The unbelievably potent spiritual energy almost suffocated everyone on the spot!
"So many... top-grade spirit stones!" Gang Leader Zhang stammered, eyes wide, "We're rich... we're rich..."
"Strange..." Gang Leader Li muttered, "This level already far surpasses top-grade spirit stones... and... when did red spirit stones appear?"
"These aren't top-grade spirit stones!" The gang leader who had spoken earlier trembled, "These are... supreme-grade spirit stones!"
"Hiss—!"
As these words were uttered, everyone collectively gasped!
Their gazes immediately turned frenzied!
Supreme-grade spirit stones sounded only one rank higher than top-grade, but in reality, they were entirely different concepts!
Cultivators absorbed and refined the spiritual energy stored in spirit stones to cultivate, and also used spirit stones for currency.
The remaining uses were in industries like alchemy and artifact forging, which occasionally used them, but primarily for their stored spiritual energy.
To put it simply, spirit stones were similar to mana potions; different grades just meant more or less mana.
At most, top-grade ones were more convenient to absorb and refine, with better effects.
But supreme-grade spirit stones were different!
Besides the aforementioned functions, they possessed an extremely formidable characteristic.
Supreme-grade spirit stones were mutated spirit stones formed after absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Influenced by their surroundings, these stones usually developed a tendency towards a specific element!
This tendency could amplify the power of a cultivator's spells!
For instance, red top-grade spirit stones could enhance fire-element spell attacks, while blue ones could boost ice-element, and so on.
Their effects were even better when paired with magical artifacts.
Gang Leaders Zhang and Li had indeed heard of supreme-grade spirit stones before; they had just failed to connect the dots initially.
They vaguely recalled that supreme-grade spirit stones were already fetching astronomical prices in the black market!
A single supreme-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for a million top-grade spirit stones!
However, despite being listed for so long in the black market, no one had ever traded for them.
After all, these things were incredibly rare, existing in a state of being priceless but unavailable for purchase.
Even if someone was fortunate enough to acquire one or two, they would likely hoard them as a trump card.
In fact, supreme-grade spirit stones weren't initially that rare; they were once circulated as currency like top-grade spirit stones.
The current situation arose due to historical issues.
Several cataclysms in the cultivation world had led to a massive loss of talent and technology.
This resulted in severe gaps and vacuums in technologies like alchemy and artifact forging.
For example, a fire-element supreme-grade spirit stone could enhance a Void Integration stage cultivator's fire-elemental attack by 5%, while a Grade 10 Fire Blazing Pill could boost it by a full 10%!
One was naturally formed over a long period.
The other was artificially refined and could be mass-produced.
The superiority was clear!
However, after the technological breakdown, it was unknown if anyone could still refine the Fire Blazing Pill.
Even if a few managed to do so, they would have long been absorbed by major powers, making them unobtainable on the market!
Since cultivators couldn't rely on elixirs, they had to resort to spirit stones, leading to their production gradually failing to meet demand.
This caused the price of supreme-grade spirit stones, which weren't particularly precious to begin with, to skyrocket exponentially!
As supreme-grade spirit stones were consumed, their price increases became more and more outrageous.
Now, they had reached a point of being priceless but unavailable for purchase!
And these more than a dozen chests were completely filled with supreme-grade fire-element spirit stones!!!
This was no longer a matter of getting rich; it was utterly insane!
Just throwing a handful of these into Ge City would undoubtedly incite a bloody conflict!
The three gangs quickly divided the spoils and then fled like thieves.
"Ye Fan, why did you stop me just now?" After everyone left, the little demoness complained, "Those things clearly looked valuable, and they were snatching our stuff!"
In the little demoness's mind, anything she saw automatically bore her surname.
Such was her simple and unadorned bandit logic!
"Just some supreme-grade spirit stones, not exactly good stuff," Ye Fan pouted. "If you really like them, I can make you some better ones later."
Supreme-grade spirit stones were indeed valuable in the eyes of these cultivators.
But to Ye Fan, they were insignificant.
After all, these things were confined to the cultivation world, and his knowledge had long since ascended to higher realms.
If he truly wanted to, he could create a mountain of supreme-grade spirit stones at any time.
"Really?" The little demoness's eyes lit up.
Then, her expression soured again.
She still felt terrible...
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became...
With Ye Fan spending so lavishly, this household would be ruined sooner or later!
"But I'm just curious," Ye Fan glanced at the little demoness. "We don't lack money, and we don't spend much, so why are you so obsessed with wealth?"
As soon as he asked, Ye Fan regretted it.
As expected.
"We don't lack it now, but what about the future?" The little demoness began counting on her fingers. "In the future, our son will need to cultivate, get married, and establish a sect. All these miscellaneous expenses will add up to a huge sum. Our son will have grandsons, and grandsons will have great-grandsons, and great-great-grandsons."
"Ah! I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore!" The little demoness exclaimed in frustration. "The more I think about it, the poorer we get. I feel like we're already bankrupt!"
Ye Fan silently raised his right hand and slapped himself on the face...
"Why are you hitting yourself?" the little demoness asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing, a mosquito just flew onto my face..."
"Really? I didn't see it," the little demoness looked towards the Jian Jiao duo. "Did you two see it?"
The two demons looked up at the sky, earnestly searching for mosquitoes...
"Still worrying about it?" Seeing the little demoness's low spirits, Ye Fan pointed to the boxes on the ground. "Actually, the materials of these boxes are the truly good stuff. A single empty box is worth more than a hundred boxes of those supreme-grade spirit stones. If those guys had any discerning eyes, they wouldn't have committed the folly of picking up sesame seeds and discarding watermelons."
"Whoosh!"
A gust of wind blew past.
The empty boxes on the ground vanished, and the little demoness was seen caressing her spatial ring with a covetous look.
Ye Fan and the two demons covered their faces in unison...
As evening approached, the group arrived in front of another building.
In truth, they shouldn't have been this slow given their speed, but Ye Fan had waited for Huang Huihong and the others.
Setting aside other matters, Ye Fan was a man of his word.
If he hadn't promised them before, so be it.
But since he had promised, he would certainly keep his word.
They deliberately moved slower to wait for them.
The plaque on the building's main entrance was missing, making it impossible to discern the building's specific function.
However, before they even reached the entrance, the sounds of fighting could be heard from within.