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Chapter 9: Heaven Dou City Soul Arena
🕑 Added 2024-10-02 15:36:11 +0000 UTCAfter the auction of the whale glue, the event continued. Many items were still available, and quite a few piqued Yang Podi's interest. However, being too young and without funds, he couldn't purchase anything.
Finally, at the last moment, the auction's finale item was revealed—a thousand-year-old soul bone.
Although Yang Podi didn't think much of it, the atmosphere in the auction house became electric.
The auctioneer introduced the item with great enthusiasm, "Dear guests, as you can see, the final item today is a thousand-year-old right arm soul bone from the Iron Armored Bear. Known for its strength and defense, this soul bone is ideal for power-type soul masters and is considered priceless."
Yang Podi stared at the glowing red soul bone on the screen, feeling a spark of desire. Soul bones were indeed invaluable to soul masters, not just for their ability to provide soul skills but because they enhanced physical abilities and the circulation of soul power. It was no wonder they were treasured.
However, his mother, Niu Jinfeng, remained unimpressed by the soul bone. "Mom, this is a soul bone! Aren't you at all tempted?"
With disdain, Niu Jinfeng replied, "A thousand-year-old soul bone isn't worth much. This one is probably just over a thousand years old, nowhere near two thousand. It's practically useless for me."
Seeing the confusion on his face, she explained, "Son, remember this—when considering a soul bone, you must think about your own strength and potential. Otherwise, it becomes pointless. A thousand-year-old soul bone might be useful for soul masters below the Soul Sage level, but past the Soul King level, it becomes obsolete, even a burden."
She added, "Take my third soul skill, for example—it's already stronger than what this soul bone could offer me. So, why would I need it? It's helpful for soul masters whose potential has hit a limit. But for someone like me, whose potential is far from exhausted, it's worthless."
"Do we have soul bones like this in our family?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied. "But soul bones at this level have too little value for a family like ours. Even our more talented members wouldn't bother absorbing one. We treat them as collectibles or gifts for soul masters stuck at bottlenecks."
Yang Podi reflected on her words. Indeed, for a soul master family like theirs, such a soul bone held little worth. The Clear Sky Sect, renowned for producing so many Titled Douluo, likely had an even more impressive foundation.
The auction reached a fever pitch, and the soul bone eventually sold for 500,000 gold soul coins, surprising Yang Podi.
"Mom, didn't you say the soul bone wasn't worth much? Why are people paying so much for it?"
"Son, you're still too young to understand. The more valuable something is, the more likely it is held by powerful forces. If you brought this thousand-year soul bone to the Clear Sky Sect, the elders might not even glance at it. But for ordinary people, this is an extremely rare treasure."
Yang Podi looked around at the excited crowd, particularly at the person who had won the soul bone, and thought to himself, *Is this the real gap in this world?* The difference between individuals in this fantasy world seemed greater than the difference between people and animals.
After the auction ended, Niu Jinfeng took her son backstage to collect the whale glue. After the staff verified everything, she paid 50,000 gold soul coins and left.
The auction house staff were notably professional; even with a woman purchasing whale glue alongside her son, no one showed any surprise.
After leaving, they headed directly to the Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City.
The Soul Arena was much larger than the auction house, stretching several thousand meters in both length and width. There were no entry restrictions or membership requirements, but security was tight—understandably so, since the arena was primarily for soul masters.
Niu Jinfeng approached the front desk and presented a black membership card. "Are there any soul battles starting soon?" she asked.
The receptionist, seeing the black card, respectfully replied, "Honored black card member, there are four more soul battles scheduled for today: one for Soul Emperor, one for Soul king, two for Soul Ancestors. All are one-on-one battles."
Niu Jinfeng thought for a moment before deciding, "Please arrange for the one-on-one battle between the Soul Kings. I'd like a private room."
"Certainly, ma'am. This match will take place in Arena No. 2. There are private rooms available, and I will arrange one for you right away."
After a short wait, everything was arranged. Once Niu Jinfeng made the payment, she took the private room number and they headed off. It was a busy day at the arena, so there was no escort service available.
"Mom, what is Arena No. 2? Are there many arenas inside?" Yang Podi asked.
"Yes, there are several. Each varies in size. Arena No. 1 is the main one, typically reserved for battles involving Soul Emperors or team matches."
"I saw a lot of people around the front desk earlier—what were they doing?"
"That's the betting area," Niu Jinfeng explained. "People can place bets on their favorite matches. There are specific odds for each fight, and if you win, you get a payout according to those odds."
"Can I bet on my own matches?" Yang Podi asked, curious.
Niu Jinfeng tapped his head playfully. "Technically, the rules prohibit you from betting on your own matches, but if you're betting on yourself to win, the arena usually doesn't mind. However, betting on yourself to lose, or having someone close to you do so, is strictly forbidden."
"Isn't there a way around that rule?" he wondered.
"Don't underestimate the Soul Arena," Niu Jinfeng warned. "They have strict controls in place, and their backers are powerful. No one would dare deliberately lose just to make money."
"Mom, is the arena really that powerful? Even stronger than our Clear Sky Sect?"
"What are you thinking, son? Nothing is stronger than the Clear Sky Sect. However, all the major powers across the continent have ties to the Soul Arena. Even the Clear Sky Sect holds a share, so the arena ensures fair competition. No one would risk offending such powerful forces."
With those words, they arrived at the private room. After showing their number, they entered.
