An Miaoyi sat down with graceful ease. A natural, subtle fragrance surrounded her — like orchid, like musk. She occasionally sipped lightly, spoke with charm and wit, clinked cups with everyone, and very quickly blended into the group, with not the slightest awkward feeling of having joined midway.

The imperial prince of Great Xia, Yao Yue Kong, and the others were all extraordinary individuals who would not be moved by ordinary beauty. Yet An Miaoyi possessed a peculiar allure that made people instinctively feel warmth toward her.

“Little Brother Gufeng, Miaoyi offers you a cup — surely you won’t refuse this time?” Her smile was sweet.

Ye Fan drank lightly from his wine cup. “Next time, I’ll invite Immortal An to admire flowers by moonlight, as a gesture of apology.”

Yao Yue Kong burst out laughing. “Flowers in the moonlight, is it?”

“Little brother is still young — don’t learn bad habits.” An Miaoyi gave him a sidelong glance, full of charm and grace.

Though she came from the Miaoyuan Convent, she was ordinarily pure and untainted — like a snow lotus on a cold peak, holy and inviolable. Now, with her smile blooming like flowers, she possessed an entirely different captivating elegance.

Ye Fan smiled. “How would I dare? Brother Yue Kong has misread my meaning. An Immortal such as Immortal An is comparable to the Immortal of the Moon Palace. The zither she played under the night moon last time left a deep impression on me. I thought that if I offered my apology under the moon, perhaps I might behold her immortal dance once more.”

The imperial prince of Great Xia laughed. “Why not have Immortal An grace us with her immortal dance right now?”

“Snow falls all around, and you’d have the heart to make me dance in the cold wind?” An Miaoyi smiled lightly — but in the end she still rose, stepping out among the plum trees beyond the hall.

Her dance was light as clouds. Her robes were whiter than snow. Like a spirit, she drifted through the auspicious snowfall, her figure graceful and supple, expressing a fluid beauty to its fullest extent.

Plum blossoms swirled and danced — flake upon crystalline flake — circling around her, white with flecks of red, setting off her form with even greater ethereal grace.

“Wonderful!”

“Wonderful!”

…

From the other palace halls, waves of cheering rang out. Many could see the immortal dance in the snow — that flawless, floating silhouette.

Before long, An Miaoyi drifted back lightly into the hall. Even the white-robed little nun had been moved, and drew considerably closer to An Miaoyi.

“Little Brother Gufeng, your source arts are truly remarkable. How exactly did you cultivate them?”

As they enjoyed the wine and conversation, the topic finally came to this — what everyone wanted to know.

“A few ancient methods passed down through the family. Nothing worth speaking of.” Ye Fan replied.

Yao Yue Kong said, “Little Brother Gufeng, you are far too modest. Though you have only made your move two or three times, from a single glimpse one can infer the whole — you must possess astonishing techniques!”

The imperial prince of Great Xia, Xia Yiming, said, “So you inherited from a source arts lineage. Which family might that be?”

Ye Fan had already learned that there were several source arts lineages in the Northern Region, with longstanding heritages and great renown, deeply connected to the various Holy Lands.

“A small household in the wilderness, not worth mentioning. We are no lineage family — just a few shallow source art methods passed down through the ancestors. I almost never use them.”

Hearing him say this, Yao Yue Kong said, “Truly the mark of a great expert — concealing one’s true depth. Could you perhaps be from the longest-standing Source Heavenly Master lineage? They are said to be the most powerful source arts line under heaven.”

“Not at all. My techniques are incomparable to the Source Heavenly Master lineage.” Ye Fan shook his head.

“Little Brother Gufeng, you are far too modest. The ancient style I observe in your source arts — I suspect it is no worse than the Source Heavenly Master lineage.” The imperial prince of Great Xia said.

“The Northern Region has several great source art lineages. I believe your source arts surpass them. I’ve encountered the successors of two of those families, and they would certainly be no match for you.” Yao Yue Kong said.

An Miaoyi smiled. “That goes without saying. I’ve heard that members of one source arts lineage came to examine the nine-aperture stone figure and ultimately gave up. How could they compare to Little Brother Gufeng?”

“Truthfully, I was guessing. Since I’d already cut out a divine medicine, I simply steeled my nerve and gambled.” Ye Fan laughed, and then began steering the topic elsewhere — he had no wish to linger on this.

Li Heishui said, “Prince, your Great Xia Imperial Dynasty always has members of the imperial clan stationed in Shen City. Does your clan truly have such a strong appetite for source stones?”

“Indeed, we have a real need for them.” The imperial prince of Great Xia replied.

Ye Fan swirled the wine in his jade cup. “I’ve heard certain rumors. I’m not sure whether they are true.”

Yao Yue Kong also spoke up. “I’ve heard something as well. Brother Xia, could you enlighten us?”

The imperial prince of Great Xia, Xia Yiming, set down his wine cup. “What you’ve both heard is surely this: that our ancestral predecessor, while cutting source stones, retrieved a heavenly scripture from within a stone, which allowed us to rise irresistibly and establish the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty. Is that not so?”

“Exactly — that is the legend.” Li Heishui nodded.

An Miaoyi was also paying close attention, smiling lightly. “Your Highness, do tell us in full. We would truly like to understand it clearly.”

“All of it is rumor. How could the Supreme Emperor Scripture have been cut out of a stone? It was created by our ancestral Supreme Emperor — it represents a pinnacle attainment of the extreme Dao!” The imperial prince of Great Xia declared.

The Supreme Emperor Scripture was one of the four great wondrous books of the Central Continent. Its offensive power was without rival in the Central Continent, and it faintly carried the momentum of being the foremost in the world.

It was said that the only technique that could contend with it was the “Dou” character formula from the Nine Secrets. Unfortunately, this supreme holy art appeared only rarely, once every several hundred ages, and its transmission had nearly been severed.

The two great offensive sacred arts had never truly clashed, and everyone in the world wished to know which was stronger and which weaker — but to this day, the wish remained unfulfilled.

Yao Yue Kong nodded. “I too found it hard to believe. The Supreme Emperor was renowned throughout the ages — how could his art possibly have originated from another?”

The Supreme Emperor was a legend — nearly divine. Some said he could reverse course and attack immortals. He was an extraordinary, world-transcending figure.

In his time, his offensive power caused the entire world to tremble. Without peer under heaven, once his imperial Dao dragon qi emerged, none in the world could contend with him.

An ancient great emperor who looked down upon all under heaven — the Supreme Emperor left an indelible and glorious mark in ancient history.

Xia Yiming said, “The reason my Great Xia imperial clan is permanently stationed in Shen City of the Northern Region is simply because we genuinely need source — and the rare treasures within source stones.”

Those present naturally did not fully believe this. At the very least, other rumors existed as well — some said they were collecting divine objects from within source stones to refine an immortal elixir; others said they were trying to repair a sacred weapon.

Yao Yue Kong said, “According to ancient records of the Northern Region, over a hundred thousand years ago — in the ancient era — a peerless beauty was cut out from a source stone. Could it have been something similar to the nine-aperture stone figure?”

Li Heishui shook his head. “It’s hard to say. Perhaps it was an ancient creature sealed within the source stone.”

“Supposedly, none of the great Holy Lands could stop her at the time — she escaped of her own accord.” An Miaoyi said.

“In this business of source stones, it’s not just about gambling for source — there are even more precious things to be found.” Li Heishui said.

With source stones brought up naturally, the two rare treasures that Ye Fan had cut out came up for discussion, and the group began estimating their worth.

“That human-shaped divine medicine was far too badly damaged — only two medicinal roots remain. At most it’s worth a hundred-some thousand catties of source.” The imperial prince of Great Xia offered this judgment.

Yao Yue Kong nodded. “Its true value doesn’t exceed a hundred fifty thousand catties of source. Ancient divine medicines are more precious than divine source, but it is simply too incomplete.”

Undoubtedly he had great authority to speak on this — after all, the Celestial Demon Treasure Pavilion was one of the seven great auction houses of Shen City.

“What if someone urgently needs it? If auctioned, I would think there would be substantial room for the price to climb.” Ye Fan smiled.

An Miaoyi undeniably possessed a supremely perceptive mind. In an instant she guessed what he meant. “The great Holy Lands have been attacking Purple Mountain. If any great figures are injured upon returning and then hear that an ancient divine medicine has appeared in the world — they will surely compete fiercely to bid for it.”

“Correct.” Ye Fan smiled and nodded.

“A profiteer!” The white-robed little nun muttered softly.

“Little sister, you really can’t say such things. I’m saving lives and helping the injured.” Ye Fan said with a grin.

“Who is your little sister?” The little nun wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes at him.

“If that’s the case, I think the highest price could approach three hundred thousand catties of source.” Yao Yue Kong offered his assessment.

Gulp!

Li Heishui forcefully swallowed a mouthful of wine, trying to mask the sound of him gulping in shock. It was truly astounding — even a damaged ancient divine medicine could command such a price.

“And the dragon-patterned black gold sword — what would that be worth?” He couldn’t resist asking.

“Brothers, truly — could you not sell that little sword to me? I would give you a satisfying price.” The imperial prince of Great Xia was extremely earnest.

Quite evidently, the white-robed little nun truly adored that barely inch-long little sword — upon hearing this, her large eyes immediately began to flutter.

“Miaoyi is cultivating a certain remarkable technique and urgently requires an invincible weapon. She also wishes to acquire this sword.” An Miaoyi smiled lightly and spoke up.

Ye Fan turned over his hand and revealed the dragon-patterned black gold sword resting in his palm, passing it around for the group to admire.

Yao Yue Kong said, “Not long ago, the Celestial Demon Treasure Pavilion received a piece of dragon-patterned black gold no larger than a fingernail. It was auctioned off for eighty thousand catties of source.”

Sss!

Everyone drew a sharp breath. Sacred objects belonging exclusively to great emperors were truly priced beyond reason — worth immeasurably more than divine source of the same volume.

Ancient great emperors, when forging their pinnacle sacred weapons, needed vast quantities — it was entirely impossible to measure such things in such tiny fragments.

When one thought carefully about it, a single pinnacle sacred weapon — setting aside the Dao and principle contained within it — its material alone carried a value that was beyond reckoning.

“No wonder ancient great emperors, even after searching all under heaven, could not always gather the materials they needed. It’s too absurd!”

After everyone had examined the small sword, the imperial prince of Great Xia said, “This sword, after all, has had limited time to gestate. It is far from the moment it should have emerged into the world — it has only just barely begun to weave Dao and principle together.”

An Miaoyi said, “This sword is less than an inch in length. If melted down into a piece, it would be comparable to the grain of dragon-patterned black gold that was auctioned for eighty thousand catties of source. Considering that it has formed its own partial laws, one could add another seventy thousand catties of source.”

“Surely it wouldn’t be that cheap?” Li Heishui said.

An Miaoyi smiled. “If we further consider that it was gestated by the nine-aperture stone figure — a sacred sword born and nurtured by heaven and earth — one could add another one hundred thousand catties of source.”

“Two hundred fifty thousand catties of source?” Li Heishui’s heart was pounding.

Yao Yue Kong said, “In truth, it is worth more still. A sacred sword gestated by the nine-aperture stone figure — at the highest, it could perhaps be auctioned for three hundred fifty thousand catties of source.”

Not just An Miaoyi, even the imperial prince of Great Xia, upon hearing this figure, found it difficult to remain composed.

Though they each had enormous forces behind them, even they could not casually spend such sums to purchase rare treasures on a whim.

“Three hundred thousand plus three hundred fifty thousand — that’s six hundred fifty thousand catties of source in one go.” Li Heishui felt somewhat dizzy.

Ye Fan thought for a moment. “If I were to auction them, I wouldn’t want ordinary source — could they perhaps be exchanged for rare variety source?”

Yao Yue Kong said, “That would be somewhat difficult. No one is willing to exchange rare variety source outwardly. If you wish to make the exchange, I estimate the value would be reduced by roughly two-thirds.”

“What — a difference that large?!” Ye Fan was astonished.

“Pure source, for those with profound cultivation, has an extremely weak effect — not necessarily even as concentrated as the spiritual energy within one’s own body. Rare variety source is different — it is condensed essence. For cultivators of deep cultivation, even if it no longer provides much help to their advancement, it is still excellent for restoring divine power.”

“Six hundred fifty thousand catties of pure source, if exchanged for rare variety source, would ultimately only be worth around two hundred thousand catties of source?” Ye Fan was truly shocked.

“Roughly so.” The imperial prince of Great Xia also nodded in agreement.

“This is…” Ye Fan was at a loss for words.

But he had no choice. Otherwise, the one million catties of source he needed to advance his cultivation — stacked all together — would be a mountain. How was he supposed to refine all of that? He would be buried alive beneath it!

His only consolation was that his source arts had grown considerably. He could continue gambling at source stone squares in other Holy Lands to raise what he needed — that should present no problem.

Dang…

Suddenly, a resonant bell toll swept across heaven and earth. The entire Shen City resonated along with it and began to tremble.

“This bell…” Ye Fan’s heart tightened. The Wushi Bell of Purple Mountain had rung again!

“Same as last time!”

Everyone stood up at once, deeply shaken, sensing a grandeur and magnificence beyond compare.

Without question, the great Holy Lords had launched their second assault on Purple Mountain — and had ultimately fled back in defeat. It was unknown what had happened this time.

“Brother Yue Kong, let’s begin auctioning the ancient divine medicine!” Ye Fan said.

Then Li Heishui sent a voice transmission to Ye Fan: “That fruit the dog chewed on should be auctioned off too.” He couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter.