A surge of scarlet blood aura erupted from Zhang Ruochen’s palm, swirling around the gambling table and striking the cracked warhammer. Instantly, the hammer emitted a rustling sound.
The warhammer crumbled into dust, scattering across the floor.
At its core, an irregular black crystal flew out, landing in Zhang Ruochen’s hand.
A surprised voice exclaimed, “The warhammer wasn’t completely corroded.”
“A King’s Sacred Artifact reduced to dust, yet this remains intact? It must be an extraordinary treasure.”
All eyes turned to the black crystal.
Roughly the size of a walnut, it was opaque and unremarkable, emitting no powerful aura.
However, when Zhang Ruochen infused a wisp of blood aura into it, a surge of dark energy erupted from within. The force swept outward, pushing the crowd back.
Someone shouted, “A Dark God Crystal! A divine power crystal refined by a deity of the Dark Path.”
“A god crystal’s value is typically ten times that of a god stone. The Dark Path is an ancient way, so a Dark God Crystal should be worth more. I estimate this crystal could fetch at least fifteen god stones.”
Cang Jie, revitalised, scrambled up from the floor, overjoyed. “What? Fifteen god stones, that’s one hundred fifty billion sacred stones? Haha! I won! I won!”
“Mine, it’s all mine! Don’t touch it, you, don’t move! All the chips on the table are mine.”
Cang Jie spread his arms, gathering the red crystal cards to himself.
Seventy-seven cards in total.
Equivalent to seven billion seven hundred million sacred stones.
After deducting his three billion stake, the three billion paid to the Goddess Tower, and the seventy-seven million commission, he netted over one billion six hundred million sacred stones.
A single win matched half his centuries-long accumulated wealth.
Exhilarating!
Cang Jie felt his soul might leap from his body, laughing uncontrollably. With this wealth, he could sustain his cultivation to the Great Saint Realm.
Remembering the senior beside him, Cang Jie approached, bowing respectfully. “Thank you for your guidance, Senior.”
“Take it.”
Zhang Ruochen tossed the Dark God Crystal to him.
Cang Jie caught it, stunned, and stammered, “No, no, I can’t take this. The crystal is yours, Senior.”
The crystal’s value was immense, comparable to an Immortal Realm Great Saint’s fortune. Cang Jie couldn’t fathom possessing it.
For a Taotie to restrain its greed impressed Zhang Ruochen. He thought, perhaps this one could be trusted with important tasks.
“You won it. It’s yours,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Cang Jie’s hands trembled. A Dark God Crystal was a significant fortune even for a Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint. This senior was truly remarkable, worthy of admiration.
But then he considered, with the senior’s keen eye, a single round in the gambling city could yield countless god stones.
No comparison.
A thunderous uproar erupted from above the gambling city.
A Stone Clan cultivator stomped down the stairs, shaking the entire structure, his voice booming. “Everyone, come see! A massive gamble is happening upstairs.”
“Qian Chi Jun, what’s the big gamble?” someone asked.
The Stone Clan cultivator, Qian Chi Jun, shouted, “It’s one of the gambling city’s two great treasures, the Seven-Coloured Coral Tree.”
The third floor erupted.
Among Saint Realm cultivators, gamblers were rare.
But those who gambled had heard of the Goddess Tower’s Seven-Coloured Coral Tree.
Rumour had it the minimum bet was one thousand god stones.
Without a fortune of ten thousand god stones, none dared participate.
Even gods below the Thousand Questions Realm, unless as wealthy as Wujiang, lacked the qualifications to join.
“Let’s go see.”
“Those daring to join must be major figures.”
“I’m more curious about the Seven-Coloured Coral Tree’s true value. They say, at its peak, its worth is beyond god stones.”
Cultivators from the first, second, and third floors surged toward the fortress’s top, clogging the stairway.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, unfazed by the frenzy.
Cang Jie, excited like the others, asked, “Senior, aren’t you going to take a look?”
“Do you want to?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Cang Jie replied, “Of course, I want to see it for myself.”
“Then let’s go.”
A wisp of invisible spatial power flowed from Zhang Ruochen’s fingertips, enveloping them. Instantly, their bodies shrank to specks of light, slipping through the crowded stairway to the fortress’s top.
Passing through the entrance’s light membrane, a powerful divine aura pressed down on them.
Without Zhang Ruochen’s protection, Cang Jie would have been forced to his knees.
No wonder the onlookers were stuck in the stairway. Those lacking strength couldn’t withstand the divine aura to enter the top floor.
The aura emanated from the Seven-Coloured Coral Tree.
The top floor was small, about eight zhang long and six zhang wide. Its four walls, made of special crystal, offered a view of much of Jade Mountain Palace.
Besides Zhang Ruochen and Cang Jie, the gambling hall held twenty-five cultivators, all at least Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints.
The host was the gambling city’s lord, Ye Xiao, a middle-aged Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint from the Yaksha Clan, a minor clan from Hell Realm’s fringes.
Below the ten major clans, all were minor.
The Yaksha Clan, numerous and among the strongest minor clans, had once ranked among the ten major clans in ancient times.
Nine cultivators were gambling.
Zhang Ruochen scanned them. Six were playing it safe, betting one thousand god stones.
Only three were truly gambling big.
To the north sat a Death Clan powerhouse, aged with sunken eyes, exuding a thick deathly aura. Even restrained, none dared approach.
His bet was fourteen thousand god stones.
Seeing him, Cang Jie’s face paled, and he gasped, “The Gambling God.”
“A deity?” Zhang Ruochen asked, puzzled. Though powerful, the Death Clan cultivator’s aura suggested he wasn’t a god, not even a pseudo-god.
Cang Jie, wary of transmitting in such company, whispered, “The Gambling God is likely the only non-deity in Hell Realm to earn a divine title. Legends say he shone at the Goddess Twelve Houses’ main tower, dominated gambling cities run by the Hall of the Dead and Qiankun Yiqi Hall, and even out-gambled deities, almost never losing. His wealth rivals that of gods.”
To gamblers, the Gambling God was an idol, revered and feared.
“Out-gambling deities? He’s got real skill,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
To the east sat a cultivator in black robes, shrouded in gaseous black gauze that obscured gender and race.
Even their hands bore illusionary patterns, creating multiple shadows with each movement.
Zhang Ruochen noticed the gauze, though gaseous, was a tangible treasure, blocking spiritual probes and likely holding other powers.
Gaseous treasures were rare.
With his Heart of Truth, Zhang Ruochen sensed the figure’s cold body, more like Stone, Ghost, Corpse, or Bone Clan than a flesh-and-blood being.
To the west was Yan Zhexian.
She wore a talisman robe that altered her form and face, dense with intricate patterns. Without knowing her unique aura, Zhang Ruochen wouldn’t have recognised her.
Behind her stood two powerful Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints.
“Worthy of a Yanluo Clan genius talisman master. A trip to the Goddess Tower, and she’s accompanied by two Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints,” Zhang Ruochen said.
They followed, not protected.
Given Yan Zhexian’s favour in the Yanluo Clan and her pregnancy, she likely carried a protective treasure like a War God Belt.
“Pregnant, she should stay home to rest, not wander about. Coming to the Goddess Tower is one thing, but who knew Miss Yan enjoyed gambling? Gambling’s not good,” Zhang Ruochen muttered, frowning.
Cang Jie nudged him with his thick wrist, whispering, “Senior, have you noticed the time and space here feel different?”
As a master of space and time, did Zhang Ruochen need reminding?
The hall appeared eight zhang long and six zhang wide. Yet, walking from the wall to the gambling table required at least two li.
The Seven-Coloured Coral Tree stretched the space.
The closer to it, the more distorted the space became.
Time flow was chaotic, speeding and slowing, with time marks forming a small stream flowing through the hall.
“Could it be a space-time treasure?” Zhang Ruochen wondered.
He asked Cang Jie, “What’s the origin of this Seven-Coloured Coral Tree?”
Cang Jie shook his head. “A small fry like me wouldn’t know the origins of such a treasure. I only heard it was unearthed from an ancient god’s tomb in Haishi Star Bastion.”
“Rumour has it the Hall of the Dead’s lord wanted to break its seal to check if it was intact, but after learning the tomb’s owner’s identity, they gave up.”
“Who was the tomb’s owner?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Cang Jie shook his head, unsure.
Yan Zhexian’s gaze shifted, her voice cold. “What’s with the chatter? Are you disturbing us?”
Intimidated by her icy stare, Cang Jie hid behind Zhang Ruochen.
A mere Saint King speaking in such a gathering was bold enough.
Zhang Ruochen, arms crossed, fearless, strolled over. Ignoring her glare, he glanced at her chips. “So wealthy, betting fifteen thousand god stones.”
“Stop there.”
“Our lady forbids strangers within three zhang.”
The two Yanluo Clan Hundred Shackles Great Saints glared, blocking Zhang Ruochen.
He raised his arms, pressing lightly through the air.
Instantly, the two Great Saints froze mid-motion, like statues.
This stunned the hall. No one dared underestimate him.
Yan Zhexian’s brows furrowed. “Spatial power? A skilled spatial cultivator. Want to join the gamble?”
“Such high stakes are beyond me. I’m just here to watch,” Zhang Ruochen said, smiling.
Yan Zhexian said, “Perfect. As a spatial cultivator, you might have unique insight into the Seven-Coloured Coral Tree. Help me win, and I’ll give you ten thousand god stones as thanks.”
The Gambling God, Seven-Handed Elder, scoffed dismissively.
His keen eye had already identified Yan Zhexian. A mere Hundred Shackles Realm peak cultivator, daring to gamble on the Seven-Coloured Coral Tree with bets in the tens of thousands of god stones, was reckless. Clearly desperate, she sought help from a cultivator too cautious to join. Was anything more laughable?
Though the Seven-Coloured Coral Tree was a space-time treasure, without spiritual probing, even a spatial cultivator couldn’t judge accurately.
It came down to skill and luck.
“Ten thousand god stones!” Zhang Ruochen was shocked and sighed.
“What a spendthrift!”
“Do talisman masters earn so much, or is her family just that rich?”
Even top prodigies like Wujiang or Lanying struggled to produce ten thousand god stones. Yet Yan Zhexian casually offered it.
Despite his own wealth, Zhang Ruochen couldn’t match her extravagance.
“If I win, you’ll really give me ten thousand god stones?” he asked.
Yan Zhexian replied, “With my status, would I renege? But you’d better prove your worth. If you’re useless, you won’t get a single god stone.”
“I’ll give it a try.”
Intrigued by the Seven-Coloured Coral Tree, Zhang Ruochen studied it closely.
He examined not only the tree but also the hall’s spatial and temporal distortions.
After a moment, he said gravely, “This isn’t a natural space-time coral tree. It’s been refined.”
Haishi Star Bastion produced various time and space treasures, including space-time coral trees, but they were rare. Seven-coloured ones were exceptionally so.
A living, natural seven-coloured space-time coral tree could surpass a Supreme Sacred Artifact in value.
Even a dead one was worth over ten thousand god stones.
But a refined one’s value was harder to judge.
It could be worth more than a living tree, or less than a dead one.
More crucially, if too much time had passed or it was poorly preserved, the tree might be corroded. It might look radiant but could turn to sand upon exposure to air.
