Chapter 914: Talking Stone Duck
Li Qiye just spoke his bit without caring for the unresponsive duck: “If you don’t answer, I’m going to take it as you coming out this generation. If that’s the case, you will be my rival, so should I be thinking about breaking you right now? This is not a bad idea, what do you think?”
The stone duck did not respond. Li Qiye rubbed his chin and smiled: “Very well, if someone thinks that I’m just messing around, we’ll just have to see which rock is harder. Let’s give this a smash.”
With that, he opened his fate palaces and took out his own stone egg from inside the thirteenth palace. This stone egg had an incredible origin. He held it in his hand and prepped it to smash the duck.
“Buzz.” However, right before he smashed the egg down, waves of light began to float around the duck. Its stone form finally melted away and a very ordinary looking duck emerged.
“Brat, you win. Just spit it out if you have something to say.” The duck spoke with a coarse and old voice as if it came from a different space.
“This is more like it, now we can have a nice chat.” Li QIye laughed then looked at the stone egg in his hand while saying: “It seems like my egg is a lot harder than you.”
He obtained this unfathomable stone egg from the Heavenly Corpse Burial Ground. It had swallowed an unreasonable amount of Myriad Star Water. There were also many earth-shattering secrets hidden within it.
At this time, the duck was also gazing at the rock in Li Qiye’s hand and grunted: “Hmph! Out with it!”
Li Qiye put away the stone egg then took out a different rock to say: “I have this piece of rock right here, I’m sure you will want it.”
“Where did you get it?” The duck’s eyes narrowed. There seemed to be a radiating star inside its pupils that flashed a blinding brilliance.
“Oh, I just picked it up somewhere.” Li Qiye smiled and ignored the blinding radiance from the duck.
This rock came from the Golem Square’s auction. It was said to be left behind by Immortal Emperor Wan Shi, but the world didn’t know its uses.
Li Qiye looked at the duck and leisurely said: “You have eight stone eggs right now. If I’m not mistaken, you are missing one. I just checked earlier, the one you are missing is the primary soul. Well, interestingly enough, the rock in my hand just so happens to be the primary soul within the three souls.”
The duck continued to stare at the stone in Li Qiye’s hand without saying anything.
Li Qiye smiled: “How about we negotiate? I will give you this stone for just one item. I’m not asking for much.”
“Haha, brat, I won’t negotiate with you so carelessly. If you know my identity, you shouldn’t be bargaining with me, am I right?” The duck laughed.
Li Qiye chuckled in response: “You are mistaken. Even if it was the deities in the heavens, I would still be able to negotiate with them. I know you are very heaven-defying, but how do you think you compare to the old geezer beneath that cliff? In the past, I nearly tricked him to death, do you think I can’t do the same to you?”
“Hmph, I have neither desires nor ambition, so why should you trick me?” The duck was very annoyed with Li Qiye.
“So you don’t want this stone?” Li Qiye playfully juggled the stone with one hand and spoke: “I know you are amazing, but I’ll be frank with you, I’m not afraid of you and don’t care for your threats. If I really wanted to take care of you, I could have told Empress Hong Tian to destroy you for good back when she was still here. However, I didn’t do so because I am merciful, right?”
“I am someone who asks for nothing in return.” Li Qiye continued: “Plus, what I want is very simple. It is impossible to not pay a small price for this stone. I suppose if you want to try and rob me outright, just go for it. I’m actually curious to see how much of the petrification you can handle once you leave the stone nest in your current state!”
The duck judged Li Qiye for a long time. Eventually, he opted to make a deal: “What do you want!”
“I heard that you have a bottle of Bluesky Water. I don’t want anything else, just that bottle.” Li Qiye cheerfully smiled.
“Bluesky Water?” The duck pondered for a moment: “It has been quite a while so I don’t remember very well. Maybe there was something like that. It is useless though, so why do you want it?”
“Haha, don’t try to fool me. You might be able to trick others, but it isn’t so easy to trick me.” Li Qiye responded: “Others might not know what you are capable of, but I know all too well. Your words have their own truth; the world does not know the use of this water, but the water — in their eyes — isn’t the same as the bottle in your possession!”
He paused for a bit while glancing at the duck: “You know just what that bottle of Bluesky Water can do. However, I know even more than you. I have been to that place before, so do you actually think I don’t know its effects?”
“Haha, brat, you are indeed difficult to grasp.” The duck laughed and shook its head: “Brat, you should know that this bottle of Bluesky Water is priceless to me.”
“This stone is priceless to you too. Which do you think is more valuable, this stone or the water?” Li Qiye continued to play with the stone and said: “You should be happy, if anything, since I only want your Bluesky Water. If I wanted to be cruel, I wouldn’t only ask for the bottle of Bluesky Water, I’d even bring up the item you obtained from the courtyard back then!”
“How do you know about that!” The duck suddenly stared at Li Qiye after hearing this. Even if one couldn’t see its demeanor, it was clear that it had become serious.
Li Qiye paid no mind to the duck’s austerity: “There aren’t many secrets that I don’t know. Plus, I’ve searched the courtyard for a long time so it’s understandable to learn a few secrets, right?”
The duck only snorted to show its annoyance towards Li Qiye, it didn’t say anything else.
Li Qiye stared at the duck: “Same as before, deal or no deal? If you are not willing to trade, then I will throw this stone away to the farthest reaches of this land. We’ll see if you can find it or not.”
“It is useless even if you have the Bluesky Water.” The duck shook its head: “The other thing is impossible to obtain. What’s the point of having the water?”
Li Qiye said with a smile: “Don’t forget, I am someone who has been to that other place. Moreover, you really are underestimating my abilities as the tyrant of all ages. You and I, we are different. Your eternal life relies on you turning into stone in this place, but I can travel throughout the nine worlds. Do you still think it is difficult for me to obtain an item?”
The duck stared at Li Qiye for a while once more. In the end, it unwillingly threw a small bottle over at Li Qiye and said: “Take it, I’ve spent a lot of effort to get this bottle. I’ve always wanted to go to that place for a look as well, but I’m missing something else.”
“You can leave this place right now?” Li Qiye insipidly smiled: “But even if you could, what do you think your probability is of getting that other item? How long do you think you have to wait? One generation? Two, maybe three? Or ten?”
“Hmph, how long did you wait for the other one to appear back then?” The duck grunted.
Li Qiye smiled: “That item is based on one’s luck, it’s very difficult to force the matter. However, I am a forceful person. It took five generations of waiting before I obtained it.”
The duck contemplated after hearing this answer. This type of patience could only be done by someone with true eternal life. Its everlasting stone form wouldn’t allow for it to follow the same process.
Li Qiye put away the Bluesky Water and threw the rock the emperor left behind to the duck with a smile: “Congratulations, you have waited long enough to gather three souls and six spirits. It is finally complete.”
The duck snorted and glanced at Li Qiye. It pondered for a moment before speaking: “Brat, how about we make another deal? Give me your rock from earlier and I will give you the item I received from the courtyard, how about that?”
The duck was referring to the stone that drank a tremendous amount of Myriad Star Water.
“No. That stone is priceless and I will trade it for nothing, unless you can bring the Old Villainous Heavens here.” Li Qiye smiled and shook his head.
“Hmph, you should know that my item is also very heaven-defying.” The duck tried to persuade him: “If you have this item of mine, myriad realms and their inhabitants would shake with fear once they find out.”
Li Qiye smiled: “I know that your item is a real treasure, but in my eyes, my stone is even more precious than your treasure.”
“Hmph, nevermind then, you are too blind to realize its value.” The duck resentfully grunted and could only give up.
“Okay, that was a good trade. I won’t bother you anymore. Keep on living forever, I do hope that you can obtain rebirth.” Li Qiye smiled and rode his wooden horse away.
“Brat…” The duck called for him again.