I flew on a sword at the magic academy

"I had already made my choice. I was just meditating and resting for a bit," Jiang Yue replied casually.

Her lazy, nonchalant demeanor left many people speechless.

Jiang Yue scanned the crowd around her and announced loudly, "Fellow Daoists, the outcome of this duel is about to be revealed. Anyone wish to place a bet? The odds remain at 1 to 10."

"Place a bet? The situation is already very clear, what mischief is she planning now?"

"Did you really think you could turn the tables like you did at Lanyun Temple last time?"

No one believed she could turn the tide. What was a Holy Spirit Stone? It was the finest of the fine, a rare treasure coveted even by the most powerful and transcendent forces. What could be more precious than it? Unless, of course, another immortal herb's root was cut off!

"Let's go borrow some spirit stones and see how she'll ruin herself this time!"

Many cultivators have taken action, using all their connections to borrow spirit stones.

"If any of you are in dire need of spirit stones, you can borrow from my Liyue Temple." Tantai Jing stepped forward again to offer loans.

He's a businessman, and he'll seize any business opportunity he can. But the same thing happened at Lanyun Temple last time, and observant people have already guessed that the two of them are very likely in cahoots.

"These two are definitely in cahoots; I saw them drinking together last time!"

Upon hearing this, many cultivators who were preparing to borrow money hesitated, feeling that this was most likely a trap. They had already been ripped off last time, and if they stumbled again this time, they would really be close to losing everything.

"The odds for you to lose are 1 to 10. What if we bet on you to win? What are the odds?" someone asked.

"The odds of betting on me to win are 1 to 1, but I still suggest you bet on me to lose, since the odds of 1 to 10 mean you can earn more," Jiang Yue said calmly.

With odds of 1 to 1 versus 1 to 10, the latter is clearly more tempting. However, having learned from their previous experience at Lanyun Temple, everyone has become more savvy this time. They choose to bet on both the win and loss outcomes simultaneously, so that they can break even regardless of the result and avoid losing as badly as they did last time.

"Fortune favors the bold, and you won't make much money this way," Jiang Yue said.

"Who knows what mischief you're up to this time? It's better to play it safe. In any case, no matter what the final result is, one of us will win; it's just a matter of how much."

These cultivators have all been traumatized by Jiang Yue's tricks and are unwilling to take any risks.

"Are you really confident you can cut out the celestial treasure that has been through the Holy Spirit Stone?" Tantai Jing secretly asked telepathically.

"Uncertain, but about 80% sure," Jiang Yue replied. She then turned to the unrecognizable old man sitting cross-legged under the ginkgo tree and bowed to the several ancestral figures around her, saying, "I ask you seniors to protect this junior and seal off this area."

Hearing her words, the people around her became even more surprised and uncertain. Could it be that she could really cut out some divine treasure that could surpass the Holy Spirit Stone?

"No problem, no problem. It's not a big deal anyway. Everyone, just keep an eye on things for Prince Xiang." None of the patriarchs put on airs. They chatted and laughed as they created a protective barrier that completely enveloped the island, even imprisoning the void.

The disfigured old man also silently rose and came closer to protect Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue held her breath and began to cut the stone, and everyone present tensed up, watching her every move intently.

Tantai Jing pinched his chin with one hand, tilted his head slightly, and became more and more interested in Jiang Yue's background.

He felt that this girl was far more complex than she appeared on the surface; she was unassuming and always brought unexpected surprises with every move she made.

"Is he really a descendant of a reclusive family?" Tantai Jing muttered to himself, stroking his chin.

On the other side, several patriarch-level figures looked solemn, guarding the four sides, ready to make a move at any time.

Jiang Yue had previously cut out the root of a celestial herb and a piece of Rainbow Cloud Immortal Gold at Lanyun Temple, and just now he cut out a blank celestial book. These were all real "achievements," so naturally no one would underestimate his abilities.

Debris flew everywhere. The stone, which was originally only the size of a watermelon, had been shaved down to the size of a bowl in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but no unusual phenomenon appeared for a long time.

However, before it is completely cut open, no one can say for sure whether a divine treasure can be extracted.

The entire room fell silent; no one spoke, and everyone involuntarily held their breath.

"Sizzle!"

Suddenly, intense light burst forth from the cracks in the rocks, illuminating the surroundings in a dazzling display, and the pure and rich spiritual energy engulfed the heavens and earth.

"Another Holy Stone?!"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"Another Holy Stone has been created?!"

"Two Holy Spirit Stones appearing in one day—this is extremely rare, absolutely outrageous!"

Everyone was shocked. The emergence of two Holy Spirit Stones one after another seemed unreal to everyone.

Jiang Yue did not stop. Just as the last layer of stone was peeled off, the Holy Spirit Stone suddenly trembled and then shot into the sky, trying to escape.

"Bang"

It crashed into the light barrier. If those ancient monsters hadn't set up a barrier to seal off the area beforehand, it probably would have escaped into the sky.

Everyone was stunned by what they saw. This hadn't happened when the Wu family heir cut out the Holy Spirit Stone.

The current situation suggests either that the Holy Spirit Stone has begun to develop its own sentience, or that it contains other extraordinary treasures!

The dazzling light was so intense and bright that it was impossible to look directly at it or see its true nature.

"Bang," "Bang"...

The Holy Spirit Stone flew and crashed wildly in the sky, causing the heavens to tremble violently.

A group of old monsters attacked simultaneously, using their immense power to imprison the Holy Spirit Stone, freezing it in the sky like a blazing, dazzling sun.

"His Highness Prince Xiang is indeed skilled; he has unearthed another divine treasure!"

"This Holy Spirit Stone is quite unusual; either it has already developed sentience, or it contains other extraordinary treasures!"

The group of old monsters all had burning eyes. At their level, ordinary spirit stones and medicines were no longer of any use to them. Only rare treasures born from nature could possibly help them reach a higher level.

"This Holy Spirit Stone is no ordinary stone," the disfigured old man said.

"Look, it seems there really is something else inside that Holy Spirit Stone!"

"It's moving! My God, is it alive?!"

"It looks like a snake? No! It has horns and claws, could it be a dragon?!"

The scene erupted in excitement. Everyone's face was filled with shock as they discovered that the Holy Spirit Stone indeed contained something else inside, and it was even moving—very likely a living creature!

Judging from the blurry outline of the shadow, it looked like a dragon!

However, the light was so dazzling that even the ancient monsters at the ancestral level had to squint and couldn't see clearly.

Some of the younger generation of cultivators felt a stinging pain in their eyes after just one glance, blood flowed out, and they screamed in agony, unable to look directly at it.

Jiang Yue was deeply disturbed; the fact that a living being existed within the Holy Spirit Stone was completely unexpected.

Many older people pushed forward, forcefully pushing Jiang Yue out of the way.

The noise was deafening and lingered for a long time.

"Your Highness, could you possibly sell this rare treasure to me? Name your price!"

"I'm not selling to you, it's first come, first served, don't you understand? If anyone's going to sell, it'll be to me first!"

"Bullshit! Everyone's standing here, there's no such thing as first come, first served!"

"You old geezer, have I been too lenient with you?"

A group of pale-haired old men were arguing so fiercely that they were about to tear each other apart, leaving the surrounding younger cultivators speechless.

"Aren't you all half-buried in the ground? Can't you have some manners? Let Prince Xiang decide how to deal with this Holy Spirit Stone!" Someone stepped forward to act as a peacemaker.

"We're all practically half-buried in the ground, let's save our energy and let young friend Jiang decide who to sell to." Someone stepped in to mediate.

"Yes, let Prince Xiang decide for himself who to sell to; then there'll be no need for anyone to argue!"

"Hey, where's Prince Xiang?"

"It was just here a moment ago, how did it disappear in the blink of an eye?"

A group of old men looked around, searching for Jiang Yue.

"Seniors, I'm here!" Jiang Yue jumped up and waved. The old man usually looked frail and weak, but now he was all as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

Not to mention Jiang Yue, other young cultivators were also squeezed to the outermost edge of the island, and were about to be pushed into the water, so they had to fly away from the island.

"What are you old fogies doing, pushing and shoving? You've pushed Princess Xiang out! Quickly make room for her and let her in!"

"Who are you calling immortal? How young can you possibly be?!"

The group of old men pushed and shoved, but managed to clear a path for Jiang Yue to squeeze forward.

"Seniors, can you tell what's inside that Holy Spirit Stone?" Jiang Yue asked, the light was too dazzling for her to look at directly.

"It's not clear; you can only barely make out a blurry outline of a shadow."

"Its shape resembles a snake, but it has horns and claws. It should be a dragon, but we don't know whether it's a real dragon or a fake one."

True dragons have long been extinct; this is an indisputable fact. The so-called dragons of today are all pseudo-dragons, cultivated through a system where snakes transform into pythons, pythons into dragons, dragons into jiao, and jiao into dragons. They are not the same concept as the dragons of ancient times.

"Bang"

Just then, the Holy Spirit Stone, which had been frozen in the sky, began to tremble violently.

To be precise, it was the dragon-like shadow that was throbbing violently, like a frightened child desperately trying to escape.

"What an adorable little guy!"

In the crowd, the Ninth Princess hid behind the Third Prince, blinking her big, bright eyes.

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince was startled and quickly turned to his younger sister, asking softly, "Can you see inside that Holy Spirit Stone?"

"Yes, it's a cute little guy."

The Ninth Princess nodded. She did not feel any discomfort from the intense and dazzling light, and could even see the living creature in the Holy Spirit Stone.

As the light gradually dimmed, Jiang Yue opened her palm and captured the dazzling Holy Spirit Stone. As soon as she held it, she felt refreshed and invigorated. The rich and pure divine essence flowed into her body through her pores, turning into warm currents that flowed through her limbs and bones, cleansing every inch of her flesh.

"Click"

Just then, the Holy Spirit Stone cracked open, a flash of light appeared, and the living creature sealed inside seized the opportunity to rush out, shooting into the sky with a "whoosh".

Fortunately, this area has been completely sealed off and imprisoned, so no matter how hard it tries, it cannot escape.

"Was that a dragon-like creature on the verge of transforming into a dragon?"

When it was sealed inside the Holy Spirit Stone, it was only about the length of a finger, but now its body is four or five meters long, its whole body is shining with divine light, and every dragon scale is crystal clear, as if it were cast from gold and jade.

This creature has four claws and a pair of dragon horns on its head that are more than half a meter long, and it is very similar to a jiao that is about to transform into a dragon.

"brush"

With a flash of light, the dragon, unable to break free of the confinement, actually flew back to Jiang Yue's side, transforming into a small dragon the length of a finger, looking at her innocently.

Jiang Yue looked at the little guy with a mixture of curiosity and surprise, and said softly, "You don't think I'm your mother, do you?"

Before she could finish speaking, the little guy took a big bite out of the Holy Spirit Stone in her hand.

"Holy crap!" Jiang Yue's expression changed drastically. She tried to stop it, but the little guy was even faster and swallowed the Holy Spirit Stone in one gulp.

"..."

Jiang Yue was dumbfounded. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she suddenly jumped up.

"I'll fucking kill you, you good-for-nothing!"

With a flick of her finger, she sent the little guy flying backward.

Holy Spirit Stone, a rare treasure among rare treasures, a top-grade item among top-grade items, was swallowed whole by that little guy. Jiang Yue felt her heart bleeding, and she almost slapped this spendthrift to death.

What kind of family is this, eating Holy Stones like food?

In mid-air, the little dragon looked aggrieved and innocent, its big, bright eyes brimming with tears, emitting soft sobs.

Jiang Yue gently rubbed her temples, trying to speak calmly, "I know I shouldn't be harsh with you, but our family isn't well-off. You swallowed an entire Holy Spirit Stone of mine in one gulp; it's already quite kind of me not to kill you with a slap, okay?"

"That was originally mine!" The little dragon couldn't speak human language, but Jiang Yue could understand what it was saying through its spiritual fluctuations.

"Alright, alright, come back quickly, let your mother see what's wrong with you." Jiang Yue spread out her palms to beckon the little guy back.

But the little guy was already traumatized and wouldn't come back no matter what. (End of Chapter)