If the Holy Land's stone workshop had not required the stones to be cut on the spot, he would even have wanted to take the Source Stone away rather than expose its contents in front of everyone.
"Hiss, hiss..."
Powder billowed as the stone skin slowly peeled away. Su Yu wielded his sword with the utmost care with every stroke. This was more precious than the seed of the Qilin Divine Medicine. Although it was a damaged Immortal Divine Medicine, he had Divine Spring water from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, and he would soon have a pure land in which to plant it.
He had both the ability and the means to grow the Immortal Divine Medicine.
Chapter 30: Dreamlike Ice Blue, the Humanoid Immortal Medicine
"Crack!"
Suddenly, as the Purple Light Jade Marrow Sword fell, the stone cracked open of its own accord. An incomparably dazzling ray of light shot out, and then a figure of light soared into the sky.
"Elder, did a person just fly out?"
"It really was a human figure!"
"Flying Immortal from the Stone! To think we'd see such a wonder! Heavens, what treasure will appear this time?"
Outside the Heaven-Class Stone Garden, the onlookers erupted. Everyone was excited, as though they themselves had cut out a treasure rarely seen in the world. They all craned their necks and gazed into the stone garden through the curtain of light.
Flying Immortal from the Stone was a strange sight that had been an auspicious omen for stone cutters since ancient times. Whenever it appeared, it heralded the emergence of something extraordinary.
The Dragon Transformation and Immortal Platform cultivators inside the garden went so far as to use their divine sight, hoping to see what lay within the stone.
Several people from the Extreme Dao Holy Lands beside Su Yu gathered around as well. They had been the first to call out the Flying Immortal from the Stone, and their gazes burned with eagerness as they stared at the stone beneath Su Yu's purple jade sword.
"Such an auspicious sign hasn't appeared in the Holy City for many years. I never thought this old man would see it with my own eyes!" The Great Xia Divine Dynasty's elderly imperial granduncle was thrilled. He was the one who had just won the Nine-Aperture Stone Man's torso at auction. Although no divine object had appeared within it, Su Yu had given him the Divine Origin Grass, so he was exceedingly friendly toward him.
Ji Ziyue, who was following the Ji Family elder, also had a change of expression. The sight of the Flying Immortal before her left her speechless with astonishment.
An ancient-looking ring in her bosom was also giving off a warm light, leaving her somewhat puzzled...
With a soft crack, the stone's outer skin flaked away, and a dreamlike stream of ice-blue Qi poured out like a cold wave.
As the cold Qi circulated, the temperature in the garden dropped considerably. A moment later, the chill receded, revealing something crystalline, and an even colder breath swept toward them.
In an instant, frost appeared beneath Su Yu's feet, and icicles formed over his right hand, freezing the Purple Light Jade Marrow Sword in place. The air temperature plummeted, and wisps of cold drifted in every direction.
"This is a variant Source-Ice-Snow Source!" the Great Xia imperial granduncle said. He was very friendly toward Su Yu. Guided by the Taihuang Scripture, he could vaguely sense the Chaos Dragon Qi within Su Yu and felt a great affinity for him.
After receiving the Divine Origin Grass, the imperial granduncle had even wanted to marry one of his grandnieces to Su Yu, but Su Yu had refused.
He had sold the man fake goods, and the man still wanted to become family with him? What kind of thinking was that?
He had no interest in any princess. The only member of the Great Xia Dynasty whose name he remembered from the original story was Xia Yilin, a young Buddhist nun who had practiced in the Western Desert without shaving her head.
The Great Xia emperor was not at all upset at the refusal. Today's outing had added twenty years to his life, and he had been able to build a good relationship with this master Source seeker. He had gained a great deal from the trip! As for the 130,000 jin of Source from earlier, he did not take it to heart at all.
People of his profound cultivation and exalted status were frantic for treasures that could prolong their lives. Every year, some cultivators nearing the end of their lifespans entered forbidden lands, seeking a one-in-a-million chance to extend their lives. It was only some Source, a mere worldly possession. Befriending a master Source seeker was far more important than that Source...
Su Yu dispersed the mist around the stone. Amid the wisps of cold Qi, a fist-sized piece of Ice-Snow Source appeared, embedded in the stone like a piece of cold jade, beautiful and delicate.
An old man said gravely, "This piece of Ice-Snow Source is worth a thousand jin of Pure Source, but it couldn't have caused an unusual phenomenon like the Flying Immortal from the Stone on its own. There should be something else inside."
Everyone present fell silent, quietly waiting for Daoist Cao to continue.
Cao Yusheng's name was destined to resound throughout the Holy City today!
"Hiss!"
Su Yu stirred his Dragon Qi, and the hard ice on his hand melted instantly, releasing rising steam. The people who sensed that pure Dragon Qi could not help exclaiming in admiration.
"What powerful Dragon Qi! Elder Xia, is he a member of your Great Xia Dynasty?" an elder of the Desolate Ancient Jiang Family asked in surprise.
The Great Xia imperial granduncle explained with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Cao has extraordinary talent. He cultivated this Dragon Qi himself, and it bears no trace of the Taihuang Scripture. He is not a cultivator of my Great Xia Dynasty."
Su Yu continued cutting away the stone skin. When he followed a crack all the way to the heart of the stone, brilliant divine radiance shot out once more, dazzling beyond measure, icy cold and crystal clear. Many people caught the scent of a rich fragrance and sensed an incomparably sacred spiritual Qi.
"With a presence like this, it must be a treasure! Fellow Daoist Cao, I am willing to buy this divine stone for 150,000 jin of Source." Those speaking in the garden now were either from Extreme Dao Holy Lands or Immortal Second Realm Mighty Figures.
A black-robed old man stepped forward. He was a grand elder of the Illusion Destruction Palace. His words were fervent, but his actions were less than friendly. Seeing that Su Yu's realm was still low, he actually released the pressure of the Immortal Platform Second Heaven, intending to use his "might" to seize the spiritual medicine.
This man had just competed with the Great Xia imperial granduncle for the Divine Origin Grass, only to fail. The Illusion Destruction Palace did not have many resources. With his lifespan nearly exhausted, he had long been searching for something to prolong his life. Now another divine object had appeared, leaving him so excited that he wanted to force a purchase.
It was only a little loss of face. Compared with his lifespan, what was face worth?
"Hmph, Li Chonghua, don't throw the weight of your Illusion Destruction Palace around here. If there's a next time, the fellow Daoists present won't let you off either!" The Great Xia imperial granduncle rebuked him outright and dispersed his pressure, then turned to Su Yu with a warm smile.
The other Great Powers also spoke up for Su Yu. The Illusion Destruction Palace's grand elder suppressed his anger and could only let the matter drop.
The other party had connections to the Great Xia Dynasty and was not someone he could push around.
"Illusion Destruction Palace..."
Su Yu silently added him to his blacklist, fixing Li Chonghua's appearance in his mind before continuing to cut the stone.
As the jade sword moved gently, flecks of golden light flowed from its tip.
The stone skin kept falling away, pattering as it struck the ground. He cut all the way to the stone's heart and peeled part of it away. In an instant, brilliant light burst in all directions, and a human figure suddenly shot out from the heart of the stone, circling and dancing through the air above them.
At the same time, a strange medicinal fragrance filled the stone garden. The scent was fragrant, and the figure of light circled and spun, creating a dreamlike sight.
It was a beam of divine light, pure white throughout and incomparably sacred, dancing around Su Yu. The heart of the stone shone with dazzling brilliance, and a rich fragrance drifted from within.
Once all the stone skin had been stripped away, a beautiful piece of Ice-Snow Source appeared before them, worth more than 1,500 jin of Pure Source.
Of course, this variant Source was merely the outer layer surrounding the divine object. Its true value lay in what was sealed inside, which was the source of the light.
"A treasure rarely seen in the world! It's a spiritual medicine. It should be useful for extending one's lifespan!"
"That shape... I think I've seen it in an ancient book!"
"I'm guessing it's a divine medicine. Otherwise, how could a wonder like the Flying Immortal from the Stone have appeared?"
The silvery, sacred radiance finally began to draw inward, revealing the rare treasure inside the Ice-Snow Source. It was indeed a plant, and a faint fragrance wafted through the Source.
A pale blue rhizome was sealed within the Ice-Snow Source, as clear and lustrous as a sapphire, with no leaves above it. The plant was truly unusual. Attached above its pale blue roots was a pair of foot-shaped tubers, not very large, only an inch long. They were silvery white, much like the Ice-Snow Source.
When the divine radiance had withdrawn and everyone could clearly see what was inside the Source, they were deeply disappointed and full of regret. It was not a complete plant. The most crucial part of the plant was missing, leaving only the rhizome. It was far too badly damaged.
Su Yu paid them no mind and put the piece of Ice-Snow Source straight into his storage pouch. No one understood the value of this divine medicine better than he did.
"This seems to be... that unusual Immortal Divine Medicine," said the old man from the Desolate Ancient Jiang Family, though he was not certain and his tone was somewhat vague.
"Fellow Daoist, do you mean that humanoid divine medicine?"
The Ji Family elder was also shocked. Clearly, their family's ancient texts contained records of this Immortal Divine Medicine.
Then the Ji Family elder shook his head repeatedly, his heart aching. "If this piece of Ice-Snow Source is cut open, the divine medicine inside can only be used at once. It cannot be brought back to life or remain in the world. Alas, an Immortal Divine Medicine has vanished just like that. What a terrible pity!"
"Countless years have passed. Even if this divine medicine had intact roots, it still could not be revived."
"What a pity. It's far too badly damaged, but it's still a precious medicine for extending one's lifespan!"
The Great Xia imperial granduncle scoffed and stepped out of the crowd, his bearing majestic. With a sweep of his dragon-patterned sleeve, he said loudly, "Fellow Daoist Cao, I am willing to pay 200,000 jin of Source for it."
The other Great Powers stared!
They had just been about to drive down the price. The stage was set, and the play was halfway through. Who could have imagined a traitor in their midst? They could only helplessly continue bidding.
"My Ji Family is willing to offer 210,000 jin of Source."
"The Jiang Family offers 250,000 jin of Source!"
A Jiang Family Great Power gazed at it intently and named a high price outright.
Seeing how determined the man was to obtain it, Su Yu could roughly guess why.
Seeking divine medicine to restore the Divine King's origin...
Chapter 31: Pearly Mists Shining, the Primordial Purple Qilin (Please Vote!)
Icy mist swirled as Su Yu swept his sleeve and put away the damaged humanoid Immortal Medicine.
It was more precious than an ordinary primordial divine medicine. Human in form, it contained a great secret and was also the main objective of his trip.
Faced with the eagerly pressing elders of the great sects, Su Yu's face was as still as an ancient well. He was as calm as if Mount Tai could collapse before him without changing his expression.
With his current strength and resources, no one in the Holy City dared force him.
Following the story of the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Sword.
"Gentlemen, if any of you have primordial divine medicine, I am willing to pay a million jin of Source for it. Even damaged Immortal Medicine can command a premium."
His voice rang throughout the stone garden. Daoist Cao's lavish wealth surged forth, making the onlookers cheer and rejoice. The Great Powers fell silent and exchanged glances, overwhelmed by such financial might.
The elder of the Desolate Ancient Jiang Family was still reluctant to give up. He followed Su Yu and sent him a voice transmission. "Fellow Daoist Cao, if you wish to part with this divine medicine, you can come to the Jiang Family first. Precious as it is, it is too badly damaged. Without a Divine Spring and a pure land, it will be difficult to revive. Please give it some thought, Daoist..."
Su Yu nodded and politely said that if he wished to sell it, the Jiang Family would be his first choice.
After that, he cut out another plant of Heavenly Yang Grass. The instant the stone shattered, clear golden light shone out, like a string of crystalline, pearly mists descending into the mortal world, spreading in a haze.
This too was a divine medicine that extended one's lifespan, though its effect was far inferior to the Divine Origin Grass. It could barely add ten years.
Once again, it was the Great Xia imperial granduncle who bought the Heavenly Yang Grass at a high price.
Su Yu could not help nodding. This old imperial granduncle was opening up his path! He really knew how to handle things.
Glancing at the remaining stones, Su Yu decided to stop. He turned and cupped his hands to the owner of the Dao Yi Stone Workshop. The latter's face had turned green. His losses today had been too great, but faced with Su Yu, whose fame was rising, he could only force a few smiles.
"Fellow Daoist Cao, please come visit often in the future."
It was a mere courtesy, but Su Yu responded in all seriousness, saying that he would certainly return when he had time. The faces of the Dao Yi cultivators darkened even further.
With matters here concluded, the group filed out in a great procession.
Su Yu strode straight toward the Yaoguang Stone Workshop. The Yaoguang Holy Land Great Power following behind him felt his heart sink. There was no longer enough time to notify the disciples and have them put away some of the rare Source Stones.
Helpless as he was, the old man nimbly hurried to Su Yu's side with a smile on his face. Whoever else he might cross, he could not afford to cross his own lifespan!
The Holy Land was the Holy Land, and he was himself.
Those were two entirely different matters.
"Fellow Daoist Cao, though you are so young, you have already cut out a primordial divine medicine. Your Source Arts have reached the realm of perfection. Truly, the young are to be respected!" the Ji Family elder praised him. Then he looked at the young man and woman behind him. When would the two of them shake the Eastern Wasteland?
"Void Emperor left his mark on ancient history. During the darkest years of the human race, he illuminated the heavens and fought bloody battles against the Dark Source... He truly inspires admiration... I only wish I could cross the long river of time and behold the Emperor's bearing."
Su Yu sighed. Having finished speaking of the Ji Family, he turned to the Yaoguang elder and began discussing how the hundreds of sages of Yaoguang Holy Land had labored with painstaking devotion, one taking up the cause as another fell, until they finally moved The Heavens and forged an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon. It was a miracle without precedent or equal.