The standoff between Qin Hao's group of four and Ge Tao's group of three immediately drew attention. Many people nearby turned to look.
"What's going on? Why are they facing off?"
"Are they going to fight here? Surely not. Fighting is forbidden in the Rough Stone Marketplace."
"I know those three. I think they're Disciple of Heavenly Origin Island."
"Three of those four are Disciple of True Person Ling Yuan from Ling Yuan Hall. But that young man looks familiar... I remember now. He's Qin Hao."
"What? Qin Hao's here too?"
Many people watched with interest. Qin Hao was already well known, and after his Stone Gambling earlier, someone had recognized him at once.
What made them even more curious was how Qin Hao's group had ended up facing off against Disciple of Heavenly Origin Island.
In the middle of the crowd, outside the Dark Crystal Shop, Ge Tao's face burned with fury, his features almost contorted. Ding Qiongwei's "Get lost" had completely shattered his composure.
"Ding Qiongwei, I want you to understand what cultivation resources that trash from the Southern Reach can give you. A place like the Southern Reach doesn't even have Stone Gambling, let alone all sorts of treasures!"
Ge Tao suppressed his rage, his voice rasping. "Tenth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking? Yes, that trash has some talent. So what? There are plenty of geniuses more talented and perceptive than him, but how many of them actually amount to anything?"
"Without cultivation resources or a renowned master to guide him, how far can he possibly go? He's nothing but trash!"
Ge Tao did not speak loudly, but every word reached the crowd with perfect clarity.
Wei Ranxuan and Li Buxiu looked delighted. Ge Tao had said exactly what they wanted to say. Wei Ranxuan, in