Shrouded Sky

Chapter 345 - Nine Transformations God-Silkworm

The old Red Dragon Daoist had a thin, withered body, still wearing the same ancient robe as always. His gaze fixed on the golden little creature, and flickers of scarlet light glinted in his eyes.

The small, dragon-shaped being felt uneasy under his stare and timidly hid behind the white-robed young nun Shi, peeking out cautiously with fear in its eyes.

“Don’t be afraid, little one,” the white-robed nun comforted softly, placing it gently on her shoulder.

The moment the Red Dragon Daoist appeared, the elderly men whose lifespans were nearly exhausted all grew wary and held their tongues. Others who didn’t recognize him continued chatting, and the Stone Workshop buzzed with noise.

“God-Silkworm, Ninth Transformation…” the Red Dragon Daoist murmured, raising his head to look at the sky, then lowering it again as if sensing something unseen.

Ye Fan wanted to approach and pay his respects, but in a flash of red light, the old Daoist vanished without a trace, leaving not a shadow behind.

“Gone already…” Ye Fan muttered, a bit disappointed, he had hoped to borrow the Daoist’s power for his own ends.

Blackwater squeezed through the crowd, helping Ye Fan collect the source stones scattered on the ground. They shone in all colors, like heaps of radiant gemstones.

“Thanks to you both for helping me so many times, and now for gifting me all this source. Truly generous!” Ye Fan laughed heartily.

Wu Ziming’s eyes blazed with fury, and Li Chongtian’s nose nearly twisted in rage. Both men clenched their teeth in silence.

“And this elder, such a righteous gentleman! Supporting us again and again,” Ye Fan continued cheerfully.

Elder Li Yishui of the Illusory Destruction Palace almost exploded with anger. He wanted nothing more than to slap the smug brat in front of him, but he could only fume in silence.

He felt utterly miserable. In less than half an hour, he had thrown twenty thousand catties of source into the pit, most of it borrowed. He’d never repay it in his lifetime. The thought made him dizzy with regret, nearly fainting from self-loathing.

“Easy, old sir, anger harms the body. With your cunning mind, even robbing source stones was your idea. Surely you’ll find a way to earn it back,” Blackwater added, pouring oil on the fire.

Other gamblers who had wagered with Ye Fan looked equally grim. Faces ashen, they were full of regret and disbelief.

When Tuoba Chang cut out the Godsource, everyone thought victory was certain. Yet they lost completely. Was there no justice left in the heavens?

The total haul from the ground amounted to fourteen thousand three hundred catties of source, glittering piles of radiant color.

Ye Fan swept his wide sleeve, collecting all the source. Many hearts bled at the sight; they could only swallow their pain.

“Brother Tuoba, according to our wager, you owe me ten thousand catties of source,” Ye Fan reminded.

Tuoba Chang, heir to an ancient family of source masters, had only brought ten thousand catties with him, and already owed over thirty thousand to the Ji Clan.

“I’ll carve you a stone note and repay you in a few days,” Tuoba Chang said.

Ye Fan smiled. “Why not write it to the Ji Clan? Owe them another ten thousand catties, and I’ll use it for more betting. How about that?”

“…Fine,” Tuoba Chang said through gritted teeth.

But this time, the Ji Clan flatly refused, they wanted the two gone as soon as possible.

Technically, the Ji Clan hadn’t lost. Ye Fan had invested forty-five thousand catties to cut his stones; Tuoba Chang about the same. Together, they’d risked ninety thousand.

But Ye Fan’s winnings, two Godsources and the golden little creature, were worth over a million catties. A staggering victory.

Leaving the crowd, Ye Fan resumed choosing stones. His last twelve-thousand-cattie bet hadn’t gone to a sky-high stone, but instead to a modest one worth only three thousand catties, which had yielded the golden little sprite.

“Too crazy. Is he still going to keep cutting?”

“Could he possibly cut out another priceless treasure?”

All eyes were on him. After cutting out divine treasures twice in a row, his every move drew attention.

The Ji Clan, though irritated, let him continue. A man like Ye Fan was the worst kind of customer for a stone market.

“That one under the old tree… and the one near those vines…” Blackwater whispered, pointing out several stones that had shifted slightly.

Ye Fan frowned. The King Stone had gained spirit, it was moving deliberately, provoking him.

“If I were a Celestial Source Master, you wouldn’t escape,” he thought to himself.

He shook his head. The King Stone had clearly awakened; it must contain something extraordinary, but he couldn’t detect it. Even if he cut every rare stone in this entire garden, he might not find it. Perhaps it wasn’t even here, maybe hidden in the lake or buried beneath the soil.

He chose two stones but found no treasures, though at least he didn’t lose. They produced some exotic source material.

At last, his gaze fell upon a smooth purple stone beneath a towering ancient tree at the garden’s center, where the Ji Clan’s guardian elder usually meditated.

He checked the price. Cutting it would cost exactly nine thousand catties, everything he had left.

“You can’t cut that stone, it’s our ancestor’s place of cultivation,” someone warned.

“But there’s a price tag,” Blackwater countered.

“Let them cut,” the silver-haired elder said calmly.

“Forget it,” Ye Fan shook his head. “It’s not right to disturb a senior’s meditation spot.”

In the end, he spent his remaining source, found no great treasure, but didn’t lose either, he gained more exotic stones.

“You’re giving up? Not going after the King Stone?” Blackwater whispered.

“I want to, but I can’t find it. And if I did, I couldn’t keep it. Something that powerful would cause a bloodbath. I’ll come back later.”

If the Red Dragon Daoist were still here, Ye Fan might have tried, but now, he gave up the thought.

The great gambling battle was over. Ye Fan’s profits were immense, enough to make everyone envious, but none dared make a move against him.

Many great powers, including the holy lands, gathered around him, offering him olive branches.

Such a source genius from the Northern Region was a rare prize. Old masters competed to recruit him.

And now began the struggle for the golden little creature. Though few could afford to raise it, the holy lands surely could.

“Young friend, I’ve prepared a feast in your honor. Will you join me?”

“I’ve already booked the divine pavilion at the Drunken Immortal Tower. Brother Gu, you must come.”

Even Blackwater couldn’t escape, surrounded by old men with burning eyes that made his scalp crawl.

An Miaoyi, Jin Chixiao, and Xiang Yifei all pressed forward, eager to buy the golden creature. Jiang Yifei and the Grand Xia Crown Prince were the most determined, willing to pay any price.

“Brothers, selling it to anyone will cause trouble. Better let our Godfiend Treasure Tower auction it,” suggested Yao Yuekong.

“No need. Their commission is ten percent, such a waste,” an elder objected.

Everyone knew once news spread, more competitors would come, and the price would skyrocket. Even dead divine beings found in source were treasures, how much more a living God-Silkworm!

Ye Fan and Blackwater discussed at length whether to sell the golden creature.

The Nine Transformations God-Silkworm, its worth was beyond measure. But it was nearly impossible to raise successfully, even in ancient times.

“I’ve decided. I won’t sell it,” Ye Fan said.

The air fell silent. Then came waves of killing intent, dozens of murderous auras flaring from unknown directions.

Ye Fan’s heart tensed. Every great power wanted it. Refusing to sell could mean death.

“I’ll rent it out.”

The killing intent vanished instantly. Shock spread through the crowd.

“Rent it? It’s a living thing!”

“That’s absurd…”

“How exactly will you rent it?”

Curiosity replaced hostility.

“Starting bid, sixty thousand catties of source, until its third transformation,” Ye Fan declared.

“Young man, you drive a hard bargain. The Celestial Source Masters of old once valued a God-Silkworm at sixty thousand catties, and you’re only renting it.”

Ye Fan smiled quietly. He knew that rent or sale made no real difference; once in the hands of these powers, it would never return.

But calling it a rental gave him leverage, one day, when strong enough, he could demand it back.

“Eighty thousand catties. The Grand Xia Dynasty will rent it,” a commanding voice said suddenly.

Everyone turned. A tall, imposing middle-aged man stood there, wearing a golden dragon robe and crown. Nine true dragons coiled faintly around him, and atop his crown hovered a spectral dragon head of pure aura, terrifying to behold.

“Your Majesty,” the Grand Xia Prince and Princess bowed deeply.

He nodded slightly, releasing an overwhelming divine pressure that silenced the entire field.

A Sacred Lord-level being, only the Ji Clan’s silver-haired elder stood unfazed.

“Ji Gui…” the Imperial Lord’s lips moved slightly, clearly transmitting a private message.

“Very well. I’ll yield this time,” the silver-haired elder said calmly.

The rest could only remain silent; before such power, even the proudest elders were ants.

“Young friend, what do you say?” asked the mighty figure.

Ye Fan and Blackwater, unaffected by the pressure, exchanged glances. Ye Fan nodded. There was no choice, he could never keep the golden creature himself.

“Good. I’ll prepare eighty thousand catties within three days,” said the Imperial Lord, and vanished instantly.

The God-Silkworm’s birth had shaken the Celestial City, first the Red Dragon Daoist appeared, now even a Grand Xia Imperial Lord.

The white-robed nun clapped with joy, her face beaming.

Only then did the others exhale in relief, able to speak again.

“So domineering! He didn’t even let us speak.”

“You dare argue with an emperor?”

Grumbling filled the garden, but none could oppose the will of a divine ruler.

Ye Fan’s decision to rent the creature achieved three goals. First, it diverted all deadly attention, otherwise he’d have been killed for sure. Second, it solved the problem of feeding the creature, it was a “source-devouring monster.” And third, once Ye Fan grew stronger, he could demand its return.

The golden creature, however, was furious, its round eyes wide with anger, snapping its tiny jaws at Ye Fan.

“Don’t be mad, little one. You’ll have all the source you can eat,” the white-robed nun soothed.

“Good thing it’s gone. That thing moves too fast, it might’ve run away anytime,” Blackwater said.

Ye Fan nodded. “Even if it stayed, it would just steal my Godsource and bolt.”

“Exactly. You can’t guard against that forever.”

They both consoled themselves. It wasn’t really a choice, no holy land would have allowed them to keep it.

“The silkworm belongs to the nun, but the nun is...” Blackwater began.

“Shh! Stop,” Ye Fan hissed, cutting him off.

The Grand Xia prince and princess were right behind them. Prince Xia Yiming frowned.

“Brother, I don’t want to hear such nonsense again.”

“J-just a misunderstanding…! Hehe!” Blackwater stammered.

The golden creature and Princess Xia Yilin seemed to share a bond, their bright eyes blinking in unison, mirroring each other’s spirit.

The stone gambling war was finally over. The crowd dispersed long after.

Even though the God-Silkworm now belonged to another, every great power still tried to recruit Ye Fan and Blackwater.

For the next few days, they attended endless banquets across the major sects.

On the third day, the Imperial Lord from the Grand Xia Immortal Dynasty personally delivered eighty thousand catties of source. Soon after, Tuoba Chang repaid his debt of ten thousand.

In the following days, Ye Fan visited several holy lands’ stone markets, gambling large sums, but no more miracles occurred. He merely exchanged his pure source for more exotic varieties.

True treasures were rare. He couldn’t always expect divine finds.

By then, Ye Fan had enough source to advance in his cultivation.

He decided to leave the Celestial City. His fame was too bright, he needed quiet to break through.

But he also had another mission, to aid the God-King Jiang Taixu.

Jiang had passed him the War Paragon Art, a debt Ye Fan would never forget. He intended to repay it now.

The holy lands were preparing to use their Paragon Artifacts to break open the Purple Mountain. If the God-King still lived, Ye Fan had to warn the Jiang Clan.

He missed them deeply, Little Tingting, Elder Jiang, all of them.

He had been in the Northern Region for so long, yet never approached the Ancient Desolate Jiang Clan’s land.

Outside the Celestial City, Blackwater saw him off. “Brother, when will you come back?”

“Soon. I’ll need more source,” Ye Fan replied.

“Come back early, those eight lunatics and several ancient source lineages are waiting to challenge you,” Blackwater grinned.

Just then, An Miaoyi appeared, her white robes fluttering. “Brother Gu, you’re leaving the Celestial City? I was about to travel too. Let’s go together.”