Chapter 344: A True Dragon Concealed Within the Source
Several Heaven-rank extraordinary stones, each extraordinary beyond compare, were the treasures guarding the garden. Even Ye Fan could not truly see through them. He increasingly felt that this art was profound and boundless, without end.
In ancient times, the Origin Heavenly Master was called a peerless prodigy, and for good reason. With a single glance, he could pierce through the ancient mines of the earth and traverse the world, but if the secrets within the source were hidden, he could perceive them all.
Tuoba Chang also furrowed his brows slightly. Walking through this stone garden, he too felt a pressure. Some extraordinary stones were shrouded in mist, making them difficult for him to see through.
The island was very small, only a few hundred meters in circumference. Ancient trees were sturdy but not dense. Each one resembled a coiled dragon, their old bark like dragon scales, with branches covered in blossoms.
Petals drifted down—pink, pure white, sky blue, light purple… Each petal was crystalline, their fragrance overwhelming the senses. This place seemed like a pure land of the gods, giving a feeling of tranquility, stillness, purity, spirituality, holiness, and divinity.
Especially beneath an ancient tree at the center, where flower rain fell in profusion. The old man from the Ji family who guarded the stone garden had skin like a baby’s and hair white as snow, sitting cross-legged like a deity.
Many old men who came here did not disturb him. From start to finish, this person sat with eyes closed in meditation.
Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang made a circuit, examining all the extraordinary stones. They faced each other beneath a few ancient flowering trees, both perfectly calm.
Tuoba Chang said, “Anything less than a peerless rare treasure doesn’t count. If I lose, besides the hundred thousand catties of source, even the divine object I cut out will be handed over to you.”
“That suits me fine,” Ye Fan nodded.
Immediately, the two began to select stones. Everyone held their breath, watching intently.
The Great Xia Prince, An Miaoyi, Ji Biyue, Jiang Yifei, Yao Yuekong, Jin Chixiao, and others all stepped forward, opening their divine eyes to sense with their hearts.
As for the old men, they practically stuck themselves to the two, following every step. Their murky old eyes shot out divine beams, shedding all signs of senility, each one brimming with vitality.
The others stood at the edge of the small island, silent as cicadas in winter, watching quietly.
Tuoba Chang moved first. His entire right hand transformed into red-gold, and he strode forward, pressing down one by one on the dozen or so extraordinary stones he had already taken a liking to.
The Red-Gold Divine Hand gave him an extra kind of divine sense, allowing him to pierce through everything. A faint golden light covered his entire body, connecting him to those stones.
Everyone was shocked, because at that moment, one extraordinary stone after another became transparent, their interiors clearly visible.
Everyone knew that source stones were special. Even the most powerful cultivators could not perceive what was inside, yet source art was so miraculous, defying common sense.
“This is the method of an Origin Heavenly Master! In ancient times, it was said that when the Heavenly Master appeared, stones held no secrets, and everything could be seen through.”
“The Tuoba clan’s extraordinary art shocks the world! To have such means, even extraordinary stones cannot hide their traces!”
“Tuoba Chang is truly a genius. At such an age, he has achieved this much. In the future, he might become the sixth Origin Heavenly Master of the Northern Domain.”
A group of old men all exclaimed in admiration, as if they had seen a peerless beauty. Their eyes sparkled with strange light, each harboring their own schemes.
As for the others, they too were astonished. Many harbored thoughts of winning him over. In the Northern Domain, where source was produced, such a figure would definitely be a guest of honor for the major powers.
In comparison, Ye Fan was very plain, like a cloud drifting lightly. He passed through the grove of flowering trees, his crystalline fingers brushing gently. There was no radiance, no strange phenomena, only a naturalness like a clear spring flowing over stones in a pine forest. His entire being was extremely ethereal.
Finally, Tuoba Chang stopped before the Dragon Head Stone. His red-gold right hand rested on it, connecting with it.
When many saw this, they gasped. Clearly, the genius of the Tuoba clan had taken a liking to this stone. His expression was especially solemn.
A group of old men all gathered around. This stone had been displayed for many years, and no one had dared to touch it. If it were cut open now, it would fulfill a long-held wish of theirs.
An Miaoyi’s hair danced lightly as she moved with lotus steps to approach. The refined Jiang Yifei also showed surprise, leaning in to observe.
Extraordinary stones were the hardest to judge. Even an Origin Heavenly Master would frown at times, let alone in the present age.
Tuoba Chang’s Red-Gold Divine Hand pressed down on the Dragon Head Stone. It did not become transparent, remaining as calm as an ancient well, with only a trace of dragon qi seeping out.
“Ding,” “ding,” “ding”…
Tuoba Chang’s fingers fell continuously, striking a full three hundred and sixty-five times. Beams of divine light sank into the Dragon Head Stone.
At the same time, he himself became tinged with a faint golden light, connecting with the millstone-sized Dragon Head Stone, becoming one with it.
He closed his eyes, his right hand pressed against the dragon’s head. Radiant light flowed, as if a divine hand had come to life.
“A precious wheel has appeared beneath his right hand!”
“It truly is a precious wheel, swirling with five colors, a myriad of splendors unfolding.”
Whether it was the group of old men, An Miaoyi, the Great Xia Prince, Jin Chixiao, or the onlookers outside the island, all showed expressions of surprise.
“This is the Origin Heavenly Precious Wheel, capable of imprinting the secrets of extraordinary stones, revealing what rare treasures are born within.”
“The genius of the Tuoba family is astonishing. He has even restored this technique. It is said to be a miraculous art of the Origin Heavenly Master.”
The older generation who understood all this changed color. When the others learned of it, they too were moved.
At this moment, Li Heishui’s heart also pounded violently. The opponent’s source art was so astonishing. In a source art duel, it was truly hard to say who was stronger.
“Damn it!”
With a flash of light, the brocade-clothed man Tuoba Chang stepped back. The Origin Heavenly Precious Wheel stuck to his palm, its light blazing even brighter, like a five-colored divine sun, dazzling people so they couldn’t open their eyes.
But no one closed their eyes. They opened their divine eyes, shooting out lightning, trying to capture what was imprinted on the Origin Heavenly Precious Wheel.
“A dragon! Heavens, there’s actually a dragon!”
The Heaven-rank Divine Stone Garden erupted. Everyone who saw this scene cried out in shock.
“The Origin Heavenly Precious Wheel has imprinted a dragon!”
“Is this real? Is there a dragon inside the Dragon Head Stone?!”
On Tuoba Chang’s palm, the Origin Heavenly Precious Wheel flickered with light. Inside was a dragon shadow, shaking its head and wagging its tail, swimming back and forth.
Vaguely, a terrifying dragon might surged out, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
Everyone was stunned. This was almost divine fantasy. Could a true dragon be about to emerge?
The people of the Ji family completely changed color. They had sought out supreme experts to examine the extraordinary stones in the garden. How could they have missed such a peerless rare treasure?
Not to mention Jin Chixiao, the White-Robed Little Nun, Xiang Yifei, and others, even the older generation were extremely excited, all crowding around.
Many major powers secretly sent messages to Tuoba Chang, offering earth-shattering prices to buy this stone.
“I once heard that true dragons are born from heaven and earth. Could there really be a foot-long young dragon inside the Dragon Head Stone?”
“Regardless, there must be a peerless rare treasure inside the millstone-sized Dragon Head Stone, related to a true dragon.”
Everyone’s eyes burned with fervor. Some old men with terrifying backgrounds regretted deeply. They had once examined this stone but ultimately abandoned it.
The faint golden light on Tuoba Chang’s body slowly faded. The Origin Heavenly Precious Wheel in his hand disappeared. He gently patted the Dragon Head Stone and said, “I choose this stone.”
Now, no one doubted his source art. With the various techniques he had displayed, he definitely had a touch of an Origin Heavenly Master’s style.
Li Heishui complained bitterly, cursing, “No wonder he looks down on everyone. He really does have peerless source art. This is a big problem now.”
He didn’t need to say it; Ye Fan already felt the pressure. The opponent had chosen the Dragon Head Stone and even used the Origin Heavenly Precious Wheel to reveal a true dragon.
If it were a true dragon, no matter what rare treasure was cut out, it couldn’t compare, unless he cut out an immortal.
Ye Fan’s face was expressionless as he walked through the stone garden. Choosing ordinary stones was definitely not an option. He had to cut out a divine object that would shock the world.
Currently, the options included the Immortal Sound Stone, the Eight Trigrams Dao Diagram Stone, the Peerless Beauty Stone, and others. He frowned, standing among a few source-guarding extraordinary stones, deep in thought.
“A true dragon is a celestial being, not of the mortal world. It shouldn’t be like this. Maybe it’s something else. As long as I cut out a peerless rare treasure, I should be able to contend with it.”
Ye Fan stood before the Eight Trigrams Dao Diagram extraordinary stone. He didn’t act, only circled it a few times, pondering continuously.
The Innate Six Dreams Dao Diagram was very eye-catching, naturally formed. Looking at it, one felt a flow of Dao rhythm, a sense of all laws returning to one.
But in the end, Ye Fan walked away. He came before the Peerless Beauty extraordinary stone, stroking it with his hand, then gently tapping it.
His movements were very rhythmic. His fingers were light and agile, like a few spirits dancing, tracing out graceful trajectories.
“Young friend, you have no choice. I think you should pick one of these garden-guarding treasures,” an old man advised.
“The genius of the Tuoba family has chosen the Dragon Head Stone. You can only choose from stones of the same level.”
“That’s right. If he really cuts out a young true dragon, you would have to cut out a female Sacred Spirit King to match it.”
Ye Fan had already calmed down. After thinking for a long time, he ultimately gave up on the Peerless Beauty Stone and walked to the side.
“Can you choose or not? Are you afraid?” Wu Ziming, seeing that Ye Fan hadn’t selected a stone yet, tried to disrupt his thoughts, attacking verbally. “A rustic art from the countryside dares to contend with the extraordinary art of the Source Art Holy Land? Overestimating yourself! Ridiculous!”
“A frog at the bottom of a well, sitting and looking at the sky. How can he be compared to Brother Tuoba? If such a person is also a source art genius, it’s an insult to Brother Tuoba,” Li Chongtian also sneered.
Li Heishui scolded, “Shut your bird mouths! You’re interfering, seriously disrupting the source art duel.”
Wu Ziming taunted, “He can’t choose a stone and is already scared. Are you not even allowing us to speak?”
Li Chongtian laughed wantonly, “Even if he cuts out a rare treasure, it won’t compare to Brother Tuoba’s Dragon Head Stone. I think he should just admit defeat and save himself the trouble of spending a fortune on a stone.”
Before the stones were even cut, the atmosphere was already thick with gunpowder. The two sides started arguing first, with many onlookers joining in.
Tuoba Chang spoke coldly, “Enough. Let him choose his stone. I want to make him lose until he has no place to hide.”
Ye Fan turned his head upon hearing this, smiled, and said, “In the field of stone gambling and source art, anything is possible. Even if you think you see a true dragon, it might just be a dream and an empty flower.”
He came to the side of the spiritual spring, fished the Immortal Sound Stone out of the water, and gently brushed it. The water stains dried up, and the bluish-brown stone body looked natural and unadorned in the sunlight.
Ye Fan felt that this stone was the strangest. It didn’t seem like a stone from a source mine, but it gave him a special feeling.
Everyone fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. They noticed that Ye Fan’s expression was extremely solemn. He was definitely about to use his source art.
Suddenly, Ye Fan’s eyes shot out two beams of purple light, piercing into this stone.
“Heavens! This is the Origin Heavenly Divine Sense!”
“The Eye of Truth-Breaking! A miraculous art of the Origin Heavenly Master! Using divine sense to see through everything in the stone! This is a heaven-defying technique!”
All the older generation were shocked. An Miaoyi, the Great Xia Prince, and others also felt their hearts surge. They all stepped forward.
Wu Ziming, Li Chongtian, and the others, upon learning what the Origin Heavenly Divine Sense was, all shut their mouths, not uttering another word.
Suddenly, a heavenly Dao sound rang out, making everyone intoxicated, as if a supreme Dao was coming from the immortal realm.
That stone inexplicably emitted a strange sound, resonating with Ye Fan’s Origin Heavenly Divine Sense, echoing throughout the stone garden.
It was like a mysterious scripture, recited leisurely, cleansing people’s hearts.
At the center of the island, beneath the thick ancient tree, crystalline flower rain fell profusely. That old man, like a deity, suddenly opened his eyes and swept his gaze over.
“I choose this stone,” Ye Fan’s calm voice rang out.