Crack...
First, the stone opening master began with one of the stone ores Lu Feng had chosen. He held a specially crafted ore-cutting treasure knife in his hand, incredibly sharp. Slivers of rock fell away from the ore like snowflakes.
In the end, a jade-green lotus was revealed. Only the size of a thumb, it bloomed with dazzling green light, emitting waves of an exotic fragrance.
"That's a Jade Soul Lotus. It grows within crystal ores and is said to be excellent for repairing injured soul bodies! The larger the Jade Soul Lotus, the greater its effect. This lotus alone is worth at least two million Law Crystals!"
Its origin was quickly identified by someone in the crowd.
Next, the opening master proceeded to cut the second ore Lu Feng had chosen. This ore stood a full ten meters tall, resembling a small hill.
"That's Millennial Earth's Core Ice! A rare and special type of crystal!"
No sooner had the ore been cut than someone exclaimed. It revealed a massive black crystal nearly four or five meters tall, emanating an astonishingly frigid aura that instantly dropped the temperature of the entire plaza by over ten degrees.
"That Earth's Core Ice would be useful for an ice demon-kind," Ye Yunfei noted silently, staring at the icy mass.
"This piece of Millennial Earth's Core Ice is worth one million Law Crystals," Lü Dandan personally announced.
Hissss!
A collective gasp of shock swept through the onlookers.
"Stone gambling really can make one rich overnight!" someone marveled.
"Haha... Lu Feng's divine techniques are truly extraordinary, as expected!" Zhao Tianyu laughed heartily.
"The outcome of this stone gambling contest is no longer in question! Our Zhao Family has won! Now, you must openly admit that your Ji Family is inferior to ours," Zhao Tianyu declared, turning his gaze to Ji Yan.
"What's your hurry? Not all the stones have been opened yet!" Ji Wu snapped angrily.
"Hmph! What does it matter if they're not all opened? Surely your Ji Family isn't still counting on that piece of trash to turn things around!" Zhao Tianyu sneered.
At that moment, the opening master began on Lu Feng's third chosen ore.
A high-grade Heavenly Dao treasure artifact! And one of the Soul Power type!
It was common knowledge that among all treasure artifacts, Soul Power types were the rarest and most precious.
"They say the Northern Frost Ancient Mining Area was once a vast battlefield in ancient times. It seems that's true, since artifacts have been unearthed," someone remarked.
"This artifact is worth two million Law Crystals," Lü Dandan announced clearly.
"Stone gambling is too profitable! Picking just three ores at random actually yielded over ten million Law Crystals in profit!"
The crowd was abuzz with astonishment.
"Ji Yan, haven't you conceded yet? Three million Law Crystals, and you must publicly admit your Ji Family is no match for our Zhao Family," Zhao Tianyu demanded, his eyes boring into Ji Yan.
"My chosen stones haven't been cut yet. Who wins and who loses will only be known at the end," Ye Yunfei said calmly.
Although all three ores selected by Lu Feng had yielded treasures of staggering value, Ye Yunfei remained completely unruffled.
"Begin the cutting," Lü Dandan said, sweeping an impassive glance over Ye Yunfei.
"Hah! You refuse to submit until all hope is lost! Kid, just wait on your knees to apologize to Brother Lu," Zhao Tianyu said, flicking his sleeves dismissively.
The stone opening master raised his blade and began cutting the first ore Ye Yunfei had selected—the so-called 'ghost-gnawed stone'.
This rock stood several meters tall. As the master's sharp blade repeatedly chopped down, large chunks of stone fell away. Moments later, only a lump the size of a human head remained.
"Haha… I told you! This is a ghost-gnawed stone. There's no way it contains any treasure!"
A Zhao Family disciple guffawed loudly. Earlier, he had sworn that if this 'ghost-gnawed stone' yielded a treasure, he would eat all the leftover rubble.
Just at that moment, the opening master took another cut at the remaining stone core. With one stroke, ten thousand divine rays suddenly shot out from within the stone's interior, flying out like golden needles, so bright they forced people to squeeze their eyes shut.
"What is that?!"
Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
"No good!"
The Zhao Family disciples inwardly cursed.
Lu Feng's face also darkened, his gaze fixed intently on the stone.
"Elder Cousin Ji Yan, look!"
Ji Yue, who had already been plunged into despair believing the Ji Family was certain to lose, suddenly saw a glimmer of hope for a reversal.
"Could it be… Cut it open! Quick!"
Lü Dandan's expression shifted, and she urged the opening master.
Driven by curiosity, the master increased his speed. Soon, a radiant crystal the size of a fist was exposed. It shone like a miniature sun, impossible to look at directly—or else tears would involuntarily stream down.
"What kind of treasure is this? It's too blinding! I dare not even look at it directly!" someone cried out.
The onlookers tried to observe it more closely, but their eyes began to ache slightly, forcing them to look away.
"This is a Chaos Crystal! This single Chaos Crystal is worth at least twenty million Law Crystals!"
Lü Dandan stated solemnly.
Hissss!
A Chaos Crystal! The legendary Chaos Crystal!
Yet another collective gasp echoed through the plaza.
"They say Chaos Crystals are rare crystals that have existed since the dawn of creation, containing the fundamental essence of the world. Even more precious, Chaos Crystals often harbor some of the primordial chaos laws from the beginning of time. Their value is truly immeasurable!"
Someone uttered in utter shock.
"With this one Chaos Crystal alone, I have already won this stone gambling contest," Ye Yunfei declared, his gaze sweeping over the Ji Family members, and then Lu Feng.
"True. The other two stones don't even need to be opened. With just this Chaos Crystal, the Ji Family has already won."
Others around nodded in agreement. A Chaos Crystal was lying right there, an undeniable fact.
The total value of the treasures extracted from Lu Feng's three stones was just over ten million Law Crystals.
"Elder Cousin Ji Yan, we won!" Ji Yue exclaimed, stunned, as if in a dream.
"We actually won!"
The other Ji Family disciples were both shocked and overjoyed.
"How could this happen?!"
As for the Zhao Family disciples, they could not accept it. The reversal happened too fast. Just moments ago, everyone was certain the Zhao Family had won, yet in the blink of an eye, the result was like this.
"Impossible!"
Lu Feng also couldn't accept this outcome. He was a descendant of the illustrious Divine Master Lu, proficient in earth mastery studies. To think he would now lose to a nobody from the Purple Subtlety Sect of Yan Country.
"Young Master Su, I am very interested in this Chaos Crystal. Could you sell it to me?" Lü Dannan asked, taking a step forward.
"You may have it," Ye Yunfei nodded.
This Lü Dandan was once a comrade he'd adventured with, so Ye Yunfei naturally held her in good regard.
"Thank you, Young Master Su," Lü Dandan said delightedly, glancing towards the elder at the corner of the plaza. The elder immediately walked over and handed Ye Yunfei a spatial ring containing twenty million Law Crystals.
The onlookers were filled with envy and awe. Twenty million Law Crystals was a colossal sum—even the core disciples of the major factions in the Eastern Barrens couldn't produce such an amount. A single stone ore had earned twenty million! The spectacle of such stone gambling was truly breathtaking.
"Continue the cutting. The outcome is only final once all stones are opened," Ye Yunfei said calmly.
The opening master picked up his blade and started on the second ore.
"Another Jade Soul Lotus! And it's a full fist in size! It must be worth at least five million Law Crystals!"
No sooner was the second ore cut than someone gasped.
"Young Master Su, could we of the Four Directions Trading House purchase this Jade Soul Lotus?" Lü Dandan immediately asked upon seeing the lotus, which was indeed as large as a fist.
"My apologies. This one I will not sell. I have my own use for it," Ye Yunfei replied.
The Jade Soul Lotus contained extremely profound soul-related laws. Ye Yunfei intended to use it to strengthen his soul body and enhance his Soul Power.
The faces of the Ji Family disciples and Lu Feng grew even more gloomy. There was no longer any doubt about the outcome of this stone gambling contest. They had lost!
Next, the opening master began cutting the third and final ore.
Everyone's eyes were fixed intently on it, eager to see what, if anything, lay within. After all, the first two stones Ye Yunfei had selected had both yielded astonishing treasures!
"Hmm? That… looks like a corpse? Its skin is golden, as if it's the fleshly body left behind by a monk who achieved Nirvana!"
Once the third stone was opened, everyone was dumbfounded. Inside sat the desiccated corpse of a monk. His entire body was covered in golden skin, as if cast from solid gold.
"Look! That monk's eyelid seemed to twitch! Could it be… alive?!"
Suddenly, someone screamed in fright.