The ninth courtyard gave Ye Fan a strange feeling—the stones there left him unsettled.

“Is this the aura of the Primordial Ancient Mine?” The thought rose within him.

The Source Heaven Scripture was a remarkable tome containing methods of communion between heaven and humanity. Ye Fan had only begun to scratch the surface of this supreme source art, gleaning but a fraction of its essence.

He felt he could sense the aura of the Primordial Ancient Mine—that dense, concentrated, inward-turned, peculiar energy could only have originated from that accursed land.

In the Northern Reaches, the most fearsome place was that eternal divine mine. No one knew when it had first come into existence.

“This one!” Liu Cheng’en had already made his choice, patting a particular source stone.

The piece was roughly the size of a human head, weighing over a dozen pounds, shaped like a reclining ox, carrying a profound sense of solidity.

“This piece will certainly yield source—it’s only a question of how much.” The source master nodded.

“Have you chosen?” Liu Cheng’en glanced at Ye Fan.

“Give me a moment.” Ye Fan was somewhat uncertain. The taint of the accursed land’s aura made it tremendously difficult to assess the source stones—everything felt hazy and elusive, impossible to pin down.

“What exactly is in that strange place, that even the stones have been contaminated?” Ye Fan set aside the twenty counterfeit source stones and searched among the remaining thirty-eight.

“There are far too few stones on this floor.” Er Lengzi was dissatisfied, grumbling under his breath.

“These were quarried from the edges of the Primordial Ancient Mine—getting even a few dozen here is no small feat. Most were sent to the Sacred City. How many people in Pingyan City would dare to gamble on stones like these?”

“The Sacred City is another matter entirely. The mighty of the Eastern Wasteland, the imperial clans of the Central Province, the great powers of the Northern Reaches—they frequent that place year-round. Even ‘ancient material’ extracted from the Primordial Ancient Mine finds willing gamblers there.”

“It’s mainly because these stones are so expensive. No ordinary person can bear the cost.” Someone sighed.

The source master of the Rongxiang Gambling Parlor shook his head. “This is considered cheap, actually. The source stones sent to the Sacred City command astronomical prices—the vast majority cost more than pure source itself.”

“That can’t be right. Who would be such a fool?”

“You simply don’t understand. At that level, what’s being gambled is no longer pure source—it’s something of far greater value concealed within.”

Nearby, someone nodded in agreement. “Source stones hold too many secrets. Pure source isn’t the most precious thing—within these seemingly unremarkable stones, peerless treasures may be gestating.”

Ye Fan finally made his selection: a greenish-blue stone streaked with faint yellow veining. The piece wasn’t particularly large, weighing perhaps a dozen or so pounds.

The onlookers were utterly speechless. His method of choosing stones was completely absurd.

“I must say, young friend, you really do love walking the unconventional path. You’d actually dare choose a stone like this? That’s the infamous ‘Watermelon Stone.'”

“Exactly—the Watermelon Stone. At best it yields a scattering of source granules no bigger than watermelon seeds. There’s no chance of a large source piece. That stone weighs a dozen pounds, meaning you’d need to spend over a pound of pure source to acquire it. Completely not worth it.”

The stone’s markings were distinct, resembling watermelon stripes just as its name suggested.

“Even if you get dozens of ‘seeds,’ they won’t add up to an ounce. A guaranteed loss.”

Several elderly onlookers offered the warning with good intentions, though far more spoke with mockery.

“I could close my eyes and pick something better than this Watermelon Stone. Little mine-monkey, you’d better run back to your pit—this place really isn’t for you.”

“Not even knowing such basic common knowledge, and you dare come here to gamble on stones? A blind cat can’t always stumble onto a dead rat.”

Liu Cheng’en waved his folding fan and flashed a contemptuous smirk. He circled the Watermelon Stone once and laughed aloud. “What a fine piece of stone!”

Those around him joined in the mockery, slapping the Watermelon Stone and taunting without restraint.

“A fine piece indeed—most people couldn’t have picked it.”

“True enough. Personally, I wouldn’t dare.”

“If something valuable actually comes out of that, I’ll swallow the stone’s skin right here and learn something new.”

“You said that?!” Er Lengzi took it seriously, zeroing in on the speaker. “I saw clearly who said it. If something good comes out, you’ll really swallow the stone’s skin?”

“That’s right, I said it.” One of Liu Cheng’en’s companions sneered. “Expecting something good from a Watermelon Stone? Go dream your thousand-year dream.”

“Everyone here witnessed that, didn’t you?” Wang Shu stepped forward and addressed the crowd. “You’ll all serve as witnesses—he’ll have to eat stone skin when the time comes.”

“Cut the stone!”

After the source master had paid respects to the source deity, he took up his instrument and stepped forward. His blade moved with the flowing grace of a dragon, slicing open Liu Cheng’en’s stone. Layer after layer of outer skin fell away, and before long, a radiant light flashed forth.

“What a pure piece of source.”

Only a few pounds of outer skin had been removed, yet already a brilliant light emerged. The exposed source was completely free of impurities—translucent throughout, immaculate.

Soon the crowd gasped again. The source stone was gradually excavated, revealing a piece weighing a full four pounds. For gamblers at this level, that was already quite remarkable.

“No wonder it came from the edges of the Primordial Ancient Mine!”

To be clear—an ordinary mine shaft typically yields only one or two pounds of source, yet this single stone had produced so much.

“Now cut the Watermelon Stone. I’ll count how many seeds come out—let’s see if it reaches even an ounce.” Those around Liu Cheng’en all snickered.

Crack!

The source master wasted no time and moved immediately to the Watermelon Stone. The outer skin rustled away in flakes, and before long more than half the stone’s layers had been stripped.

“A premium piece, truly—not even a single seed! Ha ha… looks like a complete harvest of nothing.” The one who had earlier boasted about eating stone skin gloated shamelessly.

By the end, what remained was no larger than a pigeon’s egg. At that point it was plain to everyone—this was a blank stone, completely empty.

Even Ye Fan let out a sigh. The stones brought back from the edges of the Primordial Ancient Mine were simply too unpredictable, too difficult to read.

The source master tossed the thumb-sized remnant onto the ground without bothering to shatter it completely.

“Even a Watermelon Stone usually yields a few seed-sized granules of source. The piece you chose is truly exceptional—not a single granule came out. It seems I won’t even get to eat stone skin after all. What a shame. I really was curious what it would taste like.”

“Your grandmother!” Er Lengzi, bursting with frustration, kicked the small stone lying on the ground.

Thud!

The thumb-sized pebble struck a large stone and shattered on impact. In that instant, a blinding radiance erupted—the dense spiritual energy it unleashed was so thick it seemed impossible to dispel.

“It… something came out!” someone cried.

Several figures lunged forward. Ye Fan was faster than all of them, reaching the spot first and cradling the dazzling orb of light in his palm.

“What kind of source is this?”

Resting in Ye Fan’s palm was a grain-of-rice-sized piece of source—tiny, yet blazing with a light that was deeply extraordinary.

“An Ancient Insect Source!”

“It truly is an Ancient Insect Source—this is a spiritual insect from before the Primordial Age, encased in source material.”

“Indeed, it’s undeniably a spiritual insect from the Primordial Age. A pity it’s so small.”

“Don’t scoff at its size. A single tiny insect this size is worth dozens of pounds of pure source.”

The source master’s regret came too late. He cursed himself—their tampering had covertly cut open some of the stones, and yet they had missed the most precious one of all.

Resting in Ye Fan’s palm was a grain-of-rice-sized creature, crystalline and translucent, formed entirely of source material.

“Yes—that is the ancient insect. In the age before the Primordial Era, it fed exclusively on source, its entire body condensing source essence. A particularly remarkable spiritual creature.”

A thumb-tip-sized piece of red source was worth ten pounds of pure source, while a grain-of-rice-sized Ancient Insect Source was worth dozens of pounds—which gave some sense of just how precious these Primordial-Age spiritual insects truly were.

“Ancient Insect Source can be used medicinally. The major sacred grounds all have ancient secret formulas that require it in their elixir refinement. If sold in the Sacred City, it would fetch a hundred pounds of pure source easily.”

The sheer scale of that value was astonishing. Such a tiny creature, and yet worth so much—even Ye Fan found it difficult to fully believe.

“This is no ordinary insect. It has been extinct for countless ages. In the era before the Primordial Age, it fed on source and excreted source essence—extraordinarily rare.”

The staff of the Rongxiang Gambling Parlor were so consumed with regret they could have turned green. Had they known, they would have taken this very stone when they were tampering with the lot.

The emergence of such a rare find—an Ancient Insect Source—was certain to spread throughout all of Pingyan City. Worth dozens, even a hundred pounds of pure source, it was already a very considerable sum in these parts.

At that moment, Liu Cheng’en’s face had gone completely ashen. Ancient Insect Source was extraordinarily scarce, worth a hundred pounds of source—and that was simply beyond his means.

“That something this rare could actually come out of a stone like that… it’s beyond all reason.” Those around Liu Cheng’en were equally incredulous.

Er Lengzi stepped forward with a satisfied air, took Liu Cheng’en’s source pouch, and helped himself to the cut source piece as well.

“You now owe us over ninety pounds of source. What do you propose to do about that?” Er Lengzi stood tall with his chest out, his words carrying full weight.

“That is…” Liu Cheng’en felt as though he might as well throw himself into a river. His expression was wretched. If they had been out in the wilderness, he would have already been unable to restrain himself from killing them and covering his tracks.

“Young Master Liu is a distinguished talent of the Azure Mist Sect. He naturally would not renege on a debt—you may rest at ease. He will repay you in due course.” One of Liu Cheng’en’s companions spoke up sharply.

“Who are you raising your voice at? Remember—he is the one who owes us.” Wang Shu stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the man. “Was it not you who said it? That if something valuable came out, you would eat the stone skin?”

“That’s right—it was you. I remember it perfectly. Go on and swallow the stone skin.” Er Lengzi moved in, unwilling to let it go, grabbing the man by the collar and demanding he make good on his word.

Laughter broke out all around.

Had there not been a strict prohibition against fighting in gambling parlors—backed by powerful connections—this man would have already turned hostile. As it stood, he was writhing in humiliation.

“You—let go!”

“A bet is a bet. You said it yourself that you’d eat stone skin. If you’re a man of your word, don’t back down. Eat it now.”

The man’s dignity had collapsed entirely. Wishing he could vanish into the floor, he gritted his teeth, produced half a pound of source, stuffed it into Er Lengzi’s hand, and slunk away in disgrace—drawing a roar of laughter from the crowd.

Liu Cheng’en himself was equally mortified and furious. Forcing himself through it, he borrowed paper and brush from the Rongxiang Gambling Parlor staff, wrote out a promissory note, then turned on his heel and strode away without looking back.

Ye Fan made a circuit of the Rongxiang Gambling Parlor, found that the counterfeiting was rampant, and saw no reason to linger. The three of them turned and departed.

By now it was nearly noon. The others had also dispersed, preparing to find somewhere to eat. In the afternoon, they would head to the Yaochi Celestial Stone Parlor.

“What a satisfying day…” Er Lengzi chattered exuberantly.

Wang Shu’s youthful spirit was equally roused. “An Ancient Insect Source, worth a hundred pounds of source—it feels like a dream!”

Ye Fan had given the Source Heaven Scripture only a modest test, yet already he felt that this wondrous tome was as unfathomable as the gods themselves—a truly extraordinary scripture beneath the heavens.

He felt that once he returned, he would be ready to advance into the Dao Palace Secret Realm. The Northern Reaches, abundant in source, was sacred ground for him—a place where transformation could occur without end.

The three chose a restaurant and drank freely in a private room, not departing until a full hour had passed.

The Yaochi Celestial Stone Parlor stood in the eastern district of Pingyan City. The environment was refined and serene, with many ancient trees planted around the perimeter, casting wide swaths of cool shade.

By the time they arrived it was afternoon. The main gates stood open, and quite a few fallen leaves lay scattered across the stone steps, giving the place an agreeably natural quality.

Not long after entering the Yaochi Celestial Stone Parlor, Ye Fan noticed several elderly men of remarkable bearing standing apart from the crowd, conversing in low voices.

“The prices for source stones in the Sacred City are extraordinary—but something truly remarkable really does come out of them. Not long ago, someone cut open a demonic eye.”

“I heard the same. And it’s not as simple as just one eye. Apparently a living demonic bone was also cut out—its value beyond reckoning.”

The several men of distinguished bearing were speaking quietly among themselves.

“These old fellows keep spinning taller and taller tales.” Er Lengzi stood not far off, hearing every word clearly. He muttered under his breath: “The more they talk the more outlandish it gets. Keep going and they’ll have immortals flying out of stones, the world’s greatest beauty walking out—might as well call all of it fact.”

Wang Shu also murmured with amusement: “The older people get, the more fanciful their imaginations. In their minds, source stones contain everything. Even a heavenly scripture emerging from one wouldn’t seem impossible to them.”

“What do you two little mine-monkeys know!”

The old men’s hearing was sharp. They caught the words, turned around, and shot the pair a stern glare.

“Source is the rarest spiritual substance in all the world—it can gestate anything.” One of the old men said with great solemnity. “Those things you mocked—they have genuinely been unearthed before.”

“Old man, your beard’s already gone white—how can you still talk such nonsense? Are you going senile?” Er Lengzi’s bluntness was truly capable of choking a person to death. He had absolutely no talent for tact.

“What in blazes are you saying, you little wretch?! Do you even know how to speak?!” The old man was so furious his beard bristled.

Wang Shu shook his head helplessly, tugged at Er Lengzi’s sleeve, then stepped forward to offer his apologies. “Please don’t take it to heart, elder. My brother here is just too candid—he speaks without thinking. There’s no need to stoop to his level.”

“According to ancient records from the Northern Reaches, some hundred-thousand-odd years ago—in the era known as the Desolate Antiquity—a peerless beauty was genuinely excavated, emerging from a divine source.” One of the old men spoke up again. “Sadly, the major sacred grounds surrounded and pursued her, and she still managed to escape.”

“Really?!” Er Lengzi stretched out his long neck and pressed closer to ask. “What size source stone would that take? Was that woman a demon? Or a deity?”

Not far away, Ye Fan’s heart stirred as well. He fell quiet and listened carefully.

“Step aside. I have no patience for you.” One of the old men had no fondness for Er Lengzi whatsoever.

“Source contains the secrets of heaven. There is a reason why the imperial clans of the Central Province maintain peerless experts in the Sacred City year-round, sparing no expense to acquire extraordinary stones.”

“I’ve heard this mentioned before as well. Apparently this particular family’s ancestor obtained a heavenly scripture from within a piece of source—and from that moment, nothing could stop their rise…”

Ye Fan’s heart shook. This was deeply astonishing.

Er Lengzi and Wang Shu stared at each other in disbelief, feeling much as though they were listening to stories about the gods.

“Come now, old man—are you being serious? A book, inside a stone?” Er Lengzi scratched his head.

“I say, you little brat, must your words always be so grating? Go stand somewhere cooler!” The old men, faces dark, moved to one side and refused to acknowledge him further.

Ye Fan’s heart refused to settle. Source stones harbored far more mystery than he had imagined—more complex and wondrous than he had ever conceived.

He felt grateful to have obtained the Source Heaven Scripture. With such a rare text in hand, he could one day roam freely under the heavens, and all secrets would eventually yield to him.

“It seems that what lies buried in the earth is not merely source—there are things far rarer and more precious.”

Beneath this boundless expanse of reddish-brown earth, endless secrets lay waiting to be discovered.