Looking at the stone Song Changsheng had chosen, a flicker of disdain crossed Chen Menglong’s eyes. "You’re really getting worse with age. I’d advise you to just hand over the Jade Exquisite Pagoda now and save us all some time."

Chen Menglong was brimming with confidence. The man he’d brought along possessed a special stone-gambling technique and had never once returned empty-handed.

His opponent, on the other hand, was notorious for losing money. Ever since the Black Market had started its stone-gambling business, the man had never once turned a profit. ’There’s no way I can lose.’

Besides, he had chosen his three stones from the most expensive batch, spending nearly one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. His opponent, in contrast, had only spent a paltry forty thousand.

The quality of their respective stones wasn’t even in the same league.

"Enough with the nonsense. You’d better start thinking about how you’re going to meet my conditions," the woman shot back, her imposing manner not yielding in the slightest.

However, the fist she clenched tightly behind her back betrayed her inner turmoil.

’After all, Song Changsheng was the one who claimed he could see through the stones. She had no idea if it was true or not and could only hope she hadn’t put her trust in the wrong person.’

In contrast to her apprehension, Song Changsheng appeared perfectly calm and composed. He had, in fact, already examined his opponent’s three stones a moment ago.

The man certainly knew his stuff; the stones he’d picked all contained treasures and radiated a dense Spiritual Light, clearly indicating they were of immense value.

’Still, they’re a far cry from the ones I picked,’ he thought. ’Barring any surprises, this round is a guaranteed win.’

After a moment’s thought, a mischievous impulse struck him. He handed the stone he had picked at random to the cutter first.

With the cutter’s practiced skill, the object encased within the stone was quickly revealed. It was a fist-sized piece of Tier Two Top Grade Cyan Nether Steel.

The cutter announced a price of only six thousand, since Cyan Nether Steel was one of the most common Tier Two Spiritual Materials and not particularly valuable. It was a small loss.

Upon seeing this, Chen Menglong nearly burst out laughing. He shook his head and said mockingly, "That’s our man. As consistent as ever."

The woman bit her lip, the pressure on her mounting, but she refused to back down. "Don’t celebrate too soon! Maybe what you have is even worse than mine!"

"I’m afraid you’re in for a disappointment," the short man beside Chen Menglong said in a hoarse voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the cutting of his first stone was complete. It was also a type of ore, but his was a Tier Three Low Grade Mi Tear Stone.

Though only the size of a pinky, it was valued at twenty-five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. While still a loss, its value far surpassed that of Song Changsheng’s find.

"Hahaha! I’ve already won today!"

"Hmph, don’t get cocky. We still have two more chances," the woman retorted through gritted teeth, though in her heart, she had already lost all hope.

’Still, she felt no regret. She was well aware of her own skill level, or lack thereof. The stone Song Changsheng had picked cost less than ten thousand Spirit Stones; to get something worth six thousand out of it was actually quite impressive.’

Soon, the cutting of the second stone began.

’This was one he had carefully selected, and he felt a flicker of anticipation. After all, if he won, all of these treasures would be his.’

The stone rapidly shrank until it was about the size of a soccer ball. Just then, a web of cracks suddenly spread across the rind’s surface, releasing a green, fluorescent glow.

The cutter cried out in astonishment, his hands freezing in place.

The onlookers, who had gathered to watch the bet, also gasped in unison.

"The Spiritual Light is leaking out! Good heavens, it’s been at least half a year since we’ve seen that. What kind of treasure did they find?" someone exclaimed, their eyes filled with envy.

"The last treasure to leak Spiritual Light was a Trigram Fire Essence, worth over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones! Ugh, what incredible luck. Why does something this good never happen to me?" another lamented, stomping his foot in frustration.

The woman’s heart, which had just grown cold, instantly flared with heat once more. ’If it’s like this,’ she thought, ’we might actually have a chance to win today!’

The cutter’s hands grew even more gentle. Soon, the treasure within was fully revealed, instantly capturing the gaze of everyone present.

Chen Menglong was so nervous his palms began to sweat. He had been certain victory was in his grasp, never expecting such a sudden twist.

In the cutter’s hands now was a crimson Spirit Plant, standing just over three inches tall.

It bore three leaves in total, each the size of a baby’s palm, oval-shaped with serrated edges. The veins on the leaves formed a bizarre, shimmering pattern, like a Phoenix soaring with wings outstretched, and the plant radiated a scorching aura.

"Is that... Phoenix Blood Grass?"

Someone in the crowd exclaimed.

"Phoenix Blood Grass? The same Phoenix Blood Grass that has been extinct in the outside world for over a thousand years?"

"Wonderful! With this, we’re sure to win!" The woman was ecstatic. Phoenix Blood Grass had been extinct in the outside world for a millennium; currently, only factions at or above the Golden Core level could possibly possess it.

Its value would be no less than one hundred thousand Spirit Stones!

For a moment, Siying looked at Song Changsheng with a gaze full of intense envy. ’If only I had the ability to see through stones, too.’

But the man of the hour, Song Changsheng, was focused on something else entirely. He stroked his chin and mused aloud, "Phoenix Blood Grass is an excellent Spirit Plant for body tempering for Cultivators below the Purple Mansion Stage.

"But after it’s removed from soil, it requires a massive amount of Spiritual Qi to maintain its vitality. So how did it stay alive inside this stone?"