Joyfully Obtaining a Strange Stone

Growing up, Yang Lingrui had never been to a place like this. Finding it novel and amusing, he stepped inside to take a look.

"Would the Immortal Master care to play? A single round is only ten Spirit Crystals."

"Yes, Immortal Master, just come and try your luck."

As soon as he walked through the doors, several beautiful female attendants drifted forward to welcome him.

Yang Lingrui had initially entertained the thought of trying his hand, but upon hearing the price of ten Spirit Crystals, his mind instantly sobered, and he dismissed the idea.

Ten Spirit Crystals was what his family's Ancestor earned from a month of risking life and death at the eastern border.

He was indeed flush with Spirit Crystals at the moment, but that was merely an unexpected windfall from Su Lingyun's charity.

If that man had not mistaken the Immortal Venerable's methods for the workings of some other faction, this wealth would never have fallen into his hands.

The family would need Spirit Crystals for many things in the days to come. He absolutely could not squander them in a place of fleeting pleasure.

Yang Lingrui steadied his Dao Heart and gave his head a firm shake.

"No, I am merely looking."

Hearing this, the attendants dispersed in the blink of an eye, moving on to entice other people.

Yang Lingrui strolled slowly through the venue, browsing the stalls one by one.

He saw winning cultivators flush red with excitement, while losing ones beat their chests and stamped their feet. Some desperate losers even tried to smash the stalls, only to be struck down and dragged out by the cultivators of the Immortal Patrol Office.

Taking it all in, Yang Lingrui's greatest realization was that this path truly ruined people. In the future, he definitely had to warn his junior family members never to stray down such a misguided road.

After walking a full circle, he prepared to leave.

Just then, a cry of surprise rang out from the ore-gambling stall. A man shouted, "A yield! There's a yield!"

Gambling on ore was a simple affair. One selected a raw stone brought out from the mines, then had it cracked open and polished on the spot to see if it yielded any valuable spiritual materials.

Yang Lingrui leaned in for a closer look. He saw that a red-nosed Daoist had spent fifty Spirit Crystals to buy a raw stone, only to extract a pitch-black rock that looked like a lump of coal.

"Quick, let me see! This must be Tungsten Iron Essence, no mistake about it!"

At the words "Tungsten Iron Essence," a stir swept through the observing cultivators.

This material was used to refine Spiritual Treasures at the peak of Qi Gathering Perfection, and could potentially be worth several hundred or even a thousand Spirit Crystals.

The red-nosed Daoist was intensely excited, rubbing his hands together as he waited for the appraisal.

Several artifact refiners arrived. After examining it closely for a short while, they shook their heads one after another.

Regrettably, the pitch-black rock was not Tungsten Iron Essence, but rather a Strange Stone.

Upon learning this result, the Daoist's legs gave out, and he slumped to the ground. The watching cultivators quickly scattered.

The reason was simple: Strange Stones were far too unpredictable. Opening one was an utter gamble, completely like opening a blind box, and the chances of it containing anything good were abysmally low.

These stones were born naturally of heaven and earth, making them exceedingly difficult to find in the first place.

Even if one was lucky enough to obtain one, it still required a massive amount of time and effort to study its properties.

Furthermore, because the forging process would strip a Strange Stone of its spirituality, the stone itself could not be used as a refining material, making its value even more pitiable.

"How could this be? How could this be?!"

The Daoist scratched his cheeks and pulled his ears, staring blankly at the black stone on the ground. He never expected this final, desperate gamble to end in a total loss.

Just then, a voice drifted over.

"Fellow Daoist, would you be willing to part with this item?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing this question, the red-nosed Daoist spun around excitedly to see a handsome youth standing beside him.

"Sell! Of course I'll sell! Fifty... no! One hundred Spirit Crystals!"

The red-nosed Daoist shouted his price, instantly drawing a chorus of jeers from the nearby cultivators.

To have the gall to demand such a high price for a piece of trash was truly shameless.

The Daoist was thick-skinned and paid them no mind, keeping his eyes glued to Yang Lingrui's face.

He prided himself on reading countless people and having a sharp eye, but at this moment, he could not discern the slightest clue from the young cultivator's expression. He felt a flicker of surprise.

Yang Lingrui was in no hurry. He spoke slowly, his demeanor perfectly calm.

"To be completely honest, my family's Ancestor has a hobby of collecting strange stones. Today, seeing that this stone is rather unique, I wished to bring it back for him to examine. This item holds no value in Fellow Daoist's hands. How about this: I will buy it for fifty Spirit Crystals so that Fellow Daoist can recoup your capital. What do you say?"

The red-nosed Daoist was tempted; he knew this Strange Stone would never truly fetch such a price. Yet greed gnawed at him, making him want to squeeze out a bit more.

But who could have guessed that during this brief moment of hesitation, Yang Lingrui would only wait a second before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Ah! Fellow Daoist! Fellow Daoist, don't be hasty!"

The red-nosed Daoist scrambled after him. "That price! We'll go with that price! Fifty Spirit Crystals, I'll sell!"

Yang Lingrui gently shook his head. "Fellow Daoist is mistaken. Fifty Spirit Crystals was the price just now. Now, this stone is only worth thirty."

"You! You brat! You dare play me for a fool?"

"I offered a price earlier, and you refused it. Do not throw baseless accusations and smear my good name."

Yang Lingrui continued his unhurried pace. "Right now, it is still thirty Spirit Crystals. Once I step out the door, it will drop to ten."

Hearing this, the red-nosed Daoist panicked. He leaped forward to block Yang Lingrui's path.

"Fellow Daoist is skilled. This poor Daoist concedes! Thirty it is! Deal at thirty!"

With the transaction settled, Yang Lingrui tucked the Strange Stone away and walked out the doors of the Gambling Hall.

As for the red-nosed Daoist, having secured his Spirit Crystals, he looked left and right. After a few rounds of inner struggle, he plunged straight back into the pile of raw stones.

"What an unexpected joy. The Immortal Venerable will certainly be pleased when he sees this. Perhaps he can even recover another divine ability!"

Yang Lingrui thought with delight.

A Strange Stone was utterly useless to others, but to the Yang family, it held extraordinary significance.

These stone-type treasures could be offered to the Immortal Venerable to aid in restoring his cultivation and divine abilities.

Elder Yu had previously instructed them that if they ever encountered such items while outside, they must do everything in their power to acquire them.

This time, he had obtained one for a mere thirty Spirit Crystals. How could he not be thrilled?

After leaving the Gambling Hall and walking a short distance, he arrived at the Moon-Red Pavilion.

This was a place for forging bonds, established by several highly respected old cultivators. The young male and female cultivators attending the Dharma Assembly were all outstanding talents, and the elders acted as matchmakers here. If a good marriage could be arranged, it would become a beautiful tale.

Yang Lingrui merely paused outside the entrance and cast a glance inside. His striking appearance instantly drew attention. Two old women stationed at the door stared at him with glowing eyes, as if they had spotted a rare treasure, and looked entirely ready to pounce.

Sensing the danger, Yang Lingrui immediately dodged, slipping into the crowd and making a swift escape.

"That was close. I nearly fell into a den of trouble."

Only after fleeing a good distance did Yang Lingrui finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Having avoided the Moon-Red Pavilion, he crossed two suspended jade stairways, bringing several high platforms into view.

Three large characters hovered in the air above them: "Dao Discussion Platform."

The Dao discussion here was not a matter of sitting and debating the Dao. One only needed to think about it to understand: a group of Qi Gathering cultivators from the very bottom of the lower three realms wouldn't be able to articulate any profound truths, even if they gathered together in a circle.

Thus, they could only settle matters with their hands, exchanging blows to discuss the Dao.

Yang Lingrui had originally intended to observe the Dao here to see if he could glean any inspiration.

However, with the brilliant jewel of the Condensed Origin demonstration still fresh in his mind, watching these Qi Gathering cultivators fight felt somewhat lacking. After observing for a while, his interest waned.

Seeing that it was getting late, Yang Lingrui departed from the Dharma Assembly grounds early.

Upon returning to the courtyard where he was staying, he sat cross-legged on a woven mat and pondered carefully.

"The Talismans have all been sold, and I even secured a five-year long-term order. The Spiritual Treasures for the family have been purchased, and now I've joyfully obtained a Strange Stone. Perhaps..."

Yang Lingrui weighed his options.

He had already achieved the main objectives of his trip. There was no longer much need to stay and show his face at the Dharma Assembly.

Furthermore, his encounter with the Su Family had deepened his desire to return home as soon as possible.

"Sister Qing often told me at home that striving for perfection in everything is a great taboo. It is best to quit while you are ahead."

Once this thought arose, he became even more certain of his decision.

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