Chapter 331: Stone Man Bears Rare Treasures

## Chapter 335: Stone Man Containing Rare Treasures

When Ye Fan made this statement, the elders around him were surprised, while those outside the stone garden initially froze, then erupted into a clamor.

"A wager? Are you betting with that white stone on the ground? It's clearly a white flower stone; it's impossible to cut out any source. Even the most novice stone gamblers know that!""Young man, even if the Nine-Aperture Stone Man yields nothing, don't be so disheartened. There will be other opportunities.""I think he's lost his mind. To still want to make a wager at this point..."

Outside the Heavenly Stone Garden, discussions buzzed, especially from Wu Ziming and his companions, who openly mocked him."What are you betting with? Are you going to cut divine source from that white stone? What a huge joke!""I think he's lost his composure and gone mad. I've said it before, he doesn't know his own limits.""Now he's been knocked back down to earth, hasn't he? He thought he was a master of source techniques, commanding the world, but he's fallen hard from the clouds!""Overestimating himself, ha ha ha..."

Ye Fan remained calm and said, "Who will bet with me? I'll wager the Nine-Aperture Stone Man against you. If I lose, I'm willing to pay 50,000 jin of source."

His words were met first with silence, then a burst of uproar."This guy's crazy, truly nonsensical.""50,000 jin of source! If you can produce it, I'll bet with you!" someone challenged, shouting loudly."Can't handle a setback, so he's giving up entirely?" someone else scoffed.

Inside the stone garden, Yao Yuekong stepped forward to advise, "Brother, there's no need for this. At worst, we can start over. Such a white stone simply cannot yield rare treasures."

Ye Fan shook his head, persisting, "It's fine. I just want to bet with them. Since even divine medicine was cut today, I feel heaven is on my side."

On the ground, the fist-sized stone was dazzlingly white. The thought of its astronomical price left people gasping and sighing even more.

"Cutting out divine medicine was an immense stroke of luck; it's a rare treasure rarely seen in years. Do you really think you can cut out another divine item like that? What a joke!""Do you even have source? If you do, I'll bet with you!"From outside the stone garden, various voices chimed in. No one believed that source could be cut from a white flower stone.

Li Heishui, anxious, secretly transmitted a message: "Are you really confident? This is a white flower stone; even beginner stone gamblers know that it absolutely won't yield any source.""I'm somewhat confident," Ye Fan secretly replied."Really?" Li Heishui was half-skeptical, seeing Ye Fan's composure."How could I possibly trick myself?" Ye Fan thought to himself."You're too cunning, you're fishing!" Li Heishui relaxed, secretly chuckling, "They say I have a dark heart, but I think you're even darker than me. You clearly cut out something good, yet you're so calm and didn't forget to trick these people. I think you should be called Ye Hei [Ye Blackie] instead."

At this moment, the stone garden inside and out was a cacophony. Everyone was restless. The old Daoist nun from the Dao Yi Holy Land had to step forward a few paces to prevent anyone from rushing in impulsively.

Ye Fan scanned everyone and said, "Every word I say is true. Look what this is!" With a sweep of his sleeve, a large pile of source stones immediately appeared on the ground, shining brightly and exuding an aura that soared to the sky.

Wu Ziming, Li Chongtian, and over a dozen others had collectively lost 42,000 jin of source to him. The Great Xia Prince had also lost 10,000 jin of source to him. In total, it was just over 50,000 jin.

Outside the stone garden, everyone felt a bit dizzy seeing so much source. Most were young people who had never handled such a large quantity before, and their eyes all glowed with fervor.

"Does anyone dare to bet with me?" Ye Fan asked again.

This time, everyone was stunned. 50,000 jin of source was simply too much; such a scene was rare on ordinary days.

Anyone capable of producing so much source rarely engaged in such wagers out of pique. Most were elder figures who used it to purchase rare treasures.

Even figures like Jiang Yifei and An Miaoyi showed a flicker of surprise in their expressions.

Some people's mouths went dry; they couldn't help but swallow, their eyes fixed on the 50,000 jin of source in the garden, unable to look away.

However, such a large pile of source stones was simply too much. No young person could produce it all at once, so they all looked on eagerly.

Some elder figures could afford it, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it. Especially the elders around Ye Fan inside the stone garden, all of whom were highly influential and many could easily afford 50,000 jin of source.However, they had just been following Ye Fan, seemingly choosing stones together, and now they couldn't bring themselves to bet against him.

"How about this: I'll lower the standard. We'll use one 'fang' of source as the unit. As long as you collectively gather that much, you can come in, and I'll accept all your wagers."

10,000 jin of source was equivalent to three 'fang', and 50,000 jin was fifteen 'fang'. Ye Fan divided the large pile of source stones into fifteen smaller piles, then looked at everyone.

"Let's bet! We'll pool our source and bet against him together!"

Immediately, seven or eight people gathered 10,000 jin of source, becoming the first group of bettors to enter.

Wu Ziming, Li Chongtian, and others were even more restless, wishing they could immediately enter the wager. This was a rare opportunity to get revenge for their previous losses.

"These two bumpkins are definitely in for big trouble. It's a shame we don't have any source on us. What should we do?" Wu Ziming said, unwilling to give up.

"Isn't that Senior Li Yishui over there? He's the Grand Elder of the Illusory Demise Palace. Li Chongtian, he's your grand-uncle. Why don't you go borrow some source from him?" someone suggested.

"That's right, I saw that Senior Li Yishui was quite displeased with those two youngsters because of the divine medicine incident. Li Chongtian, if you explain, I think he'll definitely lend it to us."

"Alright, I'll go try."

Before long, Li Chongtian returned, having indeed borrowed 10,000 jin of source.

Ye Fan showed no emotion, calmly watching them approach. He had been waiting for these few, having long known they would borrow source from Li Yishui.

At this moment, Li Yishui revealed a deep, indifferent smile, casting a meaningful glance towards the stone garden.

"Old geezer, let's see if you're still smiling in a bit," Li Heishui muttered with a cold smirk upon seeing the situation.

"Anyone else willing to join the wager?" Ye Fan scanned the surroundings.

Many were tempted and wanted to team up, but seeing Ye Fan and Li Heishui so calm, they felt confused and hesitated.

Especially the influential elders inside the stone garden also showed unusual expressions, sensing that things might take an unexpected turn.

"Is there really no one else?" Ye Fan asked again.

At this moment, the little nun in white was still squatting on the ground, propping her beautiful chin, her large eyes incredibly pure, and she grumbled discontentedly, "Hurry up and cut it."

Ye Fan asked several times, but no one responded. By now, many were feeling confused, and even Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian were starting to feel uneasy.

This was because Ye Fan was too composed and calm.

Ultimately, no one else entered. Only two groups wanted to bet with Ye Fan, totaling 20,000 jin of source.

"Hurry up!" the little nun in white tilted her head, blinking her large eyes to urge him, showing some impatience.

"Little sister, since you're so eager, how about I let you cut the stone?" Ye Fan smiled.

The little nun in white wrinkled her nose, ignoring him, her expression focused only on the stone.

The Great Xia Prince was truly fed up; he wished he could slap Ye Fan. He frowned, took a few steps, and stood beside his sister.

"Cut the stone quickly!" Wu Ziming and others urged.

"Alright, just wait for the peerless rare treasure to emerge," Ye Fan said with a serious expression, operating the sharp silver knife on the fist-sized stone.

"Crack!"

As soon as the sound of stone cutting echoed, the surrounding people instantly quieted down, as if returning to the beginning, with no one speaking anymore.

Stone dust fell rustling. The silver knife moved quickly, and soon the fist-sized stone was half its original size. It was still white flower stone, with no unusual phenomena appearing.

Although Wu Ziming and others wanted to mock him, they couldn't bring themselves to laugh. In this solemn atmosphere, they even felt a bit nervous.

Finally, the stone material was smaller than a plum, and no rare treasure had appeared. Many people could no longer hold back and began to discuss.

The vast majority believed that nothing could be cut from it. It was already such a small piece, and still a white flower stone. If it contained a divine object, spiritual energy would have been sensed long ago.

Even Li Heishui couldn't keep calm. Everyone looked at Ye Fan, but he remained very composed, precisely guiding the knife and quickly cutting the stone.

"Click!"

When the stone was cut down to the size of a lychee, its color finally changed, becoming dark red, causing many to exclaim in surprise.

Ye Fan slowed down, carefully peeling off the stone skin. Everyone immediately held their breath, no longer speaking, quietly observing.

Finally, a dark red, heart-shaped stone was peeled out.

All the elders present were astonished, and each showed an expression of immense regret.

"What a pity! This Nine-Aperture Stone Man truly had a chance of transformation. Its heart had already formed. If it had another few million years, it very likely would have developed sentience and become a nearly immortal Saint Spirit!""Alas, it shouldn't have been born so early and discovered. Now, everything is for naught."

All the elders shook their heads, feeling it was fate. Otherwise, in a few million years, this would have been an incredibly terrifying existence, capable of contending with ancient Great Emperors.

"The Nine-Aperture Stone Man stops here after all; it ultimately failed to birth any rare treasure. What a pity for this stone fetus born of heaven and earth."

Seeing that all the elders present had reached this conclusion, Wu Ziming immediately burst into laughter, sarcastically saying, "Source technique genius, present your source now."

Ye Fan ignored them, continuing to cut. Indeed, after the dark red stone heart was sliced open, there was nothing inside.

"Hahahahaha..." Li Chongtian and the others burst into laughter, filled with glee and mockery.

Outside the stone garden, there was an uproar. Many were filled with regret, wishing they could beat themselves for missing such a great betting opportunity.

"Heh heh..." Li Yishui, the Grand Elder of the Illusory Demise Palace, gave a meaningful sneer.

The Great Xia Prince and Yao Yuekong also shook their heads, feeling that Ye Fan was too wasteful, as this was essentially giving away source for free.

"Young man, what can I say about you? You really shouldn't have done this. Nine out of ten bets are lost, especially with source stones; they have a certain unpredictable nature. It's very difficult to predict the outcome without cutting them open."

Some of the elders around him shook their heads, all feeling that Ye Fan's actions were not worthwhile.

Ye Fan remained very calm, saying nothing more.

However, Li Heishui was sweating. Cutting out nothing was a huge blow.

Especially seeing the mockery from Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian, he was even more annoyed. Seeing the sympathetic or gloating expressions of others, he couldn't help but sigh.

"What's wrong? Nothing to say?!"

The two groups who had bet with Ye Fan were all triumphant at this moment, and some began to taunt him.

"Source technique genius, go back and practice for a few more years. Not just anyone can cut a priceless wondrous stone!"

"Overestimating himself, thinking he's the resurrected Source Grandmaster. Truly laughable."

"Since you're not speaking, we'll collect the source ourselves, haha..."

These laughs were incredibly unrestrained, especially from Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian, who were even more insolent.

Around them, Yao Yuekong, the Great Xia Prince, and others remained silent. The group of elders also stopped speaking.

Outside the stone garden, it was a frenzy. The vast majority of people were blaming themselves and filled with regret.

"Wait!" Just then, Ye Fan suddenly spoke calmly, "The Nine-Aperture Stone Man hasn't been fully cut yet. What right do you have to touch my source?"

Hearing him speak this way, everyone was startled. Even figures like Jiang Yifei and An Miaoyi showed surprise.

"You still have stone to cut?" Wu Ziming and the others all looked at the ground, but they didn't pay much attention.

The little nun in white was still propping her chin, not rising. Her voice was clear and pleasant, saying, "Hurry and cut it open, let me see what's inside."

Ye Fan picked up a flat stone from the stone dust, about half the size of a palm and over an inch thick.

"Such a flat piece of stone, and you still expect to cut out a rare treasure?""You really won't give up until you see the coffin! Still not resigned even now!""We'll wait for you to cut it open and see what appears!"

The two groups who had bet with Ye Fan didn't believe anything could be cut out, and cold sneers played on their lips.

"Can we still join now? Since you still have stone material, I'd like to bet with you too," someone shouted from outside the stone garden."I want to join too!""Count me in!"

The Heavenly Stone Garden immediately became noisy. Many people spoke loudly, wanting to join, as tens of thousands of jin of source were truly enviable.

"What should we do?" Li Heishui asked anxiously, transmitting his voice secretly.

"Just wait to collect the source," Ye Fan replied.

"You... I understand now. You've played this trick twice in a row, and even the hesitant ones dare to come in now. You really should be called Ye Hei [Ye Blackie]," Li Heishui realized with a sudden understanding.

This time, Ye Fan didn't agree readily as before, hesitating slightly. He said, "Everyone, why go to such lengths?"

"Just a moment ago, you yourself declared that you wanted to bet with everyone present. Why are you backing out now?!""Words spoken are like water spilled; we also want to join."

"That old fogey!" Li Heishui cursed under his breath. He noticed Li Yishui was sending source, lending it to Li Chongtian's group, and those dozen people were fanning the flames.

A cold smirk appeared at the corner of Ye Fan's mouth as he transmitted a message: "I want to trap that big fish. That old geezer alone can produce tens of thousands of jin of source, while dozens of others combined can't even put together 10,000 jin."

Ultimately, when Ye Fan agreed, several people quickly rushed over and piled 30,000 jin of source onto Wu Ziming and their existing pile.

Others were unwilling to give up. Dozens more gathered 10,000 jin of source, but alas, they were a step too late and returned dejectedly.

"50,000 jin of source against fifteen 'fang' of source. Everyone, when the time comes, please acknowledge your losses," Ye Fan said, growing even calmer.

"As for who wins and who loses, I think you've got it backward!" Wu Ziming sneered.

At this moment, Li Yishui's heart skipped a beat, feeling that something was amiss, but alas, the source had already been sent in.

"Hurry up and cut the stone! We're waiting for you, the 'source technique genius,' to hand over 50,000 jin of source, hahahaha...""What 'source technique genius'? Just a boy who doesn't know his place!"

Ye Fan smiled, even more composed. He spoke to the old Daoist nun from the Dao Yi Holy Land, saying, "Please seal this space, senior, to prevent the rare treasure from escaping."

Hearing him say this, everyone was greatly surprised and couldn't help but look towards the center of the area. Even the number of people speaking significantly decreased.

"Are you certain this is necessary?" the old Daoist nun asked calmly.

"I'm certain that a peerless rare treasure is about to emerge!" Ye Fan affirmed with great certainty.

At his words, everyone was stunned. It was truly a rollercoaster of emotions. Seeing his expression, many instinctively believed him.

Of course, quite a few people were skeptical, and some even sneered and mocked.

"He's truly bet his mind away, still unwilling to give up. Let's see how he'll clean up this mess!""If nothing comes out, I wonder where he'll put his face!""He's digging his own grave; just wait for him to make a fool of himself!"

The people saying these things were naturally those who had bet against him, and they were the most vehement, all bearing cold smiles.

The old nun from the Dao Yi Holy Land said nothing more, acting decisively to seal the space. A transparent light curtain enveloped the area.

From beginning to end, the young Daoist girl from the Dao Yi Holy Land remained calm and unperturbed, observing with a detached air.

As for who was most curious, it was undoubtedly the little nun in white, who was quite displeased with Ye Fan, wrinkling her delicate nose and urging him several times to cut the stone faster.

"Little brother, are you sure you can cut out a rare treasure?" Yao Yuekong asked, and the Great Xia Prince also looked over.

"I have a certain degree of confidence," Ye Fan replied.

When he said this, the elders around him were undoubtedly the most surprised. The Nine-Aperture Stone Man was a very special wondrous stone to them, as they had been observing it for many years. If truly nothing could be cut from it, they would undoubtedly be very disappointed.

This time, Ye Fan showed an extremely solemn expression. This piece of stone was the Nine-Aperture Stone Man's forehead, including the brow-center area.

Even before he cut this section, he had already determined that there was something extraordinary inside, but he wasn't in a hurry to open it. Instead, he continued to peel away other parts.

Now, he had to act seriously. The silver knife slid, and the stone skin was slowly peeled away. His movements were very slow, extremely careful, for fear of damaging anything.

"Crack!"

When Ye Fan's last cut fell, the entire stone cracked open on its own. From the brow-center area, a cocoon-like object fell out, about an inch long and half an inch thick.

It was dark gold and shimmered, revealing itself to be a metallic cocoon. No one knew what was inside, but it gave off an extremely peculiar sensation.

"Something was actually cut out!"

Everyone was greatly surprised. A rare treasure was contained within the white flower stone, exceeding everyone's imagination.

"This is something born from the brow-center of the Nine-Aperture Stone Man. What is it?!" At this moment, the dark gold metallic cocoon captivated everyone's attention.

"Thump!"

Suddenly, it gently vibrated, shaking on its own.

"What?! It can move? Could it be some ancient creature?!"

Everyone's expressions changed. There were indeed many legends about ancient creatures. What could such a metallic cocoon contain?

Ye Fan quickly retreated, sensing danger.

At this very moment, a terrifying aura of killing intent permeated the air, shaking people's hearts and causing many faces to turn pale instantly.

"What in the world is about to emerge?!" Many elder figures began to become wary.

This was the only reassuring thing: there were many elder masters present today.

"Crack!" The dark gold metallic cocoon rapidly cracked open, and then a black sword light shot straight up, piercing through the old nun's seal.

The chilling killing intent made souls tremble, and the bone-piercing murderous aura shook hearts!

The cocoon completely shattered into dust, and a black miniature sword, no more than an inch long, appeared in its place.

It vibrated with a metallic clang, erupting with sky-piercing killing intent, piercing through the sealed space, sending a black light directly into the sky.

"Heavens, the killing intent is too terrifying! It must be interwoven with 'Dao' and 'principles'! The Nine-Aperture Stone Man truly lives up to its name as a miraculous embryo born of heaven and earth, containing such a divine sword!"

"If it hadn't emerged prematurely and been displayed here, the Nine-Aperture Stone Man would surely become a Saint Spirit in the future. This is the sword of conquest forged by heaven and earth for it!"

Some elders let out such exclamations.

"Heavens, quickly look! What material is it? It seems to be... Dragon-Pattern Black Gold!"

"That's right, it truly is the Great Emperor's exclusive sacred material — Dragon-Pattern Black Gold!"

This was even more astonishing, filling everyone with immense excitement.

The black miniature sword, less than an inch long, was covered in many natural dragon patterns, ancient and natural, but at this moment, its blade emitted a dark light that shot into the sky.

"It's the same material as the Dragon-Pattern Cauldron, the ultimate sacred weapon of the Dao Yi Holy Land!"

"This is truly a peerless rare treasure! The Nine-Aperture Stone Man actually contained something like this. This is its future weapon!"

"This Nine-Aperture Stone Man is extraordinary! If it hadn't been cut open, it would have been capable of contending with a Great Emperor in the future!"

The Dragon-Pattern Black Gold Sword, though less than an inch long and a very small sacred object, would certainly have become an ultimate Dao sacred weapon if it hadn't emerged prematurely and had developed alongside the Nine-Aperture Stone Man.

Everyone felt both regret and shock. The Nine-Aperture Stone Man was truly extraordinary, naturally containing a weapon, and one made of a sacred material like Dragon-Pattern Black Gold. If it could have truly emerged, its future combat power would have shaken the world!

Everyone worked together to seal the dark black miniature sword.

"Quickly seal it! Having emerged too early, the Stone Man holds resentment. Hold on for a while, and this sword will surely return to its normal state."

A miniature sword born from the sacred material, Dragon-Pattern Black Gold!

This outcome left everyone who had bet against Ye Fan dumbfounded. Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian's faces immediately turned green, and as for Li Yishui, the Grand Elder of the Illusory Demise Palace, he nearly spat blood.

This result was far beyond anyone's expectations!

Their hearts were bleeding. Tens of thousands of jin of source had just been swindled away from them.

At this moment, these people were all somewhat unable to bear it.

"Damn it, this is too ruthless!"

"Tens of thousands of jin of source! Those two youngsters are too dark-hearted, both in face and heart!"

All those who participated in the wager were almost exhausted, incessantly cursing.

However, no one paid attention to them at the moment. Cutting out a Dragon-Pattern Black Gold miniature sword was absolutely a rare treasure, drawing everyone's attention.

Especially since it was born from the Nine-Aperture Stone Man, it was truly captivating!

Jiang Yifei in white was the first to transmit a message to Ye Fan. Then, the peerlessly graceful An Miaoyi also had her eyes shimmering. If the stone garden hadn't been sealed, she would have already floated in.

At this moment, many people showed goodwill towards Ye Fan, wanting to acquire this sword, despite its small size.