"The 'Sixteen to Eight' competition will be held over two days, featuring both a team match and an individual elimination match.
Even if a team loses the team match, they can still turn the tide by winning the individual elimination round, provided three of their members defeat all seven opponents.
Conversely, if a team wins the team match, they only need to defeat three opponents in the individual round to secure their advancement."
"This format is designed to accommodate students with exceptional individual strength. Even if their team loses, a single overwhelmingly powerful individual can still carry them to victory."
Elder Ma explained the new competition rules to Liuxing and the others while holding his pipe.
"In that case, let the seven of us handle this match," Liuxing declared.
By "the seven of us," he was referring to their core lineup.
Elder Ma remained silent. He wanted to keep Liuxing and his team for the later stages, but as the official representatives, they had the right to compete if they chose to. Besides, he also felt it was time for them to make an appearance.
Shrek Academy had been stealing too much of the spotlight, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy couldn't afford to stay low-profile any longer.
Just then, a sudden knock on the meeting room door interrupted them.
Elder Ma frowned and motioned for Ma Rulong to open the door.
"Hello, I am an auctioneer from Starlight Auction House," a beautiful woman in uniform greeted Ma Rulong with a respectful bow as he opened the door.
"An auctioneer from Starlight Auction House? What do you want from us?" Elder Ma asked with a frown.
"Apologies for the interruption," the auctioneer said politely.
"Starlight Auction House is hosting a top-tier auction tonight. This level of auction is extremely rare, occurring only once or twice a year.
Only our most distinguished guests receive invitations. Our auction house's owner has instructed me to personally deliver invitations to you all.
If you have the time tonight, we would be honored by your presence. I believe you will find some items of great interest at this event."
As she spoke, she placed a stack of exquisitely crafted, gold-embossed invitations on the table.
Then, with another polite bow, she added, "I won't take up any more of your time. My apologies again for the disturbance."
She slowly stepped back, exited the room, and gently closed the door behind her.
Liuxing glanced at the invitations with interest. "A top-tier auction... I'm sure we're not the only ones invited."
"Why? Are you interested?" Xiao Hongchen asked with a smile.
"Last time, at that smaller auction, Ye Guyi managed to obtain the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife. Who knows? There might be something even better this time."
At the mention of Ye Guyi's Soul-Devouring Carving Knife, Xiao Hongchen and the others also showed interest.
After all, a top-tier auction hosted by Starlight Auction House was bound to feature rare and valuable treasures.
"If everyone wants to go, then let's check it out," Elder Ma decided.
With the participants for tomorrow's match already determined, there was no need to continue the meeting.
Liuxing and his team rested for a while in their rooms before heading out after dinner, invitations in hand, to the entrance of Starlight Auction House.
The auctioneer who had delivered the invitations was already waiting for them at the entrance.
Seeing them arrive, she smiled and said, "Welcome, esteemed guests."
Meng Hongchen looked at her in surprise. "How did you know we would come?"
The auctioneer chuckled. "Regardless of whether you decided to attend or not, I was instructed to wait here for you. My job is to welcome distinguished guests. Please, follow me."
Under her guidance, they quickly entered the interior of Starlight Auction House.
As they stepped inside, two young women in golden dresses approached them. They gave a slight bow before one of them walked over to a nearby wall, pressed her hand against it, and engaged in a brief exchange with the auctioneer.
A moment later, the wall rippled with a wave of light. After a brief scan, it slowly parted to reveal a passageway.
The corridor beyond was pure white, illuminated with soft, gentle lighting from all directions. The ceiling featured elegant, pale blue glowing lines tracing its edges.
The auctioneer bowed and said, "This is our No. 1 Auction Hall, reserved for only the most prestigious guests. Normally, even I wouldn't have the privilege to enter. But today, thanks to your presence, I have the honor of stepping inside."
From the auctioneer's black dress, it was clear that she was a Black-rank auctioneer. Even she wasn't qualified to enter this hall, which showed just how extraordinary tonight's top-tier auction was.
Following the auctioneer, Liuxing and the others entered a spacious room, several hundred square meters in size.
The luxurious decor was evident at a glance, exquisite paintings on the walls, antique vases placed throughout the space, each item radiating an aura of prestige and value.
Their assigned room was Room No. 2.
The room was rectangular, with one of the long walls made entirely of translucent white crystal. This was the only undecorated wall in the room.
Xiao Hongchen and the others immediately recognized it as a projection soul tool.
They sat on sofas made of beast hide, and in front of them was a jade table filled with various fruits, snacks, and beverages.
Seeing the snacks, Liuying's eyes lit up.
Liuxing smiled helplessly and picked up a small dessert, handing it to Liuying.
Liuying didn't have many hobbies, but one thing was certain, she loved to eat.
While sitting on the sofa, Liuxing was completely focused on feeding Liuying.
Meanwhile, the auctioneer began explaining the rules of the top-tier auction.
One of the golden-dressed attendants pressed gently on the wall, causing a soft halo of light to ripple across its surface.
The glow gradually intensified, and before their eyes, the wall transformed into a massive screen.
This was a light-conducting screen, originally exclusive to the Sun Moon Empire.
However, due to the spread of long-distance communication soul tools, it had now made its way to the three original Douluo nations.
The screen gradually became clearer, displaying symbols on either side while the center revealed what looked like an auction stage.
Though the platform itself wasn't large, it was exceptionally detailed on the screen.
"In order to maintain the privacy of our distinguished guests, each guest has their own exclusive room.
The auction items will be displayed on this screen, and you can place your bids from within this room. Additionally, all food and beverages here are complimentary."
Perhaps noticing Liuxing feeding Liuying, the auctioneer deliberately emphasized the last sentence.
Not long after, just as Liuying was eating her third piece of cake, the entire room was bathed in golden light.
Instinctively, everyone turned their eyes to the soul tool screen.
The golden glow was soft rather than blinding, filling every corner of the room with delicate golden strands.
The previously warm and comfortable atmosphere now carried an additional air of nobility and grandeur.
The auctioneer announced, "Esteemed guests, our auction is about to begin."
As the golden light receded, a melodious voice echoed through the soul tool screen.
"Welcome, honored guests, to the Starlight Auction House's top-tier auction. Tonight, we have prepared nine rare and valuable items for your consideration.
These items will be presented in ascending order of value. We hope you enjoy."
The screen became clearer, and a soft white mist enveloped the auction platform at its center.
Standing there was a stunning young woman dressed in a luxurious red gown.
She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, possessing a beauty comparable to Meng Hongchen and Ye Guyi, though slightly inferior to Gu Yuena and Xue Nu.
As for Liuying... well, in Liuxing's eyes, no one could compare to her.
The girl had a well-developed figure, and the elegant red dress accentuated her fair complexion, making her appear almost like a perfect goddess.
"Honored guests, I am Jiujiu, your auctioneer for this evening. It is my privilege to host this top-tier auction. As your time is precious, we shall begin immediately. Now, let me present our first item of the night."
The golden-haired girl smiled sweetly and performed a complex yet elegant gesture of courtesy, extending her right hand in an inviting motion.
At that moment, the screen shifted, displaying the first auction item in magnified detail.
The golden-haired girl's pleasant voice rang out again.
"The Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade, an eighth-level close-combat soul tool crafted from exceptionally rare materials, including a ten-thousand-year-old Tyrant Tiger soul beast's right arm bone. This blade retains the soul bone's innate ability, 'Tyrant Slash,' and enhances similar soul abilities by 50%."
"This weapon was forged by the renowned Illustrious Virtue Hall of the Sun Moon Empire. I believe the name 'Illustrious Virtue Hall' alone speaks volumes about its value. The blade can be wielded by Soul Sages with seven rings, allowing them to challenge even Soul Douluo-level opponents. The viewing time is five minutes."
As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell into silence.
Liuxing glanced at Elder Ma with a strange expression.
He distinctly remembered that Illustrious Virtue Hall had a strict policy forbidding the sale of high-level soul tools to the three original Douluo nations. This Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade was an exceptional eighth-level soul tool, whoever smuggled it out of Illustrious Virtue Hall was clearly disregarding their rules.
Xiao Hongchen and the others remained silent as they watched the blade's value soar. Eventually, it was sold for a staggering 1.56 million gold soul coins.
Once the price remained unchanged for a full minute, the auction concluded. Instantly, golden light bloomed in the room like fireworks, marking the successful bid.
The golden-haired girl reappeared on the screen, her smile radiant as she gracefully bowed.
"Thank you to the honored guest who won the Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade. Now, we move on to our second auction item. Though they are consumable, these items are incredibly rare, and assembling a complete set is no easy feat. Honored guests, please take a look."
The screen changed again, this time dividing into twelve sections.
Each section displayed an object of similar shape, a cylindrical item with one end tapered to a point and the other a flat circular base.
While identical in shape, their colors varied, seemingly made from different metals.
Upon seeing these soul tools, Xiao Hongchen could no longer contain his rage.
"Those bastards!" he growled furiously.