Chapter 44

A luxurious yacht cleaved through the azure waves, finally docking beside an island exuding an exotic charm.

Jade-Gambling Island, as the name suggested, was a place littered with uncut rough stones, harboring countless possibilities and attracting stone-gambling enthusiasts from all over the world.

Gu Liuyun led Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao onto the island, where the warm ocean breeze washed over them, carrying a faint, salty tang.

Ye Manman wore a fiery red dress that set off her snow-white skin, making her look both alluring and charming; Chen Jiaojiao was dressed in a capable black tactical outfit, exuding a heroic and spirited aura.

The two women flanked Gu Liuyun, one on each side, drawing countless envious gazes.

"Hmph, what a small world!" a sharp and caustic voice rang out, shattering the momentary tranquility.

Gu Liuyun turned his head to look and saw Ye Qingqing approaching with a large entourage, a disdainful sneer plastered across her face.

She wore a long white dress today, making her look like a fairy descending from the heavens, but the malice in her eyes could not be concealed no matter what.

Gu Liuyun sneered inwardly; it seemed this trip to Jade-Gambling Island was destined to be eventful.

Without a sound, he shielded the two women behind him. An invisible aura of oppression slowly emanated from him, seeming to freeze the surrounding air as a tense atmosphere reminiscent of an impending storm permeated the space.

"Oh, if it isn't Young Master Gu? What, are you here to gamble on stones too? With your meager skills, I'm afraid you wouldn't even be able to pick out a decent piece of rock!" Beside Ye Qingqing, a short and stout man named Little Zhuoyan said in a sarcastic tone.

Little Zhuoyan was Ye Qingqing's loyal lackey, accustomed to bullying others by leveraging his master's power. Naturally, he would not miss this opportunity to humiliate Gu Liuyun.

As he spoke, he intentionally bumped into Gu Liuyun, brimming with provocation.

Seeing this, the people around them stopped what they were doing and gathered around with great interest, their spectator mentality making the atmosphere even more tense.

Gu Liuyun, however, did not show the slightest bit of anger. He merely swept a calm glance at Little Zhuoyan, a playful smile curling the corner of his lips.

"Is that so? Then why don't we give it a try."

He walked over to a huge rough stone, reached out, and gently stroked the rough rind. "This stone..."

The corners of Gu Liuyun's mouth turned up slightly, revealing a mysterious smile.

"This stone... looks quite good to me." As his voice fell, a flash of golden light crossed his eyes, deep and mysterious as if containing a sea of stars.

This was the "Heavenly Eye" skill activated from his memories as an Immortal Venerable, capable of seeing through all illusions and perceiving the true essence of all things in the world.

"Just this piece of junk? Gu Liuyun, are you here just to make a fool of yourself?" Little Zhuoyan scoffed, pointing at the inconspicuous rough stone as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. "The skin of this stone is coarse; it's waste material at first glance. Could it be that you're trying to embarrass yourself on purpose?"

The surrounding people also shook their heads, feeling that Gu Liuyun had misjudged this time.

The appearance of this rough stone was far too ordinary, lacking even a shred of spiritual fluctuation; it didn't look valuable in the least.

"Heh, whether it's waste material or not, won't we know once we cut it open?" Ignoring the skepticism of the crowd, Gu Liuyun directly summoned the stone-cutting master. "Master, please help me cut this stone open."

The stone-cutting master acknowledged the request, and the massive cutting machine emitted a piercing roar, sending sparks flying and stone dust dancing.

As the cut deepened, a rich concentration of spiritual energy gradually permeated the air, and everyone present was stunned by the sudden change.

"Holy shit! This... this is... top-tier jade?!"

"My god! This stone actually hides such a massive piece of top-tier jade! How much must this be worth?!"

The onlookers instantly boiled over, their eyes wide as saucers, as if unable to believe what was happening before them.

Even the stone-cutting master trembled all over with excitement; it was his first time seeing such top-tier jade in his entire life!

Little Zhuoyan's complexion instantly turned uglier than a pig's liver. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Gu Liuyun would actually pick a priceless rough stone on the first try!

Gu Liuyun, however, remained as cool as a breeze, as though everything was entirely within his expectations.

He activated his Heavenly Eye once again, scanned his surroundings, and picked out a few more rough stones concealing precious jade.

The results of the cutting were, without exception, all of immense value.

Watching Gu Liuyun, Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao wore looks of adoration. Ye Manman gently stroked Gu Liuyun's arm with her boneless, delicate hand, her alluring eyes watery and her breath sweet like orchid: "Young Master Gu, you're so amazing~"

Chen Jiaojiao, on the other hand, excitedly linked her arm through Gu Liuyun's other side, pressing her voluptuous figure tightly against him as a faint, enchanting fragrance drifted into his nostrils: "Gu Liuyun, you're simply the best! I love you to death!"

Enjoying the intimacy of the two beauties, Gu Liuyun curved his lips into a smug smile.

He cast his gaze around the surroundings.

"It seems the thing I'm looking for is not here..." Gu Liuyun murmured softly, his gaze fixing on the distance as if piercing through layers of mist to see something.

"What is it, Young Master Gu?" Ye Manman sensed Gu Liuyun's abnormality and asked softly.

Gu Liuyun shook his head, withdrew his gaze, and smiled faintly: "Nothing, I just feel that... this island seems to harbor some kind of secret..."

The luxurious yacht departed from the port of Jade-Gambling Island. Gu Liuyun stood on the deck, gazing with a profound look at the distant island as it gradually faded from view.

Over the past few days, he had searched almost every corner of the island, yet he had failed to find even a trace of the Seven-Color Stone.

Seeing the look of disappointment on his face, Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao stepped forward to comfort him.

"Young Master Gu, don't be discouraged! It's impossible for all the good things in this world to happen to you alone, right?" Chen Jiaojiao patted Gu Liuyun's shoulder, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Ye Manman also gently grasped Gu Liuyun's hand, her eyes tender: "It's okay, Young Master Gu, we still have opportunities."

Gu Liuyun smiled and nodded, though the pressure in his heart had not completely dissipated.

Indeed, he had found plenty of valuable jade over the past few days, but these held little significance for him.

He had given all those jade pieces to Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao. The two women instantly became the objects of widespread envy. Amidst the jealous gazes cast by those around them, Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao happily hugged the jade stones, satisfaction and radiant smiles beaming across their faces.

"Young Master Gu, you are truly wonderful!" Ye Manman leaned against Gu Liuyun's shoulder, speaking in a coy tone, her breath carrying a sweet, intoxicating warmth that melted his heart.

Chen Jiaojiao also leaned in closer, pressing her burning hot red lips gently against Gu Liuyun's cheek: "Gu Liuyun, you are my superhero!"

Gu Liuyun enjoyed the pampering of the two beauties, yet the sense of oppression weighing on his chest refused to lift.

It felt as though an invisible pressure was slowly closing in from all directions, bringing a suffocating sensation.

He tightened his grip on the jade stone in his hand, vowing silently that this setback would not halt his forward momentum.

On the final day, the auction of Jade-Gambling Island commenced as scheduled.

Gu Liuyun led Ye Manman and Chen Jiaojiao into the bustling auction hall.

The moment he stepped into the venue, Gu Liuyun sensed an unusual aura, as though the air itself was shrouded in some kind of malevolent Qi.

As the auction reached its climax, one rare rough stone after another was auctioned off for exorbitant sums.

Suddenly, a seemingly ordinary rough stone was brought onto the stage.

Gu Liuyun's Heavenly Eye activated instantly, and he sensed a familiar aura emanating from within the rough stone—it was precisely the fragment of the Seven-Color Stone he had been searching for!

"I must acquire this stone!" Gu Liuyun decided inwardly, raising his hand to signal his readiness to bid.

However, right at that moment, several unfamiliar faces suddenly appeared in the hall, driving the price up at an astonishing speed, pushing it far beyond reasonable market value.

Gu Liuyun frowned, the oppressive malevolent Qi lingering in the air making him feel even heavier.

"What is going on here?" he muttered under his breath, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the rough stone with resolute eyes as an ominous premonition welled up inside him.

Inside the auction house, the shouts of bidders rose and fell in waves, creating a tense and eerie atmosphere.

Just as Gu Liuyun slowly raised his hand, preparing to place his bid, a dark figure quietly approached him and whispered, "Young Master Gu, things here are far more complicated than you think..."