Compared to other stalls, this one seemed a bit out of place.

Firstly, it had no customers, and secondly, the items it sold were rather peculiar—a pile of stones.

These stones were pitch black and looked no different from ordinary stones, but each was as large as a barrel.

At first glance, Lu Chen knew exactly what this stall was about.

Stone gambling!

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Indeed, this was a stone gambling stall!

As a former Titled Martial Emperor, Lu Chen was very familiar with this trade because the funds for establishing his sect back in the day were earned through stone gambling.

In the Divine Martial Realm, many spiritual items use ores as carriers because ores can prevent spiritual power from leaking and ensure the integrity of the spiritual items.

Stone gambling, as the name suggests, involves spending money to buy stones and betting on whether there is something inside, or more specifically, whether there is something valuable inside.

Since the stones at stone gambling stalls are not expensive and there is a chance to win big with a small investment, many large places have stone gambling venues to satisfy those who dream of getting rich overnight.

However, as it turns out, stone gambling is not as simple as it seems; it requires a keen eye, and most people end up losing everything.

But then again, Lu Chen was not like most people; he was among the very few who had never misjudged a stone in all these years.

The stall owner was a middle-aged man at the 1st-level Martial Master Realm. From the time he set up his stall until now, he had been shouting for an entire hour without anyone paying attention to him.

At this moment, seeing Lu Chen walking towards the stall, a glint flashed in the man's eyes, and his previously troubled expression immediately brightened.

"Sir, are you interested in stone gambling?" the man asked with a smile.

Lu Chen, using the voice of a middle-aged man, replied coldly, "Just browsing."

The man smiled and said, "Sir, you've come to the right place today. These are all new stones from yesterday, top-quality goods. Take your time to choose."

Lu Chen pointed at a few stones disdainfully, "Stop bragging. Look at those stones; their appearance is terrible. You can tell there's nothing inside just by looking."

The man chuckled, "Sir, you're mistaken."

"Oh? How so?" Lu Chen asked.

The man explained, "In stone gambling, the good-looking stones are often just for show. Only those that look bad are truly top-grade."

Lu Chen didn't argue, pointing at the stones, "What's the price for these stones?"

The man held up two fingers to Lu Chen.

"Two Spirit Crystals for one stone?" Lu Chen asked.

The man laughed, "Sir, you're quite the joker. It's not two Spirit Crystals for one, but twenty Spirit Crystals each!"

"So expensive!" Lu Chen's face turned cold, and his voice rose significantly.

In the Divine Martial Realm, everything is scarce except for stones. Outside, no one would pay even a gold coin for such a stone.

However, once they enter a stone gambling stall, each stone sells for twenty Spirit Crystals, more than two hundred times the price, a sheer profit.

As an experienced seller, the man had seen this scenario many times and wasn't flustered at all. He cheerfully said, "Sir, my stones are truly high-quality. Open any one, and you'll make money. They're really not expensive."

Lu Chen sneered, "That's only if you get something good. Otherwise, they're just ordinary stones, too rough even to use for wiping."

Hearing this, the man said, "Sir, why don't you pick some first? If you buy more, I'll sell them at a loss."

"Sell at a loss, huh? I really believe your nonsense," Lu Chen said, then seemingly casually started fiddling with the pile of stones.

After half an hour, Lu Chen picked out six of the most inconspicuous stones from the pile, "Eighty for six stones. If you sell, I'll take them. Otherwise, keep them for yourself to wipe with at night."

Hearing Lu Chen wanted six stones, the man was immediately excited, thinking he had encountered a sucker today, making a big profit in one deal.

However, despite his thoughts, he had to keep up the act.

The man looked pained, "Sir, you're cutting the price too much. If I sell at this price, I'll lose even my underwear."

"Enough with the nonsense, just eighty. Are you selling or not?"

As a savvy person with two lifetimes of experience, Lu Chen saw through the man's tricks, which might fool others but not him.

Lu Chen left no room for negotiation, insisting on the price because he didn't want anyone to notice these six stones.

"Not selling!" the man gritted his teeth.

"If you're not selling, then keep them for yourself," Lu Chen said, turning to leave without hesitation, heading deeper into the market.

"No—" Seeing the deal slipping away, the man panicked, quickly running out from the stall and grabbing Lu Chen.

"What's the matter?" Lu Chen turned back coldly.

The man chuckled awkwardly, "Sir, don't go. We can discuss this. Six good stones, eighty Spirit Crystals, I'll sell at a loss today."

Hearing this, Lu Chen returned, tossed eighty Spirit Crystals to the man, took the stones, and continued browsing the market.

In the next hour, Lu Chen bought two more items, both spirit herbs: one was a 1st-grade Spirit-Link Grass, and the other a 3rd-grade Blood Lingzhi.

These items were freshly picked. The Spirit-Link Grass was cheap, costing only two Spirit Crystals for ten stalks, but the Blood Lingzhi was valuable, costing Lu Chen three hundred Spirit Crystals for one.

After purchasing the Blood Lingzhi, Lu Chen turned and left the market.