Jiang Chen, now hailed as a Divine Source Master, had another secret identity. He was a merciless man who murdered many Sect Masters in the Godly Illusion Tomb. He had some treasures on him, like the Godly Illusion Prime Ancestor's Divinity Crystal and also the Demonic Seed implanted by Gu Changge.
Those things were all time bombs, which Gu Changge could use to destroy Jiang Chen's reputation and turn him into a street rat that everyone detested at any time he wanted. However, it was not the time for him to do that yet. Jiang Chen was still rather valuable to his plan of invading Kun Mountain.
"Gu Changge, I think there's something good in this rock." His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Gu Xianer's voice coming from beside him, causing him to turn and look at her.
"If that's what you think, then just go get it cut open." Gu Changge shook his head slightly, and cast a quick glance at the rock she had chosen. There were a lot of rocks in this corner, but there were also many cultivators picking them out. Despite the commotion caused by Jiang Chen, not all of the cultivators were drawn over to his side.
Noticing Gu Changge's disinterest, Gu Xianer sighed and muttered, "At least I was nice enough to tell you about it…"
She then handed the rock over a stonecutter standing beside her. As soon as it was cut open, a brilliant light poured out of it, causing another yet another commotion in the area. There was no doubt that another precious treasure had been born, as the energy fluctuation alone was already quite impressive.
It was only at this moment, many remembered that Gu Xianer was rumored to possess the Legacy of a Divine Source Master, so it was no surprise that she had an eye for picking stones. Unfortunately, compared to Jiang Chen, Gu Xianer was not someone they could just casually approach.
The Divine Rock Conference garnered the attention of the entire Upper Realm. Prominent figures were seen inspecting rocks In every corner. They carefully felt each one, as though they were picking out the perfect watermelon from a roadside fruit vendor. Pillars of light occasionally illuminated the sky. Many Ancient Beings were even seen fighting with each other over a mere rock.
Before long, the remaining Seven Divine Rocks appeared one after another. Many people gathered around to gaze at them. Some even attempted to resonate with them using ancient spells.
Not only the Intangible Demonic Rock, but the remaining Divine Rocks also had unique shapes. One of them stood as tall as a child and had seven orifices. Haze of light was seen coming out of each orifice, pulsing rhythmically just like a beating heart.
"Legend has it that the Seven-Orifice Divine Rock can give birth to an extremely powerful living creature. The rock has been sealed in a Dao Artifact within Dark Kun City, constantly absorbing Nirvana Energy. As a result, it now possesses some power of Nirvana. If a creature were to be born from it, its potential would be unimaginable."
Many ancient beings came forward and carefully studied the Seven-Orifice Divine Rock. Through the orifices, they saw hazy streams of light swirling within it. Slightly weaker cultivators felt their hearts quiver and nearly got down to their knees and bow before this Divine Rock.
The Seven-Orifice Divine Rock was the most special out of the Seven Divine Rocks, because it could not be cut open. It had quite a significant history behind it too. It was originally obtained by a Daoist Master in ancient times from an Immortal Demon Paradise.
At the time, the Principles of the World had not yet been broken. Anyone worthy of the Daoist Master title had at least attained the True Immortal Realm. Therefore, many believed the Seven-Orifice Divine Rock was actually the potential Successor to an invincible being, sealed away in the form of a Divine Rock.
The Seven-Orifices Divine Stone had been kept in Dark Kun City for several epochs. Many made numerous attempts to steal it, but none succeeded. They either accidentally touched the Dao Artifact that safeguarded the rock, or were obliterated by the Prohibition Arrays on its surface.
Gu Changge studied the Seven-Orifice Divine Rock, and sensed fear and avoidance from it.
This made him a little interested. It would appear that this rock had given birth to a significant level of consciousness.
Apart from the Seven-Orifice Divine Rock, the Immortal Foetus was attracting a lot of attention too. It stood at half the height of a person, among a heap of heavenly materials. The rock looked like a piece of sleek, flawless jasper, with rich Immortal Mist flowed within it and shrouded around it.
At every moment, an endless stream of Dao Energy surged around the rock and was absorbed by it. Even cultivators standing nearby experienced a heightened sense of clarity in their Dao Hearts. Some even started meditating near it, believing that enlightenment was within their reach.
The origin of the Immortal Foetus was shrouded in even greater mystery. Some claimed it had fallen from the Nine Heavens, while others believed it had emerged from a divine river that flowed through the Celestial Realm and somehow drifted its way into this realm… Some also claimed to have seen a light streaking across the sky every night, so bright that it illuminated the entire sky for a moment. There were simply too many rumors about the Immortal Foetus.
Currently, a crowd had gathered around the Immortal Foetus, all closely examining it. A ground of Ancient Beings tried to assess it in different ways. Their bodies glowed with a hazy light as they used grand arts and divine abilities to try and catch a glimpse of its true form.
"This Immortal Foetus has been preserved in Dark Kun City for ages. To cut it open, you must trade it for Immortal Crystals. However, acquiring the necessary number of Immortal Crystals is no easy task, even for an Immortal Force. These Immortal Crystals are incredibly rare, and having one or two in possession is already a remarkable feat for any Immortal Force."
Many cultivators shook their heads and sighed in disappointment, realizing it was very unlikely they would be able to witness the Immortal Foetus being cut open in their lifetime.
So what exactly was an Immortal Crystal? A Immortal Crystal was a spirit crystal that contained the energy of immortality, and its value was beyond measure. Even True Daoists would be eager to obtain it. If such a thing appeared in the world, it would undoubtedly result in a bloodbath.
The sheer number of Immortal Crystals required to cut open this piece of Immortal Foetus was beyond imagination. Even if a True Daoist took out his entire fortune, it would still be barely enough. Unless the major Immortal Forces were willing to pool their wealth, cutting open this Divine Rock would be nothing more than just a pipe dream. So the crowd gathered around the Immortal Foetus were just simply there to observe the Divine Rock.
An Xi, the Young War Immortal, Niu Tian, Jiang Chen and others came over. An Xi fixed her burning gaze on the Divine Rock and asked Jiang Chen who was standing next to her, "Can you tell what's in this Immortal Foetus?"
Jiang Chen pretended to be carefully examining the Divine Rock upon hearing the question, but in reality, he was secretly communicating with the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation in his mind.
<Without a doubt, this rock holds something of immeasurable value. Regardless the cost, opening it up will be worthwhile investment> the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation in his mind responded with an unconcealable shock in its tone.
Jiang Chen's heart quivered. He relayed the message to An Xi and the others with a serious expression on his face. The people around them also heard him, but no one doubted the credibility of his words. After all, Jiang Chen had already proved himself to them by demonstrating his abilities that befitted his identity as a Divine Source Master earlier.
"It's a shame that cutting open this piece of Immortal Foetus requires so many Immortal Crystals. Even if we know that there's something valuable in it, we're unable to get it open." The Young War Immortal shook his head regretfully.
His thoughts resonated with many. Even the young prodigies like the King with Six Crowns and the Phoenix Lady agreed with him. The Immortal Foetus was definitely the most valuable of the Seven Divine Rocks. Up until now, no one in the Upper Realm could gather enough Immortal Crystals to cut it open.
Yu Feiya, the Eldest Princess of the Great Yu Dynasty, was also gazing at the Immortal Foetus, unable to take her beautiful eyes off it. Her heart was filled with desire as she had a strong feeling that the final lost page of the scripture from the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty might be connected to this mysterious Divine Rock. It was an intuition that was difficult to explain.
The Sky Demon Sovereign strode forward, his purple eyes swirling with strange emotions. He gazed at the Immortal Foetus for a few moments before shaking his head and said, "If all the major Forces gather their Immortal Crystals together, it might be possible to catch a glimpse of what's inside. Then again, it's also likely that any remaining Immortal Crystals have already been used by the ancient beings for their own cultivation."
Jiang Chen's heart was filled with the same burning desire as he asked An Xi, who was next to him. "Is there no other way to cut it open?"
An Xi shook her head and said, "No, this was a Heaven Dao Oath that was collectively made by numerous ancient beings."
She was not disappointed as she never had the intention of cutting open the Immortal Foetus. Her sole focus was still on that cursed foetal rock responsible for the anomalies on Kun Mountain.
"Are people just going to leave it here until it collects dust? Isn't it better to cut it open and take a look?" Jiang Chen was determined not to leave it behind, especially after the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation had confirmed that there was indeed something miraculous and precious in it.
"If you can bring enough Immortal Crystals, we will naturally allow you to cut the Immortal Foetus open…" An old man with a white beard came over from another direction, exuding an immense aura that nearly brought the other cultivators around him to their knees. His expression remained indifferent as he spoke, but he still managed to instill fear in everyone, causing them to show him great respect.
The old man was not only a True Daoist, but also one of the ancient beings who established the Heaven Dao Oath back then. Jiang Chen was taken aback and felt a bit embarrassed as he had not anticipated encountering another True Daoist here. Although he was eager to cut the Immortal Fetus open, he had never seen a Immortal Crystal before, let alone have any in his possession.
"Forget about cutting it open if you have no Immortal Crystals, you are not worthy of it." The old man cast a sweeping gaze at Jiang Chen, as if he could see right through him. His words were harsh, as if he regarded Jiang Chen as a naive country bumpkin. Jiang Chen's insistence on cutting open the Immortal Foetus left a bad impression on him as it showed disrespect toward those who had established the Heaven Dao Oath.
Upon sensing the old man's displeasure, everyone fell silent, so much that the chirping of crickets could be heard. The others also refrained from speaking, now wanting to be caught up in any potential conflict.
Jiang Chen wore an unpleasant look on his face after being humiliated in front of an audience. Despite the anger in his heart, he couldn't help but tremble slightly under the old man's imposing presence. His skin felt taut and his face paled as he struggled to remain standing on his feet.
Although his display of extraordinary abilities left a great impression on many prominent figures, no one dared to speak up for him in the presence of a True Daoist. Even his good friend, Niu Tian, appeared slightly pale from being suffocated.
True Daoists were those who stood at the pinnacle of the Upper Realm, individuals whom one could not encounter on ordinary occasions. With just one breath, they had the power to obliterate those beneath them a billion times over.
While everyone was afraid to make a noise, Gu Changge, who had been observing the Immortal Foetus for a while, broke the deafening silence with a chuckle. "This Immortal Foetus is indeed extraordinary, let's cut it open today and have a look."
The old man was momentarily taken aback by Gu Changge's suggestion. He quickly regained his composure, but still wore a look of surprise on his face. The expression on his face softened a little as he cupped his fist respectfully and said, "Greetings, Young Master Changge. May I inquire as to the reasoning behind your decision?"
"What? He's really going to cut it open…?" Everyone was also taken aback to hear that Gu Changge also had the plan of cutting this Immortal Foetus open.
While Jiang Chen may not have been worthy of the Divine Rock, Gu Changge was a different case altogether. He could possibly possess the huge number of Immortal Crystals needed to cut it open. After all, there was probably no one wealthier than him in the Upper Realm.