After the jade cocoon was split open, a single object was revealed, shooting out nine-colored dazzling light. No larger than a chicken’s egg, it was perfectly round and naturally formed, with nine apertures across its surface that sang when touched by the wind.

The music it produced was exceptionally wondrous, causing people to feel an irresistible intoxication, filling them with a desperate desire to cradle it in their palms and listen closely. It possessed an almost bewitching power.

The object was entirely crystalline, radiating nine brilliant colors, extraordinarily beautiful and resplendent — like the most precious treasure in all the world.

At the center of the small island, the elder beneath the ancient tree — who resembled a divine being — shook his head and said, “What a pity. It was born into the mortal realm by mistake.”

“Senior, might we ask what this is?” Many people inquired, utterly baffled. Even the old masters present didn’t know, and all eyes turned toward the guardian of the Ji Family’s Sacred Stone Garden.

“This is an Immortal玲珑,” the Ji Family elder said, shaking his head. “If nourished by immortal energy, it could etch certain marks of the Dao upon itself and become an immortal scripture born of heaven and earth. But in this world, it isn’t even certain whether immortals exist at all. How could one possibly find immortal energy to nourish it? In the end, it is nothing more than a precious musical instrument — unrelated to cultivation.”

“So it truly is an Immortal玲珑! I’ve heard of it!” Several of the old masters cried out in astonishment.

Indeed, as the Ji Family’s Stone Garden guardian had said, this object was born into the mortal realm by mistake. Had it been born in the immortal realm and nourished by immortal energy, it would have become a heavenly scripture, imprinted with the partial veining patterns of heaven and earth.

As it stood, it had only produced the divine sound of the Great Dao at the moment of its emergence into the world, and that was all it could ever do. Without immortal energy, such sounds could never appear again.

“What a tremendous shame. Otherwise, this truly would have been an ancient scripture — quite possibly an immortal scripture capable of shaking the world!”

“Why did it have to be this way? Born into the mortal realm by mistake!”

Not a single person felt anything but regret. Had things been different, this would have been a heavenly Dao scripture — an extraordinary stroke of fortune.

Ye Fan held the Immortal Resonance Orb in his palm. It was crystalline and warm, shimmering with nine-colored radiance. If gifted to a mortal emperor, it would certainly become a national treasure passed down through generations. Yet for cultivators, it held no practical use whatsoever.

What he had cut from the Immortal Sound Stone was just like the strand of dragon qi within the stone bead — pure deadweight. It had no great use and could only be considered a rare curiosity.

Tuoba Chang had spent one hundred thousand jin of source stones on the Dragon Head Rock, while he had spent eighty thousand on the Immortal Sound Stone. Both had squandered their investment without gaining anything of value.

“Little brother Gufeng, Miaoyi is very interested in the Immortal Resonance Orb. Don’t give it to anyone else — you must set it aside for Miaoyi.” An Miaoyi transmitted her voice to him in secret, soft as a spring breeze that could intoxicate the soul.

Stone gambling was like this — ninety-nine out of a hundred bets came up empty. Even with extraordinary source reading ability, one could still be deceived when facing remarkable stones.

Everyone sighed with emotion. Two such prodigious source readers had both misjudged, throwing away astronomical sums for nothing. One could only imagine what the odds were for everyone else.

“The Sacred Grounds’ rare stones always bring them considerable profits year after year — a business that never loses. If either the Dragon Head Rock or the Immortal Sound Stone had any reasonable chance of yielding something extraordinary, they wouldn’t have sat here for so many years.”

Quite a few people felt a chill run through them and warned their companions and friends.

“The Sacred Grounds created their stone shops purely to maximize profit. If they had the slightest certainty, these unusual stones would never have been sent here. Every major Sacred Ground has no shortage of stone reading experts.”

At this moment, both Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang remained perfectly calm and reacted swiftly, charging toward the other treasured stones of the garden.

In a dozen or so strides, Ye Fan arrived before the stone known as Peerless Beauty, while Tuoba Chang rushed toward the stone bearing the Innate Eight Trigrams Dao Diagram.

“I choose this stone!” Ye Fan declared, immediately throwing down one hundred and fifty thousand jin of source stones to purchase it.

“I have no more source stones on me, but in my capacity as the foremost successor of the Tuoba Family, I hereby leave a written pledge here — the source stones shall be delivered within a few days.” Tuoba Chang had already spent one hundred thousand jin earlier and was now completely empty.

Everyone present was utterly dumbfounded, unable to understand why these two were acting this way. It was as if they were scrambling to seize the stones — and indeed, it seemed they were competing to grab some supreme sacred object.

The unusual stone known as Peerless Beauty stood over two meters tall, standing quietly beside a flowering tree. Fallen blossoms drifted down around it, lending it an ethereal, otherworldly quality. Its value: one hundred and fifty thousand jin of source stones.

The unusual stone known as the Eight Trigrams Dao Diagram was roughly the size of a tabletop — unrefined and natural, with the imprints of the Dao seemingly embedded within the stone itself. Its value: one hundred and twenty thousand jin of source stones.

“Have they gone mad?”

“Why are they rushing to grab more stones when they just came up empty-handed?”

No one could understand it. Only the members of the Ji Family remained composed and unperturbed. If a few more priceless stones were cut open empty, their profits would only grow larger.

The two men swiftly began cutting, their blades flying through the air, stone chips swirling like snowflakes.

“This old fellow has truly broadened his horizons today. Several of the garden’s most prized stones will be cut open within my lifetime — a long-held wish finally fulfilled.”

Facing the Peerless Beauty stone, Ye Fan showed not the slightest tenderness, slashing and hacking with his dragon-patterned black gold sword as though racing against time.

Provided the contents remained unharmed, this pace was already the fastest possible. In what felt like mere moments, the enormous unusual stone had been split open.

Unfortunately, the interior of the Peerless Beauty stone was completely hollow — not even a piece of “deadweight” had been cut out. There was nothing at all.

At the same time, Tuoba Chang had also fully stripped open the Eight Trigrams Dao Diagram stone. Aside from leaving behind a pile of stone powder, he too had found absolutely nothing.

In an instant, both men moved like lightning, rushing toward the other stones.

Five treasured stones still remained in the garden. Their targets were obvious. They flew forward, and each seized another stone.

The stone Ye Fan chose was called Immortal Gourd — over a meter tall and shaped like a gourd. Some speculated that it might contain a “gourd seed” within, an incomparably rare treasure. Its value: one hundred thousand jin of source stones.

The stone Tuoba Chang chose was shaped like a mighty tiger seemingly about to burst through the air, and was named White Tiger Ascending. Its value: one hundred and twenty thousand jin of source stones.

“Little Ye, have you lost your mind?!” Li Heishui transmitted to him in secret, completely baffled.

This was far too reckless. Between the Immortal Sound Stone and the Peerless Beauty stone, he had already thrown away two hundred and thirty thousand jin of source stones for nothing.

And now, Ye Fan acted as though he didn’t care in the slightest, throwing down another one hundred thousand jin as if under some kind of spell, heedless of the consequences.

“It’s not that I’ve gone mad. There is a truly extraordinary stone here — one that must contain a supreme rare treasure. If it’s cut open, everything spent will be worth it!” Ye Fan replied.

“Tuoba, what’s come over you?” Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian also called out.

However, the Tuoba Family’s prodigy paid them no heed. After once again carving a debt record onto a stone slab, he immediately began cutting.

The Ji Family was naturally unafraid of him defaulting. In the world today, no one dared to cheat the Ji Family — not even the ancient source-reading lineages.

“What in the world is going on?” Li Heishui couldn’t understand it.

Ye Fan had now spent three hundred and thirty thousand jin of source stones in total, and was rapidly cutting into the Immortal Gourd stone. Everyone watching felt as though he had gone completely insane.

“It’s hard to explain in a moment. I’ll tell you later.”

Both he and Tuoba Chang had sensed something. Something strange was happening here — there was definitely one stone that would drive people to madness.

Their source reading abilities were superb. Both had attained a glimpse of a true Source Heavenly Master’s demeanor — whether it was the Source Heaven Treasure Wheel or the Source Heaven Divine Perception, both had achieved a level bordering on the Dao.

Yet somehow, both of them had been deceived, their judgment disrupted by some uncanny aura. This was no ordinary phenomenon.

Both men immediately recalled a scenario described in ancient source-reading texts — this place must harbor something that would shake the world!

Whether it was the Tuoba Family’s sacred scriptures or the supreme source books left behind by Source Heavenly Masters, all of them contained clear records of this very situation.

Supreme rare treasures possess a form of intelligence. They can interfere with a source reader’s judgment, causing them to cut the wrong stones repeatedly in order to protect themselves.

This was what the legends called the Stone King — it had certainly incubated some divine object beyond imagination!

One man had cultivated the Source Heaven Divine Perception; the other had cultivated the Source Heaven Treasure Wheel. With a keenness that surpassed imagination, both had sensed the anomaly and caught a trace of that uncanny aura.

If such an intelligent, world-shaking rare treasure were to be cut open, every expense could be recouped. Therefore, they spared no cost, each choosing the stone most likely to yield a divine object.

Now, this was no longer merely a contest between Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang — they were also locked in battle with one extraordinary stone.

“They’ve gone mad. They’ve truly gone mad!”

Everyone present was left open-mouthed. The two had already spent over three hundred thousand jin of source stones and showed not the slightest concern, seemingly intent on continuing.

The Great Xia Prince, Jiang Yifei, and others — who hailed from immortal dynasties and eternally enduring great clans — were astonished at the sight. Even they could not have borne such costs.

An Miaoyi’s beautiful eyes shimmered as she smiled softly. “This truly is the source-reading showdown that has set the Sacred City abuzz. All of this is utterly stunning.”

Even the quietest among them — the little white-robed young nun — began blinking her large eyes rapidly, filled with complete bewilderment.

“Is there a Stone King here?!” Several of the old masters, with their keen senses, immediately guessed at this possibility.

“Heavens — if there truly is a Stone King, then cutting out an ancient scripture, a sacred relic of the Great Emperor, or even a newborn true dragon wouldn’t be out of the question!”

A group of old masters all changed their expressions, instantly spreading out in all directions to search, as though they too wanted to join in.

After the Immortal Gourd and White Tiger Ascending stones were both cut open, they were likewise empty — nothing whatsoever.

Everyone present felt a chill settle over them. The stone shops of the Sacred Grounds truly were a bottomless pit — once you fell in, it was hard to get back out. You only sank deeper and deeper, yet cut out nothing.

“Little Ye, stop going mad — you’re actually… still choosing another stone?!” Even Li Heishui’s heart was pounding with alarm.

Ye Fan threw down another one hundred and twenty thousand jin of source stones, stacking them on the ground like a gleaming little mountain, and began choosing again.

Three of the garden’s treasured stones remained, each priced at one hundred and twenty thousand jin. This time he didn’t reach out immediately, but patiently deliberated.

Tuoba Chang was equally relentless. He carved another debt record onto a stone slab and charged over to make his selection.

“Absolutely insane. They’ve truly gone mad!”

“There hasn’t been high-stakes gambling like this in many years — wagering tens of thousands of jin of source stones in a single throw. My heart can barely take it!”

Everyone was stunned. The whole affair was too outlandish. The crowd gaped in wide-eyed disbelief.

At this moment, Ye Fan had spent a total of four hundred and fifty thousand jin of source stones without so much as furrowing his brow.

In the end, Tuoba Chang chose his stone first — it was one of the priceless unusual stones, named Divine Moon!

This stone resembled a crescent moon, extraordinarily distinctive — over two meters long, with faint glimmering points of light all across its surface.

The stone material was remarkably smooth and fine, made of rare source-jade, shimmering with flowing brilliance in the sunlight, truly resembling a divine moon.

Tuoba Chang swiftly brought his blade down without hesitation. Stone skin fell away as the jade-like outer layer scattered in all directions, and the priceless unusual stone known as the Divine Moon steadily grew smaller.

Suddenly, a streak of divine radiance shot straight upward, illuminating the entire island and casting a crystalline shimmer across the pale blue lake below.

The brilliance was resplendent, a sacred aura surging toward the heavens. Everyone present felt their every pore open wide, their entire body suffused with ease and comfort — as though enveloped by the breath of an immortal spirit.

“What is this?!”

“A divine object has been cut out!”

In that instant, the small island erupted. No one could remain calm. Everyone was seized by wild excitement. Whatever this thing was, it was staggering — the single strand of divine radiance leaking through the cracks in the stone was already this overwhelming. One could only imagine what lay within. It had to be a supreme rare treasure.

Tuoba Chang was overcome with excitement. He slowed the pace of his blade, proceeding with the utmost care, terrified of damaging anything.

A stone sphere the size of a human head was cut free. Streaks of divine radiance shot out from every crack. The thin layer of remaining stone skin could no longer contain the divine light blazing within.

This stone sphere hovered suspended in the air, refusing to fall.

“Heavens — it’s a Divine Source! It’s actually a Divine Source!”

“That’s right — a Divine Source! And it’s as large as a human head!”

Even the senior figures present erupted in excitement. Such a divine object was exceedingly rare in the world. Every Sacred Ground coveted it beyond measure.

“At the most conservative estimate, its value is absolutely above five hundred thousand jin of source stones!”

When one elder announced this valuation, everyone present drew a sharp breath in unison. This was Divine Source — a piece the size of a human head, equal in value to a mountain of ordinary pure source stones!

Tuoba Chang chose not to peel away that thin remaining layer of stone skin. He feared blinding himself entirely. Even so, the dozens of divine beams already shooting out had bathed the entire small island in brilliant radiance. Even the blue lake water was scintillating with golden light.

“Ha ha ha…” He couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter.

A Divine Source had emerged into the world. The Sacred City had not seen one in many years. This was absolutely earth-shattering news — the kind that shook people to their core.

“Black boy, let’s see how you and your lot can turn this around. Did you really think you could compete with a source-reading ancient family?!” Li Chongtian laughed heartily.

“Don’t even dream about it in this lifetime. With a Divine Source like that, what could they possibly use to compare?” Wu Ziming mocked as well. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you squirm for a long time. I’ve finally waited to see the moment your face turns green.”

Everyone erupted. Voices rose on all sides, shouting and debating. The Divine Source was simply too astonishing.

Li Heishui stood there in a daze, every bit of his earlier spirit drained away. He had nothing to say. The emergence of a Divine Source had left him completely speechless.

At this moment, only Ye Fan remained relatively composed. He said, “In this world, Divine Source is not the most precious thing. Among the precious stones, there are objects even more sacred.”

Upon hearing this, An Miaoyi, the Great Xia Prince, Jiang Yifei, the little nun, and others all turned to look at him. The elder generation figures also turned around.

But more people simply shook their heads. Some regarded him with pity; others gloated over his misfortune. With a Divine Source of that size already cut out, turning things around would be harder than ascending to heaven.

“Then cut out something sacred and show me!” Wu Ziming laughed openly.

“Very well. Let me try today. Perhaps I truly can cut out something even more precious.” Ye Fan said this calmly.

The moment those words were spoken, the stone garden fell silent. Every gaze converged upon him.

An Miaoyi’s beautiful eyes shifted with surprise.

The little white-robed nun blinked her large eyes and opened her small mouth into a perfect circle, like a startled little sparrow, staring at him in astonishment.

Even figures of resolute conviction like Jin Chixiao, Wan Chusheng, and Yao Yuekong revealed expressions of utter bewilderment.

“Ha ha… You won’t shed tears until you see the coffin. You’ve already reached this point, and you still think miracles can happen? I’d say you don’t know the height of heaven and the depth of the earth!” Li Chongtian laughed.

“Can he truly cut out something more precious?” someone whispered. Almost no one believed it.

The Divine Source was far too valuable. Everyone present was convinced that miracles were essentially impossible at this point. Such a divine object was exceedingly rare in the world.

At this very moment, news of the Divine Source’s emergence spread like it had grown wings, shaking the entire Sacred City. More and more figures began rushing toward this place.

Ye Fan remained calm, carefully tapping on a priceless unusual stone. Even at this juncture, he was entirely untroubled.

“Little Ye, you absolutely must cut out a world-shaking rare treasure. Otherwise, we’re done for!” Li Heishui transmitted to him in secret.

“We’re waiting to see how you shed tears when you finally see the coffin!” Wu Ziming taunted him, then broke into open laughter.

At those words, Ye Fan rose to his feet and said, “In that case, why not join in? Have a high-stakes gamble with me — how about it?” He then swept his gaze around in all directions. “Of course, anyone else who’s willing is welcome to participate as well.”

“I refuse to believe you can still turn this around at this point!”