Holy City

Holy City.

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This was a city left behind from the Desolate Ancient Era.

Countless powerful factions had established themselves here. Not only were there sacred lands and Desolate Ancient Families from the Eastern Wasteland, but even the Immortal Dynasties of the Central Plains and the Golden Families of the Northern Plains owned businesses in Holy City.

Tianxuan Stone Workshop.

Six thousand years ago, the entire Tianxuan Sacred Land had attacked the Desolate Forbidden Zone, hoping to break into the Path to Immortality and fight for a lifetime of immortality.

Afterward, the entire sacred land had been destroyed. Only a few disciples had been lucky enough to escape, and they were completely unable to protect Tianxuan's businesses. Nearly all of them had been divided up by the other powerful factions.

This Tianxuan Stone Workshop was a rare exception.

"Living in Holy City is no easy feat!"

"The Tianxuan Sacred Land occupied such a prime location, yet it wasn't divided up. What a rare thing."

Yao Xi was strolling around with Fang Yang and the others when they happened to pass Tianxuan Stone Workshop. Looking at its faded signboard, she remarked casually.

"The Saintess is right."

"I heard that only one decrepit old man guards Tianxuan Stone Workshop these days. Why don't I offer a thousand jin of source and buy the place for Fairy Yao?"

As the Holy Maiden of the Yao Guang Sacred Land, Yao Xi attracted a large crowd of admirers simply by taking a casual stroll through Holy City, even without putting on airs.

A graceful maiden was a fine match for a gentleman.

Even though they knew a Holy Maiden couldn't marry outside her sacred land, they still did their best to show off, hoping to win her favor and create a beautiful memory.

"What a death wish."

Fang Yang glanced at the idea man who wanted to buy Tianxuan Stone Workshop and discreetly edged farther away from him.

Anyone who gave it a little thought would realize that there had to be a reason such a dilapidated Stone Workshop was still standing.

He thought a thousand jin of source would be enough to buy it?

Heh.

"I'll have a look inside. Tianxuan Stone Workshop was once extraordinarily prosperous. There might be some pearls hidden in the weeds."

Fang Yang left them with those words and walked through the Stone Workshop's gate.

After he left, Weiwei followed right behind him.

"Six thousand years have passed. What good things could Tianxuan Stone Workshop still have? This young... brother is too much of a dreamer."

Someone made a pointed remark belittling Fang Yang.

"Fairy Yao, why don't we..."

Someone else was about to lead Yao Xi to another Stone Workshop to try Stone Gambling, but his words abruptly died in his throat.

Yao Xi ignored them and followed Weiwei into Tianxuan Stone Workshop.

Inside the Stone Workshop.

The once-magnificent halls had collapsed, and all kinds of weeds covered the ruins. This place wasn't just worse than the other Stone Workshops in Holy City—even the most remote corner of the city was a hundred times better.

Fang Yang stepped inside.

He had already mastered a secret art from the Source Technique Treasure Record called Source Heaven Divine Sense. Now he put it to use, surveying the area and taking in all the source energy in the Stone Workshop.

But Fang Yang didn't hurry to choose any stones. Instead, he approached the old man guarding the entrance and politely asked,

"Old sir, what are the prices for the stones here?"

The old man's eyes were cloudy. He looked to be at death's door, as though he could die at any moment.

"One jin of source per stone."

It was a long while before he spoke, his voice low and hoarse.

Fang Yang cupped his hands to show he understood. Then, without further conversation, he went to select some stones, not continuing to chat with Tianxuan Saint.

It was enough to make himself familiar.

Following the sensations from his Source Heaven Divine Sense, Fang Yang came to a patch of mugwort and saw a pile of assorted stones.

The stones varied in size and had strange shapes. Nearly all were the lowest grade. A few were decent, but they were too small to yield anything impressive.

He examined them one by one, using the methods in the Source Technique Treasure Record to turn the profound theory he had learned into practical skill through hands-on experience.

Weiwei followed close behind. When she saw the old man guarding the entrance, she greeted him politely before coming to stand beside Fang Yang.

"You've had quite a few opportunities. You even learned Source Technique in such a short time?"

Seeing Fang Yang carefully examining the stones, she asked him.

"I was lucky enough to obtain a Source Technique legacy, so I thought I'd give it a try."

Fang Yang had no reason to hide it.

If he gambled on stones in the Stone Workshops in the future, he couldn't avoid letting people realize that he possessed an advanced Source Technique legacy.

Hearing this, Weiwei didn't press him about how he had obtained the legacy. Instead, she turned her attention to the stones on the ground.

She had never studied Source Technique.

But she had the Immortal Spirit Eye.

Suddenly,

Weiwei looked at a fist-sized stone and realized she couldn't quite see through it. She could only faintly sense that something inside was brimming with vitality.

She had never studied Source Technique, but she knew that some stones naturally concealed their true nature. Even Source Heaven Masters couldn't guarantee that every stone they opened would contain a treasure.

So she hesitated for a moment.

In that very instant, Fang Yang picked up the stone.

His Source Heaven Divine Sense swept over it, sensing a faint, almost imperceptible aura.

Unlike the other stones he had examined and discarded, he kept this one in his hand and continued inspecting the rest.

When Weiwei saw Fang Yang take the stone, she didn't get angry at having it snatched from under her nose. Instead, she moved to another spot, intending to use her Immortal Spirit Eye to pick a few stones and try her luck.

Even without learning Source Technique, surely a pair of Immortal Spirit Eyes could pick out a few good stones?

Just then, Yao Xi walked in.

Seeing Fang Yang and Weiwei standing apart, she considered it briefly, then walked toward the spot where Fang Yang was.

"What a dump."

"And there's a half-dead old man here, too."

A group of people followed Yao Xi into the Stone Workshop. Seeing the ruins before them, many furrowed their brows.

"Brother Tuoba, you come from a Source Technique family and have plenty of connections. Do you know this fellow Fang Yang's background?"

"He's a Candidate Holy Son of the Yao Guang Sacred Land. I heard he just broke through to the Four Extremities Secret Realm and defeated a Candidate Holy Son named Li Rui, taking his position."

A young cultivator from the Tuoba Clan discussed Fang Yang with a friend through voice transmission.

"That Li Rui must be awfully weak to lose to someone who just broke through."

"There are no weak Candidate Holy Sons in the Yao Guang Sacred Land. Rather than saying Li Rui is weak, you should say Fang Yang is strong."

The Tuoba Clan cultivator didn't look down on Fang Yang. On the contrary, he understood that anyone who could accompany Yao Xi must have something special about him.

"So what?"

"Even if his cultivation is strong, that doesn't mean his Source Technique is any good. Now he's overestimating himself by gambling on stones in this dump. He's bound to make a fool of himself, which gives Brother Tuoba a perfect chance to shine."

Although the Tuoba Clan cultivator felt this was inappropriate, he couldn't resist his friend's goading—or the temptation to show off his superb Source Technique before the Holy Maiden of the Yao Guang Sacred Land.

After all, marrying a Saintess—

It was a dream come true for many cultivators in the Eastern Wasteland.

Even though Saintesses had rarely married outside their sacred lands throughout the history of the Eastern Wasteland, that couldn't extinguish the cultivators' fervent hopes.

A cultivator who didn't want to marry a Saintess wasn't a good cultivator.

Besides, all those who studied Source Technique aspired to become Source Heaven Masters. Naturally, they hoped to repeat the Source Heaven Masters' glorious deeds and find a Saintess to be their confidante.

"Fine, I'm in!"

The Tuoba Clan cultivator gritted his teeth. Instead of continuing to follow Yao Xi, he searched the Stone Workshop for stones, ready to trip Fang Yang up and make Yao Xi see him in a new light.