dì shí èr shì de shí hòu ， lǐ fán suī rán céng jīng zǒng shēn jiā chāo guò bǎi wàn gòng xiàn dù ， dàn nà shì míng yuè gōng shù nián shí jiān jīng jīng yè yè dù fǎ suǒ de 。
第十二世的时候，李凡虽然曾经总身家超过百万贡献度，但那是明月宫数年时间兢兢业业渡法所得。
In the twelfth era, Li Fan had once amassed over a million contribution points, but that was from diligently practicing cultivation techniques in the Bright Moon Palace for several years.
bù shuō shì xuè hàn qián le ba ， dàn yě shì xīn kǔ qián 。
不说是血汗钱了吧，但也是辛苦钱。
That might have been sweat and toil money, but it was still hard-earned. Now, however, he barely put in any effort, merely taking advantage of the situation to make 650,000 contribution points almost overnight.
nǎ xiàng xiàn zài zhè yàng ， jī hū shén me dōu méi fù chū 。 zhǐ shì jiè jī tuī dòng chǎo zuò ， zhuǎn yǎn jiān jiù jiāng liù shí wǔ wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù shōu rù náng zhōng 。
哪像现在这样，几乎什么都没付出。只是借机推动炒作，转眼间就将六十五万点贡献度收入囊中。
This sudden windfall made Li Fan feel unrealistically giddy.
zhè bǐ jù kuǎn lái de tài róng yì ， ràng lǐ fán yǒu zhǒng jí qí xū huàn de cuò jué 。
这笔巨款来的太容易，让李凡有种极其虚幻的错觉。
Li Fan steadied himself and looked at He Zhenghao and Jiao Xiuyuan, who were still in a frenzy of greed. The main and sub-selves couldn't help but urge them to stop.
lǐ fán shāo wēi dìng le dìng shén ， kàn zhe yī rán xiàn rù zài kuáng rè tān lán zhōng de hé zhèng hào hé jiāo xiū yuǎn ， běn zūn hé fēn shēn rěn bú zhù tóng shí chū shēng quàn jiè 。
李凡稍微定了定神，看着依然陷入在狂热贪婪中的何正浩和焦修远，本尊和分身忍不住同时出声劝诫。
"Stop, Fellow Daoist He!"
“ shōu shǒu ba ， hé dào yǒu ！”
“收手吧，何道友！”
"Stop, Fellow Daoist Jiao!"
“ shōu shǒu ba ， jiāo dào yǒu ！”
“收手吧，焦道友！”
"You've made enough already; you can still stop now!"
“ xiàn zài yǐ jīng zuàn de gòu duō le ， shōu shǒu hái lái de jí ！”
“现在已经赚得够多了，收手还来的及！”
Despite their different positions, their reactions were surprisingly consistent.
èr rén suī rán shēn chù bù tóng wèi zhì ， dàn fǎn yìng què chū qí de yí zhì 。
二人虽然身处不同位置，但反应却出奇的一致。
"Now's the time to stop? How could that be possible?! The surge in Spirit Fog Grass is just beginning!"
“ xiàn zài shōu shǒu ？ zěn me kě néng ？！ líng wù cǎo zhè lún bào zhǎng ， cái gāng gāng kāi shǐ ！”
“现在收手？怎么可能？！灵雾草这轮暴涨，才刚刚开始！”
"That destruction of cultivation sites means a major player has entered the market! 300 contribution points are far from the end; they're just the start! Fellow Daoist, don't ruin yourself!" He Zhenghao analyzed meticulously, dismissing Li Fan's advice.
“ nà jǐ gè zhòng zhí dì bèi huǐ ， shuō míng xiàn zài yǒu dà lǎo zhēn zhèng rù chǎng le ！ sān bǎi diǎn gòng xiàn dù ， gēn běn bú shì zhōng diǎn ， ér shì qǐ diǎn ！ dào yǒu qiān wàn bú yào zì wù a ！” hé zhèng hào jīng zhì fēn xī zhe ， duì lǐ fán de jiàn yì bù xiè yī gù 。
“那几个种植地被毁，说明现在有大佬真正入场了！三百点贡献度，根本不是终点，而是起点！道友千万不要自误啊！”何正浩精致分析着，对李凡的建议不屑一顾。
"Not enough, not enough, still not enough! The opportunity is not over yet; we should wait a bit longer!" Jiao Xiuyuan was more rational but still harbored greed, wanting to make even more money.
“ bù gòu ， bù gòu ， hái bù gòu ！ shāng jī wèi jué ， zài děng děng ！” jiāo xiū yuǎn suī rán lǐ zhì le yī xiē ， dàn yě hái shì xīn huái tān niàn ， xiǎng yào zhuàn de gèng duō yì diǎn 。
“不够，不够，还不够！商机未绝，再等等！”焦修远虽然理智了一些，但也还是心怀贪念，想要赚的更多一点。
Seeing their demeanor, Li Fan knew they wouldn't listen to anyone's advice now.
kàn èr rén zhè fù mú yàng ， lǐ fán xīn zhī ， tā men xiàn zài shì bù kě néng tīng jìn rèn hé rén de quàn le 。
看二人这副模样，李凡心知，他们现在是不可能听进任何人的劝了。
"Good advice for the damned."
“ liáng yán nán quàn gāi sǐ guǐ a 。”
“良言难劝该死鬼啊。”
"How many deluded cultivators will go bankrupt and shatter their minds in the future?"
“ bù zhī dào zhè zhī hòu ， yòu yǒu duō shǎo mó zhēng de xiū shì ， qīng jiā dàng chǎn 、 dào xīn pò suì 。”
“不知道这之后，又有多少魔怔的修士，倾家荡产、道心破碎。”
Li Fan sighed inwardly.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng gǎn tàn dào 。
李凡心中感叹道。
The collapse of the Spirit Fog Grass price bubble came faster than Li Fan had anticipated. It was also unexpected by most frenzied cultivators.
líng wù cǎo jià gé pào mò de pò liè ， bǐ lǐ fán xiǎng xiàng zhōng lái de gèng kuài 。
灵雾草价格泡沫的破裂，比李凡想象中来的更快。
When the price of Spirit Fog Grass soared past 350 points, on the brink of breaking through 400 points, all the cultivators vying to purchase it in front of the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror suddenly heard a mechanical and cold voice from behind the mirror.
yě zài jué dà duō shù kuáng rè xiū shì de yù liào zhī wài 。
也在绝大多数狂热修士的预料之外。
"Due to the significant abnormal fluctuations in the price of Spirit Fog Grass over recent days, to ensure the stability and harmony of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, we hereby announce the following."
zài líng wù cǎo de jià gé yī lù gāo gē měng jìn ， chōng pò sān bǎi wǔ shí dà guān ， yǎn kàn jiù yào cháo tū pò sì bǎi diǎn de shí hòu 。
在灵雾草的价格一路高歌猛进，冲破三百五十大关，眼看就要朝突破四百点的时候。
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance discovered a closed cave heaven three months ago. This cave is vast, with extremely high wood attribute qi. Various spirit plants and herbs are abundant."
suǒ yǒu zài tiān xuán jìng miàn qián ， qiǎng zhe gòu mǎi líng wù cǎo de xiū shì 。
所有在天玄镜面前，抢着购买灵雾草的修士。
"Based on rough estimates, Spirit Fog Grass alone yields around 10 million per year."
nǎo hǎi zhōng tū rán tóng shí fú xiàn chū tiān xuán jìng nà lüè xiǎn jī xiè ér yòu bīng lěng de shēng yīn 。
脑海中突然同时浮现出天玄镜那略显机械而又冰冷的声音。
"This can fully meet all production needs within the alliance."
“ yóu yú lián rì lái líng wù cǎo jià gé dà fú dù yì cháng bō dòng ， wèi bǎo zhèng wàn xiān méng wěn dìng hé xié fā zhǎn ， xiàn zuò gōng gào rú xià 。”
“由于连日来灵雾草价格大幅度异常波动，为保证万仙盟稳定和谐发展，现做公告如下。”
...
“ wàn xiān méng yú sān yuè qián ， fā xiàn yī fēng bì dòng tiān 。 gāi dòng tiān guī mó jí dà ， mù shǔ xìng líng qì jí gāo 。 gè zhǒng líng zhí cǎo yào jí dà fēng fù 。”
“万仙盟于三月前，发现一封闭洞天。该洞天规模极大，木属性灵气极高。各种灵植草药极大丰富。”
The rest of the announcement was ignored by the cultivators.
“ jīng cū lüè gū jì ， jǐn líng wù cǎo ， gāi dòng tiān nián chǎn liàng jiù zài yī qiān wàn zhū zuǒ yòu 。”
“经粗略估计，仅灵雾草，该洞天年产量就在一千万株左右。”
When they heard that the annual yield of Spirit Fog Grass was a staggering 10 million, their expressions froze.
“ wán quán kě mǎn zú méng nèi gè zhǒng shēng chǎn xiāo hào suǒ xū 。”
“完全可满足盟内各种生产消耗所需。”
Instantly, an endless wave of fear overwhelmed them, occupying their minds.
……
……
Although there were whispers about the high yields in the wood attribute cave heaven, no one wanted to believe this news amid the frenzied rise in prices.
tiān xuán jìng hòu miàn de huà ， xiū shì men yǐ jīng bù zài yì le 。
天玄镜后面的话，修士们已经不在意了。
They preferred to think it was a conspiracy by someone with ulterior motives to disrupt the market rather than accept its truth.
zài tīng dào líng wù cǎo nián chǎn liàng gāo dá yī qiān wàn zhū de shí hòu ， tā men liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng yǐ jīng dòng jié 。
在听到灵雾草年产量高达一千万株的时候，他们脸上的表情已经冻结。
But now, everything had changed.
suí hòu wú jìn de kǒng jù shùn jiān jiàng lín ， zhàn jù tā men de xīn líng 。
随后无尽的恐惧瞬间降临，占据他们的心灵。
Because the announcement came from the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror—the foundation of the alliance and the platform for all resource exchanges.
suī rán zǎo yǒu xiǎo dào xiāo xī ， shuō nà ge mù shǔ xìng dòng tiān chǎn liàng rú hé zhī gāo yún yún 。
虽然早有小道消息，说那个木属性洞天产量如何之高云云。
No one doubted what the mirror said. So when the announcement was made, all cultivators felt as if struck by lightning.
dàn zài líng wù cǎo fēng kuáng de bào zhǎng qū shì xià ， méi yǒu rén yuàn yì qù xiāng xìn zhè zé xiāo xī 。
但在灵雾草疯狂的暴涨趋势下，没有人愿意去相信这则消息。
Their minds were filled with a single thought: run. Run as fast as you can to minimize your losses.
tā men nìng yuàn xiāng xìn zhè shì bié yǒu yòng xīn zhī rén fàng chū lái ， jiǎo luàn shì chǎng de guǐ jì 。
他们宁愿相信这是别有用心之人放出来，搅乱市场的诡计。
However...
yě bù yuàn yì xiāng xìn xiāo xī de zhēn shí xìng 。
也不愿意相信消息的真实性。
All cultivators knew that Spirit Fog Grass prices had completely collapsed.
rán ér ， xiàn zài bù tóng le 。
然而，现在不同了。
Everyone wanted to sell their Spirit Fog Grass, but no one was willing to buy it anymore.
yīn wèi ， xuān bù zhè tiáo xiāo xī de ， shì tiān xuán jìng 。
因为，宣布这条消息的，是天玄镜。
The straw that broke the camel's back was when the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror directly provided a precise unified recovery price: 4 contribution points per plant.
zuò wéi wàn xiān méng de lì méng gēn jī ， yī qiè zī yuán jiāo huàn suǒ zài píng tái 。
作为万仙盟的立盟根基，一切资源交换所在平台。
Cultivators tried to use their privileges to sell at real-time prices, only to find the mirror refusing to accept them.
méi yǒu rén huì huái yí tiān xuán jìng de huà 。
没有人会怀疑天玄镜的话。
Li Fan witnessed an unforgettable scene.
suǒ yǐ ， dàng tiān xuán jìng gōng gào fā bù zhī hòu ， suǒ yǒu xiū shì dōu yóu rú wǔ léi hōng dǐng bān 。
所以，当天玄镜公告发布之后，所有修士都犹如五雷轰顶般。
The price of Spirit Fog Grass plummeted like a waterfall, rapidly changing from three-digit numbers to two-digit numbers and then one-digit numbers. In just a few breaths, the price fell from nearly 400 points to 4 points—99% in an instant.
nǎo hǎi zhōng zhǐ shèng xià le yí gè niàn tou 。
脑海中只剩下了一个念头。
In Thousand Mile Hall, Jiao Xiuyuan's face was frozen with horror as he uttered his last words before his life force vanished: "I Jiao Xiuyuan never do unprofitable buys..."
pǎo 。
跑。
With great difficulty, cracks appeared on his body and he fell to the ground, breaking into pieces.
néng pǎo duō kuài ， jiù pǎo duō kuài 。
能跑多快，就跑多快。
"Fellow Daoist Jiao!" Li Fan exclaimed, rushing forward to check.
néng shǎo kuī yì diǎn ， jiù shǎo kuī yì diǎn 。
能少亏一点，就少亏一点。
"I... I'm fine."
dàn ……
但……
From under the counter of Thousand Mile Hall, came Jiao Xiuyuan's voice through gritted teeth. A complete Jiao Xiuyuan emerged from a pile of杂物, his black face showing an even more miserable smile.
suǒ yǒu xiū shì dōu zhī dào líng wù cǎo de jià gé yǐ jīng chè dǐ bēng pán le 。
所有修士都知道灵雾草的价格已经彻底崩盘了。
"Clearly, the opportunity is still there, but it was cut off by the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror..."
suǒ yǒu rén dōu xiǎng jiāng zì jǐ shǒu zhōng de líng wù cǎo mài chū qù 。
所有人都想将自己手中的灵雾草卖出去。
"Now I'm ruined."
ér méi yǒu rén zài yuàn yì qù mǎi 。
而没有人再愿意去买。
Li Fan feigned despair: "I told you to stop earlier, but you didn't listen. My 30% profit is now just a mirage."
chè dǐ jiāng luò tuó yā sǐ de nà gēn dào cǎo ， zé shì tiān xuán jìng zhí jiē gěi chū le jīng zhǔn de tǒng yī huí shōu jià 。
彻底将骆驼压死的那根稻草，则是天玄镜直接给出了精准的统一回收价。
"If I had cashed out at 300 points or even 200 points, it would have been an unimaginable gain..."
4 diǎn gòng xiàn dù měi zhū 。
4点贡献度每株。
Another Jiao Xiuyuan emerged from the pile of杂物, his face ashen with pain.
xiū shì men xiǎng yào fā dòng tè quán ， àn zhào shí shí jià gé mài gěi tiān xuán jìng 。
修士们想要发动特权，按照实时价格卖给天玄镜。
Li Fan seemed to snap back to reality. His gaze darted between the wooden fragments and Jiao Xiuyuan: "Fellow Daoist Jiao, are you human?"
dàn què fā xiàn tiān xuán jìng jù jué huí shōu 。
但却发现天玄镜拒绝回收。
Changing the subject seemed fitting for Jiao Xiuyuan.
yú shì ， lǐ fán kàn dào le ràng tā hěn nán wàng huái de yí mù 。
于是，李凡看到了让他很难忘怀的一幕。
He coughed and waved his hand: "Do not be alarmed; of course I'm human. But I practice the myriad puppet techniques."
líng wù cǎo de jià gé ， yóu rú pù bù bān ， yī xiè ér xià 。
灵雾草的价格，犹如瀑布般，一泻而下。
"Million Puppet Techniques?" Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
shù zì jí sù biàn huàn ， yóu sān wèi shù ， biàn chéng le liǎng wèi shù 。
数字急速变换，由三位数，变成了两位数。
"Could it be that all Thousand Mile Halls in the cultivation world are your puppets?" Li Fan asked knowingly.
yóu liǎng wèi shù ， biàn chéng le yī wèi shù 。
由两位数，变成了一位数。
"Haha, correct. Business is hard; naturally, everything has to be managed by myself. Hiring more people just adds costs. Sometimes, spreading out too much can be a bad thing!" Jiao Xiuyuan lay down weakly.
zhǐ bù guò shí jǐ gè hū xī de gōng fu ， líng wù cǎo de jià gé ， biàn yóu jiē jìn sì bǎi diǎn ， diē dào le sì diǎn 。
只不过十几个呼吸的功夫，灵雾草的价格，便由接近四百点，跌到了四点。
"Like this time, just destroying so many puppets..."
shùn jiān diē qù le bǎi fēn zhī jiǔ shí jiǔ 。
瞬间跌去了百分之九十九。
Before he could finish, the puppet exploded.
qiān lǐ táng zhōng ， jiāo xiū yuǎn de miàn róng dāi zhì ， zhēng níng zhī sè níng gù zài liǎn shàng 。
千里堂中，焦修远的面容呆滞，狰狞之色凝固在脸上。
"Fellow Daoist, stop talking; let me rest."
“ wǒ jiāo xiū yuǎn ， cóng lái bù zuò kuī běn de mǎi ……”
“我焦修远，从来不做亏本的买……”
Jiao Xiuyuan's voice came from the bottom of the杂物 pile.
jiān nán dì cóng zuǐ lǐ tǔ chū jǐ gè zì hòu ， shēn shàng fú xiàn yī dào dào liè wén ， shēng mìng de qì xī kuài sù de xiāo shī 。
艰难地从嘴里吐出几个字后，身上浮现一道道裂纹，生命的气息快速的消失。
A communication spirit talisman flew to Li Fan.
qǐng kè jiān ， jiāo xiū yuǎn jiù yóu yí gè dà huó rén ， biàn chéng le yī gēn kū huáng pò bài de pò mù tou 。
顷刻间，焦修远就由一个大活人，变成了一根枯黄破败的破木头。
"We'll talk later..."
pēng de shuāi luò zài dì miàn shàng ， liè chéng jǐ gè suì kuài 。
砰的摔落在地面上，裂成几个碎块。
Li Fan tossed the communication spirit talisman and quietly left Thousand Mile Hall.
“ jiāo dào yǒu ！” lǐ fán bù yóu dì “ jīng hū ” yī shēng ， shàng qián chá kàn 。
“焦道友！”李凡不由地“惊呼”一声，上前查看。
The blow was not just hard on Jiao Xiuyuan, but on many others as well.
In the twelfth era, Li Fan had once amassed over a million contribution points, but that was from diligently practicing cultivation techniques in the Bright Moon Palace for several years.
That might have been sweat and toil money, but it was still hard-earned. Now, however, he barely put in any effort, merely taking advantage of the situation to make 650,000 contribution points almost overnight.
This sudden windfall made Li Fan feel unrealistically giddy.
Li Fan steadied himself and looked at He Zhenghao and Jiao Xiuyuan, who were still in a frenzy of greed. The main and sub-selves couldn't help but urge them to stop.
"Stop, Fellow Daoist He!"
"Stop, Fellow Daoist Jiao!"
"You've made enough already; you can still stop now!"
Despite their different positions, their reactions were surprisingly consistent.
"Now's the time to stop? How could that be possible?! The surge in Spirit Fog Grass is just beginning!"
"That destruction of cultivation sites means a major player has entered the market! 300 contribution points are far from the end; they're just the start! Fellow Daoist, don't ruin yourself!" He Zhenghao analyzed meticulously, dismissing Li Fan's advice.
"Not enough, not enough, still not enough! The opportunity is not over yet; we should wait a bit longer!" Jiao Xiuyuan was more rational but still harbored greed, wanting to make even more money.
Seeing their demeanor, Li Fan knew they wouldn't listen to anyone's advice now.
"Good advice for the damned."
"How many deluded cultivators will go bankrupt and shatter their minds in the future?"
Li Fan sighed inwardly.
The collapse of the Spirit Fog Grass price bubble came faster than Li Fan had anticipated. It was also unexpected by most frenzied cultivators.
When the price of Spirit Fog Grass soared past 350 points, on the brink of breaking through 400 points, all the cultivators vying to purchase it in front of the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror suddenly heard a mechanical and cold voice from behind the mirror.
"Due to the significant abnormal fluctuations in the price of Spirit Fog Grass over recent days, to ensure the stability and harmony of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, we hereby announce the following."
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance discovered a closed cave heaven three months ago. This cave is vast, with extremely high wood attribute qi. Various spirit plants and herbs are abundant."
"Based on rough estimates, Spirit Fog Grass alone yields around 10 million per year."
"This can fully meet all production needs within the alliance."
...
The rest of the announcement was ignored by the cultivators.
When they heard that the annual yield of Spirit Fog Grass was a staggering 10 million, their expressions froze.
Instantly, an endless wave of fear overwhelmed them, occupying their minds.
Although there were whispers about the high yields in the wood attribute cave heaven, no one wanted to believe this news amid the frenzied rise in prices.
They preferred to think it was a conspiracy by someone with ulterior motives to disrupt the market rather than accept its truth.
But now, everything had changed.
Because the announcement came from the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror—the foundation of the alliance and the platform for all resource exchanges.
No one doubted what the mirror said. So when the announcement was made, all cultivators felt as if struck by lightning.
Their minds were filled with a single thought: run. Run as fast as you can to minimize your losses.
However...
All cultivators knew that Spirit Fog Grass prices had completely collapsed.
Everyone wanted to sell their Spirit Fog Grass, but no one was willing to buy it anymore.
The straw that broke the camel's back was when the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror directly provided a precise unified recovery price: 4 contribution points per plant.
Cultivators tried to use their privileges to sell at real-time prices, only to find the mirror refusing to accept them.
Li Fan witnessed an unforgettable scene.
The price of Spirit Fog Grass plummeted like a waterfall, rapidly changing from three-digit numbers to two-digit numbers and then one-digit numbers. In just a few breaths, the price fell from nearly 400 points to 4 points—99% in an instant.
In Thousand Mile Hall, Jiao Xiuyuan's face was frozen with horror as he uttered his last words before his life force vanished: "I Jiao Xiuyuan never do unprofitable buys..."
With great difficulty, cracks appeared on his body and he fell to the ground, breaking into pieces.
"Fellow Daoist Jiao!" Li Fan exclaimed, rushing forward to check.
"I... I'm fine."
From under the counter of Thousand Mile Hall, came Jiao Xiuyuan's voice through gritted teeth. A complete Jiao Xiuyuan emerged from a pile of杂物, his black face showing an even more miserable smile.
"Clearly, the opportunity is still there, but it was cut off by the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror..."
"Now I'm ruined."
Li Fan feigned despair: "I told you to stop earlier, but you didn't listen. My 30% profit is now just a mirage."
"If I had cashed out at 300 points or even 200 points, it would have been an unimaginable gain..."
Another Jiao Xiuyuan emerged from the pile of杂物, his face ashen with pain.
Li Fan seemed to snap back to reality. His gaze darted between the wooden fragments and Jiao Xiuyuan: "Fellow Daoist Jiao, are you human?"
Changing the subject seemed fitting for Jiao Xiuyuan.
He coughed and waved his hand: "Do not be alarmed; of course I'm human. But I practice the myriad puppet techniques."
"Million Puppet Techniques?" Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
"Could it be that all Thousand Mile Halls in the cultivation world are your puppets?" Li Fan asked knowingly.
"Haha, correct. Business is hard; naturally, everything has to be managed by myself. Hiring more people just adds costs. Sometimes, spreading out too much can be a bad thing!" Jiao Xiuyuan lay down weakly.
"Like this time, just destroying so many puppets..."
Before he could finish, the puppet exploded.
"Fellow Daoist, stop talking; let me rest."
Jiao Xiuyuan's voice came from the bottom of the杂物 pile.
A communication spirit talisman flew to Li Fan.
"We'll talk later..."
Li Fan tossed the communication spirit talisman and quietly left Thousand Mile Hall.
The blow was not just hard on Jiao Xiuyuan, but on many others as well.