91: The Curse of Zero

An hour passed.

Qingyun Sect, Council Hall.

The glowing screen suspended in mid-air, representing the number of subscribed shares, remained a cold, despair-inducing “zero.”

Dead silence.

A dead silence that could crack bones.

Representatives from various forces in the Burial God Abyss were gathered in the hall, yet no one spoke; even their breathing was consciously suppressed.

Their gazes, whether mocking, pitying, or purely schadenfreude, all pierced the lonely figure in front of the screen.

Outside rumors had long turned into a storm, sweeping through every corner.

“Lu Yuan is crazy, using a doomed person as a bargaining chip, attempting to swindle our hard-earned money.”

“A complete and utter scam, and the Heavenly Secret Pavilion is even playing along with him!”

“Have you heard? Lord Ye Chen has already declared that anyone who dares to subscribe will be an enemy of the Guixu Demon Palace!”

These voices were mercilessly cutting into the already fragile and vulnerable market confidence.

Lu Yuan stood with his back to the crowd, his expression unperturbed.

In the deepest part of his pupils, the Great Dao Options Exchange screen was refreshing a torrent of data at an astonishing speed.

Lines of fluctuating curves, representing the emotions of the Cultivators present, intertwined into a deep red ocean in his eyes.

Greed.

Fear.

Doubt.

Observation.

Every thought was coldly quantified into the most precise values.

He didn’t even need to turn around to know the beating of every heart behind him.

Just then.

A very light sound of footsteps broke the solidified dead silence.

Yun Yao emerged from the shadows of the crowd.

Today, she was not wearing her alluring palace dress that accentuated her figure, but a simple, plain long dress, stripped of all extravagance.

The face that always wore a charming smile now showed no trace of frivolity, only a nearly cold determination.

In an instant, all eyes focused on her.

The remnant of the Purple Gold Wang Family.

The sole surviving high-ranking member of the Family Lu Yuan had personally annihilated.

What did she want to do?

Publicly shed tears and accuse Lu Yuan of brutality? Or kneel and beg for mercy, hoping for a glimmer of hope?

Under the gaze of countless complex eyes, Yun Yao walked behind Lu Yuan and stood still.

She did not look at Lu Yuan, but raised her slender finger and drew her own exclusive trading screen in the Void Realm.

A line of numbers appeared, representing her entire fortune.

An asset that could be considered a huge sum even for an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator.

This was the last thing she had desperately preserved from the blood and fire of the Wang Family’s destruction.

She did not hesitate for a moment.

Her fingertips quickly tapped on the screen.

“Asset Exchange.”

“Confirm.”

All her Spirit Stones, Magic Treasures, and Medicinal Pills were mercilessly melted by the Exchange’s rules at this moment, all transforming into a string of cold karma points.

Then, she opened the subscription interface for moonlight resuscitation no. 1.

Input.

Full amount.

“Confirm Subscription.”

Her movements were fluid, without the slightest pause.

As if it wasn’t her life’s savings, but a handful of insignificant dust.

Buzz—

In the center of the hall, the screen that had been silent for an hour finally changed!

That glaring “zero” flickered violently.

Immediately, it jumped to a new number!

Although this number was insignificant compared to the massive total issuance, it cut through the gloom that enveloped the entire hall!

It broke the curse of “zero.”

The whole hall was in an uproar!

Astonishment, incomprehension, shock, absurdity!

Countless gazes frantically swept back and forth between Lu Yuan and Yun Yao.

They couldn’t understand.

Why would a survivor, whose Family was destroyed, bet her entire being on an enemy who had personally ruined everything for her?!

Lu Yuan finally turned around slowly.

He gazed at Yun Yao, his eyes showing no approval, nor surprise, only a detached indifference as if looking at a foregone conclusion.

“Your trust will be rewarded a hundredfold.”

His voice was not loud, but it carved itself deep into the Divine Soul of everyone present.

Yun Yao lowered her eyes, gave no response, but respectfully retreated to the side, once again disappearing into her shadow.

She was not betting on Han Yuexi, nor on this illusory fund.

She was betting that this man in front of her would never allow his assets to suffer the slightest loss.

This trust had nothing to do with emotion, only with profit.

In the corner of the hall.

A Loose Cultivator Grandmaster, whose aura was as deep as an abyss and who had been meditating with closed eyes, slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze passed through the crowd, swept over Yun Yao’s determined back, and finally settled on Lu Yuan’s young yet unfathomable face.

He silently made a gesture to his Disciple behind him.

A moment later, the Disciple again held a prospectus for moonlight resuscitation no. 1, and with trembling hands, respectfully presented it to him.

This old monster, who had been famous for hundreds of years and had killed countless people, for the first time began to seriously examine this document that everyone considered a joke.