Chapter 1344: Waste Stone

Yu Yanluo's heart stirred. She looked in the direction of his gaze.

She saw that the table in the center of the pavilion was casually supported by several stones. It was clear that the person who arranged this "Immortal" room possessed great elegance; although the stones were somewhat haphazardly placed, they exuded a natural beauty.

Yu Yanluo walked over and examined it carefully. The stone was so large that her Medusa's Eye could only see a vast expanse of white, indistinguishable from ordinary rubble.

"Are you sure it's this stone, Ah Zu?" she asked, feeling confused, thinking she might have made a mistake.

"Yes, the large one," Zu'an confirmed again.

Yu Yanluo bit her lip. Given the current situation, she couldn't press Zu'an for an explanation. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to trust him and asked the Green Garden manager nearby, "How much is this stone?"

The Green Garden manager was surprised. "This one? This isn't a rough stone; it's just a common decorative rock."

"Yes, this one," Yu Yanluo said, her heart fluttering with apprehension. At this point, she could only bite the bullet and insist.

The Green Garden manager was puzzled, wondering if the experts at Green Garden had made a mistake. He re-examined the large stone. Having worked there for years, he was highly skilled at appraising stones, if not possessing "fiery golden eyes." Yet, from every angle, it appeared to be an ordinary rock.

So he replied, "It's worth one hundred Sky-rank primeval stones."

Zu'an protested, "Are you robbing us? You just said it was an ordinary stone, and now you're charging a hundred Sky-rank primeval stones?"

The Green Garden manager calmly replied, "Once a stone enters the 'Immortal' rooms and absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, even the most ordinary rock can become extraordinary. This is the lowest price in the 'Immortal' rooms, and I've offered my utmost sincerity."

Yu Yanluo said gravely, "Very well, one hundred Sky-rank primeval stones then."

With that, she took out one hundred Sky-rank primeval stones and handed them over. After all, she had once been among the wealthiest individuals in the human race, and although she had left in haste, she still had one hundred Sky-rank primeval stones on her.

The Green Garden manager's expression was odd. He wondered if all the experts in the garden had overlooked something—could this truly be a precious gem?

No matter how he looked at it, it was just an utterly ordinary stone. Since he had already stated the price, he had no choice but to move the large rock out and hand it over to her.

Just then, a gasp came from the other side. Lion Min used his 'Finger Flicking Divine Ability' to gently tap a disc-shaped rough stone, and the stone remarkably emitted a series of clear phoenix cries.

"Could there be something related to a phoenix hidden inside this rough stone?"

"Did you notice the concentric patterns on the surface of this stone? At first, I thought they were like tree rings, but now they look like phoenix patterns."

"Do you think it could be a phoenix egg?"

"That would be incredible! If it's inside this Immortal-rank primeval stone, it must just be dormant. With cultivation, it might hatch into a real phoenix."

"Phoenixes only exist in ancient myths. I never thought we'd witness a phoenix's emergence here."

Hearing the chatter from that side, Yu Yanluo's expression changed. If it truly was something phoenix-related, it would undoubtedly be an unparalleled treasure. Her own stone, even if it weren't an ordinary rock and revealed something, likely wouldn't compare.

Yun Jianyue also grew worried. "Oh no, oh no. How can we win if they've found a phoenix? Especially with Little Anzi choosing a worthless rock."

"Have a little faith in him. He wouldn't fool around at a critical moment like this," Yan Xuehen said, though she too felt some doubt. "Oh, haven't you always looked down on him, wanting to fight or kill him? How come lately you've been defending him, almost as if you're boasting about your own man?" Yun Jianyue said this deliberately, not because she truly thought so, but to tease Yan Xuehen. She knew Yan Xuehen couldn't take jokes about romantic matters, especially when they involved her and her disciple's man.

Yun Jianyue enjoyed seeing Yan Xuehen annoyed yet powerless against her.

But this time, she found Yan Xuehen wasn't angry; instead, she looked somewhat guilty and shy?

"Hmm, why does she seem a bit strange lately?"

Just as she was about to ask, Lion Min approached with the rough stone. "How much is this stone?"

The Green Garden manager's mouth gaped open, and with a pained expression, he said, "Five thousand Sky-rank primeval stones."

Seeing the unusual phenomenon just now, there was definitely a treasure hidden within this rough stone. If he could do it again, he would certainly put all these rough stones away.

These rough stones had been displayed here for years, and many guests were familiar with them. He couldn't suddenly raise the price, as it would damage the Green Garden's reputation and offend the powerful Lion Clan.

"I don't have that many Sky-rank primeval stones on me right now. Put it on the Lion Clan's tab, and I'll have someone deliver them tomorrow," Lion Min said.

The Green Garden manager was secretly delighted but feigned difficulty. "That's problematic, Third Prince. Our Green Garden never offers credit."

If Lion Min couldn't afford it, he could rightfully reclaim the treasure-bearing stone.

"What? Do you think we, the dignified princes of the Lion Clan, would default on five thousand Sky-rank primeval stones?" Lion Gong glared at him.

The Green Garden manager shook his head. "Princes, please calm down. This isn't directed at you, but it's a rule established long ago. Stone gambling can easily lead to irrational decisions, potentially causing families to be ruined. To prevent such tragedies, Green Garden set this rule. Many people have later come to thank us, having calmed down and realized we saved countless families. So, I hope the princes will understand."

At this moment, Hu Yong finally found an opportunity to mock. "No primeval stones and still want to freeload, huh? Manager, I'll buy this stone!"

The others present had strange expressions. Many of them had similar thoughts, but directly offending the Lion Clan seemed too disadvantageous. If the item inside turned out to be less valuable, the loss would be even greater.

However, the Tiger Clan had no such reservations; annoying the Lion Clan was a bonus.

Lion Min was enraged. "I clearly chose this rough stone! What are you butting in for?"

Hu Yong shrugged. "If you can't afford it, does that mean I can't buy it? Hurry up and move, don't touch my rough stone."

"Who says I can't afford it!" Lion Min gritted his teeth and pulled out a golden gauntlet. "This is a Sky-rank weapon, more than enough to cover five thousand Sky-rank primeval stones."

Sky-rank weapons varied in power; his weapon was on the weaker end, but even at its weakest, it was worth far more than five thousand Sky-rank primeval stones.

Hu Yong burst out laughing. "Pledging even your breadwinner? The Lion Clan has truly fallen on hard times."

Lion Min's face darkened, and he simply ignored him.

"This..." The Green Garden manager seemed troubled. "Prince, there's no need for this."

"Don't tell me it's not enough," Lion Min said grimly.

"It's enough, it's enough," the Green Garden manager understood. Refusing further would surely offend the Lion Clan beyond repair. "We will keep this gauntlet safe for the prince. As long as the prince sends the five thousand primeval stones within three days, we will return it to you with both hands."

Only then did Lion Min's expression improve. It seemed the Green Garden manager knew how to play along.

After buying the rough stone, he still felt a surge of anger. Then, he happened to see Zu'an holding a large stone and couldn't help but chuckle. "You spent half a day choosing something like this?"

"Do you have a problem with it?" Zu'an snorted.

"No problem, why would I have a problem?" Lion Min felt a bit better. "I just find it a little amusing. Stone gambling isn't about the bigger the item, the better, hahaha..."

"Stop blabbering and cut the stone," Zu'an said, not bothering to waste words on him.

"You go first this time," Lion Min sneered. Just now, the other party had cut a more precious treasure later, which made him feel unlucky, so this time he wanted to go second.

"Are you sure you want us to go first? I'm just afraid that once we cut it open, you won't even have the courage to cut yours," Zu'an said calmly.

"Heh heh, quite the blusterer, with that worthless stone of yours?" The Lion Clan princes burst into laughter.

Even the other onlookers had strange expressions, as it seemed to them that the Snake Clan side was sure to lose.

"Want to bet again?" Zu'an challenged, looking at them.

"Bet then, who's afraid of you?" Lion Gong and Lion Rong, easily provoked, immediately shouted.

"Hey, no need to be impulsive. We're sure to win anyway, no need to cause extra trouble," Lion Min quickly stepped forward to stop them.

For some reason, seeing Zu'an's relaxed expression reminded him of what had happened in the "Earth" room earlier. He worried that Zu'an was playing another trick, and all he had to do was not take the bait.

Lion Rong and Lion Gong had always respected their Third Brother, so they just grudgingly glared at Zu'an. "You're lucky this time, kid."

Hu Yong, standing nearby, burst into laughter. "Tsk tsk tsk, are you really from the Lion Clan? You don't even dare to bet, timid as mice. Perhaps you're of the Rat Clan?"

Lion Gong and Lion Rong's eyes blazed with fury. Lion Min, perhaps because he was confident of victory, was in a rather good mood. "While our Lion Clan is brave, we are not blindly reckless hotheads. Someone like you, who only acts on impulse, must be of the Minotaur race, I suppose."

"What did you say!" Hu Yong and his two brothers exploded in anger, and the tension between the two sides instantly reached its peak.

"Stop bickering and cut the stones first," the Second Prince said, frowning, clearly displeased.

The Little Golden Roc King also said indifferently, "If you want to fight, take it outside. I'm more curious about what these two stones will reveal."

Seeing the displeasure on the faces of the other clans, the Lion and Tiger Clans didn't want to incur widespread anger. So they both snorted, "We'll settle this properly after the stone gambling is over."

At this moment, the Green Garden manager began cutting the stone. Zu'an's stone was like a large millstone. Although the manager didn't believe it contained any treasure, he still carefully cut away the outer layers, just in case.

Unfortunately, after dozens of cuts, the inside remained dull grey, no different from an ordinary stone.

The manager clearly sped up later. At first, he cut it like sausage, but eventually, he started cutting it in larger chunks.

The millstone-sized stone grew smaller and smaller, finally turning into a pile of fragments.

"Hahaha, as expected, nothing!" Lion Min breathed a sigh of relief, while Lion Rong had already begun to mock.

Yu Yanluo's face paled. Although she had always felt it was an ordinary stone, she had been willing to trust Zu'an. But why had it turned out this way?

Princess Soren looked at her worriedly, thinking that losing this time would be quite a heavy blow.

Shang Liuyu, on the other hand, looked at Zu'an, her ocean-like beautiful eyes filled with doubt.