"Husband, is that man named Wuchang really worth your attention?"Nie Xiaoqian asked curiously.
That Wu Chang didn't appear too extraordinary on the surface—only when he gripped his rune gun did he release a fierce and piercing aura.
"He's a divine marksman," Yi Tianxing said with a smile. "Never underestimate a divine marksman. While a marksman relies heavily on the power of their rune gun—strong gun, strong combat power; weak gun, limited strength—rune guns themselves are not that different from cultivators' magic treasures. And that particular pair of rune guns can evolve continuously. They're rare treasures among rune guns, and can be refined into a lifebound treasure, growing along with the user. Such a divine marksman can be just as deadly as a divine archer. The two are evenly matched in terms of threat."
Rune guns, like divine crossbows and rune war bows, are all weapons of war.Divine archers can slay enemies from thousands of miles away—and divine marksmen are no different. Compared to ordinary firearms, rune guns have far greater range and power, with different strengths but no clear superiority among them. It all comes down to user preference.
What matters most is the wielder.
Ordinary rune guns held no interest for Yi Tianxing.The ones he had acquired earlier in Darkblood Town were now being mass-produced through the Omnipurpose Printer, and distributed across the military to form a specialized rune firearm corps. Even if not the primary weapons, these guns would serve as secondary arms for Da Yi soldiers.
Their power on the battlefield would eventually speak for itself.Just like divine crossbows, the key advantage of rune guns is that any cultivator can use them immediately. As long as their internal true essence or mana isn't exhausted, they can convert it into true essence bullets. Compared to replenishing arrows or bolts, maintaining rune guns is far easier. Additionally, they can use rune bullets, which, when infused with true essence, grow significantly more powerful.
This would be hard for other forces to supply in large amounts, but not Da Yi.
"Indeed, a divine marksman, whether entering the army or joining the Sky Reaching Pavilion as a guest elder, would be an enormous asset to Da Yi. It's always good to prepare ahead—if we can recruit him, great. If not, losing a few hundred thousand eternal coins is acceptable."Cai Yan also smiled.
From their elevated position, they naturally viewed things from a broader perspective.
At that moment, Lian Xing suddenly pointed ahead."Husband, look over there! That place seems crowded. Let's go see what's happening."
Yi Tianxing followed her gaze and saw a gathering in the middle of a plaza—humans and other races alike. It was indeed bustling.
"Alright, let's take a look," he said with a smile.They were here without a specific goal—wherever the excitement was, they'd follow.
As they approached, they heard the chatter of the crowd.
"These rocks are too expensive! Who knows if there's really anything inside? And the prices are absurd. Could just be a bunch of regular stones meant to fool us."
"Exactly! All these rocks are gray and dull—nothing visible inside. You expect me to pay a hundred eternal coins for a rock the size of a fist? Might as well rob me outright!"
"This is nonsense. If you try to scam us here in Nameless City, where humans and non-humans share trade fairly, even non-human merchants can be permanently expelled for fraud!"
Suspicion and criticism echoed from both human cultivators and non-human warriors alike.
Many of the humans had tried gambling on stones before—but that was back in the old world, before the merger. Then, they gambled on jade and gemstones. These strange stones were entirely new. No one knew what was inside, and the whole thing felt suspicious.
Yi Tianxing and his four companions walked in for a closer look.
Behind the stall stood a group of dwarves—muscular, stocky figures radiating raw strength and rugged features.
Dwarves came in many kinds.Some loved forging, others mining. This particular tribe favored mining rare ores and had a natural affinity for mineral veins. They could instinctively locate and extract top-grade ores, even refining them. So the stones they offered were clearly no ordinary rocks.
"Fellow cultivators, don't underestimate these stones," said one dwarf. "According to our clan's detection, these are Primordial Chaos Stones. They're incredibly hard and contain chaotic spatial pockets inside. These internal spaces can absorb various rare treasures from the boundless void—maybe life forms, divine materials, medicinal kings, spiritual roots, even cultivation techniques or evil spirits. Anything is possible. Or nothing at all."
"Gambling on these stones is a matter of luck and insight. Not even divine eyes can peer inside clearly. The chaotic spatial field creates a barrier—those with eye techniques can only see a strange void inside."
These Primordial Chaos Raw Stones were exceedingly rare, full of uncertainty.Only by cutting them open could one know the truth. Even those with eye techniques couldn't fully perceive what was within. Some stones that looked perfect would end up empty. Some humble-looking ones would contain treasures.
One slice to heaven. One slice to hell.
These stones' internal chaotic spaces connected to the vast void and countless realms of the Eternal World. They could randomly absorb ownerless treasures from the universe. What was inside? No one knew.
But that was the allure of the gamble.
A single Primordial Chaos ore vein could be an immeasurable fortune.
"Fascinating. I never expected the cultivation world to have stone gambling like this."Yi Tianxing's interest was piqued.
He instinctively activated his Innate Yin-Yang Eyes, capable of seeing through both life and death, reality and illusion.
"I can't see through them," he thought silently. "These raw stones are different. They contain a mysterious power—like an invisible barrier that not even my Yin-Yang Eyes can fully penetrate. What I see is mostly pitch-black darkness. But within that darkness, I faintly glimpse varying lights—some completely dark, some dim, some bright. If I'm not mistaken, the ones with light are very likely to contain rare treasures. I'd wager eight out of ten times."
Still, what he saw might be mere illusion—light in the dark, faint and uncertain.
"Are there really treasures inside?"Lian Xing asked curiously.
The idea of treasures hidden in stones was new to her.
"If it's true, there could be real treasures," Cai Yan added. "Remember, husband said when the Myriad Worlds merged, countless rare treasures fell into the Eternal World. Many scattered across various zones—but even more vanished into the void. These stones might've drawn them in."
Gambling instincts existed in everyone.
Especially when divine powers and magic couldn't discern the truth, it made people all the more curious. That curiosity turned into a desire to gamble, driven by hope and a belief in luck.
"I'll do it! I want to buy one!"A human cultivator suddenly declared, clearly tempted. He pointed to a stone of moderate size.
"That one is five hundred eternal coins," a dwarf replied with a grin. The stone was about the size of two fists.
Of course, the value of the stone wasn't judged by size. The chaotic space within was like a mustard seed holding a mountain—small outside, vast within.
Too many unknowns. Until the stone was cut open, no one could say what lay within.
"Fine. I can afford five hundred coins."The human cultivator handed over the money without hesitation and received the stone.
"How do I cut it?" he asked. Clearly worried about damaging something valuable inside.
"There's no specific taboo when cutting gambling stones," replied the dwarf. "But since these stones contain chaotic spatial fields, cutting carelessly might collapse the inner space and destroy any treasures inside. You must cut from the edge. Once the chaotic space is exposed to the outside, it won't collapse and will begin to form a portal or fissure."
That was a basic trick of the trade.