Off to the side, Dugu Yan muttered, "It's unbelievable that someone could actually steal from Tian Dou's auction house. Who's going to trust them with valuable items after this?"
Su Ming shook his head. "It's no surprise; Shi Nian's martial spirit is really unique. Without proper defenses, even a high-level Soul Douluo could fall victim to it."
But Su Ming was puzzled. That ten-thousand-year spirit bone was incredibly valuable. Who would store it in an auction house for sale? And if it was owned by the auction house, why not keep it for themselves? A spirit bone over ten thousand years old is priceless; if it were easy to obtain, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would have soul bones for Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo.
Su Ming shook his head, dismissing the thought. Since Shi Nian had stolen it, he had to find a way to retrieve it. This spirit bone, even if it wasn't a hundred-thousand-year one, was exceptional enough to grant Ning Rongrong an ability akin to a domain.
When Su Ming and his group arrived at the auction entrance, they were indeed stopped and asked to show proof of wealth or items for sale to enter.
Without hesitation, Su Ming took out the gold card given to him by Ning Fengzhi. The gatekeeper's eyes widened at the sight—a gold card! He immediately put on a big smile and said, "No need for verification, sir. This gold card is all the proof of status we need. Please, let me have someone guide you inside."
Moments later, a beautiful masked auction attendant approached Su Ming, bowing respectfully. "Sir, is this your first visit to our auction house? Would you like me to explain the process?"
The woman leaned forward slightly, her posture deepening to emphasize her figure before Su Ming.
Before he could react, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong covered his eyes.
Ning Rongrong frowned. "Just lead the way; we know the rules!"
Su Ming chuckled helplessly. "Alright, alright, I wasn't even looking. I'm not that easily tempted!"
Ning Rongrong gave him a skeptical look. "Xiao Wu, do you believe that?"
Xiao Wu shook her head. "Not at all."
Su Ming: Doesn't anyone have a little faith in me?
Seeing his resigned expression, Zhu Zhuqing and the others chuckled. They knew Su Ming's character well enough. He might not pursue such women, but they doubted he wouldn't at least glance in appreciation!
The attendant remained unbothered; this was part of her job. Besides leading guests, her role was to ensure they enjoyed themselves.
Soon, Su Ming and his group received their numbered tokens and took their seats, waiting for the auction to start.
Xiao Wu looked around and noticed several guests with attendants, some of whom were behaving quite provocatively. She frowned and asked, "Big Brother, isn't an auction house supposed to be for auctions? Why are these people acting like this?"
Pointing out a few instances, she added, "I don't get it. This place is high-end, not some sleazy spot, but some of these noble-looking men are getting a little too handsy."
Su Ming shook his head. "Maybe Ning Rongrong can explain."
Ning Rongrong spoke up. "Those attendants are carefully selected by the auction house. Their job isn't just to guide guests but to ensure they spend extravagantly. To achieve that, they sometimes become nothing more than toys for the guests."
"It's all orchestrated by the auction house. High society can be surprisingly sordid, and the auction house is actually tame compared to some places."
Being raised as the next head of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong knew even the darker aspects of high society.
Xiao Wu, taken aback, said, "But why don't these attendants resist? Couldn't someone buy their freedom?"
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind. "These attendants are numb to it all. They're like caged birds in the auction house. Even if freed, they wouldn't know how to live otherwise."
"They've grown accustomed to this life of excess, and without looks or charm, they have no skills to survive. While they're alive, their spirits are long gone."
Recognizing the voice, the group turned and saw Ning Fengzhi.
"Father! What brings you here? We didn't see you when we arrived." Ning Rongrong hurried over to him.
Ning Fengzhi patted her head, smiling. "We only just arrived ourselves and saw you here, so we thought we'd come over and say hello."
Beside him, Bone Douluo spoke with feigned indignation. "So now, all our little princess can see is her father? She's forgotten all about her Bone Grandpa; this is so sad."
Ning Rongrong giggled and hugged him. "No, I was just about to come to you next. Don't be upset, Grandpa Bone."
Bone Douluo, immediately appeased, let out a pleased chuckle.
Su Ming, noticing that Bone Douluo was here instead of Sword Douluo, was a bit surprised.
The others also knew Ning Fengzhi, so they respectfully greeted, "Hello, Sect Master Ning and Elder Bone!"
Once they exchanged pleasantries, Su Ming asked, "Uncle Ning, Bone Grandpa, did something at the auction draw you two here? Some treasure?"
Ning Fengzhi laughed. "You really have a sharp eye! There was indeed something special that brought us here—a valuable item that, unfortunately, was stolen before it could even go up for auction."
Ning Fengzhi glanced at Su Ming's companions. They were all women; Su Ming seemed quite popular.
Su Ming, catching his gaze, felt a bit awkward as the only guy among them, given his connection with Ning Rongrong.
But with a shrug, he thought to himself, My skin's pretty thick. Uncle Ning won't bring it up outright.
Ning Fengzhi kept his amused gaze on him for several seconds before Su Ming returned it with equal calm, a subtle tension rising between them.
Ning Rongrong couldn't take it any longer and dragged her father and Bone Grandpa over to sit with them. She then curiously asked, "Father, what treasure did you come for? With our resources, I didn't think there was anything you'd need to come in person for. Unless…"
Ning Fengzhi nodded, lowering his voice. "You guessed right, Rongrong. We came for a soul bone, over ten thousand years old, and it would have been perfect for a support-type soul master like you. I was planning to win it for you, but it was stolen."
Bone Douluo grumbled, "Unbelievable! If I find the thief…! Who knows how long it'll take to find another soul bone suited for Rongrong?"
Ning Rongrong felt a bit disappointed, but she accepted it with a sigh.
Ning Fengzhi turned to Su Ming. "Su Ming, thank you again for helping Sword Douluo. After that trip, he broke through to level 97. He said it was thanks to you that his understanding of swordsmanship deepened."
Bone Douluo chimed in, "Now, you've helped Sword Douluo reach level 97, and here I am, stuck at level 95! I used to match him in strength with my defensive and spatial abilities, but now he's stronger and rubbing it in my face. He wanted to show off his new Heaven-Splitting Sword technique, and no matter where I tried to teleport, he'd just lock onto me and hit me dead on!"
"It's ridiculous! Su Ming, you can't just give Sword Douluo all the pointers!"
Su Ming chuckled. "Bone Grandpa, that was just luck, really. How could I help with your Bone Dragon martial spirit? Honestly, I have no insights for that."
He paused and then continued thoughtfully, "But, Bone Grandpa, it's possible your mentality is affecting your progress. Like Sword Grandpa, you're competitive, but maybe Sword Grandpa's advancement is also due to his ability to embrace a fearless heart in his swordsmanship. Your defensive style may be holding you back in a way. I'd suggest that you focus on 'cultivating your mind' to advance."
"Cultivating my mind?" Bone Douluo muttered. He felt Su Ming's words made sense, but "cultivating his mind" sounded like a tall order. He wasn't Sword Douluo, after all—someone who embodied "mindful cultivation" as much as swordsmanship itself.
Bone Douluo (Gu Rong) sighed, "Su Ming, my personality's too stubborn. How am I supposed to find inner peace like that old guy, Sword Douluo? It looks like I'll never reach level 96."
Ning Rongrong asked in a low voice, "Brother Su Ming, is there really no hope?"
Su Ming shook his head. Apart from rare herbs, there was indeed an extreme method he hadn't mentioned—it was too dangerous, though. Sword Douluo's recent breakthrough had been a stroke of luck.
Su Ming sighed, "Bone Grandpa, you're known as the best defensive soul master on the continent, but do you have a true, unwavering commitment to protect?"
Gu Rong was curious. "Commitment? What do you mean?"
Su Ming's eyes focused, "I mean the type of commitment where you would give your life to protect someone, even a whole sect."
In the original story, during the massacre of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, why was it only Sword Douluo who advanced? Su Ming believed it was because Sword Douluo, facing a hopeless situation, fought without fear, determined to kill enemy Titled Douluos and protect his sect leader and fellow clansmen.
As for Gu Rong, his job was simply to escort Ning Fengzhi to safety. The stress they faced was entirely different.
Sword Douluo had been pushed to the brink of life and death, while Gu Rong, with his skills, had an easy time getting Ning Fengzhi to safety.
Gu Rong glanced at Ning Fengzhi and replied naturally, "Of course! Fengzhi and the sect are my purpose to protect. Isn't that obvious?"
Su Ming shook his head. "It's not enough. You have the heart to protect, but not the pressure."
"You and Sword Grandpa are the sect's guardians, symbolizing offense and defense. But when there's a powerful enemy, I'm guessing it's usually Sword Grandpa who takes the lead in battle while you protect Uncle Ning. This has led to a discrepancy: Sword Grandpa faces more pressure, fights more, and gains more insights from it."
"You can't make progress through quiet introspection alone. You need intense pressure, the kind that ignites an extreme desire to protect!"
Ning Fengzhi, hearing this, was silent. He hadn't expected Su Ming to analyze things this way. Clearly, Sword Douluo's breakthrough wasn't mere luck; Su Ming's perspective was truly insightful, and Ning Fengzhi couldn't match it.
In the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sword Douluo had indeed faced higher risks than Bone Douluo, as he had to defeat enemies rather than just defend against them.
"Su Ming, is there an extreme method to help Bone Uncle break through?" Ning Fengzhi asked earnestly.
If Bone Douluo could also reach level 96, with Sword Douluo at level 97 and Ning Fengzhi's supportive boosts, their sect would stand a chance at surpassing the Clear Sky Clan!
Su Ming responded, "There is a way, but it's extremely dangerous. Are you sure, Uncle Ning?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded, "Tell us, Su Ming. We can't afford to waste a rare chance for Bone Uncle to advance."
Su Ming continued, "Well, as I said before, it's a 'breakthrough through adversity' method. To succeed, Uncle Ning, you and Bone Grandpa would need to put yourselves at great risk."
"Essentially, you'd need a high-level attack-type soul master, someone on par with Sword Grandpa, to launch a fierce attack on Uncle Ning. This time, Bone Grandpa wouldn't be allowed to use his spatial skills to dodge; he'd have to defend on the spot with all he has."
Turning to Gu Rong, Su Ming added, "Bone Grandpa, your martial spirit would be ideal if all your spirit rings had spatial attributes. But since those spirit beasts are hard to come by, you focused on defense. This creates a drawback: instead of tanking attacks, you often dodge with spatial skills. To break through, you'll need to confront this!"
Gu Rong sighed, "Kid, what you're saying is true. It looks like I'm stuck at level 95. I wouldn't risk Fengzhi's life. Neither I nor that old sword freak would ever want that!"
Su Ming raised his hand in concession, "Then it's settled. It is extreme, and it's best avoided unless necessary. If Sword Grandpa's attacks break through your defense, Ning Rongrong would lose her father, and that's the last thing I want."
Gu Rong was speechless. Su Ming wasn't pulling any punches, but he was right; Sword Douluo's level 97 abilities would likely overwhelm his defense without spatial skills to help. The two-level gap wasn't easily bridged.
Ning Fengzhi, however, was deep in thought. Su Ming's suggestion held potential for immense gains, but the risks were equally great. Should he consider it?
Finally, he said, "Thank you for your advice, Su Ming. I'll give it some thought."
Gu Rong protested, "Fengzhi, this plan isn't worth considering! If I fail to protect you, we'd both feel guilty, and the sect, and Rongrong—what would become of them?"
"Bone Uncle, calm down. I'm only considering it. We don't need to go that far now. Just hearing Su Ming's advice has given you something to ponder. As a defensive soul master, what's the right approach? Is it to endure all attacks or to use spatial skills to evade?"
Gu Rong reluctantly nodded, "Understood. I'll reflect on it carefully once we return."
After a while, the auction finally began.
Su Ming glanced over the initial items and quickly lost interest, as they were of no use to him.
Soon, the auction reached its final item.
So far, he'd only purchased three nice accessories for Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing. If he remembered correctly, this last auction item should be the beautiful cat-girl. With the spirit bone gone, she would be the main attraction.
As the staff wheeled out an iron cage covered with a red cloth, Xiao Wu furrowed her brows, sensing a familiar presence—a fellow soul beast!
"Brother, do you feel that…?" Xiao Wu whispered.
Su Ming nodded, replying telepathically, "I do. There's a cat-girl in the cage. Her martial spirit likely mutated, giving her a partial soul beast form—a kindred spirit of sorts."
Reassured, Xiao Wu grew anxious. "Brother, could you bid on her?"
Su Ming considered it. The money wasn't an issue, but once he had her, how would he arrange for her care?
He decided to sort it out later. If worst came to worst, he could arrange for her training at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, just like in the original story.
In the end, after a series of bids, Su Ming won the cat-girl for 180,000 gold soul coins, though he incurred the ire of Prince Xue Xing in the process. Fortunately, Ning Fengzhi's presence allowed him to avoid any immediate retaliation.
Ning Fengzhi and the others were surprised by his bid. Did Su Ming have an interest in this cat-girl?
Bone Douluo quipped, "Su Ming, don't tell me you actually…?"
Su Ming shook his head with a smile, "Bone Grandpa, what are you thinking? I'm not interested in her like that. I just didn't like seeing people treated like objects. This cat-girl still has a soul, unlike those attendants. She doesn't deserve to be someone's plaything. Besides, most of that money was given to me by Uncle Ning!"
Ning Fengzhi appreciated Su Ming's stance. He had also planned to buy the cat-girl, both to rescue her and bring her into the sect as a resourceful member.
Ning Fengzhi laughed. "Money aside, what you've done is admirable. But here's a question—what will you do with her? She can't go to the academy with you."
Ning Rongrong offered, "Father, can't she just stay at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? We can see if she has a knack for cultivation. If she does, the sect can teach her. How about that?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled and turned to Su Ming. "Does that align with your plan?"
Su Ming, slightly embarrassed, replied, "If you can shelter her for now, that would be perfect. My mental scan showed her soul power is low because no one's taught her, but I believe her aptitude isn't bad."
Satisfied, Ning Fengzhi agreed, "Consider it done. But you bought her; you should handle her onboarding. After all, 180,000 gold soul coins is no small amount!"
For Su Ming, the cost was trivial. Beyond Xiao Wu's request, he wanted to challenge this unjust society. Someday, he hoped to dismantle the slave system entirely.
He also had a longer-term idea: once the cat-girl was trained and stable, he could have her stay at Holy Soul Village with Grandfather Jack as a companion and village guardian.
With the auction concluded, Su Ming's cat-girl awaited in a private room.
He turned to Xiao Wu and instructed, "Xiao Wu, go and talk with her. She's your kin in a way, so she shouldn't feel scared around you."
Xiao Wu nodded and led the cat-girl to clean up and prepare for her new life.
Soon after, they returned, and the cat-girl approached Su Ming, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you, master."
Su Ming replied gently, "No need to be nervous. We won't harm you. Do you have a name?"
The cat-girl shook her head, still a little shy. "Could you give me one, master?"
Su Ming hesitated. Naming wasn't his strong suit, but after some thought, he glanced at her purple outfit.
"Let's call you Zi Ling, and you can take my family name, Su Zi Ling."
Xiao Wu and the others beamed with approval—Su Zi Ling was a lovely name, fitting her well.
The cat-girl, pleased, repeated, "Thank you, Master. My name is Su Zi Ling now!"
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