Chapter 552: Sadness and Joy Are Not Shared

He Zhenghao’s worries naturally vanished after the price of hoarded goods doubled.

“One hundred million contribution points, that’s one hundred million contribution points!” He Zhenghao’s eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled uncontrollably. The psychological stimulation from the constantly rising prices made him feel ecstatic, as if he were in paradise. He Zhenghao swore he had never felt so joyful in his life.

“When the Emissary previously gave me the list of goods, he casually mentioned that since I was managing this fundraising, my profit share would increase from one percent, as it was for the previous three times, to ten percent…”

“In just one day, I earned more contribution points than I could have in a lifetime.”

Blood rushed to his head, and He Zhenghao felt as if his body were boiling. Infinite courage surged within him; even the Immortal Alliance’s strict laws, which he usually held in great awe, seemed no longer terrifying.

“Go up, damn it! Prices are rising so fast; surely, I’m not the only one doing this. The law doesn’t punish the masses!”

“Besides, if the sky falls, the Emissary will bear the brunt. I’m just following orders!”

“They certainly won’t blame me!” He Zhenghao muttered to himself, quickly convincing himself, and all fear vanished from his heart. All that remained was the ecstasy of immense profit.

Throughout the entire Myriad Immortals Alliance, there were indeed many cultivators, like He Zhenghao, who were overjoyed.

In an unknown space,

“What a great harvest, a truly great harvest. This profit has directly covered our previous losses, with plenty to spare!”

“See! I told you so! I knew that Li Fan fellow had some tricks up his sleeve; we bet right this time! Follow him, and we’ll make a killing!”

“Heh heh, Fellow Daoist Lü, I seem to recall you strongly opposing this last time?”

“Nonsense! You must be mistaken!”

Zhou Kebao watched the ecstatic expressions of his companions, feeling a bit excited himself. As of now, he had already profited nearly two million contribution points. Although he didn’t know the exact profits of others, their reactions clearly indicated significant gains.

“Li Fan’s deductive abilities are truly terrifying. He could actually predict this war, which erupted without any warning, in advance.”

Zhou Kebao and his companions were still inquiring about the reason for the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s sudden declaration of war. But they had yet to receive a definitive answer.

“Sigh, I was still too cautious. If only I had invested more back then.” This thought suddenly flashed through Zhou Kebao’s mind.

Just then, a voice suddenly spoke up.

“Hmm? Where’s Fellow Daoist Long?”

The room instantly fell silent for a moment.

“That’s right, I remember he was very decisive this time, spending at least five million contribution points to stock up on goods in advance. He must have made a huge profit!”

“Could it be that he’s still in seclusion and doesn’t know prices have skyrocketed?”

“I’ll contact him right away to share the good news!”

To their great surprise, all messages went unanswered. Everyone exchanged glances. Just as they were filled with doubt and surprise, Long Yueyou’s figure appeared before them. He looked utterly distraught, his eyes bloodshot and his face pale. An ominous premonition vaguely surfaced in everyone’s hearts.

In the end, it was Zhou Kebao who first asked, “Fellow Daoist Long, what on earth happened? You look…”

Long Yueyou seemed somewhat out of sorts. Zhou Kebao called out several times before he finally snapped back to reality. Looking at the people around him, Long Yueyou’s lips trembled slightly. He used all his strength to finally utter slowly, “My brother, unfortunately, has fallen!”

Everyone felt as if their brains had been violently hammered, instantly becoming dizzy. Long Jiuyuan, who had just achieved the Dao-Integration Immortal Venerable realm, had fallen? In an instant, the room became deathly silent. The joy they had felt from earning so many contribution points vanished in an instant. For them, losing a Dao-Integration cultivator was something no amount of contribution points could ever compensate for!

Along with their immense shock, a chill ran down their spines. The war had just begun, and already a Dao-Integration cultivator had fallen. The scale of this war would likely far exceed their imagination. How many people would die? For a moment, even these profit-driven cultivators couldn’t help but feel a shiver of dread.

In the Administrative Hall of Cloudsea City, chaos reigned. The Immortal Alliance had issued a war preparation announcement, but they couldn’t reach the Emissary of Secrets, no matter what. Although Li Fan had announced his deep seclusion to the public a month prior, with such a huge event unfolding, to abandon his duties and dump the problem on his subordinates… Isn’t that a bit too much? The cultivators grumbled inwardly.

“Everyone!” Gao Yuan looked at the grim-faced crowd and rapped on the table. “Since the Lord is absent, the time to test us has come,” he said solemnly. “Although the situation is currently unclear, there’s no doubt that this war won’t end easily. We must be mentally prepared.”

“Especially since our Cloudsea region borders the Five Elders’ Society, we must constantly patrol and remain vigilant against their cultivators.” Gao Yuan paused, seeing the worried expressions on everyone’s faces, and had to offer reassurance: “However, there’s no need to worry excessively.”

“As the saying goes, if the sky falls, taller people will hold it up. Our Cloudsea region hasn’t recovered its vitality since it was wiped out by the Five Elders’ Society last time.”

“We don’t even have many Nascent Soul cultivators. With this level of combat power, it shouldn’t come to us fighting to the death.”

Hearing this, everyone felt it made some sense and their hearts were slightly eased. However, Gao Yuan had one more thing on his mind that he didn’t say. If it truly came to the point where all the remaining people of Cloudsea had to go to the battlefield, then the brutality of this war… Gao Yuan couldn’t help but shiver.

While the entire Myriad Immortals Alliance was thrown into disarray by the sudden war preparation announcement, Li Fan remained quite leisurely. Drinking the radiant blue nectar from his cup in one gulp, Li Fan raised his thumb and praised, “Excellent wine!”

“Such fine wine, coupled with Fellow Daoist Sima recounting exciting tales from a thousand years ago. What more could one ask for in life?”

Sima Changkong’s face was also slightly flushed: “Although you and I have only just met, I feel an instant kinship. The word ‘destiny’ truly is wonderful beyond words!”

“Come, another drink!” Sima Changkong also tilted his head back, pouring the wine into his stomach.

“Fellow Daoist, which tale from the Xuanhuang Realm’s past would you like to hear next?”

“Matters from ancient times are difficult to verify, but for the history since the Myriad Immortals Alliance was re-established, I, Sima Changkong, know a thing or two.” His face was completely flushed, and he spoke with an air of pride.

“I heard that about five hundred years ago, there was an incident where the minor realms collectively united to launch a counter-attack on the cultivation world.”

“Please, Fellow Daoist, tell me about it!” Li Fan said, half-drunk and half-sober.