Zi Linling smiled, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
She didn't care if the Alchemist Guild was vulgar or not; as long as it didn't infringe upon her interests, she could easily turn a blind eye.
But if they dared to provoke her, she wouldn't mind helping them to rectify things.
Time flew by, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.
For the rare occasion, Zi Linling did not cultivate. After freshening up, she was led by Xuanyuan Zhe towards the location of the Stone Gambling Convention.
They thought they had arrived early, but by the time they reached the venue, quite a crowd had already gathered.
The Stone Gambling Convention was held on the main street of Xuanyuan City.
On both sides of the street, various types of raw stones were displayed. Due to their sheer number, they seemed to stretch endlessly.
The morning was designated for free stone selection.
As long as one possessed sufficient spirit stones, they could purchase raw stones without limit.
Purchased raw stones could either be cut open on the spot or taken away directly.
Zi Linling and Xuanyuan Zhe did not walk quickly.
They didn't know how to select stones, so they could only rely on luck.
"This piece has good quality; there should be a treasure inside!"
Xuanyuan Zhe circled a raw stone, observing it carefully for a long time before speaking.
Zi Linling merely smiled and remained silent.
She knew nothing about raw stones, so she had no right to comment.
Just then, Long'er's voice echoed in Zi Linling's mind.
"Master, the third stone to your left contains a treasure!"
Zi Linling blinked in surprise and asked, "How do you know?"
Long'er replied arrogantly, "What's so strange about that? We dragons are born with the ability to find treasures."
Zi Linling's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Long'er, is that true?"
Long'er continued arrogantly, "Of course it's true. Long'er's pride does not allow us to lie."
"Great! That's wonderful!"
Zi Linling's clear eyes sparkled with brilliant light.
She looked at the stone Long'er had chosen. It didn't look special at all, and with its rugged, irregular shape, it certainly didn't seem like it could hold a treasure.
However, since Long'er said there was a treasure, she had no reason to doubt it.
The price of the raw stone was three hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones.
Although Zi Linling felt a pang of pain, she paid the money.
"Miss, do you want to cut the stone?"
A plump man asked Zi Linling with a cheerful smile.
"Cut it! Of course, cut it!"
Before Zi Linling could speak, Xuanyuan Zhe exclaimed.
"Does cutting stones cost money?"
Zi Linling asked unhurriedly.
In reality, she was already impatient.
That was three hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones, her entire remaining fortune.
"Miss, cutting stones is free!"
The plump man said with a squinting smile.
"Alright! Then cut it!"
Zi Linling gritted her teeth and said.
Since she had already spent three hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones, cutting it was inevitable.
"Certainly!"
The plump man agreed, and a very sharp knife appeared in his hand. He said, "Please place the raw stone on the cutting platform, Miss!"
Zi Linling nodded and placed the stone on the platform.
The plump man raised his knife to cut.
"Wait!" Zi Linling stopped him.
The knife, about to enter the raw stone, halted in mid-air.
He looked at Zi Linling, confused, and asked, "Miss, what is it?"
Zi Linling smiled apologetically and said, "Please wait a moment, I have a few questions I'd like to ask."
The plump man nodded, moved the knife away, and asked, "What guidance do you have, Miss?"
Zi Linling said sheepishly, "Well... this is my first time gambling on stones, so I'm not very familiar with the rules. Please don't mind!"
The plump man's smile did not diminish, and he said, "Please speak your mind, Miss."
Zi Linling asked, "I just want to know, what happens if a treasure is cut out?"
The plump man laughed and said, "Since the raw stone has been purchased by Miss, any treasure cut from it naturally belongs to Miss."
"Of course, if Miss wishes to sell it, we are also willing to purchase it. The price, well, can be calculated at double the market rate!"
Zi Linling nodded and asked, "What if the treasure inside is accidentally damaged due to your actions?"
The smile on the plump man's face faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "Miss, you jest. I've been in this trade for over ten years, and I've never accidentally damaged a treasure!"
Zi Linling shook her head and said, "Please don't be offended! I have no doubt about your stone-cutting skills. It's just that this is my first time dealing with stone gambling, so it's better to clarify things. If I have offended you, please forgive me!"
A hint of displeasure flashed in the plump man's eyes.
However, as a businessman, he valued harmony for prosperity. Therefore, his smile did not fade, though it became a little stiff.
"Since Miss has concerns, how about this: if the treasure inside is damaged, I will offer triple compensation. What do you say?"
Zi Linling smiled and said, "If that's the case, then I can rest assured!"
The plump man nodded and asked, "Miss, may I cut it now?"
Zi Linling nodded and said, "Cut it!"
"Alright!"
The plump man agreed and raised his cutting knife again.
He did not cut directly from the center but made the first cut at one-fifth of the way.
After the first cut, the raw stone showed no change.
He glanced at Zi Linling and said, "Miss, I'm going to make the second cut!"
Zi Linling nodded and softly said, "Mm."
The plump man's hand steadily cut into the stone at one-quarter of the way.
The raw stone remained unchanged.
A trace of tension appeared in Zi Linling's eyes.
"Third cut!"
The plump man announced, and without waiting for Zi Linling's reply, the third cut was made at one-third of the way.
This time, a faint green light emanated from the cut surface.
This light was called "treasure light." It ranged from red to purple, with red being the lowest quality and purple being the highest.
Generally speaking, red and orange light would indicate lower-grade treasures, yellow and green light would indicate mid-grade treasures, cyan and blue light would indicate high-grade treasures, and purple light would indicate extremely high-grade treasures.
The green light emanating from Zi Linling's raw stone meant that there was at least a mid-grade treasure inside.
Furthermore, because the treasure light was still some distance from the actual treasure, it had not damaged it.
"It's glowing!" Xuanyuan Zhe exclaimed excitedly.
It was not surprising that he exclaimed or that he was excited.
Once treasure light appeared, it confirmed that there was indeed a treasure inside.
It had to be said that the plump man's stone-cutting skills were quite exquisite.
After the light appeared, he no longer made large, sweeping cuts. Instead, he meticulously chipped away the waste stone surrounding the green light.
Moments later, only a fist-sized portion of the raw stone remained, radiating a rich green glow from all sides.