Chapter 1350: Divine Radiance

Zu An looked calm. "Don't celebrate too soon. Let's first cut open your stone and see what's inside."

Shi Rong laughed. "You think the stone my third brother chose will also be empty like yours? Don't dream about it."

Zu An said coolly, "If you're not convinced, let's gamble again. The more smug you are now, the harder you'll fall later."

"You!" Shi Rong was furious.

Fury value from Shi Rong: 588,588,588...

Just as he was about to speak, he was stopped again by Shi Min.

"We've already won decisively, don't create unnecessary complications." Shi Min couldn't figure out what tricks the other party was playing, but as long as they didn't fall for it, the other party definitely wouldn't be able to turn the tables this time.

"But seeing that guy, who clearly has nothing, acting as if everything is under control, just makes me angry," Shi Rong said, glaring at Zu An nearby.

Fury value from Shi Rong: 444,444,444...

"Don't mind him, he's just a clown. He sees he's lost, so he wants to introduce variables. We'll just stick to our plan and adapt to whatever comes," Shi Min soothed his brother.

Shi Rong and Shi Gong suddenly understood. "Third Brother is wise, that guy is too cunning."

At this moment, the Azure Garden steward, at Shi Min's signal, began to cut the stone.

With a single cut, a beam of light shot straight up. Soon, an illusory phoenix figure condensed above everyone's heads, emitting a clear cry. Then, the phoenix figure danced in the garden, and wherever it passed, everyone immediately felt a sacred aura, as if they were in the most supreme blessed land.

Even the plants in the garden underwent a transformation; many new buds emerged at a visible speed, and some flower buds fully bloomed. Although it was winter, and the demon race resided in a northern cold region, meaning the Azure Garden, despite its meticulous design, didn't have many flowers, in that instant, a hundred flowers bloomed, truly giving the feeling of spring and the revival of all things.

"Is this the aura of a phoenix?" the Second Prince exclaimed. The Golden Crow tribe had some connection with phoenixes, and he felt a tremor in his bloodline.

"A phoenix?" Everyone was shocked. Initially, people had only speculated, but now it was confirmed. All eyes turned to the rough stone.

The Little Golden Roc King said, "Shi Min, I'll buy this stone. Name your price."

Chi Wen also called out, "Sell it to me, sell it to me! No one is richer than my dad."

Shang Liuyu, standing nearby, had a black line over her head. "How did my sister give birth to such a dimwit?"

Others also eagerly sought to purchase it. Only Hu Yong remained silent, knowing that Shi Min would never sell it to him, no matter who else he sold it to.

He felt a sour feeling in his heart. "That bastard certainly has good luck."

Even the usually composed Shi Min couldn't help but feel a little smug at this moment. "I hope you all understand, I will not sell this."

A chorus of regretful sighs immediately filled the venue. However, everyone knew that anyone who obtained such a divine item would never sell it.

If it were an ordinary person, they might find a way to seize it by force, but the Lion clan was a powerful race, and these princes were not weak. Unless absolutely necessary, no one would take such a huge risk.

Yun Jianyue was a bit anxious. "It's over, it's truly over, we've lost terribly. You brat, you've even cultivated the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, why didn't you sense the phoenix's aura in advance and let others gain the upper hand?"

Yan Xuehen slightly furrowed her brows. "You're just blaming him unfairly. Rough stones inherently block spiritual perception; how could he have known?"

She paused right after speaking, realizing she had unconsciously spoken up for Zu An.

She glanced at Yun Jianyue guiltily, fearing she would notice something amiss. Fortunately, the other party was too anxious to pay attention.

Zu An replied, "They're celebrating too early."

"What? Is that not a phoenix's aura?" Yun Jianyue was surprised.

"It is indeed a phoenix's aura, but it's somewhat different," Zu An said. Having cultivated the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, he was naturally very familiar with phoenix auras and immediately sensed something unusual.

The women paused, about to press further, but Shi Min, with the air of a victor, approached them. "Queen Medusa, you have lost this time after all. How do you intend to give me those one hundred thousand Heaven-tier elemental stones?"

He mused that this was a perfect opportunity to completely control the economic lifeline of the Serpent race. Then, the entire Serpent race would be under his command. As for the stunning Queen Medusa, it would naturally be his call whether she lived or died.

Yu Yanluo's delicate brows furrowed. In the past, 100,000 Heaven-tier elemental stones would have been nothing, but currently, she truly couldn't produce them on short notice.

However, she didn't show any apprehension. Her past experience managing the Yu family had given her extensive experience in handling such matters. Just as she was about to reply, Zu An spoke up: "Who said we lost? You haven't fully revealed what's inside. You can't just unilaterally declare victory based on a mere anomaly, can you? What if there's nothing at all inside?"

The Azure Garden steward, standing by, also nodded: "Indeed, some rough stones often show anomalies but contain nothing inside. For the sake of fairness, please finish cutting it."

He wasn't speaking up for Zu An out of kindness, but out of curiosity about what was truly inside the rough stone.

The Azure Garden stood to lose a lot this time, and they couldn't afford to lose without knowing why.

The others also chimed in, clearly eager to see what exactly was inside.

Shi Min's brows furrowed. He had spoken directly to Yu Yanluo just now precisely because he didn't want the cutting to continue, to avoid any treasures inside being exposed and causing a heap of trouble later.

But with public opinion against him, he had no choice but to agree and let the steward continue cutting.

The steward breathed a sigh of relief and carefully resumed cutting. Under his skillful hands, the useless stone rind was peeled away, finally revealing the true contents.

"This is..." The people around were stunned. It wasn't the sleeping phoenix or phoenix egg they had imagined, but a flower.

No, it wasn't even a complete flower; it was just a few incomplete petals, though the pistil inside was perfectly preserved.

The steward's expression was peculiar, showing a mix of regret and relief. "This item is a Heavenly Wind Pistil. In ancient times, phoenixes rested only on parasol trees and drank only from sweet springs. Sometimes, when parasol trees bloomed and a phoenix was breathing nearby, the flower would absorb the phoenix's aura and transform into a Heavenly Wind Pistil."

The Second Prince murmured, "Oh. What is its purpose?"

The steward replied, "Ancient texts record that this item was often used to refine certain elixirs, serving as an essential auxiliary ingredient. However, the formulas for those elixirs have long been lost..."

He then began to describe various elixirs he had read about in ancient texts.

The more Shi Min listened, the more something felt off, and he quickly asked, "Then what is this item worth?"

The steward replied, "Although this item has a significant origin, it has been found in various places and is not considered extremely rare. If put up for auction in our Azure Garden, it would likely fetch between several hundred to a thousand Heaven-tier elemental stones."

"What?" Shi Min's face turned ashen. He had spent a full five thousand Heaven-tier elemental stones to buy this rough stone, and it turned out to be worth only a few hundred Heaven-tier elemental stones?

The people around them wore strange expressions; some sighed with regret, some felt pity, and others gloated.

Hu Yong burst out laughing: "Tsk, tsk, tsk, greed knows no bounds, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. So many people wanted to buy it at a high price just now, but some fool thought he was clever and rejected them all. Now he must be regretting it bitterly."

"No one would think you were mute if you kept quiet!" Even the usually deeply composed Shi Min's composure broke at this moment.

"Haha, my mouth is on my face, I'll say whatever I want. Go on, hit me!" Hu Yong had been feeling repressed for a while and, finally finding an opportunity, naturally went all out.

Shi Min's face twitched, but he knew Hu Yong's cultivation was quite high, and even with his two brothers present, the three of them might not fare well in a real fight, so he couldn't unleash his anger.

At this moment, Shi Rong glared angrily at the Azure Garden steward: "Hey, are you trying to covet the treasure my third brother unearthed, so you deliberately fabricated something called a Heavenly Wind Pistil to deceive everyone and swindle this treasure away?"

Shi Min secretly nodded. His seventh brother wasn't completely foolish after all. He actually had the same doubts but found it inappropriate to voice them in front of so many important figures. Having his young brother say it was much more suitable.

The Azure Garden steward's face darkened: "Seventh Prince, do not speak nonsense. Our Azure Garden has operated in the royal court for many years. No matter how rare the treasure a guest unearths, we always let them take it. Our reputation for integrity has been well-known for years; why would we ruin our name for this item? If the princes don't believe us, you can take this item back and inquire with other merchant guilds to confirm if it is a Heavenly Wind Pistil."

At this point, the Little Golden Roc King spoke calmly: "I have been in the royal court for many years and can vouch for the Azure Garden. They would never commit such despicable and shameless acts."

The Azure Garden steward quickly bowed: "Thank you, Little Golden Roc King."

Seeing this, Shi Min quickly reprimanded his brother: "Seventh Brother, you are too reckless with your words. How could they be such people?"

Then he apologized to the Azure Garden steward and the Little Golden Roc King: "I am truly sorry. My seventh brother is young and impulsive; I hope everyone can be understanding."

The power behind the Azure Garden was unfathomable, and no one knew who truly controlled it in the shadows. Seeing the Little Golden Roc King speak on its behalf just now, could he have a hidden stake in it?

Naturally, the Azure Garden steward couldn't dwell on it. Soon, both sides exchanged pleasantries, and the matter was dismissed.

Shi Min was also seething with anger. Seeing Zu An watching the spectacle from the side only made him angrier: "Now that the item has been revealed, you must admit defeat, right?"

Fury value from Shi Min: 888,888,888...

"You revealed this worthless item, and you expect us to concede?" Zu An sneered.

"While our Heavenly Wind Pistil isn't as valuable as expected, it's still worth around a thousand Heaven-tier elemental stones. That's better than you revealing absolutely nothing! Don't just pick the cheapest large stone and expect the same good luck as the one from the Yellow characters room every time," Shi Min said bitterly. He now strongly agreed with his younger brother's earlier words; this guy clearly had no backing, yet he always displayed such a mysteriously confident demeanor, which was truly infuriating to behold.

Fury value from Shi Min: 522,522,522...

"Sorry, our luck has always been quite good," Zu An said, walking to the table and picking up a piece from the pile of broken stones.

Shi Min was amused: "This piece is only as thick as a palm; it's just discarded stone rind. You're not fantasizing that there's something inside, are you?"

The Azure Garden steward also said, "This is indeed just an ordinary piece of stone rind. If there were anything inside, I would have certainly detected it."

Zu An smiled slightly: "There are always exceptions."

With a casual shake, the piece of broken stone cracked open, and a divine radiance burst forth, dimming all the lights in the entire garden.