Chapter 342: God Source Emerges

Chapter 3

After the jade cocoon was cut open, an object was revealed. It emitted a dazzling nine-colored light, was about the size of a chicken egg, perfectly round and naturally formed, and had nine holes that hummed when exposed to wind.

The music it produced was incredibly mystical, captivating listeners and making them long to hold it and listen closely. It possessed an almost enchanting power.

Its entire body was crystalline, displaying a myriad of nine colors. It was exceptionally beautiful and radiant, resembling the world's most precious treasure.

In the center of the small island, the god-like old man beneath the ancient tree shook his head and said, "What a pity, it was born in the mortal world by mistake."

"Elder, what is this?" many people asked, utterly baffled. Even the old-timers didn't know and looked towards the guardian of the Ji family's sacred stone garden.

"This is a Celestial Linglong. If it were nourished by immortal energy, it could engrave fragments of Dao imprints, making it a celestial scripture formed by heaven and earth," the Ji family elder explained, shaking his head. "In this world, it's unknown if true immortals even exist, so how could we find immortal energy to nourish it? In the end, it's just a precious musical instrument, unrelated to cultivation."

"It's a Celestial Linglong! I've heard of it!" some old-timers exclaimed in surprise.

Indeed, as the Ji family stone garden guardian had said, this object was misplaced in the mortal world. Had it been born in the immortal realm and nourished by immortal energy, it would have become a heavenly scripture, imprinted with fragments of the world's patterns.

As it was, it merely emitted the divine sound of the Great Dao upon its emergence, but that was all. Without immortal energy, such a phenomenon would never recur.

"What a pity! Otherwise, this would truly be an ancient scripture, very likely a world-shaking immortal text!"

"Why did this happen? Born in the mortal world by mistake!"

Everyone felt regret. Otherwise, this would have been a celestial scripture of the Heavenly Dao, a magnificent stroke of luck.

Ye Fan cradled the Celestial Linglong in his palm. It was crystalline and warm, shimmering with nine-colored light. If given to a mortal emperor, it would undoubtedly be a national treasure, but for cultivators, it held no practical use.

The Celestial Linglong he extracted, like the wisp of dragon energy from the stone bead, was a "chicken rib"—something of little practical value, merely a rare curiosity.

Tuoba Chang spent 100,000 jin of source on the Dragon Head Stone, and he spent 80,000 jin of source on the Celestial Sound Stone. Both expenditures were essentially wasted, yielding no value.

"Brother Gu Feng, Miaoyi is very interested in the Celestial Linglong. Don't give it to anyone else; please save it for Miaoyi," An Miaoyi whispered secretly, her voice as soft as intoxicating spring breeze.

Such was the nature of stone gambling; out of a hundred attempts, ninety-nine might yield nothing. Even with impressive source techniques, one could be deceived when encountering unusual stones.

Everyone sighed, recognizing that even these two source technique prodigies had misjudged, spending exorbitant sums in vain. The outcome for others was easy to imagine.

"The exorbitant prices of the Sacred Land's rare stones bring them significant annual profits, always a guaranteed gain. If truly rare treasures could be cut from them, the Dragon Head Stone and Celestial Sound Stone wouldn't have been displayed here for years."

Many people were awestruck, warning their companions and friends.

"The Sacred Lands established these stone houses to maximize profit. If there was even a slight certainty of finding something valuable, these rare stones wouldn't have been sent here. The major Sacred Lands are not lacking in master stone evaluators."

At this moment, Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang remained calm and reacted swiftly, rushing towards the other "Treasures of the Garden."

Ye Fan reached the "Peerless Beauty" rare stone in a dozen steps, while Tuoba Chang dashed towards the "Innate Bagua Diagram" rare stone.

"I choose this stone!" Ye Fan declared, immediately throwing down 150,000 jin of source to purchase it.

"I have no more source on me, but I will write an IOU as the first successor of the Tuoba family, and the source will be delivered in a few days," Tuoba Chang said. He had just spent 100,000 jin of source and had nothing left.

Everyone stared in disbelief, wondering why these two were acting this way, as if trying to snatch the stones. Indeed, it seemed they were competing for unparalleled sacred objects.

The rare stone, "Peerless Beauty," stood over two meters tall, quietly beside a flowering tree. Falling petals gave it an ethereal quality. It was valued at 150,000 jin of source.

The rare stone, "Bagua Diagram," was about the size of a tabletop, simple and natural, with Dao imprints seemingly embedded within it. It was valued at 120,000 jin of source.

"Are they crazy?"

"Why are they rushing for more stones right after getting nothing?"

Everyone was confused. Only the Ji family members remained calm; if a few more exorbitantly priced stones yielded nothing, their profits would only increase.

The two quickly began cutting the stones, their blades moving like lightning. Stone fragments flew everywhere like snowflakes.

"I'm truly seeing wonders, old man. Several of the garden's treasures are being cut open in my lifetime; it's fulfilling a wish."

Facing the "Peerless Beauty" rare stone, Ye Fan was anything but gentle. His dragon-patterned black gold carving tool slashed across it, as if he were racing against time.

If there was a rare treasure inside, this was the fastest possible speed without damaging it. In mere moments, the large rare stone was split open.

Unfortunately, the "Peerless Beauty" rare stone was empty inside. This time, not even a "chicken rib" was cut out; there was absolutely nothing.

At the same time, Tuoba Chang had also completely cut open the Bagua Diagram stone, leaving nothing but a pile of stone dust.

In an instant, both moved like lightning, darting towards other stones.

There were five more "Treasures of the Garden." Their target was clear; they rushed over quickly, each claiming another stone.

The stone Ye Fan chose was called "Immortal Gourd." It was over a meter tall and shaped like a calabash. Some speculated that it might contain "gourd seeds," an unparalleled rare treasure, valued at 100,000 jin of source.

The stone Tuoba Chang chose resembled a powerful tiger, as if ready to soar into the sky. It was named "White Tiger Ascension" and valued at 120,000 jin of source.

"Little Ye Zi, are you crazy?!" Li Heishui asked, baffled, transmitting his voice secretly.

This was utterly insane. The Celestial Sound Stone and Peerless Beauty Stone combined had cost 230,000 jin of source, all for nothing.

Yet, at this moment, Ye Fan seemed not to care at all, tossing out another 100,000 jin of source, as if under a spell, oblivious to the consequences.

"I'm not crazy," Ye Fan replied. "There's a crazy stone here, one that surely contains an unparalleled rare treasure. If it's cut out, everything will be worth it!"

"Brother Tuoba, what's wrong with you?" Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian also spoke up.

However, the genius from the Tuoba family paid no attention. After etching his debt onto the stone again, he quickly began cutting.

The Ji family, of course, wasn't afraid he would default. In this era, no one dared to swindle the Ji family, not even ancient source technique families.

"What exactly is going on?" Li Heishui asked, still confused.

Ye Fan had now spent 330,000 jin of source and was rapidly cutting the "Immortal Gourd" rare stone, making everyone feel as if he had gone mad.

"It's hard to explain right now; I'll tell you later."

Both he and Tuoba Chang sensed that this place was peculiar; there must be a stone here that would drive people mad.

Their source techniques were superb, showing a hint of the style of a Source Heaven Master. Both the Source Heaven Treasure Wheel and the Source Heaven Divine Sense were almost akin to the Dao itself.

However, they had been deceived, their judgment interfered with by a strange aura. This was highly unusual.

Both immediately thought of a situation mentioned in ancient source technique texts: there must be something astonishing here!

Both the Tuoba family's treasured scrolls and the supreme source books left by the Source Heaven Master clearly recorded this.

Unparalleled rare treasures possess sentience and can interfere with a source master's judgment, causing them to always cut the wrong stone in order to protect themselves.

This was the legendary Stone King, which must have nurtured an unimaginable sacred object!

One had cultivated the Source Heaven Divine Sense, the other the Source Heaven Treasure Wheel. Their senses were unimaginably keen, and both detected an anomaly, catching the peculiar aura.

If such a sentient, world-shocking rare treasure were cut out, all their expenses would be recouped. Therefore, they cut the stones most likely to contain divine objects, regardless of the cost.

At this point, it was no longer just a duel between Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang, but also a contest against a world-shaking rare stone.

"They're insane, truly insane!"

Everyone was speechless. The two had already spent over 300,000 jin of source, yet they didn't seem to care and appeared determined to continue.

Even the Great Xia Prince, Jiang Yifei, and others from immortal dynasties and enduring aristocratic families were utterly astonished by this scene. Such a cost was unbearable even for them.

An Miaoyi's beautiful eyes gleamed as she smiled faintly. "As expected, it's a sensational source technique duel in the Divine City. All of this is simply astounding."

Even the usually quiet little nun in white blinked her large eyes, filled with confusion.

"Is there a Stone King here?!" Some sensitive old-timers immediately guessed this possibility.

"Heavens! If there's a Stone King, it's not impossible to cut out an ancient scripture, a Great Emperor's sacred object, or even a young true dragon!"

A group of old men changed their expressions, suddenly dispersing and looking around, seemingly wanting to join in.

After the "Immortal Gourd" and "White Tiger Ascension"—these two exorbitantly priced stones—were cut open, they were still completely empty. There was nothing.

Everyone was awestruck. The Sacred Land's stone house was indeed a bottomless pit; once you jumped in, it was hard to get out, pulling you deeper and deeper without yielding anything.

"Little Ye Zi, don't be so crazy anymore! You're actually... still choosing stones?!" Li Heishui's heart pounded with fear.

Ye Fan threw down another 120,000 jin of source, which piled up on the ground, shimmering like a small crystalline mountain. He began selecting stones again.

Three "Treasures of the Garden" remained, each priced at 120,000 jin of source. This time, he didn't act immediately but chose patiently.

Tuoba Chang was equally frantic. He etched his debt onto a bluestone slab and quickly rushed over to select a stone.

"This is too insane, truly mad!"

"It's been many years since such a grand gamble, throwing away hundreds of thousands of jin of source. It's truly heart-stopping!"

Everyone was shocked; it was all too wild, leaving them wide-eyed and speechless.

At this moment, Ye Fan had spent a total of 450,000 jin of source without even a flicker of a frown.

Ultimately, Tuoba Chang was the first to select his stone, one of the exorbitantly priced rare stones named "Divine Moon"!

This stone resembled a crescent moon, very peculiar, over two meters long, with faint crystalline luster throughout.

The stone material was smooth and fine, a rare jade-like source stone, shimmering under the sunlight like a true divine moon.

Tuoba Chang quickly brought down his blade without any delay. The stone's outer layer peeled off, and jade-like fragments flew everywhere as the exorbitantly priced "Divine Moon" stone steadily diminished in size.

Suddenly, a divine radiance shot straight upwards, illuminating the entire island and making the pale blue lake shimmer with crystalline light.

The light was dazzling, and a sacred aura soared into the sky, causing everyone's pores to open and their entire bodies to feel comfortable and at ease, as if enveloped by immortal spiritual energy.

"What is this?!"

"A divine object has been cut out!"

At this moment, the island erupted. Everyone found it hard to remain calm; they were all frantic. This item was too astonishing; if just a wisp of divine light emanating from the cracking stone was like this, then the object itself must be an unparalleled rare treasure.

Tuoba Chang was incredibly excited, slowing down his cutting speed, proceeding cautiously, afraid of damaging anything.

A stone sphere the size of a human head was cut out. Streams of divine light shot from its fissures; the thin layer of outer stone could no longer contain the powerful inner radiance.

This stone sphere actually floated in the air, not sinking at all.

"Heavens, divine source! It's actually divine source!"

"That's right, divine source, as large as a human head!"

Even the older generation was agitated. Such a divine object was rarely seen in the world, and all the Sacred Lands desired it immensely.

"At a conservative estimate, its value is definitely over 500,000 jin of source."

When an old man stated this value, everyone gasped. This was divine source—a piece the size of a human head was comparable to a mountain of ordinary pure source!

Tuoba Chang didn't remove the thin layer of stone skin, fearing it would blind him. Even so, the dozens of divine rays shooting out already made the entire island sparkle, and even the blue lake water shimmered with light.

"Hahaha..." He couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The emergence of divine source had not been seen in the Holy City for many years. This was absolutely sensational news, leaving everyone stunned.

"Black kid, let's see how you're going to turn this around! You actually thought you could compete with a source technique family?!" Li Chongtian burst into hearty laughter.

"Don't even dream about it for the rest of your lives. What could they possibly compare to a piece of divine source like this?" Wu Ziming sneered, "I've been looking forward to your pathetic display for a long time. Finally, I get to see your faces turn green."

Everyone went wild, shouting and discussing loudly. The divine source was simply too astonishing.

Li Heishui was also stunned, completely subdued. The emergence of the divine source had completely overwhelmed him.

At this moment, only Ye Fan remained relatively calm. He said, "In this world, divine source isn't the most precious thing. There are even more sacred objects within rare stones."

Hearing him say this, An Miaoyi, the Great Xia Prince, Jiang Yifei, the little nun, and others all looked over. Even the older generation turned around.

However, most people shook their heads. Some felt sympathy, others gloated. With such a piece of divine source cut out, turning the tables would be harder than ascending to heaven.

Wu Ziming burst into unrestrained laughter. "Then cut out a sacred object and show me!"

"Alright, I'll give it a try today. Perhaps I truly can cut out something even more valuable," Ye Fan said calmly.

As soon as he spoke, the stone garden immediately fell silent, and all eyes fixed on him.

An Miaoyi's beautiful eyes flickered with immense surprise.

The little nun in white blinked her large eyes even more, her small mouth agape, staring at him in cute astonishment, like a swallow.

Even figures with firm resolve like Jin Chixiao, the Saint Son of Wanchu, and Yao Yuekong showed expressions of bewildered surprise.

"Haha, you won't shed tears until you see the coffin! You're at this point and still expect a miracle? I think you don't know your place!" Li Chongtian laughed loudly.

"Can he really cut out something more valuable?" someone whispered. Almost no one believed it.

The divine source was too precious; everyone present believed a miracle was virtually impossible now.

At this very moment, with the divine source revealed, the news spread like wildfire, causing a sensation in the Divine City. More important figures began rushing towards the scene.

Ye Fan remained calm, carefully tapping an exorbitantly priced rare stone. Even in this situation, he was unperturbed.

"Little Ye Zi, you absolutely must cut out a world-shocking rare treasure, or we'll be in deep trouble," Li Heishui secretly transmitted.

"We'll wait and see how you cry when you face the coffin!" Wu Ziming scoffed, then burst into loud laughter.

Hearing this, Ye Fan stood up and said, "Since that's the case, why don't you join in and have a grand gamble with me?" Then, he swept his gaze around and added, "Of course, if anyone else is willing, feel free to participate as well."