9: The news spread, and people became rich overnight!

On this very day, a piece of news spread throughout the entire Zhao State Cultivation World.

Great Master Qing Yangzi, a Third-Grade Alchemist from the Four Seas Merchant Guild, publicly announced a brand-new Pill Formula for the Second-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill.

It is said that the Foundation Establishment Pill refined from this Pill Formula can not only increase a Cultivator's success rate for Foundation Establishment by 40%, but it also has no side effects from pill toxins, offering a 10% higher success rate than existing Foundation Establishment Pills.

Once the news was out, countless Cultivators in the Zhao State Cultivation World were shocked.

Countless Cultivators stuck at the Peak of Qi Refining went crazy over it.

Various Sects and Cultivator Families all turned their attention to this Pill Formula.

The two main ingredients of the Pill Formula—Dragon Blood Vine and Phantom Star Grass—entered everyone's vision for the first time.

For a time, all the Dragon Blood Vine and Phantom Star Grass in the shops within the capital of the Zhao State were snatched up.

Their prices began to skyrocket at a terrifying speed.

Azure Cloud Peak, Sect Master's Grand Hall.

Gu Qingxue was stunned as she listened to the news brought back by her Disciple.

She looked at the intelligence Jade Slip in her hand, recalling the command Lu Yuan had given three days ago, which had seemed incomprehensible to her at the time.

So... that was it.

The Old Ancestor had actually foreseen today's events three days in advance.

At this moment, her reverence for Lu Yuan in her heart reached an unprecedented Peak.

So, her husband possessed such foresight and profound calculations.

With an excited heart, she arrived at Longevity Peak once again.

"Husband, we've made a fortune." She could no longer maintain her usual cold demeanor, her tone carrying a hint of joy.

"As expected." Lu Yuan's reaction was much calmer, as if everything was within his expectations.

Lu Yuan said indifferently, "Sell all the Dragon Blood Vine and Phantom Star Grass in our possession, all at once, to the Four Seas Merchant Guild's arch-rival, Wanbao Tower."

"Sell it all at once?" Gu Qingxue hesitated slightly. "If we follow the Four Seas Merchant Guild's example and release it slowly, wouldn't we be able to earn more?"

"No need." Lu Yuan shook his head.

"Our goal is to resolve the Sect's urgent crisis, not to do business. Selling it all at once will not only secure enough Spirit Stones, but also give Wanbao Tower enough confidence to challenge the Four Seas Merchant Guild's monopoly. Letting them fight like dogs is the most beneficial outcome for us."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingxue suddenly realized everything.

She did not hesitate any longer, immediately taking the massive quantity of Spirit Medicine and secretly heading to Wanbao Tower.

In the end, after some negotiations, this batch of Low Grade Spirit Medicine, which would have been worth only a few hundred thousand Spirit Stones in the past, was exchanged for a massive sum of thirty million Low-Grade Spirit Stones for the Azure Cloud Sect.

After obtaining this batch of Spirit Medicine capable of changing the market landscape, Wanbao Tower immediately began stocking large quantities of Dragon Blood Vine and Phantom Star Grass in their shops.

Although the prices were far higher than in the past, they were 20% lower than those of the Four Seas Merchant Guild.

Zhao State capital, Four Seas Merchant Guild branch.

Branch President Zhao Sihai, a middle-aged man with a plump figure but incredibly shrewd eyes, was listening to his subordinate's report with a gloomy face.

"President, Wanbao Tower... somehow managed to get their hands on a large batch of Dragon Blood Vine and Phantom Star Grass and is selling them in large quantities."

"What?" Zhao Sihai stood up abruptly, his face full of disbelief. "How is that possible? Didn't we already buy out all the stock on the market? Where did they get it from?"

He had thought that this time, by relying on the monopoly of information, he could play the entire Zhao State Cultivation World in the palm of his hand.

But now, Wanbao Tower's sudden entry had completely disrupted all his plans.

He had lost the power to set prices.

"Investigate this for me." A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Zhao Sihai's eyes.

"I want to see exactly who dares to ruin the Four Seas Merchant Guild's good fortune behind our backs."

Zhao State capital, Four Seas Merchant Guild.

Inside the secret room, there was silence.

Zhao Sihai looked at the secret letter that had just been presented to him with a gloomy expression.

"Azure Cloud Sect."

He slowly spat out these three words, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.

The secret letter clearly stated that the only source of the massive batch of Dragon Blood Vine and Phantom Star Grass at Wanbao Tower was the Azure Cloud Sect.

And just three days before the Pill Formula was announced, the Azure Cloud Sect had indeed dispatched a large number of Disciples into the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Various clues all pointed to one conclusion.

The Azure Cloud Sect had known the news in advance.

"President, could this... could there be a traitor within our ranks?" a trusted subordinate asked cautiously from the side.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Zhao Sihai's eyes.

This was also what he suspected the most.

The matter of the Foundation Establishment Pill Formula was the highest secret of the Guild. Besides himself and Great Master Qing Yangzi, no more than five people knew about it.

Who exactly dared to betray the Four Seas Merchant Guild?

"President, then... should we take action against the Azure Cloud Sect?" the trusted subordinate asked again. "Teach them a lesson so they know that ruining our good fortune comes with a price."

Zhao Sihai fell silent upon hearing this.

His fingers tapped on the table unconsciously.

Take action against the Azure Cloud Sect.

This thought only swirled in his mind for an instant before he extinguished it without hesitation.

A hint of deep wariness flashed in his eyes.

Others might not know, but as the President of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, with his extensive sources of information, he was very clear about what kind of existence that Old Ancestor of the Azure Cloud Sect, Lu Yuan, really was.

He was a madman.

A thorough madman who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

He clearly remembered that when Lu Yuan had just advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage, he had stood alone at the gate of a Sect that had a grudge against him, demanding an explanation.

His most common method was burning his Essence Blood and Lifespan, fighting with his life on the line.

Since his advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage, the number of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators who had fallen at Lu Yuan's hands had long exceeded the number of fingers on both hands.

The entire Zhao State Cultivation World was terrified of him.

If not for this, how could the Azure Cloud Sect have sat securely on the throne of the four great Sects of Zhao State for these thousand years?

Deal with such a madman.

Zhao Sihai asked himself, he did not have the guts for that.

"No need." He slowly shook his head. "That Ancestor Qingyun is nearing the end of his Lifespan and is already a dying man. There is no need for us to provoke him at this critical juncture."

"Let the Azure Cloud Sect linger on for a little while longer."

His voice carried a hint of unwillingness.

But he knew very well that as long as Lu Yuan was alive, the Azure Cloud Sect was not something he could easily manipulate.

Longevity Peak, inside the Immortal Cave.

11 PM - 1 AM arrived quietly.

【Ding, daily intelligence has been refreshed.】

Three new pieces of intelligence appeared before Lu Yuan's eyes.

【Green Intelligence: Beneath the stone tablet of the Sect's Karma Hall lies a Meditation Cushion left behind by a previous Elder. This cushion is woven from thousand-year-old Calming Grass. Cultivating while sitting on it can eliminate distracting thoughts and increase Comprehension Ability by 30%. It has miraculous effects for Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage and below.】