He Zhenghao's worries vanished naturally the moment the prices of his stockpiled supplies doubled.
"One hundred million contribution points... That's a whole hundred million!" With bloodshot eyes, He Zhenghao trembled uncontrollably from head to toe.
The psychological rush of prices climbing by the minute made him feel as if he were walking on clouds, ascending straight into paradise.
He Zhenghao swore that in all his life, he had never felt so exhilarated.
"When Lord Secret Emissary handed me the requisition list, he casually mentioned that since I was handling this round of fundraising, my cut of the profits would increase from the one percent of the previous three rounds to ten percent..."
"In just a single day, I've earned more contribution points than I could have amassed in an entire lifetime."
Blood rushed straight to his brain, making his whole body feel as though it were boiling over.
Boundless courage surged within him. Even the ironclad laws of the Alliance, which he usually held in deep awe, no longer seemed so terrifying.
"Keep climbing, damn it! With prices surging this fast, I'm definitely not the only one doing this. The law doesn't punish the masses!"
"Besides, even if the sky falls, Lord Secret Emissary is there to hold it up. I'm merely acting on orders!"
"There's no way the blame will fall on me!"
He Zhenghao muttered to himself, swiftly convincing himself until not a trace of fear remained in his heart.
All that was left was the ecstasy brought by staggering profits.
Throughout the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, there were indeed many cultivators celebrating just like He Zhenghao.
***
In an unknown space.
"A bumper harvest! An absolute bumper harvest! This profit completely makes up for our previous losses, with plenty to spare!"
"Well? Didn't I tell you? I knew that fellow Li Fan had real ability. We gambled right this time! Follow in his wake, and there's meat to eat!"
"Heh, Fellow Daoist Lü, how come I recall you were taking a clear-cut stand against it last time?"
"Nonsense! Your memory must be playing tricks on you!"
...
Watching the ecstatic expressions of the companions around him, Zhou Kebao also felt a wave of excitement.
Up to this point, his own profits had approached nearly two million contribution points.
And while he didn't know the exact earnings of the others, judging by their reactions, it was certainly a hefty sum.
"Li Fan's deductive powers are truly terrifying. To think he could predict ahead of time a war that erupted without the slightest warning."
As for the reason why the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had suddenly declared war, Zhou Kebao and the others were still making inquiries.
For now, there was no definitive answer.
"Sigh, I was still too cautious. If only I had invested more back then."
Such a thought suddenly crossed Zhou Kebao's mind.
Just then, a voice rang out.
"Hmm? Where is Fellow Daoist Long?"
The room fell quiet for a moment.
"Right, I remember he was extremely decisive this time. He spent at least five million contribution points stockpiling supplies in advance. He must have made a killing!"
"Could he still be in seclusion, unaware that prices have gone through the roof?"
"I'll message him right now to deliver the good news!"
To their immense surprise, all the messages vanished like clay oxen plunging into the sea, met with absolute silence.
Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment.
Just as they were caught between doubt and suspicion, Long Yueyou appeared in their sight.
Dispirited and distraught, his eyes bloodshot, his face pale as paper.
A faint sense of foreboding rose in the hearts of everyone present.
In the end, Zhou Kebao was the first to ask, "Fellow Daoist Long, what on earth happened? Why do you look so..."
Long Yueyou seemed to have lost his soul.
Only after Zhou Kebao called out to him several times did he finally come to his senses.
Looking at the people around him, Long Yueyou's lips trembled slightly. Gathering every ounce of strength in his body, he slowly managed to say, "My elder brother... has unfortunately fallen!"
Boom!
Everyone felt as if a heavy mallet had slammed into their skulls, leaving them instantly dizzy.
Long Jiuyuan, who had only just become a Dao Integration Immortal Venerable, had fallen?
In an instant, a dead silence fell over the room.
The joy of having earned so many contribution points vanished into thin air in a heartbeat.
To them, the loss of a Dao Integration cultivator was something no amount of contribution points could ever compensate for!
Alongside their profound shock came a wave of dread.
The great war had only just begun, yet a Dao Integration cultivator had already fallen.
The scale of this war would likely far exceed their imaginations.
Just how many people would die?
For a time, even these profit-driven cultivators couldn't help feeling a chill down their spines.
***
Inside the Congyun City Administration Hall, total chaos had erupted.
The Alliance had already issued an order for war preparedness, yet they could not reach Lord Secret Script Emissary no matter how hard they tried.
Although Li Fan had announced a month ago that he was entering deep seclusion,
for such a monumental event to happen, only for him to shirk his responsibilities and dump the difficult mess onto his subordinates...
wasn't that taking things a bit too far?
The cultivators complained bitterly under their breath.
"Everyone!"
Gao Yuan tapped on the table as he looked at the varied expressions of the crowd.
"With the Lord Emissary absent, our time of trial has arrived," he said solemnly.
"Although the current situation remains unclear, what is beyond doubt is that this war will not end easily. We must prepare ourselves mentally."
"Especially since our Congyun Sea borders the Five Elders Association, we must maintain constant patrols and vigilance to guard against enemy cultivators."
Gao Yuan paused. Seeing the worry etched on everyone's faces, he had no choice but to offer some reassurance. "However, there is no need for excessive panic."
"As the saying goes, when the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Ever since the Congyun Sea was wiped out in one fell swoop by the Five Elders Association last time, we haven't managed to recover our vitality to this day."
"We don't even have many Nascent Soul cultivators left. With combat strength like ours, they probably won't send us to lay down our lives."
Hearing this, the others thought it made sense, and their hearts eased slightly.
However, Gao Yuan kept another thought buried deep inside without voicing it.
If things truly reached the point where the remnants in the Congyun Sea were sent to the battlefield, then the sheer brutality of this war...
Gao Yuan couldn't help but shudder.
***
While the entire Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals was thrown into disarray by the sudden war preparedness announcement, Li Fan was thoroughly at ease.
Draining the cup of glowing blue nectar in one gulp, Li Fan gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Fine wine!"
"With such exquisite brew and Fellow Daoist Sima recounting the thrilling events of a thousand years ago, what more could one ask of life?"
Sima Changkong was also slightly tipsy. "Though you and I have only just met, I feel as if we were old friends from the start. The word 'affinity' is truly wondrous beyond words!"
"Come, another cup!"
Sima Changkong tilted his head back and poured the wine down his throat as well.
"Which chapter of the Xuanhuang Realm's past would you like to hear next, Fellow Daoist?"
"The matters of antiquity are beyond tracing, but as for the history since the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals was reestablished, I, Sima Changkong, know a thing or two."
His face flushed red, and he spoke with haughty pride.
"I have heard that about five hundred years ago, there was an incident where the pocket worlds banded together and launched a counteroffensive against the cultivation world."
"Would you please enlighten me on this, Fellow Daoist?"
Li Fan asked, half-drunk and half-sober.
Chapter 559