Chapter 154 - 154: [DD2]: 154

Credits: NovelReader Su Yu smiled at her answer, already aware that the Star Luo royal family had likely deduced his identity. Otherwise, at this moment, Xu Jiujiu would have gone looking for Wang Dong'er instead of him. "Not foolish after all," Su Yu thought to himself. After a few more polite exchanges, Xu Jiujiu excused herself. Su Yu had yet to return to his room when Wang Dong'er emerged from a nearby room, also holding a gilded invitation. "Su Yu, did you receive an invitation?" Wang Dong'er asked, waving the invitation as she walked over to Su Yu's side. "I did. The Starlight Auction House's top-tier auction. There should be some good things there. Let's go check it out tonight," Su Yu replied with a light smile. He didn't yet know what treasures might appear at the auction, but one thing he was particularly interested in was the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone. Though a soul bone over 50,000 years didn't particularly excite Su Yu, the Ice Explosion Technique embedded within it certainly did. To others, the Ice Explosion Technique was simply a skill, but to him, when combined with his abilities, it was practically a divine ability—a true god-tier skill. For this soul bone, he had to attend. As for its relatively low year count, that was easily resolved. By the Douluo Dalu 2 era, there were already secret techniques for fusing soul bones with similar attributes to create even stronger ones. He could use this method to fuse the Ice Emperor's soul bone with the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone. And if that didn't work, he had the system as a safety net. There were plenty of ways to upgrade the quality of this soul bone. "Sure! If there's anything you want to buy, just let me know. I've got loads of money!" Wang Dong'er patted her chest confidently. Hearing this, Su Yu couldn't help but chuckle, though his gaze softened a little. "This silly little butterfly might be clueless, but she's kind of cute," Su Yu thought. At that moment, another figure emerged from a nearby room, also holding a gilded invitation. "Yu!" Meng Hongchen called out. Su Yu lifted his invitation and said, "Let's go together." "Mm!" Meng Hongchen responded with a bright smile. ... Nightfall. From the Star Emperor Hotel, a group of about ten people slowly made their way out. Leading them was an elder and most of the rest were young people under the age of twenty. This group, of course, was the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy team. Under Elder Ma's leadership, they arrived at the Starlight Auction House. For Su Yu and the others, this was already their second time visiting this venue. Surprisingly, when they arrived, someone was already waiting for them at the entrance. Xiao Hongchen's eyes widened, gleaming with excitement. Su Yu curiously looked up and saw a familiar figure—it was the auctioneer Qingya. Dressed in an elegant black gown, she looked even more refined and dignified under the night's lights, exuding a mature and alluring charm. Su Yu had to admit, this aura was captivating, which explained why Xiao Hongchen was so entranced. "Brother, you're embarrassing," Meng Hongchen muttered in disdain, whispering to Su Yu as they stood together. Su Yu smiled faintly, lightly squeezing Meng Hongchen's soft, snowy hand. With Qingya leading the way, Su Yu and his group entered the auction house. Tonight's auction was a top-tier event, held in the most prestigious Hall One. The pathway to Hall One wasn't as lavishly gold as before; instead, it was a pure, soft white, creating a gentle, refined atmosphere. The floors, ceiling, and walls were all adorned with semi-translucent white jade, subtly patterned with intricate designs. Though minimalist in style, the hall exuded a deeper elegance. "This is Hall One, where the top-tier auctions are held. Only the most distinguished guests can enter here to bid," Qingya explained with a graceful smile, radiating maturity. "I'm only here thanks to all of you. Otherwise, someone of my level wouldn't even be qualified to enter." Su Yu could feel Xiao Hongchen's frequent glances toward Qingya. "This guy has no composure. It's not like he's never seen a beautiful woman before," Su Yu shook his head with an amused expression. They continued down the hall, passing a series of doors. Eventually, Qingya stopped in front of Door Number Eight. Su Yu suddenly asked, "Miss Qingya, may I ask who is in Room Number Seven?" His instincts told him that there might be some familiar faces behind that door. Qingya visibly paused before smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry, but all guests who enter Hall One are our most distinguished clients. Their information is confidential. According to auction house rules, I cannot reveal any details about our guests. I hope you can understand." "No problem. That was out of line on my part," Su Yu said, quickly waving it off. Given Qingya's position, even if she knew, she wouldn't reveal anything. "Thank you for your understanding. Please, this way!" Qingya gestured as she led the group into Room Number Eight. The room was incredibly spacious, spanning nearly 200 square meters, and was decorated to the height of luxury. Rare wood, jade, and other priceless materials adorned the space, with numerous ornaments that were worth a fortune. Despite the opulence, the design retained an air of sophistication, avoiding any sense of vulgarity. The designer had excellent taste. On one side of the room, a large crystalline white wall stood out—translucent and entirely unadorned. For the Sun-Moon team, it was obvious that this wall was a soul tool, likely a screen that would display auction items and enable bidding. The room also featured a luxurious sofa large enough to accommodate over twenty people, with a jade table laden with rare snacks, fruits, and drinks. The group settled comfortably on the plush sofas. Elder Ma took the central seat, with the official representatives, including Ma Rulong, on his left, and the reserve team, including Su Yu, on his right. Su Yu sat back on the soft couch, flanked by Meng Hongchen and Wang Dong'er. Next to Meng Hongchen sat Xiao Hongchen. As soon as they sat down, Xiao Hongchen leaned over and asked, "Did you notice something just now?" He understood that with Su Yu's personality, he wouldn't ask random, meaningless questions. "I sensed a familiar presence. The people sitting in the seventh private room should be from Shrek Academy," Su Yu said casually, catching a hint of surprise in Qingya's eyes not far away. "Miss Qingya, am I right?" Qingya smiled slightly and replied, "Qingya does not know." Although she claimed ignorance, the flash of surprise that had crossed her face already revealed everything. "So it is Shrek Academy. Those troublemakers are everywhere," Xiao Hongchen spoke with some irritation. Naturally, he didn't have a good impression of Shrek Academy. "Shrek Academy is known as the continent's number one academy, so it's perfectly normal for them to receive an invitation from the Starlight Auction House," Su Yu said, unfazed. The prestige of Shrek Academy across the continent's three nations was still incredibly high. The so-called Shrek fanatics weren't exactly rare across the continent, even among the imperial family of the Sun-Moon Empire. While things weren't too bad in the Soul Land II era, by the time of Soul Land III and Soul Land IV, the Shrek fanatics were truly overwhelming. It was outrageous, to say the least. However, Su Yu wouldn't let such a thing happen again. Shrek Academy, or whatever it was called, was better off being buried in this era once and for all. There was no need for it to linger and plague the Douluo Continent further. While Su Yu and Xiao Hongchen chatted, Qingya maintained a smile and didn't say a word. When they stopped speaking, Qingya finally said, "Distinguished guests, I'll now explain the rules of the top-tier auction to you." As she spoke, she gestured toward the two young women standing nearby. Sёarᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One of the girls stepped forward and pressed something on the transparent wall. Light shone brightly, and the wall transformed into a massive screen. For others, such a display might be shocking, but Su Yu and the rest didn't even blink. To them, this was ordinary. They'd seen far too many soul tools, and this screen itself was even a custom order by the Star Luo Empire from the Sun-Moon Empire. When it came to soul tools, the Sun-Moon Empire had already left the Star Luo Empire far behind. The screen gradually became clearer, displaying a stage-like area at the center. It wasn't very large, but it was extremely clear. Qingya explained at the right moment, "To protect everyone's privacy, all participants in the top-tier auction have their exclusive rooms." "Viewing and bidding will all take place in this room." "When an item appears, I will provide you with detailed explanations, and the two ladies beside me will assist with bidding." "All you need to do is call out your price." "After bidding, the items will be delivered to your room promptly, and you can settle the payment altogether at the end." "All food and drinks in the room are complimentary, so feel free to enjoy them." "Our auction will begin shortly." The rules were straightforward, and everyone present easily understood them. "Miss Qingya, please have a seat as well," Su Yu said softly, gesturing to the nearby sofa. Qingya didn't decline. Smiling gently, she sat down next to Xiao Hongchen. Xiao Hongchen immediately tensed up, awkwardly scooting closer to Meng Hongchen to make room for her. Caught off guard, Meng Hongchen fell against Su Yu. Su Yu casually pulled Meng Hongchen closer, his gaze teasing as he glanced toward Xiao Hongchen. Xiao Hongchen's face flushed red, and he nervously rubbed his thighs, clearly unsettled. Su Yu nearly burst out laughing. Where did your usual cocky attitude go, brother-in-law? You see a woman, and you turn into a nervous wreck? Watching Xiao Hongchen's reaction, Qingya couldn't help but chuckle softly, though she didn't mock him outright. It was obvious to everyone that Xiao Hongchen was a pure and innocent rookie when it came to women. For mature women like Qingya, innocent boys like Xiao Hongchen were often amusing. Before Xiao Hongchen could feel awkward for too long, Elder Ma's voice suddenly rang out, "Everyone, listen to me." Hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Elder Ma. After making sure he had everyone's focus, Elder Ma spoke, "The academy's main goal this time is the final auction item. Most of the funds have been reserved for that purpose." "So, if any of you want to bid, the academy will not be able to support you financially." In other words, the academy wouldn't pay for any personal purchases—you had to use your own money. Su Yu didn't mind this at all. He wasn't about to go coveting the academy's money. Feeling slightly apologetic, Elder Ma added, "The final auction item is extremely important to the academy, so I hope everyone can understand." "Understood." "Understood!" … Since Elder Ma said so, who would argue otherwise? The Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy was known for its generosity and excellent treatment of its students. For Elder Ma to emphasize this meant the final auction item was of utmost importance. Su Yu grew intrigued and asked, "Miss Qingya, could you give us a hint about the final item? Surely that's not a secret?" He was genuinely curious. In the original story, the final item was the Ice Empress' embryo. But currently, little Ice Empress was resting in his Wishful Treasure Pouch. There was no way another Ice Empress embryo could appear. So what could be so important that the academy valued it so highly? Su Yu couldn't figure it out. Qingya smiled warmly and replied gently, "As the auctioneer, I can't reveal such information in advance. Once the auction starts, you'll find out, honored guests." "Miss Qingya, you're truly diligent and professional. I admire that," Su Yu remarked. "You flatter me," Qingya said with a light laugh, exuding her mature charm. Xiao Hongchen's face grew even redder, and he fidgeted uncomfortably. Seeing Xiao Hongchen's reaction, Su Yu felt speechless. She's sitting right next to you, and you can't even strike up a conversation? If it were me, I'd have her convinced to spend the night by now. She's just an auctioneer. With Xiao Hongchen's status, she's easy to win over. If he showed even the slightest intention, Qingya wouldn't refuse. After all, wouldn't it be better for her future to latch onto someone like Xiao Hongchen than to stay an auctioneer forever?