The moment Yang An spoke, Pan Shi and Pan Yu were both stunned.
Even the Cultivator across from them was taken aback, clearly not expecting Yang An to see through his ruse so easily.
'Fake?'
'Not a Magical Artifact?'
'How is that possible? Didn't a Spiritual Object Arc Light just appear? How could it be fake?'
Pan Shi scratched his head in confusion. After all, he was the one who had just infused it with Mana, and he had seen the resulting Spiritual Object Arc Light with his own eyes. It didn't look fake.
If anyone else had said it, he would have trusted his own eyes and judgment.
But since Yang An was the one who said it, he couldn't help but begin to have doubts.
He subconsciously sided with Yang An, so he turned his gaze to the Cultivator selling the item, waiting to see how he would explain himself.
"Don't spout nonsense, Fellow Daoist. You all saw it with your own eyes. The Spiritual Object Arc Light from a Magical Artifact cannot be faked!"
The Cultivator who had presented the item grew anxious and immediately retorted, but Yang An could clearly see the panic in his expression.
"Since I was able to name the Five-Colored Illusion Jade, it goes without saying that I know exactly how that Spiritual Object Arc Light of yours appeared. Do you still want to argue?"
Yang An looked at him and said with an amused smile.
'If I were him,' Yang An thought, 'and someone even knew the name Five-Colored Illusion Jade, I'd assume they already knew the whole trick.'
'Instead of arguing, he should be trying to smooth things over and keep me from making a scene. Even if he can't fool us, he might still be able to trick other Cultivators who don't know any better.'
'But if this guy is going to deny it and keep making excuses, well, I guess I'll have to give him a proper lesson.'
Seeing Yang An's confidence, the Cultivator, whose name was Pang Shan, felt a surge of anxiety. Still, he refused to believe that Yang An could possibly know the secret of the Five-Colored Illusion Jade.
The Five-Colored Illusion Jade could only be found in a single, deep mountain mining vein in the south, and even fewer people knew of its existence.
The number of people, himself included, who knew that the Five-Colored Illusion Jade could produce a five-colored arc light nearly identical to that of a Magical Artifact could be counted on one hand.
It was precisely by exploiting this fact that he had the guts to run his scam so brazenly at the Communal Feast, and he had gotten away with it for years.
He refused to believe Yang An truly knew the secret of the Five-Colored Illusion Jade. Even if he recognized the material, it would be useless if he didn't know how to expose the trick.
"Hmph! You have no proof, Fellow Daoist. You can't just slander me without basis. Everything requires evidence. On what grounds do you claim my Magical Artifact is a fake?"
the Cultivator said in a low, agitated voice.
He was making a bet—a bet that Yang An only knew *of* the Five-Colored Illusion Jade but didn't know how to tell it apart from a true Magical Artifact. In his mind, this was a very high probability.
But to Yang An, his words were utterly laughable.
'Looks like this guy won't admit defeat until he's staring it in the face.'
He hadn't actually intended to expose the man. Since he knew the trick, his group hadn't suffered any loss. If the guy had just admitted it gracefully, that would have been the end of it. Even if he'd just thrown in the towel, Yang An wouldn't have made a scene. After all, it was none of his business if other people got cheated.
But not only did this guy show no sign of backing down, he actually doubled down with a defiant attitude, choosing to confront him head-on.
'In that case, there's nothing left to say. You want proof? Fine, I'll give you proof!'
"Alright. Since you want proof, I'll give you proof. Fellow Daoist Pan, here, take this…"
Yang An nodded with a faint smile and handed the Exquisite Flower Illusion Jade to Pan Shi.
Since he wasn't a Cultivator and had no Mana of his own, the task had to be left to Pan Shi.
Pan Shi immediately took the Exquisite Flower Illusion Jade. He was also curious to see what Yang An planned to do and how this so-called Exquisite Flower Holding Jade was faked.
"Do exactly as I say. Pour as much Mana as you have into it. The Five-Colored Illusion Jade is just a Spiritual Object; there's a limit to the Mana it can withstand. Once that limit is surpassed, it will disintegrate on its own, creating a five-colored illusion that sends a person into a dream state until their energy is completely exhausted!
Let's have this Fellow Daoist see for himself whether his so-called Magical Artifact is truly a Five-Colored Illusion Jade!"
"Alright!"
Hearing Yang An's instructions, Pan Shi immediately nodded.
"Also, be careful. Throw it away right before the Five-Colored Illusion Jade is about to shatter, so you don't get hurt."
Yang An added as a final warning.
But the moment the words left his mouth, the Cultivator across from them could no longer sit still. He scrambled to his feet, waving his hands in a panic.
"Fellow Daoist, there's no need! There's really no need!
I was blind not to recognize a master in my presence. I have offended you, and it's all my fault.
It took me a full year to refine this Illusion Jade. If you destroy it, all my hard work will be for nothing. Please, spare it."
He had been gambling that Yang An didn't know how to expose the Five-Colored Illusion Jade. He never imagined that a moment later, Yang An would so easily state the method for doing so—and even provide more detail than he himself knew. He panicked instantly.
If this went any further, his Five-Colored Illusion Jade would certainly be destroyed.
He had spent a year of painstaking effort to refine this single piece. He couldn't fool the people in front of him, but as long as the Five-Colored Illusion Jade remained intact, he could continue his scam. Someone was bound to fall for it.
The priorities were clear at a glance, so he immediately chose to back down without hesitation.
Seeing the Cultivator leap up to frantically stop them, it was obvious the man had conceded. The authenticity of the so-called Magical Artifact was now self-evident.
Yang An chuckled. 'And here I thought he would stick to his guns until the end,' he mused, slightly disappointed.
Meanwhile, Pan Shi and Pan Yu were completely astonished.
'So it really was a Five-Colored Illusion Jade! It can even fake a Spiritual Object Arc Light?!'
Although Pan Shi had sided with Yang An, he had never seen or heard of a Spiritual Object Arc Light from a Magical Artifact being faked. He never imagined something that could mimic it actually existed.
This was a real eye-opener for them. If Fellow Daoist Yang hadn't been there, they likely would have been swindled.
At this thought, a vein bulged on Pan Shi's forehead. He clenched his fists, glaring resentfully at the Cultivator.
On the way here, he had warned Fellow Daoist Yang and his junior sister that the Communal Feast was full of crooks and they needed to be careful. To think he would be the first one to almost fall for a trick.
'What a huge loss of face!'
Even Pan Yu at his side was now glaring at the man, her cheeks puffed with indignation.
After all, she was the one who had taken a fancy to the item first. She had been on the verge of making the trade right after hearing her senior brother verify its authenticity.
Thankfully, Yang An had exposed the fraud before she could say anything. Otherwise, she would have been humiliated as well.
Of course, aside from Yang An, no one present could see the others' expressions, but based on their body language alone, one could easily guess the atmosphere.
"Please, Fellow Daoists, be merciful. I was only doing this to trade for some cultivation resources; I was truly desperate. It's my fault for offending you, and I am willing to offer my apologies and compensation!"
When Yang An and the others said nothing, the Cultivator gritted his teeth, fumbled inside his robes, and finally pulled out a brownish Elixir Pill.
His face immediately twisted in a pained expression, as if he were parting with a piece of his own flesh.
"This is a Transformation Pill. With your vast knowledge, you should know that a Transformation Pill is an exceedingly rare Elixir. Please, take it as my apology. I hope you can find it in your hearts to be the bigger people and let this lowly one off the hook."