Fang Yang wasn't affected by the outside world. He continued to hold his breath and focus as he cut the last piece of stone.
After practicing on the first five pieces, his movements as he cut stones now flowed like water and drifting clouds, a pleasure to watch. He carried himself with the bearing of a Source Technique master.
Soon, the head-sized stone was cut open. Disappointingly, its inside was completely empty—not even a single red hair.
"Fellow Daoist, this must be your first time Stone Gambling. Getting something from two out of six is already quite good. That Tuoba Sheng fellow claimed to be a scion of a Source Technique clan, but he's already skulked away."
Jiang Yixuan, a direct descendant of the Jiang Family, had originally been hostile toward Fang Yang. But faced with the Human Origin Fruit, he could only go against his own inclinations and try to draw closer to him.
His great-grandfather was nearing the end of his life. If Jiang Yixuan could offer him this Human Origin Fruit, it would be a great opportunity for him, and he would certainly receive more resources.
"I'm not sure who Tuoba Sheng is."
Fang Yang frowned, not understanding what the other man meant.
Jiang Yixuan was at a loss for words.
He hadn't expected that after Tuoba Sheng had gone to such lengths to step on Fang Yang and make a name for himself in front of Yao Xi, Fang Yang hadn't even taken notice of him.
"On behalf of the Jiang Family, I promise you this: if you give me the Human Origin Fruit, I'll repay you with one hundred thousand jin of Pure Source within a year... no, within six months!"
"And I'll owe you a favor, too!"
Jiang Yixuan stopped mentioning Tuoba Sheng and made his promise with a serious expression.
The reason he said six months was that his great-grandfather would celebrate his three-thousandth birthday in a little over five months. It would be the perfect time to present him with the Human Origin Fruit and show his filial devotion.
When his great-grandfather saw the fruit, he would surely be overjoyed and repay the one hundred thousand jin of Source in his stead. The other benefits went without saying.
"I refuse."
Fang Yang spoke coldly.
He couldn't understand how this Jiang Family disciple could be so shameless as to say he'd pay back one hundred thousand jin of Source six months later.
Besides, only a fool would think a favor from someone like him was worth anything.
"Why?"
Jiang Yixuan pressed him anxiously.
He felt he'd shown plenty of sincerity. One hundred thousand jin of Source wasn't a small amount, and a favor wasn't something trivial either.
If Fang Yang could just be patient, then once Jiang Yixuan became a great cultivator, he would make the Human Origin Fruit worth far more than its price.
"You're too confident."
Fang Yang left him with that, picked up the Human Origin Fruit and Pure Yang Source, and headed for the Stone Workshop entrance.
Yao Xi cast a disdainful glance at Jiang Yixuan and turned to leave as well.
Jiang Yixuan's face flushed red. He was clearly furious.
At the Stone Workshop entrance.
"Elder, can I take this piece of stone with me instead of cutting it here?"
Weiwei asked the old man guarding the entrance.
Nearly every Stone Workshop in the Holy City required stones to be cut on the spot. Otherwise, they might refuse to sell them.
It was said that this rule originated with a certain generation of Source Heaven Master, who had ransacked the Heaven-Grade Stone Gardens in most of the Holy City in a single spree. For a time afterward, no one ever cut anything worthwhile from a Stone Garden.
Having learned their lesson, and for the sake of observing Source Technique as well as some darker, unspoken motives, the various Stone Workshops had established the rule that stones must be cut on the spot.
"There aren't so many rules here."
The old man shook his head, indicating that Weiwei could take the stone with her and didn't need to cut it there.
"Thank you, Elder."
After paying one jin of Pure Source, Weiwei hurried after Fang Yang and Yao Xi, a triumphant smile on her face.
"There's definitely something good inside this stone."
"Junior Brother, cut it for me later."
She gave the order without the slightest hesitation.
"Split whatever's inside with me."
Fang Yang glanced at the stone in her hands. He found it difficult to see through, so he opened with an outrageous demand.
"Impossible!"
"How about forty percent?"
"No."
"Then thirty percent."
"Fine..."
Fang Yang had left quickly, but the commotion he'd caused hadn't died down.
With a life-extending elixir like the Human Origin Fruit involved, the news quickly spread throughout the Holy City, accompanied by all sorts of different versions.
Some said Tuoba Sheng and Fang Yang had agreed to a Stone Gambling contest to compete for the Yaochi Saintess's favor.
Some said Fang Yang was arrogant and domineering, and after winning the wager, he'd declared that the Tuoba Clan lived up to none of its reputation and was full of nothing but barnyard fowl and stray dogs.
Some said that after losing the Stone Gambling contest, Tuoba Sheng had vomited three sheng of blood and nearly bled to death.
The most accurate version was buried among all the rumors people had fabricated and fanned. In the end, no one believed it was true.
Yaoguang Stone Workshop.
Fang Yang had naturally heard the rumors. He knew someone was stirring things up. It was most likely Jiang Yixuan, whom he'd turned down that day, though he couldn't rule out the possibility that someone else was taking advantage of the chaos.
But none of that mattered.
As a Candidate Holy Son of Yaoguang, he had nothing to fear from idle gossip.
The most pressing matter was what to do with the Human Origin Fruit in his possession.
"Quite a few elders in the Holy Land have come to me, hoping you'll sell them that Human Origin Fruit. The highest bid is one hundred and thirty thousand jin of Source, with a promise to make a move on your behalf once."
Yao Xi handed him the list she'd put together. It showed just how much of a hot commodity he'd become, with countless people eyeing the Human Origin Fruit in his hands.
Fang Yang looked over the names Yao Xi had listed and stopped at one.
Li Cheng, a cultivator at the Immortal First Layer.
His rank and status weren't the highest on the list, and neither was his bid.
But he had another identity.
The general manager of Yaoguang Stone Workshop.
"Let's go with him."
Fang Yang's gaze was deep and inscrutable.
What he was about to do wasn't a big deal, but it wasn't a small one either. Li Cheng, an Immortal First Layer cultivator with little life left, would surely be willing to help him out.
Yaoguang Stone Workshop, Heaven-Grade Stone Garden.
Li Cheng's hair was white and his skin wrinkled; he looked so old that the smile on his face could scare a three-year-old child to tears.
He and Fang Yang stood before the "Demon Fetus," making a deal they couldn't let others know about.
"If my nephew wants the Demon Fetus, then by all means, take it. This piece of stone is worth one hundred and twenty thousand jin of Source. I'll cover the cost for you."
"As for cutting stones outside the Stone Garden, it's a small matter among our own people. Even if anyone finds out, it won't cause much trouble."
"If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame!"
Li Cheng slapped his chest and made the promise without reservation.
"Then I thank you, Uncle-Master."
Fang Yang offered the polite response.
He handed the Human Origin Fruit to Li Cheng.
"Hahaha..."
"Don't be so polite, nephew. Take the Demon Fetus with you right now."
Li Cheng stroked the Human Origin Fruit with a sickening tenderness, letting out a strange, aged laugh that sent a chill down the spine.
Fang Yang didn't bother with further pleasantries. After examining the Demon Fetus carefully, he put it into the Mysterious Yellow Cauldron.
The Qilin Immortal Medicine Seed.
Got it!
With this Immortal Medicine seed, the Divine Springs he'd brought back from the Desolate Forbidden Zone, and the Heaven-Reaching Creation Dew he'd just drawn, he should be able to help the seed take root, sprout, and bear fruit.
Would he?
Fang Yang had never grown an Immortal Medicine before. He could only find out later through experimentation whether his guess was right.
The Tuoba Clan.
"Chang'er, go defeat that Fang Yang!"
The Tuoba Clan Head had just emerged from seclusion. After hearing the rumors in the Holy City, he immediately called for his most prized son and gave him the order.
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