Chapter 107: An Unexpected Encounter Is Better Than an Invitation

Soon, Chen Xian withdrew his divine insight and headed toward one of the barracks.

Before the barracks stood a thick alloy door, barred by a password lock. Without hesitation, Chen Xian raised his palm and struck the alloy door.

A crackling sound erupted as countless spiderweb-like fractures radiated outward from the center of his palm, quickly spreading across the entire door.

Withdrawing his hand, a deep palm print appeared etched onto the metal surface.

A sharp crack followed, and the alloy door shattered into fragments that fell to the ground.

Chen Xian’s gaze pierced through the doorway into the room beyond. On the floor lay a heap of heavy stones of various sizes—some weighing several tons, others just a few dozen kilograms.

“Why would the Raven Mercenary Corps collect so many seemingly ordinary stones? Could these be some kind of rare mineral?” Chen Xian wondered.

Curious, he decided to activate his Eye of Annihilation to take a closer look.

Drawing two wisps of spiritual energy from his spirit wheel space, he infused his eyes. One eye turned white, the other black, their depths as fathomless as the ocean, capable of seeing through all worldly phenomena to their essence.

His vision penetrated the stones’ surfaces, delving into their cores.

“Huh? There are jadeite gems inside these stones?” Chen Xian clearly saw many stones concealed jadeite within.

Spending a minute examining the hundreds of stones piled in the barracks, he discovered that a quarter were pure stone with nothing inside, while the remaining three-quarters contained jadeite.

This reminded Chen Xian of several terms: jadeite rough stone and gamble stone.

He recalled having seen reports on jadeite rough stones and gamble stones on the news.

With this in mind, he took out his phone and searched for related information online. Soon, he found a wealth of details about jadeite rough stones and the gamble stone trade.

“These stones containing jadeite must be jadeite rough stones. The neighboring countries of the Hualong Federation—T Country, X Country, and L Country—are major jadeite-producing nations. Most of the jadeite in the Hualong Federation’s jewelry market comes from these three countries.”

“Jadeite rough stone refers to jadeite freshly mined from the veins, still wrapped in a layer of weathered rock, called the ‘skin.’ Without cutting open this weathered skin, one cannot know the quality or presence of jadeite inside. This uncertainty has given rise to an industry—the gamble stone trade!”

“The gamble stone trade involves betting on unprocessed jadeite rough stones, also called ‘raw materials.’ In the jadeite market, raw materials are known as ‘stones,’ categorized into: fully green ‘color goods,’ uneven green ‘patterned slabs,’ and ‘brick materials’ with no bright green hues.”

“There is a saying in the jewelry world: gambling on jadeite is like gambling with one’s life! Win, and you can earn tenfold or even a hundredfold overnight and become rich instantly. Lose, and you risk losing everything and going bankrupt overnight. The risks of gamble stones far exceed those of stocks or futures.”

As Chen Xian continued scrolling, a red advertisement popped up, catching his attention. He tapped to open it.

“On [Date], the grand quinquennial gamble stone convention will be held at the Guangsheng 80,000-seat Football Stadium in JK City, T Country. At that time, raw material suppliers from T Country, X Country, and L Country will bring a vast array of high-quality jadeite rough stones to the convention.”

“To warm up the event, several top-tier and super A-list celebrities will perform at the opening ceremony, presenting spectacular shows for all attendees. Enthusiasts are encouraged to register enthusiastically. Registration closes at [Time].”

“This gamble stone convention, jointly hosted by the three major jadeite countries, occurs only once every five years. Friends who love gamble stones must not miss this grand event.”

After reading the announcement, Chen Xian’s heart stirred.

“Tomorrow is the day of the gamble stone convention, starting officially at midnight tonight. The grand opening ceremony runs from 8 PM to 11:59 PM, after which the gamble begins at zero hour. Registration closes today at noon.”

“A once-every-five-years chance to see an immense gathering of jadeite rough stone treasures—there could very well be jadeite imbued with spiritual energy. I’ll need plenty of spiritually charged jadeite for setting up other formations later.”

“I cannot miss this gamble stone convention.”

“Now, with my Eye of Annihilation, I can instantly see which raw materials contain jadeite and which don’t. This could mean a big profit.”

Chen Xian quickly made his decision: he would attend the gamble stone convention first. As for tracking down the mysterious silver-haired child riding a tiger’s shadow, he would wait until after the jadeite event.

With the No. 002 Stealth Parasite worm possessing the silver-haired child, he had no fear of losing track.

But missing this grand gamble stone convention would mean waiting another five years.

Spending 1,000 yuan via his phone, Chen Xian paid the registration fee and acquired an electronic ticket.

Having taken care of these arrangements, he pocketed his phone and approached the jadeite rough stones.

At one stone, he raised his palm and lightly pressed down. Crackling sounds spread swiftly in fractal patterns from his palm’s center.

In the next moment, the rough stone shattered with a crisp snap, breaking into dust and fragments. Nestled among the debris was a fist-sized, high-quality jadeite gem.

Chen Xian’s palm strike was masterfully controlled—precise and elegant—causing no damage whatsoever to the jadeite.

He glanced at the gem, then tucked it safely into his spatial ring.

Moving on, he approached the next jadeite-bearing raw stone.

Half an hour later, Chen Xian emerged from the barracks. Remaining stones piled inside contained no jadeite; all the jadeite-bearing stones had been smashed open and their gems extracted.

Unfortunately, none of these jadeite stones contained spiritual energy.

As for their value, Chen Xian was uncertain. He wasn’t an expert and hadn’t researched their worth.

Back in the Hualong Federation, he could ask Ma Tian and others to consult experts for proper appraisal, or study the relevant resources himself to gauge their value.

He also wondered why the Raven Mercenary Corps hoarded so many jadeite stones without selling them, choosing instead to risk their lives trafficking drugs and robbing.

Unbeknownst to him, these jadeite stones had only come into the mercenaries’ possession within the past two weeks. They hadn’t yet sold them before he confiscated them.

Afterward, Chen Xian proceeded to other barracks, collecting unused weapons and ammunition, all stored neatly within his spatial ring, which was large enough to hold the entire cache.

These arms were intended for Ma’s people; Chen Xian had no personal need for them.

With everything complete, Chen Xian left the military fortress, stepping steadily into the forest beyond.

Each stride measured and deliberate, as if pacing the earth itself.

Behind him lay nothing but a smoldering ruin.

Thus, the infamous Raven Mercenary Corps had been utterly annihilated.