"What's this sure-win method?" Gu Ling'er asked.
Gu Qingfeng ignored her and instead said to the attendant, "Bring out all the Immortal Source Stones in your shop."
The attendant couldn't quite grasp Gu Qingfeng's status, but seeing how he dared to challenge Yuwen Xiong, he didn't dare to be negligent. He immediately went to consult the shopkeeper and fetch the Immortal Source Stones.
Before long, rows of Immortal Source Stones were presented.
These stones were bizarre and varied; some resembled strange beasts, while others even took human-like forms.
"Will you go first, or shall I, young master, go first?" Yuwen Xiong said arrogantly, confident that the Zhongming Clan was invincible in the art of stone gambling.
Before these eyes of his, anyone would face utter defeat!
Gu Qingfeng smiled faintly. "This one does not stoop to bullying juniors. You go first."
Hearing this, a flash of anger crossed Yuwen Xiong's face. "Fine! You said it yourself. Don't regret it!"
He hesitated no longer, deciding to defeat Gu Qingfeng directly.
A faint, ghostly light flickered in his eyes as another pupil appeared within his eyeball. He looked towards the array of Immortal Source Stones, his dual pupils spinning rapidly.
The stones immediately appeared different in his vision.
The layered stone shells became like peeled eggshells, the treasures within unable to hide from sight.
Although he couldn't see completely clearly what the treasures inside were, he could judge their value based on the intensity of the Immortal Light they emitted.
After a moment, Yuwen Xiong's gaze locked onto one human-shaped Immortal Source Stone and one qilin-shaped Immortal Source Stone.
He was torn. The Immortal Light emanating from within these two stones was nearly identical. In such a situation, to determine which was more valuable, one could only rely on market price.
It was like comparing Netherworld Jade and Immortal Spirit Jade. In essence, their value was the same, but because Immortal Spirit Jade had wider applications, its market price was higher.
This was the reason for Yuwen Xiong's dilemma. He thought to himself, This man in the bamboo hat dares to provoke me even after seeing my consecutive wins. He must have some skill.
Unless something unexpected happens, the man in the hat will surely also choose between the human-shaped stone and the qilin-shaped stone. These two stones are of comparable inherent value, but their market prices are not necessarily so.
What if he gets lucky and picks the one with the higher market price? Wouldn't I be doomed to lose?
"Tsk tsk, a successor of a Celestial King, taking so long to choose a stone? If you're afraid of losing, then obediently hand over the Great Luo Immortal Weapon with both hands. Don't waste everyone's time," Gu Qingfeng mocked from the side.
Proud and arrogant, Yuwen Xiong couldn't stand such provocation. He immediately snapped angrily, "Afraid of losing? I'll choose this one!"
In the end, he chose the qilin-shaped Immortal Source Stone.
"Your turn!" Yuwen Xiong stared fiercely at Gu Qingfeng.
Gu Qingfeng stepped forward slowly and began his selection.
Yuwen Xiong, standing nearby, watched him dead-on, his gaze constantly shifting between Gu Qingfeng and the human-shaped Immortal Source Stone.
Outwardly calm, inwardly he was screaming, Don't choose the human-shaped stone!
As long as Gu Qingfeng didn't choose the human-shaped stone, victory was assured.
But if he did choose it, then it would truly come down to luck—whose treasure had a higher market price and was more valuable.
Slowly, Gu Qingfeng walked up to the array of Immortal Source Stones. Without even looking, he reached directly for the stone next to the human-shaped Immortal Source Stone... a fist-sized, round stone.
Yuwen Xiong, whose heart had been in his throat, saw Gu Qingfeng's choice and was instantly ecstatic!
This guy is an amateur!
Hahaha!
I'm definitely going to win!
The surrounding onlookers also erupted in murmurs. Firstly, they hadn't expected Gu Qingfeng to choose without even looking.
Someone as formidable as Yuwen Xiong had pondered for a good while, yet this man was so overconfident.
Secondly, wasn't this guy clearly choosing at random?
Those who could stand here knew a thing or two about stone gambling. While it wasn't easy to tell which stone would yield treasure, they could somewhat judge a stone's quality by its appearance.
The round stone Gu Qingfeng chose had a pitted surface and dim Immortal Light. To anyone looking, it was the worst possible choice, clearly the stone with the poorest appearance among all the Immortal Source Stones.
Gu Ling'er grew anxious too and quickly sent a mental message. "Don't choose that one! That Immortal Source Stone looks terrible. Pick another!"
Gu Qingfeng gave a disdainful smile. "What do you know? The protagonist in stone gambling always picks the one with the worst appearance. Then, they uncover a heaven-shaking treasure from inside, creating a stark contrast. That's how you deliver a satisfying slap in the face."
Gu Ling'er was utterly confused. "What are you talking about? Who deliberately picks the worst one? Isn't that just sick?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly. "You can't discuss ice with a summer insect. If one weren't a bit 'sick,' could they be the protagonist?"
"Someone! Hurry up and cut my stone!" Yuwen Xiong, fearing Gu Qingfeng might change his mind, quickly called for an attendant to cut the stone.
"Will you go first, or shall I?" Yuwen Xiong asked.
"Naturally, you, the junior, go first."
"Fine, cut the stone!" Yuwen Xiong didn't dawdle either, not giving Gu Qingfeng any chance to reconsider, and promptly began the stone-cutting.
Under the attendant's skilled hands, the qilin-shaped Immortal Source Stone grew thinner inch by inch, stone dust flying constantly.
Everyone present stared intently at the stone.
With another cut of the blade, a dazzling beam of black and white energy shot straight into the sky. Its radiance was so intense that even the roof couldn't contain it, momentarily turning the world into shades of black and white.
The appearance of the black and white energy was accompanied by a rich, strange fragrance that spread throughout the hall. Those who smelled it felt refreshed in spirit and stirred in heart.
"This is..."
"The Life-Death Egg!"
"What?! It's actually the ancient rare treasure, the Life-Death Egg!!"
"The legendary Life-Death Egg that can reverse life and death, comparable to a second life!"
"With this treasure revealed, who can compete? Young Master Yuwen is sure to win today!"
Hearing the crowd's exclamations, Yuwen Xiong nearly laughed out loud. He felt his luck today was truly explosive—not only did he uncover an ancient rare treasure, but he would also win a Great Luo Immortal Weapon. A double blessing.
"Your turn!" Yuwen Xiong said to Gu Qingfeng with a look of contempt.
"Well, well, putting on airs now? Someone, cut this one's stone," Gu Qingfeng said calmly.
Seeing Gu Qingfeng's attitude, the crowd felt slightly puzzled. With the Life-Death Egg presented, this man in the bamboo hat still seemed so confident and composed. Could he truly be a stone gambling master who saw mysteries in this worthless stone that others couldn't?
Gu Qingfeng's composure even made the confident Yuwen Xiong somewhat nervous. Did I misjudge?
Unwilling to accept it, he secretly activated his Dual Pupils again to look at the round Immortal Source Stone. He confirmed that the Immortal Light within was indeed extremely faint, incapable of yielding anything good. Only then did he relax slightly.
He concluded that Gu Qingfeng was bluffing.
"Hmph, no need to put on a brave front here. Once the stone is cut open, who wins and who loses will be clear for all to see."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the attendant picked up the cutting knife and began to work on Gu Qingfeng's stone.
One cut, two cuts, three cuts... ten cuts!
After ten cuts, half of Gu Qingfeng's stone had been cut away, yet there was still no sign of light.
Whispers rose from the surrounding crowd.
"This... this is waste material!"
"Half of it is gone, and still no light. It's clear there's no treasure inside. Or even if there is, it's probably only the size of a sesame seed or a mung bean. How could it possibly compare to the Life-Death Egg?"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
