"Hahaha… Boy, do you think we're playing around here? Choosing stones is an endeavor that relies on experience, skill, and even the level of spiritual power. You come from a remote backwater like Yan Country; this is probably the first time in your life you've even seen the refined activity of ore gambling. And you dare to represent the Ji Family in selecting stones?" A Zhao Family disciple pointed at Ye Yunfei and laughed loudly. The others joined in, erupting in laughter.
"You trash really drag the Ji Family's face through the mud," Zhao Tianyu sneered.
The Ji Family disciples looked furious, their expressions stormy as they glared at Ye Yunfei. Just moments ago, Zhao Tianyu having a descendant of Divine Master Lu help choose stones had already filled the Ji Family members with rage. Now this ignorant fool jumped out, making the Ji Family lose even more face.
"Kid, don't make a scene. Step aside," Ji Wu reprimanded bluntly.
"Ji Yue, make him restrain himself," Ji Yan frowned as well. This gambling session concerned the Ji Family's reputation. How could they possibly allow this lowly youngster to represent the Ji Family?
"Su Fei, watch your words!" Ji Yue said to Ye Yunfei.
"If you want to win this gamble, it's best to let me help choose the stones. Otherwise, your Ji Family is sure to lose," Ye Yunfei replied calmly.
"You know how to choose stones?" Ji Yue saw the confidence in Ye Yunfei's expression and suddenly recalled the many miraculous things he had done at the Ziwei Sect headquarters, even the way he had summoned a decree left behind by the Ziwei Great Emperor himself.
"Of course. Here, I am the most adept at choosing stones," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Earlier, Ye Yunfei had tentatively probed the descendant of Divine Master Lu with Earth Qi. He discovered that the man did cultivate the Geomancy Technique, but his skill was not as refined as Ye Yunfei's own.
"A mere ant, boasting about his stone-choosing skills in front of us from the Lu Family! Utterly ignorant!" The short, lean youth from the Lu Family flew into a rage upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
The others also cast scornful gazes at Ye Yunfei; no one believed him.
"The ignorant one is you. You're merely riding on the coattails of your ancestor's reputation. Your actual cultivation in the Geomancy Technique is hardly worth mentioning," Ye Yunfei scoffed coldly.
"Brat, how dare you provoke me like this! Fine! I, Lu Feng, challenge you to a stone gambling duel! If you lose, you kneel and kowtow to apologize!" the Lu youth roared in fury.
"If you lose, you kneel and apologize to me," Ye Yunfei responded with a cold laugh.
"Agreed," Lu Feng nodded. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned to select stones. He wanted to quickly find good ore and publicly humiliate Ye Yunfei on the spot!
Ye Yunfei also lifted his foot and walked toward the pile of raw stones.
"Enough, Su Fei…!" Ji Yan flared up in anger.
"If we lose, I'll cover the three million Law Crystals. The Ji Family won't have to pay," Ye Yunfei said, flicking his finger. A spatial ring flew to land in front of Ji Yan.
Ji Yan was taken aback. She sent her Soul Power to probe inside and revealed an astonished expression. The spatial ring did indeed contain three million Law Crystals. Three million Law Crystals was a huge sum, something only disciples from major forces in the Eastern Barrens could barely manage to scrape together. A youth from a minor sect actually possessed such an amount?
"Ji Yan, the representatives from both sides have already begun choosing stones. It's too late for regrets now. That boy is gambling on behalf of your Ji Family," Zhao Tianyu sneered before Ji Yan could even finish speaking.
"That's right! The gambling has officially begun! If your Ji Family wants to back out now, it means you're afraid, and you'll have to admit defeat outright!" The Zhao Family disciples clamored noisily.
Ji Yan's face darkened, and she said nothing more.
"Brother Wu, is that kid really capable? He doesn't seem reliable at all," several Ji Family disciples couldn't help but whisper to Ji Wu.
"Hmph! If that kid messes this up, I'll make him pay!" Ji Wu glared furiously at Ye Yunfei.
"Look! Lu Feng has brought out a golden compass!" someone exclaimed.
Indeed, Lu Feng had produced a golden compass, which hovered before him. He formed a series of hand seals with both hands and directed them towards the golden compass.
*Hum…* A yellow pointer flew out from within the golden compass, spinning rapidly.
*Whoosh…* Immediately, vast amounts of yellow mist surged upward from beneath the ground.
*Roar…* Suddenly, the ground trembled as a yellow Earth Dragon emerged from the depths, soaring into the sky before plunging directly into the golden compass in front of Lu Feng.
"That's an Earth Dragon! Commanding Earth Dragons is the hallmark of a Geomancer!" the crowd exclaimed.
Although everyone could tell that the energy of that Earth Dragon was mediocre—almost anyone could casually shatter it—the act of commanding an Earth Dragon truly was the mark of a Geomancer. Furthermore, Geomancers could utilize Earth Dragons to perform various mysterious secret arts.
*Boom! Boom!* Suddenly, one Earth Dragon after another erupted from the ground, merging into the golden compass.
Thirty-eight Earth Dragons! In the end, a total of thirty-eight Earth Dragons merged into the golden compass.
"As the legends say, Geomancers are skilled at commanding Earth Dragons, summoning them with a call and dismissing them with a wave. It's true," many people sighed in admiration.
Lu Feng pointed a finger, and the golden compass flew out, circling around the raw stones. The yellow pointer spewed out streams of yellow runic symbols that fell upon the stones. Moreover, Lu Feng's right palm turned a golden-yellow hue as he gently caressed stones that caught his attention or gave them a light tap.
"That's the Lu Family's Earth Vein Hand! They say it's a technique specifically developed for ore gambling!" someone exclaimed in awe.
Basking in the crowd's exclamations, Lu Feng gave Ye Yunfei a smug glance.
At that moment, Ye Yunfei wasn't paying any attention to Lu Feng at all. The methods Lu Feng was employing seemed utterly childish in Ye Yunfei's eyes! Back in the Canghuang World, Ye Yunfei's mastery of Geomancy had far surpassed this level!
Ye Yunfei strolled leisurely with his hands clasped behind his back, pacing around the square among the stones. His steps appeared unhurried, but in reality, they were a special footwork from the Geomancy Technique—using his feet as eyes to peer into the secrets contained within all the earth and stone.
Furthermore, at this moment, deep within Ye Yunfei's pupils, two yellow runic symbols flickered as he examined the stones one by one.
*Indeed, stones excavated from ancient mining areas. Their surfaces are coated with a unique, ancient aura that can block perception*, Ye Yunfei thought to himself. It seems the Four Directions Trading House wasn't lying; this batch of stones was indeed excavated from the Northern Frost Ancient Mining Area.
Those gathered for the Lesser Lantai Gathering were all core disciples of major forces in the Eastern Barrens, young geniuses every one of them, each potentially becoming a significant figure in the Eastern Barrens in the future. The Four Directions Trading House wouldn't dare casually deceive these young talents.
"Hmph, utterly clueless!" Seeing Ye Yunfei wandering aimlessly around the square, Lu Feng couldn't help but show a look of disdain.
"Hahaha… Look at that kid! He seems calm, but he actually knows nothing about stone selection. It's common knowledge that selecting stones involves three steps: observe, touch, then tap. Yet this guy is just wandering around. He doesn't think he can discern the secrets within these stones with just his naked eyes, does he?" a Lu Family disciple guffawed.
"The kid truly doesn't understand stone gambling."
"An expert's skill is obvious the moment they make a move. This kid is just fumbling around!"
"Lu Feng is the professional one. Truly worthy of being a descendant of Divine Master Lu."
Everyone else chimed in with discussions, all expressing a lack of confidence in Ye Yunfei.
"I've made my selections. It's these three pieces." Just then, Lu Feng suddenly put away his golden compass. With a wave of his hand, he tossed out three small yellow flags, each landing beside a different stone.
"I've made my selections as well," Ye Yunfei pointed to three stones.
"Hahaha… Everyone, look! This guy actually chose a Ghost-Gnawed Stone! Its surface is pitted and full of holes, clearly bitten by legendary crystal-craving sprites. Even if there were treasures inside, they'd have long since leaked away!" A Zhao Family disciple suddenly pointed at one of the stones selected by Ye Yunfei and doubled over with laughter.
"It really is a Ghost-Gnawed Stone. The essence within that stone has dissipated. So the kid truly doesn't know how to choose stones. This time, the Ji Family has lost," others echoed upon closer inspection.
"You know one aspect but not the other. The stone I've chosen is immeasurably precious, far beyond your comprehension," Ye Yunfei glanced at that Zhao Family disciple and stated blandly.
"Kid, even at this point, you're still pretending? If that stone yields any treasure when cut, I'll eat all the leftover scraps!" the Zhao Family disciple sneered.
"Good. Remember your words. This stone weighs over two hundred catties; there should be plenty of scraps. Get ready to digest it," Ye Yunfei replied.
"Enough talk. Begin the unveiling!" Lu Feng said loudly, brimming with confidence.
"The three stones you selected add up to a total of six hundred thousand Law Crystals," Lü Dandan, who had been observing silently from the side, stepped forward and said to Lu Feng.
"The three stones you selected come to a total of three hundred thousand Law Crystals," Lü Dandan turned her gaze to Ye Yunfei.
"No problem," Lu Feng took out a spatial ring and handed it to Lü Dandan.
Just as Ye Yunfei was about to pay, Ji Yan waved a hand, sending a spatial ring flying toward Lü Dandan.
"The cost for purchasing the stones will be covered by our Ji Family. The three million Law Crystals for losing the bet later will be your responsibility," Ji Yan stated.
"Alright. Master Craftsman Luo, come and unveil the stones," Lü Dandan called over a master artisan specializing in stone opening.
The crowd gathered closer, eager to see what treasures, if any, would be unveiled.