Shrouded Sky

Chapter 323 - Red Dragon

“An absolutely rare divine ‘medicine.’ Daoist, if you want it, take out three hundred thousand kilo of source,” Blackwater opened his mouth like a lion. He didn’t know who the old Daoist Red Dragon truly was, so he spoke without any scruples.

As he spoke, he took out a jade bottle, poured out the pills inside, and neatly put the pink fruit into it with practiced ease.

“This is the stone I selected…” the old Daoist Red Dragon said expressionlessly.

“But I did sell it to them,” said the old man guarding the Heavenly Jade Sacred Ground, leaning on his cane.

“That’s right. Daoist, you wouldn’t rob them by force, would you? That would tarnish your reputation as a supreme master,” Ye Fan quickly stopped him, afraid his words would go too far and cause disaster. This old Daoist, like the Peacock Monarch, did not respect worldly laws and acted as he pleased. He had nearly killed the Sacred Lord of Radiant Light.

“Daoist, if you truly need it, I can give it to you,” Ye Fan said, intending to curry favor.

“How can you just give it away? That’s worth over a hundred thousand kilo of source!” Blackwater cried.

Ye Fan didn’t dare to use voice transmission, at such close distance, he feared the old Daoist would hear it. He only tugged at Blackwater’s sleeve, signaling him not to go too far.

Blackwater, sly as a fox, immediately changed his tone. “Such precious source… you really want to give it to this Daoist? That’s incredibly generous.”

The old Daoist Red Dragon took the jade bottle directly, sealed the fruit, and finally spoke expressionlessly, “This poor Daoist won’t take advantage of you.”

“Daoist, you misunderstand. That’s not what we meant. We bought it only because you didn’t return for a long time, and we happened to open it. Now that you’re back, no matter how precious this fruit is, we wouldn’t keep it, it was your chosen stone after all. Returning it to you is only right.”

Ye Fan didn’t want to displease the old Daoist. Otherwise, the man could crush them with a casual excuse. So he acted generously, pretending not to seek repayment.

Sure enough, Red Dragon’s expression softened. “You did buy it first. I won’t let you suffer a loss. Source stones are useless to me, only this fruit has meaning.”

The old Daoist flicked his sleeve. A rustling sound echoed, and a massive pile of source stones appeared on the ground, glowing in five colors. Radiance surged skyward, and spirit energy billowed like mist.

There were at least thirty thousand kilo of source, which he released casually, as if tossing away ordinary rocks.

“This poor Daoist only has this much. I’ll find a way to give you the rest later.”

“Senior, please don’t. I’d feel uneasy accepting it, it’s too much,” Ye Fan protested.

Red Dragon caressed the jade bottle continuously. Having obtained the fruit, his mood had clearly improved, his expression softening. “Just take it. For me, these things are no different from mortal copper coins, they’ve long lost their worth.”

“In that case, this junior will accept, though it feels unworthy to receive such generosity,” Ye Fan replied. Then, with a puzzled look, he asked sincerely, “Senior, may I ask, what exactly does this fruit do?”

Red Dragon glanced at him. “This fruit is called the Ginseng Fruit. Its uses are many. In the hands of a master alchemist, it can be refined into a godly pill. In my hands, it can at least extend life by fifty to a hundred years.”

To refine godly pills or extend lifespan, this was truly priceless. Ordinary celestial medicines were useless to beings of his level. Only mythical treasures could help someone that powerful.

That pink fruit could extend Red Dragon’s life by fifty years. If an ordinary person consumed it, how long would their life increase?

It was indeed an inestimable treasure.

Red Dragon had been trapped for fifteen hundred years. Now he was around three thousand years old and nearing the end of his lifespan. For him, this was the most precious thing in the world.

“Can such a fruit also increase cultivation?” Ye Fan asked, that being what he most wanted to know.

“The Ginseng Fruit is rarer than Godsource, but it can’t be eaten recklessly. It is also highly poisonous. One must dissolve it carefully, the fragrant essence alone is beneficial and can enhance cultivation slightly. But no one would waste it in such a way,” Red Dragon explained.

It was clear, the people who sought such a rare fruit were old monsters on the brink of death, not those seeking to grow stronger.

“In different hands, its value changes. To me, it’s worth a hundred thousand kilo of source. But to an aged Sacred Lord with only a few years left, it would be far more priceless.”

The old Daoist Red Dragon drifted away gracefully.

Blackwater secretly transmitted, “You just gave away a fruit worth hundreds of thousands of kilo of source?”

“Do you even know who that was? That was the Red Dragon Daoist, the one who nearly killed the Sacred Lord of Radiant Light,” Ye Fan replied.

“Oh fuck! Him?!” Blackwater was shocked. He had suspected the Daoist was no ordinary man, but he hadn’t imagined someone that terrifying, a being who could walk sideways through the Eastern Wilderness.

Ye Fan transmitted again, “He said he’ll be in the Celestial City for a while. If something happens, I can find him in the Sacred Ground’s stone workshop. That’s a huge advantage. I might get into one of the Sacred Ground’s top-tier Stone Workshops. If I stir up too much trouble, he can help suppress it.”

Blackwater nodded. “I was worried you’d overplay your hand gambling stones and cause disaster. Meeting Red Dragon was a lucky surprise.”

“Elder, please accept some source stones,” Ye Fan said to the old gatekeeper of the Heavenly Jade Sacred Ground.

“These aren’t mine, I can’t take them. You already paid plenty when buying the stones,” the old man replied weakly, leaning on his cane.

Ye Fan swept his sleeve and collected the source stones but left a small portion behind, then left with Blackwater.

“Today’s haul was massive, thirty thousand kilo of source! At this rate, in a month…” Ye Fan mused, asking, “Blackwater, which auction house in the Celestial City is the most reputable?”

“There are seven major ones, but I think the Treasure Tower of the Godfiend Palace is the best,” Blackwater said, pointing to the sky. “Look, it’s that towering palace up there.”

High above, a majestic heavenly palace stood tall and grand, the Treasure Tower of the Godfiend Palace.

“What do you plan to auction?” Blackwater asked curiously.

“I want to auction half a fruit, but anonymously. No one must know.”

“What fruit? Don’t tell me it’s the same pink one from earlier,” Blackwater said suspiciously.

Ye Fan took out a jade box and opened it. Inside lay half a mangled fruit, faint fragrance wafting out, with visible tooth marks.

“It looks exactly the same… wait, hold up... are those dog teeth?!” Blackwater exclaimed.

“Yes, it’s the same kind, bitten by a... dog.” It was the pink fruit bitten by the Black Emperor. Ye Fan had kept it, thinking it might still be useful.

After realizing the truth, Blackwater nearly spat blood. “That damned dog! It bit off two hundred thousand kilo of source in one mouthful! It should be skinned and roasted!”

Ye Fan was also speechless. The greedy dog had cost him dearly. Now the medicinal power had mostly dissipated, and the fruit could only fetch twenty to thirty thousand kilo at best.

He thought for a moment. “Now isn’t the time to sell. We’ll wait until after the Sacred Grounds suffer heavy casualties attacking Purple Mountain, or better yet, until some Sacred Lord is on his deathbed.”

Blackwater’s jaw dropped. “You’re evil! You’re going to auction a dog-bitten fruit to some dying Sacred Lord?”

“Why not? I’ll be saving their life. They should pay me, and thank me,” Ye Fan said with a sly smile.

Blackwater laughed. “Kid, you’ve got potential.”

The ancient streets of the Celestial City bustled with people, heavenly palaces rising on both sides. Yet instead of going to the Sacred Ground’s main stone workshop, where fortunes were wagered, Ye Fan had other plans.

He sought not fame but fortune, aiming to find rare sources and mysterious stones in smaller markets first.

Over the next eight days, Ye Fan was constantly in the city’s southeastern stone markets, buying and cutting source stones himself.

In eight days, he earned ten thousand kilo of source. Blackwater was stunned, his jaw nearly falling off in envy.

For most cultivators, this was a lifetime fortune. But for Ye Fan, it was only a start, far from enough. Even at this pace, it would take him over two years to gather the source he needed.

And during that time, he could do nothing else, he’d have to devote himself fully to stone gambling.

“It seems I really need to go to the Sacred Grounds’ top-tier Stone Workshops and gamble on the rarest treasures and strange sources.”

Those special Stone Workshops were unique, you couldn’t take stones away to cut privately. You had to cut them there, under observation, so the Sacred Grounds could learn from each outcome.

That rule had existed for ages, likely since the era when the legendary Source Masters humiliated the Sacred Grounds in gambling. The Sacred Grounds had since studied source techniques obsessively.

And indeed, their skills had greatly improved, few could rival their mastery of source.

Over the months, Ye Fan had engraved the Celestial Source Tome into his flesh and blood. Even in the Celestial City, busy cutting stones, he pondered its teachings constantly.

By now, his source arts had reached astonishing heights. He could almost discern Godsource hidden within stone.

“From today, I’ll start sweeping through the Sacred Grounds.”

“You’re finally going?” Blackwater asked.

“Yes. I can’t wait any longer,” Ye Fan said decisively.

On the ninth day, Ye Fan and Blackwater arrived at Absolute Dao Sacred Ground. They had heard that eight lunatics were making a scene, claiming they’d abduct the Daoist Saintess herself. The two came to watch, and perhaps stir the waters.

Ye Fan still remembered the Daoist girl from Absolute Dao, her three words, “Boundless Heavenly Lord,” had purified thousands of ghostly spirits and evil horses. He wanted to see who dared provoke her now.

If they could unite with such bold figures, they could wreak havoc across all Sacred Grounds together.

Absolute Dao Sacred Ground was surrounded by ancient trees, casting cool shade. Its Dao Temples were serene, a place of peace amid the grandeur of the Celestial City.

Amid the dust of the mortal world, it was like a paradise, golden light flickering gently on the temples.

As Ye Fan approached, he saw two familiar faces. The Grand Xia Prince and the little nun in white. Around them were several others of noble birth.

“Your Highness, will you be gambling stones with the Imperial Gold Bloodline’s Jin Chixiao, or with the Godfiend Palace’s Young Lord Yao Yuekong?” someone asked.

“No rush. First, let’s see who those eight lunatics are. I’ve heard much but never met them,” said the Grand Xia Prince. His black hair flowed like ink, his eyes sharp and bright, his presence commanding.

“Well, if it isn’t the country bumpkin. Come to stare at a watermelon stone again?” a man sneered when he saw Ye Fan.

“You know this boy?” someone asked.

“I’ve seen him at a small stone market. Bought a bunch of watermelon stones like an idiot, grinning like he struck gold,” Wu Ziming said mockingly.

Everyone burst into laughter, even the Grand Xia Prince and the little nun smiling faintly.

“He’s the senior disciple of the Five Elements Palace’s Sectlord,” Blackwater whispered to Ye Fan.

Through his explanation, Ye Fan learned that these people were all from powerful sects, while not as exalted as the Prince, their backgrounds were still extraordinary.

Wu Ziming, still smirking, waved Ye Fan over. “Here to buy more watermelon stones today?”

“What’s wrong with watermelon stones?” Blackwater shot back.

The crowd roared with laughter. Wu Ziming shook his head. “Even if watermelon stones yield source, it’s only a few tiny grains. Do you even understand source stones? You two don’t belong here.”

“Young men, turn back early. This isn’t a place for you,” another said mockingly.

“Come on then, follow me in. You can pick up the watermelon stones I leave behind,” Wu Ziming jeered.

Everyone laughed again, the Grand Xia Prince shaking his head with amusement.

“What’s wrong with watermelon stones? How about I gamble against all of you using just those?” Blackwater challenged, fully confident in Ye Fan’s source mastery.

Everyone laughed louder.

“These two bumpkins are ridiculous,” Wu Ziming said, sneering. “Fine, follow me, and pick up the scraps.”

Even the Grand Xia Prince chuckled. “Ziming, you’re bullying them too much.”

“It’s not bullying if they ask for it. If we don’t mock them, they’ll be disappointed,” Wu Ziming said with a smirk.

Ye Fan whispered to Blackwater through divine sense, “These bastards, get ready to collect their source stones.”