The Future Developments and Dangers of a Soul Master

"Also, one thing I can reveal to you is that Xuan Lao's cultivation is certainly much more terrifying than what the majority of you people imagine it to be. His martial soul, the Godly Taotie Bull, is an extremely rare and special type that can also be called a mutated martial soul. The drawback of this type of martial soul lies in the need for constant consumption of food and drink, as the act of consumption itself is a form of cultivation. However, Xuan Lao's cultivation has already reached the ninety-eighth rank, and he is the Transcendent Titled Douluo of Gluttony. It's almost impossible to find any being in existence on this continent that is stronger than that elder in a duel."

Even though they already had very high estimations of Xuan Lao's cultivation, the seven of them still drew a collective gasp when Wang Yan spoke the number 'ninety-eight'. What a thing to consider, that rank ninety-eight!

All soul masters who were rank ninety or higher were Titled Douluo, but every increase in cultivation after the ninetieth rank came with exponential growth. This was particularly the case for the ranks past ninety-five, as attaining that rank made one worthy of being called a Transcendent Douluo.

For example, if a newly-promoted rank ninety Titled Douluo were to encounter a hundred thousand year soul beast, his only option would be to turn and flee. Unless he had a sufficiently powerful martial soul and soul ring, he would not have the capability to battle such a soul beast.

However, if his cultivation was somewhere around rank ninety-two or ninety-three, then he would stand a fair chance against the hundred thousand year soul beast, as long as it wasn't on the level of a Beast King.

And if his cultivation was at rank ninety-five, that of a Transcendent Titled Douluo, then the hundred thousand year soul beast would be the one doing the fleeing. Not even two hundred thousand year soul beasts who had broken past their limits were likely to have the guts to battle a rank ninety-five Titled Douluo.

And then there was Elder Xuan, who belonged to a tier equivalent to the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion among soul beasts. It was the crème de la crème, and the terror of terrors.

Only then did Huo Yuhao understand why he had felt such an overpowering panic in his heart when Xuan Lao was enraged. Even Skydream and the Ice Empress had remained silent within his spiritual sea, neither communicating anything to him or causing any strong spiritual waves. The might of Elder Xuan's cultivation had simply been too terrifying.

"If this was set several hundred years in the past, I'd say that Xuan Lao was almost without parallel. But is that really the case today?" Wang Yan went on. "I can tell you all with certainty that Xuan Lao remains unrivalled in single combat. However, the Sun Moon Empire has several Class 9 soul engineers who are capable of fighting him on even ground, to the point of posing a threat to his life. Top tier soul engineers whose existences are just as terrifying. Their entirely different fighting style enables them to use all of their soul skills to increase their soul power before launching an attack through a powerful soul tool. Another thing you must not forget is that Class 9 is not the ultimate limit of soul engineers. If the day comes when a Class 10 soul engineer appears in the Sun Moon Empire, then… how are we to face that?"

At this point, Wang Yan had already gotten himself quite worked up. "There's one more thing. It may not be much of an issue in your generation, but as the time goes by, this problem that I've discovered is bound to affect all soul masters: the problem of soul beasts."

"Soul beasts?" they echoed, puzzled by the apparent non sequitur.

Wang Yan nodded vigorously, then elaborated, "What I'm referring to is the number of soul beasts. All of you have learned during your time in the academy that soul beasts have existed since time immemorial on our Douluo Continent, as well as the fact that, a great many years ago, there were no humans here. One could say that our entire continent is a world belonging to soul beasts… you could indeed say such a thing. The human race itself is the result of the evolution of soul beasts, and we are a form of intelligent soul beast."

"Over the passage of time, we humans began to appear, around tens or even hundreds of millennia ago. In the beginning, the human race was weak, and only served as food for the soul beasts. However, since humans did exist, there was a reason for our existence. Our physical capabilities may be weak, but we have our strengths: our fecundity, and our ability to learn."

"Human intelligence was gradually developed as we evolved through the ages, and our reproductive capabilities ensured that we did not suffer extinction even when we were preyed upon by soul beasts. And when we developed to such an extent that the intelligence of an ordinary human was on par with that of a top tier soul beast, earth-shaking changes began to happen on the continent.

"With our intelligence, humans began creating tools, traps and weaponry. We used the weather and geography to our advantage in battling soul beasts. We learned to cooperate, to group together and attack a single soul beast. We gradually began to possess the ability to hunt and kill soul beasts, instead of being hunted and killed by them. Nutrition became richer, and humans continued to grow."

"Following the evolution of our intelligence, another change came about with the appearance of soul masters. The first soul master came to be when the first human with a prodigious level of innate soul power accidentally drew the soul ring of a slain soul beast into his own body. After tens of thousands of years of change and research, humans gradually grasped the techniques required to become soul masters. In the meantime, we also began to undergo a population explosion. Our intelligence allowed us to start learning how to build, to start having our own homes and cities. The number of soul masters, along with their powers, continued to increase."

"Soul beasts remained powerful as they always were, but in the face of our intelligence and learning capabilities, they gradually lost the ability to pose any real threat. Finally, humans ruled the continent, and soul masters indubitably became the most powerful and most important occupation on this continent."

Wang Yan's narration of the process of human evolution was very simple, but captured the few most important changes. At this point, his topic suddenly took a turn.

"However, here's the thing you kids may never have thought of: what changes would happen to soul beasts alongside our human race's development."

"Indeed, soul beasts may have been around for tens of millennia, and the proportion of soul masters amongst humans is one in thousands – it's not that much. But the fact remains that we are encroaching upon the soul beasts' habitats, and slaying them for our soul rings. More and more high level soul beasts have been hunted and killed by people like us – like all of you here, who all bear thousand-year soul rings. Those only come about in soul beasts that have cultivated for a thousand years. And just like their soul rings, these high-level soul beasts are also limited in numbers!"

"Ten thousand years ago on this continent, the overall power of soul beasts was still greater than that of humans. But today, after ten thousand years have passed, I can say with certainty that the collective power of soul beasts is no longer comparable to ours. The reason for that is that too many high-level soul beasts have become our soul rings. So let me ask you: what happens after another ten thousand years? What changes will happen to the continent in that time? Will we still be able to go to the forest and slay soul beasts as we please? I can give you a definite answer: ten thousand years from now, even a ten-year soul ring will be an article of luxury. The final fate of soul beasts is absolute dependency upon humans as they are confined by us like livestock."

"By that time, it's very likely that all soul masters will only be able to use ten year soul rings, and even hundred year ones will become unattainable. When that time comes, what will we use to increase our own power? As time passes, soul tools are bound to become the true source of human strength. That is the inevitable result of time. I can do nothing to change this progression of events, and neither can any of you. What you must do instead, at this moment, is accept the truth. In the future, the only way our descendents can become stronger than us is through the usage of soul tools. And all of you, right now, stand at a crucial moment in the transformation of an era. Only through the perfect fusion of one's abilities with a soul toul can you become strong enough not to be left behind in obsolescence."

Those words had been held within Wang Yan's mind for much longer than just a day or two. Finally unleashed, the effect they had upon the seven was akin to stirring the deaf and enlightening the blind. All of them felt deeply shaken.

Huo Yuhao and Caitou, being students of the Soul Tool Department, were less affected than the other five, who had always had some measure of aversion to soul tools. And yet, right then and there, could they really keep feeling that way?

Some of what Wang Yan had said felt distant to them, but some of it had evidently instilled in them a sense of urgency. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and disrupted how they normally thought about things.

All of them knew fairly well that Wang Yan's speech was intended to convince them to accept soul tools and use them in the tournament. But it was also far from being that simple, and had a great impact on them all.

Wang Yan said no more, simply watching those children, who were still at such a tender age. He looked at the future hope of Shrek Academy, silently waiting as they thought things over. He knew they needed time.

Wang Yan's eyes betrayed traces of sorrow as he raised his head to glance at the already pitch-dark sky. What would the continent become in ten thousand years? At that time, would Shrek Academy still maintain its current position as the foremost academy on the continent?

It will, it definitely will. Wang Yan unconsciously clenched his hands into fists.

Shrek Academy made me what I am today. No matter what happens, I will do all I can to ensure that it remains great, that no one ever surpasses it, that Shrek Academy will always be the strongest.

At that thought, Wang Yan felt his heart set afire, and hot blood course through his veins. He suddenly felt that it wasn't entirely a bad thing for the starting lineup to suffer such a heavy blow. At least it rang the warning bells to the seven that were the academy's future hope, the next generation of Shrek's Seven Monsters. If they could accept what he was suggesting, then it would have a huge effect on the future of the academy while also leading the academy down the right track. Or, at least, the right track he had discovered.

Perhaps the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy may already have exceeded Shrek in this field. We can only chase after them in full pursuit, relying on the ten thousand years of Shrek Academy's roots to do so. Shrek will never lose to anyone.

Just as Wang Yan was pondering to himself, a person suddenly spoke up. The first person to finish his pondering was Bei Bei.

"I agree with what Teacher Wang said. I'm willing to try working with a soul tool." Bei Bei's voice was very steadfast; he was never someone who hesitated much. His warm countenance couldn't conceal his strong heart, and he was a person who did his all after setting his mind to something, just like when he had entered the Tang Sect for Tang Ya's sake.

Sensing the astonished gazes of his fellow teammates, Bei Bei said in a low voice, "Out of the seven people here, five of us belong to the Tang Sect–that is, everyone besides Sanshi and Nannan. Everyone knows about the history of the Tang Sect. Previously, we were the most glorious of existences on the entire continent. At that time, the glory of the Tang Sect was even greater than that of Shrek Academy. However, why did our glory fade away? It's true that there were some reasons behind this, but the most important one was the fact that we were washed out by the passing of time."

"The emergence of soul tools directly affected our revenue streams–this was the main reason behind the fall of the Tang Sect. I'm sure everyone knows that very few of our hidden weapons are used in the military anymore, so much so that I can even say that they aren't used at all. We can't stop the passage of time, and only by adapting to it can we allow the Tang Sect to rise again."

With that, his gaze landed on Huo Yuhao. "When my junior brother first entered the Tang Sect, Xiao Ya and I had a discussion. The future growth of the Tang Sect will only occur if we merge our hidden weapons with soul tools. If we succeed, it'll be because of soul tools; if we fail, it'll be because of soul tools. We will crawl up from where we fell. This is also our only path going forward."

"As a soul master, an assault-type one, my heart tells me to reject a foreign source of power like a soul tool. However, this is rejecting the changes that go with time. As the eldest of all of us, and also the senior brother of the Tang Sect, I want to start by changing myself. When we get back, I will ask the academy to allow me to study in the Soul Tool Department in addition my current studies. Even if I don't create them, I will at least learn how to use them."

Bei Bei's words were powerful and resonating, and even Wang Yan's emotions were stirred. He was overjoyed.

There was no doubt that Bei Bei's words carried a large amount of weight within the new generation of the Shrek's Seven Monsters. With his approval, convincing the others would be much easier.

Xu Sanshi nodded, "Teacher Wang, what you and Bei Bei said makes sense. I can also understand where you're coming from. However, I still have a few questions I want to ask you for guidance. It's very likely that the strongest experts in the future will be soul engineers, but with our current levels of strength, it's already impossible for us to become soul engineers. In other words, we won't be able to change our current soul skills to ones that can amplify soul power, like soul engineers. Since this is the case, will we always be behind everyone else? Furthermore, it's very difficult for us to learn how to create soul tools; we can only learn how to use them. However, we will never be as good at using them as the soul engineers. How will we contend against them? I truly do not wish to make a decision while my heart is at a loss."

Wang Yan said, "Well said. I understand what you're worried about, and you're right. If you intend to purely pursue the field of soul tools, a person who started off as a soul master will never be able to catch up with a soul engineer. However, you've forgotten your own advantages! If there comes a day when you can become a Titled Douluo, you'll definitely be able to get a powerful soul skill. These soul skills aren't inferior to any Class 9 soul tools. Also, can your physiques even be compared to soul engineers who've chosen soul power-amplifying soul rings? Impossible. Furthermore, your physiques as a soul master will be strong enough to allow you to withstand stronger soul rings. If you get a more powerful soul ring, won't you get more soul power? Soul engineers will never be able to compete against soul masters in terms of physique. You merely have to find a compatible soul tool; after all, a soul tool is only your weapon. On the other hand, a soul tool is a soul engineer's everything. Due to these differences, a soul master only needs to use a soul tool as long as he himself is strong enough. When compared to a pure soul engineer, you'll definitely possess a few advantages, especially when you consider the fact that a simple soul engineer will never be able to reach Class 10."

"What are the requirements of a Class 10 soul engineer? To become one, you need to create a terrifying Class 10 soul tool while being able to control it. That requires the cultivation of a Transcendent Titled Douluo, which means that you'll need to be Rank 95 or higher. You're all soul masters, and I'm sure you're all aware of the fact that the more you cultivate, the harder it gets. Even on the entire continent, how many pure soul engineers are able to reach the Titled Douluo rank? I can count them on one hand, I'll give you that. How many of them are able to become Transcendent Titled Douluo? I can also tell you that there are exactly zero people who have been able to do so. Because of that, the pinnacle experts of the continent will definitely be people who focus on their strengths as soul masters while simultaneously studying in the field of soul tools. Even if a true Class 10 soul engineer were to appear, it'd be very hard for that person to fight against a Transcendent Titled Douluo who possesses a Class 9 soul tool."

A look of enlightenment filled Xu Sanshi's eyes. "Right! Teacher Wang, you're truly a person who can enlighten someone else. A pure soul engineer who only trains his soul power will find it much harder to improve when compared to us. I understand, I understand."

Wang Yan's confidence immediately increased as he saw Xu Sanshi become convinced by his words. A look of self-confidence flashed through his eyes as he said, "During these past few days, I've been observing how the other academies fight. I've noticed that the academies with deeper backgrounds have been pursuing a fusion of soul masters and soul tools. However, a large majority of those academies are still trying to find the perfect level of fusion. On the other hand, I've noticed the most things from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Although they've never tried to hide anything, I've noticed that practically every member of their preparatory team has an extraordinary martial soul. Even though not all of them have taken the stage, I can see that their way of thinking coincides with mine from this point alone. By focusing on a soul master's cultivation, they'll be able to guarantee that their students will become powerful soul masters. Then, they can use powerful soul tools. Now, do you still have any questions?"

Xu Sanshi said, "Teacher Wang, you've convinced me. I'm willing to try it out, both for the sake of the academy and for my own sake."

He Caitou chuckled, "I naturally have no problems with it. However, the sad thing is that I'm a food-type soul master."

"Can a fifteen-year-old four-ringed food-type Soul Ancestor like you say anything more?" Wang Yan said unhappily, "Your talent being overlooked due to your martial soul has been one of the largest mistakes the Martial Soul Department has made in recent years. With the help of your soul skills, it's very possible that you'll be one of the strongest soul engineers among you seven. After all, you can focus on cultivation alone. I can say that your martial soul makes you the most suitable person on the entire continent to become a pure soul engineer."

Wang Yan's gaze turned to Jiang Nannan, who hesitated slightly for a moment before saying. "But, it'll take money to buy a few soul tools later. Also, they seem to be very expensive."

After hearing her somewhat strange words, everyone present was left stunned. Huo Yuhao reacted most profoundly to this; he still remembered the first time he had met Jiang Nannan; the number one beauty of the outer courtyard had actually tried to negotiate with him, as if she was very stingy with her money.

"I'll pay for you!" Xu Sanshi said instantly.

As if she'd thought of something, she immediately furrowed her brows and flew into a rage, "Screw off!"

"Uh…" As if he'd thought of something, Xu Sanshi unexpectedly obediently lowered his head after being yelled at. Other than feeling somewhat wronged, he didn't look too dissatisfied.

His appearance gave the impression as though he was a person who was getting bullied.

"Nannan, you don't have to worry about this," Wang Yan said warmly, "The academy will settle the issue of money. At the very least, you won't have to worry about this before graduating. You're already a core disciple of the academy, and the academy will even give you a generous amount of money for living expenses if you're able to enter the inner courtyard. Even moreso, completing guardian missions will give you prize money. Students of our Shrek Academy have never been troubled because of money."

Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up, and she immediately said, "Then I have no problems as well."

It was finally Huo Yuhao's turn. When he and Wang Yan's eyes met, he already had an answer.

"Teacher Wang, I only have a single problem. I don't seem to have any soul tools that I can buy." Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly.

"No, there's something you can buy," He Caitou said suddenly.

"Huh?" Huo Yuhao looked towards He Caitou, puzzled.

He Caitou chuckled and rubbed his bald head, "Once you enter the auction house, you'll understand. Practically every single auction house that sells soul tools will have that thing."

Xiao Xiao said, "I also have no problems. In the first place, I was planning to go back and cultivate diligently to buy that flying-type soul tool as a toy after I become a Soul Ancestor. It's really too convenient."

Wang Yan let out a long sigh after seeing that the situation was settled. He chuckled, "That's for the best then. Wang Dong, what about you? You shouldn't have any problems, right? Let's go in and participate in the auction then."

Surprising everyone present, the silent Wang Dong suddenly raised his head and revealed a stubborn look as he said resolutely, "No, I have a problem. I'm not willing to use a soul tool. You guys can go ahead, I'm going back first." With that, he turned around and took large strides in the direction of the Imperial Grand Star Hotel.

Huo Yuhao hurriedly chased after Wang Dong, "What's with you, Wang Dong?" Even he hadn't sensed anything wrong with him, and this sudden change had left him at a complete loss. Like the others, he didn't think that Wang Dong would have any problems. He'd never heard Wang Dong rebuke soul tools so strongly in the past. Moreover, Teacher Wang Yan had just given a long explanation that was filled with true information.

Wang Dong paused, lowering his head slightly. "Yuhao, I'm fine. I have no idea what's happened, but my heart doesn't want this, nor is it willing to use a soul tool. You guys can go first, I'll be waiting in the hotel."

Huo Yuhao wanted to speak further, but Wang Dong raised his hand to stop him. "No need to persuade me any further. I'm really fine. I just don't really want to use a soul tool to increase my own strength. I might be fine with it later, but I can't accept it just yet. I understand the logic behind what Teacher Wang said, but I still need to go back and think it over a little."

Huo Yuhao didn't try persuading him any further, because he clearly understood that it would be very difficult to try changing his best friend's mind when he had decided on something.

After seeing Wang Dong off, Huo Yuhao returned to the group. "He's fine. He just doesn't fancy using soul tools. Teacher Wang, let's go."

Wang Yan nodded and smiled slightly. "It's fine. You all have your own aspirations, and I didn't think I'd be able to convince all of you in the first place. I'm very satisfied that the six of you are willing to try them out. Let's go, the auction is about to start."

Huo Yuhao had originally thought that this was going to be a very small auction. After all, the building didn't look too big from the outside. However, he entered a completely different world after truly entering it. The auction was located mostly underground, and the building was only its entrance.

After walking into the auction house, they were met with a five meter wide staircase that was laid with a red carpet as it headed downwards. Yet, they didn't see any workers to guide them inside.

They continued heading downwards. After twenty meters or so, they finally reached the registration area. Wang Yan had already completed a few complicated procedures before coming here in addition to giving each and every person a number plate. Because of this, the red cheongsam-clad girl took them inside.

After passing through a simple wooden door, the scenery suddenly changed. A patch of gold filled their vision, the decorations of the wide, dazzling corridor surpassing even the Imperial Grand Star Hotel Huo Yuhao and the rest had stayed in in terms of luxury.

The corridor was over ten meters wide, and the ground was laid with precious white jade. There was a pair of beautifully patterned pillars that were carved from the same material every ten meters, and the walls seemed to have been papered with gold leaf. The carvings on the wall were complicated and beautiful. Huo Yuhao used his sight, that was far stronger than that of ordinary folk, to look at the walls in detail, and was astonished by how meticulous it was. It had to be known that this was only a wall used for decoration!

Luxurious crystal lamps hung from the top of the ceiling, but they didn't give off a stifling feeling, as the corridor was a full five meters tall. The lamp gave off a gentle yellow light, and its contrast against the golden walls made it seem as if they were in a world of gold. This was enough to leave anybody dazzled.

Wang Yan whispered, "Don't underestimate this place just because it's unremarkable on the outside. In reality, this is Star Luo City's largest auction house. It isn't easy to obtain a pass to attend this auction. Not only do you need to prove your assets, you even have to go through an evaluation. If we followed the normal routes, it'd take at least half a month for us to get in here. We were only able to smoothly enter this place with Dai Yueheng's help. Unfortunately, I was unable to persuade the three of them. They've stayed in the Martial Soul Department for many years, and their combat styles are already fixed. Hastily giving them soul tools won't do them any good either."

As Wang Yan spoke, they entered a large door, guided by the young lady. It was very obvious that this wasn't the end of the corridor; there was still a door similar to the previous one in front of them. In addition, there was a flight of stairs that headed downwards at the end of the corridor.

Bei Bei seemed to be accustomed to this place. Unlike Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, and Jiang Nannan, he didn't look everywhere constantly. He turned towards the girl who'd opened the door for them and asked, "I'll have to trouble you to give us a simple explanation of the rules of today's auction."

"Understood," The girl said respectfully, "Today's auction specializes in the sale of soul tools, and will only sell soul tools ranked Class 6 or below. Because of that, there are relatively lax rules. According to the way we classify auctions, this auction can only be considered a Grade 4 auction. Our Starlight Auction separates auctions from Grade 1 to Grade 5, with Grade 1 having the strictest rules. Only Grade 1 auctions will be held in the main auction hall. This is Hall 12, and it can accommodate a total of two hundred people. It's used for Grade 4 auctions."

Bei Bei nodded, "Thank you."

After entering Hall 12, the lighting suddenly dimmed. This was because only the walls surrounding them had wall lamps on them. After entering the auction hall, every single person would receive a beautiful mask. Furthermore, these masks were differentiated by color. Huo Yuhao and the rest received white masks, but they didn't know what these colors signified. Other than white, there were also yellow, purple, black, red, gold, and other types of masks.

The decorations in the auction hall gave off a simple, refined, but luxurious feeling without losing any sense of warmth. Only, one would feel very comfortable after entering here. There were a total of two hundred large, comfy chairs which were covered by dark-blue swan cloth; these chairs were curved. Perhaps it was due to Dai Yueheng's influence, but Huo Yuhao and the rest were placed on the first row, which was also the row closest to the auction stage.

Wang Yan reminded everyone, "Everyone, put your masks on. It's very possible that various problems will arise if you participate in this auction. Because of this, the auction house has provided masks to cover your appearances. This is all done to prevent any problems from arising. The colors of these masks are also used to differentiate the ranks of the guests here, and their ranking is identical to that of soul rings. The lowest ranked mask is the white one, and it goes up from there. On the other hand, the golden mask, which is ranked above the red mask, is for the auction's most distinguished VIPs. Normally, a person like that will never appear in an auction like this."

Only then did Huo Yuhao understand the differences between the masks. This was his first time attending an auction, and he was curious about everything. The chair he sat on was very comfortable, and this was one of the rare occasions that he was able to rest.

At this moment, the auction hall was already filled with sixty to seventy percent of its attendees. A waiter came over to ask what beverages they wanted, and Huo Yuhao asked for a glass of plain water.

"Distinguished guests, welcome to our Starlight Auction. Our auction is about to start, so I would like to ask all of you to take a seat." The graceful and pleasant voice of a woman rang out from all directions, causing the auction hall to quiet down. The originally dim lights in the hall gradually turned even darker, but the lights on the auction stage grew brighter.

A purple cheongsam-clad girl climbed up to the stage from a side of the auction hall. She looked thirty or so, and had a dignified and beautiful appearance. Her face carried a faintly discernible smile, and as she walked, her perfectly fitting cheongsam sketched the outline of her perfectly mature body.

Xu Sanshi's eyes immediately turned towards her, and his throat moved slightly as he involuntarily gulped.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were sat by either side of Huo Yuhao. At this moment, Bei Bei lowered his mouth to Huo Yuhao's ear and whispered, "Junior brother, this should be the auctioneer. When choosing an auctioneer for an ordinary auction or a large-scale auction hall like this one, the first thing considered is a person's appearance. They can't just be good-looking; a male auctioneer has to have an upright-looking appearance, while a female one has to be dignified and beautiful. This way, they'll instill a sense of trust in the people participating in the auction. If I'm not mistaken, the auctioneers in this auction hall are also separated by ranks according to the color of their clothes, just like how we're differentiated by our masks. This auctioneer should be a lower-middle ranked one. Actually, I'm very curious as to how the gold-ranked auctioneers in this place look."

At this moment, the purple-clothed auctioneer was already behind the auction table with a smile on her face. Her gentle voice reverberated throughout hall 12, borrowing the assistance of the sound-amplifying soul tool on the table.

"Distinguished guests, good evening to you all. I am a purple-ranked auctioneer of the Starlight Auction, Qing Ya. Today, I will be hosting this auction."

With that, she walked out from the auction table and bowed with a smile on her face. This immediately won her a round of applause.

After returning to the auction table, Qing Ya smiled. "Today's auction will specialise in the selling of soul tools. Our goods will all be soul tools which are ranked Class 6 and below. They are suitable for soul masters and engineers below the Soul King rank. In addition, we have prepared a secret, big item to make your trips worthwhile. Distinguished guests, don't miss it for all the world. Our auction will now start, so can a staff member please bring up the first item that will be auctioned off today."

Two red-clothed girls pushed a cart that was covered with a purple cloth onto the auction stage. After pushing the cart all the way to the center of the stage, they removed the cloth from the cart.

A black soul tool appeared on the cart. This soul tool was rectangular, and it was about a foot long. It had complicated carvings on it.

Huo Yuhao was not only a soul engineer, but he also possessed a pair of Spirit Eyes that ordinary folk could never hope to obtain. His eyes moved slightly, and he was able to clearly see the carvings of the soul tool on the stage. He whispered, "This should be an offensive soul tool that goes on your arm. It should be around Class 3 or so. Wang Dong should be able to use it."

A soul master needed the corresponding level of cultivation to fully release the power of a soul tool. If a person's cultivation was lower than the minimum requirements of a soul tool, he would be unable to release its strength; if his cultivation was higher than its maximum power, it would be unable to increase his combat strength effectively.

Qing Ya smiled slightly. "Our first auctioned good is a Class 3 attack-type soul tool, a relatively rare Soul light Ray. An ordinary item like this should never be able to be auctioned in an auction like ours, but this Class 3 Soul Light Ray that can be placed on a person's right arm has been crafted by a Class 6 soul engineer. It's a special item, and quite rarely seen. An ordinary item like this was turned into a complicated one in the hands of a grandmaster like him, and its core formation has given it a special effect."