Chapter 1000, A Patch of Green

Translator: Silavin

 

As expected…

 

After the entire Spirit Crystal was cut, there was nothing inside. There was not even a single Ordinary Spirit Seed.

 

On the ground lay only a layer of crystal-like stone, faintly emanating Spiritual Energy.

 

The atmosphere immediately became awkward.

 

Just moments ago, the surrounding crowd had been lavishing praise on Xu Yuzhu. Ying Xinghui had even promised him the position of Grand Adviser. Yet the result was merely a hollow crystal?!

 

Not only did Xu Yuzhu’s expression turn ugly, even Ying Xinghui felt his face burning with shame.

 

This was tantamount to saying that Ying Xinghui lacked discernment, making such rash promises.

 

Of course, without extracting a Five-Coloured Profound Stone, Xu Yuzhu would certainly never acquire this Grand Adviser position.

 

Simply because he was not qualified to!

 

“Hahaha… it’s actually a hollow crystal!” Just then, suddenly a grating laugh rang out, shattering the awkward atmosphere.

 

It was Xuan Mingge.

 

He clapped his hands in delight, beaming with satisfaction.

 

If looks could kill, Xu Yuzhu’s gaze would have already riddled him with a thousand holes.

 

Wasn’t this rubbing salt in Xu Yuzhu’s wounds!?

 

Qin Yichen also touched his nose, struggling to suppress his amusement. [This guy is truly heartless!]

 

However, one had to admit that for Xuan Mingge, this was excellent news.

 

Because if Xu Yuzhu had truly extracted a Five-Coloured Profound Stone, Xuan Mingge would have had no possibility of victory whatsoever.

 

But now, Xu Yuzhu’s nearly ten thousand drops of Spirit Liquid worth of Spirit Crystals had yielded only fourteen Peak Grade Spirit Seeds. Even adding those lower quality Spirit Seeds, it totalled less than one thousand five hundred drops of Spirit Liquid!

 

So, with a bit of luck, if Xuan Mingge could extract a Mutated Spirit Seed, he might actually win.

 

“What are you so pleased about? With those two waste crystals of yours, you think you can beat me?!” Xu Yuzhu spoke up, his voice cold, laced with mockery, directly calling Xuan Mingge’s selections waste crystals.

 

The surrounding crowd didn’t find his words inappropriate.

 

Even if that final piece was a hollow crystal, it did not really matter. After all, Five-Coloured Profound Stones were truly too difficult to obtain.

 

Xu Yuzhu had selected six Spirit Crystals and extracted fourteen Peak Grade Spirit Seeds. This was already quite impressive.

 

Could Xuan Mingge’s two Spirit Crystals possibly yield more than fourteen Peak Grade Spirit Seeds!?

 

This was clearly unrealistic.

 

Moreover, the first one he had selected had been examined by Xu Yuzhu. It definitely would not yield anything worthwhile.

 

The only hope lay in that Spirit Crystal worth over three thousand drops of Spirit Liquid.

 

Since it was priced at three thousand drops of Spirit Liquid, anything was possible. No one could say for certain.

 

“Not necessarily.” The speaker was Qin Yichen, his words equally impolite.

 

Not necessarily!?

 

Everyone’s gazes turned towards him.

 

Originally, as a mere Sacred Master Candidate from an unknown Sacred Land, he naturally was not worth their attention. However, with the possessor of the Phoenix Martial Soul present, that changed matters.

 

Moreover, at this moment, Feng Qianxue stood beside Qin Yichen with such an affectionate expression that countless young prodigies felt their hearts breaking.

 

They could not help but glare resentfully at Qin Yichen.

 

Who knew what kind of enchantment this fellow had used on that heavenly maiden to make her so devoted to him!

 

At this moment, if any other woman were choosing between Qin Yichen and Ying Xinghui, a hundred out of a hundred would choose Ying Xinghui. No, a hundred and one!

 

One must understand that Ying Xinghui would become the future Sacred Master of Ethereal Spirit Sacred Land. In the future, he would become one of the giants of the Human Race!

 

Yet Ying Xinghui’s status seemed to hold no attraction whatsoever for Feng Qianxue. From beginning to end, she had not even glanced at Ying Xinghui once.

 

This was what Ying Xinghui found most unacceptable.

 

When had he, Ying Xinghui, ever been so thoroughly ignored?

 

It seemed that both Qin Yichen and Feng Qianxue treated him the same way. They completely disregarded his existence.

 

Ying Xinghui clenched his fists, cold light flickering in the depths of his eyes.

 

“*Hmph!* Refusing to accept reality until confronted with it!” Xu Yuzhu snorted coldly, flinging his sleeve. “Begin then. Stop dawdling and wasting everyone’s time!”

 

“Cut the crystals, cut the crystals…”

 

The surrounding crowd also began to jeer.

 

“Then let’s begin.” Xuan Mingge glanced at the faintly smiling Qin Yichen. Still somewhat anxious, he weakly pointed at that Spirit Crystal worth just over a thousand drops of Spirit Liquid. “Let’s start with this one first!”

 

“Very well!” The Crystal Cutter acknowledged and began his work.

 

His cutting speed was quite fast.

 

Because this Spirit Crystal was lumpy and uneven, appearing as though it had been struck by something, or perhaps even corroded. Were it not for the faint layer of Spiritual Energy swirling around its surface, it probably would not even qualify to be placed in Ancient Jade Pavilion’s Spirit Crystal Area.

 

Even as it was, this Spirit Crystal’s price was pitifully low. It was merely worth one thousand one hundred drops of Spirit Liquid!

 

For such a Spirit Crystal, the Crystal Cutter naturally would not be particularly cautious.

 

He worked with broad, sweeping strokes. The pitted and scarred outer layer fell away piece by piece. After the Crystal Cutter removed that rough exterior, the entire Spirit Crystal had been reduced to a third of its original size.

 

In other words, two-thirds had already been cut away without yielding even a single Ordinary Spirit Seed.

 

Calling it a waste crystal would not be an exaggeration.

 

However, at this moment, no one displayed mockery or voiced derision. Because after removing that pitted and scarred outer layer, the remaining third of the Spirit Crystal radiated an unexpectedly powerful Spiritual Energy.

 

The Spiritual Energy rose, condensing into vapour like clouds.

 

“This… how is this possible…” Even Xu Yuzhu stood stunned, unable to speak.

 

Who could have imagined that beneath that lumpy exterior lay a Spirit Crystal as beautiful as fine jade?

 

If that outer layer were removed, this Spirit Crystal, placed in the Spirit Crystal Area now, would be priced at no less than five thousand drops of Spirit Liquid!

 

Ying Xinghui fell silent.

 

Now, he could only pray that within that Spirit Crystal lay only Peak Grade Spirit Seeds. If something else emerged, then it would be…

 

Losing twenty thousand drops of Spirit Liquid meant nothing to him. Most importantly, he could not afford to lose face!

 

“Haha, this Young Master truly has exceptional eyes!” Xuan Mingge was overjoyed, appearing quite smug, as though the credit belonged entirely to him.

 

However, no one said anything, since this Spirit Crystal had indeed been selected by Xuan Mingge.

 

The Crystal Cutter’s pace rapidly slowed. Rather than peeling away layer by layer, he now carefully carved bit by bit, seemingly afraid of damaging whatever lay hidden within.

 

The Spirit Crystal continued to diminish…

 

Soon, only a palm-sized piece remained. Even at this stage, not a single Ordinary Spirit Seed had been extracted.

 

Yet the Spirit Crystal’s Spiritual Energy grew increasingly concentrated, attracting more and more gazes.

 

That Spiritual Energy condensed into form, like clouds and mist, gathering without dispersing. It was most peculiar.

 

*Swish!* Then, with one stroke of the Crystal Cutter’s blade, a patch of green emerged from within the Spirit Crystal.