Shrouded Sky

Chapter 330 - The Stone Man Conceals A Rare Treasure

Inside the Heavenly-Rank Stone Workshop, sword energy shot toward the sky. A tiny black sword, less than an inch long, buzzed with metallic hums, radiating endless killing intent.

Compared to normal weapons, it was absurdly small, almost insignificant, but its power was terrifying.

Black light pierced the clouds, cold and murderous, making people tremble to their bones. Even their souls quivered in fear.

Several elder figures acted at once. The black radiance was suppressed, shrinking from the air, but the little black sword still trembled violently, trying to break free.

A sharp clang echoed.

It turned into a streak of black light, shooting through a rare stone and striking the barrier the old Daoist nun had set up.

Her jade-like fingers pressed gently into the void. Space froze, everything fell silent. A wave of godpower, as if drawn from the Dao itself, descended with crushing force.

Another clear metallic sound rang out.

An old man flicked his fingers repeatedly, releasing over a hundred divine beams that struck the little black sword. It shuddered and was knocked back, turning into a streak of light that shot in reverse.

The black light flashed again, its edge dazzlingly sharp, as it suddenly attacked the crowd.

The weapon was terrifying beyond belief. Some of the elders’ expressions changed instantly, and they all struck out together.

A dozen old men unleashed finger strikes at once. The black sword vibrated violently under the assault until its glow finally dimmed.

“The Nine-Aperture Stone Man’s resentment truly runs deep,” one of them said. “We need to disperse its remaining will completely!”

Only by doing so could the black sword return to normal. As it was now, it was a murderous weapon that could easily wound or kill.

If not for the Daoist nun’s presence, and so many powerful elders sealing the area, the garden would have turned into a blood-soaked battlefield.

The black sword still radiated great power. Its surface was covered in dragon-shaped patterns and forged of Dragon Rune Black Gold. It was nearly indestructible, an unstoppable edge that few could hope to block.

A chorus of metallic hums rang out.

The sword vibrated wildly, dark light spraying like silk threads, forming a net of terrifying black lightning that seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth.

Blackwater’s heart jumped. “That’s terrifying! Even cutting a stone like that could be deadly. If it pierced through the source essence, all the treasure inside would be destroyed.”

The young master of the Godfiend Palace, Yao Yuekong, looked amazed. “A Dragon Rune Black Gold Sword, an extremely rare weapon, worth a fortune.”

The Grand Xia Crown Prince’s eyes burned with greed. “Brother, would you sell it to me? I’ll make sure you’re satisfied with the price.”

Ye Fan shook his head. “Not at the moment. I may keep it for myself.”

It wasn’t that he couldn’t sell it, but right now, he had to be cautious, too many had already sent him secret messages.

Yao Yuekong smiled faintly. “This is a sacred weapon, forged from holy material. Though it’s small and far from a true holy armament, it’s still unimaginably rare. It would fetch a sky-high price at auction.”

A loud explosion shook the garden as the elders joined forces. Even the Dragon Rune Black Gold Sword born from the Stone Man couldn’t resist them. Eventually, it was completely subdued.

Its power had come from the Dao Runes and Laws within it, which had gone berserk under the influence of resentment, a fragment of incomplete divine law.

The elders didn’t stop there. Each pointed a finger, sending divine light crashing down like lightning to purify it. The black sword hissed as the lingering resentment was dispersed.

The black glow faded away completely.

With a soft metallic ding, the Dragon Rune Black Gold Sword fell to the ground, piercing through a precious stone before sinking into the earth, it was incredibly dense and heavy.

Ye Fan quickly reached out, his hand moving fluidly. The sword lifted from the ground in a streak of black light and landed in his palm.

It was tiny, less than an inch long, but immensely heavy, weighing as much as a hundred catties of refined steel. When it had been sealed in the Stone Man’s brow, its weight hadn’t been noticeable. Now its true density revealed itself.

“No wonder,” someone said, “a weapon woven with Dao and Law would naturally have such profound qualities.”

After subduing the Dragon Rune Black Gold Sword, the garden buzzed with noise again. A group of old men surrounded Ye Fan.

“Young man, sell it to me, 130,000 jin of source!”

“I’ll offer 150,000 jin!”

“I’ll pay 180,000 jin!”

The bids shot up like fireworks.

Crowds outside the Stone Workshop boiled with excitement. Many cultivators looked on with envy and jealousy. Ye Fan had twice cut open peerless treasures, each worth a fortune. People stared like starving wolves ready to pounce.

This little black sword, woven with Dao and Law, was a treasure any elder would covet.

Its only flaw was its size, it was absurdly small, no longer than half a thumb, hardly a weapon at all.

Still, its nature as a sacred material and its innate Dao Runes made it priceless.

“Please, seniors,” Ye Fan said politely, “allow me some time to think.” He couldn’t afford to offend any of them.

The sword rested motionless in his palm, its black surface faintly translucent, with dragon-like veins winding naturally across it, true Dao Runes that gave it its name.

The more Ye Fan looked, the more he liked it. With a strong enough divine sense, he could drive it like an extension of his will. Its sharpness would greatly increase his battle strength. But keeping it for himself in front of all these powerful figures would be troublesome.

Still, he already had many treasures. What he needed most now was source essence to advance his cultivation.

“Let me see it.”

The little nun from the Grand Xia royal family looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Ye Fan handed her the sword. She held it in her white palm, blinking her big eyes, unable to look away.

“Little brother, sell it to us,” said the Crown Prince, smiling. “My sister seems to like it. I’d like to buy it as a gift for her.”

“Old men like us can only buy our own gifts,” joked one elder.

“Indeed. I’ll offer 180,000 jin of source. What do you say?”

The little nun reluctantly returned the sword, still glancing at it longingly.

Yao Yuekong laughed. “Don’t trouble yourself deciding who to sell to. Just let our Godfiend Tower auction it for you.”

Ye Fan was surrounded, unable to escape. At that moment, the elegant Jiang Yifei entered the garden, bowed to the old nun, and also asked to buy the sword.

At the same time, An Miaoyi approached gracefully. Her fragrance filled the air, her smile gentle and mesmerizing. She said little, but her intent was clear, she, too, desired the sword.

Blackwater squeezed through the crowd and called out, “Everyone, you must understand what this is, it’s the weapon born from the future Paragon Spirit itself! The sacred sword of the Nine-Aperture Stone Man!”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

A Dragon Rune Black Gold sword, formed naturally within a living stone, born with the Dao, it was beyond imagination.

Ye Fan smiled. “Seniors, give me some time. I’ll be staying in Celestial City for a while and will give you all a proper answer soon.”

Throughout it all, the serene Daoist girl from the Absolute Dao Sacred Ground stood quietly aside, calm and detached as ever.

Ye Fan gathered up the glittering piles of source essence before him, fifty thousand jin in total.

Those who had bet against him turned pale, their faces devoid of blood. Wu Ziming and his group looked ready to explode, realizing they’d fallen straight into a trap.

“Damn you, black brat, you played us!”

Blackwater sneered. “Careful, or I’ll show you how black I can really be. You mocked us earlier, how does it feel now? Straight from the heavens down to the dirt, face first!”

“You bastard!” Wu Ziming’s group trembled with fury, but they didn’t dare act out. Ye Fan’s skill in source arts was undeniable, and now he was surrounded by influential figures, An Miaoyi, Yao Yuekong, and several powerful elders. Picking a fight would be suicide.

Ye Fan had cut out a godly medicine, and now a sacred sword. He had become the most sought-after man in Celestial City, everyone wanted to win him over.

“Brothers,” said the Crown Prince of Grand Xia through secret voice transmission, “I’ve booked a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Tower. We’ll drink until we drop this afternoon.”

It had been arranged earlier. Ye Fan agreed readily.

“Today deserves a celebration,” Yao Yuekong said with a grin.

“Before that,” Ye Fan said, “I must repay a debt.” He walked to the source master and the old nun, placing ninety thousand jin of source essence before them.

The Nine-Aperture Stone Man had been a sky-high gamble. Had it not contained the sacred sword, he would have suffered a catastrophic loss.

Not far away, the Supreme Elder of the Illusion-Destruction Palace, Li Yishui, nearly spat blood. He had effectively paid for Ye Fan’s victory, walking straight into the trap.

“Today, we must talk about source arts,” said the Grand Xia Crown Prince, smiling.

His sister, An Miaoyi, sent a faint, melodic voice into Ye Fan’s mind. “I plan to host a small feast with rare delicacies and fine wine. Will you join us?”

Her beauty was breathtaking, and an invitation from her was something countless men in Celestial City would die for. She waited silently for his answer.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yifei, elegant and radiant in white, spoke to Blackwater, inviting both of them to his own gathering.

Several elders also extended invitations. What they valued was not only Ye Fan’s sacred sword, but his unparalleled mastery of source arts.

It was clear now. Many sought to befriend him. To win the favor of a true genius in the art of the source could mean unimaginable fortune in the future.