Shrouded Sky

Chapter 343 - The Flying Stone

“Could it really be a dragon?”

“A true dragon is like an immortal, it does not appear in this world. How could such a thing exist?!”

The crowd erupted. Many cried out in astonishment, the Godsource actually contained a living creature. It was truly shocking.

The half–human-head-sized stone sphere had its thin outer shell stripped away, revealing a blazing orb like a golden sun, hanging in midair, dazzlingly bright.

Those with weak cultivation had no choice but to close their eyes; the divine light was too sharp to look at. The radiance pierced the air like countless golden needles.

The powerful cultivators pushed forward, mouths agape, eager to see what kind of creature was hidden within.

Ye Fan’s heart was far from calm. To cut open a Godsource and find a living being inside, it was beyond his expectations.

The Godsource pulsed like a frightened child trying to escape, but the elders quickly suppressed it with a light barrier, forcing it to stay in place.

Soon, everyone surrounded it. Even Ye Fan couldn’t get close, something more precious than source stone itself was about to emerge, and the crowd was in an uproar.

No one could remain calm; the noise swelled into a clamor.

“Brother Gu Feng, you must sell this extraordinary treasure to us!”

“Brother Gu, our Yin-Yang Sect wishes to purchase this Godsource along with the creature inside.”

“First come, first served! Old Wang, get back in line!”

“Highest price wins! I’m willing to pay a fortune!”

They didn’t even know what was inside, yet the group of old men was already arguing heatedly, faces red with excitement.

These were all elders from great sects, figures with frightening backgrounds.

“Arguing is useless. It’s up to Brother Gu Feng, whoever he decides to sell it to will get it.”

“Brother Gu…”

“Wait, where is he?”

Only now did they realize the main figure was missing; Gu Feng wasn’t among them, he’d been squeezed out.

“Honored seniors, I’m outside. I can’t get in. Could you make some space so I can see what I actually cut out?”

Ye Fan couldn’t squeeze through. The old men were like roosters injected with stimulants, full of energy and iron-bodied despite their age, pushing the younger generation out of the way. Many were left grimacing in pain.

Only the Grand Xia prince, Yao Yuekong, and Jin Chixiao managed to stay inside, though even they were disheveled. The little white-clad nun wrinkled her nose and hid behind her brother.

“Quickly, make room for Brother Gu! Let him in!”

“Move aside, old man! Don’t block the main character!”

The shoving stopped, and Ye Fan finally entered the circle. All eyes turned to him, he was now the center of attention.

“And me too!”

Blackwater stumbled in, his shoes long lost in the chaos, clothes in disarray. “Seniors, could you not get this excited? You look like you’ve seen a peerless beauty! My clothes are practically torn off!”

Ye Fan reached the center. The Godsource still blazed with golden brilliance, yet after all their commotion, no one had figured out what creature lay within.

“Everyone, before we argue about ownership, let’s first see what it is.”

He too observed carefully, but the divine radiance was too intense; he could only make out a vague shape, not the details.

The creature itself emitted its own hazy light, wrapping itself in a glowing cocoon.

Vaguely, one could see a small golden form, it looked like a little serpent, or perhaps a miniature dragon, perfectly still.

“There can’t be a true dragon in this world. It must be a flood dragon or a horned sacred serpent.”

“Most likely a golden serpent, or something of the flood dragon race.”

“Who says there are no true dragons? Maybe it’s an ancient dragon whelp sealed within the stone!”

The elders could not agree, their opinions all over the place.

The radiance from the Godsource illuminated the entire island; even the lake around it turned crystal clear and golden. The ancient trees on the island glowed with divine light, their petals shining and translucent.

Ye Fan remained silent, activating his Celestial Source Perception to examine it closely. Twin beams of purple light shot from his eyes, piercing the Godsource.

“It’s…”

The ancient secret art from the Celestial Source Tome could pierce illusions and reveal the truth. Ye Fan now clearly saw the creature within, and was utterly astonished.

The little being could not move, sealed within, but it was very much alive. Its life force was reviving; a faint heartbeat emerged.

“It really looks like a dragon!”

Ye Fan’s heart pounded wildly. The little creature was barely half a foot long, curled up, with a golden dragon-like body and a pair of horns on its head.

“No, that’s not right. It doesn’t have scales.”

Looking closer, he saw its smooth, jade-like golden skin, it had no dragon scales at all.

Then he noticed something else strange, the so-called dragon horns were actually fleshy, glowing softly.

“A strange little dragon… or perhaps a flood dragon… or a golden serpent?” He was unsure, unable to judge.

What startled him most was that its large eyes were open, clear and innocent, staring straight back at him.

“They’re much bigger than a dragon’s eyes, so bright and full of life.” Ye Fan was speechless; the creature’s gaze was almost human.

Bang!

Suddenly, the Godsource trembled again, it was trying to flee, seemingly frightened by the crowd of elders.

Clearly, it wasn’t powerful; it struggled in vain, unable to break free.

“How adorable!” The little white-clad nun’s clear eyes sparkled. She wasn’t blinded by the divine light; she seemed able to see everything clearly.

“Brother Gu, please sell this source to me,” said An Miaoyi softly as she approached, her fragrance gentle and intoxicating.

“Brother Gu, with your source arts, can you tell what it is?” asked an elder.

Ye Fan shook his head. He could only confirm that the creature wasn’t dangerous, it didn’t seem hostile.

He extended his right hand, holding the Godsource. Instantly, his pores opened, absorbing pure essence from heaven and earth. His entire body felt renewed.

That was the power of the Godsource, even unrefined, it emitted boundless vitality.

“Crack!”

Suddenly, the stone cracked open. The golden little creature broke free, struggling to escape.

“Quick! Set up a barrier, seal this place!”

“Don’t let it get away!”

Everyone was alarmed. The elders moved swiftly, casting layer after layer of light barriers, sealing the area.

In the distance, the crowd boiled over. Some pushed forward, desperate for a closer look; others panicked, retreating as if from a deadly plague.

“Idiots! Why rush forward? Ancient creatures are never kind! When they awaken, rivers of blood flow!”

“Don’t you know? Every ancient life form ever cut from a source stone has been terrifying, countless people died!”

Panic spread. Those who had surged forward now scrambled back.

At the Ji Clan’s workshop, flying was forbidden, but at this moment, no one cared. Many soared into the air to flee.

Still, many stayed. Seeing that the elders hadn’t withdrawn, they dared not miss the spectacle and moved even closer.

Crack!

The Godsource split open. A flash of gold streaked out.

“By the heavens, is that a dragon?!”

Everyone could now see it clearly, it looked almost exactly like a dragon, except its body was smooth and jade-like, without scales.

Its eyes were huge, luminous, and expressive, almost heartbreakingly cute, especially to the women watching.

It seemed fearful and lost, its expression innocent and human-like.

A flash of gold, and it returned to Ye Fan’s palm. Everyone gasped; it was impossibly fast. Even the elders couldn’t react in time.

Crack!

The little creature, barely half a foot long, bit into the Godsource and tore off a piece the size of a fist.

“I!” Ye Fan’s face changed instantly, reaching to stop it, but before he could, the creature swallowed the chunk whole.

It didn’t swell or change at all, its small body still glowing faintly.

“My heavens, it ate fifty thousand jin of source in one bite!” Blackwater howled.

Ye Fan shook his hand, trying to shake it off, but the little creature bit off another chunk, again the size of a fist, and swallowed it.

“A hundred thousand jin gone!”

Ye Fan’s mouth twitched violently. This time he finally flung it away, quickly storing the remaining source.

“No justice! It ate a hundred thousand jin of Godsource in the blink of an eye!” Blackwater wailed in anguish.

The onlookers were stunned. The creature was too extravagant, two bites, and most of the Godsource was gone.

Ye Fan’s heart ached; even he couldn’t help feeling pain from the loss.

But then, the little creature in the air looked pitiful, it had teary eyes and a wronged expression, staring at Ye Fan’s hand as if searching for the stone.

Its look all but said ‘that was mine’.

Its appearance was too endearing for anyone to feel anger, its big watery eyes melted hearts, especially among the women.

“You ate a hundred thousand jin of my source. Don’t look at me like that,” Ye Fan said helplessly, holding out a bean-sized piece to lure it back down.

To his surprise, the little creature puffed up in anger, glaring at him, raising its tiny paw like a fist and waving it indignantly.

The crowd was dumbfounded, it clearly understood human speech.

Ye Fan tried again to grab it.

A flash of gold, and it darted away.

At the same moment, the elders all struck, trying to capture it alive. Everyone wanted to know what it truly was, and the only way was to catch it.

Though incredibly fast, it couldn’t dodge every attack. In panic, its wide eyes full of fear, it fled blindly and crashed.

“Ah!”

The little white nun cried out, the golden creature had bumped into her shoulder.

It clung to her, grabbing a lock of her hair with one tiny paw, looking frightened and pitiful.

The little nun herself froze, eyes wide, just as scared.

Two pairs of big eyes, one glimmering with fear, the other fluttering nervously, mirrored each other in the strangest, softest scene.

“Quick, grab it!”

“Don’t let it escape!”

“Little girl, catch it!”

People shouted all around.

But the little nun only blinked, her fear slowly fading. She didn’t move.

The golden creature, sensing no danger, relaxed slightly, still looking pitifully around.

“Don’t attack,” Ye Fan said. “It’s not dangerous. It doesn’t have the killing intent of other ancient creatures.”

Yet the little creature didn’t appreciate his words. It glared at Ye Fan, eyes teary, raising a tiny paw as if to accuse him, utterly aggrieved.

Ye Fan sighed. “Don’t look at me like that. I freed you from that stone.”

“Brother Gu,” said the Grand Xia prince earnestly, “this little creature seems fated with my sister. Please, sell it to us.”

Ye Fan didn’t reply. At that moment, countless divine thoughts reached his mind, everyone was offering to buy the golden creature.

“Look around for any stones showing strange signs,” Ye Fan sent a mental message to Blackwater.

“What are you thinking?” Blackwater asked.

“I suspect the true King Stone hasn’t been found yet,” Ye Fan replied.

Meanwhile, the crowd surged again, eager to glimpse the little creature up close.

“What exactly is it?” someone asked. “Indeed, it’s not a true dragon, nor a flood dragon. Even its horns are flesh, and its eyes are far too large.”

Then the Ji Clan’s Stone Workshop guardian, the old man with skin like flawless jade, stepped forward, face solemn.

“Could it be…” he murmured gravely.