Just as Li Qingshan was crushing Nether Spring Prison with lightning speed, a different scene was unfolding in the Eastern Wasteland Holy City.
Within the Holy City, crowds surged.
News of the showdown between the Source Arts Clan and the Gu Feng spread like wildfire throughout the entire Divine City.
The stakes were as high as 1.5 million catties of Yuan, making it the most extravagant gamble in thousands of years, even temporarily suppressing the Purple Mountain Fengyun.
Outside the Yaoguang Stone Workshop, cultivators thronged shoulder to shoulder, a dense, endless mass. An elder sighed:
"The streets were deserted as everyone flocked to see it, a spectacle comparable to when the Eastern Exalt cut open the seed of the Kirin Immortal Medicine Seed in the past."
Inside the stone archway, the Blood-Tear Jade Bamboo sways gracefully, its joints snow-white and its leaves stained with blood, said to be dyed by the tears of gods.
In the Heaven-Class Stone Garden, white-haired elders and saintly figures gathered together, all eyes focused on the two protagonists of the day.
Led by Nangong Qi, the four grandmasters of the Source Arts Ancient Family arrived together, followed by several arrogant young disciples.
In the Holy City's Yaoguang Stone Workshop, on a vast stone platform reinforced by numerous arrays, Ye Fan was confronting an elder from the Nangong Clan, Source Earth Master.
Around the stone platform, countless jade palaces and cloud platforms floated, and important figures from Great Saint, Desolate Ancient Family, and major sects gathered here. Further out, a dark mass of cultivators watched the spectacle.
This battle of Source Arts, involving huge stakes and the reputations of the two Source Arts lineages, has already caused a sensation in the Northern Region of the Eastern Wilderness.
Even the recent efforts of the Great Saint to wipe out the Assassin Divine Dynasty have been overshadowed, since wiping out the Assassin Divine Dynasty is too far-fetched for most people, while the Source Arts duel in the Holy City is right before their eyes.
"Young friend Ye, although your Source Arts are of good quality, you are still young. I have been immersed in Source Arts for 270 years, and today I will show you what the true path of Source Arts is."
The old man from the ancient Source Arts family had white hair and beard, and held a dragon-patterned Origin Staff. His tone seemed peaceful, but it carried a condescending air.
Ye Fan, dressed in blue, said calmly, "Please."
The rules of the duel are simple and straightforward: each side selects three stones from the mountain of Source Stone piled up on the stone platform, cuts them open on the spot, and the winner is determined by the total value of the divine artifacts found inside.
The stakes included astronomical sums of Pure Source, as well as some Source Arts manuals.
The two began to wander among the rocks, their fingertips radiating divine light. They would listen to the rocks by pressing their ears to them, or observe the patterns on the rocks with their eyes shining with a strange light. Their methods varied, drawing gasps from the onlookers.
In a jade palace somewhere on the edge of the stone platform, the Black Emperor stood upright, his two front paws gripping the railing, his dog eyes wide open, muttering to himself:
"In my opinion, that black sandstone on the third row from the left is definitely valuable! And that strange rock over there shaped like an old woman, why haven't you made your move yet?"
Beside him, the Daoist priest Duan De, with his protruding belly, pulled out a gourd of wine from somewhere, took a satisfying swig, and chuckled:
" Boundless Heaven, what's the rush? Young Ye's Source Arts is something I taught him, far superior to those Source Earth Master. He knows that. If it weren't inconvenient for me to show my face, the various stone workshops in the Holy City wouldn't have needed Little Yezi to Manifesting Sainthood. But you, Black Dog, have you figured out that jade artifact you picked up from the Mighty Figure Ji Family in Purple Mountain last time? I have a feeling that the ancient divine scripture on it is somewhat related to the Emperor's Scripture."
"Shut up!"
Black Emperor's tail bristled, and it looked around warily, lowering its voice.
"You fatso, are you trying to get us killed? How can you talk about Purple Mountain in public like this?"
However, it was too late.
On the nearby cloud platform, several elders from the Central Continent Great Sect, who had participated in the siege of Purple Mountain but suffered heavy losses, suddenly turned their gazes toward them with hostile eyes.
"It's that despicable dog and that tomb raider!"
"And that Sacred Body Ye Fan! They're in cahoots!"
"In addition to failing to obtain the Purple Mountain Emperor Weapon, they also lost many disciples. It is said that they were the ones who secretly sabotaged and robbed many people first!"
"There are also old accounts of the thefts of the Jiang Family's stone archway and the Ji Family's stone archway,"
"It seems that the old site of Jade Pool was also robbed back then,"
Whispers quickly spread, and all eyes were fixed on the two people and the dog, filled with anger, contempt, and gnashing teeth.
The Jade Pool disciples who were slightly closer silently moved two steps to the side, trying to distance themselves from these two.
Black Emperor stubbornly retorted, "So what if I know? Treasures belong to the virtuous! Besides, they're all unclaimed things on the ground, what's wrong with me picking them up?"
Duan De, on the other hand, was extremely thick-skinned. Facing numerous murderous gazes, he simply puffed out his belly and adopted the air of a wise and enlightened master. However, his small eyes gleamed with cunning, clearly indicating that he was plotting how to escape later.
Soon, the name " Three Scourges of the Eastern Wasteland " spread like wildfire among the crowds watching the gambling match, growing ever more intense.
Before Ye Fan could even begin to carve the stone, his reputation had already spread far and wide thanks to the "great achievements" of his two companions.
Ye Fan, sitting on the stone platform, naturally overheard some of the discussions. His lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but he immediately calmed down.
"Look, that's Ye Fan, the Sacred Body, who has recently risen to fame as the leader of the ' Three Scourges of the Eastern Wasteland '!"
Someone whispered.
"They're said to be behind everything: fishing in troubled waters at Purple Mountain, the theft of the stone archway, the looting of the old site of Jade Pool, and the theft of the tombs of sages!"
"That black dog and the fat Daoist priest, one is utterly despicable, the other is inherently wicked, and Sacred Body Ye Fan actually associates with these two!!!"
Whispers arose, and many elders from the Holy Land who had suffered losses before cast unfriendly glances at them.
Elder Li Yishui Tai Shang the Illusion Destruction Palace, along with his disciples Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian, were present. Upon seeing the three arrive, he gave a cold smile:
"Don't act recklessly just because you have Eastern Exalt backing you up. Young people don't know their own limitations, and they're going to suffer a setback today."
Black Emperor turned his head, a mocking expression appearing on his dog face:
"Who do we have here? It's Senior Li, who gifted us tens of thousands of kilograms of source stones last time! What, you've prepared plenty of Source Stone again today, planning to be generous once more?"
Li Yishui's face darkened, and he flicked his sleeve with a cold snort.
Inside the Yaoguang Stone Workshop on the other side
Nangong Qi had a kind face and spoke gently:
"Now that you've arrived, young friend, let's begin."
Ye Fan nodded. "That suits me perfectly."
With the bet settled, the two parties ventured deep into the bamboo forest to begin selecting stones.
The Heaven-Class Stone Garden truly lives up to its reputation as a place steeped in the heritage of Yaoguang, boasting a dazzling array of rare stones at astonishing prices.
Ye Fan paced among them.
"Kid, that piece looks extraordinary, naturally formed, and supposedly contains rare treasures."
The Black Emperor transmitted his thoughts telepathically, while his dog claws subtly pointed.
Ye Fan stared at the spherical stone priced at 120,000 jin of Origin, activated his Source Heaven Divine Sense, and a purple light appeared faintly.
He shook his head after a moment:
"The stone core is flawed, its vitality nearly exhausted; it is not an ideal choice."
Beside a spring, in the middle of the pool, there was an inconspicuous gray stone about the size of a human head.
Ye Fan looked over and his Source Heaven Divine Sense pierced through the stone skin. He was suddenly shocked to find a fist-sized Divine Source within, radiating brilliant golden light!
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed danger, swiftly threw the stone into the air, and then slipped into the crowd.
"Boom!"
The Divine Source exploded, golden light burst forth like a blazing sun, and violent divine power swept in all directions. If Ye Fan had not retreated in time, he would have been severely injured.
From within the fragment of Divine Source, a small golden creature flew out joyfully, opened its mouth and inhaled the dissipating source energy into its belly; it was a Divine Silkworm.
In the distance, Ji Ziyue and Yilin, the little white-robed nun from the Great Xia Dynasty of the Central Continent, felt a surge of affection and hurriedly called out to her, but the Divine Silkworm pretended to be deaf and dumb, only concerned with devouring the source energy.
"Old man,
Playing dirty tricks!
Ye Fan roared:
Nangong Qi remained unfazed.
"In a battle of Source Arts, life and death are the sole responsibility; this is an ancient precept."
Ye Fan sneered, said no more, and secretly activated the Earth Vein Technique.
Not far away, the strange rocks beneath the feet of two disciples from a family of Source Arts who were following Nangong Qi suddenly shattered, and the alien Origin Essence turned into Dragon Qi and backfired. The two screamed and flew backward, spitting out blood.
" Earth Vein Dragon Transformation Technique?"
A fierce glint flashed in Nangong Qi's eyes, "Young friend, you have some tricks up your sleeve."
"Same to you." Ye Fan smiled faintly, then turned to continue selecting stones.
He walked through the stone garden, avoiding several hidden traps, and finally stopped in front of a strange stone that resembled a stone mill and was full of wind-eroded holes.
This stone is called " Wind Cave Stone " and is priced at 80,000 jin (40,000 kg). Because the stone looks rotten, no one has been interested in it for hundreds of years.
Ye Fan used his Source Heaven Divine Sense to investigate repeatedly and decisively bought it.
At that moment, a commotion arose from the other end of the bamboo forest. Nangong Qi had already chosen the first stone. " Blood Sacrifice Altar!"
The stone garden caused a sensation.
The Blood Sacrifice Altar originated from the ancient Divine Temple in the Forbidden Zone of Absolute Beginning. It is one of the nine altar stones. Yaoguang tried to cut six of them but failed. This stone is the smallest of them and is priced at 300,000 jin of Yuan. It is the treasure of the stone archway garden.
Ye Fan pondered for a moment, then walked to the other side and said to the guardian of Yaoguang:
I want the " Immortal Grave ".
Another gasp arose.
The Immortal Grave resembles an ancient tomb, standing over two meters tall with a base diameter of three meters. Its surface bears traces resembling natural Dao patterns. Priced at 250,000 jin of Yuan, it is considered one of the most legendary and unusual stones, along with the Blood Sacrifice Altar.
"This is insane! These two have already thrown out over 500,000 jin of energy!"
Nangong Qi then selected a second stone, " Big Stupid Elephant," shaped like a house, priced at 180,000 jin.
Ye Fan then selected a " Honeycomb Stone " for his third stone, one that was riddled with holes and looked as if it had been eaten by insects.
The agreement between the two parties is as follows: Ye Fan's Wind Cave Stone, Immortal Grave, Honeycomb Stone, and a total price of 450,000 jin of raw materials;
Nangong Qi selected the Blazing Sun Stone, the Blood Sacrifice Altar, the Big Stupid Elephant, and a total of 560,000 catties of raw materials.
The stakes, including the price of the stones, totaled over a million catties of raw materials, a rare occurrence in the world.
"Cut the stone! Cut the stone!" the elderly onlookers shouted excitedly.
Nangong Qi made the first move, his silver blade slicing through the Blazing Sun Stone like a dragon.
As the blade's light receded, the stone skin crumbled away, revealing a small Sun rising into the sky—a Divine Source of human head! Its divine radiance was dazzling, its value no less than 500,000 jin of source material.
"A great start! The Grandmaster's skills are truly extraordinary!"
It was Ye Fan's turn.
He walked toward the Wind Cave Stone with his knife in hand. Just as he got close, he suddenly sensed a disturbance in the earth's veins, and several dragon energies attacked from underground.
Ye Fan snorted coldly, turned his blade and plunged it into the stone, causing the earth's veins to surge back, and a great dragon rushed straight towards the Divine Source that Nangong Qi had cut out.
Nangong Qi and the others paled and hurriedly took action to cut off the dragon energy and protect the Divine Source.
"Youngster, do you want to get everyone here killed?"
Nangong Qi shouted sharply.
"If your skills are inferior, death is the only option; these are the words of the senior just now."
Ye Fan calmly retorted, his hand rising and his knife falling, shattering the Wind Cave Stone into pieces like a rain of flowers.
The fist revealed the Divine Source, containing over forty golden ancient insects, each the size of a fingernail, brimming with life.
" Ancient Insect Divine Source!"
Some older people have lost their voices.
"This is a top-grade medicinal ingredient for refining the Ancient Life-Extending Pill; its value is no less than 600,000 jin of Origin!"
Ye Fan won the first round.
Moving on to the second Source Stone.
Ye Fan walked toward the Immortal Grave, his divine sense suddenly gave him a warning; the aura of death enveloped him.
As he retreated hastily, his eyes glanced at Nangong Qi and the other four. The opponent's position was mysterious, and he was actually stimulating the general trend of the world in the stone garden, intending to carry out an invisible killing blow.
"Trying to kill someone with your power?" Ye Fan sneered, taking a strange step and activating the dragon vein to counterattack.
"Puff!"
A disciple from a powerful family specializing in Source Arts, who was mocking Ye Fan in the distance, froze. His internal organs were crushed into pus and blood by the overwhelming force of the dragon vein, and he fell to the ground silently.
"Shall we continue?" Ye Fan looked directly at Nangong Qi. "I also have Life-Killing Great Art yet to be used."
Nangong Qi's face turned ashen, and he led his disciples to retreat.
At this moment, three Saint Lord-level figures arrived one after another: Ji Family's Mighty Figure, Xu Tianxiong, the third largest bandit in the Northern Region, and the Imperial Uncle of the Great Xia Dynasty.
The old Daoist priest, Red Dragon Old Daoist, appeared silently, his ancient Daoist robe and withered body causing everyone present to hold their breath.
This ancient demon, who has lived for three thousand years, possesses unfathomable strength.
Immediately, none of the members of the Source Arts families dared to act rashly.
Nangong Qi began cutting the Blood Sacrifice Altar.
The silver blade slashed through the air, the aura of primordial chaos filling the air, and the killing intent intensified.
As the stone peels away, the blade of an ancient spear, crimson as blood and mottled with rust, is revealed, exuding a terrifying killing intent that sends shivers down one's spine.
"A peerless weapon of destruction! It was once stained with the blood of an unparalleled being!"
Stone chips continued to fall off, and a holy radiance overflowed. A strange source seed, flowing with silver light like condensed moonlight, appeared, containing a purple-haired girl with unparalleled beauty, seemingly asleep.
" Primordial Royal Clan! And in the form of a young girl!"
The Divine Silkworm, which was absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, suddenly cried out in sorrow, broke free from Ji Ziyue and the little nun, threw itself onto the Source Stone and wept loudly, its golden little claws gently stroking the girl's cheek, as if calling out an ancient name.
It breaks one's heart to hear it.
The Mighty Figure Ji Family intervened and completely severed the Source Stone.
The truth was revealed: the ancient spear pierced through the girl's heart from behind, pinning her to the source.
He was not killed by a weapon, but rather by one.
"So that's how it is. The ancient king was assassinated."
Before the crowd could calm down, Ye Fan had already begun cutting into the Immortal Grave.
As the second blade fell, the stone cracked, and two beams of golden light shot out from the grave, like torches!
"There are living things in the Immortal Grave!"
Amidst cries of alarm, the Immortal Grave completely shattered, Dao Body strode out.
It was less than five feet tall, with a human body, golden fur, eyes like torches, and a fighting spirit soaring to the sky. Fragments of Divine Source shimmered with five colors beneath its feet.
" The Fighting Saint Ape! A battle saint among the Primordial Royal Clan!" The Red Dragon Old Daoist, said solemnly.
The holy ape, with its fiery eyes and golden pupils, surveyed all directions with an aura of dominance and arrogance.
The three Mighty Figure made successive attempts to test him, but he neutralized them all with the Nine Revolutions Heavenly Art or spatial divine arts.
Even more astonishingly, the Holy Ape's eyes ripped through the Void, capturing the wondrous source that contained the goddess and pulling out the ancient blood-red spear from within.
With a deadly weapon in hand, its murderous aura is overwhelming, and strange phenomena such as mountains of corpses and seas of blood appear. This spear once slew Primordial King!
The Red Dragon Old Daoist priest, Crimson Dragon, unleashed the Nine Forms of the True Dragon, a supreme technique of the demon race, to melt the Void and suppress the Holy Ape.
Ji Family Mighty Figure, Xu Tianxiong, and the Imperial Uncle of Great Xia blocked their retreat.
In the midst of the fierce battle, the Holy Ape smiled slyly, picked up the Strange Source, gathered up the fragments of the Divine Source, and transformed into golden light, disappearing into the pre-arranged starlight Dao patterns in an instant.
"Monkey, stop! Give me back my Divine Source!" Ye Fan shouted, but it was too late to catch up.
Several Mighty Figure gave chase, leaving the stone garden in a state of utter chaos.
The gamble is not yet over, but the situation is clear: Nangong Qi unearthed the Primordial King's corpse and the murderous weapon, whose value is immeasurable.
Ye Fan extracted the Ancient Insect Divine Source and the Fighting Saint Ape. Although the latter escaped, its very existence proved the value of the Immortal Grave.
The people at Yaoguang Stone Workshop were ashen-faced; the garden's prized stones were all destroyed, resulting in heavy losses.
The scion of a family specializing in Source Arts forced himself to remain calm. "The outcome is still uncertain, but the items from the Blood Sacrifice Altar are clearly more valuable."
However, all the Mighty Figure present judged that the one cut from the Immortal Grave Source was of higher value, slightly superior.
Ye Fan won the second round.