Chapter 56: The Flying Immortal Rock Holds an Immortal!

Upon entering the heaven-grade stone garden, the stone-gambling duel between Tuobalie and Li Yao officially commenced. Here, even the two experts could easily misjudge, so neither dared to be the slightest bit careless.

Beneath an ancient tree, Li Yao discovered a piece of phoenix-blood stone. Roughly the size of a millstone, it was lifelike and faintly emanated the sensation of a phoenix being reborn through nirvana.

"This stone..." He was somewhat hesitant, for this stone was utterly extraordinary.

Daring not to act rashly, Li Yao hastily channeled his source-seeking arts, activating his communion with heaven and earth. In this state, his perception was amplified several-fold, if not tenfold.

"Screech!"

An illusion unfolded within Li Yao's sea of consciousness: a piercing phoenix cry soared into the firmament as a divine bird shrouded in sacred phoenix flames appeared, spreading its wings to soar.

Yet, upon closer inspection, he grew uncertain once more. Although the divine phoenix possessed a magnificent aura, its interior harbored a hollow flaw, leaving even Li Yao unable to determine its worth for the moment.

The source stones here were genuine, astronomical treasures, every single one of them extraordinary.

Having marked this as a candidate, Li Yao rose and walked toward the next source stone. There were over twenty wondrous stones in the heaven-grade garden, and he could not afford to waste his energy on just a single one.

On the other side, Tuobalie was doing the same. His entire right hand had transformed into a reddish-gold hue as he strode forward, pressing down upon more than ten wondrous stones one by one.

The reddish-gold divine hand endowed him with a sort of divine intuition, allowing him to pierce through all obstacles. A faint golden radiance coated the surface of his body, linking him directly with the stones.

Everyone was astonished because at that very moment, one wondrous stone after another turned transparent, everything within them clearly visible.

Everyone knew that source stones were special; even the most powerful cultivators could not perceive what was contained inside them. Yet the source-seeking arts were so miraculous that they defied all conventional logic.

"This is the method of a Source Heaven Master! Rumored from ages past, when a Heaven Master wields this art, no secrets remain within the stones, and everything can be clearly perceived."

"The Tuoba clan possesses startling secret arts, actually commanding such a technique that leaves wondrous stones nowhere to hide!"

"Tuobalie's mastery of the source arts is astounding. Barely over a century old, he has already achieved such heights. In the future, he might just become the Northern Domain's sixth Source Heaven Master."

A group of elderly freaks marveled aloud, their eyes flashing with brilliant hues as if they were gazing upon an unrivaled beauty. For those nearing the end of their lifespans, a master of the source arts was a figure well worth cultivating.

Source stones contained rare treasures, among which were not a few items capable of extending one's life.

To these ancient freaks, the ability to prolong life was far more alluring even than immortal metals.

As long as their lifespans were extended, they would have the time to break through to higher realms and thereby secure even more years of life.

Conversely, while immortal metals were also attractive to them, the temptation paled in comparison to the allure of extended life. After all, if a person were dead, of what use would immortal metal be?

At different stages of life, people held different perspectives. Had they been younger by a few centuries, their pursuit of immortal metals might well have surpassed their desire for longevity.

Not only the elderly freaks, but all the other onlookers were filled with inexplicable shock, many harboring the desire to recruit him. In the Northern Domain where source stones were produced, such a figure would undoubtedly be treated as an honored guest by every major faction.

After all, which great family did not have ancestors nearing the end of their lifespans? If they could acquire a treasure that extended longevity, it could grant their ancestor dozens or even hundreds of more years to live.

Compared to Tuobalie, Li Yao appeared very calm. He seemed to merge seamlessly with his surroundings, strolling leisurely through the grove of flowering trees. His crystalline fingers brushed lightly against the stones, devoid of dazzling light or strange phenomena, retaining only the natural tranquility of a clear spring flowing over stones in a pine forest—utterly ethereal.

"This young man's mastery of the source arts is also formidable. Though he displays no heaven-defying secret arts, every time he passes a source stone, his aura shifts—now like a divine phoenix undergoing nirvana, now like a true dragon roaring, and now like a Xuanwu treading the sea..."

"This is a communion with heaven and earth. It is a technique that can only be unleashed when one's cultivation of the source arts reaches an extremely profound level, allowing one to perceive the dao rhythm of the source stone, merge with it, and thereby comprehend the profound mysteries within."

"Extraordinary! Compared to Tuobalie, I would venture that this youngster is perhaps the most likely to become the sixth Source Heaven Master. His talent in the source arts is simply terrifying."

The group of elderly freaks showered him with praise, looking at Li Yao as if he were a precious gem. To possess such mastery of the source arts in his teens meant that in a few more years, his potential would be unfathomable.

"No, this child must be befriended as soon as possible, even if it requires lowering our status at any cost." At this moment, such a thought arose in the minds of all the old monsters.

Both men had surveyed the general layout of the heaven-grade stone garden and formed a rough idea of the source stones they desired.

Ultimately, Tuobalie stopped in front of a source stone, placing his reddish-gold right hand upon it and connecting with it.

This was a Flying Immortal Stone. Nature had naturally formed a pattern upon it, its outline vaguely resembling a world of its own. Even more marvelously, this source stone seemed to exude an immortal charm that was endlessly ethereal.

Many believed this stone might be related to immortals, and that the realm depicted within it was the very appearance of the Immortal Realm.

Such a heaven-grade wondrous stone naturally did not come cheap, costing a full one hundred and fifty thousand catties of source.

Upon seeing Tuobalie's actions, many gasped in low voices. Clearly, the source-art master of the Tuoba family had taken a fancy to this stone, and his expression was exceptionally solemn.

A group of old men all swarmed forward. This stone had been displayed for many years and no one had ever dared to touch it; if it were cracked open now, it would fulfill a long-cherished wish of theirs.

Wondrous stones were the hardest to judge; even Source Heaven Masters had moments of furrowed brows, let alone people in the present age.

Tuobalie's reddish-gold divine hand tapped against the Flying Immortal Stone. It did not turn transparent, remaining as calm as an ancient well, save for a wisp of immortal aura that leaked out.

"Ting," "Ting," "Ting"…

Tuobalie landed his fingers in rapid succession, flicking the stone a full three hundred and sixty-five times as strands of divine radiance merged into the Flying Immortal Stone.

Simultaneously, he himself was stained with a pale golden glow, actually linking with the millstone-sized Flying Immortal Stone to become a single entity.

Tuobalie closed his eyes, his right hand pressed against the Flying Immortal Stone as colored light flowed like the hand of a resurrected deity.

"A precious wheel has manifested beneath his right hand!"

"It truly is a precious wheel, wreathed in five colors and radiating auspicious light."

Whether it was the group of withered old men or the onlookers outside the palace, all wore looks of shock.

"This is the Source Heaven Precious Wheel. It can imprint the mysteries of a wondrous stone and reveal what kind of rare treasures are nurtured within."

"The secret arts of the Tuoba family are astonishing to possess even such a method. It is rumored that this is a supreme technique of the Source Heaven Masters."

The older generation familiar with such lore all changed color, and the rest were deeply shaken upon learning of it.

At this moment, Yun Shang and Yao Xi also felt their hearts leap violently. With their opponent's source arts being this formidable, it was truly hard to say who would emerge victorious in a source-art duel.

Though Li Yao was extraordinarily talented, he was ultimately too young, and his foundation in the source arts was surely not as profound as his opponent's.

This was a fact. If Li Yao's source arts had not undergone secondary deduction by the Heavenly Book, facing such a source-art master would guarantee his defeat, leaving no reason to even compete.

"Whoosh!"

With a flash of light, Tuobalie stepped back. The Source Heaven Precious Wheel clung to his palm, its radiance growing even more intense like a five-colored divine sun, dazzling to the point that people could not keep their eyes open.

Yet, no one closed their eyes; instead, they opened their spiritual vision, shooting out electric gazes to capture what had been imprinted upon the Source Heaven Precious Wheel.

"An immortal! Heavens, it's actually an immortal, sitting cross-legged right there! Immortals truly exist in this world—our path of the Dao is not solitary!"

The heaven-grade stone garden erupted in pandemonium as everyone who witnessed this scene cried out in shock.

"The figure of an immortal has been imprinted within the Source Heaven Precious Wheel!"

"Throughout the ages, whether immortals exist has been a subject of endless debate. While some disbelieve, there are indeed traces of immortals left in this world, and all these traces prove that immortals truly exist."

On Tuobalie's palm, the Source Heaven Precious Wheel flashed with light, revealing a figure seated quietly within. With immortal aura swirling around its body, it left everyone dumbfounded.

Everyone was frozen in place. This bordered on the illusory—could it be that traces of immortals were truly going to manifest in the world today?

The expressions of the Jiang family members changed completely. They had consulted supreme experts to examine the wondrous stones in the garden; how could they have missed such an unrivaled and rare treasure?

They would have accepted it even if a divine source had been cut from it, but if it truly had to do with immortals, then...

The elderly guardian of the Jiang family's stone garden also quietly opened his eyes, casting his gaze toward the Flying Immortal Stone.

Practitioners from other worlds would never comprehend how fanatical the obsession with immortals was for the people of this universe; it was a madness carved straight into their souls.

How majestic and awe-inspiring were the Emperors and Sovereigns of antiquity? They struck upward at the firmament, overlooking the nine heavens and ten earths; they struck downward at the cycle of reincarnation, reigning supreme over the four seas and eight desolate realms.

Yet, when faced with the single word "immortal," their invincible dao hearts would still sink. For many Supremes, the reason they severed themselves and entered slumber was not out of excessive fear of death—at least not before they were corrupted—but purely for the sake of becoming an immortal.

If even Emperors and Sovereigns were thus, let alone anyone else.

At this moment within the heaven-grade stone garden, many could no longer suppress their surging emotions. Every single person's gaze burned with fierce intensity, and several impossibly ancient old men filled with regret were beside themselves, having once inspected this stone long ago, only to ultimately discard it.