This meant that the duration of time this treasure could “freeze” would become shorter and shorter.

Fu Lingchuan shook his head and smiled: “It’s enough. No wonder the Spiral Float Fishing Lodge saved it for the finale—it truly is an extraordinary treasure!” Judging by the hourglass, it could still be used several more times. This item wouldn’t be brought out unless necessary. Even if it only provided one more opportunity to save a situation or determine victory, it would be worth any price.

By now, the group had left the crystal corridor and was passing by a towering door several zhang high.

The main door was tightly closed, but two small doors on either side were open.

Upon reaching this point, Manager Niu turned to Feng Miaojun and said: “You are a serving maid from the hall. Coming this far has already exceeded your bounds. Go back now!”

They had gone beyond the clam spirit’s jurisdiction. Feng Miaojun had already prepared her response: “These two guests approached me first. It’s my responsibility to take them to the appraiser.”

Manager Niu glared: “Nonsense, you—”

Feng Miaojun cut him off: “It’s also the rule here.”

While touring the venue with Lu Chuanying, she had overheard several serving maids complaining privately. To expand its revenue, the Fishing Lodge encouraged its monster employees to refer clients to auction spiritual treasures. Serving maids like Bai Lei who successfully procured auction items would receive rewards based on the item’s value.

What Feng Miaojun had heard was the maids complaining about their superiors withholding their rewards. By rights, if “Bai Lei” referred Fu Lingchuan and his companion to an appraiser, and if it truly was a Heaven-rank treasure placed for auction at the Fishing Lodge, she would receive a substantial reward. But with Manager Niu butting in, he would take a share.

Now that Manager Niu was sending her away before she could even meet the appraiser, it meant he wanted to keep the entire reward for himself without giving her even a taste. Feng Miaojun didn’t know what the real calm spirit Bai Lei’s personality was like, but when there was an opportunity to make a play, she wouldn’t meekly withdraw.

Manager Niu probably hadn’t expected her to suddenly become so stubborn. He opened and closed his mouth, his face turning yellow with anger: “In front of guests, what kind of behavior is this…”

Seeing these two low-level monsters arguing, Princess Changle had already been frowning, and now she couldn’t help saying: “What’s there to argue about? Why don’t you both go together?”

Feng Miaojun noticed a hint of anxiety in her eyes, clearly impatient. She thought to herself: what urgent mischief were these two planning?

With the distinguished guest speaking, Manager Niu could only respond with a “Fine,” and then gave “Bai Lei” a dissatisfied glare.

Feng Miaojun couldn’t care less about this sea snail.

Stepping into the great hall, she kept her gaze straight ahead but inwardly marveled:

This palace was in no way inferior to the great halls of countries on land. The dome soared fifteen zhang high, with an area at least half the size of a football field. The massive pillars were crafted from obsidian. Though there were no flowers or plants here, the colorful and varied corals warmed the otherwise spacious and cold atmosphere of the hall.

Every ten zhang or so, guards stood watch. With a glance, she counted precisely:

Sixteen people.

There were at least sixteen guards in this great hall.

Princess Changle let out a surprised sound: “Where is this?”

“This is my King’s audience hall,” Manager Niu said to Fu Lingchuan and his companion. “The Mystery Chamber is in the back. Please follow me.”

Princess Changle looked around: “Why is the Mystery Chamber behind the great hall?”

“The Heaven-rank appraisers are two old turtles, too advanced in years to move easily. My King specially permitted them to rest in the Mystery Chamber.”

Princess Changle let out a long “Oh.” After the group had walked several dozen steps forward and was almost at the side door, she suddenly pointed to the center of the hall: “What’s that?”

Like human kingdoms, that position naturally held only the throne. However, Feng Miaojun noticed a coral rack beside the throne, on which sat a palm-sized… rotten piece of wood.

The wood was blackish, with ugly nodes, and many fine holes on its surface. Feng Miaojun knew it hadn’t petrified because one side of the wood had sprouted two small, thin, tender green leaves.

If it were in a forest, this piece of decayed wood wouldn’t attract attention. But this was underwater—why would the Merman King specially place a piece of wood beside his seat?

“That?” Manager Niu gave a perfunctory laugh. “That’s also a treasure.”

His attitude was evasive, but the less he said, the more curious others became. Fu Lingchuan, who had been acting as a listener all along, suddenly interjected: “I just remembered, I have another good item that could be auctioned.”

Manager Niu: “Oh?”

Feng Miaojun watched Fu Lingchuan’s gentle smile, somehow feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Then she saw him caress the ring on his left ring finger, and a sphere appeared in his hand!

A storage ring! Feng Miaojun stared at his finger, feeling quite envious. This was a portable space, with unknown capacity. Even if it couldn’t compare to the Fang Cun Vial, it was still a rare treasure that very few people could possess. Several had been auctioned at the Fishing Lodge, each a rare commodity. After weighing the cost-effectiveness, she had given up on all of them.

Manager Niu stared at the sphere and asked: “What is this?”

It was a crystal ball slightly larger than a fist, seemingly filled with thick white mist. Through the ball’s wall, one could see their flowing patterns.

Hmm, that’s not right—how could mist have faces?

Sometimes when the mist pressed against the crystal wall, it revealed human faces, and other times strange demonic forms. But the expression on each face was wooden, as if devoid of pain or sensation.

As soon as this crystal ball was produced, a gust of cold wind came from nowhere, instantly dropping the temperature of the entire hall by several degrees. Frost seemed to form on the corals.

Manager Niu shuddered and stared at it: “What is this?”

He too had cultivation, impervious to heat and cold. But this chill didn’t come from the outside world; rather, it rose from the depths of his heart, making his five viscera and six bowels uncomfortably ice-cold.

“Soul power,” Fu Lingchuan raised his voice, each word echoing throughout the hall. “This soul power sphere stores as many as seven thousand one hundred souls, each with consciousness erased and karma washed away, becoming masterless souls.”

These stored souls, and so-called blank souls at that?

Feng Miaojun was genuinely shocked. She had read many records in the Smoke Sea Tower describing how before the current era, various evil spirits and demons frequently appeared in the human world, and even walking corpses were spotted—all due to the wide mesh of heaven’s net. But after the world’s transformation, especially after the Celestial Demon Chaos, the six realms became strictly separated. When living beings died, their souls were forcibly sent to the underworld, with no new ghosts permitted to remain in the human realm.

Back in Zi County, when Yun Ya wanted to find Old Lady Wang’s soul to identify the murderer, he first had to perform a ritual to communicate with the underworld, essentially “borrowing” her soul temporarily from the underworld. The duration of the loan and the method of return had to be stipulated in advance, showing how strictly heavenly rules controlled souls.

If all these souls had been collected by Fu Lingchuan, this person’s abilities would have been truly unfathomable.