Gambling on Stones, Binding Ma Xiaotao, Reward: Extreme Fire Attribute Seed? (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

A thought flickered in his mind, and the silver mask on Dai Yu's face instantly vanished.

His body also rapidly shrank, returning to its original appearance in the blink of an eye.

Although he had this heaven-defying camouflage divine artifact, he was in the dormitory now, so he still had to act low-key.

Dai Yu put away the Eight-faced Exquisite and turned to look at the opposite bed.

Wang Dong was curled up in his quilt just like a frightened little quail,

revealing only a pair of large, powder-blue eyes that rolled around, occasionally stealing a peek at Dai Yu.

Seeing Dai Yu look over, he immediately pulled his head back like he had been electrocuted, pulling the quilt over his head.

Clearly, everything that happened today had dealt a devastating blow to this Clear Sky Sect little princess's worldview.

First was Dai Yu's terrifying dual extreme attributes, and then the domineering partiality of a Titled Douluo grandpa.

This made Wang Dong, who had always thought highly of himself and possessed a deep background, experience a sense of frustration for the first time: Did I pick up the wrong script?

"Stop feigning sleep."

Dai Yu walked to Wang Dong's bedside, reached out to tap the bed frame, and spoke in a playful tone:

"You saw the token Dean Qian gave me just now.

You can walk sideways through the academy from now on and it won't be a problem.

How about it, want to call me Yu Ge? I'll have your back from now on."

There was a moment of silence in the bedding, followed by Wang Dong's muffled voice:

"Humph!

Who wants you to have my back!

This lord... this lord is very strong too, alright!

And that Dean Qian only took a fancy to your attributes, not because he's actually your real grandpa..."

Though his mouth was stubborn, his tone obviously lacked conviction.

Dai Yu chuckled softly and did not expose him.

Wang Dong's arrogant and pampered attribute wasn't completely worn away yet, so teasing him a bit was enough. Pushing too hard instead wouldn't be as good.

"Fine then, keep sleeping."

Dai Yu stretched lazily and glanced at the gradually darkening sky outside the window.

"I'm heading out, you don't need to leave the door unlocked for me."

Finished speaking, Dai Yu pushed open the door and left the dormitory straight away, not caring about Wang Dong's reaction.

After leaving the freshman dormitory building, Dai Yu didn't go to the cafeteria. Instead, his figure flashed, and he dove into a secluded grove of small trees.

Confirming there was no one around, he once again summoned the Eight-faced Exquisite.

A silver light flashed.

That refined and handsome youth vanished, replaced by a two-meter-tall middle-aged brawny man with a full beard and a fierce look in his eyes.

To match this persona, Dai Yu deliberately fetched a wide black cloak from the storage soul tool and draped it over himself,

covering up his conspicuous Shrek Academy uniform tightly and thoroughly.

"From now on, I am a wandering soul master traveling the continent--Iron Tiger."

Dai Yu lowered his voice, making his timbre rough and hoarse.

His purpose for this trip was very simple--make money, get resources.

Although he had Qian Duoduo as a ready-made grandpa, some things felt truly reassuring only when they were in his own hands.

Moreover, his Extreme Gold attribute was practically a walking printing press in this world full of rare metals and soul tools!

Dai Yu strode forward, walking toward the most prosperous commercial district in Shrek City.

As one of the largest soul master trading centers on the entire continent, Shrek City not only boasted formal auction houses, but also harbored a chaotic underground black market and stone gambling dens.

Dai Yu's target was precisely a shop named the Golden Stone Pavilion located in the southern part of the city.

This was a shop that specialized in dealing with raw rare metal ores.

So-called raw ores were ores mined from mineral veins, their surfaces wrapped in a thick layer of stone skin, and not yet refined.

No one knew whether beneath that stone skin lay a pile of waste rock or a priceless rare metal.

This was commonly known as stone gambling.

Except on the Douluo Continent, what one gambled on were rare metals.

When Dai Yu stepped into the Golden Stone Pavilion, business inside was in full swing.

A group of soul masters surrounded several huge stone platforms, pointing and gesturing at the raw ores atop them while arguing until their faces turned red.

"Boss!

I want this Black Stripe Stone!

Five hundred gold soul coins!"

"Pfft, Lao Li, are you blind?

This is obviously waste ore, and you still dare to buy it?"

"Cut the crap! Cut it!"

As the stone-cutter's carving knife fell, stone debris flew in all directions.

"It flopped!

It's all stone!

There's not a shred of metal reaction!"

"Hahaha!

I told you so!"

Amidst that chorus of lamentation and ridicule, Dai Yu, transformed as Iron Tiger, squeezed into the crowd with a expressionless face.

He didn't take out a high-intensity flashlight or sensing soul tool to inspect things like everyone else.

Instead, he closed his eyes slightly and quietly circulated the Extreme Gold soul power within his body.

Buzz--

In an instant, the distribution map of the metal elements throughout the entire shop vividly presented itself in his mind!

Within his perception, those raw ores placed around him were either dim and lifeless, like dead objects;

others emitted a faint fluorescent glow, belonging to ordinary metals;

while some...

Dai Yu snapped his eyes open, his gaze locking onto an inconspicuous, dusty grey stone in the corner.

In his perception, from inside that stone emanated a dazzling, dark-gold light akin to the blazing sun!

That sharp, heavy wave carrying a hint of devouring aura made even the White Tiger Martial Soul within his body stir restlessly.

This is...

Dai Yu's pupils constricted slightly, and joy surged in his heart.

The Gold of Life?!

No, although the aura is massive, there is no breath of life; instead, it is filled with slaughter and toughness.

It's the companion ore of the Dark Gold Claw Bear--the Dark Gold Ore Mother!

This was top-tier material used to forge supreme close-combat soul tools, or even craft God Tier metals!

A piece merely the size of a fingernail could transform an ordinary dagger into a divine weapon that sliced through iron like mud!

Yet the raw ore before his eyes was easily the size of a basketball!

Dai Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

He took heavy strides over to that corner, stretched out a rough, large hand, and grabbed that dusty grey stone.

"Boss."

Dai Yu shouted in a gruff voice, the sound making the ears of those nearby hum:

"How much for this stepping stone?"

The boss was a shrewd fatty who glanced at the stone upon hearing this, a flash of disdain crossing his eyes.

That stone had sat there for several years; its outer crust appearance was abysmal, and it even had cracks—clearly a piece of scrap material.

"Esteemed guest, you sure have an eye. This is..."

The fat boss wanted to boast for a moment, but upon seeing Dai Yu's fierce and malevolent appearance, he instantly swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue and forced a smile.

"Ahem, the quality of this stone is average. Since the esteemed guest likes it, just take it for fifty gold soul coins."

"Fifty?"

Dai Yu frowned, a wave of soul power belonging to the Soul Elder tier suddenly erupting from his body (disguised), and he let out a cold snort:

"A broken stone costs fifty?

Do you take me for a fool?

Twenty!

Take it or leave it!"

The fat boss was startled by this momentum, thinking that this was probably an irritable, reckless brute, and it wasn't worth offending someone over a few dozen gold soul coins.

Besides, that stone was just an extra throw-in anyway.

"Fine, fine, fine!

Twenty it is!

Please take your stone, esteemed guest!"

Dai Yu casually tossed out twenty gold soul coins, snatched up the raw Dark Gold Ore Mother, turned around, and left without lingering for a single second.

Stepping out of the Golden Stone Pavilion and confirming no one was tailing him, Dai Yu's lips curled into an arrogant smile.

Twenty gold soul coins bought a Dark Gold Ore Mother worth at least several million gold soul coins!

Was this even picking up scraps?

This was practically robbery!

"With this Dark Gold Ore Mother, whether I use it to feed the Eight-faced Exquisite so it can advance,

or find that old man Qian Duoduo to help forge a handy weapon, it's an exceptionally good choice."

Dai Yu was in a fantastic mood.

However, just as he prepared to find a spot to store this stone into his storage space,

a cold system prompt suddenly rang in his mind.

[Ding! Detected the presence of a bindable suppression item of extremely high value nearby!]

[Target Character: Ma Xiaotao (Evil Fire Phoenix)]

[Current Status: Evil Fire uncontrollable, on the verge of berserking!]

[Triggered Temporary Mission: Suppress the berserking Ma Xiaotao!]

[Mission Reward: Extreme Fire Attribute Seed (Fusible)]

Dai Yu paused his steps and abruptly looked up in the direction of Shrek City.

He saw that in the distant night sky, a wisp of eerie red light faintly flickered, and the temperature in the air seemed to be rising sharply.

"Ma Xiaotao?"

"Extreme Fire?"

Dai Yu licked his lips, greed flashing through his eyes.

"This isn't some berserking big sister..."

"This is clearly a delivery of free experience points!"

"Grandpa Qian, it looks like I'll have to borrow your reputation tonight once again."