CHAPTER 84: Soul Devouring Blade and the Price of Fortune

Chapter 84: Soul Devouring Blade and the Price of Fortune

Inside the grand yet slightly underwhelming Starlight Auction House, Xiao Qiang quietly relied on his spiritual detection ability to survey the venue. After a moment of searching, his spiritual perception caught something that made his heart tremble—the Soul Devouring Evil Blade had indeed appeared here and was about to be auctioned.

Upon confirming its presence, he calmly made his way to the VIP section of the auction house.

"The decor's alright," Tian Meng remarked from within Xiao Qiang's spiritual sea. "But it feels a bit less impressive than the auction houses in the Sun and Moon Empire."

Xiao Qiang nodded in agreement. "It's definitely a step down, but it's passable. We're not here to buy a house, after all. We're here to buy something that matters."

"Well, true."

Taking a seat in the VIP area, Xiao Qiang settled in to wait. A few minutes later, Wang Yan entered the hall, accompanied by a small group of students from Shrek Academy.

"Huh? That human's here too." Tian Meng noticed a familiar figure through spiritual detection and shared his surprise with Xiao Qiang.

"Who did you see?" Bingdi asked from within Xiao Qiang's consciousness.

"I saw him once in the Great Star Dou Forest. He was with Xiao Qiang at the time—both spiritual soul masters. For some odd reason, I even considered making him my host instead of Xiao Qiang. His talent, strength, physical fitness—everything was far inferior to Xiao Qiang, yet I still felt drawn to him."

Bingdi blinked, stunned. "Tian Meng, did those beasts in the forest suck your brain dry? That guy's soul power is only around level 17, and his physical body is basically garbage. He's far below average—whether it's talent, soul power, or potential. Even if we helped him with all our strength, he'd barely scratch the surface of what it takes to become a god. And you hesitated between him and Xiao Qiang?"

The look in Bingdi's eyes reverted to the expression she always used when staring at a hopeless fool.

"Bingbing, don't get angry. I know now that I made the right decision. Xiao Qiang is definitely the better choice. Still… that moment was strange."

"Hmph, if you'd chosen wrong, I might've been buried alongside you in some useless body."

Listening to the bickering between Tian Meng and Bingdi inside his mind, Xiao Qiang silently sipped on milk tea. He could sense Huo Yuhao's soul power—barely level 17. With such meager strength, he shouldn't even qualify for second grade at Shrek. Yet, somehow, he had made it in. Clearly, a butterfly effect had occurred, and some unseen event had changed the flow of destiny.

Not that it mattered to Xiao Qiang. His eyes were only on one prize—the Soul Devouring Carving Knife, the grand finale of this auction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. I am Qingya, the auctioneer for tonight's event. It is my pleasure to guide you through this auction. May all our honored guests leave with treasures that satisfy."

The familiar auctioneer from the original novel took the stage, her presence marking the official beginning of the event. One by one, various soul tools and rare items were introduced, but none of them stirred Xiao Qiang's interest. His personal collection of soul tools—especially the high-end ones—were leagues above what was being offered here.

So, he waited in silence.

One by one, Shrek Academy bought up various useful items, supported by their ample funding and resources. Wang Yan, with the backing of the academy, had no issue securing useful goods. That is, until the Soul Devouring Carving Knife appeared.

When Qingya began introducing the weapon, the room fell into an uneasy silence. The blade's reputation preceded it. Its history of driving owners into darkness was no secret, which was likely why no one had dared purchase it—until Huo Yuhao, in the original story, acquired it by chance.

But things would not unfold so simply this time.

The moment Qingya announced the starting bid, Xiao Qiang immediately made an offer.

On the other side, Huo Yuhao had already been warned by Electrolux about the significance of the Soul Devouring Carving Knife. Yet, in this altered reality, he lacked both Tian Meng and the Ice Emperor. Without them, Shrek Academy saw little value in him. To them, Huo Yuhao was a student barely clinging to admission, accepted only to prevent him from falling into the hands of the Body Sect.

He earned his meals selling grilled fish and brought no risk or burden to the Academy—a perfect zero-cost investment. But he was not a priority, and he certainly wasn't entitled to extravagant spending like 100,000 gold soul coins.

Still, Huo Yuhao had come today, thanks to Wang Yan's desire to broaden his horizons. Now, with Electrolux urging him to seize the Soul Devouring Knife, Yuhao made a desperate request.

"Teacher Wang Yan, could you try to win this for me? I… I think it may be connected to my martial soul's second awakening."

Wang Yan's eyes lit up at that, but his excitement was soon tempered by reality. 100,000 gold soul coins. It was everything he had—his life savings. A personal gamble with no guaranteed outcome.

Yet, the opportunity was rare. If Huo Yuhao's martial soul could truly awaken again…

Gritting his teeth, Wang Yan was about to place his bid—but it was already too late.

"100,000 gold soul coins once… twice… three times! Sold!"

Auctioneer Qingya's voice rang out with finality. The gavel struck the podium. The auction ended in an instant, without giving anyone else a chance to compete.

In the VIP seat, Xiao Qiang let out a quiet breath of relief. He had anticipated Wang Yan's move and acted preemptively. Thanks to the psychological suggestion of his first soul skill, he'd subtly influenced Qingya's decision-making, ensuring the auction closed early—before any complications arose.

If Wang Yan had actually bid, things could have taken a turn. After all, destiny favored the children of fortune, and things could easily spiral out of control. Better to remove any chance for surprises.

"Teacher Wang Yan…" Huo Yuhao whispered, voice filled with disappointment.

Wang Yan shook his head. "I'm sorry, Yuhao. I was too slow."

"No, Teacher. It's not your fault. Shrek already showed me kindness by letting me stay. I should never ask for more than that. But I'll remember this… and I'll repay it someday."

"You're too sensible for your age, kid. That makes me worry even more."

Watching their exchange from afar, Xiao Qiang said nothing.

Shrek's favor? he mused. Looks like the one you should be thanking is Wang Yan. But you only remember the academy's kindness, not the man who tried to help you. Tang San's people really can't stand losing anything, can they? In the end, it's always the helpers who suffer the most.

Soon after, the Soul Devouring Carving Knife was delivered to Xiao Qiang's seat. A sinister aura pulsed from the blade, dark and oppressive. Even Tian Meng, ever cheerful, couldn't help but shiver.

"Xiao Qiang… are you sure this thing can help you live over a thousand years? It feels more like a life-shortening curse."

"You're not wrong," Xiao Qiang replied calmly. "Right now, it is a cursed object. But once I purify it, it'll serve its purpose."

"Purify it?" Tian Meng tilted his head in confusion. "That's beyond me. I only managed to create a Wisdom Soul Ring after tens of thousands of years of research. I had the theoretical groundwork. But purification… that's something I've never even touched."

"No worries. I won't need your help for this part."

Tian Meng blinked. "Oh? Then what's your plan?"

Xiao Qiang's voice lowered, contemplative. "The key lies in something Qingya said earlier. This carving knife became cursed because its first owner was a Title Douluo-level evil soul master. A trace of his soul remains in the blade, and it corrupts all future owners, leading them down the same dark path."

"A remnant soul of an evil soul master… so it can be purified using holy power?"

"Exactly. The angel martial soul, to be specific. And I happen to know there's someone participating in the tournament with a five-ring angel martial soul."

"Oh, I get it now," Tian Meng said. "You're going to ask her to purify the blade for you?"

But Xiao Qiang shook his head.

"No, I'm not asking for her help. I'm going to recruit her—into the force I plan to build. The reward? I'll allow her to purify the Soul Devouring Carving Knife—one that contains the remnant soul of a Title Douluo-level evil soul master."

Tian Meng fell silent for a long time.

In his spiritual sea, the wise soul beast was dumbfounded.

"When did you become so good at selling people… and making them thank you for the deal?"