Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 342 - 343 Chapter 348 The Flying Stone

343: Chapter 348: The Flying Stone 343: Chapter 348: The Flying Stone Inside and outside the Heavenly Stone Garden, all eyes turned, making Ye Fan and Li Yishui the focus.

People were surprised.

At this moment, Li Yishui should have been triumphantly satisfied, yet his face was gloomy, clearly in a terrible mood.

On the other hand, Ye Fan, whose stone had been snatched, had a bright countenance, his teeth gleaming—he could be described as simply joyful.

As for the dark-skinned young man beside him, he was clearly stifling a mischievous grin, fighting back laughter.

Grinning like the cat that got the canary, his mouth nearly split to his ears.

“It’s over!

Li Yishui has definitely been duped!” “No way!

Wasn’t he ruthless just now?

How could someone so cunning still get conned?” “Didn’t you see how meaningfully those two are smiling?

They look just like weasels eyeing chicks.” Everyone focused on the center of the scene, their eyes fixed on the two men and that Heaven Rank strange stone.

Li Yishui could no longer maintain his composure; his previous air of nonchalance vanished, and his face darkened.

Beside him, Yang Kun wore a similarly stern expression, his gaze fixed on the strange stone on the ground.

This stone was named “Feathered Immortal,” nearly a meter long.

It had no particular shape and was quite irregular, but its surface was covered with many vein-like patterns resembling feathers.

The Feathered Immortal Stone lay beneath a thousand-year-old Ancient Tree.

Many cultivators had seen it, but to this day, no one dared to cut it open.

It was valued at one hundred twenty thousand jin of Source.

“This is truly a rare find, imbued with the aura of Taichu.

It’s definitely a stone from an old pit,” Ye Fan commented with a smile.

Li Yishui’s face grew even darker.

Silently, he took out a Silver Blade and began to cut the stone.

His movements were slow; after all, it was a Heavenly Price Rare Stone, and he was afraid of damaging it.

“Wrong, Senior Li.

When cutting a precious feathered stone like this, you need to cut against the grain, like peeling scales, meticulously picking upwards bit by bit,” Ye Fan earnestly advised from the side.

Veins throbbed on Li Yishui’s forehead.

“I don’t need you to tell me!” Beside him, Yang Kun snorted heavily, his expression extremely impatient.

But just then, Li Yishui exerted too much force, and the Feathered Immortal Stone split with a CRACK!

Yang Kun was startled.

“Be careful!” he urged.

Having bought the stone for one hundred twenty thousand jin of Source, despite suspecting they might have been duped, they couldn’t help but be extremely cautious.

“You need to cut along the lines, don’t use brute force.

Go with the flow,” Ye Fan began guiding again.

Though Li Yishui’s veins were practically bulging, he refrained from saying more.

He had never cut such feathered material before, and mishandling it could cause it to shatter completely.

“Correct.

Make the incision a bit lighter; the blade’s momentum should be fluid,” Ye Fan instructed with a smile, but Li Yishui and Yang Kun felt as if they were being slapped in the face.

Their faces were longer than the Black Emperor’s.

They wished they could strike Ye Fan down with a single blow, but the more furious they became, the more mistakes they made in cutting the stone.

CRACK!

Another large fragment of the Feathered Immortal Stone broke off and fell to the ground, yet nothing emerged from it.

Sweat beaded on Li Yishui’s and Yang Kun’s faces.

They had wagered one hundred twenty thousand jin of Source on this stone, a sum that included not only their own savings but also Source borrowed from others.

If it all goes to waste… The mere thought was enough to make them feel like vomiting blood.

They had brought this entirely upon themselves!

CRUNCH.

CRUNCH.

Stone powder trickled down as the Feathered Immortal Stone grew smaller and smaller, yet still, nothing appeared.

Sweat soaked Li Yishui’s back.

Although Yang Kun wasn’t the one cutting, he felt deeply unsettled, as if a hundred claws were scratching at his heart.

Li Heishui’s mouth was wide open in a silent, mocking laugh.

It wasn’t just Yang Kun and Li Yishui; even Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian began to feel uneasy.

CRACK!

When only a palm-sized piece of the Feathered Immortal Stone remained, Li Yishui and Yang Kun’s faces turned deathly pale; it was clear the stone was unlikely to yield any rare treasure.

When they looked up, they found Li Heishui, completely at ease, idly cleaning his nails with the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Sacred Spirit Sword, looking utterly relaxed.

Their faces went from white to blue, then to a shade of purple.

The situation was infuriating.

If they weren’t in the Ji Family’s Stone Workshop, they truly would have resorted to violence.

SMASH!

Li Yishui forcefully slammed the palm-sized stone onto the ground.

It shattered into pieces, but no rare treasure appeared.

He stood up, his face livid.

At that moment, he felt the world spin and nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

One hundred twenty thousand jin of Source, all down the drain!

Nothing was cut out.

This was clearly a setup.

“Tragic” was the only word for it; life seldom offers second chances… “You…” Li Yishui trembled with rage, pointing his finger at Ye Fan and his companion, his hair practically standing on end.

“What ‘you’ and ‘us’?

You snatched our stone, and when you couldn’t cut out any rare treasure, you’re going to blame us?” Li Heishui laughed heartily.

Li Yishui and Yang Kun felt their vision darken, dazed with anger; they nearly fainted.

The loss was too devastating.

After scheming so hard to snatch someone else’s strange stone, they ended up suffering the consequences themselves.

They had no one to blame.

Even so, they were fuming, smoke nearly coming out of their ears, their hair feeling like it was about to catch fire.

They wanted to roar at the heavens.

“Those two old geezers are truly pitiful.

They were utterly duped and walked right into a trap, and now they can’t even vent their anger.” Everyone outside the Stone Garden was discussing the situation.

Many couldn’t resist mocking them and burst into laughter.

“They brought it upon themselves.

They were so clever earlier, snatching someone else’s Source, only to end up like this.” “That young man is really something, digging such a huge pit for them to jump into.

Who could have imagined?” “It’s all because of greed!” “This takes skill; it’s practically an art form,” Li Heishui said with a double entendre, speaking glibly as it wasn’t his loss.

“Haha…” Many people couldn’t help but laugh.

Li Yishui and Yang Kun felt like vomiting blood.

Being so artfully conned and then openly mocked was unbearable for anyone.

Ye Fan walked to another Heavenly Price Rare Stone, patting it lightly.

“Actually, this one isn’t bad either.

I’m quite optimistic about it,” he said.

The crowd erupted in another round of laughter.

Li Yishui wanted to hit him.

How could he endure such words?

Yang Kun, with a flick of his sleeves, stormed out of the Stone Garden in a huff.

“Have you chosen your stone material yet?” Tuoba Chang asked coldly.

Beside him, a human-head-sized Divine Source hovered quietly, its Divine Radiance dazzlingly brilliant; even the stone skin could hardly conceal its divine luster.

“Already chosen!” Ye Fan replied.

To everyone’s surprise, he didn’t touch the final Heaven Rank strange stone.

Instead, he brought out a stone that had been sitting next to the Feathered Immortal Stone.

This stone was quite ordinary, about the size of a millstone, with no apparent special features.

It was entirely dark bluish-green and shaped like a stone墩.

The Heavenly Stone Garden was full of precious stones.

This particular one was valued at thirty thousand jin of Source; though expensive, it could hardly be considered the garden’s crowning treasure.

Earlier, when examining the Feathered Immortal Stone, Ye Fan had used his Source Heaven Divine Sense to scan this stone and had glimpsed something wondrous within it, something that deeply stirred him.

He wasn’t certain if it was a Stone King, but he reckoned it wouldn’t be far off!

“Seniors, I request your assistance in sealing off this area,” Ye Fan said solemnly.

Everyone looked surprised.

Could he really cut out an unparalleled rare treasure?

One had to remember that Tuoba Chang had cut out a Divine Source, a feat almost impossible to surpass.

“Do you really think you can cut out a rare treasure?” Wu Ziming sneered.

He had watched as his senior, Yang Kun, was duped earlier and felt deeply resentful, yet he had been powerless to help.

“I’d like to see what you can cut out!” Li Chongtian also sneered.

Li Yishui, the Grand Elder of the Illusion Destruction Palace, remained silent, standing to the side with a livid face.

One hundred twenty thousand jin of Source had gone down the drain, and he still had eighty thousand jin wagered here.

A group of old men gathered around.

Although they admired Ye Fan’s Source Technique, they were skeptical that he could cut out something more precious than a Divine Source.

Nevertheless, they joined forces to erect a light curtain, sealing off the area.

The Guardian of the Stone Garden, the silver-haired old man with crystalline skin, also approached to prevent any mishaps.

Li Heishui silently reminded him, “Didn’t you say there’s a Stone King?

Don’t let it interfere with your judgment again.” “Rest assured.

This time, I’ve used the Source Heavenly Origin Secret Technique to confirm that there must be an earth-shattering treasure within this stone,” Ye Fan replied confidently.

However, a sliver of uncertainty remained; he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was merely a decoy, not the true Stone King.

Tuoba Chang cut out a Divine Source, and now I’ve chosen a stone like this.

If both are merely decoys for the Stone King, that would be truly terrifying.

I really wonder what is gestating within the actual Stone King.

He began to cut the stone cautiously, holding the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Sacred Spirit Sword between two fingers, continuously shaving off the stone skin.

In the distance, everyone grew tense as they noticed his peculiar posture, as if he were ready to retreat at any moment.

The Prince of Great Xia, who was nearby, remarked, “Brother Gu’s Source Technique is astonishing.

Could he truly be about to cut out another peerless rare treasure?” Yao Yuekong, dressed in Purple Clothes, purple radiance flashing in his eyes, exuded the aura of a Demon God.

“Perhaps there really will be a surprise,” he said.

An Miaoyi smiled faintly without saying anything, her brilliant eyes sweeping back and forth between Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang.

As for the group of old men, their expressions were solemn, Divine Radiance flickering at their fingertips; they all seemed prepared to intervene.

After all, Ye Fan had previously cut out Ancient Divine Medicine and the Holy Spirit Sword, so they took his recent words very seriously.

Ye Fan wielded the sword with great speed.

The large, millstone-sized bluish-green stone rapidly shrank as layers of stone skin continuously fell away.

Finally, when the stone material was reduced to just over half the size of a human head, Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian couldn’t help but sneer.

How could such a large piece of stone compare to a Divine Source the size of a human head?

Even Li Yishui, the Grand Elder of the Illusion Destruction Palace, found his expression gradually relaxing.

A cold sneer touched the corners of his lips, his demeanor no longer as gloomy as before.

Many people shook their heads, believing Ye Fan was doomed to lose.

Even Li Heishui started to feel a little tense.

SHINK!

As Ye Fan sliced off another piece of stone skin with the small black sword, an intensely brilliant Divine Radiance suddenly shot out, so blinding that people couldn’t open their eyes.

Everyone was shocked.

Many widened their eyes, watching intently.

Ye Fan continued to wield the small sword.

As the stone skin fell away, a stone ball half the size of a human head was revealed.

Through the remaining stone skin, dozens of streams of Divine Radiance surged skyward.

The area was illuminated with a dazzling brilliance.

The Ancient Trees were bathed in Divine Light, glowing a radiant, crystalline green.

Even the flowers seemed to become sacred, sparkling brightly.

“Divine Source!” many cried out in astonishment, never expecting a second Divine Source to emerge.

“Half the size of a human head!

By the most conservative estimate, it’s worth at least two hundred fifty thousand jin of Source!” an old man exclaimed in shock, stating its value.

“Heavens, he cut out another Divine Source!

Unbelievable!” “Incredible!

To cut out two Divine Sources in a single day—such a thing has rarely happened even in the past!” “Priceless!

Why are such rare divine items appearing one after another?” Everyone was discussing it.

Even the little nun in white couldn’t help but squeeze forward, her large eyes blinking with curiosity as she watched.

“My eyes can’t take it!

This Divine Radiance is too intense; I can’t look at it directly,” someone said, their eyes reddening as they were forced to turn their head away.

“Haha…” After his initial shock, Wu Ziming couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

“So what if it’s a Divine Source?

It’s merely half the size of Brother Tuoba’s!” “That’s right, you’ve lost!

This Divine Source will be ours!” Li Chongtian also burst into wild laughter, incredibly excited.

“Heh heh…” Li Yishui let out a pent-up breath, a cold laugh escaping him.

Suddenly, the stone ball moved, soaring into the sky as if trying to escape.

BANG!

It slammed into the light curtain.

If the area hadn’t already been sealed, it truly would have escaped.

“What’s happening?

This stone ball can fly?” “Heavens!

What is gestating within the Divine Source for it to take flight on its own?” “A flying stone?

How is this possible?!” Everyone was stunned.

This defied all common sense; it was unbelievable.

A Divine Source could hover in the air without falling, but it definitely couldn’t fly away.

This was undoubtedly an earth-shattering rare treasure; there was likely another marvel hidden within.

BANG!

BANG!

The light curtain was very sturdy.

The stone ball hurtled around, trying to escape, but to no avail.

Inside the Heavenly Stone Garden, a group of old men quickly took action.

They weren’t attacking, however; instead, they used gentle Divine Light to suppress and immobilize it, then proceeded to seal it.

Because there was an unparalleled treasure within the Divine Source, they were afraid of damaging it and dared not use excessive force.

The stone skin couldn’t entirely conceal the radiance of the Divine Source within; numerous beams of divine splendor shot out from the cracks, incredibly brilliant, as it was guided back down.

A group of old men, their eyes burning with fervor, fixed it in mid-air, all of them somewhat agitated.

“Young man, you are truly remarkable!

You’ve cut out another peerless rare treasure!

Sell it to us.” “We are willing to buy it at a sky-high price!” Those speaking were representatives of major powers, all wanting to acquire the stone.

“This unique treasure is more precious than that human-head-sized Divine Source,” stated the Guardian of the Ji Family Stone Garden.

“Indeed, it’s more precious than that Divine Source,” someone else nodded in agreement.

Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian looked as if they had been struck by lightning, their faces instantly paling.

Just moments ago, they had been overjoyed and ecstatic; now, in the blink of an eye, the tables had turned, leaving them in near despair.

Li Yishui’s face darkened considerably, veins throbbing on his forehead.

This outcome was a devastating blow; his body swayed, and he nearly collapsed.

He and Yang Kun had already fallen into one pit, and now they had to hand over another eighty thousand jin of Source.

It felt like being struck with a heavy club.

“Brother Gu Feng, sell this rare treasure to us!

Great Xia will offer you a satisfactory, sky-high price!” the Prince of Great Xia transmitted via voice projection.

“Little Brother Gu Feng, Miao Yi wishes to purchase this treasure.

Whatever your conditions, I will do my utmost to meet them,” An Miaoyi also transmitted with a sweet smile.

“My two brothers…” Jiang Yifei also began to speak.

… In an instant, Ye Fan was inundated with various divine scans.

Many people secretly sent him voice transmissions, with temptations, promises, and all sorts of benefits pouring in.

“Everyone, let’s first peel off the stone skin and see what exactly is inside the Divine Source,” Ye Fan responded.

He had no intention of selling it off blindly.

“Yes!

Peel off the stone skin!

Let’s see what’s really gestating inside it!” Outside the Heavenly Stone Garden, everyone else shouted loudly.

These people couldn’t enter the Stone Garden, their status certainly couldn’t compare to the representatives of major powers and the numerous old men, but they were the most numerous, and their shouts shook the heavens.

At this moment, news spread like wildfire: something even more precious than a Divine Source had been cut out!

The entire divine city was once again thrown into an uproar.

In the Heavenly Stone Garden, the group of old men didn’t obstruct them; they too wanted to see what was inside.

“Please, esteemed Seniors, do the honors,” Ye Fan said, not stepping forward himself.

Finally, the Guardian of the Ji Family Stone Garden stepped forward.

Divine Radiance flashed at his fingertips as he carefully peeled off the stone skin.

In an instant, a dazzling brilliance erupted, as if a sun had appeared in their midst.

Those with weaker cultivation bases couldn’t even open their eyes, unable to watch.

Only powerful individuals could observe.

This was a Divine Source, its radiance utterly brilliant.

“What is that?

There’s a living creature inside the Divine Source!” “There really is a living creature!” “Is it a Golden Snake?

No, it doesn’t look like one…

It seems to have horns on its head.

Could it be a dragon?!” “It’s too blinding!

I can’t see clearly… It shouldn’t be a dragon.” … Everyone was shocked, the place erupting into a frenzy.

There was indeed a living creature inside the Divine Source.