Chapter 2427: Space Chaos Worm
Yan Zhexian was naturally happy to win and unwilling to lose. She said, "If you can truly prove that this worm's value exceeds one thousand Divine Stones, allowing me to win, then not only will I sell it to you, I'll give it to you for free."
"Good! I'll remember those words!"
Zhang Ruochen walked up to the Seven-Handed Old Man, extended his palm, and said, "Senior, could you temporarily entrust this worm to my care?"
The Seven-Handed Old Man opened his palm, and the seven-colored worm, wrapped in Spiritual Power, flew into Zhang Ruochen's hand.
For some unknown reason, compared to before, the seven-colored light on the worm's body had dimmed considerably, its life force had drained significantly, and it appeared listless and dispirited.
Once it fell into Zhang Ruochen's hand, the worm's energy surged, its small, lively eyes opened, and it crawled affectionately across his palm. The lost life force quickly recovered.
The cultivators present watched in amazement.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This worm is called the Space Chaos Worm. It travels through the universe, feeding on various space treasures, and is the fastest living being in heaven and earth."
Cang Baizi couldn't help but sneer, "What Space Chaos Worm? I've never heard of it. And the fastest living being in heaven and earth? I'd say it's the slowest!"
One of the gamblers who had bet a thousand Divine Stones snorted, "The fastest beings in the world are the Golden-Winged Roc, the Nine-Clawed Divine Dragon, the Heavenly Phoenix and Mysterious Phoenix, and cultivators who specialize in the Path of Flowing Light. The Golden-Winged Undying Blood Clan and the Jade Bone Rakshasa Clan are also known for their speed. Has anyone ever heard of a worm being the fastest living being in heaven and earth?"
Many cultivators present laughed and shook their heads.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You are all strong among Great Saints, yet you are nothing but ignorant fools. How about we make a bet? I'll use this worm as my mount to travel to Kongwu Mountain, three hundred thousand miles away. If any of you can reach it faster than me, I'll never again mention buying this worm for a thousand Divine Stones. Moreover, I'll give that person a thousand Divine Stones as compensation."
Hearing this, countless people present were tempted.
A thousand Divine Stones was no small sum.
"I'll bet with you."
"I'll bet too."
...
"If you follow the rules and only use this worm as a mount, not relying on your own cultivation to travel, then I'll bet with you too."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Rest assured, in front of so many strong cultivators, I have no need to play word games. The worm will definitely be doing the traveling, not me."
"Good, I'll bet too."
"I want in as well."
...
Not only the people in the gambling hall wanted to join the bet, but even those Immortal Realm Great Saints who couldn't enter the hall also wanted to win a thousand Divine Stones from Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand and said, "Not everyone is qualified to participate in this bet. If you want to bet with me, you must also put up a thousand Divine Stones as stakes."
Immediately, countless cultivators backed down. Only thirteen Great Saints, including Cang Baizi, each produced a thousand Divine Stones, as if afraid Zhang Ruochen would back out, quickly tossing them onto the gambling table and asking Ye Xiao to witness.
Yan Zhexian secretly transmitted a message, warning, "Your bet's rules are too loose. There's a teleportation array from the Divine Maiden Tower to Kongwu Mountain. What if they use it? Moreover, the Destiny Temple has set up many barrier walls. To reach Kongwu Mountain, you need to pass through at least seven barriers. So speed alone won't guarantee victory."
Zhang Ruochen was surprised that Yan Zhexian had thought of this, showing she had a shrewd side.
Of course, even with her warning, Zhang Ruochen just smiled.
Yan Zhexian frowned, utterly confused about what the Heaven-Slaying Earth-Destroying Emperor was thinking. The mystery surrounding him only intensified her curiosity.
Not everyone thought Zhang Ruochen was doomed to lose.
At least the Black-Robed Cultivator and the Seven-Handed Old Man remained still, not joining the bet. Partly because a thousand Divine Stones were too little for them, and partly because they couldn't figure out what trick Zhang Ruochen was playing or predict the outcome.
Cang Baizi sneered coldly, "If you lose, you'll have to pay thirteen thousand Divine Stones. Can you afford that?"
Zhang Ruochen took out a token, held it between two fingers, and casually tossed it onto the gambling table.
Ye Xiao picked up the token, his expression shifting, and said, "A Purple Gold Token from the Star Sea World. Only cultivators who have completed transactions of over one hundred thousand Divine Stones there can obtain one."
"Is that enough to bet with you?" Zhang Ruochen said, looking around.
Cang Baizi and the others sneered inwardly, tacitly acknowledging Zhang Ruochen's wealth.
Zhang Ruochen gazed at the northern night sky and said, "Let's start from here. Let me ask in advance: if I win, does that prove this worm's value exceeds a thousand Divine Stones?"
The group exchanged glances and finally nodded in unison.
If this worm could truly reach Kongwu Mountain, three hundred thousand miles away, faster than this group of top-tier Great Saints, it would undoubtedly prove its rarity. Its value reaching a thousand Divine Stones would be beyond dispute.
"Then let's begin!"
Zhang Ruochen made a gesture, signaling the thirteen Great Saints involved in the bet to go first.
With a thousand Divine Stones at stake, the thirteen Great Saints naturally didn't stand on ceremony. Each burst forth at their maximum speed, charging out of the gambling hall.
The hall's walls were inscribed with formation runes, so they had to exit through the main door.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head slightly, slowly raised his palm, and said to the Space Chaos Worm, "Little one, let's set off too."
Though meeting for the first time, the Space Chaos Worm was very affectionate toward Zhang Ruochen and obediently rolled its tiny body. Instantly, a massive surge of space energy erupted from within it.
The space around Zhang Ruochen was filled with countless threads, rapidly stretching.
A palm-sized area of space expanded to the size of a palace.
The worm, which had been like an earthworm, swelled to several dozen zhang in length, resembling a seven-colored divine python. It opened its mouth and began gnawing at the space, causing the area in front of it to collapse into pitch-black darkness.
The Seven-Handed Old Man, experienced and knowledgeable, exclaimed, "A wormhole... a space wormhole..."
Countless cultivators present were stunned, their bodies tingling with shock.
This worm had bitten out a space wormhole in one go!
Could it be... that the wormholes scattered across the universe were created by this kind of worm gnawing through space?
Some wormholes could span an entire starfield, connecting to places tens of thousands of light-years away. Even the most skilled space cultivators lacked such means.
"No need to continue. The outcome is decided. City Lord Ye, send a message to call them back!" the Black-Robed Cultivator said.
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Zhang Ruochen, as if trying to see through him and understand him completely.
Cang Baizi and the others, who hadn't even left the Gambling Device City, received Ye Xiao's transmission and returned to the gambling hall.
Ye Xiao had evidently told them about the Space Chaos Worm's abilities in the transmission. Now, they all stared at Zhang Ruochen, standing atop the seven-colored giant worm, and the newly gnawed space wormhole, their hearts filled with shock and disbelief.
Such a wondrous worm existed in the world!
Since it could gnaw through wormholes, formations and barriers couldn't stop it.
Its abilities were far more than just travel.
"No wonder that guy was so confident!" Yan Zhexian's beautiful face couldn't help but break into a charming smile.
Zhang Ruochen looked down from above and said, "Since you've all returned, does that mean I've won? Cang Jie, go collect the Divine Stones."
Cang Jie's blood boiled, and he couldn't find words to express his admiration for the senior. Too impressive! With a casual move, he had won over ten thousand Divine Stones.
The Sacred Stones he had won earlier were nothing in comparison.
"I want to follow the senior, I want to become his disciple, I want to cling tightly to his thigh."
Cang Jie swallowed his saliva, filled with excitement, and gathered the bags of Divine Stones from the gambling table. He carried them on his back and retreated to Zhang Ruochen's side, standing tall and straight.
Being Zhang Ruochen's lackey seemed like a great honor.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
A round of applause rang out. Yan Huangtu stood up and laughed, "Brilliant, brilliant! What a remarkable worm. The final winner of this round should be clear now, shouldn't it?"
Cang Baizi's face was ashen, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he stared at Zhang Ruochen.
The six Great Saints who had bet a thousand Divine Stones exuded even stronger killing intent and coldness.
If not for this Heaven-Slaying Earth-Destroying Emperor, they would have been the biggest winners. How could they have lost again and again?
Ye Xiao's forehead was covered in sweat. He was uncertain and planned to consult the Tower Lord.
Suddenly, the Seven-Handed Old Man spoke, "The wormholes in the universe are all gnawed out by Space Chaos Worms. Such a divine worm is worth far more than a thousand Divine Stones. In my opinion, its value exceeds five hundred and sixty thousand Divine Stones."
Hearing this, Cang Baizi and the others' eyes lit up, and they immediately chimed in.
"Gambling God Senior speaks wisely. Possessing this worm is like having a powerful space array master. Breaking various barriers and formations would be a breeze. Its value, I believe, surpasses even a Supreme Sacred Artifact."
"This is a divine beast! Divine Stones cannot measure its value."
"Gambling God Senior should be the winner."
...
Having just lost a thousand Divine Stones, they deeply hated Zhang Ruochen. How could they bear to see him obtain the Space Chaos Worm?
Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian's expressions darkened, but they found it hard to refute these people, as they too felt the Space Chaos Worm's value was extraordinary.
News of the Space Chaos Worm's emergence was quickly transmitted by many cultivators.
Message Light Talismans flew out of the Divine Maiden Tower like raindrops.
Many were sent to gods.
After all, the Space Chaos Worm had never been heard of or seen before, likely because it was difficult to capture. Now that one had appeared, even gods might be tempted.
The Seven-Handed Old Man smiled broadly, clasped his withered hands, and bowed to Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Thank you, young friend. If you hadn't recognized the Space Chaos Worm's origin, I would have lost most of my fortune here today. Rest assured, I'll give you ten thousand Divine Stones as thanks. Now, shouldn't you return the Space Chaos Worm to the true winner?"
Looking at the Seven-Handed Old Man's outstretched palm, Zhang Ruochen knew that once he handed over the worm, he could never buy it for a thousand Divine Stones.
Zhang Ruochen sighed, "You overestimate its value!"
Cang Baizi sneered deeply, "Not at all. I would gladly represent the Eternal Life Hall and spend five hundred and seventy thousand Divine Stones to buy the Space Chaos Worm."
"The Divine Maiden Tower is willing to spend one million Divine Stones to buy the Space Chaos Worm."
"The Shura Divine Temple is willing to spend two million Divine Stones to buy the Space Chaos Worm."
...
One shocking bid after another rang out, enough to make one's soul fly away.
Even a Supreme Sacred Artifact couldn't spark such fierce competition.
Zhang Ruochen said quietly to the Seven-Handed Old Man, "How about we sell the Space Chaos Worm to the Shura Divine Temple for two million Divine Stones? After the sale, we split it evenly?"
The Seven-Handed Old Man laughed hoarsely, "Why would I split it evenly with you?"
"Because if I say a few more words, the price of this Space Chaos Worm will drop below one hundred and fifty thousand Divine Stones. Not only will you get no Divine Stones, but you'll also have to pay a large sum of lost Divine Stones. Why refuse a win-win situation like this?" Zhang Ruochen said with a sinister smile.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's smile, the Seven-Handed Old Man's previously confident heart became uncertain.
The Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint representing the Shura Divine Temple, named Xing Qian, heard this and his heart tightened.
Although Xing Qian was a disciple of a god from the Shura Divine Temple, if he misjudged the Space Chaos Worm's value, he would surely die.
The Shura Divine Temple would never give two million Divine Stones.
Only by killing him could they sever the temple's connection to this matter.
"I've already sent a message to my master. Why hasn't he responded?" While Zhang Ruochen and the Seven-Handed Old Man stared at each other in silence, Xing Qian was extremely nervous, afraid the Seven-Handed Old Man would suddenly agree.
This was another gamble!
A bigger gamble.
The duel between Zhang Ruochen and the Seven-Handed Old Man.
A battle of wits.
The difference was that Zhang Ruochen was confident, already in an unbeatable position, just wanting to win more.
It all depended on how the Seven-Handed Old Man judged.
Xing Qian couldn't bear the mental torment any longer and stammered, "I can withdraw..."
"Good, I agree to sell to the Shura Divine Temple for two million Divine Stones," the Seven-Handed Old Man said.
Just then, Xing Qian heard his master's divine voice in his mind: "It's just a larva. Raising it to adulthood costs too much. Its value is limited."
Not only Xing Qian, but other cultivators who had sent messages also received replies from gods.
"Although the Space Chaos Worm is rare, some powerful gods can still catch them. The reason they aren't raised is the high cost. Raising one adult worm costs more than raising ten gods."
"Adult Space Chaos Worms are uncontrollable even by gods and have no cultivation value."
"Space Chaos Worm larvae die within a day if they don't eat space treasures or have space cultivators continuously supply them with Saint Qi."
"They can be bought for research and alchemy. A larva's price exceeds thirty thousand Divine Stones. Don't buy it."
...
The Space Chaos Worm was unfamiliar to Saint Realm cultivators, but gods clearly knew of its existence. Information about it spread.
One god valued it at thirty thousand Divine Stones.
After all, a freshly dead god had only sold for a few hundred thousand Divine Stones.
Xing Qian of the Shura Divine Temple turned pale as dirt and looked pleadingly at the Seven-Handed Old Man, saying, "I won't buy it, I won't buy it. The Shura Divine Temple won't buy it... no, no, I won't buy it!"
The Seven-Handed Old Man exuded strong deathly energy and said, "The Shura Divine Temple wants to buy when it wants and not buy when it doesn't. Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
With the victory secured, Yan Huangtu was in a great mood and said, "The Shura Divine Temple is the foremost temple of the Shura Clan, with many gods standing tall. How majestic! Of course, they don't have to take you, the Gambling God, seriously."
"The Shura Divine Temple also has many gambling city businesses. If they don't pay these two million Divine Stones, I'll make sure their gambling cities can't operate. You'd better believe I have that kind of power," the Seven-Handed Old Man said.
Xing Qian knelt on one knee and said, "Gambling God Senior, this time it was my fault. Please spare my life!"
The Seven-Handed Old Man knew he had lost. No matter how much he threatened Xing Qian, he couldn't produce two million Divine Stones, and the Shura Divine Temple would never pay that sum.
The only outcome would be Xing Qian's death.
Since he had already lost, what was the point of killing Xing Qian?
The Seven-Handed Old Man shook his head and said, "From today, you will be my servant for a thousand years. Are you willing?"
"I am willing."
Xing Qian breathed a sigh of relief, having saved his life.
The Seven-Handed Old Man was already one of the strongest below the divine realm, and with his miraculous gambling skills, major forces would rather recruit him than provoke him.
Ending the matter this way was the best outcome.
Although Xing Qian had a god as a master, this incident would spread far and wide. For the sake of the Shura Divine Temple's face, the god wouldn't dare interfere personally to deal with the Seven-Handed Old Man.
The Shura Divine Temple might not care about killing, but it cared about being looked down upon by the world.
The gambling match that had shocked countless cultivators finally came to an end.
The winner was Yan Zhexian. After all expenses were deducted, she had netted nearly a million Divine Stones.
Although a Supreme Sacred Artifact's price exceeded a million Divine Stones, such artifacts were priceless. Even when sold, they were traded for other Supreme Sacred Artifacts, pills, or Eon Sacred Medicines.
In reality, many gods had never seen a million Divine Stones.
With such a vast fortune, Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian, while excited and thrilled, naturally treated it with caution.
Yan Huangtu ordered, "Send a message to Second Brother Yan Yu, asking him to come to the Divine Maiden Tower in person."
Earth Demon Elder Kun Yunhuang exclaimed in shock, "Fifth Master, does this matter require Second Master to come personally?"
"Do you think a million Divine Stones is a small amount? Even gods would be tempted."
"But this is the Fate Divine Domain."
"The Fate Divine Maiden died in the Fate Divine Domain."
After thinking, Yan Huangtu added, "Of course, aside from that Wujian Pavilion Master, no other god would dare do such a heaven-defying thing. I'm asking Second Brother to come to collect the debt. The Seven-Handed Old Man and that Black-Robed Cultivator are not easy to deal with. Only if Second Brother comes in person can he suppress them."
"Your subordinate understands!" Kun Yunhuang said.
The Black-Robed Cultivator and the Seven-Handed Old Man had only given chips, not yet produced the Divine Stones.
With over five hundred thousand Divine Stones at stake, even gods could be tempted. Moreover, they weren't gods and could easily flee and renege on the debt.
Even collecting from the Divine Maiden Tower required a powerful figure to step forward.
"Where did the Heaven-Slaying Earth-Destroying Emperor go?"
Yan Zhexian searched everywhere for Zhang Ruochen's trace, but in the Gambling Device City, he had vanished without a trace.
...
Among the nine palace clusters of the Divine Maiden Tower, the Peacock Palace was where the core personnel of the Divine Maiden Tower resided, inaccessible to outsiders.
Zhang Ruochen's form was hidden, concealed within the Space True Domain. He followed behind Huanxu Blood Emperor, quietly entering the Peacock Palace.
Huanxu Blood Emperor was a Great Saint of the Demon Heaven Tribe, having reached the Thousand Questions Realm. Among Great Saints, he was considered a first-rate strong cultivator. He had been one of the gamblers on the Seven-Colored Coral Tree, betting a thousand Divine Stones.
After leaving the Gambling Device City, Huanxu Blood Emperor had been very cautious. He changed his form and appearance, activated a concealment treasure, circled around Yushan Palace four times, and then took a small boat to the Peacock Palace.
Arriving at the palace cluster where the Peacock Palace was located, he entered a courtyard filled with exotic flowers and rare plants.
Zhang Ruochen came to the outside of the courtyard, clasped his hands behind his back, surveyed the surroundings, and smiled, "This place is quite serene!"
The courtyard was protected by a formation.
But how could it stop a master of time and space? Zhang Ruochen silently passed through the formation, sneaked into the courtyard, and hid behind a blood-red sacred tree.
In the dim lamplight, Zhang Ruochen saw four figures standing below the building in the courtyard.
He recognized all four.
He had seen them in the Gambling Device City.
Besides Huanxu Blood Emperor, two others were also gamblers who had bet a thousand Divine Stones, each a top-tier Great Saint with formidable backgrounds.
The fourth was Cang Baizi, dressed in a green Daoist robe.
Inside the building, two rows of white jade spirit lamps were lit.
In the main hall, a black figure sat in the center—the mysterious Black-Robed Cultivator.
"Greetings, Miss Bai."
The four Great Saints, from different forces and with exceptional cultivation, bowed simultaneously to the figure in the building.
...
A wormhole is just a possible existence. Some scientists think it's a "sphere," others a "cylinder." Since this is a fantasy novel, the design isn't strictly rigorous.