"The effect is outstanding."

When those four words came out of Ning Rongrong's mouth, the entire auction house fell into an even more eerie silence than before.

If the previous reaction was shock, now it's pure absurdity.

One second.

Two seconds.

"Pfft—"

Someone couldn't hold back any longer, and a sneer was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.

Hahahaha!

"Plant fertilizer? Did I hear that right? They're auctioning off a handful of mud as a treasure?"

"Soil from a ten-thousand-year-old trench? Just dig a shovelful at the foot of Poseidon Island and you'll find more than ten thousand years old! This stuff doesn't even deserve to be called a treasure!"

A deafening roar of laughter erupted from the Sea Soul Masters' seats.

They were doubled over with laughter, some slapping their thighs and almost crying.

The slight awe I had felt before because of the tidal shells has vanished, replaced by undisguised contempt and mockery.

The old island owner who had bought the shell that evoked the tides stopped kneeling and turned around to look at the handful of mud on the stage, his aged face full of confusion and bewilderment.

On the mainland's side, the atmosphere plummeted to freezing point.

Countless gazes converged on Ning Liu, some filled with anger, some with confusion, and some with shame and indignation.

"What...what is this doing?"

"Why...why did the sect leader do this?"

"We on the mainland are losing all face!"

Several hot-blooded young soul masters blushed, their fists clenched so tightly they cracked. If their sect elders hadn't been there, they probably would have already lost their tempers on the spot.

Ning Fengzhi finally slowly lowered the teacup he was holding.

He didn't look at Ning Liu; his gaze remained fixed on his daughter, his eyes showing not only astonishment but also a hint of deep thought.

He didn't believe Ning Liu would do something meaningless, but he couldn't find a reasonable explanation for what he was seeing.

In the Spirit Hall's seats, Bibi Dong smirked as she watched the farce with great interest, seemingly finding it far more interesting than the previous so-called treasure auctions.

On stage, Ning Rongrong felt like she was being roasted over a fire.

Countless gazes—mocking, disdainful, confused, and angry—pierced her like sharp needles, leaving her utterly battered.

Her mind went blank, but her years of cultivated composure prevented her from running away on the spot.

She bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled, forcing herself to follow the procedure.

"This item...starting bid..."

She felt her throat was extremely dry. "One...one gold soul coin."

"Whoosh—"

The moment this price was announced, the laughter from the audience didn't stop; instead, it reached a new climax.

One Gold Soul Coin!

This isn't an auction anymore, this is a joke!

"I'll offer two gold soul coins!"

A Sea Soul Master raised his hand high, his face full of mockery, "Buy this to line my seahorse's nest, maybe it will actually grow a bit stronger!"

"Three gold soul coins! I'll use them to plaster the walls! A wall plastered with mud from a ten-thousand-year-old sea trench, sounds so impressive!"

"I'll bet five!"

"Ten! No more than that! Just consider it giving face to the Sect Master of Liuli Heaven!"

Bidding rang out incessantly, but none of it was serious. The price climbed in an extremely slow and humiliating manner.

Ning Rongrong's face was as white as paper, and her knuckles were clearly visible from the force she was using to grip the auction gavel.

Finally, a young Sea Soul Master who looked quite wealthy stood up. He glanced contemptuously at Ning Liu in the VIP section, casually took out a small money pouch from his soul tool, and threw it onto the steps of the auction stage.

A few crisp "clinking" sounds rang out.

"One hundred gold soul coins! This young master will buy them!"

He spoke loudly, his tone making no attempt to conceal the condescending tone.

"Consider it helping our poor relatives from the mainland!"

"good!"

"Young Master is so generous!"

Cheers and whistles immediately erupted from the Sea Soul Masters' side.

Ning Rongrong looked at the bag of gold soul coins at her feet and felt as if she had witnessed an immense humiliation.

She closed her eyes and slammed the auction gavel down.

"Thump!"

"make a deal!"

The two words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth.

In the VIP section, Ning Liu watched this scene with a blank expression on his face. He simply picked up his teacup and took another sip.

Almost the instant the auction gavel fell, a voice that only he could hear rang in his mind.

[Ding! Auction of 'Eternal Trench Soil' successful, triggering a 100x return!]

[Congratulations, host, you have received 10,000 Gold Soul Coins!]

[Gold Soul Coins have been automatically deposited into the system space.]

Ning Liu pursed his lips.

When the first item was taken away like trash, Ning Rongrong felt as if she had died once.

She stood on the stage, her whole body ice-cold.

But the story isn't over yet.

There are four more.

A faint glimmer of hope rose in her heart.

Perhaps... perhaps the first thing was just a prank by my senior brother?

Or is it testing something?

Yes, that must be it! What follows will definitely be the real treasures!

My senior brother won't let me keep embarrassing myself like this!

As if grasping at the last straw, she mustered a sliver of courage and once again probed her consciousness into the space to store the soul tool.

Her gaze fell on the second item up for auction.

Then, her newly ignited flame of hope was extinguished with a "poof" as a bucket of ice water was poured over her head and toes.

The light in her eyes went out completely.

My whole being went from shame and indignation to bewilderment, and now to numbness.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!