7: A poison bait called "hope"

Danyang City.

The air in this city was completely different from any other place in the Cultivation World.

The wind carried not Spiritual Qi, but the rich fragrance of hundreds of herbs boiled and sublimated in a Pill Furnace, then condensed.

Mixed within the aroma were the distinct smells of charring and heartache, typical after a failed Alchemy attempt.

Along both sides of the street, nine out of ten shops displayed plaques reading "Pill Pavilion" or "Medicine Abode."

The hurried Cultivators wore not Magical Artifact swords at their waists, but jade bottles for nurturing Medicinal Pills; in their hands, they carried not Magic Treasures, but their livelihood—Pill Furnaces.

This was the Holy Land of Alchemists.

It was also the final destination for countless Medicinal Pills.

Lu Yuan mingled with the crowd.

Wearing the most ordinary blue Daoist robe, he perfectly concealed his aura to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

His gaze swept over the ornate, bustling Pill Pavilions.

Prosperity was not prosperity.

In his eyes, everything here was merely a collection of data waiting to be appraised, waiting to be traded.

They were cold targets, one by one, about to be incorporated into his trading platform.

After renting an Immortal Cave with sparse Spiritual Qi in a secluded corner on the east side of the city, Lu Yuan casually set up a few basic soundproofing and aura-concealing Restrictions.

He sat down cross-legged.

His consciousness sank into his Sea of Consciousness.

That familiar, pale golden light screen, visible only to him, silently unfolded.

A clear instruction formed in his mind.

Execute Instruction: Conduct a deep information due diligence on the competitive target 'Medicine Obsessive' for the 'nine revolutions soul returning grass' asset.

The instruction was confirmed by the System.

Confirm Execution. Consume 1 karma points.

On his panel, the number flickered.

karma points: 4.6

Above the light screen, new text flowed like a waterfall, quickly constructing a complete investment profile of a Golden Core Cultivator.

Target Name: Liu Xuan

Market Title: Medicine Obsessive

Current Valuation (Cultivation): Golden Core Middle Stage

Affiliated Force (Related Assets): Independent Alchemy Grandmaster of Danyang City, closely associated with the City Lord’s Manor (blue-chip stock)

Personality Risk Assessment: Obsessed with the Dao of Alchemy, arrogant and reclusive, extremely confident. Possesses an almost fanatical pride in his Alchemy skills, which is a high-risk personality factor. Naturally suspicious, distrusts outsiders, increasing information transfer costs.

Recent Activity Analysis: Currently attempting to refine the ancient Pill Formula 'Dragon Tiger Confluence Pill', encountering a technical Bottleneck, with no substantial progress for several months. Target's emotional state is in the volatile range, increasing the probability of irrational decisions.

Lu Yuan's fingers began to tap rhythmically on his knee, unconsciously.

Arrogant.

Confident.

Bottleneck.

These words were quickly highlighted in red and magnified in his mental model.

A perfect "knowledge trap" framework had slowly taken shape.

He issued a second instruction.

Search the Exchange database for all tradable items related to the 'Dragon Tiger Confluence Pill'.

The light screen refreshed.

Dozens of pieces of information flowed past.

Lu Yuan directly ignored all orthodox refinement ideas and Pill Formulas—those were "value investments," high cost, long cycle.

What he wanted to do was "speculate."

His gaze was finally fixed on an item shimmering with a dark red light.

Target: Ancient Demonic Path Pill Formula Fragment "Blood Essence Reversal Record."

Price: 1 karma points.

Product Description: The 'Yin and Yang Reversal Method' recorded within it can theoretically resolve the Bottleneck of Spiritual Qi conflict in the 'Dragon Tiger Confluence Pill'. However, the core logic of its Demonic Path method will cause an irreversible, violent chain reaction with the pure Yang Spiritual Qi inside the Pill Furnace, ultimately resulting in a Pill Furnace explosion.

Asset Source: Fragments of a Demonic Path Sect's Legacy from the previous era, which has since been liquidated.

Lu Yuan's eyes lit up at that moment.

That's it.

A fatal bait, packaged under "hope."

A precise poison, disguised as a "solution."

Without hesitation, he bought this Pill Formula.

karma points: 3.6

With the Pill Formula in hand, the real problem surfaced.

How to "reasonably" and "safely" deliver this bait to a suspicious Golden Core mighty figure?

Directly pay a visit?

That wouldn't be delivering a Pill Formula; it would be delivering his head.

Liu Xuan's first thought would definitely not be to research the authenticity of the Pill Formula, but to thoroughly search Lu Yuan, who had come to his door, from Divine Soul to bone marrow, to uncover everything behind him.

There must be an intermediary.

A perfect "underwriter."

A pawn that could make Liu Xuan lower his guard and believe this was an "Opportunity" rather than a "trap."

Lu Yuan closed his eyes.

He pushed the "Market Scan" function to its limit.

With his Immortal Cave as the center, the basic information of tens of thousands of Cultivators within Danyang City washed over his senses.

Zhang San, Qi Refining Fifth Layer, worried about not being able to afford a Low Grade Magical Artifact... Filter.

Li Si, Qi Refining Ninth Layer, preparing to break through to Foundation Establishment, searching everywhere for foundation establishment pills... Filter.

Countless low-value "junk assets" were quickly filtered out.

His target was clear: Foundation Establishment Stage, short on money, and at a dead end.

A few breaths later, a target meeting all conditions was firmly locked onto.

Character: Sun Erniang.

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Financial Status: Due to depleted Cultivation resources, owes a large sum of Spirit Stones to the 'Four Seas Merchant Association', and a debt collection order has been issued. Current Status: On the verge of default, nearing bankruptcy.

Lu Yuan's lips curved into a cold, unfeeling arc.

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator pushed to the brink would do anything to survive.

She was the best pawn.

An hour later.

In a dark corner of the chaotic Ghost Market on the west side of Danyang City.

Lu Yuan sealed the Demonic Path Pill Formula fragment, along with a meticulously forged map pointing to a non-existent ancient Immortal Cave, into a jade box aged so well that its era was indistinguishable.

He opened the Exchange light screen one last time.

Execute Instruction: Purchase a call option.

Target: 'Sun Erniang' will, one hour later, acquire a jade box disguised as an ancient relic in the 'Old Three's General Store' in the corner of the Ghost Market, in the form of a "lucky find."

Option Price: 1 karma points.

Instruction Confirmed.

karma points: 2.6

Having completed all this, Lu Yuan's figure silently merged into the deeper shadows.

He had laid out the fragrant bait, waiting only for the prey to step into the trap whose dimensions he had already calculated.

His plan was flawless.

Utilize Sun Erniang's desperation to deliver the Pill Formula.

Utilize Liu Xuan's arrogance to make him firmly believe this was a heaven-sent Opportunity belonging to him.

One link after another, a logical closed loop.

He calmly watched it all, waiting for the threads of Karma to slowly tighten along the trajectory he had already set.

However, at this very moment.

A dazzling, crimson warning popped up at the bottom of the light screen without any warning.

The cold font stopped Lu Yuan's departing footsteps.

Market Risk Warning: Detected a high-risk variable not accounted for in the model!

Related target 'Mr. Gu' (Danyang City Alchemist), his personal knowledge base contains partial research on ancient Demonic Path Pill Formula theories. The existence of this target has a 3.7% probability of identifying the trap in your layout, potentially becoming a 'black swan' event for this investment, leading to investment failure!