The Strongest Dandy in the City-Chapter 1254 - 1247: You Cheat! I Cheat too!

After confirming the value that the storage ring could fetch at the auction, Ye Chenfeng decided to first make a big profit from it. However, Ye Chenfeng knew absolutely nothing about crafting storage rings. Therefore, he immediately asked the shadowy figure Jiang Yuntian privately.

Ye Chenfeng learned from Jiang Yuntian that crafting storage rings required an understanding of Space Laws and only one material: the Ethereal Stone. Currently, the most pressing matter for Ye Chenfeng was to quickly procure an Ethereal Stone, or else he wouldn’t be leaving Tianyao City anytime soon. But with He Ping only having one Middle Grade Spirit Stone left, Ye Chenfeng could easily deduce that buying an Ethereal Stone with that alone would be nothing short of wishful thinking.

"He Ping, do you three know the specific price of an Ethereal Stone?" Ye Chenfeng asked.

Excited just moments ago, He Ping and the others were now like cold water had been poured over them. They were also aware that Ethereal Stone was the main material for crafting storage rings. Huang Chongyi drooped his head and said, "Boss, although Ethereal Stone is indeed a material for crafting storage rings, it’s not exactly rare. Also, in the Earth Profound Realm, only two master Artifact Refiners from the Refining Sect can craft storage rings. So the price of Ethereal Stone isn’t absurdly high. Typically, a hundred Middle Grade Spirit Stones will buy you a piece of Ethereal Stone of ordinary size."

"A hundred Middle Grade Spirit Stones is nothing more than a drop in the bucket for disciples of major sects, but for us, it’s practically a fortune. What’s more, we only have one Middle Grade Spirit Stone left on us, and it’s unlikely to cover even our lodging fees for a few days."

A hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones equate to one Middle Grade Spirit Stone, and a thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones equate to one High Grade Spirit Stone; likewise, a hundred Middle Grade Spirit Stones equate to one High Grade Spirit Stone. For Core Disciples of first-tier or top-tier sects, they receive countless High Grade Spirit Stones annually. In comparison, He Ping and the others were simply at the lowest rung of the ladder within the Earth Profound Realm.

After hearing Huang Chongyi’s explanation, Ye Chenfeng felt equally helpless inside. Observing the worried faces of He Ping and the others, he said, "Let’s just wander around Tianyao City for a bit."

Tianyao City was remarkably vast. On either side of the streets were shops selling endless varieties of goods: taverns, inns, and, of course, stores offering items cultivators might need. Opening a shop in Tianyao City required paying a hefty sum of Spirit Stones to the City Lord’s Mansion annually.

Nevertheless, aspiring shopkeepers flooded in. For one, every shop within Tianyao City was protected by the city itself—no one dared to stir trouble here. For another, Tianyao City had become a refuge for many. Once inside, fighting and killing were strictly prohibited, which only made the city more prosperous as time went on. The crowds included elites from top-tier sects clad in fine clothes, as well as fierce-looking rogues. Every walk of life converged in the city.

When Tianyao City’s no-fighting rule was first enacted, a powerful cultivator at the Creation Realm unwisely fled into the city while being chased by a sect master of a Fifth-Rank sect with Reincarnation Realm cultivation. The sect master recklessly pursued him into the city—only to be instantly killed by Tianyao City’s City Lord. Later, the Fifth-Rank sect tried to seek justice, but overnight, that entire sect was utterly annihilated.

From that day on, no one dared cause trouble in Tianyao City. Rumors spread that the City’s Lord’s power rivaled, if not surpassed, the sect masters of top-tier sects, earning him respect from even those sects.

After aimlessly wandering for about fifteen minutes, Ye Chenfeng and his companions stopped in front of a shop called "Divine Artifact Pavilion," surrounded by a crowd of seventy or eighty people. Curiosity piqued, Ye Chenfeng and the others squeezed their way into the crowd. To the left of the shop’s entrance was a two-meter-tall round stone.

Beside the round stone was a red poster with black lettering: "To celebrate the shop’s grand opening, anyone below the Divine Thought Realm can pay one Middle Grade Spirit Stone and try to crack this stone with a single punch. If successful, they will be allowed to pick three items freely from our Divine Artifact Pavilion."

The Divine Artifact Pavilion mainly sold materials for Artifact Refining, some of which were exceedingly rare. This concept attracted a large audience—after all, presenting a material that caught the attention of Refining Sect’s master Artifact Refiners could lead to crafting a custom weapon free of charge. However, such coveted materials were typically priceless, unattainable for most cultivators.

This grand opening event sparked hope among Spirit Communication Realm and Ocean Gathering Realm cultivators, as Divine Thought Realm individuals were excluded. Yet, despite the efforts of over twenty cultivators to punch the stone since the announcement, not even the faintest chip had been dislodged. Suspicions of cheating by the Divine Artifact Pavilion began to rise.

"This stone can’t possibly be cracked by someone in the Spirit Communication or Ocean Gathering Realm. Divine Artifact Pavilion must refund my Middle Grade Spirit Stone!"

"Yes, this is blatant fraud! Give us back our Spirit Stones!"

...

A pudgy man in his forties stood at the Pavilion’s entrance. His face glistened with grease, adorned by a sly smile. His name was Zhu Mingqian, and his cultivation was at the Initial Stage of Ocean Gathering Realm’s Second Heavenly Layer. He was the shopkeeper of the Divine Artifact Pavilion.

Zhu Mingqian’s chubby cheeks trembled slightly as he raised his plump hands to calm the agitated crowd. "Everyone, hold your horses. The reason you couldn’t crack the stone is simply because your strength isn’t enough. Here, I’ll have someone demonstrate—a cultivator at the Initial Stage of Ocean Gathering Realm’s First Heavenly Layer!"

Standing beside Zhu Mingqian was a tall, fierce-looking man exuding the aura of Ocean Gathering Realm’s Initial Stage First Heavenly Layer. He strode confidently to the two-meter-tall stone, struck it with a resounding punch, and cracked off a corner of the stone’s upper-left section.

After the demonstration, Zhu Mingqian laughed. "See? My subordinate here is only at the Initial Stage of Ocean Gathering Realm’s First Heavenly Layer, yet he successfully split the stone. Is there anyone else who’d like to give it a try?"

Ye Chenfeng, hidden in the crowd, keenly sensed something odd. As the fierce-looking man delivered his punch, Ye Chenfeng unmistakably detected a trace of Creation Realm’s Initial Stage aura from him. The man concealed it extremely well—well enough that even a Creation Realm cultivator wouldn’t notice the deceit.

The spectators, whose cultivations peaked at Divine Thought Realm, couldn’t begin to understand the trickery at play. Ye Chenfeng’s sensory abilities were an anomaly, surpassing the norm.

After the demonstration, the crowd fell silent. Ye Chenfeng, holding Little Bai in his arms, smirked ever so slightly. He deduced that breaking this stone required at least Initial Stage Creation Realm cultivation. Given that Ethereal Stones might be available inside the Divine Artifact Pavilion, Ye Chenfeng didn’t mind resorting to some cheating of his own.

Ye Chenfeng took the last Middle Grade Spirit Stone from He Ping and stepped forward, handing it to Zhu Mingqian. "I want to give it a try too."

Ye Chenfeng’s cultivation level—Spirit Communication Realm’s Peak Fourth Heavenly Layer—was plain for all to see. Zhu Mingqian accepted the Spirit Stone with a grin. "Alright, young man, I have high hopes for you."

Though Zhu Mingqian spoke kindly, he sneered inwardly, "Another fool. Didn’t expect the Divine Artifact Pavilion to rake in some profits on our first day of business!"

"Kid, you’re only Spirit Communication Realm’s Fourth Heavenly Layer. Don’t embarrass yourself by wasting a perfectly good Middle Grade Spirit Stone."

"Do you think this stone is that easy to crack? That Pavilion guy might be gifted with innate strength or something!"

...

The crowd heckled Ye Chenfeng incessantly. Amid their jeers, an elderly man in the audience suddenly fixated on Ye Chenfeng, his eyes gleaming with an uncontrollable sharpness.

Unbothered by the crowd’s remarks, Ye Chenfeng approached the large stone, concealing everyone’s view behind his back. Stroking Little Bai’s fur, he casually threw a punch at the stone. At the same time, Little Bai lashed out with its small paw, perfectly hiding its Peak Second Heavenly Layer Creation Realm strength.

"Boom!" The sound echoed fiercely.

When Ye Chenfeng’s fist struck the stone, it seemed motionless. Zhu Mingqian, his greasy smile widening, said, "Young man, if you’d like to try again, you’ll need to pay for another—"

Before Zhu Mingqian could finish, cracking sounds erupted from the round stone. "Crack! Crack! Crack!" A thunderous "boom!" followed as the entire stone shattered apart.

Silence fell over the entrance of the Divine Artifact Pavilion. Zhu Mingqian’s smug expression froze in shock.

Ye Chenfeng, still holding Little Bai, rubbed his nose casually and remarked, "Huh? I actually broke it? Guess I’m lucky."

Since Zhu Mingqian had cheated first, Ye Chenfeng saw no reason to feel guilty about his own trickery.

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)