Douluo: Yu Hao is reborn, this Tang San is different

Chapter 131 The Evil Auction House
The glass lamps on the dome of the Tiangong Pavilion suddenly turned bright yellow, and the atmosphere in the auction hall reached its peak after the bronze bell rang three times.

Tang San and Huo Yuhao gazed at each other across three VIP seats. Tang San lightly tapped the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night with his fingertips, and the mechanism lock in the ebony box, which contained hidden shadows, gleamed coldly. Huo Yuhao stroked the jade bottle, and the lustrous glow of the Rejuvenating Life-Sustaining Pill shone through the glass bottle, casting pale golden spots of light on his palm.

"First up is the Tang Clan's hidden weapon—the Sand-Spitting Shadow!" The auctioneer waved the red silk, and the 360-degree rotating display case revealed the full appearance of the hidden weapon.

The weapons dealers in the front row leaned forward, their magnifying glasses forming a shimmering silver galaxy under the lights. When Tang San demonstrated the triggering of the mechanism, thirty-six poisoned steel needles pierced the air and embedded themselves into the black iron target fifty meters away, the edges of the holes turning an eerie bluish-black, a collective gasp filled the hall.

"This hidden weapon ignores soul power level; even a Soul Warrior can take the life of a Soul Venerable!" Tang San's voice echoed throughout the arena through the soul power amplifier.

Just as the price of the insinuation soared to 20,000 gold soul coins, Huo Yuhao slowly stepped onto the stage.

The moment the jade bottle appeared in his palm, its intoxicating medicinal fragrance spread to every corner through his soul power circulation system. The three white-haired alchemists suddenly stood up, their noses trembling as they strained to detect the scent in the air: "This fragrance is completely free of impurities?"

"The Rejuvenating Life-Sustaining Pill can not only instantly restore 70% of one's soul power, but also reshape broken meridians." Blue light condensed at Huo Yuhao's fingertips, and his spiritual power transformed into transparent threads that wrapped around the pill. "Please look—"

He casually summoned a swift eagle with a broken wing. The moment the pill entered his mouth, tender new flesh grew from the charred wound at a speed visible to the naked eye. The sound of its flapping wings startled the night owls resting on the beams.

"This is impossible!" The chief pharmacist of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Even the Soul-Returning Pill treasured by the Spirit Hall couldn't achieve such speed!"

The meeting hall erupted into chaos as supporters of the elixirs and those who used hidden weapons argued incessantly. Some waved blueprints of the Zhuge Crossbow, emphasizing its insidious killing power; others held aloft glass bottles filled with rabbit blood, demonstrating the elixirs' terrifying effects on cell regeneration.

The bidding war escalated rapidly and fiercely.

As the Shrek Academy emblem lit up for the seventh time on the veiled bidding paddle, the Star Luo Empire's royal insignia suddenly appeared in the elixir bidding area. The two princes locked eyes across the hall, their fighting spirit burning even brighter than the auctioned items.

Meanwhile, in the VIP section on the second floor, a mysterious woman veiled in black chuckled softly and simultaneously raised two black plaques engraved with the words "Supreme of the Heavenly Crafts Pavilion."

"I want both the hidden weapons and the pills."

Her voice, imbued with icy soul power, instantly silenced the entire arena. However, this powerful declaration did not end the competition; instead, it ignited the competitive spirit in even more people.

A moment later, the auction resumed.

Above the dome of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion, thirty-six gilded palace lanterns suddenly turned an ambiguous peach color, bathing the entire auction hall in a springtime ambiance. A hint of restlessness subtly mingled with the ambergris fragrance floating in the air.

The auctioneer, dressed in a brocade robe embroidered with gold cloud patterns, his knuckles flushed with excitement as he held a gilded microphone. He deliberately lowered his voice, letting his words flow with a seductive undertone throughout the hall: "Distinguished gentlemen, the next item to be auctioned will surely redefine your understanding of the word 'rarity.' Please pay close attention, especially the male guests present. This item is truly a rare treasure; miss it today, and you'll never find another like it."

As he gestured, three muscular men, with heavy steps, slowly pushed a cart covered with scarlet velvet onto the stage.

The wheels of the cart rolled over the priceless agate tiles, making a teeth-grinding creak. In the deathly silent hall, the sound was particularly jarring, as if the wheels of death were crushing people's hearts.

Tang San and Xiao Wu's shoulders, which had just lightly touched, tensed up instantly. The Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon Soul Guidance Device in Tang San's palm became slightly hot, as if it was also trembling in anticipation of the truth that was about to be revealed. Xiao Wu's rabbit ears trembled uneasily under her cloak, and her almond-shaped eyes were full of vigilance.

The middle-aged merchant sitting next to them suddenly stopped stroking the jade thumb ring, and everyone's eyes were drawn to the sharply defined outline on the cart—its shape was clearly not an ordinary object.

"I'm sure all of you distinguished guests are curious about what treasure lies hidden beneath this red cloth." The auctioneer deliberately drawled out the last syllable, his fingertips hooking the edge of the velvet cloth. "I'll reveal the starting price to you first: this item will be auctioned for 100,000 gold soul coins. Each bid must be at least 10,000 gold soul coins higher. This is a top-tier item among top-tier items, so please seize this opportunity!"

His words carried strong implications, successfully arousing everyone's curiosity and competitive spirit.

As the auctioneer's gilded gavel fell heavily, the crimson curtain crashed to the ground like a blood-red waterfall, revealing a chilling scene.

The cold, hard iron cage gleamed with a chilling light, and the girl curled up inside resembled a fragile, trapped spirit. She was barely covered by a few broken seashells, and her skin, under the ambiguous pink light, was almost transparently pale, like a pearl under the moonlight, beautiful in a way that was both heartbreaking and pitiful.

Her short, light green hair clung messily to her cheeks, partially obscuring her face. The hazy outline subtly stirred the imaginations of onlookers.

The auctioneer, with a nauseatingly ingratiating smile on his face, held a gilded long stick and, like a puppeteer, ruthlessly plucked a strand of hair from the girl's ear.

As the hair was parted, a pair of pointed cat ears were revealed. The snow-white downy hair at the tips of the ears trembled gently, and when touched by the tip of the stick, it blushed shyly, shrinking back like a frightened kitten.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take a look!" The auctioneer's excited voice echoed in the hall, with a seductive quality. "This is no ordinary woman, but an extremely rare catwoman! The mutation during the awakening of her martial soul gave her a unique cat-like form."

As he spoke, he struck the girl's buttocks hard with the long stick. The girl cried out in pain, her delicate body twisting, revealing a fluffy, soft white cat tail behind her. The faded bow at the tip of the tail added to her pitiful appearance.

"Such a unique being, possessing her is like possessing a rare treasure. Imagine spending time with her at home, holding her tail..."

The auctioneer's eyes gleamed with greed, and his words were full of vulgar innuendo: "Distinguished guests, the bidding begins!"

In an instant, the hall erupted in heavy swallowing sounds, and countless bidding paddles were raised high, like a forest of desire. The numbers in gold soul coins jumped wildly on the screen.

"110,000!" "120,000!" "130,000!"

The bidding cries sounded like whispers from hell. The crowd's eyes were filled with greed and desire, as if the girl before them was merely a commodity to be fought over and played with at will, rather than a living, breathing person.

"This is outrageous! These people are utterly inhuman!" Xiao Wu trembled with rage, her Soft Bone Rabbit spirit stirring restlessly within her, yearning to rush onto the stage and rescue the girl from this ordeal. Tang San grabbed Xiao Wu, signaling her to calm down with his eyes.

At this moment, Tang San's heart was also churning with turbulent emotions. Although he was already well aware of the darkness in this world, such a straightforward and explicit scene still struck his soul like a heavy hammer.

In this lavish auction house, humanity was completely cast aside, leaving only naked competition for profit and primal desires like those of animals. His eyes flashed with cold fury, but he could only forcefully suppress it, sitting quietly in his chair.

As a smart man, he understood that he and Xiao Wu alone were powerless to change anything. Even if they saved Catwoman this time, countless other "Catwoman" and "Leopard Woman" would fall into similar predicaments in the future. Could they possibly appear in time every time?
The master once said that the auction house is a place where opportunity and filth coexist. Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I truly understand the weight of those words.

Xiao Wu felt Tang San gripping her hand tightly, his palm sweaty, the trembling strength betraying his inner turmoil. She gradually calmed down, but could no longer look at the scene on the stage. She lowered her head, unable to bear watching the heartbreaking sight any longer.

Beneath the gilded dome of the Tiangong Pavilion, the sounds of bidding surged like boiling lava.

Huo Yuhao's hands, gripping the bidding device tightly, were covered in cold sweat. When the number on the display jumped to 180,000, he could hear his own heart pounding.

The image of the girl curled up in the cage overlapped in his mind with Wang Dong'er's smile, and his spiritual eyes flashed with a cold light—he absolutely could not let her fall into the hands of a beast.

"190,000!" A sinister male voice came from the east side of the VIP area.

Huo Yuhao turned his head and saw a Soul Master wearing a blue-faced, ghostly mask staring at him menacingly, the black panther totem embroidered on his sleeves baring its fangs and claws with every movement. A low gasp rippled through the hall—it was the symbol of "Leopard Lord," the black market tycoon of the Star Luo Empire.

"Two hundred thousand." Huo Yuhao's fingertips trembled slightly as he pressed the bid-in button. The hall fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the thin young man.

A hoarse laugh came from beneath Leopard's mask: "You little brat, do you know who I am? You dare to try and steal someone from me? Believe me, your corpse will be fed to the soul beasts tomorrow?"

Before Huo Yuhao could speak, the sound of a cane striking the ground suddenly rang out behind him.

"Oh? You dare touch my man?" The familiar, hoarse voice sent a chill down Leopard's spine. Dugu Bo slowly stepped out of the shadows, emerald-colored poisonous mist swirling beneath his feet. The snake head on the staff bared its fangs, venom dripping onto the ground with a sizzling sound.

"Poison...Poison Douluo!" Leopard's voice trembled instantly, cold sweat seeped out from under his mask, and the temperature in the entire venue plummeted.

"Doesn't Lord Leopard like bidding?" Dugu Bo smiled sinisterly, lightly tapping the ground with his snake staff, instantly covering the ground with dark green venomous patterns. "Keep bidding, I'm in a good mood today, I'll play along with you." His gaze swept over Lord Leopard, then landed on Prince Xuexing, who immediately shrank into the shadows, pretending to study the bidding list in his hand.

Cold sweat poured down Leopard's forehead like a waterfall. He trembled as he raised his bidding paddle, but upon seeing Dugu Bosen's cold gaze, he slammed the paddle to the ground: "You win!"

After sitting down grumbling, he dared not make a sound again.

"Two hundred thousand for the first time." The auctioneer's voice trembled uncontrollably. He glanced at the woman in black veil on the second floor, who nodded slightly.

"Two hundred thousand for the second time!" Huo Yuhao felt the girl in his arms trembling. He quietly released a wisp of spiritual power, which transformed into a warm current that enveloped her. The girl's startled cat ears perked up slightly, and she turned to look at him, her two-colored pupils rippling.

"Three hundred thousand!" Just as the gavel was about to fall, a languid female voice suddenly came from the second floor of the VIP section. Everyone looked up and saw a noblewoman wearing a crystal mask playing with a ruby ​​ring in her hand. Behind her, a maid was holding a silver tray piled high with dazzling gold notes.

"Handsome young man, this catwoman is so beautiful, I can't bear to give her to you."

A collective gasp filled the room.

Huo Yuhao frowned. He could sense that this noblewoman's soul power was at least at the Soul Douluo level, and her aura was sinister and strange, definitely not a kind person.

Just as he was pondering how to respond, Dugu Bo suddenly stepped forward and pointed directly at the second floor: "You cowardly fellow, how dare you be so insolent in front of me?"

A soft laugh came from beneath the noblewoman's crystal mask: "Poison Douluo certainly has a fiery temper. But this auction house only cares about money, not people. Do you intend to bully us with your power?"

With a flick of her finger, a badge engraved with a rose pattern slid off her sleeve. "The Rose Merchant Guild of the Heaven Dou Empire is willing to add another 50,000 gold soul coins for this young lady."

Just as Dugu Bo was about to lash out, Huo Yuhao suddenly grabbed his arm, stepped forward, and said loudly, "Since this senior enjoys bidding, then this junior will play along with you to the end."

He unfastened the soul tool at his waist and took out three crystal-clear pills. "These are Nine-Turn Soul Shaping Pills that I made myself. They can help Soul Emperors break through their bottlenecks. I'll wager these on them, plus 100,000 gold soul coins. Senior, do you dare to accept the challenge?"

The noblewoman's gaze was instantly drawn to the elixir, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the ruby ​​ring. She could naturally tell how precious the elixir was; even the court alchemists of the Heavenly Dou Empire might not be able to refine such a superior grade. After much deliberation, she finally let out a cold snort: "This brat is quite interesting. You win this time." With a flick of her sleeve, she vanished from the VIP seats.

"Three hundred thousand for the third time!" the auctioneer practically shouted, and the moment the gavel fell heavily, thunderous applause erupted in the hall.

Huo Yuhao finally breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that his back was already soaked with cold sweat. He quickly walked onto the stage, used his Xuan Yu Hand to break the locks on the iron cage, and gently draped the cloak over the girl.

"Th-thank you..." The girl's voice was barely audible, her cat ears shyly pressed against her head. Huo Yuhao smiled and shook his head: "Don't be afraid, no one can hurt you anymore." He took out a refreshing pill and handed it to her, "Take this first, and we'll take you away from here."

Just when everyone thought the thrilling auction was finally over, Prince Xuexing suddenly stood up and said with a sinister smile, "Huo Yuhao, do you think you can just take the person away after winning the bid? Don't forget the rules of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion—if you win a bid for a living creature, you must immediately bind it to your owner with your blood."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the hall. Huo Yuhao frowned. He was aware of this rule, but it meant planting a spiritual imprint on the girl's martial soul, making her no different from a slave.

“I refuse.” His voice was firm. “She is a person, not a commodity.”

Prince Xuexing grinned menacingly: "Then you can forget about taking her away! The rules of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion are inviolable!"

(End of this chapter)