Chapter 141: Betting Stones

The emergence of Jade Stone Hall drew the attention of many cultivators, and Yan Buji heard for the first time that a business similar to ordinary stone gambling existed in the cultivation world.

The curiosity sparked in Yan Buji, so he stepped inside to see the commotion.

The peripheral shelves held Abnormal Source Stones of varying sizes, yet the room also contained a grand hall where several gigantic Source Stones were displayed!

"This is… a Humanoid Source?! A Humanoid Source this huge must be worth at least ten thousand Spiritual Stones, right?"

"Whoa, that's a Heavenly Wing Source? Shaped like wings, like clouds hanging from the sky—such a rare Source Stone exists?!"

Many experienced cultivators exclaimed in amazement, and Yan Buji could only grasp the gist without understanding the details.

Is it that larger Source Stones are more valuable? Yet the hall also had smaller Source Stones, didn't it?

Yan Buji stopped, and a shop assistant dressed in Jade Stone Hall's cloud‑patterned attire walked over, smiling: "What would you like to see, sir?"

Yan Buji looked around and indeed saw many assistants approaching each cultivator who entered, serving them politely even though his own cultivation level was so low.

"Friend, may I ask, I'm a wandering lone cultivator, and this is my first time hearing of these Abnormal Source Stones. I don't know their origin or how they're used," Yan Buji asked.

The assistant smiled: "Sir, Abnormal Source Stones come from the Abnormal Zone. The Abnormal Zone is an area teeming with Abnormal Beasts. Because of the presence of aberrant mist, many heavenly treasures in the zone can be corroded into ash, while some are fortuitously sealed within Abnormal Source Stones. Moreover, most zones bear the marks of past cultivator battles; within an Abnormal Source Stone one can not only uncover heavenly treasures but also possibly obtain a cultivator's Accumulation Device!"

"As for how it works, the customer buys a Source Stone, then our professional master unseals it for you. If there's a treasure inside, you may keep it or sell it to us; of course you could try unsealing it yourself, but we don't recommend non‑professionals doing so."

Hearing that, Yan Buji nodded.

It really is much like ordinary stone gambling.

Yan Buji raised an eyebrow: "So I won't get stuck after unsealing it, right?"

"Heh, you can rest assured, any troublemaker in Jade Stone Hall will learn exactly how the word 'rules' is written."

Just then, a cultivator impatiently selected an Abnormal Source Stone and rushed over to a master to have it unsealed.

"Are you sure you want to do it this way? Splitting it in two?" the master asked, puzzled. The unsealing line the customer marked was huge; the stone was already small, and the cut hit the center—if there's a treasure, won't it be damaged?

"If you're going to unseal it, just do it. No need for all that chatter."

The master rolled his eyes, picked up a blade that was neither quite iron nor quite copper, and slashed along the marked line, splitting the whole Source Stone in two!

The cultivator's eyes widened as a white pearl was sliced in half, and he cried out in pain: "What are you doing? This is a Pure Spirit Pearl, and you've cut it in two?!"

The two halves emitted an extremely pure aura; nearby cultivators raised their eyebrows and watched excitedly.

Now there's a good show.

"You're the one who asked me to cut it that way! I told you this stone shouldn't be cut like that, yet you insisted—so blame me?" the master waved his hand.

"Old man, you damn…!"

Before he could finish, two late‑stage cultivation Qi cultivators seized his shoulders and, with a friendly smile, said: "Sir, since this was your request, please stop causing a scene here."

"What are you trying to do?!"

"A word of advice, sir: take your two pearl halves and leave quickly, or don't force us to act!"

"You… alright, alright, you're bullying customers because the shop's big, huh? Your business won't last!!"

The cultivator's face turned pale; accustomed to being overbearing, even though he was also a late‑stage cultivation Qi practitioner, he suddenly sensed many stronger auras above him in Jade Stone Hall, and fled with the Source Stone, his face dark.

The proprietor Hua Fei laughed, clasped his hands, and said: "Everyone, stone unsealing is fine, but please act within your limits. If you're confident, don't blame us for the technique after the stone is opened."

"That's natural."

The cultivators present weren't fools; they could see that the man was a conceited fool, relying on his supposed knowledge of unsealing, and his fate was self‑inflicted.

Yan Buji nodded and began scanning the surrounding shelves.

Yan Buji hadn't really intended to gamble on Abnormal Source Stones, which are pure luck, and the mindset of hoping to snag a bargain was dangerous—otherwise he'd fall into the owner's trap.

Perhaps the Source Stones on these shelves truly could yield treasures, but who can guarantee the seller lacks some special ability to discern their mysteries and know in advance what's sealed inside?

Yan Buji used his spiritual perception but saw nothing, and his touch gave no clue, so he randomly chose a Source Stone and paid a hundred Spiritual Stones to have it unsealed.

After all, it was his first time, and Yan Buji was willing to spend a bit to try something new; if nothing came out, he'd simply leave the trade.

There were many people queuing for stone unsealing; most followed the master's advice. Though many left empty‑handed and frustrated, some actually uncovered valuable items and immediately exchanged them for a few thousand Spiritual Stones before strutting away.

When it was Yan Buji's turn, the master glanced at the Source Stone in his hand and frowned: "You want to open this one?"

"Yes. Master, do you see anything wrong?" Yan Buji replied with a smile.

"We'll only know if it's right after it opens. I've been immersed in this path for a long time; the Source Stones I've unsealed range from eight hundred to a thousand, so I can discern some quality. I may miss sometimes, but your stone is perhaps a bit…"

Yan Buji's face twitched: "I don't have many Spiritual Stones; I'm just here for a fresh experience."

"Alright."

The master examined the fist‑sized Source Stone carefully, while Yan Buji watched his handling with curiosity.

After a while, the master confirmed the unsealing line and asked: "Ready?"

"Mm."

"Open!"

The master slashed, removing a piece from the Source Stone, and his eyes suddenly lit up:

"Ha? Missed it. Hahaha, the youngster's luck is good!"

"Oh?"

Yan Buji was a bit surprised; as the master kept cutting the Source Stone, an egg‑sized crystal appeared before everyone, and within the green‑glowing crystal slept a mantis‑shaped Gu Worm!

"Second‑stage Knife Mantis Gu?!"

"Not second‑stage, it's third‑stage! The third‑stage Knife Mantis, its sickle is teal‑red!"

The surrounding cultivators gasped, their eyes eagerly fixed on the third‑stage Knife Mantis Gu sleeping inside the crystal.