15: A margin call, or an overnight success?

The City Lord's Mansion of Danyang City.

These five words were branded deeply onto Lu Yuan's Divine Soul.

The chill didn't seep in from his skin; instead, it erupted directly from the depths of his bone marrow.

Leveraged trading equally magnified Heaven and Hell.

As the sole source of order in Danyang City, the City Lord's Mansion's intervention always had only one purpose.

Clearing the field.

Once the situation was quelled by this giant hand with the force of a thunderbolt, his bet on a 'stalemate of chaotic battle' would become a complete joke.

Margin call.

This term transformed into a dark crack, suddenly spreading in the depths of his consciousness.

Those hundred-plus points of Karma collateral would evaporate.

The terrifying losses brought by two-times leverage would cling to him like maggots, beginning to devour his Lifespan, gnaw at his Luck, and even tear apart his newly repaired Dao foundation.

He would die.

He would die more thoroughly and tragically than before the trade.

Lu Yuan's breathing completely vanished at that instant.

Even the wind died in the mountain hollow where he was hiding.

He could hear his own heart, within his chest, hammering against his ribs with an uncontrolled, heavy rhythm.

But he didn't move.

Not even his eyelids trembled a fraction.

The closer he was to destruction, the clearer his thoughts became, operating with an almost cruel precision.

He couldn't retreat.

If Blazing Fire Valley retreated, and the Blood Fiend Sect remained hidden, he would be doomed.

He had to ignite the ambition in these two hungry wolves, the ambition to snatch food from a tiger's mouth.

With what?

Profit.

A profit substantial enough to drive even Golden Core Cultivators completely insane.

Lu Yuan's thoughts focused on a piece of intelligence.

liu xuan's manual of the dao of alchemy, hidden deep within the ore vein.

This was the true core asset.

And it was the only fulcrum he had at this moment to leverage the entire game.

He brought up the Exchange panel.

The crimson warning still burned his vision, and in the corner of the panel, a small line of numbers lay quietly.

【Account Balance: 2.8 points Karma.】

This was his last bullet.

In the depths of Lu Yuan's eyes, a nearly pathological, faint glow ignited.

He would use this last glimmer to ignite the flames of greed in everyone.

He didn't go to purchase any grand events; he targeted two crucial nodes.

The Young Lord of Blazing Fire Valley, an arrogant fool.

The Protector of the Blood Fiend Sect, a greedy demonic Cultivator.

【Call Option: Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Young Lord of Blazing Fire Valley, 'Yan Lie,' and his confidant learn from an 'absolutely reliable' source that 'liu xuan's manual of the dao of alchemy' is hidden at the core of the Cinnabar Gold Ore Vein.】

【Price: 0.5 points Karma.】

【Call Option: Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Blood Fiend Sect's Protector, 'Gui San,' intercepts 'top-secret intelligence' regarding 'liu xuan's manual of the dao of alchemy' through his insider.】

【Price: 0.5 points Karma.】

He paid 1 point of Karma.

His account balance became 1.8 points.

He gambled his last hope... outside the Cinnabar Gold Ore Vein.

The middle-aged general of the City Lord's Mansion floated in mid-air, his voice calm, yet it struck everyone's ears like an iron decree.

"The ownership of the Cinnabar Gold Ore Vein is in doubt. Effective immediately, it will be temporarily taken over by the City Lord's Mansion. All parties, withdraw. Violators will be dealt with."

Within the Blazing Fire Valley formation, Young Lord Yan Lie's expression changed.

To retreat, he was unwilling.

Not to retreat, he didn't dare.

Just as he was about to wave his hand to withdraw, a confidant Elder flew to his side, his face pale, his voice trembling violently as he transmitted a message.

"Young Lord! Top-secret news! That old fellow Liu Xuan's lifelong painstaking effort, that 'Manual of the Dao of Alchemy,' is hidden at the core of the ore vein!"

Yan Lie's pupils suddenly contracted to a single point.

On the other side, the Blood Fiend Sect One line people, hidden in the shadows, also received a nearly identical message from their insider.

Protector Gui San's mummy-like face twisted with wild joy.

Manual of the Dao of Alchemy!

Its value far exceeded that of an ore vein.

The atmosphere, at this moment, solidified.

The City Lord's Mansion general noticed the anomaly and frowned, demanding, "Are you defying orders?"

"Hahahaha!"

A mad laugh erupted from within the Blazing Fire Valley formation.

Yan Lie's eyes were bloodshot, greed completely burning away his reason.

"General, you jest! It's better to first thoroughly inventory the contents of this mine!"

Before his words finished, hundreds of Cultivators behind him bypassed the general and directly launched a fierce attack on the ore vein's grand formation.

"Seeking death!"

The general was furious.

But at this moment, from the dense forest on the other side, dozens of bloody figures shot into the sky, carrying a sickening stench of blood, and likewise attacked the ore vein.

"Hehehe, such a treasure is not something your City Lord's Mansion can monopolize!"

Gui San's voice was sharp and shrill, like a night owl.

The four factions were like four hungry beasts thrown into a small gladiator arena.

Under the stimulation of the ultimate bait, 'Manual of the Dao of Alchemy,' all pretenses were completely torn away.

Negotiations broke down.

A chaotic battle erupted.

The radiance of Magic Treasures and the roar of spells churned this world into a boiling blood porridge.

Although the City Lord's Mansion was strong, it could not suppress the desperate madness of the two great Sects.

The Cinnabar Gold Ore Vein transformed into a meat grinder.

In the mountain hollow, Lu Yuan watched all of this dispassionately through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

This grand chaotic battle, involving four Golden Core Rank factions, was merely a wildly fluctuating K-line in his eyes.

One day and one night.

After paying the price of dozens of lives, the City Lord's Mansion general finally realized that continuing the fight would only result in mutual destruction.

He let out a roar filled with endless fury, shaking the clouds.

"Enough! Seal off the mining area! Within three months, no one is allowed to step half a step inside!"

A massive light barrier descended from the sky, completely enveloping the entire mining area.

Although the Cultivators of Blazing Fire Valley and the Blood Fiend Sect were unwilling, they were already at the end of their strength and could only retreat resentfully.

The dust settled.

Almost at the same instant the words "seal off" fell.

In Lu Yuan's mind, the cold Exchange interface sounded a magnificent melody, like a heavenly sacred song, which he had never heard before.

A line of golden characters, seemingly forged from pure light, slowly appeared.

【Special event 'Cinnabar Gold Ore Vein Ownership Undecided' has been achieved.】

【Contract settlement in progress...】

【Total position 205.6 points, option odds 1:20, transaction confirmed.】

【Congratulations, your total profit from this trade: 4112 points Karma.】

【Margin of 102.8 points has been unfrozen and returned to your account.】

【Total account balance: 4216.6 points Karma.】

【Due to your completion of an astonishing high-leverage trade, your Trader Rank has increased, and your leverage limit has been raised to 3 times.】

A series of notification sounds, like the finest mellow wine, poured into Lu Yuan's nearly parched Divine Soul.

He looked at the somewhat unrealistically large number on the panel.

His body, taut for several days, relaxed, and he leaned against the rock wall behind him as if utterly drained.

Ecstasy and exhaustion, like two intertwining giant waves, washed over his mind.

He slowly exhaled a breath.

A turbid breath that carried away all pressure and gloom.

He knew.

From this moment on, he had the capital for Foundation Establishment.

And, more than enough.

He didn't rush to leave, but instead reopened the Exchange and began searching for his next target.

Capital never sleeps.

Soon, information about an underground auction to be held three days later at the 'Sanhe Market' was filtered out by him.

The grand finale item was, surprisingly, a perfect quality foundation establishment pill.

At the same time, a new tradable asset quietly generated on the Exchange panel.

【Treasure Hunt Target: Current location of 'liu xuan's manual of the dao of alchemy'. Call option price: 100 points Karma.】