hé zhèng hào de dān yōu ， zài tún jī wù zī de jià gé fān bèi zhī hòu ， jiù zì rán ér rán de xiāo shī bú jiàn le 。
何正浩的担忧，在囤积物资的价格翻倍之后，就自然而然的消失不见了。
Zhenghao He's worries vanished naturally after the price of supplies doubled.
“ yī yì gòng xiàn dù ， nà kě shì yī yì gòng xiàn dù a ！” hé zhèng hào shuāng yǎn chì hóng ， hún shēn wú fǎ yì zhì de wēi wēi chàn dǒu qǐ lái 。
“一亿贡献度，那可是一亿贡献度啊！”何正浩双眼赤红，浑身无法抑制的微微颤抖起来。
"Ten million contribution points! That’s ten million contribution points!" He Hongzheng's eyes turned bloodshot, and his body began to tremble slightly involuntarily. The constantly rising prices were giving him a sense of elation, as if he was floating in the clouds.
shí shí kè kè yī jiù zài bù duàn shàng zhǎng de jià gé ， dài lái de xīn lǐ cì jī ， ràng tā piāo piāo yù xiān 、 rú lín tiān jìng 。
时时刻刻依旧在不断上涨的价格，带来的心理刺激，让他飘飘欲仙、如临天境。
He Hongzheng swore that he had never been so happy in his life.
hé zhèng hào fā shì ， zhè bèi zi tā dōu méi yǒu zhè me kuài huó guò 。
何正浩发誓，这辈子他都没有这么快活过。
"Before, when Master Secret gave me the supply list, he casually mentioned that since I would be handling this fundraising, my profit share would increase from one percent to ten percent..."
“ mì shǐ dà rén zhī qián zài gěi wǒ wù zī qīng dān de shí hòu ， jiù suí kǒu tí qǐ guò ， zhè cì mù zī jì rán yóu wǒ cāo zòng ， gěi wǒ de lì rùn fēn chéng yě yóu qián sān cì de bǎi fēn zhī yī ， zhǎng dào le bǎi fēn zhī shí ……”
“秘使大人之前在给我物资清单的时候，就随口提起过，这次募资既然由我操纵，给我的利润分成也由前三次的百分之一，涨到了百分之十……”
"In just a day, I earned more contribution points than I could have ever dreamed of earning in a lifetime."
“ duǎn duǎn yī tiān ， wǒ jiù zhuàn dào le yuán lái yī bèi zi dōu zhuàn bú dào de gòng xiàn dù 。”
“短短一天，我就赚到了原来一辈子都赚不到的贡献度。”
His blood rushed to his head. He Hongzheng felt as if his body was boiling.
rè xuè zhí chōng dà nǎo ， hé zhèng hào gǎn dào shēn tǐ hǎo sì fèi téng qǐ lái yì bān 。
热血直冲大脑，何正浩感到身体好似沸腾起来一般。
Infinite courage surged within him. The laws of the Immortal Alliance that he usually revered with great respect now seemed less terrifying.
xīn zhōng yǒng qǐ wú qióng de yǒng qì ， píng cháng shí fēn jìng wèi de xiān méng tiě lǜ ， yě fǎng fú biàn dé bù zài kě pà le 。
心中涌起无穷的勇气，平常十分敬畏的仙盟铁律，也仿佛变得不再可怕了。
"Raise the prices! Such rapid increases can’t just be for me. There must be others doing the same thing. It’s the law of the land!"
“ gěi lǎo zi zhǎng a ！ jià gé zhǎng zhè me kuài ， kěn dìng bù zhǐ wǒ yí gè zhè me gàn 。 fǎ bù zé zhòng ！”
“给老子涨啊！价格涨这么快，肯定不止我一个这么干。法不责众！”
"And besides, if the sky falls, Master Secret will catch it. I’m just following orders."
“ zài shuō ， tiān tā xià lái ， hái yǒu mì shǐ dà rén dǐng zhe ne 。 wǒ yě zhǐ shì fèng mìng xíng shì ér yǐ ！”
“再说，天塌下来，还有秘使大人顶着呢。我也只是奉命行事而已！”
"I won't be blamed for this!"
“ kěn dìng bú huì guài zuì dào wǒ de shēn shàng ！”
“肯定不会怪罪到我的身上！”
He Hongzheng muttered to himself and quickly convinced himself that he was no longer afraid.
hé zhèng hào nán nán zì yǔ ， hěn kuài jiù shuō fú le zì jǐ ， xīn zhōng zài wú bàn fēn kǒng jù 。
何正浩喃喃自语，很快就说服了自己，心中再无半分恐惧。
All he felt now was the joy of such huge profits.
yǒu de zhǐ shì jù dà lì rùn lái de kuáng xǐ 。
有的只是巨大利润来的狂喜。
Many cultivators in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance were as jubilant as He Hongzheng.
zhěng gè wàn xiān méng ， shì hé zhèng hào zhè bān ， huān xīn gǔ wǔ de xiū shì ， zhe shí hái yǒu bù shǎo 。
整个万仙盟，似何正浩这般，欢欣鼓舞的修士，着实还有不少。
In an unknown space somewhere,
mǒu chù wèi zhī kōng jiān 。
某处未知空间。
"Another great harvest! This profit will more than cover our previous losses and even leave some extra!"
“ dà fēng shōu ， dà fēng shōu a 。 zhè cì yíng lì ， zhí jiē bǎ qián fān de sǔn shī zhí jiē gěi bǔ huí lái 。 hái yǒu duō yú ！”
“大丰收，大丰收啊。这次盈利，直接把前番的损失直接给补回来。还有多余！”
"How about that? I told you so. I knew Li Fan had two tricks up his sleeve, and we bet right. Following him has definitely paid off!"
“ zěn me yàng ！ wǒ shuō de méi cuò ba ！ jiù zhī dào lǐ fán nà jiā huo yǒu liǎng bǎ shuā zi ， zhè cì wǒ men dǔ duì le ！ gēn zài tā hòu miàn ， chī ròu ！”
“怎么样！我说的没错吧！就知道李凡那家伙有两把刷子，这次我们赌对了！跟在他后面，吃肉！”
"Haha, Daoist Lu, do you remember how clearly you opposed this last time?"
“ hē hē ， lǚ dào yǒu ， wǒ zěn me jì de ， nǐ shàng cì kě shì qí zhì xiān míng de chí fǎn duì yì jiàn de ？”
“呵呵，吕道友，我怎么记得，你上次可是旗帜鲜明的持反对意见的？”
"Do not speak nonsense! You must have misremembered!"
“ xiū dé hú yán ！ nǐ yí dìng shì jì cuò le ！”
“休得胡言！你一定是记错了！”
...
……
……
Zhou Kebao watched his companions' elated expressions and felt a bit excited himself.
zhōu kè bǎo kàn zhe zhōu wéi tóng bàn xīn xǐ ruò kuáng de shén qíng ， zì jǐ yě shì yǒu diǎn xīng fèn 。
周克宝看着周围同伴欣喜若狂的神情，自己也是有点兴奋。
So far, he had already earned nearly two million contribution points. Although he didn't know the exact earnings of others, their behavior suggested they were doing well too.
jié zhǐ dào mù qián wéi zhǐ ， tā yǐ jīng yíng lì le jìn liǎng bǎi wàn de gòng xiàn dù 。
截止到目前为止，他已经盈利了近两百万的贡献度。
"Li Fan's ability in derivation is truly terrifying. He could predict this sudden war that came out of nowhere."
ér suī rán bù zhī dào qí tā rén de jù tǐ yíng lì qíng kuàng ， dàn cóng tā men de biǎo xiàn lái kàn ， yě shì jué duì shào bù liǎo de le 。
而虽然不知道其他人的具体盈利情况，但从他们的表现来看，也是绝对少不了的了。
Zhou Kebao and his companions were still trying to find out why the Immortal Alliance declared war so suddenly. They had yet to get a definite answer.
“ lǐ fán tuī yǎn zhī néng ， dàng zhēn shì kǒng bù rú sī 。 jìng rán néng tí qián yù cè dào ， zhè chǎng háo wú zhēng zhào jiù bào fā kāi lái de zhàn zhēng 。”
“李凡推衍之能，当真是恐怖如斯。竟然能提前预测到，这场毫无征兆就爆发开来的战争。”
"Aren't we being overly cautious? We should have invested more if possible."
duì yú wàn xiān méng hū rán xuān zhàn de yuán yīn ， zhōu kè bǎo tā men yě hái zài dǎ tīng zhī zhōng 。
对于万仙盟忽然宣战的原因，周克宝他们也还在打听之中。
A thought flashed through Zhou Kebao's mind as he spoke.
zhǐ shì zàn shí hái méi yǒu gè què qiè de jié guǒ 。
只是暂时还没有个确切的结果。
Suddenly, a voice echoed in the air.
“ āi ， hái shì tài guò jǐn shèn 。 yào shì dāng chū néng duō tóu rù diǎn jiù hǎo le 。”
“哎，还是太过谨慎。要是当初能多投入点就好了。”
"Hmm? Where’s Daoist Dragon?"
zhōu kè bǎo xīn zhōng hū de shǎn guò zhè me yí gè niàn tou 。
周克宝心中忽的闪过这么一个念头。
The room fell silent for a moment.
jiù zài zhè shí ， yī dào shēng yīn hū de xiǎng qǐ 。
就在这时，一道声音忽的响起。
"Right. I remember him making decisive moves and reserving five million contribution points early on. He must have made a huge profit!"
“ ń ？ zěn me bú jiàn lóng dào yǒu ？”
“嗯？怎么不见龙道友？”
"Maybe he is still meditating and doesn’t know about the skyrocketing prices?"
chǎng jiān shà shí ān jìng le piàn kè 。
场间霎时安静了片刻。
"I’ll contact him right away to tell him the good news!"
“ shì a ， wǒ jì de tā zhè cì shí fēn guǒ duàn ， zuì shǎo huā le wǔ bǎi wàn gòng xiàn dù tí qián chǔ bèi wù zī 。 yīng gāi shì dà zhuàn tè zhuàn le ！”
“是啊，我记得他这次十分果断，最少花了五百万贡献度提前储备物资。应该是大赚特赚了！”
To their surprise, all messages went unanswered.
“ gāi bú huì shì hái zài bì guān ， bù qīng chǔ jià gé yǐ jīng fēng zhǎng le ba ？”
“该不会是还在闭关，不清楚价格已经疯涨了吧？”
Everyone exchanged glances.
“ wǒ zhè jiù lián xì tā ， bào xǐ ！”
“我这就联系他，报喜！”
Just as they were uncertain, Long Yueyou's figure appeared before them. He looked disoriented, his eyes bloodshot, and his face pale.
ràng tā men dà gǎn yì wài de shì ， suǒ yǒu xùn xī ， quán dōu ní niú rù hǎi ， méi yǒu huí fù 。
让他们大感意外的是，所有讯息，全都泥牛入海，没有回复。
A sense of ominous foreboding arose in everyone’s hearts.
zhòng rén bù jīn miàn miàn xiāng qù 。
众人不禁面面相觑。
Zhou Kebao was the first to ask, "Daoist Dragon, what happened? Why..."
zhèng dāng tā men jīng yí bù dìng de shí hòu ， lóng yuè yóu de shēn yǐng chū xiàn zài zhòng rén yǎn zhōng 。
正当他们惊疑不定的时候，龙跃游的身影出现在众人眼中。
Long Yueyou seemed somewhat dazed. Zhou Kebao called out several times before he finally regained his composure.
shī hún luò pò ， liǎng yǎn chōng mǎn xuè sī ， miàn sè cāng bái 。
失魂落魄，两眼充满血丝，面色苍白。
Looking at his companions, Long Yueyou's lips trembled as he spoke with all his might: "My elder brother has unfortunately passed away!"
zài chǎng zhòng rén ， xīn zhōng quán dōu yǐn yǐn fú xiàn chū yī sī bù xiáng de yù gǎn 。
在场众人，心中全都隐隐浮现出一丝不详的预感。
Boom!
zuì zhōng ， hái shì zhōu kè bǎo shuài xiān wèn dào ：“ lóng dào yǒu ， jiū jìng fā shēng le hé shì ？ nǐ zěn me ……”
最终，还是周克宝率先问道：“龙道友，究竟发生了何事？你怎么……”
Everyone felt their brains being struck hard, causing them to feel dizzy and disoriented.
lóng yuè yóu sì hū yǒu diǎn hún bù shǒu shè 。
龙跃游似乎有点魂不守舍。
Dragon Jiyuan, who had just achieved the rank of Immortal Connoisseur, was gone?
zhōu kè bǎo yī lián hǎn le hǎo jǐ shēng ， tā cái huí guò shén lái 。
周克宝一连喊了好几声，他才回过神来。
The room fell into a deathly silence. The joy from earning numerous contribution points vanished instantly.
kàn zhe shēn biān zhòng rén ， lóng yuè yóu zuǐ chún wēi wēi chàn dǒu ， yòng jǐn le quán shēn lì qì ， cái zuì zhōng huǎn huǎn shuō chū kǒu ：“ jiā xiōng ， bù xìng yǔn luò le ！”
看着身边众人，龙跃游嘴唇微微颤抖，用尽了全身力气，才最终缓缓说出口：“家兄，不幸陨落了！”
Losing a Convergence Realm cultivator could not be compensated by any amount of contribution points!
hōng ！
轰！
They were shocked and felt a chill run down their spines.
zhòng rén zhǐ gǎn jué zì jǐ de dà nǎo bèi hěn hěn chuí le yī xià ， dùn shí yǒu diǎn tóu yūn mù xuàn 。
众人只感觉自己的大脑被狠狠锤了一下，顿时有点头晕目眩。
A major battle had just begun, yet one Convergence Realm cultivator had already fallen.
gāng gāng chéng jiù hé dào xiān zūn de lóng jiǔ yuān ， yǔn luò le ？
刚刚成就合道仙尊的龙九渊，陨落了？
The scale of this war was likely far beyond their imagination.
yī shùn jiān ， chǎng nèi biàn dé sǐ yì bān de jì jìng 。
一瞬间，场内变得死一般的寂静。
How many would die?
yuán xiān zhuàn qǔ le zhū duō gòng xiàn dù de nà diǎn xǐ yuè ， zài qǐng kè jiān dàng rán wú cún 。
原先赚取了诸多贡献度的那点喜悦，在顷刻间荡然无存。
These profit-driven cultivators couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear.
duì yú tā men lái jiǎng ， sǔn shī yī míng hé dào xiū shì ， nà kě shì wú lùn duō shǎo gòng xiàn dù dōu wú fǎ mí bǔ de ！
对于他们来讲，损失一名合道修士，那可是无论多少贡献度都无法弥补的！
In Cunyun City's administrative hall, chaos reigned supreme.
zhèn jīng wú bǐ de tóng shí ， xīn zhōng yòu shì yī zhèn sǒng rán 。
震惊无比的同时，心中又是一阵悚然。
The Immortal Alliance had issued a mobilization order, yet they could not contact the Master Secret.
dà zhàn gāng gāng kāi chǎng ， jiù yǐ jīng yǒu yī wèi hé dào xiū shì yǔn luò le 。
大战刚刚开场，就已经有一位合道修士陨落了。
Although Li Fan had announced his deep retreat one month ago, it was too much to just abandon their duties and leave the problems for subordinates...
zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng de guī mó ， kǒng pà yào yuǎn chāo tā men de xiǎng xiàng 。
这场战争的规模，恐怕要远超他们的想象。
Was this too much?
jiū jìng huì sǐ duō shǎo rén ？
究竟会死多少人？
The cultivators all grumbled in their hearts.
yī shí jiān ， zhè xiē wéi lì shì tú de xiū shì men ， yě bù jīn gǎn dào le sī sī hán yì 。
一时间，这些唯利是图的修士们，也不禁感到了丝丝寒意。
"Comrades!"
cóng yún chéng bù zhèng táng zhōng ， rú jīn yǐ luàn zuò yī tuán 。
丛云城布政堂中，如今已乱做一团。
Gao Yuan looked at everyone with varied expressions. He tapped on the table.
xiān méng yǐ jīng xià dá le bèi zhàn gōng gào ， dàn tā men què wú lùn rú hé dōu lián xì bù shàng mì zì shǐ dà rén 。
仙盟已经下达了备战公告，但他们却无论如何都联系不上秘字使大人。
"Now that our leader is not here, we are facing a test," he said solemnly.
suī rán zǎo zài yí gè yuè yǐ qián ， lǐ fán jiù yǐ jīng xiàng wài jiè xuān bù le tā yào shēn dù bì guān de xiāo xī 。
虽然早在一个月以前，李凡就已经向外界宣布了他要深度闭关的消息。
"While the situation remains unclear, there’s no doubt that this war won’t end easily. We need to prepare mentally."
dàn shì fā shēng le zhè me dà de shì qíng ， nín què liào tān zi bù gàn le ， bǎ nán tí shuǎi gěi wǒ men zhè xiē xià shǔ ……
但是发生了这么大的事情，您却撂摊子不干了，把难题甩给我们这些下属……
"In particular, since Cunyun Sea borders the Five Elders Association, we must patrol and be on high alert for any enemy cultivators."
shì bú shì yǒu diǎn tài guò fèn le ？
是不是有点太过分了？
Gao Yuan paused, noticing everyone's worried expressions. He then tried to comfort them: "But don't worry too much."
yī zhòng xiū shì fù fěi bù yǐ 。
一众修士腹诽不已。
"Even if the sky falls, there will always be someone tall enough to catch it. Since Cunyun Sea was completely wiped out by the Five Elders Association last time and hasn’t recovered yet, we won’t have many Core Formation Realm cultivators."
“ zhū wèi ！”
“诸位！”
"This kind of combat strength shouldn’t force us to fight to the death."
gāo yuǎn kàn zhe miàn sè gè yì de zhòng rén ， qiāo le qiāo zhuō zi 。
高远看着面色各异的众人，敲了敲桌子。
Hearing this, everyone felt somewhat reassured.
“ rú jīn dà rén bù zài ， kǎo yàn wǒ men de shí kè dào le 。” tā zhèng zhòng dì shuō dào 。
“如今大人不在，考验我们的时刻到了。”他郑重地说道。
However, Gao Yuan had one more statement he didn't say.
“ mù qián suī rán xíng shì bù míng ， dàn wú yōng zhì yí de shì ， zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng 、 bú huì qīng yì jié shù 。 wǒ men yào zuò hǎo xīn lǐ zhǔn bèi 。”
“目前虽然形势不明，但毋庸置疑的是，这场战争、不会轻易结束。我们要做好心理准备。”
If it came to a point where even Cunyun Sea’s remaining cultivators needed to go to war...
“ yóu qí wǒ men cóng yún hǎi hái hé wǔ lǎo huì jiē rǎng ， gèng yào shí kè xún luó jiè bèi 、 fáng zhǐ duì fāng xiū shì 。”
“尤其我们丛云海还和五老会接壤，更要时刻巡逻戒备、防止对方修士。”
Gao Yuan shuddered at the thought.
gāo yuǎn dùn le dùn ， kàn zhe zhòng rén liǎn shàng jù yǒu yōu sè ， yú shì yě bù dé bù chū yán ān fǔ dào ：“ bù guò dà jiā yě bù yòng guò fèn dān xīn 。”
高远顿了顿，看着众人脸上俱有忧色，于是也不得不出言安抚道：“不过大家也不用过分担心。”
—
“ suǒ wèi tiān tā xià lái ， zì yǒu gāo gè zi dǐng zhe 。 zán men cóng yún hǎi zì cóng shàng cì bèi wǔ lǎo huì yī guō duān zhī hòu ， dào xiàn zài dōu méi néng huí fù yuán qì 。”
“所谓天塌下来，自有高个子顶着。咱们丛云海自从上次被五老会一锅端之后，到现在都没能回复元气。”
While the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was in chaos due to the sudden mobilization order, Li Fan was enjoying himself leisurely.
“ lián yuán yīng xiū shì ， dōu méi yǒu duō shǎo 。 zhè zhǒng zhàn lì ， yīng gāi bù zhì yú ràng wǒ men qù pīn mìng 。”
“连元婴修士，都没有多少。这种战力，应该不至于让我们去拼命。”
Drinking down the shimmering blue liquid in his cup, he praised, "Good wine!"
zhòng rén wén yán ， yě jué de yǒu nà me jǐ fēn dào lǐ ， yú shì xīn zhōng shāo ān 。
众人闻言，也觉得有那么几分道理，于是心中稍安。
"With such excellent wine and Daoist Sima’s recount of thrilling events from a thousand years ago, life couldn’t be better!"
rán ér ， gāo yuǎn què hái yǒu jù huà ， yā zài xīn zhōng méi yǒu shuō 。
然而，高远却还有句话，压在心中没有说。
Sima Changkong also appeared slightly tipsy: "Although we just met, I feel like old friends at first sight. The word 'fate' is truly beyond words!"
rú guǒ zhēn dào le cóng yún hǎi shèng xià de zhè qún rén dōu yào shàng zhàn chǎng de dì bù ， nà me zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng de cǎn liè chéng dù ……
如果真到了丛云海剩下的这群人都要上战场的地步，那么这场战争的惨烈程度……
"Let's have another drink!"
gāo yuǎn bù jīn dǎ le gè hán zhàn 。
高远不禁打了个寒颤。
Simak Changkong downed the wine in one go.
——
——
"What ancient Xuanhuang realm stories do you want to hear next?"
quán wàn xiān méng dōu yīn wèi zhè tū rú qí lái de bèi zhàn gōng gào ér luàn zuò yī tuán de shí hòu ， lǐ fán què shì shí fēn yōu xián 。
全万仙盟都因为这突如其来的备战公告而乱做一团的时候，李凡却是十分悠闲。
"The history of the Alliance since its re-establishment can’t be verified, but I Sima Changkong still know a bit about it."
jiāng bēi zhōng fàn zhe yíng yíng lán guāng de qióng jiāng yī yǐn ér jǐn ， lǐ fán shù zhe dà mǔ zhǐ ， chēng zàn dào ：“ hǎo jiǔ ！”
将杯中泛着莹莹蓝光的琼浆一饮而尽，李凡竖着大拇指，称赞道：“好酒！”
He blushed and said with pride, "I heard that around five hundred years ago, small worlds collectively attacked the cultivation world."
“ rú cǐ jiā niàng ， yòu yǒu sī mǎ dào yǒu jiǎng shù qiān nián qián jī dòng rén xīn de zhǒng zhǒng wǎng shì 。 rén shēng rú cǐ ， zhēn shì fū fù hé qiú a ！”
“如此佳酿，又有司马道友讲述千年前激动人心的种种往事。人生如此，真是夫复何求啊！”
"Please tell me more!"
sī mǎ cháng kōng yě shì miàn sè wēi xūn ：“ suī rán wǒ hé dào yǒu zhǐ shì chū xiāng shí ， què yǒu zhǒng yī jiàn rú gù zhī gǎn 。 yuán zhī yī zì ， dàng zhēn shì miào bù kě yán ！”
司马长空也是面色微醺：“虽然我和道友只是初相识，却有种一见如故之感。缘之一字，当真是妙不可言！”
Li Fan, half-drunk, said.
“ lái ， zài hē yī bēi ！”
“来，再喝一杯！”
(End of chapter)
Zhenghao He's worries vanished naturally after the price of supplies doubled.
"Ten million contribution points! That’s ten million contribution points!" He Hongzheng's eyes turned bloodshot, and his body began to tremble slightly involuntarily. The constantly rising prices were giving him a sense of elation, as if he was floating in the clouds.
He Hongzheng swore that he had never been so happy in his life.
"Before, when Master Secret gave me the supply list, he casually mentioned that since I would be handling this fundraising, my profit share would increase from one percent to ten percent..."
"In just a day, I earned more contribution points than I could have ever dreamed of earning in a lifetime."
His blood rushed to his head. He Hongzheng felt as if his body was boiling.
Infinite courage surged within him. The laws of the Immortal Alliance that he usually revered with great respect now seemed less terrifying.
"Raise the prices! Such rapid increases can’t just be for me. There must be others doing the same thing. It’s the law of the land!"
"And besides, if the sky falls, Master Secret will catch it. I’m just following orders."
"I won't be blamed for this!"
He Hongzheng muttered to himself and quickly convinced himself that he was no longer afraid.
All he felt now was the joy of such huge profits.
Many cultivators in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance were as jubilant as He Hongzheng.
In an unknown space somewhere,
"Another great harvest! This profit will more than cover our previous losses and even leave some extra!"
"How about that? I told you so. I knew Li Fan had two tricks up his sleeve, and we bet right. Following him has definitely paid off!"
"Haha, Daoist Lu, do you remember how clearly you opposed this last time?"
"Do not speak nonsense! You must have misremembered!"
...
Zhou Kebao watched his companions' elated expressions and felt a bit excited himself.
So far, he had already earned nearly two million contribution points. Although he didn't know the exact earnings of others, their behavior suggested they were doing well too.
"Li Fan's ability in derivation is truly terrifying. He could predict this sudden war that came out of nowhere."
Zhou Kebao and his companions were still trying to find out why the Immortal Alliance declared war so suddenly. They had yet to get a definite answer.
"Aren't we being overly cautious? We should have invested more if possible."
A thought flashed through Zhou Kebao's mind as he spoke.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in the air.
"Hmm? Where’s Daoist Dragon?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
"Right. I remember him making decisive moves and reserving five million contribution points early on. He must have made a huge profit!"
"Maybe he is still meditating and doesn’t know about the skyrocketing prices?"
"I’ll contact him right away to tell him the good news!"
To their surprise, all messages went unanswered.
Everyone exchanged glances.
Just as they were uncertain, Long Yueyou's figure appeared before them. He looked disoriented, his eyes bloodshot, and his face pale.
A sense of ominous foreboding arose in everyone’s hearts.
Zhou Kebao was the first to ask, "Daoist Dragon, what happened? Why..."
Long Yueyou seemed somewhat dazed. Zhou Kebao called out several times before he finally regained his composure.
Looking at his companions, Long Yueyou's lips trembled as he spoke with all his might: "My elder brother has unfortunately passed away!"
Boom!
Everyone felt their brains being struck hard, causing them to feel dizzy and disoriented.
Dragon Jiyuan, who had just achieved the rank of Immortal Connoisseur, was gone?
The room fell into a deathly silence. The joy from earning numerous contribution points vanished instantly.
Losing a Convergence Realm cultivator could not be compensated by any amount of contribution points!
They were shocked and felt a chill run down their spines.
A major battle had just begun, yet one Convergence Realm cultivator had already fallen.
The scale of this war was likely far beyond their imagination.
How many would die?
These profit-driven cultivators couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear.
In Cunyun City's administrative hall, chaos reigned supreme.
The Immortal Alliance had issued a mobilization order, yet they could not contact the Master Secret.
Although Li Fan had announced his deep retreat one month ago, it was too much to just abandon their duties and leave the problems for subordinates...
Was this too much?
The cultivators all grumbled in their hearts.
"Comrades!"
Gao Yuan looked at everyone with varied expressions. He tapped on the table.
"Now that our leader is not here, we are facing a test," he said solemnly.
"While the situation remains unclear, there’s no doubt that this war won’t end easily. We need to prepare mentally."
"In particular, since Cunyun Sea borders the Five Elders Association, we must patrol and be on high alert for any enemy cultivators."
Gao Yuan paused, noticing everyone's worried expressions. He then tried to comfort them: "But don't worry too much."
"Even if the sky falls, there will always be someone tall enough to catch it. Since Cunyun Sea was completely wiped out by the Five Elders Association last time and hasn’t recovered yet, we won’t have many Core Formation Realm cultivators."
"This kind of combat strength shouldn’t force us to fight to the death."
Hearing this, everyone felt somewhat reassured.
However, Gao Yuan had one more statement he didn't say.
If it came to a point where even Cunyun Sea’s remaining cultivators needed to go to war...
Gao Yuan shuddered at the thought.
—
While the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was in chaos due to the sudden mobilization order, Li Fan was enjoying himself leisurely.
Drinking down the shimmering blue liquid in his cup, he praised, "Good wine!"
"With such excellent wine and Daoist Sima’s recount of thrilling events from a thousand years ago, life couldn’t be better!"
Sima Changkong also appeared slightly tipsy: "Although we just met, I feel like old friends at first sight. The word 'fate' is truly beyond words!"
"Let's have another drink!"
Simak Changkong downed the wine in one go.
"What ancient Xuanhuang realm stories do you want to hear next?"
"The history of the Alliance since its re-establishment can’t be verified, but I Sima Changkong still know a bit about it."
He blushed and said with pride, "I heard that around five hundred years ago, small worlds collectively attacked the cultivation world."
"Please tell me more!"
Li Fan, half-drunk, said.
(End of chapter)