“We are never arrogant. It’s simply that every time, someone comes charging straight at our feet, or sticks their face out demanding we strike it, and someone else rushes over to gift us tens of thousands of catties of Source,” Li Heishui said with a radiant smile.
The Supreme Elder of the Phantasm Palace’s face immediately darkened. Was this not poking the bald monk and calling him bald? It struck him right where it hurt. Last time, he had jumped into his own trap, lost so badly his face had gone green, and even now he still felt like vomiting blood.
“You little black brat — getting cocky because you’ve had a stroke of luck. Mind you don’t suffer a crushing defeat shortly and drop dead right before the strange stones.” Li Yishui said darkly.
“With Senior Li present, I don’t think I’ll lose. It has already become a pattern — every single time, it’s been the same. Ha ha…” Li Heishui laughed loudly.
“Senior Li is a figure of such standing — why lower yourself to bicker with an ignorant child? You may rest easy. In a moment, they will reap what they’ve sown.” A young member of the ancient Source technique family sneered.
Li Heishui jabbed back, “Who asked for your opinion? We’re contesting Source technique against your grandfather’s generation. As for you lot — go cool off somewhere else.”
“You—” The young man flushed red to the neck.
“Insufferably arrogant. I’m waiting to watch you both come crashing down from the clouds!” Wu Ziming, who stood behind Li Yishui, said through gritted teeth.
Both he and Li Chongtian had certainly suffered as well. Over several encounters, they had sunk tens of thousands of catties of Source into this and lost enormous face.
“Am I wrong? We’re contesting with his grandfather’s generation. What business does some junior have meddling? He has no standing to act superior before us. If you want to look down on others, go study Source technique for another twenty years first.”
“Fine, fine, fine!” Several of the young disciples of the ancient Source technique family, furious, all flicked their sleeves and stormed off — staying any longer would only bring further humiliation.
The Source technique contest had not even begun, yet the air was already thick with gunpowder. If they could have struck at one another, it would already have turned to a fight to the death.
Beside them, a group of watching senior figures all narrowed their eyes. Today would certainly be a battle of dragons and tigers. With both sides this confident and at each other’s throats, something world-shaking was almost certain to be cut from the stones.
Among these onlookers were super ancient relics whose lifespans were nearly exhausted, Supreme Elders of sacred grounds, and overlords among the demon clans — all of extraordinary origin.
On the other side, the young generation’s Son-level figures — the young daoist nun of Dao-One Sacred Ground, Jin Chixiao, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, Xu Heng, Yao Yuekong, and others — all watched with keen attention.
A grandmaster-level Source technique contest was rare even once in a century, to say nothing of the world-shaking wager of one million five hundred thousand catties of Source — such a staggering gamble had not occurred in thousands of years.
An old man from the ancient Source technique family, with a gentle and kindly face, spoke first. “Young friend, shall we begin?”
Ye Fan’s heart tightened. He sensed a faint thread of danger. He turned to Li Heishui and said, “You may follow me, but don’t stay too close.”
“Surely this old scoundrel wouldn’t dare kill someone in broad daylight with all these people around?” Li Heishui asked, alarmed.
“Don’t worry about it. Just watch from the side.” Ye Fan warned him.
The Blood-Tear Jade Bamboo was spotlessly white, crystalline and shimmering. When the breeze stirred, a rustling sound arose, the jade leaves turning and swaying as though blood-tears were rolling down.
The grove stretched in dense sweeps, blocking out the sun, yet this place was not the least bit dim — it glittered all around.
Ye Fan stepped forward and calmly faced the four elders, without sparing a single glance at the young members of their group, and said, “I wonder which senior would like to spar with me in Source technique?”
“Allow this old one to go.” It was the same old man who had spoken earlier. He hailed from the Nangong Clan — he had been all but acknowledged as a Source technique grandmaster ten years ago, and his name was Nangong Qi.
After learning his identity, Ye Fan calmly spoke. “Senior Nangong, how shall we set the rules?”
“Whoever wins claims, in addition to the one million five hundred thousand catties of Source in the wager, any rare treasures cut from the opponent’s stones.” Nangong Qi said with a smile.
“Good — that suits me perfectly!” Ye Fan nodded.
“I haven’t finished yet.” The old man shook his head.
“Oh? What else does Senior wish to say?” Ye Fan asked.
“One million five hundred thousand catties of Source is no small sum. To wager on a single stone would be too hasty and would fail to showcase the splendor of a Source technique contest. I think it would be better if each person selects three stones. What do you think?”
“Good — I agree!” Ye Fan nodded. Even the best craftsman makes mistakes; even the finest horse stumbles. Under such a system, both sides would be on somewhat steadier ground and could display their true capabilities.
“Then let us select our stones.” After saying this, Nangong Qi took the lead and walked into the bamboo grove.
The Heaven-grade stone garden erupted with noise as senior figures and Son-level elites alike followed, watching to see how they would choose their stones.
Ye Fan strolled at a measured pace through the Blood-Tear Jade Bamboo, looking over the strange stones. He did not rush to make a move — he needed to take a full circuit first.
Within the Heaven-grade stone garden, priceless strange stones abounded. Each one was exceptional, every single one astonishing, and their prices were equally capable of making one hesitate.
In a sun-facing spot where the jade bamboo grew sparse, Ye Fan came upon a priceless strange stone worth twelve thousand catties of pure Source.
The stone was peculiar — spherical, perfectly round as though shaped by nature, about one and a half meters in diameter, and warm to the touch.
“Someone must have polished it into this shape!” Li Heishui declared, because the stone was too perfectly regular.
“Young friend, you’ve guessed wrong. This stone has been this way since it was formed. Look more carefully if you don’t believe me.”
“This stone mingles with the sun — each day after the sunlight falls upon it, threads of Life Essence stir within it. Some have speculated it contains a stone embryo.”
“Long ago, many people wanted to cut it open. Were it not for a Source technique grandmaster vetoing the idea, Yao Guang’s own people would have done it themselves.”
Ye Fan judged that the stone had formed this way naturally and had not been shaped by human hands.
This strange stone was named the “Demon Embryo.” Some speculated it might contain a sacred spirit within, making it even more precious than the Nine-Aperture Stone Man of the Dao-One Sacred Ground.
This group of weathered old men did not offer many comments — since a Source technique grandmaster had vetoed this stone, Yao Guang had been considering lowering its price.
Ye Fan reached no conclusion. He stood at this location for a long while before moving on to continue viewing stones. Suddenly, he felt a dazzling sensation — a stone ahead stirred the purple gleam within his eyes.
He strode forward and approached, the purple gleam in his eyes sinking three inches into the stone, attempting to see through it completely.
But at that very moment, the strange stone suddenly shattered. A crimson dragon burst out, blazing with intense radiance, lunging for Ye Fan’s chest with the intent to pierce straight through.
This sudden development startled everyone. No one understood what had happened — only Ye Fan himself knew. The seemingly kind-faced Nangong Qi had set a trap for him.
This strange stone had been tampered with. Within it was a variety of Source known as “Fire Red,” which the opponent had used an intricate Source technique to transform into dragon energy — something easily mistaken for a divine Source stone.
To touch it was to cause it to shatter, with the boundless refined energy transforming into a life-seizing blade!
The notion that a Source technique contest could also be used to kill — this moment gave that notion vivid proof. The danger was extreme. Ye Fan swiftly retreated, dodging the crimson dragon’s strike.
Whoosh!
A beam of golden light shot forward. The little golden spirit creature opened its mouth in midair and inhaled — the refined energy of the Fire Red Source transformed into a ray of divine light and vanished into its mouth. It smacked its lips with satisfaction, its large eyes blinking and gleaming.
“Little one, you’ve done a great deed!” Li Heishui laughed loudly.
The divine-golden little spirit creature completely ignored the praise, snapping and snarling at both him and Ye Fan before flying off in a huff, landing on the shoulder of the little nun in white.
Beside them, Ji Ziyue smiled softly, producing a divine Source bean and waving it toward the creature — and with no sense of loyalty whatsoever, Shen Can came scampering over.
The little nun in white pouted, deeply dissatisfied, calling softly for it — but Shen Can played deaf and dumb for the sake of the divine Source bean.
“Little Yi Lin, don’t be upset. This little schemer is so mischievous, you can never keep an eye on it. Wouldn’t it be better if we looked after it together?” Ji Ziyue said sweetly, dimples appearing on her cheeks.
“Little Obedient, you’re far too easily tempted!” the little nun in white, the small lolita, complained.
The two young girls leaned close together, both with red lips and white teeth and bright, large eyes — but one pouted in aggrieved sorrow while the other was sly and sharp-witted, laughing nonstop. The contrast between them was charming and drew many eyes.
“What exactly happened?” Yao Guang’s people stepped forward. A strange stone worth thirty thousand catties of Source had shattered — this was their loss.
“Someone’s Source technique wasn’t skilled enough and they broke the stone material. Have them pay for the damages.” A young member of the ancient Source technique family said, his gaze fixed on Ye Fan with a mocking look.
“Damn it — you clearly planned this with the intent to kill. How utterly shameless and despicable!” Li Heishui cursed.
Another young member of the Source technique family sneered, “Are you a complete novice? Is this your first day in the Source technique business? Whoever breaks the stone in whose hands is responsible for the compensation!”
“Fine — I’ll pay.” Ye Fan stopped Li Heishui.
He looked toward Nangong Qi. The old man still wore that same benevolent expression, yet he had immediately dealt Ye Fan a show of force at the very start. Had Ye Fan’s reaction been even slightly slower, he would already be dead.
The young members of the Source technique family all smirked coldly, making no effort to hide their mockery. This was the first lesson they intended to teach their opponent.
At this moment, everyone knew Ye Fan had suffered a quiet setback. No one had anticipated that a Source technique contest could be this dangerous. Even during the stone-selecting phase, one moment of inattention could allow an opponent to exploit the opening and end a life on the spot.
“An arrogant young brat — the moment he encounters a true grandmaster, the gap in class becomes immediately apparent. The difference in level is vast.” The Supreme Elder of the Phantasm Palace, Li Yishui, sneered repeatedly.
“This old codger…” Li Heishui frowned, glaring fiercely at him.
Ye Fan held him back, not letting him say more. He walked a few paces in an unhurried manner, then lightly stamped his foot on the ground.
Boom!
From not far away came a cry of pain. Two young disciples of the Source technique family were sent flying amidst brilliant radiance, blood spraying from their mouths.
Beside them, a strange stone had shattered. The refined energy of the unusual Source within had struck them squarely.
“Dragon-Transforming Earth Vein Technique!” Nangong Qi’s eyes flashed as he fixed his gaze on Ye Fan.
It had been Ye Fan’s deliberate strike — using Source technique to dissolve the unusual Source within that stone, transforming it into dragon energy and returning the blow in kind.
“These are all minor techniques. I still have the Life-Ending Killing Art. If you want to play, I’ll keep you company to the very end!” Ye Fan replied with calm composure.
Everyone was astonished. The Holy Maiden of Yaochi, An Miaoyi, Yao Yuekong, Jin Chixiao, Jiang Yifei, and others all couldn’t help looking over.
The senior figures too revealed expressions of surprise, silently observing all of this.
“We’ll determine the outcome when we cut the stones.” Nangong Qi turned and walked away.
Ye Fan moved deeper into the bamboo grove. The jade bamboo shimmered with white radiance. He fixed his gaze upon an exceptionally unusual stone and found himself unable to move on.
“This stone is worth twenty-five thousand catties of pure Source!” Li Heishui cried out, his face filled with disbelief. This stone could be said to be absurdly expensive — the most expensive he had ever seen, a true sky-high price.
“Immortal Tomb?!” Ye Fan was also taken aback. This strange stone was named the Immortal Tomb — a strange name indeed, though it suited its shape well enough.
The stone stood over two meters tall, shaped like an ancient burial mound, with a base diameter of some three meters. It bore the marks of age throughout, looking less like a stone and more like an ancient artifact.
“This stone really does look exactly like an ancient burial mound. If you put it in a graveyard, it would be nearly indistinguishable.” Li Heishui was deeply astonished.
“Young friends, you’d best look carefully. This stone is, if not the oldest in the Yao Guang Stone Workshop, then close to it — it is without question the cornerstone treasure of the garden, and is quite extraordinary.” A weathered old man nearby introduced it, his eyes gleaming with excitement, urging Ye Fan to have it cut open.
“This stone has a great deal of significance. Look at the front — it appears to have some writing on it. This old one nearly joined with others to buy it back in the day, but in the end none of us dared.” Another old man spoke up, pointing to another face of the Immortal Tomb, hoping through Ye Fan to finally satisfy his long-held curiosity about what the stone truly contained.
Ye Fan stepped forward for a careful look and was greatly startled. On the front face of the Immortal Tomb, there were indeed some markings — they looked like carved characters, yet also like traces left naturally by heaven and earth.
“This is extraordinary. Could it truly be a burial mound formed by nature? They look very much like ancient heavenly inscriptions…” Li Heishui gaped in astonishment.
Clearly, the Immortal Tomb’s reputation was vast. Once Ye Fan paused here, many of the old men came crowding over, one by one, unable to remain calm.
“In ages past, even the Source Master of Heaven specifically sought out stones like this. He once said that in the world there exist burial mounds formed by heaven and earth, and within them are hidden priceless immortal treasures.”
“That’s right — the reason this stone bears this name is precisely because it corresponds almost exactly to what the Source Master of Heaven described, and so it came to be called the Immortal Tomb.”
“Young Master Ancient, this old one strongly recommends this stone to you. It is absolutely extraordinary — there is every chance it truly is a burial mound sealed by heaven.”
……
This group of old men was even more invested than Ye Fan. In the space of a short while, they had recounted everything there was to know about this stone, even dredging up the Source Master of Heaven from ten thousand years ago.
Ye Fan activated his Source Heavenly Divine Sense, the purple gleam flickering in his eyes as he attempted to see through the stone. He then circled around it several times, studying it carefully, and furrowed his brow.
“How is it? What did you see? Could it truly contain an immortal’s corpse? If so, it would not just be the Eastern Wasteland — even Zhongzhou, the Western Desert, the Southern Ridge, and the Northern Plains would erupt,” Li Heishui transmitted secretly.
Ye Fan shook his head. “My Source Heavenly Divine Sense is only at a minor attainment. It is not a true heavenly eye. I cannot determine what is inside.”
A nearby old man also cautioned, “Young friend, you must be prudent. If it truly is a natural burial mound, Yao Guang would not have it sitting here on display.”
Another immediately refuted this. “Every strange stone is filled with uncertainty. I believe this immortal stone is worth the risk.”
“How many people have come before, over the years — including former elder Source technique grandmasters — and in the end did they not all give up?”
Before Ye Fan had even stated his position, the group of old men had already begun arguing amongst themselves.
He crouched down and ran his hand over the markings on the Immortal Tomb, trying to determine whether they were naturally formed characters.
Someone said, “Some of the old undying ones who have come here said these grooves resemble pre-ancient writing, while others claimed they are indistinct Dao patterns condensed by heaven and earth.”
Ye Fan’s eyes once again shot out the purple gleam, staring unblinkingly at those ancient markings, then sending the purple light three inches into the stone for a deeper investigation.
“Ancient Style, little brother, your Source technique is truly superb — divine light blazing from both eyes, like twin lightning. It is genuinely astonishing!”
“It’s been over a month since we last met, and your Source technique has grown even more refined, Brother Ancient.”
The Great Xia Imperial Prince and Yao Yuekong and others had drawn near, speaking one after another.
Ye Fan glanced up briefly, the purple gleam flickering in his eyes. He discovered that no small number of Son-level figures were right beside him — among them An Miaoyi and several great Holy Maidens. He inwardly whispered a prayer of repentance.
Li Heishui clapped him on the shoulder with a sly grin and said, “Focus yourself!”