Just Another Way of Staying by Your Side

"Just another twenty million or so..."

Ye Chuan's voice carried a hint of casualness, yet it hooked Zhao Hongyuan's heart like a barb.

Looking at the Rift-Space Seal shimmering with two layers of white light inside the forging furnace, he felt a sharp pang in his chest—twenty million low-grade spirit stones! Even for someone at the peak of the Spirit Transformation realm, half a step into the Dao Comprehension realm, this sum was no small amount!

But then he thought of Ye Chuan's words, "the probability of reaching six consecutive enhancements is very high." He thought about how, if the Rift-Space Seal could reach the sixth layer, its spatial power would be enough for him to dominate among Spirit Transformation cultivators, even giving him a chance to touch the threshold of the Dao Comprehension realm. His eyes began to burn with fervor again.

Should he go for it?

"City Lord Zhao, isn't money meant to be spent?" Seeing the other man's wavering expression, Ye Chuan simply said,

"After the enhancement, those spirit stones haven't vanished. They're just accompanying you in a different form."

"The strength they enhance for you—that is the greatest meaning of those stones."

"Otherwise, what's the point of hoarding so many?"

"You can't take them with you when you're born, nor when you die."

Ye Chuan's words were like those of a demon, yet they struck a resounding chord in Zhao Hongyuan's heart.

The onlookers nearby had long been holding their breath, their eyes wide as they stared at Zhao Hongyuan as if watching a mad gambler.

They had never seen anyone squander spirit stones like this—twenty million after twenty million. It was like throwing his entire family fortune into the furnace!

So many spirit stones!

Zhao Hongyuan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

But he felt that what Ye Chuan said made sense.

The money hadn't disappeared; it was just accompanying him in another form.

On the Tianxuan Continent, strength was paramount!

He took a deep breath, as if making a monumental decision, and suddenly looked up at Ye Chuan, a flash of desperate resolve in his eyes:

"Fine! Twenty million it is! Today, I, Zhao Hongyuan, will gamble on this!"

With that, his hand trembling, he took out a spirit stone storage pouch from his own storage bag and slammed it heavily on the counter:

"This contains over twenty million low-grade spirit stones, not a single one less! Master, this time it must succeed!"

Ye Chuan looked at the pouch on the counter, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his mouth. With a wave of his hand, it vanished behind the counter.

He pointed at the forging furnace. "Don't worry, the law of conservation of luck never lies."

"Since when do gambling dogs cry every day?"

Of course, he didn't voice this second thought aloud.

If Zhao Hongyuan failed again, that probability would indeed be quite... amusing.

Zhao Hongyuan held his breath, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the forging furnace.

His guards beside him also tensed up nervously, their palms slick with cold sweat.

The entire shop was so quiet that only the low hum of the forging furnace could be heard.

"Vmm—"

The forging furnace suddenly emitted a soft glow. Silver flames ignited once more, this time more brilliant than before, and the spatial fluctuations became even more stable.

Immediately after, a clear, melodious "ding-dong" sound rang out, like heavenly music.

"It worked! That's the sound of success! Again!" Zhao Hongyuan was so excited he nearly jumped. He watched as the Rift-Space Seal slowly flew out of the furnace, the white light on it surging from two layers to three!

Then to four layers, finally stabilizing firmly at five!

Five layers, success!

The seal's dark cyan body shimmered with a dazzling luster. The star patterns on its surface spun wildly, spatial power surging so powerfully it seemed about to overflow. The spatial fissures in the shop also became clearer, yet were controlled by an invisible force, preventing them from spreading.

"Five layers! It really reached five layers!" Zhao Hongyuan rushed over and grabbed the Rift-Space Seal, feeling the spatial power within, now several times stronger than at its peak. He was nearly moved to tears.

He could clearly sense that by activating the seal, he could instantly traverse thousands of miles. Moreover, the spatial barrier formed during teleportation would be difficult for even a late-stage Spirit Transformation cultivator to breach!

"Master! Master! It really succeeded!" Zhao Hongyuan held the seal, bowing repeatedly to Ye Chuan, his face filled with wild joy and gratitude.

"You are truly my benefactor!"

You see, he spends the money and still thanks us.

No need to rob anyone yourself; the money comes to your door on its own.

Ye Chuan waved a hand, his tone indifferent. "Don't thank me yet. Didn't we say the probability of reaching six consecutive enhancements is high? Do you want to try?"

"If not, I'll return the unspent spirit stones to you."

Hearing this, Zhao Hongyuan's eyes lit up again.

Looking at the five layers of white light on the Rift-Space Seal, his gambling spirit was rekindled.

This time, however, he was a bit calmer, hesitating as he asked, "This... is the probability of reaching six high?"

"Of course, eighty percent," Ye Chuan said, raising an eyebrow.

Eighty percent?!

Zhao Hongyuan drew a sharp breath. He looked at the seal, then thought of its terrifying power at the sixth layer. In the end, he gritted his teeth:

"Alright! I'll go for it! Master, you must lend me your aid this time!"

With that, he decisively placed the Rift-Space Seal back into the forging furnace. His hands clenched tightly, sweat from his palms nearly soaking through his robes.

The air in the entire shop seemed to freeze. The onlookers craned their necks, their breathing so light they feared disturbing the treasure in the furnace.

"Vmm—" At that moment, the forging furnace suddenly erupted with silver light. The flames churned, transforming into a silver phantom that coiled around the furnace body, roaring.

The spatial fluctuations intensified to their limit. Tables and chairs in the shop began to tremble slightly. Those tiny spatial fissures spread like spiderwebs, yet dissipated quietly upon reaching Ye Chuan's vicinity.

Immediately after, a sound clearer and more resonant than before—a "ding-dong"—pierced through all other noises, echoing throughout the shop!

"It worked! Six layers! It's six layers!" Zhao Hongyuan charged into the light like a madman, grabbing the slowly emerging Rift-Space Seal.

All the composure of a Spirit Transformation realm cultivator was gone.

The Rift-Space Seal now glowed with a radiant, multicolored halo. Above the five layers of white light, a dazzling new layer was added. The star patterns on its surface had transformed into actual points of starlight, forming a tiny ring of stars around the seal's body.

Trembling, he channeled spiritual power into it and instantly sensed a terrifying spatial force sweeping through his body—the teleportation distance had increased dramatically, and the spatial barrier could now withstand a direct strike from an early-stage Dao Comprehension cultivator!

"Hahaha! Six layers! I did it! Master, you are truly an immortal deity!"

Zhao Hongyuan was so excited he became incoherent. Holding the seal, he bowed repeatedly to Ye Chuan, his ecstatic state making him forget his status as a city lord.

Watching his rapturous expression, Ye Chuan's smile deepened. "Congratulations, congratulations."

It seemed this big fish probably didn't have much money left. But after today's events, the reputation of this shop would surely spread.

"Soon, I can enjoy the freedom of having ample spirit stones too," Ye Chuan thought with satisfaction.

Both sides felt they had gained. Isn't that a win-win?