In this age, divine medicine has vanished from the world. None of the sacred grounds can obtain it. Undying dynasties whose inheritances span a hundred-plus thousand years are equally unable to find it.
When the aged sacred ground masters of the Eastern Wastelands and the aged dynasty masters of the Central Continent sense that their life essence is nearly exhausted, they all choose to wander through the vast wilderness — doing so for that one-in-ten-thousand chance. Yet never has there been word of anyone actually obtaining divine medicine.
Perhaps it can only be found in the few great forbidden zones of life — but those are places no human strength can reach, and even the sacred grounds are powerless before them.
“A hundred and ten thousand catties of source!” The Great Xia prince announced yet another high price.
“A hundred and twenty thousand catties of source!” Two of the old men joined their resources together and called out this figure, deciding to purchase it through their combined efforts.
“It’s not that I don’t wish to sell, everyone — as I said just now, a divine medicine like this should ideally be revived through some means. Otherwise, it would be a loss for the entire Eastern Wastelands,” Ye Fan said with an air of unwavering righteousness.
Those present cursed him inwardly, convinced he was playing the conniving merchant, driving up the price.
One of the old men shook his head. “Once the source is cracked open, ordinary medicinal herbs will invariably crumble to ash and cannot long endure in the world. Even a divine medicine must be extracted with great care — let alone being revived.”
Another old man said: “Countless ages have passed. Even if this divine medicine’s roots are intact, it simply cannot be revived.”
Ye Fan smiled. “I’m not so sure about that. Aren’t there legends of ancient creatures sealed within source who were revived once the source was cracked open? This is a divine medicine — it must be unlike all others. I believe it can be made to live again.”
Li Heishui chimed in: “Exactly. Once it’s growing again, it can produce unimpaired divine medicine every harvest cycle. With this immortal root, there will be a harvest every year.”
The Grand Elder of the Illusory Extinction Palace, Li Yishui, was inwardly displeased. He said in a heavy tone: “Setting aside whether the divine medicine can even be revived — even if it could regain life, it would need to grow for several thousand years before it would be mature enough for harvest. Can you afford to wait that long?”
Outside the garden, every onlooker was thoroughly stunned. A divine medicine — even an incomplete one — was this precious. It truly did surpass divine source in rarity.
“What outrageous luck — enough to make anyone sick with envy. If I had cut out a treasure like this, I’d be offering prayers of gratitude every single day.”
“How many years has it been? It has been so long since a divine medicine appeared in this world. To think that one has been cut from a stone today — it beggars belief.”
Many outside the stone garden were buzzing with discussion, every one of them wishing they could trade places with Ye Fan. This was a divine medicine that made people tremble — something that could not be sought, only encountered.
“A hundred and thirty thousand catties of source!” The Great Xia prince called out yet another high price. He offered no persuasion — only spoke through his ever-escalating figures.
The little white-robed nun’s large eyes rolled about with a lively gleam as she kept close to the Great Xia prince’s side. It was apparent she very much desired the human-shaped divine medicine.
“What can I say — I truly do believe this divine medicine can be revived,” Ye Fan said with a sigh.
“You just want more source!” many people cursed him inwardly.
“A hundred and fifty thousand catties of source!” The old Daoist nun spoke, her voice cool and impassive, utterly devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
“This…” Ye Fan’s resolve began to waver. Though this was an unparalleled immortal root, even if it could be planted, it would still require several thousand years to mature — he could not wait that long.
Now it wasn’t just those outside the stone garden who were stunned. Even the few old men inside were shaken. Once the Daoist Yishi sacred ground made its move, there was no competing with them.
“Can this divine medicine truly be replanted?” Li Heishui asked, seeking to buy time and continue driving up the price.
The old Daoist nun’s voice was calm. “The price I have named is the highest I will offer. That is its true worth and nothing more.”
Yaoyue Kong, the young lord of the Celestial Demon Palace, had already drawn close. His bearing was exceptionally distinguished. Though he was a man, he carried a quality of otherworldly, demon-like beauty — yet with none of the soft, feminine air one might expect. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, like those of a demon god.
“This immortal root is exceedingly rare in all the world — one might say it is beyond price. Yet to revive it would be difficult indeed, unless divine spring water is used to irrigate it, to reawaken its vitality.”
“That’s entirely impractical. To obtain divine spring water, one would have to enter one of the Eastern Wastelands’ great forbidden zones of life.” The Grand Elder of the Illusory Extinction Palace, Li Yishui, laughed coldly.
“That’s not necessarily so — it’s possible that the Eastern Wastelands’ several great spirit springs might be enough to restore its life force,” Li Heishui said.
Ye Fan also smiled and said: “The sacred grounds’ inheritances have endured through a hundred-plus thousand years without fading. If this immortal root were revived, what are a few thousand years to them? The benefits in the long run would be limitless.”
Everyone present was rendered speechless. These two were singing a duet together, clearly determined to play the conniving merchant to the very end.
The violet-robed Yaoyue Kong smiled. He was pleased to see this unfolding, and said: “I think the two brothers are in a difficult position — it’s not easy to decide whom to sell to, for fear of damaging everyone’s goodwill. The best choice, I believe, is to send this divine medicine to the Celestial Demon Treasury and put it up for auction.”
“Quite right!” Li Heishui nodded, putting on a great show of earnestness.
“Agreed! I say yes!” Someone outside the stone garden spoke up.
Everyone turned to look — quite a number of old people had arrived, every one of them with crane-white hair yet rosy, youthful complexions, vigorous and hale in spirit. A single glance was enough to tell they were no ordinary individuals.
The Temple of Wondrous Desire, the Guanghan Palace, the stone workshops of the various sacred grounds, and numerous great sects had all received word. Elder figures had rushed over.
The appearance of a divine medicine in the world was absolutely a sensation. Even an incomplete one was enough to move hearts and stir minds — especially among elder figures whose life essence was dwindling. They were moved most of all.
Many figures, upon receiving the news, had come at the very first moment. Looking outward, one saw a white mass of heads as far as the eye could reach, every pair of eyes burning with desperate intensity.
Though all were individuals of advanced age with little life essence remaining, the differences in their actual years were vast. In a small sect, someone three or four hundred years old might already be considered very old.
But in the sacred grounds, someone seven or eight hundred years of age might still be in their prime. These individuals differed enormously in strength and cultivation.
The Grand Elder of the Illusory Extinction Palace, Li Yishui, let out a cold snort and swept his gaze across Ye Fan and Li Heishui before turning on his heel and striding away in a swirl of sleeves. He knew there was no longer any opportunity for him.
“Do you think that old fellow will bear a grudge and come after us?” Ye Fan transmitted.
Li Heishui laughed coldly and replied: “Don’t worry. The black iron token I’m carrying is more than enough to suppress him. If he dares stir up trouble, I’ll make sure his face turns green.”
Ye Fan himself was not particularly concerned. The Crimson Dragon Daoist owed him a favor and had long since made it clear: if anything arose, simply come to him.
These sorts of entanglements were unavoidable. If one wanted to make world-shaking wagers in the Divine City, there would inevitably be this kind of friction and that kind of conflict. And this was only just beginning.
“Brothers, if you’re agreeable, the Celestial Demon Treasury can handle this divine medicine for you right now. I’ll arrange for people to escort it away securely.” Yaoyue Kong had thought everything through with great care.
“Very well. I’ll entrust it to the Celestial Demon Treasury then — though not for immediate auction. I’d like to wait a period of time first.” Ye Fan spoke.
He wanted more people to know about it — for the waves to spread wider. Ideally he would wait until after the various sacred ground masters had tried to storm Purple Mountain and met with setbacks before returning, and then hold the auction.
He still had one piece of the Human Origin Fruit that had been bitten by the dog, after all. With these rare and precious objects appearing one after another, the spectacle was sure to capture enormous attention and might draw even greater numbers of people.
“Agreed — everything shall be as you decide, little brother.” On the spot, Yaoyue Kong summoned people to receive the item and take it into safekeeping.
If it were lost or damaged, the Celestial Demon Palace would compensate twenty thousand catties of source — which left Ye Fan thoroughly satisfied and at ease.
Though there was no need to worry too much about that. The Celestial Demon Palace would never destroy its own reputation by misappropriating something in their care. They had handled countless rare and precious objects in their time — and nothing was worth more to them than their credibility.
“What the hell, is there any justice left? That dark boy started with fifty catties of source and wagered his way to a result like this. It’s enough to make you spit blood!” Wu Ziming’s face was dark with ill fortune.
Li Chongtian was equally indignant and aggrieved. Watching Ye Fan from within the stone garden, he said: “He only knows how to throw watermelon stones around, yet somehow he ends up with a divine medicine. I’m absolutely livid.”
Their group of over a dozen people all cursed the two of them for having the luck of dogs.
“That’s called skill. A bunch of country bumpkins — watch and learn!” Li Heishui raised his head high, then turned around and gave them his back of his head.
“Damn it all — that dark boy is looking down on us in return!”
“What the hell, this country bumpkin dares to mock us?!”
…
“Your Highness, please cut your stone,” Ye Fan said with a smile.
Even without cutting it now, the Great Xia prince already knew he had lost without question. A divine medicine preserved from the most ancient era was something that could be encountered only by fate — the chances of winning were essentially nonexistent.
He had no wish to drag it out. With a single direct stroke, he split his stone open, cutting out a small human-head-sized piece of variant source worth roughly one square block of source. As expected, it was no match whatsoever for Ye Fan’s stone.
The Great Xia prince was forthright and direct. He pushed three square blocks of source toward Ye Fan and said: “Brothers, I invite you both to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion for drinks at noon today.”
Ye Fan was surprised. That was one of the Divine City’s Eight Great Immortal Wine Pavilions, priced at ruinous levels. The finest immortal banquets there were prepared exclusively for sacred ground masters and great powers.
“How could I possibly…”
“Just making a friend,” the Great Xia prince said with a smile.
The Great Xia imperial family of the Central Continent had an extraordinary attachment to source. Legend had it that even their Grand Emperor Sutra had been cut free from source, and imperial family members were stationed in the Divine City year-round to purchase extraordinary stones.
Ye Fan understood: the Great Xia prince was no ordinary person. Though he had only watched him wager stones this once, the prince had likely already glimpsed a thread or two of what lay beneath the surface — which was why he sought to form an acquaintance.
Nearby, Yaoyue Kong also burst out laughing and said: “I’ve been wanting to invite these two brothers as well. Let us all drink together at noon today until none of us can stand!”
“Then we’ll gratefully accept your hospitality.” Ye Fan and Li Heishui also broke into laughter.
Only the little white-robed nun scrunched her delicate nose and muttered something under her breath, then gave both Ye Fan and Li Heishui a great rolling of her eyes.
“Are there any more stones you’d like to select?” At that moment, the old Daoist nun beside them spoke.
This was the Celestial-Grade stone garden. The extraordinary stones displayed here were precious, and people were not permitted to linger too long.
“I’d certainly like to continue selecting stones — it’s just that my funds are thin. The stones here are too expensive,” Ye Fan said.
Those outside the garden were speechless — especially Wu Ziming, Li Chongtian, and the others, who were internally furious. Having won so much source and still crying poverty — truly they deserved to be struck by lightning.
“I imagine this young gentleman has his eye on a sky-high-priced extraordinary stone. If you cannot gather enough source at the moment, there is no need to worry — you may still select stones, provided that divine medicine is used as collateral.” The old Daoist nun said this.
“But I’ve already entrusted it to the Celestial Demon Treasury,” Ye Fan replied.
“The source can be deducted from the auction proceeds later,” the old Daoist nun said.
“Agreed!” Ye Fan nodded.
“You’re not going to stop now? Don’t wager everything in one go and let the Daoist Yishi sacred ground end up with that divine medicine for nothing,” Li Heishui quietly transmitted a warning.
Ye Fan shook his head and transmitted back: “I came to the Divine City to make grand wagers. An opportunity like today doesn’t come around easily — how could I stop now?”
The violet-robed Yaoyue Kong followed alongside them. “The two brothers still want to select stones? Now that’s what I call boldness.”
The Great Xia prince also laughed. “Excellent — I’ll observe carefully and pick up a thing or two.”
“Young man, you’re still going to wager stones?” The crowd of old men outside were all astonished — and then a great number of figures of considerable standing all stepped inside, their eyes burning with intense heat.
“When luck arrives, there’s no stopping it. That’s the accumulated wisdom of many a stone gambler. If another fine object is cut free, be sure to consider selling it to us old fellows first.”
“Exactly — young man, may fortune continue to shine upon you!”
The crowd of old men gazed with eyes ablaze, pouring in a great stream, so many that even the old Daoist nun found it difficult to bar the way — for quite a few of them were regular patrons of this place.
“Has someone cut free a divine medicine? Let this old man have a look!” Clamorous voices rose from outside the stone garden — more individuals of very advanced age were arriving.
“Where is it? I’ll offer a hundred and eighty thousand catties of source for it!” Another group came rushing in, led by an old man whose hair was so sparse it had nearly all fallen out.
Those present were growing increasingly astonished. The old men who kept appearing were each one of great consequence — all frighteningly ancient, impossibly stubborn old existences who refused to die.
A divine medicine of the most ancient era — something unsearchable in the present world — was simply too stunning. It had drawn a great many renowned figures, including Grand Elders from various sacred grounds and no small number of important personages.
One could say that after Ye Fan cut free the human-shaped divine medicine at the Daoist Yishi stone workshop, it shook the entire Divine City and set off a sensation. Crowds of people flocked over upon hearing the news, hoping to see what a divine medicine looked like — a spectacle comparable to the scene when divine source had once been cut free.
“Here now, make way for this old man.”
Inside the Celestial-Grade stone garden, a vast expanse of white-haired heads filled the space. Some of the old men had even begun selecting stones for themselves.
What had been a quiet and serene place was today anything but — lively and bustling beyond measure.
Inside the garden, the ancient vine with a ten-meter diameter lay like a grey-green dragon across the ground. Ye Fan wandered here and there through the space before eventually coming to stand beside it, patting the extraordinary stone beside the well mouth, then setting it back down.
“You absolutely must pick the right one. Haven’t you heard? Just now someone offered a hundred and eighty thousand catties of source for the divine medicine,” Li Heishui reminded him.
“There’s no need to fret about gains and losses. If the worst happens, we simply start over.” Ye Fan was perfectly calm. He had studied the Heavenly Book of Source, and he understood: when selecting stones, the most important thing of all is to maintain an ordinary, unbothered heart.
“Now that is an extraordinary composure!” Yaoyue Kong said in admiration.
The Great Xia prince was about to nod in agreement — but at that moment Ye Fan smiled and asked the little nun to help him pick a few stones, which immediately made the prince feel thoroughly vexed.
“Young man, your composure is most admirable. We all have high hopes for you. Wagering stones is seven parts luck, three parts skill — we hope you can cut free another rare treasure.”
The crowd of old men following behind them was cheerful; one of them called out this way. What he said was fair and true — some people, during certain stretches of time, seem to ride a tremendous wave of fortune, hitting the mark with every wager. These were things that had actually happened.
Ye Fan walked and paused, walked and paused again, selecting stones all the while. Following the path paved with smooth river pebbles, he came to the serene bamboo grove.
He stopped before that stone priced at a hundred thousand catties of source — the stone of extraordinary value. It had a Dao resonance flowing through it, something quite special. He and Li Heishui had discussed it earlier.
“Someone is finally going to touch that stone — no one has dared for all these years!” The old men behind him were all astonished.
Ye Fan crouched down, lightly tapped the stone, ran his hands over it with care and studied it closely — but in the end he stood back up. He felt the stone was somehow both an empty shell and something that contained hidden depths, and he truly could not make up his mind.
As he raised his head, he caught sight of the young Daoist woman of the Daoist Yishi sacred ground standing quietly in the distance, like a flower just beginning to bloom, blending naturally with the scenery around her — ethereal and unhurried.
He still couldn’t see her true face. There was no mist, no divine radiance blocking the way — yet it was as though some quality of the Dao blurred her features.
Ye Fan moved to another area and continued selecting stones. Li Heishui accompanied him at his side, with Yaoyue Kong, the Great Xia prince, and the little nun also following nearby.
Before long, they stepped out of the bamboo grove and came to an open area bathed in direct sunlight. Ye Fan fixed his gaze on the nine-orifice stone figure standing on the stone platform, illuminated by the sun’s rays.
“Why have you placed it on the stone platform?” Ye Fan asked.
The source master answered: “This is a human-shaped extraordinary stone that was shaped by heaven and earth itself. Legend has it that stones like this, given sufficient time to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, will eventually transform into a sacred spirit.”
This stone held an enormous pull for Ye Fan. Naturally human-shaped, bearing nine orifices, it was extraordinary beyond the ordinary. He had wandered all through the garden, yet his heart and mind had been anchored here the entire time.
According to ancient lore, there existed in the world immortal stones born with nine orifices, capable of transforming into sacred spirits — existences bordering on immortality. But this stone was too small, only about a foot long.
Ye Fan pondered. In the end, he reached out and took action — he picked up the nine-orifice stone figure and examined it closely.
“Many people of exceptional achievement in the art of source have looked at this stone, but no one has dared to touch it in all these years.”
“Young man, are you truly going to move this stone?”
The old men were all astonished. Each of them had deliberated over this stone before, yet no one had ever dared make a move.
The stone was only about a foot long, yet priced at ninety thousand catties of source — an outrageously high sum. Many had examined it and in the end could not be certain enough to act.
“Is someone going to move the nine-orifice stone figure? This old man arrived at the right moment — I must have a proper look.” More old men came upon hearing the news.
“Last time, several experts from a source art lineage studied it for the better part of a day, then in the end shook their heads and gave up. Is someone truly going to cut this stone today?”
Today, Ye Fan’s cutting free of the ancient divine medicine had already had a far greater impact than he had anticipated, drawing people to stream in continuously — each one wanting to witness it. It was a sensation of the Divine City in the truest sense of the word.
Ye Fan lifted the extraordinary stone and held it up toward the sun, carefully analyzing and closely observing, quietly turning possibilities over in his mind.
He felt the stone was profound in a way that eluded his grasp. At times it gave him an ethereal, dreamlike feeling — flowers in a mirror, moon in the water. At other times it gave him the feeling of something dense and weighty within, harboring a peerless rare treasure — though he couldn’t tell if that was genuine insight or illusion.
Nearby, the old men were all in discussion.
“The divine medicine has been taken away — we won’t be able to see it today. It will be auctioned at the Celestial Demon Treasury before long. Even so, today’s visit has not been wasted. If we can at last understand what lies within the nine-orifice stone figure, it will count as fulfilling a long-standing wish.”
“Quite right. I have always wanted to know what it holds inside — but regrettably, those source art masters of exceptional skill all ultimately gave up on it, and it has never been revealed.”
The crowd of old men were in high spirits, gathered here, every one of them eagerly anticipating Ye Fan cutting open the nine-orifice stone figure and at last putting their many years of wondering to rest.
“Are you confident?” Li Heishui transmitted.
“I’m not confident — but it’s worth a try!” Ye Fan held the extraordinary stone aloft and observed each of its nine orifices one by one, aligning each in turn toward the sun.
When he happened to glance back, he couldn’t help feeling a jolt of surprise. Outside the stone garden, the crowd had packed so densely that not even water could pass through — cultivators of all kinds had gathered to watch. Not a single one spoke loudly. All were quietly looking on.
Among them — and this he had not expected — stood Jiang Yifei of the Jiang family, a young man of divine and radiant bearing, clad in white robes like freshly fallen snow, remarkably distinguished above all others.
And in another direction stood another figure in white — a young woman, her clear bright eyes and flawless features, her form like luminous jade. It was An Miaoyi — and she too had come to this place.
Only now, in this moment, did Ye Fan realize: cutting free the divine medicine had shaken the entire Divine City, drawing figures of all stripes to this place.
At this moment, only the crowd of old men had no reservations and gathered around him, discussing freely. All others simply watched in quiet observation.
Ye Fan shook his head — he hadn’t anticipated attracting such attention. He quickly composed his mind and began again, aligning each of the stone figure’s nine orifices toward the sunlight one by one, while continuously measuring its body with his fingers.