CHAPTER 215: MYSTERIOUS DAO

Then, on the fifth stone — light erupted. Not a weak glimmer, but a blinding cascade of azure radiance. The stall itself trembled, and the crowd staggered back as spiritual pressure spilled into the air.

The shopkeeper froze mid-motion, his pupils contracting.

"This... this aura—!"

The shards fell away, revealing a crystal the size of a child’s fist, pulsing with swirling blue water patterns that seemed alive. Each wave carried a trace of Law resonance.

The crowd gasped as one.

"Law marked Spirit Crystal?!"

"No... wait, that’s a True Sea Crystal!"

"Impossible! How could such a treasure be in a gambling stone?"

The pearl-like crystal floated above Mao Ren’s palm now who was quick to grab it, resonating with his qi. A faint illusion of crashing waves and roaring tides spread through the stall.

Mao Ren’s furious expression transformed into wild laughter.

"HAHAHA! Do you see it now? My destiny is vast! Even Heaven acknowledges me!"

The mockery he’d suffered moments before melted instantly, replaced with envy and awe.

Even Luo Shen’s confident smile stiffened, a shadow flickering across his blue eyes.

Yu Xuan, too looked amused, but he was overthinking.

’But strange... this isn’t coincidence. That soul inside Luo Shen... did it guide Mao Ren’s luck and nobody detected it or is it really coincidence?’

The shopkeeper finally coughed, breaking the silence and his speech changed completely.

"Congratulations, young master Mao. This stone alone is worth a three hundred thousand sect points, at the very least."

"It’s nothing to this young master," Mao Ren boasted, laughing thunderously while his lackeys jeered and mocked Luo Shen.

Meanwhile, Luo Shen’s calm smile now, didn’t reach his eyes.

’Hey, old man, why didn’t you tell me that stone contained a True Sea Crystal?’

The voice of his ancestor snorted like thunder.

’Do you think I’m omnipotent, brat? This is gambling for a reason. Luck comes and goes. Besides, you already drew treasures earlier, don’t get greedy. And more importantly the shopkeeper is not simple.’

Luo Shen’s brows twitched slightly.

’Greedy? That treasure is obviously greater in value than mine! Do you know how much face will I lose?’

’Tsk, to think my descendant is in such a sorry state... whining about face instead of cultivation. Times truly have changed.’

If Yu Xuan could hear this exchange, he would’ve fanned himself and muttered, "Ah, the ’Ancestor in My Head’ troupe. Not the ’Grandpa in a Ring’, but something similar."

In the usual tales, an ancestor of a fallen clan reincarnates into a junior to witness their clan’s decline. Here, however, Luo Shen’s ancestor hadn’t reincarnated at all, he just did a sign-in into Luo Shen’s soul like an old gamer with multiple accounts, nagging him daily.

’What do you expect me to do? I don’t have a clan treasury backing me up, I have to fight for every scrap!’ Luo Shen snapped inwardly.

’You unfilial brat! If not for my teachings, you’d still be wandering. Show some respect for the ancestor who carried your sorry hide into Heaven Immortal Sect!’

’I’ve only heard that about a hundred times already,’ Luo Shen muttered, rolling his inner eyes.

The shopkeeper’s voice cut through the mental squabbling.

"Now then, let me begin cutting the remaining stones."

Mao Ren leaned back smugly, already promising his lackeys that he’d treat them to rare wine once this display was over.

One by one, the shopkeeper cracked open the rest of Mao Ren’s haul. And one by one, they turned out to be worthless duds.

The crowd stirred in disappointment and envy alike.

"One treasure and all duds... still, I’m jealous."

"If I could pull something like that even once, I’d be set for life."

"Maybe his luck ended with the True Sea Crystal."

"This little contest is already decided. Mao Ren’s victory is certain."

Hearing their chatter, Luo Shen’s smile strained. His pride couldn’t stand a total defeat, he needed at least a glimmer of redemption.

"Haha, now let’s see what Luo Shen has picked," Mao Ren mocked smugly, puffing out his chest, his golden hair was somehow shining more brightly.

The shopkeeper then started cutting Luo Shen’s chosen stone. The blade descended, sparks flickering as it sliced cleanly.

A blue light spilled out, not as blinding or overwhelming as Mao Ren’s True Sea Crystal, but enough to silence the crowd with anticipation.

From the shards emerged a smooth, jade-like crystal no larger than a thumb, faint serpent patterns coiling within before fading.

The shopkeeper examined it and nodded slightly.

"This is a Serpent Spirit Jade. Though it carries no Law resonance, it can still be refined to strengthen a cultivator’s qi flow. A decent treasure..."

The crowd murmured.

"Not bad at all, but compared to the True Sea Crystal..."

"Still, Luo Shen’s luck is amazing. Even his treasure is a cut above normal gambling finds."

"Hah, luck or not, it’s still miles beyond what any of us would pull."

"When will luck smile on me?"

Luo Shen’s lips curved into a calm smile, though his eyes burned faintly with frustration. He accepted the jade, masking his thoughts.

Mao Ren, meanwhile, roared with laughter.

"Hahaha! Luo Shen, you’re strong, but Heaven clearly favors me! Your so-called luck is nothing before mine!"

The crowd echoed his laughter, the balance of admiration shifting squarely in Mao Ren’s favor.

Yu Xuan lazily fanned himself, golden light flickering faintly in his eyes as he glanced at the dull black stone in his hand.

’They’re busy comparing treasures... but they have no idea what’s coming next. This Young Master also deserves some stage time.’

"Do mine too," Yu Xuan said, his tone casual but commanding.

The shopkeeper gave him a long look, the kind reserved for idiots.

"Are you sure? You’ll probably lose a lot of face."

He tried to sound concerned, but his grin was twitching.

"Haha! Junior brother, don’t be sad if it’s empty. This senior brother will buy you some good alcohol later!"

Mao Ren chuckled, feeling magnanimous after his earlier victory.

"Then let me do it," the shopkeeper said, taking Yu Xuan’s stone.

The knife cut through smoothly. No burst of light, no shocking aura — nothing.

The stone split neatly in half, revealing only water pooled inside. Ordinary water... except it shimmered faintly with a strange, dark luster.

The crowd jeered immediately.

"Normal Water?!"

"Pfft, what a joke."

"Ten sect points wasted, haha!"

Still, no one dared cross the line — not with Lingluo at Yu Xuan’s side.

The shopkeeper, however, didn’t laugh. He frowned deeply, dipping his fingers into the liquid.

Then, as if struck by a thought, he pulled out a thin slip of talisman paper. Channeling fire qi, he carefully heated the water until it boiled briefly, the water rapidly cooled itself, he let the talisman absorb some water vapour.

Yu Xuan blinked.

’Wait... did he just do a pH test?’

The crowd, noticing the strange seriousness, fell quiet. Even Luo Shen and Mao Ren leaned forward.

When the talisman sheet turned ashen-gray, the shopkeeper’s hands trembled. His face went pale, then flushed with excitement.

"I-I cannot believe it..." he muttered. Then louder— "That’s diluted Underworld Spring Water!"

The entire crowd froze.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Luo Shen and Mao Ren exclaimed at once.

"Underworld Spring Water?! That’s a unique resource! Even diluted, it’s value is immense!"

"How could something like that be inside this gambling stone again!! And a treasure of this caliber!?!?"

"This defies all logic!"

Yu Xuan fanned himself and smiled.

"Not bad for ten sect points, hm?"

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper coughed twice, adjusting his robe with not a shred of shame.

"Cough, cough... Young man, it seems a stone from my personal collection was... accidentally sold."

The change in his tone was obvious — no longer mocking, but deferential, even respectful. Where he had called Yu Xuan "super young master" earlier, now it was "Young man."

The stall owner was clearly trying to establish himself as an Elder.

"How can you be so shameless?" Yu Xuan fanned himself lazily, his tone sharp.

"You should’ve never put that stone out in the first place."

"Come now, respect your Elders. I’ll even give you another treasure to make up for it!" the shopkeeper said hurriedly, his smile twitching.

Yu Xuan waved his fan dismissively.

"No thanks. I’ll sue you. Everyone here is a witness, and I did pay you ten sect points."

The shopkeeper’s face twitched violently. Around them, Lingluo and Ming Tianmei’s lips curved faintly, while the crowd’s judgmental stares grew sharper by the second.

’Damn it! My credibility will plummet at this rate!’ The shopkeeper cursed inwardly, veins popping on his forehead.

’Damn my Dao! Why must it force me into these situations?’

The cause of his dilemma was mysterious, tied to the very Dao he had cultivated.

While the shopkeeper fumbled with his pride, Luo Shen tried to move swiftly. But before he could take a step, Mao Ren blocked his path with a sneer.

"Hehe... did you think I forgot your words, Luo Shen?" Mao Ren’s golden hair caught the light as his Qi flared faintly.

"It’s time you paid the price."