Chapter 74: The Mysterious Stone

"Teacher, what brings you here?"

At the Heaven Dou Auction House, Xue Qinghe seemed slightly surprised.

Ye Hao's mind raced. Xue Qinghe's teacher? That could only mean Ning Fengzhi, the master strategist and leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, one of the upper three sects. The "Old Fox" himself.

Standing before them was a man dressed in a simple yet elegant light robe, leaning on a silver cane. His calm and gentle demeanor exuded warmth and approachability, making it difficult for anyone not to feel at ease around him.

Beside Ning Fengzhi, however, stood a completely different figure. A white-haired elder with a sharp and penetrating gaze that seemed to pierce straight through to one's soul. His posture was as rigid and precise as a finely honed blade. This was Sword Douluo, the unparalleled master of attack, his entire aura emanating a chilling sword intent.

Sword Douluo's sharp eyes instinctively locked onto Ye Hao. A young man standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xue Qinghe? There was something undeniably… strange about him.

The boy's gaze, his aura—Sword Douluo couldn't shake the feeling that it resembled someone. Not just anyone, but a woman from the past.

Meanwhile, Ning Fengzhi had also taken notice of Ye Hao. He could tell that anyone capable of standing so casually next to the crown prince wasn't an ordinary person. Ning Fengzhi knew Xue Qinghe's nature all too well. A person of such status would rarely show up at places like this unless there was a deeper reason.

Given Xue Qinghe's position, he could've easily taken the most prestigious seat in the front row. Choosing instead to remain in a more inconspicuous corner spoke volumes about his caution.

"Teacher," Xue Qinghe said with a wry smile, breaking the silence. "It's been a while. Let me introduce you—this is my younger brother, Ye Hao."

Turning to Ye Hao, he added, "Ye Hao, this is my teacher, Ning Fengzhi, the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. And this is Sword Douluo, the clan's guardian elder, known for being the number one offensive Douluo on the continent."

So, Ye Hao had been right.

Ye Hao offered a polite smile. "Greetings, Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo. I'm Ye Hao, a student at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."

Ning Fengzhi's eyes lit up with recognition. "Heaven Dou Imperial Academy? Ye Hao… Ye Hao…" He tapped his forehead lightly, as if piecing something together. "Ah, I remember now. Not long ago, I heard about a genius student at the academy. That must be you—the one with a 1,000-year second soul ring?"

Ye Hao chuckled modestly, waving his hand. "Sect Master Ning, you flatter me. I'm not deserving of such praise. Actually, Brother Xue brought me here to pick out a gift. Beyond that, I'm just here for the experience."

"A gift?" Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow.

Xue Qinghe glanced fondly at Ye Hao. This little rascal really knows how to win people over.

"Yes, Teacher. Ye Hao gave me a wonderful gift recently. As his elder brother, of course, I had to return the gesture."

Ning Fengzhi nodded, now fully understanding. He smiled knowingly. "Well, have you found anything that suits your taste? If not, Qinghe, you're welcome to bring Ye Hao to our clan. I'm sure we have something worthy of his favor."

His words were filled with pride, befitting the wealth and resources of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. The clan's treasure troves could easily outshine even the royal family's reserves.

Xue Qinghe replied with a polite smile. "No need to trouble you, Teacher. Ye Hao and I were just about to leave. It seems we haven't found anything worthwhile today."

Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo both nodded, bidding farewell.

Just as Xue Qinghe turned to leave with Ye Hao, the latter suddenly froze in place, his expression shifting.

"What's wrong?" Xue Qinghe asked, puzzled.

Ye Hao didn't reply immediately. Something inside him stirred—a nagging feeling that if he let this moment pass, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

He turned abruptly and rushed to the railing, standing beside Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo, his eyes fixed on the auction platform below.

A female attendant walked onto the stage, carrying a square object covered in red cloth.

The auctioneer, holding a golden gavel, struck it lightly. "Ladies and gentlemen, our next item." With a dramatic flourish, the attendant unveiled the object beneath the cloth.

It was a small, cube-shaped stone. Covered in a layer of thick, weathered stone skin, it bore faint, intricate patterns etched into its surface. The patterns were ancient and enigmatic, hinting at an origin lost to time.

The auctioneer began their pitch. "This item was discovered by our team deep within an ancient forest. After extensive research, we were unable to uncover its true purpose or origin. However, given its unique characteristics and apparent age, we believe it to be an artifact from a structure dating back hundreds, possibly thousands of years. Starting bid: 1,000 gold soul coins."

"1.100!"

"1.300!"

"1.500!"

The bids began rolling in.

"2.000!"

"4.000!"

"7.000!"

The price continued to climb, eventually surpassing 10.000 gold soul coins.

And then…

"20.000 gold soul coins."

Ye Hao raised his paddle.

The room fell silent.

Xue Qinghe furrowed his brow, glancing skeptically at the stone on the stage. A rock? Ye Hao, you're bidding 20.000 for a rock?

Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo exchanged puzzled glances, their seasoned eyes failing to discern anything extraordinary about the stone.

The auctioneer, seeing no further bids, began the countdown.

"20.000 gold soul coins, going once!"

"20.000 gold soul coins, going twice!"

The atmosphere of the grand auction house was designed precisely like this—to create a sense of scarcity and urgency, provoking bidders to compete against each other and driving the price ever higher.

On one hand, it was about showcasing their status; on the other, it was a result of their vanity taking over. Clearly, Ye Hao, a young and inexperienced newcomer, had fallen for the ploy.

The seasoned bidders present exchanged amused smiles. This young man is far too naive.

For a moment, the room fell eerily silent, so quiet that one could almost hear a pin drop.

Seeing the lack of further bids, the auctioneer wasted no time. A simple and unimpressive-looking stone had been sold for an astonishing 20.000 gold soul coins, a significant haul for the auction house. After all, almost everyone in attendance was a wily old fox.

As the auctioneer prepared to close the sale, they gave one final, skeptical glance around the room, hoping to draw out another unsuspecting bidder.

When no one else responded, they sighed inwardly and made the final call:

"20.000 gold soul coins—going three times!"

"Sold!"

As the gavel struck, Ye Hao's heart raced. He didn't know why, but something about this stone resonated with him deeply.