Genius Is Only the Threshold to Meeting Me

Genius Is Only the Threshold to Meeting Me

The source stones in the fourth courtyard all looked unusual. Not only were their colors more vibrant, but their surfaces were also covered in ancient, inscrutable patterns.

Qin Sheng moved among the source stones, stopping from time to time to inspect them.

"Patterns like fire serpents, thick in the middle and rounded at the ends, concealed within... This one most likely contains Source, perhaps even Variant Source."

By value, Source could roughly be divided into several grades from low to high: impurity-laden Ordinary Source, Pure Source, Variant Source, and Divine Source.

"This source stone has such dense baleful energy. There must be something vicious inside, perhaps even some rare treasure as well. Hard to tell..."

Qin Sheng examined them very carefully. After all, the cost was not low, and the stakes were even greater.

Nangong Fang did not let his guard down either. He used everything he had learned in his lifetime to select stones. Though he had not placed a wager, the honor of the Source Arts Family could not be tarnished.

"How much is this source stone?" Qin Sheng asked.

"Nine hundred jin of Source."

"I'll take this one." Qin Sheng settled on his first stone.

Everyone turned to look, then froze.

The source stone he had chosen was covered in holes of varying depths. The shallow ones were not too bad, but some of the deep holes pierced straight through the entire stone, allowing one to see from one end to the other.

"A Worm-Eroded Stone? Why would he choose a stone like that?"

"Haha, this kid looks impressive enough, but it turns out he knows nothing. He doesn't even understand the most basic common sense, yet he dares gamble on stones against someone from a Source Arts Family?"

Those who understood the trade shook their heads, unable to comprehend Qin Sheng's choice.

Nangong Fang smiled disdainfully. "The outcome has already been decided."

"Brother Nangong, what is the deal with Worm-Eroded Stones?" someone asked humbly.

"At first, Worm-Eroded Stones all contain rare treasures, but this type of stone leaks. Its treasure aura can easily be sensed by strange insects that feed on Source," Nangong Fang explained.

"Those strange insects bore into the source stone, crawl inside, and devour the Source within. Such insects are themselves Source creatures, and the traces they leave behind make the source stone still appear to contain Source."

"Those who do not understand Origin Technique would consider it a fine piece of stone."

After hearing that explanation, Zhou Siyang and Bai Heming both relaxed.

This round was in the bag.

Qin Sheng ignored everyone else and continued selecting.

For his second source stone, he chose one that looked perfectly ordinary, leaving the others with nothing to criticize.

The third source stone was the most expensive one Qin Sheng bought, costing a full three thousand jin of Source.

It was an entirely green stone covered in mottled marks, as though it had been washed by rain.

"Green Rain Stone. This stone has been sitting in the Four Symbols Stone Workshop for years, hasn't it?"

"Yes. They say that when it was dug out of the mine, many mine slaves died. Blood was spilled all along the way as it was transported. It is extremely inauspicious."

"A master of Origin Technique once came to inspect the Green Rain Stone. He was tempted, but in the end, he had no confidence and could only give up."

"That master of Origin Technique once said that this stone most likely contained a treasure when it first formed, but it may have undergone some mutation underground. The treasure inside may already have been ruined by something impossible to explain."

"That kid from the Shaking Light Holy Land really takes the unconventional path. A Worm-Eroded Stone and a Green Rain Stone—he is impossible to read."

Amid the crowd's discussion, the three source stones Qin Sheng had chosen were carried to the stone-cutting area.

The Worm-Eroded Stone cost nine hundred jin of Source, the second stone cost one thousand five hundred jin, and the Green Rain Stone cost three thousand jin. He had spent a total of five thousand four hundred jin of Source.

For a young man, that was an extravagant sum.

One had to understand that he was not buying cultivation treasures. He was using it to gamble on stones. They were entirely different matters.

The former guaranteed stable returns, while the latter could leave all his Source wasted.

Nangong Fang had finished choosing as well. The three source stones he selected were all good materials that matched common understanding.

The stone workshop master looked at Qin Sheng. "Which one shall we cut first?"

"Cut the Worm-Eroded Stone first. Follow my instructions."

Qin Sheng drew a circle on the Worm-Eroded Stone. "This part is the key. Be careful."

The stone workshop master nodded. His blade rose and fell, and broken stone fragments cascaded down. Nangong Fang's side began cutting their stones at the same time.

"Something's inside!"

A cry suddenly rang out, and everyone craned their necks toward Nangong Fang's first stone.

Heaven and earth essence flowed from the stone as bright light blossomed. This was undoubtedly a sign that it contained Source.

"As expected of a genius from the Nangong Family!"

"He struck it on the first try. Impressive!"

Facing everyone's praise, Nangong Fang smiled faintly. It was merely routine.

Soon, the stone was cut open.

"Uh, it's about fifty jin of Source?"

"That's a little small..."

"It's fine. Small is cute too."

Bai Heming's expression stiffened. That stone had cost one thousand jin of Source, yet it had only yielded fifty jin?

They had suffered a brutal loss!

Meanwhile, the cutting of the Worm-Eroded Stone had reached the key location Qin Sheng had indicated.

Dazzling seven-colored light pierced through the stone shell and burst forth. Many of those illuminated by it felt their minds go hazy for a moment, as if they had suffered an illusion attack.

"What is that?!"

"They must have cut out something astonishing!"

The crowd was horrified.

The stone workshop master became even more cautious. With the final cut, a palm-sized piece of Source appeared. Most importantly, there was a seven-colored insect inside, only half the size of a little finger.

"Hiss, Ancient Insect Source?"

Ancient Insect Source was a type of Variant Source. Any Source that sealed various insects within could be classified as such.

Most of these insects originated from ancient times and possessed all sorts of miraculous effects.

"It really is Ancient Insect Source. Its body glows in seven colors and shakes the mind. Could it be a Seven-Colored Soul-Awakening Insect?"

"This is a Primordial Strange Insect. It feeds on Source, absorbs the essence of heaven and earth, the sun and moon, and the power of the five elements. It can temper the Primordial Spirit and strengthen divine sense!"

Qin Sheng was stunned as he listened to the bystanders explain.

Seriously, didn't these bystanders know a little too much?

He truly had no idea what a Seven-Colored Soul-Awakening Insect was. Luckily, the crowd had explained it for him...

"A Worm-Eroded Stone actually produced Ancient Insect Source? Unbelievable."

"The Seven-Colored Soul-Awakening Insect is the king of insects. When those strange insects capable of hollowing out source stones discover it, they retreat immediately, not daring to disturb it."

"Judging by its size, it is still a larva, but it is worth at least five thousand jin of Source!"

A source stone bought for nine hundred jin had yielded Ancient Insect Source worth that much.

He had made an absolute killing.

Qin Sheng smiled as well. Something that could strengthen the Primordial Spirit was an excellent treasure.

He glanced at Bai Heming. The Purple Palace Candidate Saint Son's expression had already turned rather ugly.

The stone workshop master began cutting Qin Sheng's second stone, while Nangong Fang's second stone had already been fully cut.

Well, it was empty.

That was perfectly normal. Even if a grandmaster of Origin Technique were brought in, they could not guarantee a yield every time, much less a junior from a Source Arts Family.

When the second stone was cut to its center, a light even more dazzling than the Ancient Insect Source erupted.

There was no need to cut any further. The stone shell peeled away layer by layer on its own, and a golden sun rose into the air.

"Divine Source!"

Someone shouted, shaking the heavens.

Divine Source contained the most fundamental essence of heaven and earth. It was formed from the most primordial power that existed at the beginning of creation.

It looked like both mist and liquid, and its aura made people unable to resist worshipping it, as though they truly faced a god.

Without outside interference, Divine Source would never fall.

Even Qin Sheng had not expected the second stone to yield Divine Source. He had only sensed that the stone possessed hidden depth and all kinds of restrained wonders. He had never imagined it contained Divine Source.

Qin Sheng immediately grabbed the Divine Source and carefully put it away.

This piece of Divine Source was the size of a broad bean. Do not think it was too small—Divine Source the size of a grain of rice was already a rare treasure.

Zhou Siyang and the others' third stone had also been cut open, yielding a piece of Variant Source. Its value was not low.

But Qin Sheng did not even need to cut his third source stone. The value of the Ancient Insect Source and Divine Source alone was something they could never catch up to.

Qin Sheng looked at Zhou Siyang and the others, his smile brilliant.

"Do I need to say who won?"

"Don't get too smug. The Source Arts Family cannot be humiliated!"

Nangong Fang's expression darkened. He threw out those words, turned, and left.

Zhou Siyang and Bai Heming wanted to follow, but Qin Sheng stopped them.

"You two still haven't given me the Innate Purple Qi and Azure Sun Treasure Pill."

Qin Sheng raised his voice. "Are you planning to renege on the debt?"

"Heh, we all saw your wager. You two youngsters should keep your word."

The bystanders spoke up one after another. How could Zhou Siyang and Bai Heming dare default? They could only hand over the stakes to Qin Sheng.

Watching their retreating figures, Qin Sheng's smile faded.

A genius of Origin Technique?

Genius was only the threshold to meeting me!

"Little brother, hurry up and cut the Green Rain Stone!"

"Kid, how did you choose your stones?"

"Young friend Qin, your Origin Technique is so exceptional. Could you be from the legendary lineage of Source Heavenly Masters, which has already been lost?"

"Young friend, are you selling your Ancient Insect Source and Divine Source? I am an elder of the Ji Family. I will certainly offer you a satisfactory price!"

The bystanders surrounded Qin Sheng tightly, their enthusiasm blazing.

"Make way, seniors... Which shameless old bastard is touching my Source?!"

Qin Sheng squeezed out of the crowd and put away the Green Rain Stone.

"I am not confident about this stone. I plan to take it back and cut it later, so I will not make a fool of myself here."

He had already attracted enough attention today. There was no need to add more fuel to the fire.

"Little brother, that is not very decent of you."

"Brother Qin, can I call you Brother Qin? Just cut it here and let us enjoy the show."

"If I do not see the Green Rain Stone being cut, I will die. Don't leave!"

"..."

Qin Sheng struggled to squeeze out of the crowd of old men and quickly fled, still shaken.

Those old fellows had thicker skin than Duan De. An honest and virtuous young man like him simply did not fit in with people like them.

(End of Chapter)