Chapter 553: Vast Disparity; Acceptable

"What? Young Master Gu is really going to cut the Immortal Foetus open? For real?" Upon hearing Gu Changge's words, everyone present couldn't help but look over in shock. Even the nearby cultivators who were inspecting the other remaining Divine Rocks nearby quickly gathered around, not wanting to miss a good show.

In fact, everyone already took notice when the old man insulted Jiang Chen earlier. Being an extremely rare Divine Source Master, Jiang Chen could be considered a prominent figure right now. It was hard to find anyone that didn't know who he was. 

Moments ago, Jiang Chen won the favor of several Elders by helping them extract Longevity Herbs from different stones. However, when the offended old man arrived on the scene, everyone's response was the same. They chose to remain silent and ignore the situation, even though they were all keeping a watchful eye from a distance.

News that Gu Changge intended to cut the Immortal Foetus open spread rapidly throughout the surrounding area, causing a great stir. The Immortal Foetus was well-known as the most valuable of the Seven Divine Rocks, and everyone knew that no one could afford to cut it.

"Young Master Gu is really planning to cut the Immortal Foetus open?" Divine rainbows started appearing as more and more people rushed over in excitement.

"Is the Immortal Foetus really going to be cut open today?"

In another direction, more influential figures arrived on the scene in excitement after hearing the news. They were all convinced that Gu Changge was not joking about it. 

"If it's Young Master Gu, perhaps he can truly gather those Immortal Crystals. We Maybe we'll be lucky enough to feast our eyes upon the treasure in the Divine Rock!" The Phoenix Lady's charming face was filled with uncertainty as she whispered, "That Divine Source Master doesn't seem like someone who has Immortal Crystals."

Only very few individuals could capture the attention of a prideful woman like her, and Gu Changge was one of them. When Jiang Chen expressed his desire to cut the Divine Rock, she furrowed her brow, thinking to herself that this person had too much confidence in himself.

"Young Master Changge is not one to speak lightly. Perhaps we will really be lucky enough to get a glimpse of what is inside the Immortal Foetus today, thanks to him." Princess Yu Feiya gazed intently at Gu Changge with her beautiful eyes.

The princess stood tall and slender, with skin as flawless as crystal. Her presence exuded a regal aura, and her every movement exuded grace and refinement. She was completely fixated on Gu Changge's figure, breaking the hearts of many young men who had been admiring her from a distance.

"I'm pretty confident that Young Master Gu has enough. Rumor has it that he not only deprived the Purple Mansion of its resources, but also stripped the ancient clans of their most valuable resources during his time at the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains." The King with Six Crowns could barely hide the envy in his voice. Despite their considerable wealth, they were less than beggars when compared to Gu Changge.

"Are you truly serious about this, Young Master Changge?" The old man was equally taken aback upon hearing the remarks from those around him. To him, Jiang Chen and Gu Changge were not even in the same league. Even describing the difference between the two as heaven and earth, would still be an insult to Gu Changge.

Someone like Jiang Chen was unworthy of cutting the Immortal Foetus, as he likely had never even laid eyes on an Immortal Crystal. Even if he was a Divine Source Master, he was no more than a regular cultivator in the eyes of a True Daoist like him. However, should someone of Gu Changge's caliber expressed his interest to cut the Immortal Foetus open, he would have to take his request seriously.

"Absolutely. Do you think I am joking around, Senior? The Immortal Foetus isn't something to be handled by just anyone," Gu Changge replied calmly with a small smile.

The old man cast a brief glance toward Jiang Chen before smiling and agreeing, "You are absolutely right about that, Young Master Changge."

The underlying meaning behind their conversation was evident to everyone, and Jiang Chen was immediately met with looks of mockery and amusement.

*BOOM!!* Waves of terrifying aura fluctuations swept over from the skies. Ancient beings arrived on the scene, their dignified countenances obscured by the Chaos Qi that shrouded them. Many among them were those who had established the Heaven Dao Oath, committing themselves to its unbreakable principles.

"Can Gu Changge really offer up that many Immortal Crystals…?" Jiang Chen's face turned sour as he felt a burning heat rise to his cheeks. The sting of humiliation was palpable, as if he had been slapped in the face in front of everyone.

One of the ancient beings solemnly said, "Young Master Changge, when we established the Heaven Dao Oath, we have determined that the Immortal Foetus holds a value of a hundred Immortal Crystals. Offer them up and the divine rock shall be yours." Despite being a True Daoist, he humbly conversed with Gu Changge as if they were equals and refrained from displaying any arrogance.

"What…?"

"One hundred Immortal Crystals…!?"

"What an astronomical figure!"

Gasps were heard all around as everyone's anticipation turned into shock. All their faces contorted in disbelief. Elders, Sect Masters, and others who were very familiar with Immortal Crystals felt their scalps go numb as their eyes widened in surprise when they heard the price. They had truly underestimated the value of the Immortal Foetus, assuming that its value would be no more than ten Immortal Crystals.

The price of a hundred Immortal Crystals was exorbitant and beyond what anyone could imagine. Collecting a hundred Immortal Crystals in the Upper Realm was an unimaginably difficult task. No Force could confidently claim that they could gather that amount.

"A hundred Immortal Crystals, what an outrageous price." An Ancestor of the An Clan, An Wangshan, appeared behind An Xi and her companions, his face twitching in surprise.

"Grand Uncle, exactly how much are a hundred Immortal Crystals worth?" An Xi, Jiang Chen, and the others looked clueless. Judging from the pale faces of the prominent figures around them, they could tell that it must be a significant amount.

"In the past, I was fortunate enough to acquire an Immortal Crystal. I even cherished it as a treasure. Thanks to it, I was able to break through to the Intermediate Nirvana Realm because it contained traces of Immortality."

An Wangshan appeared slightly envious and couldn't resist shaking his head as he continued saying, "For the Immortal Forces, a hundred Immortal Crystals are treasures that can help them quickly produce many True Daoists!"

Upon hearing this explanation, many cultivators, including the Sky Demon Sovereign and the Young War Immortal, who previously had no clue about the true value of a hundred Immortal Crystals, gasped and trembled in shock.

For an Immortal Force, the presence of a True Daoist among them would be an invaluable asset, capable of strengthening their foundation. The mere prospect of producing numerous True Daoists in a short span of time with a hundred Immortal Crystals was a treasure beyond measure!

"Why would anyone spend a hundred Immortal Crystals to buy this Divine Rock, even if they have them?"

Someone murmured in a state of utter shock as they struggled to regain composure.

"No matter how wealthy Gu Changge may be , there's no way he has that many Immortal Crystals. That's definitely impossible."

Jiang Chen was deeply shocked too. After he snapped out of it, he stared at Gu Changge with bloodshot eyes. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration. For the sake of acquiring a few cultivation resources, he had the blood of countless people on his hands and even nearly lost his life on a few occasions. Yet, he still had no idea what an Immortal Crystal looked like.

In contrast, Gu Changge appeared unfazed by the exorbitant cost of one hundred Immortal Crystals and maintained his air of superiority. This made Jiang Chen feel even more frustrated, as he was reminded of Xiao Ruoyin's determination to leave him back then.

After all, as long as she had Gu Changge to rely on, she had access to unlimited cultivation resources and an array of powerful techniques for her to choose from. She could rest easy knowing that she had no reason to worry about anything.

If she had chosen to run away with him, she would not only have to evade Gu Changge's pursuit but also worry about acquiring enough Spiritual Stones for her cultivation.

This vast disparity weighed heavily on Jiang Chen's heart, crushing his chest like an invisible mountain and making it difficult for him to breathe. He clenched his fists tightly. Although he could rationalise Xiao Ruoyin's decision, he just couldn't understand or forgive her!!

While everyone was still shocked by the Immortal Foetus's price, Gu Changge simply shook his head and said, "One hundred Immortal Crystals? Quite a price, but still acceptable. I'll take this Immortal Foetus." He let out a small sigh, seemingly feeling a twinge of pain at the exorbitant cost.

"Acceptable?" The white-bearded old man with a white beard and his companions had a range of emotions written on their faces, from excitement and surprise to daze and disbelief. They were all prepared to hear Gu Changge's refusal after inquiring about the price. Yet, he merely said that it was an acceptable price.

This left them all wondering if their ears had deceived them. They were not the only ones who were stunned. The Sect Masters and Elders were equally taken aback and left in a state of shock, with their mouths agape in disbelief. Just how wealthy was Gu Changge to be able to say something like that?

The Phoenix Lady, the King with Six Crowns, Princess Yu Feiya, and the others were left in utter shock as their expressions froze in place. They were at a loss for words too.

"I don't have any Immortal Crystals, but I do have something similar. Have a look first. If it meets your requirements, I'll have someone cut the Immortal Foetus open." Gu Changge shook his head slightly and passed a sealed jade jar to the white-bearded old man without wasting any time.

In the Celestial Ancient Continent back then, Gu Changge obtained many Celestial Spirits upon entering the Celestial Gate with the help of Yue Mingkong. Immortal Crystal was essentially the crystal form of Celestial Spirits. The two were basically the same. After Gu Changge shared some with Yue Mingkong, Yin Mei and others, he had many left for himself.

Even after refining some of them over the years, he still possessed an abundance of Celestial Spirits so he took some out. [Since Celestial Spirits contain Immortal Energy as well, which was the most important part about Immortal Crystals, these two are basically interchangeable.]

Just a single fist-sized amount of Immortal Energy was sufficient to condense a dozen Immortal Crystals, so his small jar held more than enough of it. 

Naturally, he didn't have the slightest worry about possessing them and showing off his wealth. After all, in the Upper realm, who would have the audacity to brazenly take something from him?

Witnessing this sight, especially Gu Changge's calm demeanour, left everyone feeling a bit nervous and at a loss for words.

[No Immortal Crystals? What could be sealed in the jade jar then?]

The white-bearded old man and his companions nodded understandingly. Knowing Gu Changge's status, they were confident he wouldn't deceive them in such matters. With a wave of their sleeves, they swiftly created a barrier around themselves. As a result, those outside the barrier could only catch a glimpse of the activity within, but were unable to listen to the conversation taking place.

"This is…"

The next moment, they clearly saw the green haze that had traces of Immortal Energy emitting from the jar. It was accompanied by an overwhelmingly powerful aura. The white-bearded old man and his companions were taken aback, their expressions filled with disbelief as their bodies trembled.

They figured out what was inside almost instantly. Their expressions changed drastically and their breathing hastened. They looked at each other, then quickly sealed the jade jar again to prevent any energy in it from escaping.

As True Daoists, they were naturally not stupid and understood that the value of these things exceeded even that of Immortal Crystals.