Chapter 327: Stone Flying Immortal in the Rock

"Watermelon Stone" gets its name from its striped appearance, resembling watermelon rind. Even though it can be cut to reveal Source Armor or Corpse Crossbows, such occurrences are rare. More often, it yields small, seed-like particles, much like watermelon seeds.

Of course, this isn't always the case. A long time ago, someone cut out dozens of "seed-like Divine Sources," causing a sensation throughout the Divine City.

Now, cutting out forty-nine "amethyst seeds," while not comparable to Divine Source particles, was still astonishing.

At this moment, Li Heishui burst into laughter, while Wu Ziming and the others looked grim. Over forty thousand jin of source material was a staggering and overwhelming amount.

"Don't just stand there, esteemed sirs, hand over the source material! Forty-two thousand jin! Your generosity truly touches us."

Ye Fan and Li Heishui stepped forward, reaching out to the dozen or so individuals to collect the source material.

Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian felt incredibly distressed and humiliated. It was as if they were soaring in the heavens, only to be suddenly dragged down into an outhouse.

They had intended to mock the two, turning them into a laughingstock. Instead, they ended up being the unwitting patsies, each inexplicably forced to hand over three thousand jin of source material.

It was infuriating. All dozen or so of them felt their heads fuming, as if they were ablaze. It was utterly humiliating.

They had merely teased two bumpkins, and now they had lost so much source material. Even the air they exhaled seemed to carry fire.

"Damn it, is there any justice? A watermelon stone, and it actually yielded amethyst source! Hell, I want to hit someone!" grumbled a disciple from a major sect, his face filled with frustration.

"Three thousand jin of source material, damn it, half my fortune just vanished! Amethyst source!"

Another disciple from a major sect, more boisterous, cursed angrily.

Wu Ziming's face was ashen. If he and Li Chongtian hadn't stubbornly clung to those two bumpkins, they wouldn't have ended up as such inexplicable fools.

"Brother Wu, are you feeling unwell? Your face is even more purple than amethyst source!" Li Heishui waddled his big head closer, a look of simple earnestness on his face, asking with feigned concern.

"You dark-skinned brat, don't pretend to be virtuous after getting a bargain!" Wu Ziming's nostrils flared, feeling as though his nose would start bleeding from anger. He flung his sleeve, throwing three thousand jin of source material onto the ground.

These individuals were all disciples of major sects; they had more source material than Tu Fei, but only two or three square-units. To suddenly hand over nearly one square-unit was painful for anyone.

Everyone's veins throbbed as they reluctantly threw their source material onto the ground. They were people of status and couldn't renege in front of so many onlookers; they couldn't afford to lose face.

"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," Ye Fan said, personally receiving three thousand jin of source material from the Great Xia Prince.

Then, he turned to the young nun in white, smiling as he asked, "Little sister, do you have any source material?"

The young nun in white pouted, her pure, large eyes filled with innocence. She had been inexplicably drawn into this, a victim of unprovoked misfortune. She hadn't mocked them, nor had she gambled source material, yet she was still expected to pay.

The Great Xia Prince frowned, clearly displeased with Ye Fan smiling at his sister. He stepped forward to block Ye Fan, then tossed out one square-unit of source material.

"Clatter!"

A pile of source material lay on the ground, shimmering with light and surging with spiritual energy, displaying a dazzling array of colors. Such sparkling objects were truly captivating.

"Hahaha…" Li Heishui burst into laughter.

All dozen or so people's faces darkened, their stomachs churning with suppressed rage. This was simply too unfair.

Ye Fan ignored them, swept his sleeves, and collected all the source material. He had gained over forty thousand jin, bringing him one step closer to breaking through his current realm.

"This time, I'll truly gamble stones with you. Do you dare?" Wu Ziming asked in a deep voice.

"Why wouldn't we dare? But do you even have any source material left?" Ye Fan asked nonchalantly.

Wu Ziming opened his mouth but said nothing. Just now, many people didn't have enough source material on them, so they had to borrow from each other to gather the forty-two thousand jin. It was impossible for them to carry all their source material with them.

"How can you gamble without source material?" Now it was Li Heishui's turn to sneer at them, his dark face full of mockery.

"You dark-skinned brat, don't get too smug!"

"Damn it, why am I dark? This is called manliness, don't you understand? Do you have it or not?" Li Heishui argued loudly, not at all believing he was dark-skinned.

The onlookers were speechless. Someone mumbled, "He's already that dark, and he still claims he's not dark…"

"I have source material; I can gamble with you," said the Great Xia Prince, who seemed unconcerned by the previous losses, as he walked forward.

"How much source material do you have?" Li Heishui asked directly.

"Three square-units."

The surrounding crowd gasped. The Great Xia Prince indeed had deep pockets, worthy of being one of the four immortal imperial dynasties' heirs in Central Plains. He carried tens of thousands of jin of source material with him.

"Good, no problem, I'll gamble with you," Ye Fan said, smiling and nodding.

The Great Xia Prince strode forward with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, enveloped in draconic energy. Tall and imposing, he was quite intimidating as he led the way towards the deeper stone garden.

The young nun in white was very displeased. Ye Fan had inexplicably demanded one square-unit of source material from her, and she felt incredibly wronged, as it had nothing to do with her.

She wrinkled her delicate nose, clenched her small fists, and shook them at Ye Fan. Then, she nimbly turned and followed her brother away.

Ye Fan and Li Heishui didn't care at all and followed. Everyone else also trailed behind, knowing there would be something exciting to watch.

Yao Yuekong, the young master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, also followed. Dressed in purple, with deep-set eyes, he was a focal point, his status comparable to the Great Xia Prince, and he was surrounded by many.

In the early morning, the rising sun cast its radiance, bathing the edges and corners of the Daoist temple in a sacred glow. Walking there, one felt a sense of peace, as if both body and mind had been cleansed.

Following the pebble-strewn path, the group passed through several ancient groves and past a few Daoist temples, continuing deeper until they reached the eighteenth-level stone garden, where the Great Xia Prince finally stopped.

The stone materials here were already quite expensive, with one jin of stone costing ten jin of source material. Stone was more valuable than source material, making it unaffordable for ordinary people.

Beyond the eighteenth-level stone garden, what was gambled was no longer pure source material, but much more precious items, incurring enormous costs.

However, this made Ye Fan quite satisfied. If it were only pure source material, he truly didn't know how long it would take to gather what he needed. But these precious stones, if they yielded anything, would undoubtedly be extremely valuable and could significantly speed up his acquisition of source material.

"How about here?" asked the Great Xia Prince.

"Since we've already come this far, why not go to the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden?" Ye Fan smiled faintly.

"Hiss!"

Many people gasped. The Heavenly Grade Stone Garden was infamous for its terrifyingly expensive strange stones. Few among the younger generation ventured there; it was usually frequented only by older, well-established figures.

"That's a place where one stone can be worth a thousand jin of source material. Many go to try their luck, but they end up losing so much they turn pale."

"Some stones, even weighing just a few jin, are worth tens of thousands of jin of source material. Even the Grand Elders of the various holy lands feel a pang of regret."

The surrounding crowd discussed, many feeling both excited and helpless when the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden was mentioned. The threshold was simply too high for them to afford.

Not everyone understood. Someone asked in confusion, "It's absurdly expensive, terrifying even. Do people still go to select stones there?"

"You don't understand. Those are strange stones. If anything is cut from them, it will undoubtedly be a rare and precious treasure of astonishing value."

"Exactly. Once a treasure is cut out, it might be worth not just tens of thousands, but even hundreds of thousands of jin of source material! Nothing could compare."

People who frequently visited the stone workshops said this, causing many to gasp in awe.

"If that's the case, why don't the holy lands cut them themselves? Why do they offer them for others to select?" someone asked.

"Do you think the holy lands want it this way? They also can't be sure if there are treasures inside the stones. To maximize profits, they sell them here at exorbitant prices for people to gamble on."

"Indeed, this is the fundamental reason for the existence of the holy land's stone workshops."

The Great Xia Prince hesitated for only a moment before readily agreeing. "Alright, in that case, we'll go to the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden."

At once, the crowd present erupted in excitement. They knew that today would surely involve a grand expenditure!

"Are you sure you want to go to the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden?" Wu Ziming, Li Chongtian, and the others were all utterly astonished.

Now it was Li Heishui's turn to be arrogant. He spoke unhurriedly, "You've never gambled there, have you? This time, you'll get a good education."

"They actually… were scorned by these two bumpkins!"

Wu Ziming and his group were as dejected as could be, all brimming with indignation.

"You dark-skinned brat… next time, I'll settle scores with you!" Someone among the dozen or so people said this.

"I'm not dark at all, don't mention that word to me again. And next time, bring enough source material; I, the Gambling Saint, will bet until your faces turn green."

"That dark-skinned brat is too arrogant!"

"You're the dark one, your whole family is dark!" Li Heishui retorted, rolling his eyes.

Inside the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden was an ancient vine, astonishingly thick, with a diameter of ten meters. It lay like a sprawling azure dragon, extending in all directions.

This was not a tree; it was merely a vine, yet it was so massive. The Dao One Stone Workshop occupied an enormous area, and even the numerous Daoist temples had sections of its vines.

Beside the ancient vine was a well, constructed from source stones. Ropes had worn deep grooves into its edges over countless years, its age unknown.

"This ancient vine is tens of thousands of years old…" Li Heishui explained to Ye Fan.

Legend had it that it was on the verge of transforming into a dragon, but in ancient times, a powerful figure had designated it as common wood. All its spiritual energy flowed through the ancient well, nourishing this stone workshop.

There was another saying: within the Divine City, no matter how ancient a plant, it could not transform into a demon or spirit. Any accumulated spiritual energy could only nourish the city itself.

Yao Yuekong, the young master of the purple-clad demon race, stepped forward. He possessed a majestic bearing, exuding the aura of a demon god. His sharp edge was restrained, and in the depths of his starlike eyes, one could vaguely perceive a unique, unrivaled charisma.

"My two young brothers, if you cut out any treasures later, would you consider selling them at my Heavenly Demon Treasure Pavilion?"

"No problem. If we cut out any rare items, we'll certainly trouble Brother Yuekong," Ye Fan replied. Since the other party had extended an olive branch, Ye Fan was naturally willing to form a connection.

The Heavenly Grade Stone Garden was typically quiet, with few visitors, but now it suddenly became lively.

People from the other stone gardens were alerted, and many gathered around.

"I thought those eight madmen had arrived, but it turns out others have entered the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden to select stones."

"It's the Great Xia Prince gambling against someone. There's a good show to watch either way."

A master guarded this place, so ordinary people were not allowed inside; they could only observe from the periphery. Only those selecting stones were permitted to enter, as the materials here were exceptionally precious.

Inside the garden sat an old Daoist nun on a meditation cushion, motionless, her age indiscernible. There were also four or five other elders inside, selecting stones.

When the Great Xia Prince, the young nun in white, Ye Fan, and Li Heishui entered, she remained perfectly still, like a withered old tree.

The others also ceased their chatter, gathering around the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden to watch quietly. Fortunately, there were no walls, only vegetation, allowing everything to be seen.

The moment Ye Fan stepped into the garden, he felt an incredibly strong aura of the primordial beginning. It was as if he had returned to that night, standing within the forbidden zone.

These were definitely precious stones!

Ye Fan speculated that many of these stones had probably been transported from within the forbidden zone, or were at least infinitely close to the Primordial Forbidden Zone.

"Although I've circled the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden a few times before, this is my first time entering," Li Heishui transmitted via spiritual message.

Ye Fan smiled in response, transmitting, "There will be many opportunities in the future; the various holy lands are all waiting for us."

The Great Xia Prince and the young nun in white clearly weren't visiting for the first time; they seemed incredibly familiar with the place.

Many didn't understand why the Great Xia Prince always brought his sister along. Only Ye Fan had a suspicion: this Great Xia Princess was a Buddhist devotee and was likely undertaking worldly cultivation.

The Heavenly Grade Stone Garden contained many emerald green bamboo groves, adding to its quiet serenity.

There weren't many stone materials here, but each had its own specific location. People from the Dao One Holy Land inspected them daily because they were simply too precious.

Nevertheless, these stones were arranged very naturally, either beneath green bamboo, beside bubbling springs, or among verdant vines.

The stones blended harmoniously with the scenery, creating a sense of unity with nature and a return to original simplicity.

A diligent Source Master followed closely beside them, continuously providing explanations.

Even with mental preparation, Ye Fan was startled. Many stones weren't large, yet they were all worth thousands of jin of source material.

What was even more outrageous was that some stones were worth a thousand jin of source material per jin, making him feel overwhelmed and unable to bear it.

"Master, isn't this too outrageous? Can anyone even afford them?" Ye Fan asked.

The Source Master replied, "Young people are rarely seen here on weekdays; these are all prepared for the old relics. You certainly feel overwhelmed. For those individuals, if they can carve out hope and a future from this place, they are willing to pour out everything they have."

"What kind of treasures have been cut from here?" Li Heishui asked.

"Divine Source has been cut out before, and some extraordinary treasures have also been unearthed. It's truly marvelous," the Source Master smiled.

"This stone is worth a hundred thousand jin of source material?!" Li Heishui exclaimed.

This impossibly expensive stone, weighing over a hundred jin, lay quietly in the bamboo grove, surprisingly exuding a faint Dao rhythm.

"This is too absurd! Are you selling stones or Divine Source?!" Li Heishui mumbled.

"It's worth that price," the Source Master affirmed.

Li Heishui secretly transmitted, "This stone is indeed very special; it seems to have a Dao rhythm. My spiritual perception is naturally keen, and I sensed it."

Ye Fan shook his head. "It's hard to say with this stone. I can't discern it clearly. Its appearance might not match its interior. It could have been cut from a main stone with a great Dao aura. It's not a good choice. Otherwise, why would it have been sitting here for so long without anyone selecting it?"

"That's true. The Dao rhythm is captivating, yet no one dares to touch it. There must be a reason. After all, the old relics who come here to select stones are all shrewder than foxes," Li Heishui realized.

After examining many stones, Ye Fan's heart trembled. The holy land's Heavenly Grade Stone Garden was truly far from simple, and he had to become more cautious.

"This stone…" Li Heishui exclaimed in surprise.

They saw another stone, just over a foot long, yet it possessed nine orifices, remarkably resembling a stone person.

"Is this natural, or was it carved?" Li Heishui asked.

"It's naturally a strange stone; otherwise, how could it be worth ninety thousand jin of source material?" the Source Master replied.

"Can you discern anything?" Li Heishui secretly asked Ye Fan. "I can't see through this stone. Don't touch it yet," Ye Fan shook his head.

The Great Xia Prince asked from not far away. He had already chosen a stone, weighing only seven or eight jin, but priced at a staggering two square-units of source material.

"Your Royal Highness, you only have a little over ten thousand jin of source material. Now you've spent two square-units, leaving you with only one. How will you gamble with us?" Li Heishui asked.

"I still have some!" the young nun in white said, her large, dark eyes darting glances at the two of them.

"Don't cry if you lose later…" Ye Fan teased.

The young nun in white wrinkled her nose and gave him a big eye-roll, while the Great Xia Prince merely snorted coldly.

Ye Fan walked back and said, "We've also chosen. It's this one."

He had chosen a very large stone, over a person's height, but its price wasn't excessively outrageous, costing three thousand jin of source material.

Of course, it was still extremely expensive, but for a stone of that size in this garden, it was considered a floor price.

Around the stone garden, the onlookers were all astonished by how much these two had spent.

However, Wu Ziming still mocked them, "Do you really think choosing a large stone means you can cut out a rare treasure? You truly know nothing!"

Li Chongtian also sneered, "It's laughable to choose stones like that in the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden." Li Heishui retorted with outright disdain, "You've lost all your source material, and you're still lecturing? Just watch and learn."

"Let's see what you can cut out!" Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian sneered.

"Then watch closely and learn slowly!" Li Heishui roared with laughter.

Ye Fan looked at the Great Xia Prince and said, "Your Highness, this round is for ten thousand jin of source material. The one who cuts out the treasure of higher value wins. Does that sound fair?"

"Alright, let's cut the stones," the Great Xia Prince nodded.

"Good!" Ye Fan replied. This time, he was very careful, personally cutting the stone and slowly peeling away its outer layer.

"Are you confident?" Li Heishui secretly transmitted.

"This stone should yield something. I feel there's a rare treasure inside, but until it's cut open, I can't be truly certain," Ye Fan replied.

"Crack!"

The stone's outer layer slowly peeled away. Ye Fan carefully applied his blade. This time, he wasn't as casual as when cutting the watermelon stone; every cut was cautious, fearing he might damage something.

"Click!"

Suddenly, Ye Fan's blade fell gently again, and the stone naturally split open. A dazzling light burst forth, extremely brilliant, and then a shadowy figure shot up, soaring into the sky.

"Oh my god, what is that? How is it flying?!" many exclaimed.

"It looks like a human figure!"

"That's right, did a person fly out?!"

Outside the Heavenly Grade Stone Garden, the onlookers immediately erupted in an uproar.

"An immortal flying from stone!"

"It really does look like a human figure!"

Ye Fan was genuinely stunned. At the same time, the old Daoist nun, who had been sitting motionless with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.