Chapter 369: Stone Containing a Person

The moment Ye Fan stood up, he was met with a pristine, crystal-clear sight: several Holy Maidens were directly in front of him, and he couldn't avoid them.

Li Heishui, almost consumed by jealousy, tugged at him and whispered a curse: "Careful, don't let your beast blood boil!"

Ye Fan recited Taoist and Buddhist mantras in his heart, repeatedly calling it a sin. The Holy Maidens from the Myriad Beginnings Holy Land and Great Evolution Holy Land were standing so close that he had no way to avoid them.

"Why is young Brother Gufeng blushing while choosing stones?" An Miaoyi chuckled softly.

She was renowned as one of the most beautiful women, with some even calling her the foremost beauty of the Eastern Wasteland. Every gesture, every smile, was incredibly captivating, her allure unparalleled.

She appeared ethereal and pure, seemingly beyond defilement, yet for Ye Fan, it was a completely different experience; he found himself overwhelmed.

An Miaoyi possessed a captivating figure, her delicate form both curvaceous and slender, full and enchanting. Her skin, like crystalline jade, was utterly mesmerizing.

Ye Fan cleared his throat and said, "Choosing stones is quite mentally exhausting."

"Are you alright, brother?" Yao Yuekong asked with concern.

Li Heishui, standing nearby, pursed his lips and said, "Don't worry, not only will he be fine, but he'll also be brimming with energy, his blood surely surging with power."

An Miaoyi smiled sweetly and said, "Young Brother Gufeng is truly interesting. I don't believe you're a shy person, so why are you so reserved now?"

Li Heishui chuckled, "Esteemed Immortal Miaoyi, it is truly your boundless charm, your fragrant delicate body, and your stunning, world-shaking beauty that young Gufeng cannot bear."

The Holy Maidens present were perplexed, even somewhat baffled, finding his words odd, as if they held a hidden meaning.

Ye Fan, trying to conceal his discomfort, said, "I'm fine. I just expended some mental effort; I'll be fine after a short rest."

The Holy Maidens all smiled faintly, radiating immense charm. Even bystanders found them stunning, their minds momentarily lost. For Ye Fan, with his x-ray vision, it was even more intense; he truly experienced what boundless charm and supple beauty meant. However, this was not enjoyment, but rather a form of torment.

He quickly turned to face the "Immortal Tomb" again, re-examining it intently. Otherwise, he truly feared he might develop a stye or be struck by divine lightning as punishment.

He knew these were Holy Maidens, successors to the immortal lineages of the Eastern Wasteland and future mistresses of this boundless land. Today, he had inadvertently glimpsed "heavenly secrets."

In the future, if these "heavenly secrets" were ever revealed and his divine eyes discovered, it would undoubtedly lead to severe karmic retribution. The Holy Maidens would most likely pursue and hunt him across the entire world.

"Brother Baldy, Brother Old Daoist..." Ye Fan mumbled a few more random Buddhist and Taoist mantras, finally calming himself completely.

The Immortal Tomb, though not large, was unfathomably deep, like an abyss. He frowned deeply, observing it for a long time before finally standing up.

"How about it, young Gufeng, will you choose this stone?" A group of old men watched with keen interest. One of them remarked, "Perhaps there truly is an immortal treasure hidden within it."

"If this stone truly is an Immortal Tomb sealed by the heavens, would the Shaking Light Holy Land still wait for someone to cut it open?" Ye Fan shook his head, unable to make a definitive judgment in his heart.

Shortly after, he approached a spring pond and fixed his gaze on a head-sized stone. There was nothing outwardly special about it. However, something stirred within him, and he used his Origin Heaven Divine Sense to peer through it.

"Divine Source!"

This peculiar stone wasn't large, yet it contained a Divine Source larger than a fist, which greatly surprised him.

His divine eyes, sharp as lightning, emitted a purple glow that penetrated deep into the stone, clearly revealing a small sun sealed within. It was undeniably a genuine Divine Source, not a fake crafted by Nangong Qi.

This Divine Source, valued at a full seventy thousand jin of pure Source, glowed golden yellow, like an eternal divine light fixed within the stone.

Ye Fan weighed the head-sized stone in his hand a few times, intending to purchase it separately, not as one of the three designated stones.

Suddenly, his expression changed dramatically. He forcefully tossed the stone into the air and ducked into a crowd of old men.

*Boom!*

It was as if a massive star had plummeted from the cosmos, obliterating itself in mid-air, as dazzling golden energy erupted like endless magma.

"The aura of a Divine Source!"

Everyone was startled, feeling a wave of fear simultaneously. Such a sudden burst of divine power was enough to shatter even seasoned cultivators.

If Ye Fan had been even a step slower just now, he would undoubtedly have been reduced to a bloody pulp. The force was immeasurable.

"That old rascal is too vicious, willing to waste a Divine Source," Ye Fan gritted his teeth.

Everyone present felt a jolt of alarm. The Origin Technique duel had truly escalated to a life-and-death struggle, and the stone selection process itself was a trap; a moment's carelessness could lead to utter ruin.

Only the Divine Silkworm was excited, flying into the sky to greedily absorb the Divine Source energy, smacking its small mouth continuously, looking utterly enraptured.

It's only polite to return a courtesy!

Ye Fan strolled through the bamboo grove, moving unhurriedly, treating the Shaking Light Stone Workshop as a battlefield. He used Dragon Transformation Technique, Earth Vein Technique, and Killing Life Technique to imbue the strange stones with power.

During this process, he discovered eight or nine more traps, each potentially fatal or at least severely incapacitating. It was truly a perilous step at every turn.

*Boom!*

A purple light shot skyward as a rare purple crystal source exploded. Although Nangong Qi reacted swiftly, half of his sleeve was reduced to ash.

Beside him, a disciple screamed in agony, his flesh mangled and bloody, his abdomen nearly pierced clean through.

Nangong Qi's face darkened as he commanded, "You few, stand aside; do not follow me." The young cultivators from the ancient Origin Technique family all retreated upon hearing this, ceasing their pursuit.

The tension grew palpable as both sides confronted each other fiercely. Even a slight oversight could prove fatal.

Ye Fan scoured the stone garden and finally discovered a stone he found quite appealing. Shaped like a stone mill, it wasn't very large, was priced at eighty thousand jin of Source, and was named the Wind Cave Stone.

"This stone is practically weathered away, covered in small holes like decayed wood riddled by insects. Why choose it?" Li Heishui asked, puzzled.

The old men nearby were equally baffled. One commented, "This stone has been sitting here for hundreds of years, and no one has ever shown any interest in it..."

Unexpectedly, Ye Fan decisively purchased the Wind Cave Stone without much explanation.

From the other side of the bamboo grove, gasps of astonishment arose as Nangong Qi also selected his first stone, causing a sensation.

"Master Nangong has selected the Blood Altar!"

"Legend says this stone material was transported from the Primordial Forbidden Zone."

"It's valued at three hundred thousand jin of pure Source, making it the most expensive rare stone in the Shaking Light Stone Workshop and among the top five in all major stone workshops."

"What an astonishing display of wealth! Three hundred thousand jin of Source could form a mountain, yet it's being used to buy a single stone!"

The crowd was visibly stunned, and the stone garden erupted in a cacophony of voices.

Ye Fan frowned; his opponent's decisiveness was beyond his expectation. He had also examined the "Blood Altar," and like the Immortal Tomb, it was difficult to discern its contents. He hadn't anticipated Nangong Qi buying it.

"I want the Immortal Tomb," he declared to the Shaking Light staff.

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped, followed by another wave of exclamations. With the second most expensive rare stone now purchased, it was clear that today would be an extraordinary spectacle.

"The Immortal Tomb is valued at two hundred fifty thousand jin of pure Source!"

"Both parties are insane, spending hundreds of thousands of jin of Source on a single stone!"

Inside the stone garden, a hubbub arose as people discussed animatedly, while outside, the crowd was positively roaring.

Too many people had arrived today; most couldn't gain entry and could only watch from afar, gathered outside the bamboo grove.

"What a world-shaking gamble! Throwing down hundreds of thousands of jin of Source, even more extravagant than a Holy Lord!"

"Both the Immortal Tomb and the Blood Altar have been chosen! Today will surely be an eye-opener; I've always wanted to know what secrets they hold."

Almost everyone was excited. The various Holy Sons were profoundly shaken; after all, it was hundreds of thousands of jin of Source, causing them all to gasp sharply.

The old-timers were the most agitated. Some had been fixated on the Immortal Tomb and Blood Altar for untold years, yet after Origin Technique Grandmasters dismissed their potential, no one had dared to make a move.

"Master Nangong has chosen his second rare stone!"

Exclamations echoed from the other side of the bamboo grove. Nangong Qi's second chosen stone, valued at one hundred eighty thousand jin of Source, wasn't the most expensive, but it was the largest, almost the size of a small house.

"The Great Clumsy Elephant!"

This stone had an unappealing name, an enormous size, and a high price, which had led to it being consistently overlooked. Yet, Nangong Qi decisively bought it.

Ye Fan felt a flicker of pressure; his opponent possessed remarkable boldness, selecting stones with precision and acting decisively.

Li Heishui, indignant, commented, "Nominally, Nangong Qi is choosing the stones, but in reality, it's four grandmasters from the ancient Origin Technique family examining the stones together. This is four against one; it's extremely unfair."

"I choose the Demonic Embryo," Ye Fan declared, selecting his third stone.

It was the naturally perfectly rounded, spherical rare stone, valued at one hundred twenty thousand jin of Source. Named the Demonic Embryo, it felt warm and smooth to the touch.

"Young friend, have you made your choice?" Nangong Qi asked as he approached, having also selected his third stone.

"I have," Ye Fan replied.

"In that case, let us cut the stones," Nangong Qi said calmly, as if everything were already within his grasp.

The three rare stones chosen by Ye Fan were the Wind Cave Stone, the Demonic Embryo, and the Immortal Tomb, valued at eighty thousand jin, one hundred twenty thousand jin, and two hundred fifty thousand jin of Source respectively, totaling four hundred fifty thousand jin of Source.

The three rare stones chosen by Nangong Qi were the Fiery Sun Stone, the Great Clumsy Elephant, and the Blood Altar, valued at eighty thousand jin, one hundred eighty thousand jin, and three hundred thousand jin of Source respectively, totaling five hundred sixty thousand jin of Source.

A profound silence fell over the venue; everyone was utterly stunned. The combined expenditure of over a million jin of Source left them all wide-eyed and speechless.

Whether it was the elders, the various Holy Sons, or other cultivators unable to enter the Heavenly-rank stone garden, all felt their hearts pound with awe.

"Cut the stones!"

"Quickly, cut them open and see what's inside!"

The first to break the silence and shout these words were a group of old men, their faces flushed, necks bulging, waving their fists and yelling loudly.

"Yes, quickly cut open the rare stones!"

"I truly want to see what world-shaking immortal treasures are hidden within the stones right now!"

Others caught the excitement, all shouting loudly, and the stone garden, both inside and out, erupted into a frenzy.

"First, cut open the Immortal Tomb, open that naturally formed ancient grave, and see what's buried within!"

"Cutting the Blood Altar first would also be fine; this stone material was transported from a collapsed divine temple in the Primordial Forbidden Zone, its origin is astounding!"

Nangong Qi immediately smiled and said, "Since everyone is so eager to know, then we shall give you all an eye-opener first."

He stated that he would require the assistance of several old friends, as even someone as powerful as himself could not see through this particular stone alone.

The Blood Altar had an astonishing origin, hailing from the Primordial Forbidden Zone. It was a component of an altar within an ancient divine temple, entirely blood-red, and exuded a demonic aura.

It was said that the altar was composed of nine blood-red stones. The Shaking Light Holy Land had cut open six of them, yet found nothing, which is why they sent the smallest remaining piece to the stone workshop.

At this moment, Nangong Qi and three other grandmasters unleashed divine light from their palms, each revealing a brilliant divine wheel.

"The Origin Heaven Treasure Wheel!"

"No, it's the Origin Heaven Divine Wheel!"

"Heavens, it truly is the Origin Heaven Divine Wheel, perfected!"

The four divine wheels merged into one, glittering brightly, and as they shone upon the Blood Altar, its interior instantly became clear.

"Heavens, there's someone in the stone!"

"There's a young girl!"

"A peerless beauty of captivating allure!"

The stone garden instantly erupted in a clamor. Ye Fan's heart sank; this was simply incredible!

"Quickly, go invite the mighty experts!"

"Invite all the Holy Lord-level figures from the Divine City to come and engrave peerless array patterns to suppress this stone!"

A number of old recluses shouted, ordering others to quickly summon the powerful figures from the Divine City.