Chapter 340: Source Contains True Dragon

Several extraordinary heavenly-grade wondrous stones served as the garden's treasures. Even Ye Fan couldn't truly discern their depths, making him increasingly aware of how vast, profound, and endless this discipline was.

There was good reason why the Origin Master was known as a peerless prodigy in ancient times. They could see through ancient earthly mines with a single glance, traverse the world, and discern all secrets hidden within origins.

Tuoba Chang also furrowed his brow slightly; he felt a subtle pressure while walking through this stone garden. Some wondrous stones were shrouded in mist, making them difficult for him to perceive.

The island was small, only a few hundred meters across. Ancient trees, though not dense, were robust and vigorous. Each resembled a coiled dragon, with old bark like dragon scales and branches laden with flowers.

Pink, pure white, sky blue, and light purple petals drifted down, each glistening and emitting a pervasive fragrance. It felt like a deity's pure land, imparting a sense of peace, tranquility, purity, spirituality, sanctity, and divinity.

Particularly, under an ancient tree at the center, amidst a flurry of falling petals, the Ji family's elder who guarded the stone garden sat cross-legged like a meditating deity, his skin as smooth as an infant's and his hair as white as snow.

Many old men, upon arriving, did not disturb him. From beginning to end, he remained in meditative silence with his eyes closed.

Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang circled the area, examining every wondrous stone. They then stood facing each other under several ancient flowering trees, both perfectly calm.

Tuoba Chang said, "Anything less than a peerless rare treasure doesn't count. If one loses, they must hand over not only one hundred thousand *jin* of source but also any divine object cut from the stone."

"That suits me perfectly," Ye Fan nodded.

The two then began selecting their stones, while everyone held their breath, watching intently.

The Great Xia Prince, An Miaoyi, Ji Biyue, Jiang Yifei, Yao Yuekong, Jin Chixiao, and others all stepped forward, opening their divine eyes and carefully sensing.

As for the old men, they practically clung to the two, following their every step. Their once cloudy eyes now emitted divine light, casting off their previous decrepit state, each becoming as vigorous as dragons and tigers.

The remaining spectators stood silently at the edge of the small island, observing with focused attention.

Tuoba Chang made the first move. His entire right hand transformed into a crimson-gold, and he strode forward, pressing down on each of the dozen or so wondrous stones he had previously singled out.

The crimson-gold divine hand endowed him with an enhanced divine sense, allowing him to perceive everything. A faint golden radiance emanated from his entire body, connecting him with the stones.

Everyone was astonished, for at that very moment, one by one, the wondrous stones turned transparent, revealing their contents with perfect clarity.

It was common knowledge that source stones were unique; even the most powerful cultivators could not sense what lay within them. Yet, Origin Art was so miraculous it defied all reason.

"This is an Origin Master's technique! Legends from ancient times say that when an Origin Master appeared, no secrets could remain hidden within stones; everything would be revealed."

"The Tuoba clan possesses world-shaking extraordinary techniques! To have such a method that even wondrous stones cannot hide their traces!"

"Tuoba Chang is truly a genius! To achieve so much at such a young age, he might well become the sixth Origin Master of the Northern Region in the future."

The group of old men exclaimed in admiration, as if beholding a peerless beauty. Their eyes sparkled with unusual brilliance, each secretly formulating their own plans.

Everyone else was also inexplicably amazed. Many began to consider recruiting him, as someone capable of producing source from the Northern Region would undoubtedly be a highly esteemed guest for any major power.

In contrast, Ye Fan was much more understated. He moved through the flowering bushes like a gently drifting cloud, his glistening fingers lightly brushing, without any noticeable radiance or unusual phenomena. His presence was merely the natural flow of a clear spring over stones amidst pine trees, making his entire being incredibly ethereal.

Finally, Tuoba Chang stopped before the Dragon Head Stone, placing his crimson-gold right hand upon it, creating a connection.

Many people gasped upon witnessing this, as it was clear the Tuoba family's prodigy had chosen this stone. His expression was exceptionally solemn.

A group of elders gathered around. This stone had been displayed for years, untouched, and if it were cut open now, it would fulfill a long-held wish for them.

An Miaoyi’s hair danced lightly as she moved with graceful steps to draw closer. The refined Jiang Yifei also showed surprise, approaching to observe.

Wondrous stones were notoriously difficult to appraise; even Origin Masters occasionally found themselves perplexed, let alone those in the current age.

Tuoba Chang’s crimson-gold divine hand pressed onto the Dragon Head Stone. It did not turn transparent, remaining as still as an ancient well, with only a faint wisp of dragon energy seeping out.

"Clink," "clink," "clink"…

Tuoba Chang continuously tapped his fingers, exactly three hundred sixty-five times, sending streaks of divine light into the Dragon Head Stone.

Simultaneously, he became imbued with a faint golden light, astonishingly connecting with the millstone-sized Dragon Head Stone as if becoming one with it.

He closed his eyes, his right hand resting on the dragon's head, as radiant light flowed, like the hand of a deity coming to life.

"A treasure wheel appeared beneath his right hand!"

"It truly was a treasure wheel, wreathed in five colors, displaying a myriad of splendid hues."

Everyone, from the group of old men, An Miaoyi, the Great Xia Prince, and Jin Chixiao, to the onlookers outside the small island, revealed expressions of astonishment.

"This is the Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel; it can imprint the secrets of wondrous stones, revealing what kind of rare treasures are contained within them."

"The Tuoba family's genius is astounding; he has even restored this technique, which is said to be a miraculous art of the Origin Master."

Among the older generation who understood this, not one person's expression remained unchanged, and everyone else was deeply moved upon hearing it.

At this moment, Li Heishui's heart pounded wildly. The opponent's Origin Art was so astounding that it was truly hard to say who would be stronger in this Origin Art duel.

With a flash of light, the brocade-clad Tuoba Chang retreated. The Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel clung to his palm, its radiance intensifying like a five-colored divine sun, dazzling observers and making it impossible to open their eyes.

However, no one closed their eyes. Instead, they opened their divine eyes, emitting streaks of light, eager to glimpse what was imprinted on the Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel.

"A dragon! My heavens, there's a dragon!"

The Heavenly-grade Sacred Stone Garden erupted in an uproar, with everyone exclaiming in shock at the sight.

"A dragon has been imprinted within the Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel!"

"Is this real? Is there truly a dragon inside the Dragon Head Stone?!"

In Tuoba Chang’s palm, the Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel shimmered, and within it, a dragon’s shadow writhed, shaking its head and wagging its tail, constantly moving.

Faintly, a terrifying dragon’s might erupted, leaving everyone utterly dumbfounded.

Everyone was stunned; this was almost magical. Could a true dragon be about to emerge?

The Ji family members’ expressions utterly changed. They had sought out supreme experts to examine the wondrous stones in the garden; how could they have overlooked such a peerless treasure?

Not only Jin Chixiao, the little nun in white, and Xiang Yifei, but even the older generation were incredibly excited and rushed to surround it.

People from many major forces secretly transmitted messages to Tuoba Chang, offering astonishingly high prices to purchase the stone.

"I once heard that true dragons are born from the very essence of heaven and earth. Could there truly be a foot-long young dragon within this Dragon Head Stone?"

"Regardless, there must be a peerless treasure within this millstone-sized dragon head, and it must be related to a true dragon."

Everyone's eyes burned with fervent desire, and some terrifyingly ancient elders with powerful backgrounds were filled with regret, remembering how they had once examined this stone but ultimately discarded it.

The faint golden radiance on Tuoba Chang's body slowly faded, and the Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel in his hand vanished. He gently patted the Dragon Head Stone and stated, "I choose this stone."

Now, no one doubted his Origin Art. The various techniques he displayed certainly showed a hint of an Origin Master's style.

Li Heishui complained bitterly, cursing, "No wonder he's so arrogant; he truly possesses peerless Origin Art. This doesn't look good for us now."

Without Li Heishui needing to say it, Ye Fan already felt the pressure. His opponent had chosen the Dragon Head Stone and even used the Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel to project the image of a true dragon.

If it truly was a true dragon, then no matter what rare treasure was cut from other stones, it simply couldn't compare—unless Ye Fan could cut out an immortal.

Ye Fan walked through the stone garden expressionlessly. Choosing an ordinary stone was no longer an option; he absolutely had to cut out an astonishing divine object.

At the moment, his choices included the Immortal Sound Stone, the Eight Trigrams Dao Pattern Stone, and the Peerless Beauty Stone, among others. He frowned, deep in thought among several source-suppressing wondrous stones.

"True dragons are linked to immortals and do not descend to the mortal realm. This shouldn't be the case. Perhaps it's just another anomaly. As long as I cut out a peerless rare treasure, I should be able to contend with that."

Ye Fan stood before the Eight Trigrams Dao Pattern Wondrous Stone but did not make a move. He simply walked around it several times, constantly pondering.

The Innate Six Dream Dao Pattern was very alluring, naturally formed. Gazing upon it, one could feel a circulating Dao charm, a sense of all laws converging into one.

However, Ye Fan eventually moved on, arriving before the Peerless Beauty Wondrous Stone. He caressed it with his hand, then gently tapped it.

His movements were exceptionally rhythmic, his fingers nimble, like several sprites dancing and tracing graceful arcs.

"Young man, you have no other choice. I suggest you just pick one of these garden treasures," an old man advised.

"The Tuoba family's genius has chosen the Dragon Head Stone; you can only select from wondrous stones of the same caliber."

"Exactly. If he truly cuts out a young true dragon, you'd only be able to match it by cutting out a female Saint Spirit King."

Ye Fan had calmed himself and pondered for a long time. In the end, he abandoned the Peerless Beauty Stone and walked to the side.

"Can you even choose one? Are you scared?" Wu Ziming, seeing that Ye Fan still hadn't selected a stone, spoke to disrupt his thoughts and undermine him. "A crude rural technique trying to compete with the miraculous arts of the Origin Art Holy Land? It's laughably overconfident!"

"He's just a frog in a well, how can he be mentioned in the same breath as Brother Tuoba? If such a person is considered an Origin Art genius, it's an insult to Brother Tuoba!" Li Chongtian also sneered.

Li Heijie reprimanded, "Shut your mouths! You are interfering and seriously disrupting this Origin Art duel."

Wu Ziming sneered, "He can't choose a stone because he's scared. Are we not allowed to point that out?"

Li Chongtian also burst into a presumptuous laugh, "Even if he cuts out a rare treasure, it won't compare to Brother Tuoba's Dragon Head Stone. I say he should just admit defeat quickly to avoid having to buy the stone at a sky-high price."

Even before the stones were cut, the atmosphere was already charged with hostility. Both sides began to argue, with many bystanders chiming in.

Tuoba Chang spoke indifferently, "Enough talk. Let him choose his stone. I want him to lose so badly he'll have nowhere to hide his shame."

Hearing this, Ye Fan turned around and smiled, "In the realm of stone gambling and Origin Art, anything is possible. Even if one believes they've seen a true dragon, it might just be a fleeting illusion."

He approached the spiritual spring and retrieved the Immortal Sound Stone from the water. With a gentle flick, the water marks dried, and the bluish-brown stone body appeared natural and unadorned under the sunlight.

Ye Fan felt this stone was the most unusual. It didn't resemble materials typically found in source mines, yet it gave him a peculiar sensation.

Everyone fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. They noticed that Ye Fan’s expression was exceptionally solemn, indicating he was about to perform his Origin Art.

Suddenly, two beams of purple light shot from Ye Fan's eyes, piercing into the stone.

"Heavens, this is the Origin Heaven Divine Sense!"

"The Eyes of Illusion-Breaking, a miraculous Origin Heaven technique! It allows one to perceive everything within the stone using divine sense. This is truly a heaven-defying method!"

All the elders were shocked. An Miaoyi, the Great Xia Prince, and others also felt their emotions surge, and they all stepped forward.

Wu Ziming, Li Chongtian, and the others, upon learning what the Origin Heaven Divine Sense was, all closed their mouths and uttered no further words.

Suddenly, the celestial sound of the Grand Dao resounded, captivating everyone as if a supreme Dao was being transmitted from the immortal realm.

The stone inexplicably emitted strange sounds, resonating with Ye Fan's Origin Heaven Divine Sense and echoing throughout the entire stone garden.

It was like a mysterious scripture, slowly unfolding, cleansing the hearts of those who heard it.

In the center of the island, under the massive ancient tree, glistening flower petals fluttered. With a "swish," the god-like old man suddenly opened his eyes and gazed in their direction.

"I choose this stone," Ye Fan's calm voice resounded.