In truth, Huo Yuhao was putting on an act. Knowing the plot well, he naturally understood that Ilaykes harbored no ill will towards him, but it was still necessary to feign caution.
If he didn't appear a little nervous, Ilaykes would likely be on pins and needles.
"Alright, I'll trust you for now."
Ilaykes hadn't even had time to feel pleased when he heard Huo Yuhao continue, "Let's talk about something else. Like, what can you offer me? After all, you're going to be staying in my spiritual sea. Even ordinary people have to pay rent, right?"
"You're right. I truly have nothing to offer you right now. How about this, we'll discuss this again after I recover my memories?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao's expression darkened. Was this old guy trying to get something for nothing? Who knew how long it would take him to recover? Even if he did, what kind of compensation would he offer? Such vague words were basically untrustworthy.
Ilaykes sensed Huo Yuhao's displeasure and quickly said, "If you don't like that, I promise to fulfill three requests for you, as long as they don't endanger my life. How does that sound?"
Thinking about it, this guy had lost all his memories, and his fragmented soul couldn't do anything at the moment. Huo Yuhao reluctantly agreed, "You have a point. Fine, let's go with your plan. Then, I'll make my first request now."
The sudden turn of events left everyone present, both humans and beasts, momentarily stunned. Why was he already making demands so quickly?
"Kid, aren't we going to talk about this after I regain my memories? What can I even do in this state?"
"Don't worry, the requests I'll make are things you can definitely accomplish. The question is, are you willing?" Huo Yuhao looked at Ilaykes with a smile, his expression like a sly old fox sizing up a hen.
"Oh? Tell me what they are," Ilaykes said, his interest piqued. However, he still didn't directly agree, just in case.
"My first request is... I want you to agree to ten more requests from me!" Huo Yuhao said seriously, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Ilaykes: "..."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Ice Emperor: "..."
Snow Emperor was also taken aback, but then she smiled slightly.
Everyone was speechless. If this was the game, it would never end. It was like having one wish, and that wish was for ten more wishes. Then, when those ten wishes were almost used up, he'd do it again, in an endless cycle.
"Pfft!" Huo Yuhao chuckled at the stunned expressions of the audience, then waved his hand. "Alright, just kidding. I'll go take a look at that Life Gold." With those words, Huo Yuhao's figure vanished into his spiritual sea.
Soon, the item was pushed to the center of the stage, beside the auctioneer Qingya.
On the stage, Qingya had already begun her introduction.
"Everyone must be very curious about what this mysterious item is. Time is getting late, and Qingya doesn't like to keep secrets. This mysterious item, for Soul Engineers, can be considered the most ordinary but also the closest friend, essential for every Soul Engineer. However, today's item is completely different. It is not a Soul Tool, which is why I said it shouldn't have appeared here. But, its relationship with Soul Engineers is too close. Before I lift the cloth, let me say one last thing. Given its value and rarity, it is worthy of being on our Starlight Auction's top auction list. Please take a look."
The moment the cloth was lifted, everyone's eyes were drawn to it. The dazzling radiance or peerless brilliance they had anticipated didn't appear. Instead, there was an object that looked as ordinary as could be. Just as Qingya had said, this was something familiar and indispensable to any Soul Engineer.
The reason the cloth was so high wasn't because the item itself was large, but because it was held by a display stand, the volume under the cloth was naturally the display stand. The item itself was small, about half a foot long, and only as thick as a finger. From bottom to top, it narrowed. The top was a sharp point, and the bottom was a half-inch wide blade. It was overall simple and dark, with faint patterns engraved on it, emitting a subtle, archaic aura, but also a little melancholy.
Many bidders sighed in disappointment, clearly not feeling surprised by the mysterious item. But a few people's pupils were rapidly shrinking, shocked by the item's appearance.
He Caitou from Shrek Academy's side had his eyes lit up. He was the only Soul Engineer from Shrek Academy this time, and he knew better than the others how important an engraving knife was to a Soul Engineer.
The engraving knife. Yes, this was an engraving knife used by Soul Engineers to inscribe core arrays. Both ends of the knife had different uses, depending on the array being inscribed. Any Soul Engineer needed an engraving knife; it was an essential tool for making soul tools.
Many people, after examining the simple and unadorned knife, showed expressions of disappointment. They hadn't found anything extraordinary about it.
Qingya's voice rang out amidst the murmurs of discontent, "I believe some esteemed guests have been fooled by its appearance. Then, I can only regretfully tell you that you are mistaken. Missing this mysterious item will be the biggest mistake of your life. Next, let me introduce this seemingly ordinary, but by no means ordinary, engraving knife to you, esteemed guests."
"An engraving knife is a necessity for all Soul Engineers. And a good engraving knife is the most important factor in achieving high-level Soul Engineer status. What you see here can no longer be simply described as 'good'. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a peerless engraving knife. In the world of Soul Engineers, engraving knives also have rankings. The top-tier engraving knives are almost all in the hands of top-tier Soul Engineers. You should have heard of the term 'Ranked Engraving Knife', which means it can be listed on the engraving knife rankings."
"On our Douluo Continent's engraving knife rankings, only the top one hundred engraving knives are recorded. Unfortunately, more than two-thirds of them are in the Sun Moon Empire. This is one of the important reasons why the Sun Moon Empire has so many and such powerful Soul Engineers. And what you see is one of the top one hundred, which is the Ranked Engraving Knife I just mentioned."
As the words "Ranked Engraving Knife" were uttered, an uproar erupted from the audience, and all the previous sighs disappeared. He Caitou from the Shrek side closed his eyes with a look of helplessness.
If it weren't for Qingya's explanation, he had planned to try and snag it at a bargain. After careful observation, he had already discovered that this engraving knife was extraordinary. And as a Soul Engineer, the pursuit of a Ranked Engraving Knife was never-ending. In the entire Shrek Academy, there were only two Ranked Engraving Knives, held by Dean Xian Liner of the Soul Guidance Department and Fan Yu, respectively.
(End of this chapter)