Shrouded Sky

Chapter 336 - Sacred Grounds and Imperial Dynasties

“We’ll be waiting for you at the Sacred Stone Workshop. The ancient source arts of noble bloodlines shall crush your crude countryside tricks.”

Those were the words left behind by Wu Ziming. Li Chongtian turned back with a cold sneer, then followed the richly dressed man, Tuoba Chang, as they strode away.

“Little Leaf, if you don’t win their pants off, you’ll be letting me down, and worse, letting them off too easily.”

That was Blackwater’s voice, sent secretly through sound transmission. He couldn’t swallow the insult and was on the verge of losing his temper.“Miaoyi will definitely be there to witness Brother Gu Feng’s brilliance.” An Miaoyi smiled faintly, her white robes fluttering as she rode the wind away, stepping on clouds as she left the Godfiend Tower.

“This will surely be a grand duel worth witnessing,” said the Crown Prince of Grand Xia with a smile, taking the little nun in white with him as they departed.

Afterward, Jiang Yifei gave Ye Fan and Blackwater a friendly smile and also left.

Ye Fan returned to the Godfiend Tower to collect his auction earnings. The Godly Medicine and the Ginseng Fruit had sold for a total of 530,000 jin of source. The auction house was supposed to take a 10% commission, 53,000 jin, but they waived 3,000 as a courtesy. Ye Fan’s final take was 480,000 jin of source, piled like a small mountain.

He felt his head spin. Without converting it into variant source, it would be impossible to refine, it would overwhelm him completely. But there was no need to convert it yet; he planned to gamble on source stones again and spend it to gain something even more precious.

Yao Yuekong repeatedly tried to keep them for drinks. To great powers, a prodigy in source arts was always worth befriending, especially for a major auction house like the Godfiend Palace.

“Brothers, this way please. Tonight, we drink to victory!” Yao Yuekong said with a laugh.

“Fine! We’ll drink till dawn, and tomorrow we’ll deal with that mop,” said Blackwater.

“What mop?” Yao Yuekong asked with a chuckle.

“The so-called prodigy from an ancient source clan, more arrogant than a Source Grandmaster, name’s Tuoba Chang,” Blackwater replied.

“Ah, that ancient family, they do have quite the heritage. Come, let’s talk over drinks.”

The Tuoba Clan was ancient and long-lived, their mastery of source arts unrivaled. Along with three other great families, they were known as the Four Grand Lineages of Source. Since the fall of the Source Grandmaster’s line, none had surpassed them. Their clan was full of talent, often producing geniuses sought after by the holy lands. Whenever a mysterious or inexplicable source mine appeared, people would seek the Tuoba Clan’s aid.

The banquet lasted from noon till dusk. Host and guests alike were delighted, and only then did Ye Fan and Blackwater take their leave.

The Godfiend Tower’s auction of a damaged Godly Medicine had shaken the divine city. Without a doubt, Ye Fan’s reputation as a prodigy of source arts inspired envy, he had earned nearly half a million jin of source in one go, an astonishing fortune.

In the days that followed, the stone workshops of every sacred land became more crowded than ever, especially those of the Absolute Dao Sacred Ground. Many came in the hope that another godly medicine might be hidden in the same mine.

Ye Fan and Blackwater, however, kept a low profile, staying behind closed doors. Too many powerful figures were still in the city; they didn’t want to draw more attention.

The Celestial City was filled with great figures from the Middle Continent’s Immortal Dynasties, lords of the Eastern Wilderness’ Sacred Grounds, and holy monks from the Western Desert, all had yet to depart. Being too visible now could easily bring disaster.

Still, rumors about Ye Fan spread like wildfire. Anyone who spoke of source arts or stone gambling now mentioned his name.

Within a week, even more mysterious figures arrived, sons of noble houses from the Middle Continent, sect leaders from across the lands. The atmosphere was electric. It was clear, they were all here for the inheritance of the Beginningless Emperor, crossing space itself to reach the Celestial City.

The Eastern Wilderness trembled at the news. The sacred lands cried, “The wolves are coming!” The Middle Continent’s might was overwhelming, and their presence brought tremendous pressure.

Without question, the third assault on Purple Mountain would shake heaven and earth.Half a month later, the great figures departed, heading toward Purple Mountain to prepare for the final offensive.

In that same time, another prodigy of the source arts had risen to fame. Tuoba Chang had become a sensation in the Celestial City. In just over ten days and a few public displays of his skill, he had revealed astonishing mastery. Even old source masters came to him for instruction and to hear his teachings.

At the same time, rumors spread through the city, claims that the source prodigy Gu Feng (Ye Fan) feared Tuoba Chang and dared not appear in public. At first, no one believed it. But as Ye Fan and Blackwater had remained unseen for half a month, people began to accept the rumor as truth.

Before long, the city believed that the “rural prodigy” had been cowed by the noble genius of the Tuoba clan.

“Didn’t he cut out a Godly Medicine? With such skill, how could he not dare face someone?”

“You don’t understand. The Tuoba clan are the kings of the source arts, the ultimate lineage. Even the Source Grandmaster once visited them.”

Throughout the city, in streets and alleys, people gossiped. In the Northern Region, source was everything, almost everyone knew at least a little. Anything that happened in a stone workshop spread quickly and widely.

“That youth Gu Feng once dared to open the Nine-Aperture Stone Man. It had stood untouched for ages, but he cut from it a Paragon Spirit Sword.”

“Which only shows how terrifying Tuoba Chang must be, if even Gu Feng avoids him.”

“They say Tuoba Chang cut godsource years ago. Imagine how powerful he must be now.”

Rumors swirled. Though Tuoba Chang had acted only a few times, his fame blazed like the sun.

When Ye Fan finally walked through the city again, he heard the whispers everywhere. He hadn’t expected that half a month of seclusion would spawn such tales.

Blackwater sneered. “This must be the work of Wu Ziming and Li Chongtian, spreading lies to smear us and glorify that Tuoba Chang.”

As they wandered the streets, they heard endless gossip, as if it were truly accepted that they’d been scared into hiding.

“Hey, look! They’re back, are they actually going to accept the challenge?”

“The youth who cut out the godly medicine is here! Is he heading to the stone workshop?”

“This is going to be good. A real spectacle!”

Some recognized them and began whispering loudly.

“What are you all gossiping about? We’ve only been in seclusion for half a month, and the city’s already full of rumors?” said Blackwater boldly. “Someone find that pig-headed Wu Ziming and tell him, the Gambling Gods are out again! Tell his bitch ass to bring source as tribute. And if it’s less than 100,000 jin, don’t even bother showing his ugly ass face!”

The crowd was stunned. With all the rumors flying, no one expected this kind of brash declaration right out of the gate.

Boom!

The street erupted in commotion. Word spread like lightning.

Without a doubt, a spectacle was coming. People flooded in from every direction.

“They’re really back! There’s going to be a source duel!”

“Right, looks like it’s happening over at the Ji Clan’s stone workshop.”

Before long, the streets were packed, tens of thousands heading the same way.

“Brother Gu, is it true? Are you really going to face Tuoba Chang in a source duel?” someone shouted.

Blackwater looked completely unbothered. “Didn’t I just say? Tell that pig-head Wu Ziming to bring at least 100,000 jin of source. Anything less, we won’t even take it!”

The crowd gasped. His confidence was shocking. Even ignoring the duel, just speaking that way to people of Wu Ziming’s rank was unthinkable.

The Ji Clan’s stone workshop sprawled across a vast area like a royal garden, strange stones everywhere, lush trees, winding bridges over running water, a scene of tranquil beauty.

Each section of the workshop had its own scenery: some shrouded in mist like southern marshlands, others blazing with red maples like northern autumn frost.

When the Ji Clan heard that the source prodigies were coming, they grew tense. Anyone else would have been a welcome guest, but not these two.

Last time, Ye Fan and Blackwater had cut out a Godly Medicine and a Paragon Spirit Sword from the Nine-Aperture Stone Man, causing an uproar across the Celestial City. Everyone knew now that their source skills were extraordinary, if they touched a stone, it was bound to yield something rare.

Such people were not welcome. If they opened a heavenly-grade stone and drew out another divine treasure, the Ji Clan would suffer immense loss.

The Ji clan wanted to quietly remove some of the high-priced stones, but they didn’t know which ones truly held miracles, choosing poorly would only make them look foolish. And if they did remove them, the whole city would notice, their famous stones were too well known to simply vanish.

Ye Fan walked calmly through the gardens, passing through eighteen courtyards without stopping, heading straight for the deepest part, the Heavenly-Rank Stone Workshop.

The Ji Clan’s hearts sank. The pressure was real, it felt like the days when the legendary Source Grandmaster roamed the Northern Region. Whenever he appeared, even the great holy lands trembled.

Though Ye Fan had only gambled once at the Absolute Dao Sacred Ground, the treasures he cut out were so extraordinary that he now carried an aura reminiscent of that long-lost master.

“Where are Wu Ziming and Tuoba Chang? Haven’t they come to pay their source yet?” Blackwater asked loudly, full of swagger.

The crowd was speechless. His words shattered all the rumors of fear, their boldness alone was a statement.

More and more people arrived. The Ji Clan’s stone workshop was now packed to bursting. The Celestial City buzzed with the news, a great source duel was about to unfold.

Before long, Ye Fan reached the deepest part of the grounds, where a crystal-blue lake shimmered with celestial energy. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

At the lake’s center lay a small island, only a few hundred meters wide, covered in flowering trees. Petals drifted through the air, filling it with fragrance, the place seemed like a dream.

That island was the Ji Clan’s Heavenly-Rank Stone Workshop, a divine and otherworldly realm.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind them. The crowd parted, opening a wide path.

“So, you dared to show up after all.” Wu Ziming’s cold voice carried through the air. “Today, the noble source arts of ancient lineages shall face the crude tricks of the wilds.”

“Tuoba Chang, prodigy of the ancient source family, has arrived!”

The lakeside erupted in excitement. Everyone knew, a grand duel of source arts was inevitable.