Ye Fan was not afraid of losing face, either.
With a smile, he graciously accepted the stake.
The two of them had merely treated this wager as a joke between friends.
He did not actually intend to keep Taiyi's source, but if he wanted to return it, he at least could not do so in public.
After all, the great Eastern Emperor had his dignity to consider. He certainly could not be thought a sore loser.
If Ye Fan refused on the spot now, not daring to accept the divine source he had won, who knew what the story would become?
It would surely turn into a tale of how he, "Gu Feng," feared the Eastern Emperor's might and returned the astronomically valuable stake he had won.
Some people with ulterior motives might even deliberately spread rumors that the Eastern Emperor was a sore loser, lacked magnanimity, and had secretly threatened the Source Arts prodigy "Gu Feng," attempting to undermine his reputation.
"Young friend Gu Feng, stop dawdling..."
"Yes, yes! Hurry up and cut open that stone lion!"
Some of the older figures were growing anxious.
They were all desperate to know just what world-shaking treasure lay inside that stone lion.
It had made the Eastern Emperor concede defeat so readily with a smile, while Gu Feng had accepted that astronomically valuable stake with equal composure.
Yao Xi, Weiwei, An Miaoyi, and the other women, along with the Prince of Great Xia, Yao Yuekong, the Great Evolution Holy Son, the Purple Mansion Saintess, and the others, were also very curious and watched closely.
"Don't rush, everyone..."
Ye Fan smiled.
He did not delay any further.
He soon set his blade to work, swiftly peeling away layer after layer of stone.
At last, dazzling rays of light appeared.
They shone incessantly.