76: Market opening

Outside the fog-shrouded Burial God Abyss, hundreds of figures held their breath.

They gazed ahead.

On the huge light screen in the sky, the large characters for [nine revolutions soul returning grass Treasure Hunt Trust Fund] shimmered.

Below, light dots representing various Sect forces floated.

They awaited the final command.

Lu Yuan stood on Qingyun Sect's monitoring platform.

He raised his hand towards the Void Realm in front of him.

His fingertip lightly tapped.

An invisible ripple spread.

The dense fog covering the Burial God Abyss was pushed aside by a great force.

A deep, dark rift was exposed before their eyes.

Several light bands appeared out of thin air.

They wound their way deep into the Abyss.

These were the “shipping lanes” designated by the [Great Dao Options Exchange] for this treasure hunt.

“Esteemed investors,”

“The treasure hunt officially begins.”

Lu Yuan’s voice was steady.

Devoid of any emotion.

The light dots on the screen lit up in sequence.

Then, they were guided by soft beams of light.

The light dots entered their respective shipping lanes.

Disappearing into the depths of the fog.

Each transmission was accompanied by a faint tremor in space.

The Cultivators couldn’t suppress their exclamations.

On another small light screen in front of Lu Yuan.

He clearly saw the area assigned to each light dot.

Han Yuexi stood beside him.

Her gaze was complex.

She looked at the Cultivators who had been teleported away.

Then glanced at Lu Yuan beside her.

In her eyes, an elusive doubt flickered.

“Is this the ‘asset package’ area you set?”

Her voice was low.

Lu Yuan did not commit.

He calmly watched the rapidly moving light dots in the A-grade area on the light screen.

The A-grade area was the “main thoroughfare” Lu Yuan had designated.

That was where the Cultivators who purchased the lowest-risk asset packages were located.

Spiritual Qi was sparse.

The ground was grayish-brown.

A few withered weeds swayed in the wind.

The air was filled with a damp, decaying scent.

Occasionally, shattered bones were scattered by the roadside.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s nothing here.”

Low complaints spread throughout the A-grade area.

“We spent a fortune just to see this trash?”

“Is Qingyun Sect trying to fool us?!”

Several Foundation Establishment Cultivators cursed.

Their Magical Artifacts showed that, apart from safety, their current area yielded almost no gains.

Great disappointment corroded their patience.

At this moment, on the light screen.

A green light dot representing “Heimu Sect.”

It suddenly detached from the A-grade area’s main thoroughfare.

The light dot slowly slid towards the adjacent B-grade area.

The Heimu Sect Sect Master.

He was a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator with a goatee.

Greed flickered in his eyes.

The Disciples beside him looked hesitant.

“Sect Master, this…”

“What’s there to fear?!”

The goatee Sect Master waved his hand, interrupting the Disciples’ doubts.

He lowered his voice.

His tone held excitement.

“That brat Lu Yuan clearly kept the good stuff for himself.”

“This B-grade area, not too far nor too close to A-grade, if there’s an Opportunity, it’s definitely in there!”

He licked his lips.

“Fortune favors the bold.”

“As long as we act fast and find one or two good things, it’ll far surpass those foolish rule-followers.”

He led dozens of Disciples.

Cautiously passing through a thin, gray Qi wall.

That was the B-grade area.

On the small light screen in Lu Yuan’s hand.

The abnormal trajectory of the Heimu Sect light dot was clearly visible.

A barely perceptible curve played on his lips.

He turned to look at Han Yuexi.

The doubt in her eyes had not yet dissipated.

“Fairy Han, have you ever seen anyone who can precisely predict the future?”

Lu Yuan’s words.

Han Yuexi’s body trembled slightly.

She looked at Lu Yuan.

“In half an hour, Heimu Sect’s assets will be zeroed out.”

Lu Yuan spoke calmly.

His voice devoid of any emotion.

It was a pure declaration.

Irrelevant to joy.

Irrelevant to pity.

Han Yuexi’s pupils suddenly constricted.

She gazed at the slowly moving green light dot of Heimu Sect on the light screen.

In her chest.

An unusual heaviness arose.

In the depths of the dense forest in the B-grade area.

The air was cold and damp.

The soil underfoot emitted a strong scent of decaying leaves.

Giant ancient trees blocked out the sun.

Black vines climbed all over the tree trunks.

On the vines hung black fruits the size of fists.

The Heimu Sect Cultivators’ hearts trembled.

They gripped their Magical Artifacts tightly.

Scanning their surroundings warily.

The Sect Master walked at the very front.

He suddenly stopped.

Ahead, beneath a giant ancient tree.

A mottled stone tablet stood silently.

The stone tablet was dark red all over.

Its surface was covered with traces of time.

Eerie blood-colored runes.

Slowly wriggled on the stone tablet.

An indescribable sense of oppression spread from the stone tablet.

“This is…”

The greed in the Heimu Sect Sect Master’s eyes intensified.

He walked towards the stone tablet step by step.

Stretching out his hand.

His fingertip was about to touch the blood-colored runes.

Just as his fingertip touched the stone tablet.

The blood-colored runes on the stone tablet suddenly burst into brilliant light.

A crimson light shot up into the sky.

The ground shook violently.

“Rumble!”

The soil churned.

Countless thick black vines burst from the ground.

Carrying a foul, earthy smell.

They coiled around the Heimu Sect Cultivators.

The vines were covered with sharp barbs.

The barbs shimmered faintly.

“Ah!”

Screams rose one after another.

The weakest Disciples were caught by the vines.

Their flesh was torn by the barbs.

Their bodies were dragged deep into the soil.

Leaving only patches of dazzling bloodstains on the ground.

The Heimu Sect Sect Master’s face turned pale.

He summoned his Magical Artifact and slashed at the vines.

However, the number of vines was too great.

They were endless.

Surging from all directions.

They surrounded the Heimu Sect Cultivators.

Sharp screams were swallowed by the chilling depths of the dense forest.

On Qingyun Sect’s monitoring light screen.

The green light dot representing Heimu Sect.

Suddenly flickered a few times.

Finally.

It extinguished.

In the center of the light screen, a clear notification appeared.

[Heavenly Dao Contract Delivery Notification: Heimu Sect violated the treasure hunt agreement, and all its asset package investments have been transferred to the public prize pool.]

That line of cold text.

Spread through the minds of all Cultivators inside and outside the Burial God Abyss.

Inside and outside the valley, there was dead silence.

All investors looked at the disappearing light dot on the light screen.

And that merciless declaration.

For the first time.

They so directly felt the coldness and cruelty of the rules set by Lu Yuan.

It was a kind of.

Power that transcended Spells and cultivation.

It was a kind of.

Absolute control over life and wealth.

No one dared to cross the line again.

Han Yuexi looked at the light screen.

Then looked at Lu Yuan.

The air behind her seemed to have been drained of warmth.

A chill rushed from her feet to the top of her head.

She felt for the first time.

The man before her.

Was more terrifying than any Devil Head she had ever seen.

She couldn’t understand Lu Yuan’s rules.

Lu Yuan merely withdrew his gaze indifferently.

His sight fell upon the light screen.

There.

Amidst the afterimages of light dots after Heimu Sect’s demise.

A blood-colored symbol, faintly discernible.

That was something the [Great Dao Options Exchange] had remotely scanned and recorded.

A new mystery.

“[Sandbox Simulation] function, accuracy improved.”

The System’s cold notification sounded in his mind.

At the corner of Lu Yuan’s mouth.

A barely perceptible arc curved again.

He knew.

This was just the beginning.