Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 345 - 346 Chapter 351 Wanting to Help the Divine King

346: Chapter 351 Wanting to Help the Divine King 346: Chapter 351 Wanting to Help the Divine King The Red Dragon Daoist had a withered build and wore the same old Daoist robe.

He fixed his gaze on the golden little creature, a hint of red light flickering in his eyes.

The small dragon-like creature felt uneasy under his gaze, fearfully hiding behind the little nun in white, peeking out cautiously to observe.

“Don’t be afraid, little one,” the little nun in white comforted, placing it on her shoulder.

Upon the appearance of the Red Dragon Daoist, those elderly men with limited lifespans were deeply apprehensive, refraining from speaking freely.

The others, unaware of his identity, continued to discuss, creating a cacophony in the Stone Garden.

“Divine Silkworm Nine Transformations…” the Red Dragon Daoist murmured, looking up at the sky, then down at the ground, as if sensing something.

Ye Fan wanted to approach and pay his respects, but with a flash of red light, the Daoist disappeared swiftly without pausing.

Why is he leaving in such a hurry… Ye Fan had wanted to leverage the Red Dragon’s prestige.

Li Heishui squeezed in, helping Ye Fan gather the Source.

The ground was covered with colorful gemstones piled together.

“Thank you both for your repeated assistance and for gifting so many Sources today.

Truly loyal,” he laughed heartily.

Wu Ziming’s eyes spat fire, and Li Chongtian’s nose almost twisted with rage.

Both remained silent, gritting their teeth.

“And this elderly gentleman, you are truly a person of great integrity and generosity, supporting us repeatedly.” Li Yishui, the Grand Elder of the Illusion Destruction Palace, was internally fuming.

He wanted to smack the sly young man in front of him but could only hold back his anger.

He felt utterly frustrated.

It was just one word—tragic.

He had jumped into the pit himself, and in less than an hour, he’d thrown in two hundred thousand jin of Source.

Most of it was borrowed, a debt he could not repay in his lifetime.

The thought of such misery almost made him faint; he wanted to slap himself.

“Old man, don’t tremble so much.

Too much anger harms the body.

With your cleverness, able to think of despicable tricks like snatching rare stones, are you telling me you can’t scheme for some Source?” Li Heishui added fuel to the fire, kicking a man when he was down, in a laid-back manner, similar to how the Grand Elder of the Illusion Destruction Palace had acted before.

Others who bet against Ye Fan looked ashen-faced, their expressions unpleasant, filled with regret.

Tuoba Chang cutting out Divine Source made them feel certain of victory, yet they suffered a major defeat—how could this be just?

Was heaven set on tricking them?

The piles of Source on the ground amounted to a total of one hundred forty-three thousand jin, like colorful gemstones, radiating brilliance.

Ye Fan waved his large sleeve, collecting all the Source.

At this moment, many people were heartbroken, wanting to cry but having no tears.

“Senior Brother Tuoba, as per our previous agreement, our bet was for one hundred thousand jin of Source.

How will you give it to me?” asked Ye Fan.

Even though Tuoba Chang was the primary heir of an ancient family of Source Techniques, he had only brought one hundred thousand jin of Source.

For cutting stones, he had already incurred a debt to the Ji Family of over three hundred thousand jin of Source.

“I will inscribe a stone script for you and repay you in a few days!” Ye Fan smiled and said, “Why not write it to the Ji Family?

Then owe another hundred thousand jin, and I’ll use these Sources to gamble on stones—what do you think?” “Alright!” Tuoba Chang gritted his teeth.

But this time, the Ji Family refused to agree, wishing they could immediately send the two away.

Strictly speaking, the Ji Family did not incur a massive loss.

Ye Fan, to cut stones, invested four hundred fifty thousand jin of Source, and Tuoba Chang invested a similar amount.

The two were utterly crazed, jointly throwing out over nine hundred thousand jin.

Of course, cutting out the Divine Source and the Divine Silkworm brought everything back.

No doubt, Ye Fan was the biggest winner.

Two pieces of Divine Source plus the golden little creature were worth over a million jin—truly a staggering gamble.

Ye Fan squeezed through the crowd to start selecting stones again because, for the last time, he had paid one hundred twenty thousand jin of Source without buying Heavenly Price Rare Stones but merely selected a piece of stone material worth thirty thousand jin, cutting out the Golden Little Spirit.

“So crazy!

Is he going to keep cutting stones?” “Could he really cut out extraordinary relics again?” Everyone watched him.

With each of his actions receiving extraordinary attention due to continually cutting out incredible things.

The Ji Family pinched their noses, letting him continue selecting stones, but they really wanted to kick him out.

For the Sacred Land Stone Pavilion, he was the most unwelcome type.

“The stones under this ancient tree, the stone among the vines ahead…” Li Heishui kept pointing, having found seven or eight strange stones that had been moved.

Ye Fan immediately frowned.

The Stone King had already achieved Spirit Communication, deliberately revealing flaws, which was definitely a provocation.

If I were a Heavenly Source Master, could you still run?

he thought to himself.

In the end, Ye Fan shook his head.

This Stone King had become an essence, certainly nurturing extraordinary relics, but he currently couldn’t find them.

He felt that even if he spent millions of jin of Source to cut all the rare stones in the Heavenly Stone Garden, he doubted he would find it.

He suspected the Stone King wasn’t in the Heavenly Stone Garden; maybe it was in the lake, or maybe on the shore.

It was very hard to determine.

Ye Fan selected two pieces of stone material, yet no extraordinary relics emerged.

However, he didn’t lose out, cutting out Exotic Source.

Finally, he set his sights on the island’s center.

Beneath a towering ancient tree was a smooth purple stone, where the Ji Family Stone Garden’s Guardian had sat for years.

He glanced at the price; if he cut this stone, it would perfectly spend his remaining ninety thousand jin of Source.

“This stone can’t be cut; it’s the place of an ancestor’s cultivation,” someone obstructed.

“Isn’t it marked with a price?” Li Heishui asked.

“Let them cut it.” The silver-haired elder waved his hand.

“Forget it.

It’s the place where seniors meditate; we shouldn’t offend,” Ye Fan shook his head.

In the end, the ninety thousand jin of Source were spent.

No extraordinary relics emerged, but he didn’t lose out, cutting out several large pieces of Exotic Source.

“Are you just giving up, not looking for that Stone King?” Li Heishui secretly transmitted his voice.

“I would like to find it, but I can’t.

Even if I truly found it, I likely couldn’t keep it.

It’s bound to be a holy divine relic, probably triggering a bloody conflict—I’ll return another day.” If the Red Dragon Daoist hadn’t left, he might have risked it, but now he gave up on the idea.

The stone gambling contest thus ended, with Ye Fan reaping great rewards, making many people envious but unable to harbor ill intentions.

At this moment, various major forces, including people from the Sacred Lands, surrounded him, extending olive branches.

The northern region produces Source.

Such a Source Technique genius is a guest welcomed by all major forces, and many old men were trying hard to recruit him.

Of course, a scramble for the golden little creature also began.

Generally, people couldn’t afford to raise it, but the various Sacred Lands certainly could.

“Young friend, I’ve already set up a feast.

How about we have a drink together later?” “I’ve already booked a VIP Divine Garden at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion of the Golden Family.

Brother Gu must come.” …

Even Li Heishui couldn’t escape, caught by a group of old men, their intense gazes making him somewhat apprehensive.

An Miaoyi, Jin Chixiao, Xiang Yifei, and others were incredibly enthusiastic, all wanting to buy the Golden Little Spirit.

Among them, Jiang Yifei and the Prince of the Great Xia were the most determined, seemingly sparing no expense.

“Brothers, selling it to anyone would be unsuitable.

Just send it to our Heavenly Demon Treasure Pavilion for auction,” Yaoyuekong suggested as he approached.

“It’s unnecessary to go there.

Their commission is as high as ten percent.

Don’t you think it’s a waste, Brother Gu?” an elder opposed.

They worried that if the news got out, more people would come to fight for it.

Then it would definitely reach an unimaginably sky-high price.

Even bodies cut out from Source were treasures worth studying, let alone a living Divine Silkworm!

Ye Fan and Li Heishui discussed for a long time whether to sell the golden little creature.

The Divine Silkworm’s Nine Transformations, unrivaled on earth and in heaven, is invaluable.

Yet, that’s easier said than done—successful transformations were rare even in Ancient Times, let alone in the present era.

“I’ve decided.

I won’t sell this Divine Silkworm,” Ye Fan spoke.

The scene fell into dead silence, followed by an icy killing intent that permeated the surroundings, coming from numerous sources, their origins unknown.

Ye Fan’s heart skipped a beat.

Each major faction was determined to acquire it.

If he insisted on not selling, his life might be in danger.

“I want to rent it out.” As soon as he said this, the killing intent vanished, replaced by a chorus of surprise, and many began speaking.

“Can it really be rented?

It’s a living creature.” “This is too…” “How would the rental work?” Many were discussing, and the major factions calmed down, inquiring further.

“Starting at six hundred thousand jin of Source, until it undergoes its third transformation,” Ye Fan stated.

“Young man, you dare ask for such an exorbitant price!

The Heavenly Source Master once said a Divine Silkworm’s value is six hundred thousand jin of Source.

Yet you’re only offering a lease and demand such a high price.” Ye Fan smiled a little, saying nothing more.

He understood that whether rented or sold, the result was the same: once it entered the hands of these major factions, it would never be returned.

Therefore, he proposed renting it out, effectively sealing the deal at a selling price.

The benefits of this were numerous.

Firstly, he wouldn’t incur a loss, being compensated with Source.

Secondly, by leaving the “rental” terminology, he could return one day to demand it back if he became powerful enough.

“Eight hundred thousand jin of Source!

The Great Xia Dynasty will rent it!” Suddenly, a dignified voice rang out.

An unexpected middle-aged man had appeared in the Stone Garden, causing the old men there to turn their heads.

He was clad in a Golden Dragon Robe, wore a Dragon Crown, and his tall, imposing figure exuded tremendous martial strength.

Nine True Dragons subtly coiled around him, and on his crown, a dragon’s head formed by Dragon Qi was intimidating to behold.

“Royal Uncle…” The Great Xia Prince and his sister saluted.

He nodded, emanating an incomparably powerful aura that rendered the old men speechless with pressure.

This was undoubtedly a Saint Master level figure.

Yet, the Ji Family’s silver-haired elder remained unaffected, calmly responding.

“Senior Brother Ji…” The Great Xia’s prominent figure’s lips moved slightly, evidently communicating via voice transmission.

“Alright, then I won’t contest with Brother Xia.” The silver-haired elder nodded.

As for the others, they had no opportunity to speak.

Confronted with such a sovereign, those old men were thoroughly suppressed.

“Little friend, what do you think?” a figure from the Immortal Divine Dynasty inquired of Ye Fan.

Ye Fan and Li Heishui weren’t oppressed and, without much hesitation, Ye Fan nodded in agreement.

Regardless, he surely couldn’t protect the Golden Little Spirit, given that many major factions eyed it covetously.

“Fine.

Within three days, I’ll gather eight hundred thousand jin of Source.” The sovereign of the Immortal Divine Dynasty vanished after saying this.

Ye Fan cutting out a lifeform more precious than Divine Source truly shocked the divine city.

First, the Red Dragon Daoist appeared, then the Great Xia’s Royal Uncle.

The little nun in white cheered, extremely pleased.

「Only then did others sigh in relief, able to speak again.」 “This is too overbearing, using power to suppress us, not allowing us to talk.” “Do you intend to reason with a Saint Master level figure?” Many felt dissatisfied, especially figures from the major factions, yet they were helpless.

These sovereigns stood too high to resist.

Ye Fan leasing out the little spirit achieved three objectives.

Firstly, it diverted the attention of the Sacred Lands; otherwise, he’d be in mortal danger.

Secondly, the golden little creature was a genuine “spendthrift” he couldn’t afford to raise.

Doing this was, in effect, finding someone else to raise it for him.

Lastly, by sending away the little creature in this manner, he gathered a large amount of Source, and if he became strong enough in the future, he could rightfully demand it back.

Treated as a precious curiosity and rented out, the Golden Little Spirit was very angry.

Its big eyes were round, and it constantly bared its teeth and claws at Ye Fan.

“Dear, don’t be mad.

You’ll have all the Source you want,” the little nun in white comforted.

“Fortunately, it’s leased out.

Otherwise, with this little thing being so fast, who knows when it might run away,” Li Heishui remarked.

Ye Fan nodded, saying, “Even if it really stayed with me, it might just pursue Divine Source, and if acquired, it’d likely flee.” “Exactly.

It’s not the actual theft one fears, but being constantly targeted by a thief.

You can’t guard against that.” The two consoled themselves.

They made this decision mainly because they had no choice; the Sacred Lands wouldn’t have allowed them to take it away.

“The Divine Silkworm belongs to the little nun, the little nun is…” Li Heishui hadn’t finished before Ye Fan hurriedly signaled him to stop.

The Great Xia Prince and his sister had already approached from behind.

Xia Yiming’s face was dark as he said, “Brothers, I hope not to hear such words again.” “A definite misunderstanding…” Li Heishui quickly explained.

The Golden Little Spirit truly connected with the Great Xia Princess, Xia Yilin.

Both sets of large eyes blinked in unison with a similar charm.

「A stone-gambling contest had finally come to an end, and only after a long time did the crowd disperse.」 Ye Fan and Li Heishui found themselves surrounded by people eager to win them over, despite the Divine Silkworm having an owner already.

「In the following days, the two were busy with numerous engagements, attending banquets hosted by the major factions.」 「On the third day, a figure from the Immortal Divine Dynasty personally delivered eight hundred thousand jin of Source.

A couple of days later, Tuoba Chang also returned the one hundred thousand jin of Source.」 「In the days that followed, Ye Fan once more entered the Stone Workshops of three Sacred Lands, acting boldly.」 However, he didn’t uncover extraordinary relics, but merely converted his Pure Source into Exotic Source through stone gambling.

Such phenomenal rarities are encountered by chance, not by seeking; he couldn’t consistently uncover them, or they wouldn’t be termed “rarities.” By this point, Ye Fan had accumulated enough Source to advance his ranks.

He decided to temporarily leave the divine city, as he had attracted too much limelight recently and needed a quiet place to break through his realm.

Additionally, he wanted to accomplish something: assist in Divine King Jiang Taixu’s liberation.

Jiang Taixu had taught him the Fighting Saint Technique, a debt of gratitude he couldn’t forget and was always thinking about how to repay.

Now, as the Sacred Lands planned to use the Extreme Dao Holy Weapon to break open the purple mountain, if Divine King Jiang Taixu still lived, perhaps he could be rescued.

Ye Fan had to convey this news to the Jiang Family.

He often wondered about Little Tingting’s well-being, and the old man’s situation.

He missed them dearly.

Having been in the northern region for a long time, he had never approached the territory of the Ancient Desolation’s Jiang Family.

「Outside the divine city, Li Heishui saw Ye Fan off.」 “Brother, when will you return?” Li Heishui asked.

“I’ll be back soon.

I still need more Source!” Ye Fan replied.

“Return sooner.

Those eight maniacs and some people from the ancient families of Source Technique have arrived, wanting to challenge you in Source Technique,” Li Heishui shared this news.

“Is Little Brother Gu Feng leaving the divine city?

Miao Yi is also about to travel.

Let’s journey together,” An Miaoyi said as she stepped out of the divine city.