80: Your valuation is negative

The dust in the valley slowly settled.

The towering war puppet, like an ancient steel deity, stood silently at the edge of the deep pit.

Its scarlet electronic eyes dimmed, returning to their cold metallic texture.

Lu Yuan's figure drifted down from the mountain peak, his footsteps silent.

He didn't spare a glance for Yun Yao, who was slumped on the ground.

His entire mind was immersed in the newly appeared, strangely shaped furnace plug-in in his consciousness.

【Myriad Gu Furnace】.

Lines of cold descriptive text appeared on the light screen.

【This plug-in can devour, analyze, and refine all substances or energies containing 'toxicity' and 'curses'.】

【Refinement Direction One: Karma Poison. Elevate complex toxins into a conceptual weapon that can directly erode Law and ignore most physical defenses.】

【Refinement Direction Two: Life Essence. Strip away the negative energy from toxins, extract the purest Life Origin, usable for repairing physical damage and replenishing energy cores.】

Yun Yao struggled, sitting up from the ground.

The empty spiritual power within her body was slowly recovering.

The relief of surviving a disaster, intertwined with the deep despair she had felt earlier, left her mind in a daze.

She looked at Lu Yuan, her gaze incredibly complex.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for saving me."

Her voice was weak, yet she instinctively maintained the demeanor befitting a Saintess.

"This place is not suitable for long stays, we..."

"You are now my asset."

Lu Yuan interrupted her, his voice devoid of emotion.

He finally turned his head, his gaze falling upon Yun Yao.

It was the gaze of someone evaluating goods, calm, objective, stripped of all human emotion.

Yun Yao's breathing hitched.

She thought she had misheard.

"What... did you say?"

Lu Yuan did not answer.

He merely raised his hand.

A translucent light screen unfolded before Yun Yao out of thin air.

On the light screen, a line of dazzling golden text burned into her eyes.

【Target Name: Saintess of Hundred Flowers Palace — Yun Yao (Damaged)】

【Current Valuation: -1200 karma points】

A negative number.

A stark, shocking negative number.

"Your Dao Protector is dead, your spiritual power is exhausted, and you are severely injured."

Lu Yuan's voice stated the facts.

"You carry the 【Hundred Flowers Scroll】; in this Burial God Abyss, you are a mobile treasure trove, and an even more conspicuous target."

"Without my protection, you won't survive three days."

"A target that requires continuous resource investment to prevent 'liquidation,' and cannot generate any immediate returns itself, is a non-performing asset."

"Therefore, your value is negative."

The color drained from Yun Yao's face.

Her proud identity, her talent revered by thousands, all her dignity as a Saintess, were crushed into dust by this cold number at this moment.

Her Dao Heart experienced a violent tremor for the first time.

Lu Yuan was completely indifferent to her reaction.

He waved his hand again.

The valuation report on the light screen disappeared, replaced by a contract formed by countless golden Law chains.

【Asset Custody Agreement】.

"Sign it."

Lu Yuan gave the command.

"Your ownership for the next hundred years, including your freedom, all your cultivation insights, and all the Opportunity you gain, will all belong to me."

"In return, I will provide you with protection and invest resources to 'restructure' you, until your valuation turns from negative to positive."

Yun Yao's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

This was more cruel than killing her.

She wanted to resist, to curse, but seeing the steel demon god standing silently nearby, and seeing Lu Yuan's unfathomable eyes, all words were stuck in her throat.

He spoke the truth.

She had no choice.

After a long while.

Yun Yao closed her eyes, a clear tear sliding from the corner of her eye and evaporating.

She extended her trembling finger and pressed her Divine Soul imprint onto the agreement formed by the light screen.

A spiritual light flashed.

The contract was established.

Lu Yuan nodded, as if he had merely completed an insignificant transaction.

He turned and walked towards the tattered corpse of the "Gu Master" that the war puppet had pulled from underground.

He grabbed the shriveled corpse, along with the dead Gu, and unhesitatingly threw them into the "Battlefield Sacrifice" furnace in the war puppet's chest.

Buzz.

The furnace mouth closed, and a dull roar came from within.

The newly acquired plug-in 【Myriad Gu Furnace】 had already linked with the Sacrifice Furnace and begun its first operation.

It was devouring, analyzing, and refining.

Yun Yao stared blankly at this scene, her heart cold.

She knew that her fate had been thrown into an unfathomable furnace.