Chapter 247: The Divine Bamboo and the Mysterious White Mist
"Observe and adapt. Whatever happens, we must not allow the Holy Spirit Cult to obtain this soul spirit. It doesn't matter which other faction claims it—as long as humanity prospers and produces more top-level experts, the Cult's ambitions will ultimately be crushed."
Mu En shook his head calmly. He wasn't fixated on acquiring the Eternal Day Burning Sky Phoenix for Shrek Academy. Their current influence simply wasn't enough to guarantee success.
"Understood, Teacher," Yan Shaozhe replied. He and the other elders nodded and waited quietly as the next phase of bidding began.
"It seems the Starry Auction Pavilion truly understands the nature of the Eternal Day Burning Sky Phoenix. I wonder which human faction will dare to claim it," Di Tian remarked with interest.
For a being as ancient as the Eternal Phoenix, the Pavilion's knowledge didn't surprise him, though it only deepened his curiosity about its origins.
"The starting price for this Eternal Day Burning Sky Phoenix soul spirit is one hundred million gold soul coins, with each increase no less than fifty million."
After a brief pause, Jiang Li struck his gavel, officially opening the bidding.
"Two hundred million gold soul coins!"
The Holy Spirit Cult's Zhongli Wu lifted his paddle without hesitation, immediately joining the fray.
"Three hundred million gold soul coins!"
Poison Undying of the Body Sect quickly followed. His sect was determined to obtain the spirit at all costs.
Their disciples—those who awakened Body Martial Spirits—had long proven their unmatched willpower through trials and near-death training.
In his mind, no one was more suited to subdue an ancient soul spirit like this. If they succeeded, the Body Sect could produce a hero who might one day dominate the entire continent.
"Brother, we should try to win this one," said Titan of the Clear Sky Sect, eyes locked firmly on the shimmering Phoenix spirit suspended above the stage. "When Dong'er is strong enough to absorb a hundred-thousand-year-level soul spirit, we'll let her merge with it. The power of ultimate light and destruction would complement her Bright Goddess Butterfly perfectly."
"I agree." Niu Tian nodded but spoke cautiously. "If we manage to win it, don't rush. We'll consult Tang San in the God Realm first. Even we know too little about such a creature's history. The Pavilion warned that only those with the strongest will can survive the process. We can't risk her safety."
"You're right," Titan admitted. "But right now, our contact with Tang San has been cut off. I don't know when—or if—we'll reach him again."
Worry clouded both their faces.
Something must have gone wrong—either with Tang San himself or with the Divine Realm. The sudden loss of all communication could only mean one of two disasters.
And either scenario spelled danger for Dong'er and for the Clear Sky Sect as a whole.
"We can only wait," Niu Tian said with a sigh. "Let's stay alert and preserve her safety until Tang San reaches out to us again."
They turned their attention back to the bidding.
"Eight hundred million gold soul coins!" Niu Tian called out decisively.
"Ten billion gold soul coins!"
The voice belonged to Xu Tiannan of the Sun Moon Empire. Though his own soul rings were complete, he refused to let such a treasure slip into enemy hands. This soul spirit would serve as a national weapon for future generations.
As time passed, the competition grew fiercer.
Several top forces—Shrek Academy, Holy Spirit Cult, Sun Moon Empire, and the Body Sect—clashed fiercely, while others chose to stay silent.
Ning Qitian of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sighed. His sect specialized in support; this soul spirit's extreme attributes made it impossible for any of his disciples to safely absorb.
Rather than lose a prodigy, he chose to abstain.
Ten minutes later, the price had reached thirty billion gold soul coins, offered by the Clear Sky Sect.
One by one, the other factions withdrew. Between the immense difficulty of merging with the spirit and the mountain of resources required, most deemed the risk too great.
Spending such a fortune on something that no one might survive was not worth missing out on the later treasures.
"Thirty billion once."
"Thirty billion twice."
"Thirty billion three times!"
"No further bids. The Eternal Day Burning Sky Phoenix soul spirit is sold for thirty billion gold soul coins!" Jiang Li announced, striking his gavel to seal the deal.
As the soul spirit's light faded, questions rippled across the audience.
"I want to know," one soul master called out, "when will the Starry Auction Pavilion begin selling soul spirits directly to the public?"
The entire room turned toward Jiang Li with eager anticipation.
They had long hungered for this answer. Months had passed since the Pavilion had first mentioned mass distribution, but nothing had yet been implemented.
Even Di Tian's golden eyes flickered with expectation.
If what was promised became reality—if humans could create soul spirits without hunting beasts—it would be a monumental blessing for their race.
Too many of their kind had been slaughtered over the centuries. Soul spirits represented salvation.
"This matter has already been decided," Jiang Li replied with a small smile. "When this auction concludes, we will open official channels for soul spirit sales across the Douluo Continent."
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
This was the beginning of a new era, one where both humans and soul beasts might finally coexist.
"Now then," Jiang Li continued, raising his hand once more, "let us move on to the next auction item."
With a flick of his wrist, something materialized in midair—a slender stalk of bamboo, gleaming green and elegant.
The bamboo swayed gently as if alive, emanating a faint, mysterious aura.
Thin wisps of white mist curled around its surface, never dispersing, releasing a sacred, otherworldly feeling.
Every gaze in the hall fixed upon it in curiosity.
At first glance, the stalk seemed like nothing more than a beautiful celestial herb. Yet, given its placement among the final auction items, such a simple treasure couldn't possibly be its true form.
Soon, some soul masters noticed it as well—the mist surrounding the bamboo wasn't ordinary vapor.
Their eyes sharpened. Perhaps… the real treasure wasn't the bamboo itself, but the fog that clung tightly to it, glowing faintly with divine light.
The mist's persistence and strange energy left everyone wondering just what kind of power was hidden within it.
(END CHAPTER)
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