Chapter 1340: The Store’s Treasure

Not to mention Shiming, even the higher-ranking Second Prince and Little Golden Roc King were startled. One hundred thousand high-grade origin stones – what kind of concept was that?

One high-grade origin stone was equivalent to one hundred thousand ordinary origin stones. People of their status usually carried only a few hundred high-grade origin stones at most. One hundred thousand high-grade origin stones would be enough to build a powerful army from scratch!

Chiwen clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "This is fun, this is much more interesting!" Having grown up in the Dragon Palace treasury, he had little regard for treasures, thus he looked as if he wished for chaos to reign.

The expressions of the Lion Clan members changed dramatically. Then, Shiming's face darkened, "Are you joking?"

Yu Yanluo said indifferently, "Of course not." In truth, she was feeling a little apprehensive herself. After all, no one could be completely sure when it came to stone gambling. While she was experienced, the fact that others dared to set up such a gamble suggested they were also quite skilled in this area.

In the past, though one hundred thousand high-grade origin stones was a large sum, it wouldn't have been too difficult for her, as she commanded the Yu family. However, this time, Xu Yu had exposed her identity as a Medusa, forcing her to flee in haste, and she hadn't had time to transfer many of her assets. Furthermore, the Snake Clan was currently controlled by Elders Bai and Qing. As a newcomer, she didn't possess much real power yet, making it impossible for her to procure such a large sum from the clan. Nevertheless, she agreed without hesitation, for she trusted her lover.

Upon hearing her answer, the Lion Clan members also panicked a little. After all, this was an astronomical sum, and the three brothers didn't have the authority to use so many resources.

"What's wrong? You were so boisterous just now, but now you've chickened out?" Zu'an's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Shi Gong and Shi Rong's faces instantly turned crimson. "Nonsense, how could we chicken out?" They had just used goading tactics on others, but unexpectedly, they themselves fell for the same trick so easily. But seeing that fellow's smug expression really infuriated them.

Shiming, being relatively calmer, said in a deep voice, "But as far as I know, you only have a little over a hundred origin stones on you. It was only by cutting out something good from the stone gamble just now that you acquired a few hundred high-grade origin stones. How then can you produce one hundred thousand high-grade origin stones?"

Yu Yanluo calmly replied, "Even if the Snake Clan is in decline, it is still a major clan after all. As its leader, I can certainly produce one hundred thousand high-grade origin stones."

Hearing her say this, Shiming frowned deeply. Although he had indeed calculated this at first, wondering how to lure her into the trap, the opponent's quick agreement now made him somewhat uncertain. Could it be that she was afraid to accept the challenge, and deliberately had her subordinate shout out such an exorbitant price, hoping to scare them off and avoid the gamble? Thinking this, a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He had almost been bluffed by them.

"Alright, since Queen Medusa is so curious, how could we men possibly shrink back? Let's gamble!"

"Third Brother!" Shi Rong and Shi Gong exclaimed anxiously. If they truly lost, the amount of compensation would be far too immense.

Shiming raised a hand to stop them, explaining quietly in secret. Upon understanding the situation, the two brothers breathed a sigh of relief. The Snake Clan was truly too cunning.

Zu'an's eyes lit up. "Everyone present here, please bear witness for us! If anyone loses and tries to renege on their debt later..."

The Little Golden Roc King, standing nearby, said with a half-smile, "Don't worry. We few here still have some influence within the royal court. If anyone truly can't afford to lose, they probably won't be able to stand firm in the demon race in the future."

The Second Prince also nodded. "Exactly. You can compete with confidence."

A thin bead of sweat seeped from Shiming's forehead. Even though he was usually composed, he now felt immense pressure. However, with so many important figures watching, he couldn't possibly back down halfway. So he kept reassuring himself, thinking that the Snake Clan was probably just putting on a brave face and bluffing. If they weren't afraid, then he had even less reason to feel weak. With that thought, he gradually calmed down and gestured for them to begin.

At this point, the manager of the Emerald Garden introduced, "The 'Immortal' section is different from the other floors. Every unpolished stone here is extraordinary, each possessing its own unique spiritual aura. Therefore, they aren't displayed on stands like on the other floors. Instead, they are placed among the rocks and trees, blending with the surrounding scenery. Their spiritual energy can influence the environment, and the environment, in turn, can nourish them. This way, even if a rough stone originally contains nothing, over time, it might gradually form some precious items."

As soon as Zu'an entered, he noticed many rockeries and unusual stones forming natural bonsais with the surrounding plants. He hadn't expected those stones to actually be high-grade rough stones.

At this moment, Yu Yanluo dared not be negligent. After all, one hundred thousand high-grade origin stones were at stake, so she began to stroll through the garden, searching for a stone that appealed to her. Suddenly, she paused, her gaze falling upon an unusual stone in the ornamental fish pond. It looked as if a snake and a giant turtle were intertwined. The snake had the head of a dragon, phoenix wings, and the body of a python, while the giant turtle had the back of a sea turtle and the tail of a qilin. An ancient, mysterious Taoist charm flowed throughout its form.

"Is this carved?" Yun Jianyue couldn't help but ask, because the snake and giant turtle were incredibly lifelike.

The manager smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. The stone's shape is naturally formed, which is why it's so miraculous. This stone is called the 'Northern Palace Black Tortoise' and is one of the Immortal section's most prized treasures."

Hearing this explanation, even the other princes and princesses present were astonished. For such a shape to be naturally formed, there must surely be an extraordinary treasure within.

Fearing they might act first, Shi Rong hastily asked, "What's the price of this rough stone? We'll buy it!"

The Emerald Garden manager said with a half-smile, "One hundred thousand high-grade origin stones."

Shi Rong was speechless. Zu'an was speechless.

The others were also momentarily speechless. As expected, it truly deserved to be called a prized treasure. No wonder such an extraordinary anomaly had remained untouched here; it was simply too expensive. It was widely known that many top-grade rough stones indeed came with various unusual phenomena, but not every such stone was guaranteed to contain something. Otherwise, how could the Emerald Garden and other similar merchant guilds put them out for sale? Wouldn't it be better to cut them open themselves? Even for rough stones with various unusual phenomena, the probability of finding something was only relatively higher, not a guaranteed yield. In the stone gambling industry, countless people had staked everything on these extraordinary stones, only to end up with nothing. Moreover, even if something good was cut out, its value might not match the price of the rough stone.

One hundred thousand high-grade origin stones – with such a huge sum in reality, there were so many better things one could do. To insist on gambling it away was simply too risky.

The Emerald Garden manager smiled as he looked at Shi Rong. "How does Seventh Prince intend to pay?"

Shi Rong replied, "Uh, pretend I didn't say anything." His face flushed scarlet with embarrassment. Normally, he would never have lost face like this and would have gritted his teeth to endure it. Unfortunately, one hundred thousand high-grade origin stones was simply too much to bear.

The Emerald Garden manager was not offended in the slightest. Clearly, this wasn't the first time he had witnessed such a situation over the years.

Yu Yanluo secretly stuck out her tongue. She couldn't afford that item either, so she had to look at others first.

"Ice Stone Maiden, can you see anything unusual?" Yun Jianyue asked, staring at the stone with a hint of eagerness, her heart feeling as if a cat were scratching it.

"I can't tell," Yan Xuehen shook her head slightly. "The laws of heaven and earth allow these rough stones to block cultivators' divine senses from probing them. Moreover, this stone naturally possesses an unusual phenomenon, making it even harder to see through." Suddenly, her heart stiffened. "You're not planning to steal it, are you?"

Yun Jianyue's expression became a little unnatural. "Hmph, am I that kind of violent person? I'm just curious about what's inside."

"Don't you dare act recklessly! Your injuries haven't healed yet, and your strength isn't what it used to be. This manager's cultivation is not low, and there's an even more terrifying presence hidden in the shadows of this Immortal section, likely the guardian of the Emerald Garden," Yan Xuehen quickly reminded her.

"I'm not that reckless," Yun Jianyue said, a blush rising to her face. "What? Are you actually concerned about me?"

"Hmph, I couldn't care less if you die." Yan Xuehen's face hardened, and she stopped paying attention to Yun Jianyue.

At this moment, Zu'an was filled with questions. The foundation of the Fox merchant guild was even more formidable than he had imagined. If a single rough stone was worth one hundred thousand high-grade origin stones, what would the entire Immortal section be worth? Given the demon race's crude and direct nature, if this place didn't possess sufficient power, it would have been plundered countless times by now. Yet, in a royal court teeming with experts, it remained completely unharmed. Who exactly was behind this merchant guild? He had previously thought it was an asset of Qingqiu Nation, but now it seemed that not only Qingqiu Nation, but even the combined strength of the Tiger Clan, might not possess such immense power. But it couldn't possibly be the demon royal family behind it, could it?

At this moment, Shiming also stopped on the other side, staring blankly at a massive stone before him. This colossal stone resembled a towering, extremely steep, and perilous mountain peak. Around it, a misty aura naturally formed, like a morning glow or swirling clouds. Even more striking was a slender stone that abruptly emerged from within the "mountain peak," standing there like an elegant and beautiful maiden.

The manager had already approached him and began to explain considerately, "This stone is called the 'Wushan Goddess'..."