Five days later, at the Water Ripple City Auction House.
Although called a "small-scale" auction,as one of the most prestigious commercial organizations on the continent, its branch building was still quite impressive.
This unique hemispherical building stood majestically in the city center, constructed entirely of white stone, gleaming warmly in the sunlight.
The entire building resembled a giant hemisphere inverted on the ground, with a simple design.
Above the entrance, there were no nameplates, only an exquisite golden auction hammer pattern.
Stepping inside was like entering a completely different world.
The interior space was spacious, with a high dome, and soft light poured down from carefully designed soul-guiding lamps, illuminating every corner without being glaring.
There were not many people present, only about a third of the seats,but they were all prominent figures from Water Ripple City and the surrounding area, all wealthy and powerful.
The richly dressed merchants conversed in hushed tones, the large gemstone rings on their fingers gleaming with the light of wealth.
Some powerful Soul Masters either closed their eyes to rest or sat quietly assessing the value of the auction items.
A few noble scions, accompanied by guards, elegantly took their seats, their gazes filled with an innate scrutiny and sense of superiority.
At the entrance, a slightly peculiar figure attracted some attention.
It was a stout middle-aged man, his gait slightly unsteady, his face showing signs of intoxication—more precisely, this was Dongfang Jing using his second Soul Skill, Mirror Image Imitation,to create a mirror image of a drunkard by the roadside, which he controlled remotely.
After all, his real physical characteristics were too obvious; if he attended the auction in his true form, he would be easily recognized.
This "stout version" of Dongfang Jing, accompanied by Dongfang Yao, presented a gold card containing one million gold Soul Coins at the entrance for verification.
The waiter's attitude immediately became extremely respectful,handing over two silver masks covering the upper half of their faces.
This was standard procedure at the auction house to protect the privacy of its guests.
Then, a well-dressed waiter led them to the second floor.
The second floor resembled a grand auditorium, with a circular stage in the center, surrounded by concentric rings of seats in five colors: red, black, purple, yellow, and white.
The color of the seat corresponded to the person's rank.
The first three rows, the highest rank, were red, reserved for those with at least a million gold coins and of high status.
The outer ring was a second-highest rank, a black area for ordinary million-dollar VIPs, where anyone with sufficient wealth could sit.
The Dongfang siblings were seated here.
Black, seat number 10.
The two sat quietly in their soft chairs, somewhat out of place with their surroundings.
Despite carrying a large sum of money, their simple clothing and the composure not cultivated through long-term immersion in wealth made them seem out of place compared to the nobles and wealthy merchants around them, who appeared born to be there, their elegant demeanor and effortless air of sophistication revealing their inner refinement.
In short, they were nouveau riche.
Dongfang Yao, both curious and nervous, peeked around nervously, her small hands clutching her brother's clothes tightly, her large eyes reflecting the dazzling scene inside.
Dongfang Jing, on the other hand, calmly surveyed the entire room, remaining unmoved even though he felt many eyes were on him .
"Distinguished guests, welcome to the Shui Lan Auction," a formally dressed auctioneer announced, ascending the central stage. His voice, amplified through the loudspeaker, resonated throughout the room.
After a brief and elegant opening, the auction officially began.
The auctioneer, with a professional smile, introduced the first item to the bidders: "The land deed for plot number 36 on 'Liuquan Street' in the western district of Shui Lan City." He gestured to a servant to respectfully present a scroll.
"This street has an excellent location, situated on a main thoroughfare, bustling with people and offering unlimited business opportunities! Whether you build your own shop or lease it out, it's a high-quality investment with guaranteed profits.
Don't miss this opportunity! Starting bid—one thousand gold soul coins!"
A few scattered bids rang out in the room, mostly from wealthy merchants looking to expand their businesses.
Finally, a portly merchant wearing a huge gemstone ring won the bid with eight thousand gold soul coins.
The waiter quickly brought out the second item for auction.
A large egg, its shell adorned with shield-shaped patterns, was placed in a temperature-controlled environment.
"The second item is a hundred-year-old Shield-Armored Turtle soul beast egg, about to hatch!"
Shield-Armored Turtles are renowned for their exceptional defense, making them an excellent choice for defensive soul rings.
If successfully tamed, they can also be reliable mounts.
The starting bid is five thousand gold soul coins.
This time, however, no one participated in the bidding.
Several people hesitated, their faces conflicted, unsure whether to place a bid.
This was understandable; after all, they were only buying a cub, not a soul ring.
Moreover, soul beasts are inherently difficult to tame; without proper training methods, they couldn't be used as mounts.
Who knows, they might be eaten one day.
Ultimately, no one bid.
The auctioneer, looking regretful, ordered the attendant to push the soul beast egg off the stage.
Following this, a series of other items were presented.
Several rusty metal fragments engraved with unfamiliar characters, a cage of brightly colored ornamental sonic birds whose calls were pleasing to the eye—a motley collection of strange and unusual items.
Dongfang Yao exclaimed softly, "Brother, this auction house really sells everything!"
Dongfang Jing nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the auction items.
Although he found them novel, they were of no practical use to him.
"Yao'er, is there anything you want? Brother will buy it for you."
Dongfang Yao shook her head;the items that had appeared so far were expensive and not very useful, and the little girl wasn't particularly interested.
Just then,the auctioneer's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of mystery and an atmosphere of solemnity:
"The next item is quite special, and the story behind it is even more poignant."
A waiter brought over an exquisite tray covered with deep red velvet, on which lay two pieces of jewelry.
A simple, flowing purple rhomboid earring,and a matching silver necklace set with a tiny sapphire.
The two pieces of jewelry shimmered with faint soul energy fluctuations under the light, clearly indicating they were no ordinary objects.
"As you can see, this is an extremely special pair of storage soul tools!"
The auctioneer paused deliberately, building suspense before announcing loudly, "Its name is 'Twin Stars'!
Perhaps some distinguished guests will ask, why are they called a pair when they are clearly two separate ornaments?"
The auctioneer picked up the tray and showed it to the audience.
"The secret lies in the fact that the core magic array inside was perfectly linked by a highly skilled and mysterious craftsman using a special method. They share an extremely large storage space!
It has been measured that their total internal volume reaches a full fifty cubic meters!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the audience stirred.
Fifty cubic meters of space was simply unheard of.
Enough to hold a large amount of supplies, far exceeding ordinary storage soul tools!
"However," the auctioneer's tone changed, a hint of regret in his voice.
"The designer's original intention is unknown, perhaps intended for use by the closest and most trusted relatives, symbolizing unwavering trust.
Legend has it that their previous owners were two close friends who fell out over the distribution of their vast wealth stored within, ultimately killing each other. These precious soul tools thus fell into disrepair and ended up in this auction house.
Therefore, the bidding method for this auction is also unique, with two options.
First,esteemed guests may choose to bid on both items together, with a starting price of 150,000 gold soul coins!
Second,if no one chooses the first option, they may bid on only one item, with a starting price of 40,000 gold soul coins!"
The space was large, but the story was ominous.
A brief silence fell over the audience, many showing hesitation.
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(End of Chapter)