Reborn as the Novel’s Villain: Cultivation Lost, Female Leads Take Control - Chapter 134

Not long after, another artisan began unlocking a source stone.

“Swish!”

As the stone skin peeled away, an ancient aura of vicissitudes filled the air.

Beneath the high platform, all eyes turned upward.

“It looks like a small cauldron?”

“Wait… why do I smell medicinal herbs?”

“Could it be an alchemy cauldron?”

“Whatever it is, as long as it’s not the divine source, I don’t care.”

“…”

The crowd murmured ceaselessly.

At this moment, a descendant of an immortal clan couldn’t help but ask, “Master Xu, you don’t happen to know anything about alchemy, do you?”

Xu Yang replied truthfully, “Not at all. I don’t know a thing about alchemy!”

‘But then again, that might change soon’, he added silently to himself.

Hearing this, the descendants of an immortal clan collectively sighed in relief. If Master Xu had also mastered alchemy, they’d feel as though their entire lives had been a waste!

Yuan Kouxuan stepped forward with the newly revealed alchemy cauldron in hand. Without hesitation, she presented it to her master. Her eyes sparkled as she said joyfully, “Master, weren’t you just lamenting the lack of an alchemy cauldron? This one should suit your needs!”

‘Alchemy?’

Xu Yang suddenly remembered the lie he had told Xuan’er to cover for Qing’er—claiming an ancient alchemy recipe they found was a forgery.

Unexpectedly, Xuan’er had taken the lie to heart.

A mix of warmth and guilt filled him as he accepted the cauldron. At that moment, a system notification rang in his mind:

[Ding! Yuan Kouxuan gifted the host the Beiming Alchemy Cauldron (heaven-rank, lower grade), triggering a 1,000-fold critical return—True Explanation of the Dao of Alchemy!]

True Explanation of the Dao of Alchemy: Created by Alchemy Venerable Lingyue, the only individual in history to ascend to immortality through alchemy. This tome contains formulas for countless rare elixirs, as well as Venerable Lingyue’s insights and experiences. It is an unparalleled treasure for alchemists!

Reading the system’s introduction, Xu Yang couldn’t help but smile. He turned to Yuan Kouxuan with a look of approval.

“Xuan’er, you truly are the most thoughtful disciple a master could ask for!”

A blush swept across Yuan Kouxuan’s usually composed face. She lowered her head and softly replied, “This is what a disciple should do.”

Not far away, Qin Kewan—who had been quietly munching on a spiritual fruit—heard the exchange and began biting aggressively.

“Crunch, crunch, crunch!!!”

The exaggerated noise seemed to express silent protest.

However, Xu Yang and Yuan Kouxuan didn’t even notice. Their attention was drawn by the crowd’s collective gasp from below the platform.

“My goodness! This life essence is so dense it’s almost liquefied. Could this be a saint-rank spiritual object?”

“Forget saint-rank spiritual objects for now—look at the other source stone! It seems to contain the divine source. I can’t see clearly, but I feel something beating violently inside!”

A descendant from a family of formation masters spoke with solemnity.

“A beating heart? So what? Daoist, what’s the significance of that?” someone asked, puzzled.

“The implications are enormous! Have you ever heard of the Black Tortoise Great Sage of the Demon Clan?”

An elderly man with white hair, a longtime resident of White Emperor City, interjected with a trembling voice. He was well-versed in the city’s history, spanning thousands of years.

When the crowd heard the mention of the Black Tortoise Great Sage, they froze in disbelief.

Someone finally asked, “Sir, are you saying the Black Tortoise Great Sage was cut from a source stone?”

The old man shook his head. “Of course not. But a hundred years ago, he came to White Emperor City and took away a creature cut from a source stone. That creature is now the Black Tortoise Emperor, a supreme figure in the Demon Clan!”

“What?! The Black Tortoise Emperor came from a source stone?!”

The crowd gasped, their jaws practically hitting the floor.

The Black Tortoise Emperor was entirely different from the Black Tortoise Great Sage. While the Great Sage was merely a black turtle with a grandiose name, the Emperor was a pure descendant of a divine beast. Despite not yet reaching full maturity, he already possessed combat power rivaling that of the Divine Transformation Realm. He could fight against Venerables without defeat and dominate any peer in his generation!

“It’s incredible—a divine beast emerging from a source stone!”

“This is bad. If it’s truly a divine beast cub, Purple Cloud Peak might refuse to accept it as a mount!”

“Daoist, your focus seems… a little off!”

“…”

“If a divine beast is truly found, it might become a hot potato for Master Xu! Divine beasts have an exalted status in the Demon Clan. If Master Xu actually uses it as a mount, the Demon Clan definitely won’t let it slide!”

“That’s true. If the Demon Clan sends the Black Tortoise Great Sage to reclaim it, even though Senior Xu is powerful, he’s definitely not a match for the Black Tortoise Great Sage. He might be forced to hand over the divine beast!”

Many people in the crowd began to worry about Xu Yang’s predicament.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ye, hiding amidst the onlookers, wore a sinister expression. His eyes gleamed with rage, his chest heaving like an active volcano on the verge of eruption.

“A saint-rank spiritual treasure!”

“A divine beast cub!”

“These were supposed to be my opportunities, but now that old demon Xu has snatched them away!”

“I hate this! I hate it so much!!!”

At that moment, a voice filled with forced flattery broke through his spiraling thoughts.

“Brother Wang Chen, congratulations! You bet correctly this time and won big!”

A casual cultivator approached with a nervous smile plastered on his face.

Xiao Ye glanced sideways at him and replied coldly, “What does this have to do with you?”

The casual cultivator’s smile grew even more awkward as he rubbed his hands together. “Of course, it has nothing to do with me, but I was hoping Brother Wang Chen might spare a few fewer spirit stones. I need to keep some for travel expenses. You’ve won so much—it wouldn’t matter if you spared just a little…”

“No. Get lost!”

Xiao Ye’s tone was icy, his gaze filled with murderous intent.

‘These petty spirit stones?’

‘If not for my stolen luck, it would be me standing on that stage, basking in the glory!’

“Scram!”

The casual cultivator’s face twisted in anger, but after gritting his teeth, he backed off quickly.

On the High Platform

The two artsians were drenched in sweat, their hands moving with painstaking care as they unlocked the source stones.

By this point, it was almost certain that the source stone contained a divine source. If they damaged it with careless techniques, not even selling themselves would cover the compensation.

“Master Xu’s comprehension of the source art must be unparalleled!”

“There are nine source stones in total, each yielding a treasure, and two of them are likely divine sources. It’s truly enviable!”

“Envious? Master Xu can identify divine sources because he understands formations. If you had his skill, maybe you could too!”

“Don’t belittle me—I actually know a little about formations!”

“Your ‘little’ is vastly different from Master Xu’s ‘little.’ You know what I mean.”

“Ahem. Enough. Brother Haoyu, Master Xu has just unlocked two divine sources. I bet your heart must be bleeding right now!”

“Hahaha! I’m guessing Brother Haoyu didn’t expect any divine sources to appear in this batch of stones!”

“Regret won’t help. You were the one who generously handed them over!”

A group of descendants from immortal clans couldn’t help teasing Jiang Haoyu. Their eyes fixed on his face, eager to see if it had darkened in frustration.

Jiang Haoyu simply shook his head and smiled. “On the contrary, I don’t regret it. Meeting a genius like Master Xu is worth more than two divine sources—ten or even a hundred wouldn’t be too high a price!”

“Brother Jiang is truly magnanimous!”

“Brother Jiang is impressive!”

The immortal descendants offered genuine praise. They couldn’t help but admire Jiang Haoyu for remaining so composed even after giving away such priceless treasures.

“Could it really be a divine beast?”

“Why isn’t it unlocked yet?”

“I’m getting anxious—if the masters are struggling, maybe someone else should try cutting it!”

While the audience grew increasingly restless, Xu Yang remained calm.

Having read the original story, he knew exactly what was hidden within the two source stones.

One contained the Blood-Scaled Heavenly Grass, a semi-saint spiritual treasure imbued with traces of Qilin blood. Its birth was entirely natural.

The other held the egg of a Nine Nether Marten. Although the Nine Nether Marten wasn’t a divine beast, it was once capable of battling ancient creatures like true dragons and phoenixes without losing. However, this particular egg was long dead and could no longer produce a living creature.

“Crack!”

“Crack!”

With two consecutive sounds, the two source stones were finally unlocked through the painstaking efforts of the source masters.

The moment the first stone was opened, a vast essence of life surged forth like an ocean, accompanied by a majestic sound that echoed through the void—resembling the roar of a Qilin!

A spiritual entity, shaped like a Qilin with radiant branches and leaves shimmering brilliantly, emerged into view.

While the crowd inhaled the life essence, their gazes remained fixed on this extraordinary spiritual entity.

“What is this?”

“Blood-Scaled Heavenly Grass. Its grade likely qualifies as a semi-saint spiritual treasure!”

“Can a semi-saint spiritual treasure really be considered a divine source?”

“Even though it’s only semi-saint level, it still qualifies as a divine source!”

A direct descendant of a formation family stared at the spiritual entity with fervent eyes, his tone filled with certainty.

Hearing the authoritative acknowledgment from the formation family, many people’s initial glimmers of hope ignited, only to be snuffed out moments later. Their faces turned pale, resembling drowned corpses.

This was the end for them. They were truly going to be driven out of White Emperor City naked!

“The other one looks like an egg!”

“Could it be the egg of a real divine beast?”

“The heartbeat is growing louder and louder, like the drums of heaven. If this isn’t a divine beast egg, I’ll eat my own words!”

“The demonic energy radiating from it is terrifying—it’s suffocating me!”

Everyone turned to the object emerging from the second source stone, their expressions marked by awe and disbelief.

The egg-shaped object glowed with a brilliant purple light and pulsed with a strong heartbeat, akin to the pounding of a dragon’s heart. The aura it emitted dispersed the clouds in the sky, while the Blood-Scaled Heavenly Grass next to it was completely suppressed. Faintly, the sorrowful wail of the Qilin could be heard.

“The egg of the Nine Nether Marten—it’s such a pity that it’s dead!”

In the void, Old Tian of Immortal Mountain saw the truth and sighed deeply.

“Dead? That’s impossible! Its heartbeat is stronger than mine!” a protector murmured incredulously.

“That’s not a heartbeat,” Old Tian corrected, his tone filled with regret. “It’s the desperate wail of the Nine Nether Marten before it perished.”

Like the true dragon and the phoenix, the Nine Nether Marten had been wiped out in the ancient catastrophe. For later generations, their existence could only be known through ancient texts. No one had seen them firsthand, nor could they confirm if the descriptions in the texts were accurate…

“What a pity! I’ve heard that the Nine Nether Marten was an existence that could rival true dragons and other divine beasts. If it were alive, perhaps it could demonstrate supreme majesty like the Black Tortoise Emperor!”

“Looking at the bright side, at least this is a dead egg. If it were alive, it would’ve brought endless trouble to Master Xu!”

“Still, if a marten-type demon beast were to consume this dead egg, it might be able to revert to its ancestral form and transform into a true Nine Nether Marten!”

“You’re overthinking it. Ordinary marten beasts can’t handle it. Only naturally gifted alien species might succeed!”

A group of immortal descendants discussed the matter fervently, concluding that the dead egg had more advantages than disadvantages.

On the High Platform

Hearing the discussions, Xiao Ye clenched his fists tightly, his eyes nearly bleeding with hatred.

The Nine Nether Marten’s dead egg could only be absorbed by naturally gifted demon species.

And his pet mink just so happened to be one of those rare alien species!

This opportunity was tailor-made for him!

Yet it had been stolen right before his eyes!

His chest heaved violently, his emotions like a boiling volcano about to erupt.

Standing on the high platform, Xiao Ye glared at Xu Yang with bloodshot eyes, his breathing heavy and uneven, like a maddened beast.

“Xu, you wretched old demon…”

Meanwhile

On the high platform, Yuan Kexuan carefully handed the Blood-Scaled Heavenly Grass to Xu Yang.

At the same time, Qin Kewan presented the Nine Nether Marten’s dead egg to her master with a mischievous grin.

“Master, this Nine Nether Marten egg seems very nutritious. Here you go, hehe…”

Almost immediately, two system notifications echoed in Xu Yang’s mind.

[Ding! Yuan Kexuan gave the host the Half-Saint Blood-Scaled Heavenly Grass, triggering a 10,000-fold critical return—Qilin Immortality Elixir!]

[Ding! Qin Kewan gave the host the Nine Nether Marten’s dead egg, triggering a 10,000-fold critical return—Nirvana Treasure Technique!]

[Triggering Additional Reward: Nine Nether Marten cub *1]

Qilin Immortality Elixir: One of the ten supreme spiritual treasures of heaven and earth. It can resurrect the dead, regrow flesh from bones, and defy the heavens to change fate.

Nirvana Treasure Technique: The innate magical power of the Phoenix Clan, capable of rebirth in the face of annihilation and achieving Nirvana in the depths of despair. It is considered one of the world’s most powerful treasure techniques.

Nine Nether Marten: The most ferocious lineage of the Nine Nether Marten species. In adulthood, it can battle true dragons and capture Kunpeng.