Villain : After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse

Chapter 240

At this moment, Jiang Chen and his group entered one of the stone markets. This was Jiang Chen’s second time here. The first time, he came with the gambler’s mentality, wanting to try his luck. This time, however, he wasn’t here to gamble on divine stones but to prepare for the next stage of the plot.

Due to their concealed auras, no one recognized Jiang Chen and his group, allowing them to relax and enjoy themselves.

“You know, the reason I ended up with the Holy Son is all because of these divine stones,” Yan Ruyu said, recalling how her true connection with Jiang Chen had started in this very place.

Back then, due to the orders of the All Pleasure Sect’s leader, she had to accompany a prodigy from the Azure Dragon Clan into the stone market.

That fateful decision led her to cross paths with Jiang Chen, and through a shared heart message, she expressed her feelings. This marked the beginning of their relationship.

“Fate, indeed,” Jiang Chen said with a light smile. He hadn’t realized at the time that his heart’s musings were audible to Yan Ruyu, leading to an unexpected connection. It turned out to be a good thing, though.

Without that slip, Yan Ruyu might not have taken the initiative, especially considering her hesitation back then. Their statuses were different, and with Ye Qingcheng in the picture, she had naturally been too afraid to express her feelings. Now, with control over his inner voice, Jiang Chen no longer needed that ability.

Most of the Divine Stone Pavilions were similar, divided into two sections: a common area and a prestigious area. The common area housed ordinary divine stones at lower prices, attracting less affluent customers.

However, that didn’t mean there were no valuable items inside. Occasionally, someone would stumble upon a rare treasure in the common area, making it a popular place for hopeful bargain hunters. The prestigious area, on the other hand, offered more valuable items, drawing wealthier and more influential people.

Since they were there to relax and no one recognized them, the group wandered freely through the stone market. Jing Muyu, who was visiting for the first time, was filled with curiosity, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the various stones. Jiang Chen let them browse and choose as they pleased.

“Brother Jiang Chen, how about this one?” Jing Muyu pointed to a divine stone about two meters tall, her voice filled with excitement.

She was confident that the stone contained something valuable.

“Unfortunately, it’s a waste stone,” Jiang Chen said with a chuckle.

Although he had no special abilities, his Mixed Yuan Dao Body allowed him to sense the fluctuations of the Dao, enabling him to faintly perceive the hidden energies within divine stones, even if the fluctuations were extremely subtle.

The stone Jing Muyu chose had no such fluctuations, indicating that it likely contained nothing of value. Of course, this didn’t mean it was entirely worthless.

It could still contain something like a jade slip with a secret technique, perhaps even an imperial scripture, though such instances were exceedingly rare. Jiang Chen doubted there would be anything so valuable inside.

“My perception isn’t always accurate. There could be a treasure inside, so you might as well try opening it,” Jiang Chen said with a smile. “We should’ve brought Ziqing along. With her abilities, she could easily sense what’s inside these stones.”

Ziqing Yan’s innate Dao Body had an extraordinary affinity for the Dao, further enhanced by the Harmony Flower.

This made her extremely sensitive to the energies within the stones, allowing her to detect hidden treasures with remarkable accuracy. It was almost as if she had a built-in x-ray vision, able to pinpoint rare materials that others couldn’t detect.

“Alright!” Jing Muyu felt a bit disappointed when Jiang Chen mentioned the stone was a waste, but after thinking it over, she decided to open it anyway since it wasn’t too expensive. Who knew? There might still be something good inside.

“We really should’ve dragged Ziqing along! With her here, we could have swept through these divine stones effortlessly,” Yan Ruyu added, remembering Ziqing Yan’s unique abilities.

With her innate Dao Body, she could easily identify the rare treasures hidden inside the stones. Even if she couldn’t detect everything, she would still be able to pick out most of the valuable items with just a glance.

At that moment...

Jing Muyu had already called for someone to open the divine stone in front of her, and as expected, it turned out to be a worthless rock. There was nothing inside.

“Your first time, it’s inevitable. Don’t be too discouraged,” Jiang Chen consoled. “Keep looking; you never know when you might come across something valuable.”

The gamble with divine stones was no joke—nine out of ten attempts ended in loss. The chances of finding something valuable inside were extremely slim, especially in the common area where anything of true value had long been taken. What remained were mostly worthless stones, with only the rare, overlooked gem.

At that moment, a commotion erupted around them. Two women entered the area, and one of them instantly became the center of attention. She stood out like a crane among chickens, attracting the gazes of countless people. Dressed in a black gown, her long, snow-white legs peeked out from the slit of her dress, and her white hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back.

Her blood-red eyes gleamed like rubies, exuding a seductive allure that stirred the blood of everyone who looked at her, making it impossible to avert their gaze.

Though her face was partially veiled, her overwhelming beauty could still be glimpsed through it. Her pure and flawless aura, combined with her mesmerizing eyes, was enough to captivate the entire crowd, even without fully revealing her face.

“Yao Mingyue? She’s actually here!” Jiang Chen glanced over and immediately recognized her identity.

Yao Mingyue was renowned as the greatest beauty in the Nine Heavens Realm for the past million years. Her appearance, figure, and every aspect of her were flawless—there wasn’t a single imperfection to be found. Even if one tried to be picky, they wouldn’t find the slightest flaw.

In the original story, Yao Mingyue’s beauty surpassed the limits of normal perception. Even the Heavenly Fox Emperor seemed to pale in comparison when standing before her.

Jiang Chen found himself intrigued by Yao Mingyue. After all, she was the most beautiful woman of the past million years. Hearing her reputation alone made him curious to see her in person.

“Even though she’s concealing her aura, it can’t hide her natural beauty. There’s definitely something unique about her,” Jiang Chen thought as he took a deep look at Yao Mingyue.

Despite using secret techniques to hide her aura and veil her face, she still couldn’t conceal her innate allure, drawing the attention of countless people. This alone showcased her uniqueness.

After gazing at her for a while, Jiang Chen lost interest. Without being able to see her true appearance, there was no point in staring any further.

Yao Mingyue, noticing the many gazes upon her, frowned slightly, feeling annoyed. This was precisely why she rarely went out—her overwhelming presence attracted too much attention.

Every time she appeared in public, she became the focus of countless eyes, and it wasn’t just men; women were just as drawn to her. This constant attention was something Yao Mingyue found deeply frustrating.

Hmm?

Suddenly, Yao Mingyue sensed someone taking a deep look at her before quickly shifting their gaze away. She found this rather strange. She had encountered many people, but very few could so easily divert their attention from her after taking just one glance.

“He’s concealing his aura as well,” Yao Mingyue’s eyes flickered with curiosity.

Although she couldn’t detect anything odd from the man, who appeared to be a mere True King Realm cultivator, she knew that a simple True King wouldn’t have such strong willpower to glance at her so nonchalantly. He had to be concealing his true power, just like her. His identity was certainly not simple.

Just then, a cold voice rang out, “Your Heavenly Fox Clan is growing bolder by the day! How dare an ordinary disciple from your clan try to snatch something from our Vermillion Bird Saintess?”

The voice immediately drew the attention of the crowd, diverting their gazes from Yao Mingyue.

Ahead, a black-haired girl stood stubbornly before a middle-aged man. Her tone was firm and unyielding as she said, “I chose this item first! First come, first served. Isn’t it you who’s trying to take it by force?”

“Does the Vermillion Bird Saintess plan to bully me?” she asked, her voice steady despite the immense pressure she was under. The girl’s defiance was clear, as she remained unbowed in the face of overwhelming force.

“The Heavenly Fox Empress!” Seeing the black-haired girl, Jiang Chen’s eyes gleamed with recognition. He instantly realized that this was none other than the second life of the Heavenly Fox Empress!