Xu Jiujiu’s words struck the crowd like a bombshell, causing a storm of shock.

“How is that possible? For soul masters, hunting soul beasts for rings has always been an iron rule. Could this so-called Stigmata really break that rule?”

Wang Yan shot up from his seat, eyes glued to the blood-red crystal on the screen.

Looking closely, it was clear that a monkey-like creature was sleeping inside.

In his spiritual space, Huo Yuhao anxiously asked Electrolux, “Elder Yi, is this really possible?”

Electrolux nodded slightly, remarking, “In theory, yes. I’ve been researching this world’s cultivation path, and through the existence of the bug and the little scorpion, I’ve found new directions. If all goes well, you too might be able to gain soul rings without killing soul beasts. This world is truly full of hidden talents! The lady Herta who created the simulated universe, and the genius behind the Stigmata—one wonders what kind of people could achieve such wonders.”

Electrolux inwardly lamented. He was able to explore new cultivation methods and break conventions thanks to his deep background and extraordinary insight from his previous life.

The one who created the Stigmata was clearly no ordinary figure. This world was becoming more and more interesting.

“Everyone, the wonders of the Stigmata don’t stop there! Because it’s made from the Mountain-Moving Ape, absorbing it grants not only a hundred-thousand-year soul ring but also the ape’s immense strength and defense. Even Tool Soul Masters can gain the physical power and defense of a Beast Soul Master!”

“What’s even more amazing is that, should a soul master resonate deeply with the Stigmata, it may even awaken, granting the soul master the Mountain-Moving Ape’s gravity manipulation ability! It’s like gaining a new martial soul—though this one cannot have soul rings attached to it.”

Xu Jiujiu’s voice was full of wonder. Even she, who had seen much of the world, was shocked by the Stigmata’s marvels.

She never imagined that Jade Chamber could offer such a heaven-defying treasure as the star auction item.

If she didn’t know that the person behind Jade Chamber was her lover, she’d have urged her brother to buy it at any cost.

The auction hall fell silent as everyone digested the shock. But Xu Jiujiu wasn’t done.

“Honored guests, there is an even more astonishing feature! According to the developer, once the Stigmata successfully awakens, it will fuse with the soul master’s bloodline and soul, meaning it can be inherited by descendants! That is, children may be born with an innate Stigmata, even directly awakening the Mountain-Moving Ape martial soul!”

Her words were like a boulder dropped in a still lake, stirring a thousand waves.

The room boiled over instantly. For soul masters, martial soul inheritance was the most important thing.

And this Stigmata could potentially create a family with top-tier martial soul inheritance—how could anyone not be tempted?

A greedy red glow appeared in everyone’s eyes as they stared at the blood-red crystal, their desire growing wild.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep