Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

"Your Highness, should we... buy these?" Ma Rulong hesitated for a long time before cautiously asking.

"No," Xu Cheng replied indifferently. "If they've appeared here, it means the Star Luo Empire already has copies, or even higher-level soul tools. Even if we prevent Shrek from acquiring them, they can just buy another set from the Star Luo Emperor. The money still ends up in Star Luo's pockets—it's not worth it..."

"..."

After giving this brief response, Xu Cheng said no more.

He leaned back in his chair in a tactical retreat, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, closing his eyes as if resting.

The next five auction items were a left arm bone, a right arm bone, a left leg bone, a rare and precious metal, and a long-range Grade 8 soul tool.

Aside from the soul tool and metal, Xu Cheng signaled to purchase all the soul bones.

Did the Sun Moon Empire lack soul bones?

Yes, very much so.

Unlike Shrek Academy, which was backed by the Great Star Dou Forest and could even afford to use 1,001 pieces of the Dread Dragon's skull to build a spiritual cultivation chamber, the Sun Moon Empire had no such luxury.

Following Xu Cheng's instructions, the soul bones were distributed among those present.

Everyone here was a contestant representing the empire—there was no ranking system. If a bone suited them, they took it.

This act helped ease the tense atmosphere, and the others started laughing, calling their leader generous.

Then, for the eighth time, Princess Xu Jiujou's graceful figure appeared on the large screen. She smiled and said, "The next two auction items will be the highlights of today's event. I believe our esteemed guests will be very interested. Please take a look."

A flash of light—on the soul tool display, a soul bone appeared.

This soul bone was entirely jade-green, with shimmering halos that made it look as if liquid jade flowed within.

From its shape, it was a left arm bone, and a faint white mist rose from its emerald-green surface.

Because of the magnified projection, its uniqueness was even more apparent. The surface of the arm bone was adorned with tiny crystalline formations, as clear as diamonds, resembling an exquisite gemstone sculpture.

Compared to the previously auctioned soul bones, this one instantly outshined them, clearly belonging to a far superior tier.

"...How could this be..."

"Bastards!"

Xu Cheng slowly opened his eyes.

The fury in Ice Empress's voice within his spiritual sea, along with Tian Meng's dumbfounded reaction, made it clear just how significant this soul bone was.

Yes, this soul bone was precisely why he had come.

Without Xue Di's embryo, he wouldn't have even bothered attending this auction.

"Ice Empress, is this from your clan?" Xu Cheng asked.

"Yes! And for a clan member to reach this level of cultivation, they must have been an elite among Ice Jade Scorpions!" Bing Di growled angrily. "To put it simply, if I had produced a soul bone like this, I would've had the power to challenge Snow Empress!"

Xu Cheng nodded slightly.

In the original story, this soul bone had a highly specific compatibility requirement—only those with an Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul could absorb it.

Ice Empress had even tried to trick Ling Luochen into using it, though fortunately, the protagonist wasn't that ruthless. Instead, he assessed the situation and informed the Star Luo Emperor, essentially getting a free soul bone in return.

Moreover, Ice Explosion Technique was an ability akin to a miracle.

Just hearing the term Corpse Explosion was enough to make Shrek's members weak in the knees, nearly leaving them with psychological trauma.

That one true Son of Destiny had certainly made a name for himself with his Corpse Explosion ability.

Even as the Ice Jade Scorpion King, Ice Empress herself never possessed this technique.

"Ah Cheng, you must obtain this soul bone! At least, let my fallen kin... sigh." Bing Di fell into melancholy.

A true prodigy had been born among her clan, yet she had never even known of their existence before they were slain by humans, their soul bone ripped from their body and put up for auction.

The sorrow was gut-wrenching...

"Don't worry, Ice Empress, I'll find a solution," Xu Cheng reassured her.

Regarding the mechanization of soul rings and soul bones, he already had some theoretical ideas. However, with so many ongoing projects, he hadn't dared to trouble Elder Cheng with it yet—it remained in its conceptual phase.

Because if he truly wanted to resolve the conflict between humans and soul beasts...

Mere deterrence wouldn't be enough.

To address the root cause, he had to tackle the essence of the issue.

And what was at the core of their conflict? Interests.

Humans needed soul rings and soul bones to grow stronger—it was a necessity.

No human could reach godhood from zero without acquiring a single soul ring.

Of course, the system passed down by Electrolux might offer some insights worth borrowing.

After all, he recalled that in Long Haochen's world, humans were divided into ranks, but there were no soul beasts acting as a bottleneck...

If he could develop a way to mechanize soul rings—allowing soul tools to replace them—or even artificially create soul rings, the necessity of hunting soul beasts would drastically decrease.

The same applied to soul bones.

"...Thank you."

Ice Empress was silent for a long while before speaking softly.

Because she could tell—Xu Cheng was serious.

Whether he succeeded or not, the fact that a human was willing to devote himself to this cause made his gratitude well-deserved.

"No need for thanks. We're friends," Xu Cheng replied with a light smile.

"Friends..."

Ice Empress fell silent again.

That word seemed to hold more weight than ever.

—

Back in the auction hall.

Xu Jiujou began listing three requirements for the soul bone.

First: An ice-attribute martial soul. Many present had one, or at least had relatives, disciples, or sect members who did.

Second: The soul skill was fixed—no rerolling other skills. But that wasn't a flaw—it was an advantage! Come on, Ice Explosion Technique was an SSS-tier skill, guaranteed. Would you rather have that or gamble on a bunch of unknown, lower-tier options?

Third: A minimum of Soul King-level physique was required to absorb it. With a lifespan of 50,000 to 70,000 years, an ordinary person attempting absorption would be committing suicide.

On Shrek's side, Ling Luochen was eager to act.

On the Sun Moon Empire's side, Meng Hongchen was also tempted.

"Brother Cheng, I want it!"

Xu Cheng remained silent for a moment.

"Listen to me—this isn't something you can handle."

Meng Hongchen: "..."

"This soul bone can only be absorbed by an Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul user. Otherwise, best case—severe injury. Worst case—death by explosion."

"Meng, I'm not lying to you. If you really want to try, you can—but only after I ensure I can keep you safe." Xu Cheng had confirmed with Ice Empress that even if Meng Hongchen failed, he could prevent her from dying, so he made the offer cautiously.

"Ugh~"

Meng Hongchen initially wanted to act spoiled, but after glancing at Xu Cheng's face, she blushed and looked away. "Fine..."

"Then, Your Highness, are we bidding?"

Grandmaster Ma hesitated.

This soul bone wouldn't come cheap, and for what? Just to serve as a decoration?

"Of course, we are. Why wouldn't we?"

Xu Cheng raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think I found out about this soul bone's secrets by accident?"

As he spoke, a deep red soul ring rose from beneath his feet.

An Ice Jade Scorpion's phantom emerged behind him, exuding the terrifying presence of a 100,000-year soul beast.

No—this wasn't just an Ice Jade Scorpion! Grandmaster Ma's heart trembled.

It was an Ice Jade Empress Scorpion!

As everyone in the room stared in shock, Xu Cheng smiled and said:

"She told me."

(End of Chapter)