Did It really come out?

"Eh?"

"Could it be another stone within a stone?"

"It seems like it, but it's strange. This yellow clay is wrapped in a hard purple-gold shell and should be smooth from the pressure. Why is its surface so uneven?" The onlooking Gu Masters were puzzled.

Seeing the yellow clay ball in his hand, Fang Yuan's expression didn't change, but his heart was slightly stirred.

He continued to rub, and the blue light glowed like water, turning the clay into powder. Among the powder were clumps of dirt, which fell onto the pile of stone powder at his feet.

"Could there really be something inside?!" Some Gu Masters, seeing this, widened their eyes in surprise.

"It's hard to say," some were unsure.

"I think there is. It really seems like it," someone whispered.

The yellow clay ball gradually became smaller, almost palm-sized. Suddenly, someone burst into the tent: "Kid, take it easy. I, Jia Jinsheng, am buying this clay ball!"

Fang Yuan's hands paused, and all the Gu Masters in the tent turned their attention to this newcomer.

He appeared young, around twenty to twenty-five years old. He wore a gold robe, with a silk belt around his waist, in the middle of which was a square jade piece. The jade had a horizontal line, forming a rare "one" character.

It was clear he was a Rank 1 Gu Master.

At over twenty years old and still a Rank 1 Gu Master, his aptitude didn't seem great.

But his status was special. Seeing him, the Gu Masters in the tent bowed and greeted in unison, "Subordinates greet the Second Young Master."

"Second Young Master?"

"He just called himself Jia Jinsheng. Could he be the half-brother of Jia Fu, the leader of the caravan..."

"So this gambling shop is his. But his sudden interference breaks the rules of the gambling house."

The Gu Masters whispered among themselves.

"Yes, I am the owner of this shop. Little brother, gambling on stones at such a young age, aren't you afraid your family will scold you? I'm offering forty primeval stones for the clay ball in your hand. How about it? Forty primeval stones is a lot; there might not even be a Gu insect inside. I'm just in a good mood today and don't want you to lose everything on your first try. Consider it a way to get some of your money back," Jia Jinsheng said quickly as he approached Fang Yuan.

"Forty primeval stones?" Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, glancing at Jia Jinsheng with a sneer. "It seems you want to forcefully buy my clay ball fossil? Forced buying breaks the gambling house rules. And in Qing Mao Mountain, do you intend to bully someone with the surname Gu Yue?"

"Hmm?" Hearing Fang Yuan's words, the other Gu Masters couldn't stay still. They felt a sense of shared hatred and gathered around Fang Yuan. Their looks towards Jia Jinsheng turned unfriendly.

Jia Jinsheng thought a fifteen-year-old boy would be easy to deal with, expecting to sway him with a few words. He didn't anticipate Fang Yuan's sharpness, trapping him in a disadvantageous position with a single sentence!

Seeing the Gu Masters gathering around, Jia Jinsheng's face changed. He quickly changed his tone and waved his hand, "Little brother, you misunderstand! As the shopkeeper, why would I break my own rules? How would I do business in the future? Hehe. I just found your clay ball interesting and wanted to buy it. If you don't want to sell, that's fine. But don't blame me if there's nothing inside."

Fang Yuan ignored him, turning back to focus on the clay ball in his hand.

His movements were slow and careful. Often, only a thin layer of dry clay powder would fall after a moment.

As he continued, a sleeping Gu insect gradually appeared before everyone's eyes.

"My goodness, there really is a Gu insect!"

"He actually opened a Gu!"

"Is this a joke? Can you really gamble on stones like this?"

"This kid's luck is off the charts, actually using luck to find a Gu."

Exclamations of astonishment came from the Gu Masters.

The female Gu Master instinctively covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing.

She had been a shop clerk, traveling through many villages, encountering all kinds of people and customers, but she had never seen such a dramatic scene.

"It really is a Gu insect!" Jia Jinsheng's eyes flashed with a cold light, secretly filled with hatred. He was narrow-minded, envious, and fond of taking advantage of others. What he hated most was being taken advantage of.

He had set up this gambling shop with strict surveillance. Whenever a customer seemed close to finding a Gu insect, he would appear and usually forcefully buy it.

Now, Fang Yuan had opened a Gu right under his nose, in his shop. Jia Jinsheng felt like his heart was bleeding.

The revealed Gu was a Toad Gu.

Its body was a dull yellow, with a light yellow belly and a brownish-yellow back covered in characteristic warts. At first glance, it looked rather unsettling.

It wasn't large, only the size of a palm, like holding two or three eggs in one's hand.

Amid the astonished, envious, and jealous gazes, Fang Yuan remained calm, carefully channeling his primeval essence into the toad.

Immediately, the toad was refined by him.

Gu insects obtained from fossilized stones were extremely weak. They had almost no strength left and were in a dazed state, making them easy to refine by a Gu Master.

The Toad Gu woke up from its slumber, slowly opening its eyes and gently inflating its belly, letting out a soft croak.

"Croak."

Though the sound was weak, it made the expressions of the onlookers change dramatically.

The difference in value between a live Gu and a dead Gu is enormous.

"It's a live Gu! He opened a live Gu!!" Someone rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

"This is a Leprous Earth Toad! Damn it, it really is a Leprous Earth Toad." Someone recognized the Toad Gu and shouted excitedly.

"This boy hit the jackpot. Why can't I have such luck?" Someone sighed, feeling a mix of envy, jealousy, and bitterness.

"Young master, congratulations! This, this is the most precious Gu I've ever seen!" The female Gu Master was so excited that she stumbled over her words, her eyes shining.

"It's really a Leprous Earth Toad! This is a rare Rank 2 Gu, worth a full five hundred primeval stones. Damn it, damn it. How could such a Gu be opened in my shop? I've lost big, lost big!" Jia Jinsheng's face turned pale as he stared at the toad, a strong impulse rising in him to snatch it away.

But he knew he couldn't. If he did, it would be courting death.

This wasn't his home territory but the land of the Gu Yue clan.

"Maybe I should offer a few dozen more primeval stones and see if he'll sell it to me. Yes, he's just an apprentice. If I offer a hundred primeval stones, he might be tempted. Why didn't I do that earlier?" Jia Jinsheng was filled with regret.

"No, maybe this kid doesn't know its value. Even though he opened this Leprous Earth Toad, I might still be able to buy it for a low price!" Jia Jinsheng felt a glimmer of hope.

But the next moment, Fang Yuan's words shattered that hope.

Fang Yuan gazed calmly at the Leprous Earth Toad in his hand, indifferent to the surrounding exclamations and envy.

In a steady voice, he said to Jia Jinsheng, "Leprous Earth Toad, a Rank 2 Gu insect, eats a pound of yellow clay per meal. The more fertile the clay, the better. It is rare and a necessary main Gu for refining the Precious Yellow Bronze Toad. Market price is five hundred primeval stones. Jia Jinsheng, do you want to buy it?"

"You... you know it so well..." Jia Jinsheng's lips trembled, nearly speechless from the blow.

Fang Yuan chuckled and continued, "If you don't want it, forget it. I'll sell it to someone else. I'm sure someone will buy it."

"Wait, wait. I'll buy it, I'll buy it. But can you lower the price a bit?" Jia Jinsheng's face showed a bitter smile.

Fang Yuan turned to leave.

Jia Jinsheng hurriedly caught up, "Don't! Don't go. I'll buy it!"

Fang Yuan had no intention of raising this Leprous Earth Toad.

It was a Rank 2 Gu insect, while Fang Yuan was only a Rank 1 initial stage. Though it ate yellow clay, the Qing Mao Mountain was filled with green soil, making it troublesome to find food for it.

Furthermore, if he didn't sell this Toad Gu, Fang Yuan would have to feed three Gu insects at once. Not only would it increase the consumption of primeval stones, but he also didn't have enough primeval stones to feed them.

So Fang Yuan's goal had always been to sell the Leprous Earth Toad and earn five hundred primeval stones.

Five hundred primeval stones were already a significant amount for a Rank 1 initial stage Gu Master like Fang Yuan.

The transaction was quickly completed. Fang Yuan transferred the Leprous Earth Toad to Jia Jinsheng in front of everyone and received five heavy money bags. Each bag contained exactly one hundred primeval stones.

Fang Yuan initially had ninety-eight primeval stones. Gambling on stones cost him sixty, leaving thirty-eight. With this transaction, his wealth instantly multiplied to five hundred and thirty-eight primeval stones!

Many Gu Masters witnessed this and were green with envy.

Fang Yuan put the five money bags in his pocket, picked up the last piece of purple-gold fossil, and leisurely walked out of the tent.

"Young master, aren't you going to open this one?" The female Gu Master blinked repeatedly, calling out loudly as she watched Fang Yuan's departing figure.

Fang Yuan ignored her and left the gambling arena without looking back.

He left behind a group of stunned Gu Masters, silently looking at each other.