75: Your Panic, My Feast

Outside the hall at the mountain peak, on the light screen of the Wanbao Tower, Ye Chen's stern face occupied the entire display.

His voice wasn't loud, but it struck the heart of every investor in the valley.

"Short Lu Yuan."

Four words, piercing to the core.

Dead silence.

After absolute dead silence, there was a commotion like a volcanic eruption.

"He's crazy! He actually dares to short the dealer!"

"This... what does this mean? Our investment..."

Doubt was instantly swallowed by panic.

All the Cultivators who had subscribed to the "nine revolutions soul returning grass Trust Fund" turned pale as paper.

What they had gambled was their wealth and lives, the future of their Family.

Now, the "dealer" they trusted had become a public target for others to hunt!

This meant that all their assets were exposed on the edge of an abyss.

"Withdraw! I want to withdraw!"

A Golden Core Cultivator screamed shrilly, his eyes blood red, rushing towards the light screen like a madman.

His Family had almost put all their Spirit Stones on this.

Once Lu Yuan failed, it would be eternal damnation.

One person's breakdown ignited everyone's fear.

"Refund!"

"Qingyun Sect scam!"

The wave of bank runs fiercely gripped the throat of the entire treasure hunting fund.

Inside the hall, Han Yuexi's body emanated a chilling aura, her gaze as cold as ten-thousand-year-old profound ice.

She suddenly turned and stared at Lu Yuan.

"Is this also a 'cost' you calculated?"

Her voice was very low, but it carried a rage that could incinerate everything.

Lu Yuan did not look at her.

He stood there, the tumultuous roar from outside the hall, like mountains and seas, was decomposed into countless flickering data in his ears.

Every sound of panic was a sell-off.

Every curse was a short.

These were the emotions of the market, flowing gold.

Ye Chen's overt scheme was indeed brilliant.

Destroying trust was far more fatal than destroying the Physical Body.

Lu Yuan raised his hand.

Buzz!

The screen of the Wanbao Tower shifted, and a soft Restriction isolated all noise.

His calm voice echoed within the hall.

"Fund redemptions, suspended."

The faces of several Qingyun Sect deacons changed drastically; this was equivalent to tearing up the contract and making an enemy of all the Cultivators in the Eastern Continent!

Lu Yuan ignored them.

His gaze swept over Han Yuexi's icy face, then turned to the distorted faces outside the hall, contorted by fear.

He spoke again, his voice, amplified by the Formation, spread throughout the valley.

"A new product, launching immediately."

Inside and outside the valley, silence.

All eyes, terrified, angry, bewildered, converged on one person.

The deck is almost collapsing, and you still want to deal new cards?

The next moment, behind Lu Yuan, a brand new golden light screen shot up into the sky.

A line of large characters glowed brightly.

["Lu Yuan Will Succeed" Call Option]

All the Cultivators present were stunned.

What did this mean?

Going long on himself?

Lu Yuan's voice was unhurried.

"Everyone who purchased Ye Chen's 'Short Lu Yuan' contract, listen up."

His tone rose slightly, carrying a devilish allure.

"You can, at half the price, purchase an equal amount of the ["Lu Yuan Will Succeed"] Call Option from me."

"This way, you will simultaneously hold both 'long me' and 'short me' possibilities."

The ice in Han Yuexi's eyes began to melt, replaced by astonishment.

She vaguely understood.

Lu Yuan's voice was full of a power to bewitch people's hearts, striking directly at the most primitive greed deep within all Cultivators.

"It's very simple."

"If I ultimately win, your 'call contract' will yield a hundredfold return."

"If I ultimately lose, your 'put contract' will still earn you a fortune from Ye Chen."

"Your only possibility of loss is if this treasure hunt is uneventful, and nothing happens."

He paused, his gaze piercing through the light screen, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

"But he guaranteed that this show would be very exciting."

Inside and outside the valley, the Cultivators on the verge of collapse suddenly breathed heavily.

The panic in their eyes was rapidly being replaced by a flame called "greed."

That's right!

Regardless of whether Lu Yuan lived or died, as long as the struggle was fierce enough and the price fluctuations large enough, they would make a steady profit!

Lu Yuan didn't refute Ye Chen at all; he merely transformed the panic Ye Chen had incited into fuel for his new product.

The tide had turned.

A speculator tentatively bought one "call option."

Two.

Ten.

Next came a frenzy, like sharks smelling blood.

Those Golden Core Cultivators who had just been crying out to withdraw their funds were now afraid of buying too slowly.

Not only did they not withdraw their funds, but they emptied the last Spirit Stone from their Storage Pouch and doubled their bets!

The bank run crisis collapsed.

The capital pool of the "nine revolutions soul returning grass Trust Fund" not only did not decrease but increased, becoming even more substantial than before.

In the distance, Ye Chen, beneath his black robe, watched all of this silently.

He clearly felt the astonishing reversal of market sentiment.

The composure on his face finally vanished, replaced by extreme solemnity.

He was not facing a Cultivator.

But a monster that created rules and devoured emotions.

At this moment, Lu Yuan spoke again, announcing the additional conditions for the new contract.

"Additionally, all investors participating in the 'straddle arbitrage' must compulsorily purchase a 'Treasure Hunt Accident Insurance'."

At these words, everyone fell into confusion again.

Insurance? What was that?

Lu Yuan did not explain further.

He knew that the "Guixu Demon Palace" far away, those ancient existences, had already developed a strong interest in this novel game.

What they were interested in was never just the small nine revolutions soul returning grass.

But... the Dao itself.