Jiang Taixu stared at Duan De with his cloudy eyes, unable to discern anything unusual, only knowing that he was quite extraordinary.
The fat man and the dog argued for a while, then stopped confronting each other and walked towards the river at the same time.
"Brother Jiang, who is this old man?" Duan De did not notice anything unusual about Jiang Taixu and thought he was just an ordinary old man.
Jiang Liu laughed and said, "Come, let me introduce you. This is my older brother..."
"Your older brother?" Duan De looked Jiang Taixu up and down, but found nothing amiss. He then moved closer to Jiang Liu and said, "I've already scouted out a few sacred stone workshops and planned my escape route. I'm just waiting for you to plunder them... Hey, you mutt, why are you staring at me?"
Black Emperor stared intently at Duan De, his eyes seemingly glowing green.
"Woof!!! What would a human like you want with the Demon Emperor's Heart? I'll trade you the Great Emperor's Ancient Scripture, you won't lose out..."
Duan De's face turned green instantly, and he gasped for breath, "I have no heart of a demon emperor, stop spreading rumors!"
"Because I can't sense it? It's right there in your sea of consciousness." The Black Emperor stared intently at Duan De's abdomen, making his face turn even greener.
It's not the theft itself that's scary, it's having someone eyeing you!
Duan De felt he had met his match...
"The Heart of the Demon Emperor? The tomb of the Azure Emperor has appeared, and you have obtained the Heart of the Demon Emperor?" Jiang Taixu had heard Jiang Liu mention that the tomb of the Azure Emperor had appeared, but he had not sensed the aura of the Heart of the Demon Emperor. However, the big black dog had sensed it, which made him even more curious about the man and the dog.
Chapter 341 First Test of Skill
The closest city to Shizhai is Pingyan City. Although it cannot compare to the Holy City, it is still quite large, and various prominent families from the Holy Land have stone archways within its walls. This is an ancient city entirely constructed of reddish-brown megaliths, steeped in the vicissitudes of time. According to locals, this city has a history of over a thousand years and has always been the central city of the region.
So-called stone workshops generally occupy a large area and are surrounded by high walls. Inside, there are source stones everywhere. The stone produced by the source vein is very special and difficult for cultivators to see through. Neither divine sense nor divine power can probe its interior. Only by actually cutting it open can one know whether there is a source inside.
Moreover, the northern region of the Eastern Wilderness is rich in mineral resources, including the Primordial Ancient Mine, one of the seven forbidden lands of life, which is extremely rich in divine resources. Rare treasures occasionally emerge from within these divine resources, making the jade gambling industry in the Eastern Wilderness extremely prosperous.
Even some powerful forces from the Western Desert, Southern Ridge, Northern Plains, and Central State have long stationed their experts here, all in the hope of collecting divine sources and finding unparalleled treasures.
Jiang Liu and his group arrived in Pingyan City, intending to make a fortune quietly, but they discovered that the principle of gambling on stones in various stone workshops was to open the stones on the spot to obtain the source.
Since that's the case, then let's open it!
Ghost-Splitter Stone! Open!
Watermelon stone! Open!
These source stones, which no one cared about but which secretly contained treasures, had nowhere to hide from Jiang Liu's eyes.
Before he knew it, the sun had already set, and Jiang Liu had reached the last stone archway, the archway of the Yaochi Sacred Land. By this time, dozens of people were following behind him, creating a lively scene.
"What a master! That kid is a master of source techniques. You have no idea how amazing it was just now. When he cut out the exotic amethyst source from the watermelon stone, the shopkeeper's face turned green. I bet he's hiding in a corner crying now."
"I've been watching closely, and today I've really had a feast for the eyes. In the past, it might take three days for someone to make a profit gambling on stones, but today it's like the sun has risen in the west... If I had known, I would have bought those cracked stones too!"
"Go ahead and buy it if you dare! I guarantee you'll be green with envy tomorrow."
"Has anyone tallied it up? How much did that kid win today? Did he get a single source stone?" Ten thousand catties of pure source stone is equivalent to three source stones. Even the holy sons and daughters of the holy land might not be able to produce that much in a short time.
"Let me calculate. At first, he spent three jin of source stone to cut out the alien fiery red source stone, worth more than 30 jin. Then he cut out the ancient insect source stone, worth more than 200 jin. There were also various other source stones, estimated to be around 1,000 jin. The most precious ones were the 36 alien amethyst source stones cut out from the watermelon stone, worth at least 2,000 jin of pure source stone..."
Immediately, someone exclaimed in surprise, "So, this kid won at least one pure source today!"
"Don't forget, there were disciples from the Ji family and several holy lands who gambled with him before, and they lost more than a thousand catties of Origin, and also incurred a huge debt..."
Among the crowd, some were envious, some were jealous, and some even harbored murderous intent...
The chaos among the masses was vividly displayed in Jiang Taixu's eyes. He was like a little old man following behind Jiang Liu, and no one realized that he was the God-King from four thousand years ago, a figure who once illuminated an era.
However, the old god-king also knew how to avoid attracting attention. If he concealed his strength, no one would be able to discover his cultivation level, but doing so would truly arouse suspicion. Now, displaying the strength of the Sea of Wheels realm was for the best.
Duan De was bored out of his mind. The pure source of energy in this place really didn't interest him. He leaned closer and whispered, "Brother Jiang, why don't we go straight to the Holy City? There are divine sources there, which is where you can really unleash your power. What's here? It's a waste of your talents!"
Black Emperor also joined in, his eyes flashing green, and said with a sinister smile, "I just discussed it with Fatty. You don't need to worry about being hunted down. We'll help you escape. I have an unparalleled killing formation and Heaven-Deceiving Divine Runes. Anyone who comes before me, except for those at the half-step Great Power level, I'll take them down. However, you have to share half of what I get..."
"Half? Bald-tailed dog, you're too greedy. If you take half, how much will I get? How much will Brother Jiang have left? I think dividing it into three equal parts is the most suitable!" Duan De said righteously, echoing Yan Hei Huai's Black Emperor.
Jiang Liu chuckled and said, "What does that say about my elder brother?"
Duan De still couldn't discern Jiang Taixu's hidden strength, assuming Jiang Liu wanted to borrow more from him. He patted Jiang Liu's shoulder and said, "Brother, don't be too greedy. Without your brother Duan's protection, you can't guard the treasure. As for your older brother, I'll kindly provide him with a source stone when we get back..."
"Woof! I'll go out too!"
Jiang Liu laughed heartily, stepped into the Yaochi Immortal Stone Workshop, and said, "We'll talk about it later!"
Although Yaochi Fairy Stone Archway is located in the city, it is elegant and tranquil. Ancient trees stand tall, their leaves fluttering in the breeze, streams flow gently, small bridges span the water, and stones are arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner, forming a landscape that has the feel of a garden.
An old woman with a wrinkled face greeted Jiang Liu and his group. She frowned slightly as she watched the large group of people pour in, but did not stop them.
"If you want to gamble on stones, what price range are you looking for?"
Jiang Liu said politely, "Thank you for your trouble, senior. I'm going to start with the most expensive ones!"
"The most expensive? Sure, but each source stone costs more than a pure source. You can't gamble many more times with the source stones you win today." The old woman had obviously heard the rumors about Jiang Liu that day and knew that he had source techniques.
"It doesn't matter. Money is just an external thing. You can't take it with you when you're born, and you can't take it with you when you die. I'm only betting on whether I can find a real divine item." Jiang Liu said against his conscience.
Duan De rolled his eyes behind him, clearly not believing Jiang Liu's words. They had known each other for three years, outside the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, in the Tomb of the Demon Emperor, where he had risked his life for the treasure.
Jiang Liu stared blankly at the top-grade source stones in the Yaochi Immortal Stone Workshop in Pingyan City. He carefully examined each stone, his eyes gleaming as if trying to see through the outer layer and directly perceive the inside.
After examining the nine stones, each worth several cubic meters of pure source material, Jiang Liu was deeply disappointed. Although some of the source stones contained source material and could potentially yield a profit, the potential gains were limited and not worth the investment.
"I knew it! Even that kid wasn't sure what to do when he encountered a real holy site source stone. Looks like he hasn't mastered the source technique yet!"
"That's not necessarily true. Maybe these source stones don't contain any rare treasures. You know, the source stones from Yaochi are first selected by the Holy Land, then by the Immortal Stone Market in the Holy City, and finally by the branches in various cities..."
Just as Jiang Liu was disappointedly selecting a second-grade source stone, the crowd naturally parted, revealing a few people. The surrounding onlookers clearly did not want to associate with them, making those few people stand out even more.
Chapter 342 Descendants of the Great Bandit
This is a group of extremely young people, each with their own unique appearance, but without exception, they are all exceptionally shrewd, with particularly bright, cunning eyes.
“Brother Zhongtian, this is going to be interesting. That kid has some impressive skills; his Origin Technique is quite extraordinary. Aren’t we looking to cause trouble for the Holy Land? This is the perfect opportunity…” A burly young man with a dark complexion said with a wicked grin.
The young man known as "Brother Zhongtian" had a thick beard, a leopard-like face, and piercing eyes. He was tall and imposing, and said with his arms crossed, "Look! The holy sons and daughters of the various holy lands tricked us once, so we have to get our revenge. Afei, did you borrow your grandfather's jar?"
"I don't have the real thing, but I have a fake. If I can win over those saintesses, I refuse to believe I can't. This time, I'm going to snatch one of them as my wife!"
This group spoke without any restraint, and even when the elders of the Yaochi Holy Land looked at them, they glared back. Moreover, the elders of the Yaochi Holy Land merely glared at them coldly, showing no intention of making a move.
This group occupied the best spots, and bystanders dared not speak out against them, keeping a few steps away and not daring to approach.
"Hey, old man, come here..." Someone beckoned to Jiang Taixu and said, "Are you with the experts in Origin Techniques? Which family or holy land do you come from?"
Jiang Taixu pointed to himself and said, "Are you calling me?"
"Yes, that's exactly who I'm asking about!"
"We are not affiliated with any sect or faction..."
"Really?!"
"And who are you?" Jiang Taixu asked in return.
"Haha, there are still people in the Northern Region who don't know who we are? Listen up, my name is Tu Fei, and I'm going to steal a Holy Maiden from a Holy Land as my wife!"
It took Jiang Taixu quite a while to figure out the identities of this group of people. There are countless bandits in the Northern Region, but only thirteen bandit groups, also known as the Thirteen Great Bandits, can truly threaten the Holy Land.
The thirteen bandits are all extraordinary figures. Some are powerful figures from the Eastern Wilderness who rebelled against the Holy Lands, others are powerful individuals who wandered from the Central Plains, and still others are giants who fled from the Northern Desert. All are powerful experts, and some even possess ultimate weapons. The seventh bandit is Tu Tian, who wields the ultimate weapon of the ancient ruthless emperor—the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar. Although only a portion of them, they are enough to dominate the Northern Region. It should be noted that only a few Holy Lands possess ultimate weapons at the emperor level.
The fifth most notorious bandit in the Northern Region was named Wu Dao, and this bandit-like man named Wu Zhongtian was his descendant.
The others include Tu Fei, grandson of the seventh bandit Tu Tian; Li Yanshui, grandson of the eighth bandit Li Heng; and Jiang Huai Ren, grandson of the ninth bandit Jiang Yi…
Jiang Yi, a direct descendant of the ancient Jiang family, shocked everyone in the Eastern Wilderness when he rebelled against the family.
Jiang Taixu looked at Jiang Huai Ren with a kind expression that sent chills down the spine of the fearless Jiang Huai Ren. He had only ever seen such a look in his grandfather Jiang Yi's eyes, and now it was appearing in the eyes of a strange old man, which made him feel quite uneasy.
They are all descendants of great bandits, a group of petty thugs, none of them are good people, not much different from those holy sons, and even the elders of the holy land dare not offend them.
Jiang Liu selected a source stone from the Yaochi Immortal Stone Shop, which yielded an Ancient Insect Source Stone, and then refrained from further purchases. Night had fallen, and the source stones in the Yaochi Immortal Stone Shop had been thoroughly scoured; there were no more bargains to be found.
"Let's go, Duan De..."
Jiang Liu shouted loudly, instantly turning the fat Taoist's face green. He had almost retreated into the crowd to avoid being seen by the bandits, but Jiang Liu's shout of "Duan De" drew everyone's attention to the fat Taoist.
"Why are you running? Did you see something shameful that you're afraid of being caught?" Jiang Liu shouted at Duan De's retreating figure.
"Hey, who's this Taoist priest? He looks so familiar," one of the bandits asked.
"I hadn't noticed until you pointed it out. It seems vaguely familiar, like I've seen Duan De somewhere before... It feels so familiar..."
“Yeah! That name sounds familiar to me too!” Tu Fei, the grandson of the seventh bandit, muttered to himself, then said to Wu Zhongtian, “Brother Zhongtian, the more I think about it, the more familiar the name Duan De sounds. I remember you cursing him a few years ago!”
Wu Zhongtian seemed to remember something, his face instantly darkening as he angrily exclaimed, "I was wondering why he looked so familiar! Damn it, it's him!"
After saying that, he chased after Duan De, shouting as he ran, "You son of a bitch, you damned Taoist priest, you have some nerve! I'll throw you into the Primordial Ancient Mine!"
In the blink of an eye, the bandits chased after Duan De. In the distance, the fat Taoist could be seen running in a sorry state, with all sorts of supernatural powers crashing down on him from behind.
Jiang Liu watched the unscrupulous Taoist priest flee in a chaotic mess, escaping into the wilderness in a sorry state. The anger in his heart subsided considerably. He then focused his gaze on Yan Huang, making it feel extremely uncomfortable. It was as if Jiang Liu's eyes contained small knives, cutting its flesh.
"What mischief are you up to now? Tell me honestly, did you deliberately trick Fatty just now..." Yan Huang wanted to get away from Jiang Liu, afraid that he would trick him next.
Jiang Liu laughed and said, "Smoke Emperor, I'm not as bad as you guys. When you were secretly plotting behind my back, you didn't consider my feelings or interests at all. You wanted to plunder the Holy Land Stone Pavilion. You wanted to rely on me, so I took the lion's share, you took the smaller share, and my elder brother couldn't be left out either..."
"We'll discuss this matter later..."
Just as Jiang Liu and his group were leaving Pingyan City, they happened to see a group of bandits returning from the wilderness and met them head-on.
"That son of a bitch, that scoundrel ran away so fast, was he born a dog?"
"Next time we catch him, we'll throw him straight into the Primordial Ancient Mine and see how he manages to climb out."
The group met face to face, and Jiang Huai-ren asked, "Hey, expert, do you know that scoundrel Taoist? Or are you in cahoots with him?"
Jiang Liu touched his nose and shook his head, saying, "We only recently met. Does he have a grudge against you?"
"That unscrupulous Taoist priest is too wicked. Even if Brother Zhongtian's ancestor was a great master, he can't just steal like that! If word gets out, how will Grandpa Wu, one of the Five Great Bandits, bear it?" someone said.
"Li Yanshui, don't talk nonsense!"
"If there's nothing else, we'll be going now!" Jiang Liu looked at the group of bandits, each one full of energy and vitality, as if they wouldn't stop until they'd made a huge mess of things.
"Master, since we've met, it must be fate... Let's be frank, we want to raid the Holy Land Stone Workshop. You have source techniques, and we have strength. How about we join forces? We'll split the spoils evenly, and you won't suffer any losses!"