Chapter 279: Li City, Nine Secrets, Winds and Clouds Rise
In Li City, the streets were lined with divine blue trees, their branches lush and thriving. Ye Fan noticed that both Holy Lands and ancient aristocratic clans had opened gambling stone workshops in this ancient city.
"Maybe I should try my luck at a gambling stone shop—I might get some information," he thought. Currently, he only had five thousand jin of Source left. To break into the Third Heaven of the Dao Palace, he needed ten thousand jin.
Source was what he needed most. He had been diligently studying the Source Heaven Scroll, and once he grasped it well enough, he would enter the Holy City in the Northern Domain.
"Cultivation is a major problem..." Whenever he thought about the massive amounts of Source required, his head ached.
He had obtained a divine technique for cultivating a single Secret Realm from the remains of an ancient sage. He had been trying it these past days, but the progress was excruciatingly slow.
Originally, his pursuit of Source had not been so urgent. But seeing this result, he had to reconsider—perhaps he needed a two-pronged approach. He would cultivate the single Secret Realm while also striving for Source. If he could break into the Four Extremes Secret Realm, he might have better options.
"Cultivating a single Secret Realm is difficult and slow to show results, but I urgently need strength. It seems I must find a way to gather Source and first enter the Third Heaven of the Dao Palace."
After much deliberation, Ye Fan entered the "Rare Stone Workshop" run by the Yaoguang Holy Land. It was a sprawling garden estate, vast in area, filled with divine blue trees, ancient vines entwined, and lush flowers and grass.
The scenery was beautiful. Piles of stone material had become part of the garden landscape, not monotonous at all. It didn't feel like a stone-cutting place but rather like a flower garden.
Ye Fan decided to keep a low profile. He didn't want to gamble on stones here. He would simply buy the stones, store them away, and cut them at home to avoid trouble.
The Yaoguang Rare Stone Workshop was truly enormous, with eighteen major courtyards in a garden style with pleasant scenery.
Many people were gambling on stones here, but spread across the various courtyards, it didn't feel crowded. On the contrary, it was quite peaceful—strolling through the beautiful scenery was a pure pleasure.
Ye Fan was astonished. After entering and walking around, he found that indeed, no "commoners" came and went here. Anyone daring to enter a Holy Land's gambling stone workshop had a certain status.
Before long, he had already encountered so-called elders, sons of sect leaders, and the like.
The Holy City held immense allure. Imperial clans from the Central Province and great powers from the Northern Plains frequented it. Naturally, these lower-level gambling stone workshops could attract nearby cultivators.
Ye Fan remained silent but acted swiftly. In no time, he had passed through seven courtyards, spending five hundred jin of Source and storing mountain-like piles of stone material into his Jade Purification Vase.
Buying stones this way without cutting them on the spot naturally drew attention. Some even took him for a fat sheep and came over to challenge him to gamble.
"Fine, no problem. But I don't gamble small. If you want to gamble, it must be at least a thousand jin," Ye Fan replied.
A thousand jin of Source was the total wealth of the smallest sects. Although people from medium-sized sects appeared here, they wouldn't dare gamble a thousand jin at once.
Such gambling could end with tens of thousands of jin at stake. This wasn't the Holy City, after all—such bold moves were rare.
Once left alone, Ye Fan continued selecting materials. He bought another two thousand jin worth of stone and stored it in his vase, then entered the thirteenth courtyard.
This courtyard was overgrown with vines, many stones buried beneath them. It was very quiet, with few people selecting materials.
Ye Fan picked out dozens of stones, then his eyes lit up. He saw a pitch-black stone, pitted and scarred as if eaten by insects. It looked exactly like ink jade material, which could sometimes yield extremely rare exotic Source.
He quickly walked over, but at that moment, another figure appeared and directly waved a hand, sweeping the stone away with divine light.
"Why are you stealing my stone?!" Ye Fan was furious.
The man was in his thirties, bloated and fat, with a ruddy complexion. He wore a Daoist robe and had a beaming smile.
When Ye Fan recognized the face, he was stunned. It was the unscrupulous Daoist—Duan De.
He was quite surprised, never expecting to meet him here. This confirmed that something must be happening in this place. Otherwise, it couldn't be such a coincidence that so many people had gathered.
Especially this damn fatty—elusive as a dragon, never showing his head or tail, very mysterious. Wherever he appeared, there was bound to be a significant opportunity. Otherwise, he wouldn't show up.
"Damn fatty, don't you know first come, first served? Why are you snatching my stone?" Ye Fan gritted his teeth. Remembering past events, he wanted to imprint his shoe sole on this damn fatty's face.
"Poverty-stricken Daoist took it into his hand first," Duan De said with a harmless smile.
Ye Fan wanted to kick him a few times but had to hold back. This damn fatty was too extraordinary.
He had once dug up the ancestral grave of Wu Dao, the Fifth Great Bandit in the Northern Domain, yet still bounced around alive and well, not getting killed. Then he crossed the void to the Southern Domain, where several big shots threw him into the Demon Emperor's Yin Tomb. He went in and out nine times and still didn't die.
Now, he had crossed the void back to the Northern Domain. Looking at his oily, plump appearance, he was clearly living comfortably.
"Little brother, didn't you just say you wouldn't gamble unless it was a thousand jin? How about a few rounds with me?" Duan De said with a grin.
Just looking at him made Ye Fan angry. He always seemed like someone begging for a slap. "Fine, I'll gamble with you." He couldn't ask for more—he wanted to win even this damn fatty's underwear.
"Poverty-stricken Daoist doesn't have a thousand jin of Source, but..." Duan De said.
"But what? If you don't have a thousand jin of Source, what are you gambling with me?!"
"If I lose, I'll sell you a piece of information worth ten thousand jin of Source," Duan De said, then chanted a Daoist title, looking like a man of great attainment.
"Damn fatty, I've never seen anyone as greedy as you. If you lose, you still want to get ten thousand jin of Source from me? Bullshit information—it's definitely a scam." Ye Fan wanted to slap him. This unscrupulous Daoist was too wicked.
"A man of the cloth does not speak falsely," Duan De said solemnly. "Those with keen senses will all come to Li City, because there is a priceless treasure here."
"What thing?" Ye Fan asked nonchalantly.
"One of the Nine Secrets. It might very well be found here. I know an important clue about this secret." The unscrupulous Daoist finished, his face beaming red. "Do you want to gamble or not?"
Ye Fan's heart shook. He didn't believe the damn fatty would give him valuable clues, but it was very possible that one of the Nine Secrets was indeed here.
Otherwise, why would Ji Haoyue, Ji Ziyue, Wu Zhongtian, Yao Xi, and Duan De all appear? Perhaps others would arrive too.
"You are..." At that moment, Yao Xi appeared. She was peerlessly elegant, like a bright pearl blooming, as she entered this courtyard and fixed her gaze on the unscrupulous Daoist.
"You are Daoist Duan!" Yao Xi was slightly startled but quickly regained her composure.
This was the Yaoguang Holy Land's Rare Stone Workshop. It was normal for her to be here, so Ye Fan wasn't surprised.
"Limitless Heavenly Venerable, greetings to the Holy Maiden."
"Sister Yao Xi..." At that moment, a crisp voice rang out. From another courtyard, Ji Ziyue walked over like a purple-clad spirit, grinning, accompanied by the Divine King Physique Ji Haoyue.
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