Chapter 57 – The Auction House

Since the new Shrek Academy was situated within the city, getting around was quite convenient—stepping out of the academy gates brought one directly onto a broad, bustling avenue.

As the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City was a sight to behold. Its streets were spacious and clean, lined with rows of shops, with crowds of people coming and going in a never-ending stream.

It didn't take long for Lin Jie to arrive at the Heaven Dou Auction House.

The building was quite unique—entirely spherical, like a massive dome embedded in the ground. From Lin Jie's estimation, the structure had a diameter of at least five hundred meters and stood over eighty meters tall. There were no signs or words on the exterior, only the symbol of a gavel.

As Lin Jie stepped forward, the four girls stationed at the entrance—all dressed in pure white dresses—immediately took notice. Their posture was identical, with hands folded before them and professional smiles on their faces. Though clearly trained, their demeanor left a good impression.

Two of the girls stepped forward as Lin Jie approached. One of them smiled warmly. "Welcome, sir. Is there anything we can help you with today?"

Lin Jie pulled out his spirit coin storage card and gave it a casual wave before them. "Take me inside."

The girls immediately recognized the card—it was one of the high-tier accounts only given to individuals with more than a hundred thousand gold spirit coins. One of the hostesses nodded and replied with a sweet smile, "Of course, please follow me."

She turned gracefully and led him inside.

After a short handoff at the inner reception, Lin Jie was passed along to another attendant—a girl in a rather eye-catching outfit that resembled a bunny suit. She wore a white, low-cut dress that left her arms bare, and the hem of her skirt barely reached a few inches below her waist. Her smooth, pale legs were completely exposed, made even more enticing by the high-heeled white shoes on her feet. The deep cleavage at her chest and the alluring curve of her hips beneath the short skirt made her hard to ignore.

Lin Jie couldn't help but sneak a few extra glances at the attendant. He was a bit amused by the outfit—maybe he'd get Zhu Zhuqing to try on something like this... though, with how shy she was, she'd probably never wear it. She still hadn't worn the black lace outfit he gave her last time.

The auction house interior resembled a large ceremonial hall. At the center was the raised platform where auctions were conducted, surrounded by concentric rings of tiered seating.

As expected, the seating was tiered by status—the closer to the front, the higher the rank.

Under the bunny-suited attendant's guidance, Lin Jie was led to the yellow-tier private guest seats. After showing him to his spot, she quietly excused herself and left.

The auction hall was only about a fifth full, the scattered guests making the space feel a bit sparse.

Several items had already been auctioned off by the time Lin Jie settled in, but none were of interest to him.

Soon after, another soul tool was brought up and successfully sold for 43,000 gold spirit coins.

Then, the auctioneer stepped forward again, holding a voice amplifier, his face lit with a professional smile as he addressed the audience: "Next up, we'll be presenting a truly rare treasure—especially for our male guests."

As he spoke, he waved toward the side of the stage, signaling the assistants. Three burly men rolled out a covered cart—whatever was inside was completely hidden from view.

Lin Jie's eyes narrowed. He immediately knew what this was.

The auctioneer continued, his voice mysterious and playful. "Now, I wonder if our distinguished guests can guess what this is. I'll give you a hint—its starting price is 100,000 gold spirit coins, and each bid must increase by at least 10,000. What's more, it's a genuine rarity."

His words were clearly meant to build suspense, and the crowd's attention was now fully focused on the stage.

The auctioneer moved to stand beside the cart. "Please, esteemed guests, take a good look." With a flourish, he yanked the red cloth away.

Beneath it was an iron cage.

Inside the cage, curled up in a corner, was a young girl. Her upper body was almost bare, with only the essential areas modestly covered. Because of her posture, her face was partially hidden—but her figure was clearly flawless. Snow-white skin shimmered like jade, and her short, pale-green hair added an exotic flair. Just one glance was enough to stir a desire to protect—or possess.

"Some of you may be wondering why a girl like this warrants such a high starting bid," the auctioneer said with a knowing smile. "After all, her value even exceeds the most highly trained beauties we've ever offered. And the reason… is this."

He produced a thin rod and reached into the cage, gently lifting the girl's hair near her ear. There, revealed to all, were a pair of animal-like cat ears.

"Yes, you're not mistaken—she's a rare and exotic cat girl," the auctioneer declared, his expression tinged with suggestion. "Gentlemen, the bidding begins now."

"150,000 gold spirit coins!" a rotund man called out, his eyes gleaming with unsavory intent as he stared at the girl in the cage.

"160,000!" barked another wealthy merchant. "Let's see who dares bid against me."

"160,000 gold spirit coins from the gentleman in the red tier!" the auctioneer echoed with excitement, scanning the crowd theatrically. "Do I hear another bid?"

"180,000," a calm and refined voice said from just behind Lin Jie.

He turned slightly to look.

The speaker was a man in his early forties, refined and elegant in bearing. His long black hair was tied neatly behind him, and atop his head rested a silver crown. Dressed in pristine white robes and holding a ceremonial scepter, he radiated dignity. Seated beside him was an elderly man in all white, with long silver hair and a beard. His face was serene and pale, with skin as smooth as a newborn's. His eyes were blank, seemingly seeing nothing—yet just his presence exuded an oppressive sense of power and dominion.

As their eyes briefly met, Lin Jie recognized him instantly.

"So he came after all... Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Rank 79 Auxiliary-type Spirit Sage, hailed as the greatest support-type Spirit Master on the continent. Also the mentor of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and a major pillar of the Heaven Dou royal family. And beside him… that must be Chen Xin—Title Douluo, Spirit Hall honorary elder, Rank 96 Peak Attack-type Douluo, Title: Sword. His Martial Soul is the Seven Kill Sword, said to be the strongest single-target attacker among the Title Douluo. His name is engraved on the Pope's Decree itself."

"180,000 gold spirit coins from this distinguished guest!" the auctioneer announced, his voice rising with excitement.

A masked elder seated in the red-tier zone slammed the armrest of his chair and stood up abruptly. "I'd like to see who dares challenge me!"

But when his eyes landed on Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin in the white-tier section, his expression instantly froze. Clearly, he recognized them. With a cold snort and clenched jaw, he sat back down without another word.

"There are still rules in the auction house," Ning Fengzhi said calmly, his refined voice soft but clear enough for everyone to hear. "Shall we continue?"

"Of course, of course!" the auctioneer said quickly, his tone full of flattery. "Let us proceed. The current bid is 180,000. Do we have any more offers?"

"200,000," Lin Jie said quietly.

The auctioneer's voice cracked slightly. "T-Two hundred thousand?! This esteemed guest has just raised the bid to two hundred thousand gold spirit coins!"

He stared at Lin Jie in shock for a moment before quickly regaining composure