Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

Wu Zhangkong noticed Tang Wulin's nervousness but made no attempt to console him. "Showcase your talents, and the academy won't overlook you."

Xu Xiaoyan thought of something amusing and tried hard to suppress her laughter, her shoulders trembling. Tang Wulin's ears turned red, and he fell silent.

The carriage suddenly jolted, causing Tang Wulin's storage ring to collide with the window frame, emitting a sharp sound.

He hastily pressed down on the small silver ring. Xie Xie had somehow slipped to the back row and nudged him with his elbow. "What are you worried about? You're the disciple of Crimson Dragon Douluo. Even if we fail, you'll definitely get in."

Tang Wulin opened his mouth but said nothing. Still a young and inexperienced boy, he wasn't yet the cunning veteran who would later cheat and steal as easily as eating or drinking. Hearing such blatant favoritism mentioned so openly made him lower his head in embarrassment.

Gu La thought Xie Xie's words made sense. He also began to feel uneasy about his own prospects. If anyone dared to step on him, he wouldn't hesitate to fight back—and that might lead to retaliation.

Just thinking about it made Gu La irritated, even though nothing had happened yet.

Gu La had been to Shrek City before, but only for gathering herbs at the Tang Sect or studying at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters. Those trips had kept him busy, leaving no time to explore or carefully observe the city.

This time, after disembarking from the train, they checked into their reserved hotel.

Wu Zhangkong led the group to the auction house. Zhuo Shi had sent word that the materials Tang Wulin needed would be available at the auction.

Feeling bored in the hotel, Gu La decided to join the group. In today's rapidly developing Douluo Continent, bargains were almost nonexistent, especially for someone backed by the Spirit Pagoda who lacked nothing in terms of common materials. He was here just to take a look.

Under the soul-guided lighting, the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the Shrek Auction House shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors. Gu La leaned against the black jade bamboo chair in the private booth, idly rubbing the Spirit Pagoda emblem on his sleeve cuff.

Below, in the scattered seating area, sat many soul masters. Though Shrek Academy only had a few thousand students, in a city of tens of millions, ordinary soul masters far outnumbered them.

"Next up is item number 029."

As the host lifted the red velvet cover, a bright red glow filled the room. Soul masters immediately sensed a sudden rise in temperature.

On the floating platform, the spirit-forged sinking silver shimmered like molten metal, with eight natural cloud patterns swirling across its surface like living creatures.

"An eighty-three percent fusion rate, with fire attribute enhancement. Starting bid: five million federal credits…"

Wu Zhangkong's cool voice came from the other side of the booth. "Two-word battle armor requires spirit-forged metals. In any place, spirit-forged metals are among the most valuable goods."

When the price soared to seven million, Gu La noticed Tang Wulin swallowing nervously, likely imagining how rich he would become once he mastered spirit forging.

"Sold!"

The auction hammer struck the stone pedestal with a crisp sound, and the starlight lamps dimmed momentarily. Amidst an indigo beam of light, a glass box rotated upward onto the stage. Seven lotus seeds floated inside, their surfaces glowing with jade-like light, casting the shape of the Big Dipper within the box.

"Such pretentiousness."

Gu La's eyes flickered as he observed the seven seeds pulsing with a faint green aura. "However… these seeds…"

Without hesitation, Gu La pressed the bidding button.

The auctioneer's delayed introduction finally arrived: "Item number 30: Seven ten-thousand-year Six-Sense Pure Lotus seeds from Jingxin Lake in the Great Star Dou Forest. Consuming them can slightly enhance spiritual power below the Spiritual Sea Realm and slightly purify one's mental clarity. There are seven seeds in total. Starting bid: three and a half million federal credits!"

"Good heavens! Seven seeds for three and a half million—that means each seed costs five hundred thousand federal credits!"

Xie Xie gasped. Although the Xie family of Donghai was a renowned mech family, he rarely saw items of this caliber. The host's vague description suggested that the benefits weren't significant.

Wu Zhangkong raised his gaze and explained, "Due to environmental destruction caused by development on Douluo Planet, wild treasures are becoming increasingly rare. Moreover, these seeds enhance spiritual power and purity, which is akin to strengthening the embankments of one's spiritual sea. Though the individual boost may seem small, considering the long-term benefits of a solid foundation, a starting price of over three million is reasonable."

The price of the lotus seeds continued to climb until the auction hammer finally fell, and the bidding screen froze at thirteen and a half million.

In the stunned silence of the hall, Xu Xiaoyan suddenly pointed to the booth's number plate and exclaimed, "Thirty-two! Did we win?"

A moment later, the host confirmed her suspicion. "Congratulations to the esteemed guest in booth thirty-two!"

"It was me," Gu La spoke up. "Did you forget my soul skill? Seeds for spirit-based plants are hard to come by. Since I happened upon these, I decided to buy them and try cultivating them."

Gu Yue turned her head, her silver hair brushing her shoulder. She already knew Gu La was the Child of Nature, so she wasn't surprised by his abilities.

Wu Zhangkong recalled Gu La's soul spirit and sighed inwardly. "Perhaps it's for the best that Gu La didn't join the Tang Sect. Only the Spirit Pagoda would spare no expense to cultivate a soul spirit like the Ancient Gold Tree."

Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect emphasized gradual cultivation for their disciples. They wouldn't immediately provide the best resources, as unpolished jade cannot become a fine artifact. To prevent future misconduct, they tested their disciples thoroughly before investing in them.

Xie Xie couldn't help but grumble, "You already have four plant puppets nearing five thousand years old. If you cultivate more, we might as well become your accessories."

His tone carried resentment, and the others exchanged glances.

After all, there were no soul arenas left on the continent. The soul power required for those plants to grow was drawn directly from their bodies during battles!

Gu La shrugged. "If Teacher Wu agrees, I can handle opponents for you in future battles."

Before Wu Zhangkong could respond, Xie Xie forced a smile. "Never mind. I'd rather handle battles myself."

Knock, knock!

A knock sounded at the door, and the purchased item was delivered.

Gu La stood up to pay and returned holding a glass box. Inside, seven smooth, gem-like lotus seeds rested on a circular base.

Gu La narrowed his eyes, using his "Future Sight" to envision the seeds' appearance after hatching. His fingers twitched slightly, and a jade-green vortex of soul power formed in his palm. Six of the seeds visibly dulled, while the central one radiated a translucent green glow.

He extracted the life essence from the six seeds and infused it into the fullest one, catalyzing its germination and growth.

At the precise moment, his fourth soul ring flashed, summoning a twisted alternate timeline avatar to merge with the seed.

After completing all this, Gu La showed clear signs of exhaustion and placed the glass box on the table. "I've extracted the life essence from these six seeds, so they retain about half their original efficacy. Everyone can take one."

Saying this, he swallowed a seed himself, feeling a cooling sensation in his mind, and closed his eyes to rest.

The green seed grew in his palm, drawing soul power in sync with his breathing, emitting a faint glow.

Most treasures from the lower realms were ineffective for Gu Yue, but since it was a gift from her partner, she delicately picked up a seed, parted her cherry-red lips, and slowly consumed it.

Seeing Gu Yue eat one, the others didn't hesitate either.

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