A Fortuitous Opportunity: A Stone That Increased Cultivation Speed

"How about we set off first thing tomorrow morning? You two have had a long and tiring journey. You should at least let Uncle Wang show you some hospitality."

"Uncle Wang, why don't we get ready and leave now? Delay might bring unforeseen trouble, and I really can't wait to get my First Soul Ring."

Wang Hong laughed heartily and patted Li Yan hard on the shoulder. He found that the boy's physical strength was indeed impressive. In the future, he would definitely be no fish confined to a pond.

"All right, then I'll go make preparations. It's nearly noon, so we'll leave after we eat."

The sun was already high in the sky, and Li Yan was feeling a little hungry himself. In any case, a little more time wouldn't make a difference.

"Sorry for the trouble, Uncle Wang."

Half an hour later, Wang Hong had prepared a whole table of delicious dishes. Since they were setting out for the Star Dou Great Forest that afternoon, he hadn't brought out any wine.

Li Yan had a huge appetite. He turned down nothing, from huge pork knuckles to chicken, duck, and fish, making Wang Hong's heart pound as he watched.

"Uncle Wang, let's go."

Li Yan had eaten until he was eighty percent full. This time, he rode in the carriage. Near the Star Dou Great Forest, it was dangerous for a child with no means of protecting himself to ride alone.

It wasn't until the sky began to darken that the carriage reached the Star Dou Great Forest.

Some vendors had already set up stalls nearby of their own accord, selling all kinds of Soul Beast materials.

Some Soul Hunting teams who made their living hunting souls were also looking for customers, preparing to enter the Star Dou Great Forest first thing the next morning.

"Xiao Yan, your father and I have decided to stay in town tonight and set off first thing tomorrow morning."

Li Yan nodded. Although Soul Masters had excellent eyesight and the darkness of night hardly affected them,

most of the Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest also foraged at night.

Wang Hong's Martial Soul was the Red Flame Bear. Once he used Martial Soul Possession, flames would shoot into the sky, making him a perfect target at night.

His high-level Soul King cultivation seemed impressive, but it still wasn't enough in the Star Dou Great Forest.

The three found a small inn to rest at. With nothing else to do, Li Yan and Uncle Wang went out to browse the stalls.

As for Li Gang, he stayed at the inn to regulate his breathing, hoping to get himself into peak condition for the next day.

"Nephew, these stalls don't just have Soul Beast materials. They have all sorts of strange things too. You might even find a fortuitous opportunity."

Wang Hong crouched in front of a stall, picking through the assorted odds and ends.

Li Yan understood. Wasn't this just bargain hunting?

He rummaged through several stalls in a row, but still found nothing that caught his eye or attracted his Martial Soul.

Could it be... I really wasn't the protagonist?

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a stall. There were quite a few people gathered around it. It was probably something like a stone-gambling stall.

All sorts of stones were laid out there, and Li Yan's gaze settled on a black-and-gold stone.

The Luo Sanpao inside him formed a strong bond with it. There was definitely a great secret inside.

"Boss, how much are these stones? Are they all the same price?"

"Ten Gold Soul Coins per stone. Pick them yourself. Once you've chosen, you can have them cut open here or take them away. Once paid for, no returns or exchanges."

Li Yan nodded and stood to the side with Wang Hong, watching other people have their stones cut.

At a time like this, the more eager he appeared, the easier it would be for people to notice something was up.

They watched three or four people have their stones cut open. Most lost everything, right down to their underpants. Only one person made a profit, selling his find for thirteen Gold Soul Coins.

The waters of the stone-gambling trade were deep indeed.

"This one, this one... cut them open."

Li Yan took out twenty Gold Soul Coins and picked two stones at random.

Sure enough, there was nothing in either of them.

Wang Hong, standing beside him, assumed Li Yan was just being a child and indulged his antics.

"Hmm... three more, and cut them open!"

Li Yan picked three more, but there was still nothing.

"Give me that one. Don't cut it this time. I'll take it back and put it in the fishpond!"

Li Yan pointed at the black-and-gold stone, which looked extraordinary at first glance, and jumped up and down by the stall, pretending to be a child throwing a fit.

Once he had the stone in his arms, he grabbed Wang Hong and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him.

Only after they reached their rooms at the inn did he have time to examine it carefully.

The stone was no bigger than an adult's fist, but it was extremely heavy. After carrying it in his arms all the way back, Li Yan felt a little tired.

Moreover, it was definitely a stone connected to dragon-type Soul Beasts.

What should I do? Drip blood on it to make it acknowledge me as its master?

Li Yan pricked his finger and dripped several drops of blood onto it, but the stone showed no reaction.

Did he really have to cut it open?

Li Yan shook his head. Once he cut it open, there would be no going back. What if there was some heavenly treasure inside? Wouldn't he regret it to death?

Li Yan spent a long time puzzling over it in his room. He tried soaking it in water, sitting cross-legged to cultivate and gain insight, and more, but ultimately gained nothing.

"Forget it. I'll just cut it open!"

Li Yan carried the stone over and knocked on Wang Hong's door.

"Oh, it's my nephew. What brings you here instead of sleeping in the middle of the night?"

"Uncle Wang, I'd like to ask you to help me cut open the stone I bought earlier."

The Red Flame Bear's strongest weapons were its pair of sharp bear claws. Cutting open the stone would be a breeze.

"I see. Come on, then."

Wang Hong used Martial Soul Possession on his right hand and brought three sharp bear claws down on the stone.

But the scene they had imagined didn't unfold. Wang Hong cried out in pain, and his bear claws hadn't left the slightest mark on the stone.

"Nephew, there's something strange about this thing. Are you sure your Martial Soul sensed it?"

Wang Hong examined the stone carefully, but found that his own Martial Soul didn't show the slightest interest in it.

"Yes, Uncle Wang. My Martial Soul urged me to buy it, but I don't know how to use it yet."

"Since you can't split it, that proves it's very hard inside. Uncle Wang, why don't you try burning it?"

Li Yan thought that since the thing was physically hard, they could try a magical attack.

Wang Hong circulated his Soul Power and spat a small stream of fire from his mouth. The flames enveloped the entire stone, making it sizzle as it roasted.

After more than ten minutes of burning, the stone remained undamaged. It had merely become shinier.

"Forget it. Since nothing works, we'll take another look at it another day."

Thoroughly frustrated, Li Yan took the stone back to his room.

Having a treasure but not knowing how to use it was undoubtedly the most frustrating part.

In his room, Li Yan summoned two Luo Sanpao to cultivate as usual. As soon as they appeared, however, both Luo Sanpao turned their gazes toward the black-and-gold stone on the table.

"Luo luo..."

A Luo Sanpao nuzzled Li Yan's leg. Li Yan tossed the stone to the Luo Sanpao, and the two Luo Sanpao gathered around it and began cultivating with their eyes closed, letting out contented cries from time to time.

"Could it be... this thing can speed up my cultivation?"

Li Yan hurriedly tried to sense it. When he opened his eyes again, they were full of pleasant surprise.

"With this stone's boost, my cultivation speed has actually increased by a full thirty percent..."

"And it contains endless Dragon Qi, which is naturally beneficial to Luo Sanpao. Cultivating beside the stone year-round will definitely speed up the transformation into a dragon."

Li Yan felt as though he had obtained a priceless treasure. Although he didn't know everything the stone could do, this one ability alone could help him get ahead of his peers.