Stone Material Conceals a Rare Treasure

"You can't put it that way. Our Ziwei Sect does business with integrity above all else. If anything we said was wrong, point it out, and I, Zhao Fa, will compensate you with ten thousand jin of Pure Source on the spot."

A refined, delicate-looking man walked in. His complexion was fair, and a gentle smile rested on his face.

He slowly waved a folding fan in his hand as he made his way over.

He did not look like a cultivator at all. He seemed approachable, like an ordinary scholarly gentleman.

The crowd that had been watching the spectacle immediately fell silent. Zhao Fa was a distinguished figure of the Ziwei Sect.

The Ziwei Sect was located near Purple Heaven Capital. It would not be an exaggeration to call Purple Heaven Capital the Ziwei Sect's stronghold.

This great sect had a mysterious inheritance. Though it was not a holy land, no one knew the true extent of its strength.

Still, it was one of the strongest supreme sects beneath the holy lands, ruling over billions of kilometers of surrounding territory.

Moreover, the Ziwei Sect had its hands in every trade. Some said its wealth could rival the entire world.

And they truly had not lied. The stones on the shelves were all scraps left over from materials that had once yielded Divine Source. Some of them had even witnessed it personally.

But with the Divine Source already cut out, what else could possibly remain inside?

"Brother Zhao is right. Our Purple Mansion Holy Land has always trusted the Ziwei Sect's reputation."

A male disciple in purple robes spoke softly from the side. Several purple-clad women of varying charms stood beside him.

They were all disciples of the Purple Mansion Holy Land, vouching for the Ziwei Sect's credibility.

The crowd grumbled inwardly: Of course they would not dare deceive a holy land like yours. But they were not afraid of small sects like us.

Seeing that no one dared refute him, Zhao Fa was quite satisfied.

He had merely happened to be here today, accompanying several fellow cultivators from the Purple Mansion Holy Land as they selected stone materials.

He had not expected to encounter such a fine opportunity to show off before a crowd.

"This fellow Daoist, do not let them interfere with your judgment."

Zhao Fa turned and spoke gently to Jiang Yun, looking every bit the graceful young gentleman.

Jiang Yun knew a little about the Ziwei Sect. It seemed to have all sorts of mysterious connections to the Ancient Ziwei Star.

There was an opportunity in the Ziwei Sect's stone workshop within Purple Heaven Capital, and Zhao Fa was right before him. There should be no mistake.

That opportunity seemed to be on this very shelf.

"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Zhao. I was thinking the same thing." Jiang Yun handed the clerk one hundred jin of Source and began selecting stones.

Seeing that Jiang Yun was so sensible, Zhao Fa bid him farewell and left with the several holy land disciples.

As soon as they departed, the cultivators here scattered, all wearing expressions of ill fortune.

Zhao Fa was no good person. Honeyed words hid a dagger in his heart, and he loved striking from the shadows at critical moments.

He might not have been capable of accomplishing great things, but he was exceptionally skilled at ruining them. His reputation was terrible.

Most cultivators who frequented Purple Heaven Capital knew this.

"Just treat it as spending money to avert disaster." A cultivator nearby quietly offered Jiang Yun a reminder.

It was clear that this cultivator was deeply dissatisfied with Zhao Fa, but simply did not dare resist him.

Jiang Yun thanked him, hastily picked out a stone material, and left without cutting it open there.

The people at the stone workshop merely assumed Jiang Yun was in a bad mood and did not think much of it. They did not care if he took it away.

The scrap Jiang Yun chose was a pitch-black stone no larger than a face.

It had been displayed at the Ziwei Stone Workshop for many years. A fist-sized piece of Divine Source had been cut from the main stone, and this was merely one fragment of its stone skin.

Yet the Taihuang Scripture cultivated by Xia Weier had an unusual reaction to that stone material.

One could not regard these stone-selling forces as merely kindhearted merchants. If some peerless treasure truly emerged after being cut open here, it would inevitably attract the attention of certain people.

Jiang Yun naturally would not cut it open in the stone workshop.

On the way out, Xia Weier looked somewhat downcast.

"Husband, I'm sorry. If I hadn't wanted to buy Source Stones, we wouldn't have run into this."

Jiang Yun gently kissed Xia Weier and said in a low voice,

"You are my lucky star. This stone should contain a supreme treasure. There is more to it than meets the eye."

"Ah, is that so? I seem to have an unusual intuition about this stone too."

Xia Weier was somewhat confused.

"Wait until we open it up. I'll broaden your horizons." Jiang Yun spoke mysteriously to Xia Weier.

The two found an inn and rented a small courtyard. It cost a full two taels of Source per day, but it was worth the price.

The courtyard contained Dao Text restrictions that could prevent outsiders from spying on them.

Jiang Yun studied the formation patterns arranged in the courtyard and found no problems. He casually reinforced them as well.

He took Xia Weier's hand, and his fingers, sharp as divine weapons, began cutting into the stone.

Beside him, Xia Weier held her breath and watched as Jiang Yun's hands danced up and down over the black stone.

The old stone skin kept falling away. Jiang Yun could not see inside the stone and feared damaging the rare treasure, so he did not dare cut too forcefully.

As the stone gradually shrank, divine radiance began to emerge, slowly filling the entire room.

Xia Weier was astonished. Like a clay statue, she slightly parted her little lips.

When all the stone skin had fallen away, dazzling light burst forth. It was as though a golden sun had appeared within the room, too brilliant to look at directly.

Divine Source. A piece of Divine Source as large as half a human head floated in the air, never falling. It was gorgeous and resplendent. This was their first time seeing Divine Source.

This magnificent sight left Jiang Yun utterly shocked. The dense life essence within the Divine Source seemed inexhaustible. Its value was simply immense.

All holy lands thirsted for Divine Source. It possessed endless wondrous uses and was connected to legends of immortality. Many great sects spared no effort in gathering it.

Moreover, upon reaching the Immortal Platform Secret Realm, ordinary Source no longer held much meaning. Only Divine Source could aid Holy Lords and great powers.

Xia Weier's strange feeling grew increasingly intense. She asked doubtfully, "Husband, it feels as though there is something inside."

It was an object resembling a broken dragon horn, only two inches long. Golden light flowed across it, multicolored radiance flickered, and it emitted terrifying fluctuations.

At the same time, an incomparably holy and mysterious aura seeped out.

This dragon-horn-like object was wrapped in Divine Source and nurtured within it.

"This is a rare treasure, a holy relic shed from a member of the Primordial Royal Family. Its value is beyond measure."

Jiang Yun looked at the Divine Source before him and explained it to Xia Weier.

Gradually, a pressure seeped through the Divine Source. As time passed, that terrifying pressure grew ever stronger.

The blood within Xia Weier's body glowed as it resisted the pressure.

As the divine wonder of that dragon-horn-like object gradually revealed itself, Jiang Yun hurriedly stored the Divine Source inside the Source Pearl.

He did not dare put just anything into the Sea of Bitterness.

Only after Jiang Yun put away the Divine Source did Xia Weier finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Husband, you are truly amazing. You actually found such a peerless treasure in a scrap piece of stone."

"Of course. This rare treasure can not only be used to refine weapons, but also has endless uses for tempering the flesh. It should even be able to assist in your cultivation of Imperial Dragon Qi."

Jiang Yun explained as he enjoyed Xia Weier's worshipful expression.

However, they likely could not use it yet. Its pressure was too powerful for them to withstand.