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As a rule, Ye Wen avoided appearing in public unless absolutely necessary.
Frequent appearances alongside various factions would inadvertently signal his allegiance, influencing many things.
However, this matter seemed to require his personal explanation to carry the most weight.
Moreover, from the start of the auction until now, he had spent quite a bit of the Star Luo Royal Family's money. Both emotionally and logically, it was only right for him to step forward and clarify things.
"Alright."
As Ye Wen made his appearance, the guests in the booths instinctively held their breath.
Though Ye Wen's appearance was that of a strikingly handsome yet calm young man, his reputation preceded him. No one dared to underestimate the man stepping onto the stage.
"Many of you here already know who I am, so I won't waste time introducing myself further."
As Ye Wen spoke, he walked up to the soul bone and raised his hand to lift it with his spiritual force.
"I'll get straight to the point. This soul bone is an extremely unusual existence among soul bones because it originates from the Ice Jade Scorpion, a super spirit beast with Ultimate Ice attributes."
At this moment, Ye Wen scanned the surroundings. Due to confidentiality protocols, this auction hadn't attracted many casual attendees—it was highly exclusive. Therefore, Ye Wen didn't notice any changes in the audience's expressions.
But none of that mattered. Ye Wen continued unperturbed with his explanation.
"You're likely unfamiliar with this type of spirit beast because its habitat is a forbidden zone for humans—the perpetually frozen Extreme North Ice Plains.
The reason you're unfamiliar with them isn't because no soul masters have ever seen them—it's because most soul masters who've encountered them are already dead.
Unlike most super spirit beasts, the Ice Jade Scorpion is one of the rare species that live in groups. Combined with their unique environment and Ultimate attributes, anyone without Soul Douluo-level strength should flee at the first sight of them—they're incredibly powerful.
Let me offer a friendly reminder: even Titled Douluos should avoid engaging them if possible.
As for why, I'm sure many of you are aware of the Fierce Beast Rankings. Ranked seventh is the pinnacle of the Ice Jade Scorpion species—the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, which currently boasts a cultivation level of 400,000 years.
To put it plainly, this being—one of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North Ice Plains, ranked second—is infinitely close to the 99th-level Supreme Douluo realm. Any soul master lacking such strength should avoid seeking death."
Here, Ye Wen paused and added, "Of course, my words alone may not convince you of this soul bone's peculiarities. But facts speak louder than words. Any soul masters interested in experiencing Ultimate Ice, please step forward."
Xu Jiujiu, fearing the guests might not cooperate and embarrass her master, was about to summon some volunteers. However, in the blink of an eye, over a dozen Soul Douluos stood before Ye Wen, their eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
It was laughable—though they couldn't forge deep connections with a Supreme Douluo, the opportunity to become familiar with him was invaluable. The smart ones present weren't about to miss this chance.
Ye Wen chuckled softly and said nothing more. Raising the soul bone in his hand, he gently activated its soul power while speaking.
"Prepare yourselves. I'll now draw out a trace of its primal energy. This soul bone comes from an Ice Jade Scorpion with 65,000 years of cultivation. Though its Ultimate Ice power is still immature, its explosive force will not be inferior to that of an ordinary Titled Douluo."
Heeding advice was wise, especially from a Supreme Douluo. The gathered Soul Douluos immediately flared with radiant light.
The auction stage became a dazzling display of colors as everyone swiftly donned their true body armor, entering a state of full defense.
At this moment, a terrifying chill began to spread. Even the guests in the booths felt a sudden coldness, though the specially designed venue prevented too much of the icy aura from seeping in.
However, the Soul Douluos on the auction stage were not so fortunate. The auctioneer was deliberately shielded by Ye Wen's soul power, forming a spherical crystalline barrier around him, while the other Soul Douluos were entirely encased in ice.
Ultimate Ice—terrifying indeed.
Fortunately, Ye Wen had only slightly activated a trace of the soul bone's primal energy, not unleashing its full force. Thus, despite the dramatic effect, the actual damage was quite limited.
Soon, the ice encasing the Soul Douluos shattered into frost and fell to the ground. Though their skin wasn't discolored by frostbite, Ye Wen could clearly see that they had genuinely felt the cold.
In this version of the Douluo Continent, Ultimate attributes represented the pinnacle of all martial souls.
Even a trace of its power, under attribute suppression, was enough to humble these otherwise arrogant Soul Douluos.
Once everyone had recovered, Ye Wen softly asked, "Gentlemen, how was the demonstration of Ultimate Ice?"
At this moment, a Star Luo duke whom Ye Wen recognized raised his hand and respectfully addressed him.
"Thank you for your mercy, Lord Tian Xing. The reputation of Ultimate Ice is well-deserved."
In truth, the best way to demonstrate this experiment would have been to use a condemned prisoner with an ice-attribute martial soul and have them attempt to absorb the soul bone on the spot. This would provide the clearest understanding of its harmful effects.
However, everyone present knew that Ye Wen intended to purchase this soul bone, so he wouldn't resort to such measures.
After all, it was common knowledge that the first absorption of a soul bone allowed the soul master to harness its contained soul power to enhance their cultivation level—a benefit that only worked the first time.
If this soul bone were to undergo secondary refinement, its value would plummet significantly.
A used soul bone lacked the primal soul power Ye Wen had just demonstrated. If a non-Ultimate Ice soul master attempted to refine it, they'd likely freeze solid instantly.
Inside the Shrek booth, Ling Luochen looked at the layer of frost covering the room with lingering fear. If she had harbored any thoughts about this soul bone earlier, she now avoided it like the plague. Even if placed before her, she wouldn't dare touch it.
As the team's instructor, Wang Yan quickly jotted down notes. Such esoteric knowledge rarely circulated among soul masters like him unless by sheer coincidence.
Initially, Wang Yan had thought Ye Wen had Xu Jiujiu deliver those warnings to deter Shrek from bidding and wasting money. Now, however, it was clear that Ye Wen had been kindly offering them advice.
With Ye Wen's demonstration complete, the auction resumed.
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