Chapter 69 Cutting the Stone

Old Taoist Chu quickly and cautiously stowed his spiritual herbs into his storage pouch, then silently slipped away to another corner.

Just then, Du Jin and his companions finally turned their attention to the bustling scene of the cultivator gathering.

The first sight that greeted them was the exceptionally lively trading area. Crowded with people, numerous cultivators gathered in groups of three to five or pairs facing each other, joyfully exchanging rare cultivation resources they needed. Magical treasures, elixirs, cultivation manuals... an overwhelming variety met the eye, dazzling and endless.

On the other side, the arena zone presented an entirely different, intense spectacle.

One could see cultivators with agile postures moving back and forth, fully displaying their divine abilities and spells as they sparred and tested each other.

Yet, despite the fiercely heated atmosphere, strict rules governed the arena—no one was allowed to deal a fatal blow to their opponent. After all, this contest was meant solely for honing skills and exchanging insights, not a fight to the death.

Further over in the lecture zone, several senior cultivators willing to impart the Dao sat upright on woven mats, teaching the surrounding rogue cultivators their years of cultivation methods and personal insights.

These precious words of experience acted like beacons illuminating the path forward for the rogue cultivators, benefiting every single one of them present.

Arguably the most eye-catching landmark was the nine-story pagoda standing tall in the center of the open ground.

Towering and majestic, this pagoda exuded a mysterious aura that tempted countless cultivators to try their luck. They formed long queues, eager to enter the structure and uncover the hidden secrets and treasures within.

Just as everyone was immersed in this brilliant and colorful cultivator gathering, Jiang Qing suddenly turned his head and said with a smile to Du Jin and the other three, "Fellow travelers, let us part ways here!"

Hearing this, Jiang Shu immediately widened her eyes and cried out in utter incomprehension, "Brother, what are you doing? Isn't it better if we travel together? Why do we have to split up?"

Faced with his sister's questioning, Jiang Qing calmly transmitted his voice to her: "Little fool, have you forgotten our prior agreement? If you continue to act so willful and mischievous, don't even dream of coming out to roam the world again after we return this time!"

Receiving her brother's warning, Jiang Shu felt both angry and annoyed inside, but ultimately she did not dare to say anything more. With a pout, she nodded with extreme reluctance.

Du Jin showed not the slightest trace of surprise at this. With a calm expression, he cupped his fists toward the other party as a farewell gesture. Meanwhile, Jian Yi maintained his usual frosty, forbidding demeanor, reacting not at all to these events. As for Liu An, he had held little fondness for the Jiang siblings to begin with, so naturally, he remained entirely indifferent.

By now, everyone present had sensed the discordant atmosphere among them, though no one pointed it out aloud. Shortly after, Du Jin led Liu An and Jian Yi toward the trading district.

As soon as they stepped into the area, a wave of noisy clamor washed over their ears. Voices of numerous cultivators rang out in high-pitched shouts: "Fellow Daoists, come take a look at my grade-four chain mail! This armor is impervious to blades and spears, untouched by water and fire, and boasts supreme defensive power! Don't miss out as you pass by!"

"And over here, fellow Daoist, come check out my grade-three Qi-Restoring Pill! Just swallow a single pellet and it will keep you forever youthful and radiant! Don't believe me? Have a try!"

Such hawking cries rose and fell in an endless stream all along the path. Those cultivators spared no effort in exaggerating the miraculous effects of their wares, until Liu An grew entirely annoyed and his head buzzed with noise.

At that moment, Du Jin's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said with keen interest, "Look, the stall up ahead seems rather interesting. Let's go take a look."

Liu An and Jian Yi immediately followed the direction Du Jin pointed. Not far away hung a particularly conspicuous sign, bearing bold, flying calligraphy—"Open stone blocks, pay spiritual stones before picking stones." As the three drew closer, the sound of excited cheers became clearly audible.

"Gosh! I actually opened a supreme-grade magical treasure! This is simply too lucky! Unbelievable, and it only cost me a mere ten low-grade spiritual stones!"

The cultivator's face was flushed red with excitement, his voice trembling slightly with agitation as he tightly cupped the dazzling, radiant magical treasure, staring at it infatuatedly.

Right then, an angry shout rang out from beside them: "Bah, how come I got nothing at all? You must be a shill hired by the shopkeeper!"

The speaker was another customer whose luck had been poor, cutting nothing out at all. He glared resentfully at the cultivator who had won the supreme-grade magical treasure, suspicion and rage flashing in his eyes.

"Nonsense! We have nothing to do with each other whatsoever! Don't throw dirty water here; it's simply your own bad luck making you resent others out of jealousy. Step aside, I'm leaving." The cultivator who had unearthed the supreme-grade magical treasure showed no weakness, shoving the blocker aside forcefully before striding away without looking back.

Standing off to the side like spectators watching a good show, Du Jin, Liu An, and Jian Yi witnessed this dramatic scene unfold at the stone-cutting grounds.

Liu An turned to his third senior brother Du Jin with burning interest and said, "Senior Brother, why don't we try our luck too and cut a few stones for fun? Maybe we'll get as lucky as that guy."

As he spoke, he looked at Du Jin with eyes full of anticipation.

Prompted by Liu An, Du Jin felt a surge of curiosity and impulse ignite within him, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Ah, good idea! It looks quite interesting, let's give it a try." By now, he was eager to select a few stone blocks to test his fortune.

Unlike the other two, however, Jian Yi showed no great enthusiasm for the stone-cutting endeavor.

He stood quietly, narrowing his eyes slightly while secretly channeling the hidden Heavenly Eye on his forehead, calmly probing the stone blocks displayed around the area.

A moment later, he understood clearly in his mind—not a single stone block here, even if purchased for ten low-grade spiritual stones, could possibly yield any special item when cut. Clearly, the fellow who had just extracted the supreme-grade magical treasure was undoubtedly a plant.

Just as Jian Yi began casting his gaze toward the somewhat higher-priced stone blocks, he suddenly felt an invisible resistance that prevented him from effortlessly probing the contents hidden inside the stones as he had moments before.

This mysterious force acted like a solid barrier, rendering his ability completely useless here.

Meanwhile, Du Jin in the crowd had already found his ideal target.

Weaving back and forth through the area, he finally stopped in front of a stone block with an exceptionally smooth surface and a deep black color. The stone lay quietly there, exuding an indescribable attraction.

"Boss, please help me open this stone block!" Du Jin shouted loudly, pointing his hand at the black rock.

Hearing the call, the owner of the stone shop hurried over in quick strides. Stopping before Du Jin, he first carefully inspected the stone block Du Jin had chosen, and then a look of admiration immediately appeared on his face.

"Ah, what a fine eye this young fellow Daoist has! This stone block is extraordinary; one can tell from its smooth exterior and unique luster that it likely hides some rare and peerless treasure within!"