Chapter 545: The Classic Stone Gamble

The void was vast like an ocean, boundless and endless, the worlds drifting through it like fish in the sea.

Worlds floated aimlessly in the void with no obvious pattern; up, down, left, right, front, back—everything was unknown.

That made collisions between worlds possible: dimensional barriers shattering, two worlds merging into one.

While traveling the void, Jiang Li had often seen two worlds brush past each other, sometimes only dozens of light-years from impact.

But they never actually collided.

This was the first time Jiang Li had encountered two worlds smashing into one another.

“Is this a natural disaster or man-made?” Jiang Li pondered. Just as the Major Achievement effect of the Beast Tamering Immortal Scripture could control a world’s direction, if he wanted, he could casually trigger a collision between worlds.

Jiang Li figured a Golden Immortal could probably achieve a similar effect—forcefully causing worlds to collide.

“If the Immortal Realm is behind this, what’s their purpose? The Jingyu World is already gone.”

Jiang Li had bought the latest dictionaries, histories, and lexicons of Qixin World from the system shop, and knew Qixin World was also a continental world with nothing in its history particularly notable; its technology level was slightly higher than the system’s description.

He also purchased the star charts drawn by Qixin World. Using the stars they observed, Jiang Li could reverse-calculate the location of the Qixin continent.

“Roughly twenty million light-years away.” After confirming direction and distance, Jiang Li tore through space and leapt to the vicinity of Qixin World. He scanned the nearby starfield with his spiritual sense and reconfirmed his position.

Jiang Li looked down; due to ripping space for travel, the exit space had been distorted, tearing apart nearly half a small planet.

“Huh, a hundred and thirty thousand light-years to go. My accuracy isn’t bad, and most of that planet is still intact—my spatial Dao has progressed again.”

Jiang Li was easily satisfied. Before, when he tore space, the entire planet at the exit would be warped. Now only half a planet was shredded—that was a huge improvement.

After piecing the planet back together, he ripped space again and arrived near the Qixin continent. He vaulted upward, flipped a few times, extended his arms, straightened his legs, and planted himself steadily on the land.

“The motion just now felt like diving—no, closer to gymnastics. Diving, gymnastics, sports… shall I organize a sports meet back in the Nine Provinces?”

“How about sprinting around a star, a marathon across a galaxy, swimming across the four seas, mountain weightlifting?” Jiang Li thought this actually sounded feasible.

His thoughts wandered and he entertained random ideas.

While brainstorming a Nine Provinces sports event, Jiang Li strolled through Qixin World.

He found this world quite peaceful.

Jiang Li went to an internet café and played some games. Although he lost badly, he had a blast, so before leaving he good-naturedly reported the café to the market supervision bureau for having underage patrons.

He tried a street stall game—throwing darts to pop balloons for cash—and earned a day’s meal money.

He walked down a snack street, eating as he went with his newly earned cash.

When he saw someone fall into the water, he casually helped them ashore, gave no name, only saying that Jiang Li did good deeds anonymously when he went out, then left with a flourish.

When he saw a balloon float away and a child crying below, he lightly leapt and returned the balloon to the kid.

He went to the police station and said he was an illegal immigrant from another world wanting a temporary residence permit. The officers, thinking Jiang Li was mentally odd, kindly let him stay for a meal.

When the officers debated whether to send Jiang Li to a psychiatric hospital, he slipped away quietly.

Jiang Li then came to a stone-gambling site, wanting to open stones and win money—an apt end to a rich day.

“Green! It’s green!” The exaggerated shouts rolled like a sea overturning roofs. Before Jiang Li arrived, a lucky youth was picking out stones.

“This kid’s luck is insane—he can pick jade out of worthless stones. That one piece alone’s worth hundreds of thousands!”

“Tell me about it. At first we thought he was a lucky novice, but now it looks like he was born knowing how to open stones.”

“Since he came in, he’s opened eight stones—eight with green inside. He’s made at least fifteen hundred thousand today!”

The lucky youth beamed, eyes bright as he carefully inspected stones.

“He spent one and a half million on a stone that’s been sitting for three years!”

“Absurd. Youngsters aren’t stable—so arrogant. Does he think his luck will never run out?”

“Exactly, youngsters don’t know when to stop—they’ll blow it all.”

“It’s green! This… this is emperor-grade jade with a top-glass texture!”

“What?!”

“I’ll pay fifty million!”

“Fifty million? I’ll do seventy million!”

“One hundred million!”

Countless wealthy bidders threw money like it was nothing, vying for the stone. In the end the lucky youth sold it for one hundred and twenty million.

Jiang Li scratched his neck; the scene felt familiar—like something he wanted to write in The Major Achievement Cultivator in the City.

Wen Quan left the gambling ground uneasy; he hadn’t expected to earn so much, and the sudden wealth made him nervous.

“I’ve only trained Heavenly Eye to the first layer, and it’s terrifying already—whatever’s inside the stone I can see clearly.”

“Though showing off in public is risky, the gamble paid off. With this money I can buy herbs to soak in a medicinal bath and aim for mid Qi Refining.”

As Wen Quan muttered to himself, a few petty thugs blocked his path.

“Kid, made a lot at the stone field, huh? We’re short on cash—lend us some.” One thug twirled a knife, looking threatening.

Wen Quan’s mouth curved; he wasn’t afraid of these armed delinquents. He moved fluidly, his figure light, sidestepped the blade, and struck their midsections. The thugs retched bile and writhing on the ground held their stomachs.

Wen Quan left with swagger.

Jiang Li trailed behind Wen Quan, saw surveillance cameras, and then escorted those thugs to the police station.

“Thanks for the meal. I brought you a few people—attempted robbery. The cameras recorded everything. Also, I’m not mentally ill.”

…

Jiang Li didn’t reveal himself. Wen Quan’s secrets extended beyond inheriting a legacy and learning cultivation.

Wen Quan soaked in a medicinal bath, his five hearts became peaceful and centered, yin and yang connected; accompanied by a subtle wave of spiritual energy, he officially stepped into Qi Refining, fourth layer.

“Finally reached mid Qi Refining.” Wen Quan exhaled.

“But Heavenly Eye remains at the first layer, only simple clairvoyance—can’t see meridian flow. Only at Qi Refining peak can Heavenly Eye reach second layer.”

He left the medicinal bath, dressed, wondering why his sister hadn’t come home when the phone rang.

“Hey sis, what’s up? Filming late again?”

“Help—”

A cry for help came over the line. Wen Quan’s expression changed drastically.

His muscles bulged, like an enraged lion.