"This Ancient Battlefield really is a curious place."

"One hundred and twenty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones." The cutter announced a shocking price. Barring any surprises, the outcome of this contest was all but decided.

Chen Menglong staggered. If not for the short man beside him catching him, he might have fallen to the ground. He exclaimed, "This... this is impossible."

In this round, he had only revealed a piece of Purple Rhombus Sand, worth thirty thousand Spirit Stones. It was a far cry from the Phoenix Blood Grass.

"There’s nothing impossible about it. There happens to be one last stone left. Let’s just cut it open," Song Changsheng said lightly.

’He wasn’t surprised by this result. Among all the gambling stones on the second floor, this one had possessed the most brilliant spiritual light. If even this couldn’t seal the deal, then his cheat would have been for nothing.’

The cutter had seen his fair share of high-stakes situations. He quickly composed himself and began to cut the final gambling stone.

This time, a Tier Three Low-Grade Spirit Plant was revealed: a Blood-urinating Orchid.

Although it was the same tier as the Phoenix Blood Grass, its value was much lower, worth only sixty thousand Spirit Stones. Still, that was quite good.

After all, most of the gamblers present couldn’t hope to uncover a treasure of equal value even if they gambled away their entire fortunes.

Meanwhile, a disheartened Chen Menglong also cut open his last stone. It was a Tier Two Top Grade Iris Spirit Flower, worth over thirty thousand Spirit Stones.

Judging by the results, Chen Menglong had suffered an undeniable, crushing defeat. It wasn’t even a competition.

"Chen, you lose!" With her heart finally at ease, Siying planted her hands on her hips and announced his defeat to Chen Menglong.

"Hmph. Just a stroke of good luck. Let’s go!"

Chen Menglong shot Siying a vicious glare, then turned and left. Having lost to her for a second time, he no longer had the face to stay.

After they were gone, Siying took the three treasures that had been revealed and handed them to Song Changsheng. She clapped him on the shoulder and said joyfully, "I really have you to thank this time. Otherwise, that annoying guy would have gotten his way. So, what else do you want? As long as it’s something I can do, I’ll grant your wish."

Song Changsheng weighed the Storage Bag in his hand and refused with a smile, "These alone are already priceless. I am quite satisfied. Wouldn’t asking for more from you be pushing my luck, Fellow Daoist?"

’Of course, that wasn’t the truth. This woman was clearly from a major power. Anything she casually let slip through her fingers would be enough to make him rich. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted.’

’But that was all just petty profit. What Song Changsheng wanted was to cast a long line to catch a big fish.’

’Did he really reveal his hand and intervene in the conflict between two powers just because he found Chen Menglong disagreeable?’

’Don’t be ridiculous. He wasn’t a child who acted solely on his personal likes and dislikes. He did all this for one thing—profit.’

’Befriending a disciple from a major power had countless benefits and no drawbacks for him, just like when he had saved Xia Qingxue.’

’As for offending the Chen Clan, he had only said a single sentence from start to finish. They had no idea he was the one who chose the stones. It was impossible for them to pin the blame on him, right?’

’Besides, he had never revealed his identity. That risk was completely negligible.’

Just as he expected, his words caused the woman’s favorability toward him to skyrocket. She took out a silver token and presented it to Song Changsheng, saying magnanimously, "You saved my face, so of course I can’t be stingy. This is a Silver VIP Card from the Wanlong Commerce Association.

"At any Wanlong Commerce Association business, you can get a thirty percent discount with this card. If you ever need anything in the future, just find the Chief Steward of any Wanlong branch and mention my name. It’ll work!"

"The Wanlong Commerce Association?" Song Changsheng was stunned. He had figured her background was extraordinary, but hearing that name still surprised him.

The Wanlong Commerce Association was a massive commerce association spanning several cultivation worlds, including the Yua Kingdom’s Cultivation Realm, the Gusu Kingdom’s Cultivation Realm, and the Daqi Cultivation World. Its power was immense, even surpassing that of the Golden Crow Sect.

"That’s right. I am Peng Siying, and the current president of the Wanlong Commerce Association is my father," Peng Siying said proudly.

"So you’re the Young Mistress of the Wanlong Commerce Association..." Song Changsheng was dumbfounded.

Although the Wanlong Commerce Association was technically a United Commerce Association, it had been controlled by the Peng Clan for many years, becoming virtually the Peng Family’s personal domain.

From what he knew, the current president of the Wanlong Commerce Association had only one daughter. If she wasn’t bluffing, then she had to be Peng Siying.

In that case, barring any accidents, Peng Siying was almost certainly the designated next president.

But who would have thought that the future president of the mighty Wanlong Commerce Association would be a gambling addict who lost nine out of ten times!

’No one would believe it if I told them, right?’

Holding the VIP Card in his hand, Song Changsheng still felt it was all a bit surreal...

"A Silver VIP Card... What’s that guy’s background?" a tall, black-robed man asked in a raspy voice.

"What’s a Silver VIP Card?" someone asked, confused.

The man who had spoken earlier immediately explained, "To curry favor with local powers and high-level Loose Cultivators, the Wanlong Commerce Association issues VIP Waist Tokens based on a person’s strength or status.

"The VIP Waist Tokens are divided into five tiers: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Jade.

"Each tier represents a different status and position. Silver Waist Tokens are typically only given to Purple Mansion Cultivators. The Wanlong Commerce Association has only issued a few dozen over the years.

"Anyone holding this waist token not only enjoys a thirty percent discount but can also receive assistance from the Wanlong Commerce Association at a corresponding level."

"This person is only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Why would he get a Silver Waist Token?"

"That’s why I said his background must be extraordinary," the raspy voice said again.

Instantly, everyone’s gazes toward Song Changsheng filled with respect and awe.

Hearing the surrounding discussion, Peng Siying blinked. ’She couldn’t possibly admit she’d only brought this one waist token with her, could she?’

"Fellow Daoist, might you be interested in selling the Phoenix Blood Grass in your hands?"

Just as everyone was speculating about Song Changsheng’s identity, a black-robed man sidled up to him, rubbing his hands and smiling obsequiously.

"Damn, that guy beat me to it."

"Fellow Daoist, I’ll offer one hundred and thirty thousand Spirit Stones."

"I’ll offer one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones..."

Instantly, a familiar scene replayed itself. A dozen or so black-robed figures surrounded Song Changsheng, all of them after the Phoenix Blood Grass in his hands.

The price was skyrocketing.

But tempted as he was, Song Changsheng still shook his head and refused the trade.

An ordinary Tier Three Low-Grade Spirit Plant was worth around ten to twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

There was a good reason why the Phoenix Blood Grass was so valuable.

First, it reproduced very quickly. With enough Spiritual Qi, it could soon grow into a large patch.

Its effect was simple but powerful. When refined into a Pill and consumed, it could subtly and gradually strengthen a cultivator’s physique.

Of course, it was only effective for cultivators below the Purple Mansion Stage, and each person could only consume it once.

For Song Changsheng, due to his cultivation of the Five Beasts Body Refining Technique, this item wasn’t of much use. However, for the other members of the Song Clan, its importance was self-evident.

After dispersing the crowd, Song Changsheng finally decided to end his trip to the Black Market.

Although his ability was a god-tier cheat for stone gambling, some things could be done once or twice, but not a third time. His gains today were already substantial. If he kept this up, the Black Market would likely get involved. It was best to withdraw in a timely manner.

He could always come back to take advantage of the situation after things had cooled down.

As he was heading downstairs, he suddenly remembered something. He cupped his fists and said, "Fellow Daoist Peng, I was wondering if you could keep an eye out for any news regarding Flood Dragon Scales for me?"

"What do you want that stuff for? Fine, give me a day. I’ll ask around for you," Peng Siying agreed readily.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist." A smile touched Song Changsheng’s lips. ’And here comes the return on my investment, doesn’t it?’

Just as the two were about to step out of the pavilion, a black-robed figure blocked their path.

"Fellow Daoist, the Pavilion Master requests your presence."

...

Thanks to book friend "Boss Peng" for providing the character~