Lin Yufeng's smug voice cut through the tension. "Let's begin with mine, shall we?" He gestured dramatically to his chosen orb, its golden veins pulsing with visible energy. "I want everyone to witness true quality before this peasant's disappointment."
His orb, quite big and radiant, was brought forward. Golden veins pulsed faintly across its surface, and its spiritual fluctuations danced in the air. Even those with little experience could sense it held something valuable.
Admiration spread through the crowd.
"Look at that glow…" "There's definitely something inside!"
The stonecutter, an elderly man whose hands bore countless scars from decades of practice, positioned the orb with ritualistic care. His first chisel strike rang through the hall like a temple bell - crisp, precise. A hairline fracture appeared along one of the glowing veins.
The second strike landed. The fracture spread like lightning across the orb's surface. With the third strike, the outer shell fell away like shattered glass, releasing a burst of golden radiance.
An apprentice stepped in swiftly, cradling the revealed treasure with care. Gasps echoed.
"A Golden Beast Core!"
"It's real! That thing's worth at least five hundred thousand gold!"
"As expected of Young Master Lin!"
Cheers and applause followed. Lin Yufeng basked in the attention, his grin widening.
shooting Wu Chen a triumphant look, he said. "Your turn, beggar. Though perhaps you'd rather save us all the embarrassment and concede now?"
Wu Chen said nothing but the laughter returned as his grime-covered orb was placed on the cutting platform. The stonecutter couldn't hide his disdain as he examined the unremarkable stone, turning it over with barely concealed disinterest.
"Haha! That thing's trash!"
"He just threw away a million gold coins!"
"What a joke! This is what happens when paupers try to act rich!"
The crowd couldn't help chirping in seeing Wu Chen's obvious loss
But Wu Chen's expression didn't change. His eyes remained calm, fixed on the stone.
The Stone Master hesitated, his gnarled fingers tightening around his chisel. Then, with a resigned sigh, he raised his tools and struck.
CRACK!
The sound split the air like thunder. The room stilled—breaths held, eyes locked onto the fractured orb.
A thin, eerie crimson light seeped from the fissure, casting ghostly shadows across the Stone Master's weathered face. His hands trembled as he steadied himself for the second strike.
BOOM!
outward, blasting debris and dust in every direction. Curtains flapped. Lanterns flickered. The crowd staggered back, shielding their faces as a wave of scorching energy washed over them.
When the dust finally settled, silence gripped the crowd.
In the Stone Master's trembling hands rested a blood-red egg, glowing faintly with inner flame. Strange, ancient runes shimmered across its surface, pulsing in rhythm like a heartbeat. The air around it warped with heat, and the pressure it radiated made even seasoned cultivators sweat.
The Stone Master gasped, voice hoarse with disbelief. "T-this… this is—"
Before he could finish, a voice rang out.
An elder from the Royal Auction House rushed forward, face drained of color, eyes wide in shock. "Impossible! That's the Extinct Skyfire Beast Egg!"
The hall erupted.
"A Skyfire Egg?! I thought they went extinct centuries ago!" "This isn't just rare—it's priceless!" "Even the royal family would kill to get their hands on that!"
Lin Yufeng's face turned bone-white. His previously glorious Golden Beast Core now looked like a child's trinket in comparison.
Wu Chen calmly stepped forward and took the egg from the Stone Master's hands. The warmth of the shell seeped into his skin, and deep within—he felt it. A dormant, slumbering consciousness… ancient and powerful.
Lin Yufeng stumbled back, voice cracking. "N-no… that's not possible… no way…"
The Stone Master straightened with effort, then bowed deeply toward Wu Chen. "Sir, your stone orb contained an Ancient Divine Relic. By the Pavilion's sacred rules, the wager stands. Young Master Lin is required to pay you one million gold coins."
The same crowd that had cheered Lin Yufeng moments ago erupted again—this time in raucous laughter.
"HAHA! Lin Yufeng just got destroyed!"
"Hah! The great Lin Yufeng, brought low by a nobody!"
"A million gold! His family will skin him alive!"
Lin Yufeng's face twisted in fury and humiliation. His voice trembled as he pointed at Wu Chen. "I—I refuse! This isn't fair! He must have cheated!"
Wu Chen's gaze turned ice-cold as he looked directly at Lin Yufeng.
"Are you implying," he said, his voice lethally soft, "that the Golden Sky Pavilion rigged the gamble?"
A hush fell over the crowd again. The air thickened.
The Stone Master's expression darkened like a storm. "Young Master Lin," he said slowly, his tone carrying unspoken weight, "you are well aware of the consequences of slandering this establishment."
Lin Yufeng stiffened.
There was no longer any need to mention the Pavilion's background—everyone already knew. And Lin Yufeng valued his life far too much to flirt with death.
His lips twitched as he forced a smile. "Of course not… I was only joking... merely a slip of the tongue."
Hands trembling, he retrieved a storage pouch and tossed it reluctantly toward Wu Chen.
Wu Chen caught it with ease, calmly inspecting the contents.
Exactly one million gold coins.
Beside him, Li Wei's eyes widened. His mouth fell open in disbelief, awe shining in his gaze. As expected of his teacher.
Just moments ago, they had nothing to their names. And now, Wu Chen had casually earned them a million gold coins.
He should have never doubted him—the man who had performed countless miracles back in the village, the one who always turned the impossible into reality.
Looking at the heavy pouch of gold in Wu Chen's hand, Li Wei couldn't hold back his excitement any longer.
He grinned from ear to ear and exclaimed,
"Teacher! We're rich!"
Wu Chen smirked. "Let's go."
He turned, casually stepping down from the platform. Li Wei followed close behind, still buzzing with excitement. But just as they were about to exit
BOOM!
A suffocating aura swept through the hall like a tidal wave, chilling the air.
As conversations halted.