Chapter 712: Easy Wins Don't Count as Gambling
Chapter 712: Easy Wins Don't Count as Gambling
"What do you mean by that, Senior Sister?"
Ding Nian asked in a soft voice from the side.
"To be able to bewitch three fully cultivated Foundation Establishment cultivators in an instant and leave them without the slightest awareness, the illusion technique must be extraordinary."
"In addition, to be able to maintain one's consciousness at the peak of pleasure and even sense the abnormality of the lewd female flower spirit species, she must be practicing an orthodox and superior technique from the Xuanmen sect."
"Lastly, there are these words left on the wooden board."
"The sword qi penetrated the wood, lasting for a long time without dispersing. Such intense killing intent is extremely rare, even among sword cultivators known for their ruthless battles."
"To simultaneously excel in illusion techniques and the sword path, and to cultivate orthodox Xuanmen sect techniques, that person is likely a genius disciple from one of the major sects, occasionally coming to Happiness Star Cave for some entertainment."
The girl with six tails analyzed the situation eloquently.
"Then, Senior Sister, what should we do? Shouldn't we try to retrieve those three lewd female flower spirit species?"
The voluptuous young woman asked respectfully, seeking guidance from the six-tailed girl.
"Let's investigate discreetly and try not to make a big fuss."
"However, since that Xuanmen disciple took away those three sinister spirit species and left such a message, it's unlikely that they will expose the matter of replenishing yang energy in Chang Le Guan."
"Of course, we should also prepare for the possibility of the news leaking out."
Although it was common to replenish yang energy and yin energy during the shared ecstasy in the cultivation world, if the cultivators who had visited Chang Le Guan found out that their yang energy had been used to nurture the spirit species, it could create quite a stir.
...
The streets were bustling with activity, and Lu Chen wandered aimlessly.
After leaving Chang Le Guan, he had entered his Saintly Recluse mode and did not explore any other pleasure establishments.
Additionally, having just obtained three spirit species from Chang Le Guan, he was concerned that other brothels might have similar situations.
Once they heightened their alertness, they certainly wouldn't allow their spirit species to be taken away as easily as before, making any subsequent visits a risky proposition.
With a substantial amount of spirit stones and three sinister spirit species in his possession, Lu Chen was in high spirits. He returned to the Wan Ling Restaurant he had passed earlier and ordered a large table of delicious food to satisfy his hunger.
"Ancient Jade Pavilion?"
High in the sky, a massive painted boat, over ten li in length, slowly drifted by.
The boat was lavishly decorated, adorned with countless array patterns on its underside. Various treasures of different sizes, radiating spiritual light, were scattered throughout, and numerous cultivators rode on sword lights, crossing over to the boat.
As soon as it appeared, it sparked countless discussions among the cultivators below.
"The Ancient Jade Pavilion has appeared. We can go gamble on ancient stones now."
"I heard that a fellow cultivator once obtained a fifth-grade spirit mine from a mid-grade ancient stone. They traded it for countless cultivation resources and their cultivation soared. They even spent half a month in the Listening to the Zither Pavilion."
"It's enough to make anyone envious! As cultivators, why don't we have such fortune?"
"If you had that kind of luck, you wouldn't be at your current cultivation level. You would have obtained countless treasures and risen swiftly by now."
"Now, now, let's not speak like that. In preparation for today, I bathed and burned incense for a whole month. I even obtained an excellent divination lot from a friend who cultivates divination techniques. This time, I'm sure to obtain abundant treasures."
The surrounding cultivators chatted excitedly.
Lu Chen's interest was piqued.
"Opening treasures? I wonder how different it is from the treasure-opening light I have."
He turned to the short and stout old man next to him and asked, "Senior cultivator, I've just entered the Happiness Star Cave from another place, and I'm not very familiar with its customs. Could you tell me about the origin of that Ancient Jade Pavilion up in the sky and why it attracts so many cultivators?"
However, when he swept his spiritual sense over the tall young man before him, his displeasure instantly vanished as he realized the youth had attained the late Qi Refining realm.
"Please, fellow daoist," the elder said with a hint of respect. "The Ancient Jade Pavilion is a mysterious presence in the Happiness Star Cave, with an unknown origin. It appears from time to time, and it's quite unique."
"Among its attractions, stone gambling is the most popular."
"What is stone gambling?" Lu Chen asked curiously.
"It is said that the backers of the Ancient Jade Pavilion procure ancient stones from exotic starry skies or dangerous celestial lands," the stout elder explained, his eyes gleaming. "These ancient stones vary in size and can block a cultivator's spiritual sense. After purchasing one with spirit stones, you can open it to reveal all sorts of treasures. Some cultivators have even found artifact fragments, cultivation techniques, and profound arts within!"
As he spoke, a strong look of envy crossed the elder's face.
"Are there really such good things?" Lu Chen asked skeptically. "Couldn't those ancient stones be forgeries created by the backers of the Ancient Jade Pavilion?"
"Initially, many cultivators had their suspicions," the elder acknowledged. "But over time, more and more cultivators have extracted treasures from the ancient stones, and those doubts have faded away."
"I have a good friend who spent a thousand spirit stones on a mid-grade ancient stone and extracted a fourth-grade sword embryo from it. He sold it on the spot for over ten thousand spirit stones!"
It was clear that the elder deeply trusted the Ancient Jade Pavilion, and he quickly defended it against Lu Chen's skepticism.
"I also have a friend who, a couple of years ago..."
His words resonated with the cultivators around them, and soon everyone was sharing their own experiences and stories related to the Ancient Jade Pavilion.
"It seems that the Ancient Jade Pavilion isn't engaging in any deception," Lu Chen thought to himself. "Quite a few cultivators have extracted treasures from those ancient stones."
"This scheme seems familiar, though," he mused. "Cultivators spend spirit stones to buy those ancient stones, and then a few lucky ones win big. This attracts even more cultivators to try their hand at stone gambling."
"May I ask what you mean by mid-grade ancient stones?" Lu Chen inquired, turning back to the stout elder.
"The ancient stones in the Ancient Jade Pavilion are categorized into three grades: low, mid, and high," the elder explained. "The low-grade stones require the least amount of spirit stones—just five hundred low-grade spirit stones to open one. Mid-grade stones cost two thousand spirit stones, while high-grade stones demand a whopping twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones."
"However," the elder continued, "the treasures found within the high-grade stones are said to be the most abundant."
"I once saved up a substantial amount of spirit stones and tried my luck with two high-grade stones," the elder said, a hint of regret in his voice. "One yielded nothing, and from the other, I extracted a fourth-grade spirit mine. It was a bit disappointing."
A look of annoyance crossed the elder's face, and he heaved a soft sigh.
"The Ancient Jade Pavilion has a policy," he added. "If you don't extract any treasure from the ancient stones, you can only blame your own shallow fortune. They won't take any responsibility, and there are always other cultivators who manage to find treasures."
Seeing the elder's expression, Lu Chen couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"I wonder if those ancient stones might contain spirit seeds," Lu Chen thought. "If I could plant them and sense the spirit seeds' auras, then I'd be guaranteed a win with no losses!"
Suddenly, an idea occurred to Lu Chen. With his ability, which was akin to perceiving cause and effect or even the rules themselves, he could gain detailed information about any spirit seed he planted. He would know its variety, origin, unique characteristics, and cultivation methods.
If the ancient stones did indeed contain spirit seeds that he could touch, then the stones that blocked spiritual sense would be like an open book to him.
"I'm not usually interested in gambling," Lu Chen said to himself, "but if it's a sure win, then it's not really gambling, is it?"
With that, he mounted his sword light and flew toward the aerial painted boat, joining the crowd of eager cultivators.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
