Chapter 346: Divine Source Emerges
After the jade cocoon was split open, an object was revealed, shooting out nine-colored dazzling light. It was no larger than a chicken egg, perfectly round and naturally formed, with nine holes on its surface that sang when touched by the wind.
This musical sound was extremely marvelous, making people unable to resist being intoxicated, longing to hold it in their hands and listen carefully. It possessed a power almost demonic in its allure.
Its entire body was crystalline, displaying nine colors in a brilliant and gorgeous display, like the most precious treasure in the world.
At the center of the small island, beneath the ancient tree, the old man who seemed like a deity shook his head and said, "A pity, born in the wrong mortal world."
"Senior, what is this?" Many people asked, completely puzzled. Even those old fogies did not know, and they turned to look at the guardian of the Ji Family's Sacred Stone Garden.
"This is an Immortal Wind Chime. If nourished by immortal qi, it can carve down part of the Dao's imprint, becoming a celestial book born from heaven and earth." The old man of the Ji Family shook his head. "In this world, we don't even know if immortals exist. How could we find immortal qi to nourish it? In the end, it's just a treasure among musical instruments, unrelated to cultivation."
"It's actually an Immortal Wind Chime! I've heard of it!" Some old fogies exclaimed.
Indeed, as the guardian of the Ji Family Stone Garden said, this object was born in the wrong mortal world. If it had been born in the immortal realm and nourished by immortal qi, it would have been a heavenly scripture, imprinting some of the patterns of heaven and earth.
Now, it only played the divine sound of the Great Dao when about to emerge, but it stopped there. Without immortal qi, it could never appear again.
"What a pity! Otherwise, this would truly be an ancient scripture, possibly a world-shaking immortal family scripture!"
"Why is it like this? Born in the wrong mortal world!"
No one was without regret. Otherwise, this would have been a celestial book of the Heavenly Dao, a tremendous opportunity.
Ye Fan held the Immortal Wind Chime in his palm. It was crystalline and warm, with nine-colored radiance flickering. If given to an emperor among mortals, it would surely be a national treasure, but it was utterly useless to cultivators.
The Immortal Wind Chime he had cut out was like the wisp of dragon qi in the stone bead—a chicken rib, of no great use, merely a curiosity.
Tuoba Chang had spent one hundred thousand catties of source to cut the Dragon Head Stone, and he had spent eighty thousand catties of source to cut the Immortal Sound Stone. Both were like throwing money into water, yielding nothing of value.
"Little Brother Gu Feng, Miaoyi is very interested in that Immortal Wind Chime. Don't give it to anyone else; you must keep it for Miaoyi," An Miaoyi secretly transmitted, her voice as soft as intoxicating spring wind.
Stone gambling was like this—ninety-nine out of a hundred bets were empty. Even with astonishing source techniques, one could be deceived by strange stones.
Everyone sighed with emotion. Two source technique geniuses had both made the same mistake, spending sky-high prices for nothing. One could imagine how it was for others.
"The Holy Lands' sky-high strange stones bring them no small profit every year. They always make a steady profit without loss. If rare treasures could be cut out, the Dragon Head Stone and the Immortal Sound Stone wouldn't have been sitting here for years."
Many people shuddered, warning their friends and companions.
"The Holy Lands opened these stone workshops to maximize profits. If there were any certainty, these strange stones wouldn't have been sent here. The various Holy Lands don't lack experts in stones."
At this moment, both Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang were very calm, and they quickly reacted, rushing toward other garden-protecting treasures.
In a dozen steps, Ye Fan arrived before the Peerless Beauty strange stone, while Tuoba Chang rushed to the Innate Eight Trigram Dao Diagram strange stone.
"I choose this stone!" Ye Fan directly threw down one hundred fifty thousand catties of source to purchase it.
"I don't have any source on me, but I, as the first heir of the Tuoba Family, will write a promissory note here. I will deliver the source in a few days." Tuoba Chang had spent one hundred thousand catties of source earlier and was now empty-handed.
Everyone was dumbfounded, not understanding why these two were acting like this. They seemed to be scrambling for stones, as if competing for a peerless sacred object.
The strange stone—Peerless Beauty—was over two meters tall, standing quietly beside a flowering tree. Falling petals drifted down, giving it an ethereal feel. It was worth one hundred fifty thousand catties of source.
The strange stone—Eight Trigram Dao Diagram—was about the size of a tabletop, simple and natural, with Dao imprints seemingly embedded in the stone. It was worth one hundred twenty thousand catties of source.
"Have they gone mad?"
"Why, after cutting empty stones, are they scrambling for more?"
No one understood, except the Ji Family members, who remained calm and composed. If a few more sky-high stones were cut empty, their profits would be even greater.
The two quickly began cutting stones, their knives flying like snowflakes swirling in the air.
"This old man's eyes are truly opened. In my lifetime, I'll see several garden-protecting treasures cut open, fulfilling a wish."
Facing the Peerless Beauty strange stone, Ye Fan showed no gentleness at all. The Dragon-Pattern Blackgold Holy Spirit Sword slashed horizontally and vertically, as if racing against time.
If a rare treasure were inside, this speed was the fastest possible without damaging it. In almost no time, the large strange stone was split open.
Unfortunately, the interior of the Peerless Beauty strange stone was completely empty. This time, not even a "chicken rib" was cut out—nothing at all.
At the same time, Tuoba Chang also completely peeled open the Eight Trigram Dao Diagram stone. Apart from leaving a pile of stone powder, there was also nothing.
In an instant, the two moved like lightning, pouncing on other stone materials.
There were still five garden-protecting treasures left. Their target was obvious. They rushed over quickly, each claiming another stone.
The stone Ye Fan chose was called Immortal Gourd. It was over a meter tall, shaped like a calabash. Some speculated that it might contain "gourd seeds" inside, a peerless rare treasure, worth one hundred thousand catties of source.
The stone Tuoba Chang chose was shaped like a fierce tiger, as if about to break through the air and fly away. It was called Soaring Immortal, worth one hundred twenty thousand catties of source.
"Little Leaf, have you gone mad?!" Li Heishui was puzzled and secretly transmitted.
This was too crazy. The Immortal Sound Stone and the Peerless Beauty Stone had already cost a total of two hundred thirty thousand catties of source, all wasted.
And now, Ye Fan acted as if he didn't care at all, throwing out another one hundred thousand catties of source, as if under a spell, disregarding the consequences.
"It's not that I've gone mad, but there's a mad stone here. It must contain a peerless rare treasure. If it's cut out, everything will be worth it!" Ye Fan replied.
"Brother Tuoba, what's wrong with you?" Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian also spoke.
But the genius of the Tuoba Family didn't bother to respond. After carving a promissory note on the stone again, he quickly began cutting.
The Ji Family naturally wasn't afraid he would default. In this world, no one dared to cheat the Ji Family, not even an ancient source art aristocratic clan.
"What's going on?" Li Heishui was confused.
Ye Fan had already spent three hundred thirty thousand catties of source and was now quickly cutting the Immortal Gourd strange stone, making everyone feel it was insane.
"I can't explain it now. I'll tell you later."
Both he and Tuoba Chang had sensed it. This place was eerie, and there must be a maddening stone.
Their source techniques were exquisite, both showing a hint of the style of an Origin Heavenly Master. Whether it was the Source Heaven Treasure Wheel or the Source Heaven Divine Sense, their skills were nearly at the level of the Dao.
But they had been deceived, their judgment interfered with by an eerie aura. This was unusual.
Both immediately thought of a situation mentioned in ancient source technique texts—this place must contain a world-shaking object!
Whether it was the Tuoba Family's precious canon or the supreme source book left by the Origin Heavenly Master, both had clear records.
A peerless rare treasure that had become sentient could interfere with a source master's judgment, making them always cut the wrong stones to protect itself.
This was the legendary Stone King, which must have nurtured an unimaginable sacred object!
One had cultivated the Source Heaven Divine Sense, the other the Source Heaven Treasure Wheel. Both were extraordinarily perceptive, sensing the anomaly and capturing the eerie aura.
If that sentient, world-shaking rare treasure were cut out, all the expenses would be compensated. Therefore, they spared no cost, cutting the stones most likely to contain divine objects.
Now, it was not just a duel between Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang, but also a battle of wits with a world-shaking strange stone.
"They've gone mad! They've really gone mad!"
Everyone was speechless. The two had already spent over three hundred thousand catties of source, yet they didn't care at all, seemingly ready to continue.
The Great Xia Prince, Jiang Yifei, and others, from immortal imperial dynasties and eternal aristocratic clans, were also astonished by this scene. Even they couldn't bear such a cost.
An Miaoyi's beautiful eyes flickered, and she smiled lightly, "This is indeed a sensational source technique duel in the Divine City. It's all too shocking."
Even the quietest White-Robed Little Nun blinked her big eyes, her small mouth forming a perfect circle, looking very cute as she stared at him in surprise.
Even Jin Chixiao, the Holy Son of Wanchu, Yao Yuekong, and other strong-willed figures showed expressions of astonishment.
"There's a Stone King here?!" Some old fogies were sensitive and immediately guessed this possibility.
"Heavens! If there's a Stone King, cutting out an ancient scripture, a Great Emperor's sacred object, or even a young true dragon is not impossible!"
A group of old men changed color, immediately scattering to search around, as if they wanted to join in.
After the Immortal Gourd and Soaring Immortal sky-high stones were cut open, they were still completely empty, with nothing inside.
Everyone shuddered. The Holy Lands' stone workshops were indeed deep pits. Once you jumped in, it was hard to get out, and you would sink deeper and deeper without cutting anything out.
"Little Leaf, don't be crazy anymore! You're... still choosing stones?!" Li Heishui's heart was pounding.
Ye Fan threw down another one hundred twenty thousand catties of source, piling it on the ground like a small mountain of crystalline sparkle. He began choosing stones again.
There were still three garden-protecting treasures left, each priced at one hundred twenty thousand catties of source. This time, he didn't act immediately but patiently selected.
Tuoba Chang was equally crazy. He carved a promissory note on a green stone slab and quickly rushed over to choose his stone.
"So crazy! They've really gone mad!"
"There hasn't been such a high-stakes gamble in many years. Throwing out hundreds of thousands of catties of source is truly heart-stopping!"
Everyone was shocked. This was all too insane, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
At this point, Ye Fan had spent a total of four hundred fifty thousand catties of source without even furrowing his brow.
In the end, Tuoba Chang chose his stone first. It was one of the sky-high strange stones, named Divine Moon!
This stone was like a crescent moon, very special, over two meters long, with faint crystalline luster all over.
The stone material was smooth and fine, a rare source stone jade. Under the sunlight, it shimmered with radiance, truly like a divine moon.
Tuoba Chang quickly brought down his knife without any delay. The stone skin fell off, flying like jade shavings. This sky-high strange stone named Divine Moon kept shrinking.
Suddenly, a divine beam shot straight up, illuminating the entire island and making the light blue lake shimmer with crystal brilliance.
The light was dazzling, and a sacred aura surged into the sky, making everyone's pores open wide and their bodies feel comfortable, as if embraced by immortal qi.
"What is this?!"
"A divine object has been cut out!"
In that moment, the island erupted. No one could remain calm. They all went wild. This thing was too astonishing. Even a wisp of divine beam from a crack in the stone was like this. One could imagine it must be a peerless rare treasure.
Tuoba Chang was extremely excited. He slowed down his knife, carefully and cautiously, afraid of damaging something.
A stone ball the size of a human head was cut out. Beams of divine light shot out from the cracks. A thin layer of stone skin could no longer block the divine radiance inside.
This stone ball actually floated in the air, not sinking at all.
"Heavens! Divine Source! It's actually Divine Source!"
"That's right! Divine Source, as big as a human head!"
Even the older generation was boiling. This kind of divine object was rarely seen in the world, and all the Holy Lands desperately desired it.
"At the most conservative estimate, its value is definitely over five hundred thousand catties of source!"
When an old man stated such a value, everyone gasped. This was Divine Source. A piece as big as a human head was worth a mountain of ordinary pure source!
Tuoba Chang didn't peel off the thin layer of stone skin, afraid of blinding his own eyes. Even so, the dozens of divine beams shooting out had already made the entire island dazzling, even the blue lake water shimmering with radiance.
"Hahaha..." He couldn't help but laugh loudly.
Divine Source had emerged. The Divine City had not seen such a thing in many years. This was definitely sensational news, shocking everyone.
"Black boy, how do you think you can turn this around? Do you think you can compete with a source art aristocratic clan?!" Li Chongtian laughed heartily.
"Don't even think about it in this lifetime. With a piece of Divine Source like this, what can they compare with?" Wu Ziming also sneered, "I've been looking forward to seeing your miserable expressions, and now I finally get to see your faces turn green."
Everyone was going wild, all shouting and discussing loudly. The Divine Source was too astonishing.
Li Heishui was also stunned, completely deflated. The emergence of Divine Source had even subdued him.
At this moment, only Ye Fan remained relatively calm, saying, "In this world, Divine Source is not the most precious thing. Among rare stones, there are even more sacred objects."
When he said this, An Miaoyi, the Great Xia Prince, Jiang Yifei, the little nun, and others all looked at him. The older generation also turned around.
But more people shook their heads. Some sympathized, others gloated. With such a piece of Divine Source cut out, turning things around would be harder than ascending to heaven.
Wu Ziming laughed recklessly, "Then cut out a sacred object for me to see!"
"Alright, I'll give it a try today. Maybe I really can cut out something even more precious," Ye Fan said calmly.
As soon as he said this, the stone garden fell silent. All eyes were fixed on him.
An Miaoyi's beautiful eyes moved, filled with astonishment.
The White-Robed Little Nun blinked her big eyes, her small mouth forming a perfect circle, looking very cute as she stared at him in surprise.
Even Jin Chixiao, the Holy Son of Wanchu, Yao Yuekong, and other strong-willed figures showed expressions of shock.
"Haha... You won't cry until you see the coffin. Even at this point, you still think a miracle can happen. I think you don't know your place!" Li Chongtian laughed.
"Can he really cut out something more precious?" Someone murmured, but almost no one believed it.
Divine Source was too precious. Everyone present thought a miracle was almost impossible.
At this moment, news of the Divine Source's emergence spread like wings, causing a sensation in the Divine City. More people rushed toward this place.
Ye Fan was very calm, seriously tapping on a sky-high strange stone. Even at this point, he remained unruffled.
"Little Leaf, you must cut out a world-shaking rare treasure! Otherwise, we're done for!" Li Heishui secretly transmitted.
"We're waiting for you, to see how you cry when you see the coffin!" Wu Ziming taunted, then burst into laughter.
Upon hearing this, Ye Fan stood up and said, "In that case, why don't you join in and have a high-stakes gamble with me?" Then he looked around and said, "Of course, if anyone else is willing, feel free to join."
"I don't believe it! At this point, you can still turn things around!"