Chapter 351: Desiring to Aid the Divine King
The Red Dragon Daoist was withered and thin, still wearing that same old Daoist robe. He stared at the small golden creature, a faint red light flickering in his eyes.
The little thing, shaped like a true dragon, felt a bit unnerved by the gaze. It timidly hid behind the White-Robed Little Nun, peeking out cautiously.
"Little Good, don't be afraid," the White-Robed Little Nun comforted, placing it on her shoulder.
As soon as the Red Dragon Daoist appeared, the old men with little lifespan left became deeply wary and no longer spoke casually.
Others, unaware of his identity, continued to discuss, the stone garden buzzing with noise.
"Divine Silkworm Nine Transformations..." the Red Dragon Daoist murmured softly, looking up at the sky and then down at the ground, as if sensing something.
Ye Fan wanted to approach and greet him, but with a flash of red light, the old Daoist's figure vanished, disappearing without lingering.
"Why leave so quickly..." He had originally hoped to borrow the Red Dragon's prestige.
Li Heishui squeezed in, helping Ye Fan begin collecting the Source. The ground was a riot of colors, like various precious gems piled up in a heap.
"Thank you both for your repeated help, and for giving me so much Source today. Truly chivalrous!" he laughed heartily.
Wu Ziming's eyes blazed with fury, and Li Chongtian's nose nearly twisted in anger. The two said nothing, grinding their teeth.
"And this old gentleman, you are truly warm-hearted, supporting us many times."
Li Yishui, the Supreme Elder of the Illusion-Destroying Palace, was burning with rage. He wanted to slap the dark-skinned brat in front of him but could only swallow his anger.
He felt utterly frustrated. Miserable was the only word for it—he had jumped into the pit himself. In just half an hour, he had lost twenty thousand jin of Source back and forth.
Most of it was borrowed, and he wouldn't be able to repay it in his remaining years. Thinking of this misery, he nearly fainted and wanted to slap himself.
"Old man, don't tremble. Anger harms the body. With your shrewdness, even able to think of dirty tricks like snatching strange stones, are you afraid you can't scheme for more Source?"
Li Heishui fanned the flames, adding insult to injury, his demeanor calm and indifferent, much like the Illusion-Destroying Palace's Supreme Elder had been earlier.
Others who had bet against Ye Fan were ashen-faced, their expressions ugly, filled with regret.
Tuo Ba Chang had cut out Divine Source, and they thought they would surely win. Yet they still suffered a crushing defeat. Was there no justice in heaven? Was the sky deliberately setting them up?
The piles of Source on the ground totaled one hundred forty-three thousand jin, shining like multicolored gems.
Ye Fan waved his sleeve, collecting all the Source. At that moment, many people's hearts dripped with blood, wanting to cry but having no tears.
"Brother Tuo Ba, according to our prior agreement, our bet was one hundred thousand jin of Source. How will you pay me?" Ye Fan asked.
Tuo Ba Chang, even as the first heir of the Source Art Aristocratic Clan, had only brought one hundred thousand jin of Source. To cut stones, he had already owed the Ji Family over three hundred thousand jin.
"I will carve a stone inscription for you and repay you in a few days!"
Ye Fan smiled, saying, "Why not write it to the Ji Family? Owe another one hundred thousand jin of Source, and then I'll use it to gamble on stones. What do you think?"
"Fine!" Tuo Ba Chang gritted his teeth.
But this time, the Ji Family absolutely refused, eager to send both of them away immediately.
Strictly speaking, the Ji Family hadn't suffered a great loss. Ye Fan had invested four hundred fifty thousand jin of Source to cut stones, and Tuo Ba Chang had done similarly.
The two were incredibly reckless, together throwing out over nine hundred thousand jin.
Of course, after cutting out the Divine Source and the Divine Silkworm, everything was recouped.
The biggest winner was undoubtedly Ye Fan. The two pieces of Divine Source plus the golden little creature were worth over a million jin of Source, a truly shocking gamble.
Ye Fan pushed through the crowd and began selecting stones again. For his last round, he had paid one hundred twenty thousand jin of Source but hadn't bought a sky-high strange stone. Instead, he chose a piece of stone worth thirty thousand jin and cut out the golden little spirit.
"Too crazy! Is he going to keep cutting stones?"
"Could he possibly cut out another peerless treasure?"
Everyone watched him. Having cut out world-shaking items in succession, every move Ye Fan made drew intense attention.
The Ji Family pinched their noses and let him continue selecting stones, though they wanted to kick him out. For a Holy Land's stone workshop, such a person was the least welcome.
"That stone under the ancient tree, that stone in front of the vines..." Li Heishui kept pointing, having noticed seven or eight strange stones that had moved positions.
Ye Fan frowned. The Stone King had become sentient and deliberately revealed flaws. This was definitely a provocation.
"If I were an Origin Heavenly Master, could you still escape?" he muttered to himself.
In the end, Ye Fan shook his head. This Stone King had become a spirit, surely containing a world-shaking treasure, but he couldn't find it now.
He felt that even spending millions of jin of Source to cut all the precious stones in the Heaven-Character Stone Garden might not reveal it. He suspected the Stone King wasn't in the Heaven-Character Stone Garden—perhaps in the lake, perhaps on the shore—hard to determine.
Ye Fan selected two pieces of stone, but no rare treasures emerged. However, he didn't lose, cutting out some variant Source.
Finally, his gaze fell on the center of the island. Under the towering ancient tree was a smooth purple stone, where the guardian of the Ji Family's stone garden sat year-round.
He checked the price. Cutting this stone would exactly use up the ninety thousand jin of Source.
"This stone cannot be cut. It's the ancestor's cultivation spot," someone blocked.
"Isn't it priced?" Li Heishui asked.
"Let them cut it," the silver-haired old man waved his hand.
"Forget it. This is a senior's meditation spot. We shouldn't offend," Ye Fan shook his head.
In the end, the ninety thousand jin of Source was spent, with no rare treasures appearing. But he didn't lose, cutting out some large pieces of variant Source.
"Just give up like this? Not looking for that Stone King?" Li Heishui transmitted secretly.
"I want to find it, but I can't detect it. Even if I did cut it out, I probably couldn't keep it. It would surely be a world-shaking sacred object, likely triggering a bloody melee. I'll come back another day."
If the Red Dragon Daoist hadn't left, he might have tried, but now he abandoned the idea.
The great stone-gambling battle thus came to an end. Ye Fan's massive gains made many envious, but they couldn't scheme against him.
Now, many major powers, including the Holy Lands, surrounded him, extending olive branches.
The Northern Domain produced Source, and such a Source Art genius was a guest of honor for all major powers. Many old men eagerly courted him.
Of course, the competition for the golden little creature had also begun. Ordinary people couldn't afford to raise it, but the Holy Lands had no problem.
"Young friend, I've prepared a feast. How about we drink and chat for a while?"
"I've already reserved a noble divine garden at the Golden Family's Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Young Master Gu must come."
...
Even Li Heishui couldn't escape, grabbed by a group of old men. Their burning gazes made him uneasy.
An Miaoyi, Jin Chixiao, Xiang Yifei, and others were extremely enthusiastic, all wanting to buy the golden little spirit. Among them, Jiang Yifei and the Great Xia Prince were the most determined, seemingly willing to pay any price.
"Two brothers, it's not suitable to sell to anyone. Why not send it to our Heavenly Demon Treasure Pavilion for auction?" Yao Yuekong stepped forward to suggest.
"No need for that. Their commission is as high as ten percent. Young Master Gu, don't you think it's a waste?" some senior figures objected.
They feared that once news spread, more people would come to compete, leading to an unimaginable price. Corpses cut from Source were already treasures worth studying, let alone a living Divine Silkworm!
Ye Fan and Li Heishui discussed for a long time whether to sell the golden little spirit.
Divine Silkworm Nine Transformations, invincible under heaven and earth, its value immeasurable. But it was easier said than done. Even in the ancient era, success was rare, let alone in this age.
"I've decided. This Divine Silkworm is not for sale," Ye Fan announced.
The scene fell into dead silence, then a chilling murderous intent spread, dozens of streams, their origins unknown.
Ye Fan's heart leaped. The major powers were determined to have it. If he insisted on not selling, his life might be in danger.
"I want to rent it out."
At these words, the killing intent vanished, replaced by a wave of surprise. Many spoke up.
"Rent it? It's a living creature."
"That's too..."
"How would the rental work?"
Many discussed, and the major powers calmed down, asking.
"Starting at six hundred thousand jin of Source, until it undergoes its third transformation," Ye Fan said.
"Young man, you really have a lion's mouth. In the past, the Origin Heavenly Master said a Divine Silkworm's value was six hundred thousand jin of Source. You're only renting it out, yet you ask such a high price."
Ye Fan smiled, saying nothing more, because he understood that whether renting or selling, the result was the same. Once it entered the hands of these major powers, it would never be returned.
Thus, he said he was renting, but transacted at a selling price.
The benefits were multifaceted. First, he wouldn't lose out, compensated with Source. Second, by keeping the term "rent," he could, if he grew strong enough in the future, go and demand it back.
"Eight hundred thousand jin of Source. My Great Xia Imperial Dynasty rents it!"
Suddenly, a majestic voice sounded. A group of old men turned back. In the stone garden, a middle-aged man had appeared without anyone noticing.
He wore a golden dragon robe, a dragon crown on his head, tall and imposing, very divine and martial. Vaguely, nine true dragons coiled around him, and on his dragon crown, a dragon head formed from dragon qi was terrifying.
"Imperial Uncle..." The Great Xia Prince and Princess stepped forward to greet him.
He nodded, releasing an unparalleled powerful aura, suppressing a group of old men until they couldn't speak.
This was definitely a Saint Lord-rank figure. Only the Ji Family's silver-haired old man was unaffected, facing him calmly.
"Brother Ji..." The Great Xia Imperial Dynasty's great figure moved his lips, clearly transmitting a message.
"Fine, I won't compete with Brother Xia," the silver-haired old man nodded.
As for others, they couldn't interject. Faced with such a Great Power, those old men were completely suppressed.
"Young friend, what do you think?" the immortal divine dynasty's great figure asked, addressing Ye Fan.
Ye Fan and Li Heishui weren't oppressed. Without much hesitation, Ye Fan nodded in agreement. No matter what, he couldn't keep this golden little creature, as many major powers were eyeing it covetously.
"Good. Within three days, I'll gather eight hundred thousand jin of Source." After saying this, the Great Power of the immortal divine dynasty vanished instantly.
Ye Fan had cut out a creature more precious than Divine Source, truly shaking the Divine City. First the Red Dragon Daoist, then the Great Xia Imperial Uncle, appeared one after another.
The White-Robed Little Nun cheered, very happy.
Only then did others breathe a sigh of relief, able to speak again.
"That's too domineering, using power to pressure people, not even letting us speak."
"Do you think you can argue with a Saint Lord-rank figure?"
Many were dissatisfied, especially the figures from major powers, but they were helpless. A Great Power was exalted and unassailable.
Ye Fan renting out the little spirit achieved three goals at once.
First, it diverted the Holy Lands' target; otherwise, he would surely face mortal danger. Second, this golden little creature was a true "wastrel," impossible to raise. This way, someone else would feed it.
Finally, sending the little thing out like this would net him a lot of Source. If he grew strong enough in the future, he could rightfully demand it back.
Being treated as a rare treasure for rent angered the golden little creature. Its big eyes widened, and it kept baring its claws at Ye Fan.
"Little Good, don't be angry. You'll have as much Source as you want to eat," the White-Robed Little Nun comforted.
"Good thing we rented it out. Otherwise, that little thing is so fast, it might run off anytime," Li Heishui said.
Ye Fan nodded, saying, "Even if it stayed with me, it would probably only scheme for Divine Source. Once it got some, it would surely slip away."
"Right. Better to guard against a thief than a constant worry. We can't guard against everything."
The two consoled themselves. This decision was mainly because they had no choice—the Holy Lands wouldn't let them take it away.
"The Divine Silkworm belongs to the little nun. The little nun is..." Before Li Heishui could finish, Ye Fan quickly signaled him to shut up.
The Great Xia Prince and Princess had walked behind him. Xia Yiming, with a dark face, said, "Brother, I don't want to hear such words again."
"Absolutely a misunderstanding..." Li Heishui quickly explained.
The golden little creature and the Great Xia Princess Xia Yilin really hit it off. Their big eyes blinked simultaneously, their expressions similar.
The great stone-gambling battle completely ended. It took a long time for the crowd to disperse.
Ye Fan and Li Heishui were surrounded. Even though the Divine Silkworm already had an owner, the major powers still eagerly courted them.
In the following days, the two were busy with various social engagements, attending banquets hosted by major powers.
On the third day, the great figure of the immortal divine dynasty personally delivered eight hundred thousand jin of Source. Within two days, Tuo Ba Chang also repaid the one hundred thousand jin of Source.
In the subsequent days, Ye Fan entered the stone workshops of three Holy Lands in succession, making large moves.
However, he didn't cut out any peerless treasures, only exchanging the pure Source in his hands for variant Source through stone gambling.
Such world-shaking treasures were rare and hard to come by; he couldn't always cut them out, or they wouldn't be called treasures.
By now, Ye Fan had obtained enough Source to advance.
He decided to leave the Divine City temporarily. His recent fame was too great, and he needed to lie low, finding a quiet place to break through his realm.
At the same time, he wanted to do one more thing: help the Divine King Jiang Taixu escape his predicament.
Jiang Taixu had taught him the Battle Saint Art, a debt of gratitude he couldn't forget. He had always thought of how to repay it.
Now, the Holy Lands were about to use Extreme Imperial Weapons to break open Purple Mountain. If the Divine King Jiang Taixu was still alive, he might be rescued. He needed to pass the news to the Jiang Family.
Was Little Tingting still well? How was Old Uncle Jiang? He had missed them dearly.
He had been in the Northern Domain for a long time but had never approached the territory of the Primordial Jiang Family.
Outside the Divine City, Li Heishui saw Ye Fan off, asking, "Brother, when will you return?"
"I'll be back soon. I still need more Source!" Ye Fan said.
"Come back soon. Those eight madmen and several Source Art Aristocratic Clan members have arrived, wanting a grand Source Art duel with you," Li Heishui revealed this news.
"Is Young Master Gu Feng leaving the Divine City? Miaoyi is also about to travel far. Let's go together." An Miaoyi emerged from the Divine City.