Genius Is Only the Threshold to Meet Me

The Source Stones in the fourth courtyard all looked unusual. Not only were their colors more vibrant, but their surfaces also bore all kinds of ancient, inscrutable patterns.

Qin Sheng moved among the Source Stones, stopping from time to time to examine them.

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

In terms of value, Source could roughly be divided from low to high into impure Ordinary Source, Pure Source, Variant Source, and Divine Source.

"This Source Stone has such dense Baleful Aura. There must be something vicious inside, perhaps accompanied by some rare treasure as well. Hard to say..."

Qin Sheng inspected them with great care. After all, the cost was not low, and the stakes were even higher.

Nangong Fang was not careless either. He used everything he had learned in his life to choose stones. Though he had not placed a wager, the Source Arts Family's reputation 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 looked over in unison, then froze.

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

"That's Worm-Eroded Stone? Why would he pick a stone like that?"

"Haha, this kid looks quite presentable, but he's got nothing in his head. He doesn't even know the most basic common sense, yet he dares gamble on stones against someone from a Source Arts Family?"

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

Nangong Fang gave a contemptuous smile. "Victory is already decided."

"Brother Nangong, what is the significance of this Worm-Eroded Stone?" someone asked humbly.

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

"Those strange insects bore into the Source Stones and crawl inside to consume the Source within. Such insects are Source Creatures themselves, and the traces they leave behind make the Source Stone still appear to contain Source."

"To those who do not understand Source Technique, it will seem like a fine piece of stone."

Hearing this explanation, Zhou Siyang and Bai Heming both relaxed.

This round was secure.

Qin Sheng ignored everyone else and continued choosing.

For his second Source Stone, he selected one that appeared perfectly ordinary, leaving the others with little to comment on.

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, mottled with marks as though rain had washed over it.

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

"Yes. It is said that when it was excavated from the mine, many mining slaves died. Blood was spilled all along the way as it was transported. It is extremely inauspicious."

"A Source Technique expert once came to inspect the Green Rain Stone. He was tempted, but in the end, he lacked confidence and had no choice but to give up."

"That Source Technique expert once said that this stone most likely contained treasure when it first formed, but it may have undergone some mutation underground. The treasure inside has likely already been ruined by something difficult to explain."

"That kid from Shaking Light Holy Land really takes an unconventional path. One Worm-Eroded Stone and one Green Rain Stone—he is impossible to figure out."

Amid the crowd's discussion, Qin Sheng's three Source Stones were moved 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 expenditure.

After all, this was not buying cultivation treasures. This was gambling on stones. The two were fundamentally different.

The former guaranteed stable returns, while the latter could result in all one's Source going down the drain.

Nangong Fang had also finished choosing. The three Source Stones he selected were all fine materials that conformed to popular 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 area is the key. Be careful."

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

"There's something inside!"

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

Heaven and earth essence flowed from the stone, blooming with bright radiance. This was undoubtedly a sign that it contained Source.

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

"A hit on the first strike! Impressive!"

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

Soon, the stone was completely cut open.

"Uh, it's a piece of Source weighing around fifty jin?"

"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 yielded only fifty jin of Source?

They had suffered a terrible loss!

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

Dazzling seven-colored light pierced through the stone skin and burst forth. Many people struck by the light felt their minds waver, as if they had suffered an illusion attack.

"What is that?!"

"He may have cut out something extraordinarily shocking!"

The crowd was horrified.

The stone workshop master became even more cautious. With the final cut, a palm-sized piece of Source emerged. Most importantly, within the Source was a seven-colored insect 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 in the Primordial Era and possessed all kinds of miraculous effects.

"It really is Ancient Insect Source. Its body shines 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, earth, sun, and moon, as well as the power of the Five Elements. It can cleanse the Primordial Spirit and strengthen Divine Thought!"

Listening to the bystanders' explanations, Qin Sheng was stunned.

Seriously, did these bystanders know a little too much?

He truly had not known what a Seven-Colored Soul-Awakening Insect was. Thankfully, the bystanders explained it...

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

"The Seven-Colored Soul-Awakening Insect is the king among insects. When those strange insects that hollow out Source Stones discover it, they retreat immediately and dare not disturb it."

"Though it is still a larva judging from its size, 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 a killing.

Qin Sheng smiled as well. Something that strengthened the Primordial Spirit was a true 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. Not to mention a junior from a Source Arts Family, even an Origin Arts Grandmaster could not guarantee finding something every time.

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

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

"It's Divine Source!"

Someone shouted, shaking heaven and earth.

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

It resembled both vapor and liquid, and its aura made people unable to resist worshipping it, as though they truly stood before a god.

Without external 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 held its brilliance inward, concealing all kinds of unmanifested wonders. He had never imagined it was 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—a grain of rice-sized piece of Divine Source was already an incomparably rare treasure.

Zhou Siyang and the others had also cut open their third stone, yielding a piece of Variant Source that was not worth little.

But Qin Sheng did not even need to cut his third Source Stone. The Ancient Insect Source and Divine Source alone were values they could never hope to match.

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

"Does the result still need to be stated?"

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

Nangong Fang's expression was gloomy. After throwing out those words, he turned and left directly.

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

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

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

"Heh, we all witnessed your wager. You two youngsters ought to keep your word."

The bystanders all spoke up. How could Zhou Siyang and Bai Heming dare default on the wager? They could only hand their stakes over to Qin Sheng.

Watching their departing backs, Qin Sheng's smile faded.

A Source Technique genius?

Genius was only the threshold to meet me!

"Young brother, hurry, hurry, hurry! Cut the Green Rain Stone!"

"Child, how did you choose your stones?"

"Little Friend Qin, your Source Technique is so superb. Could you be from the legendary, lost Origin Heavenly Master Lineage?"

"Little Friend, are you selling your Ancient Insect Source and Divine Source? I am a Supreme Elder of the Ji Family. I will certainly offer you a satisfactory price!"

The bystanders surrounded Qin Sheng tightly, their enthusiasm overwhelming.

"Please 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 embarrass myself here."

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

"Young brother, that's not very considerate of you."

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

"If I don't get to watch the Green Rain Stone being cut, I'll die! Don't leave!"

"..."

Qin Sheng struggled greatly to squeeze out of the elderly crowd and quickly departed, still shaken.

Those old fellows had skin thicker than Duan De's. A young man as honest and virtuous as he was simply out of place among people like them.