With Zhao Xuhe's guarantee, Lü Yang smoothly borrowed 2,000 contribution points from the "Three Rivers Association" behind him and then invested all of it to purchase Substitute Death Yin Puppets.
On the other side, Zhao Xuhe was also pacing excitedly in his cave dwelling.
"The news turned out to be true!"
Upon receiving the message from his master, he became extremely excited: "The mass grave in Jiangnan of the Primordial Saint Sect was actually captured by the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion."
"The one who acted was the Third Elder of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, the peerless sword cultivator known as 'Demon-Slaying True Person.'"
"In a short time, it's impossible to reclaim it."
"With the loss of the mass grave, the price of Substitute Death Yin Puppets is destined to rise in the short term. This is a great opportunity for us to speculate and hoard!"
"I'm going to make a fortune!"
Being able to attain the position of a merit building deacon disciple in the Primordial Saint Sect, Zhao Xuhe naturally had the background and connections, not to mention the insight and greed. Therefore, once he confirmed Lü Yang's information was true, he immediately began gathering funds and then invested all his cash into purchasing Substitute Death Yin Puppets.
As the incident at the Jiangnan mass grave spread, more and more people who "perceived the business opportunity" began sweeping the market, buying Substitute Death Yin Puppets at high prices.
Just like all speculative bubbles, those who entered first made quite a bit of money.
However, as the event fermented, everyone found that the price of Substitute Death Yin Puppets showed no signs of decreasing; they were bought at high prices and sold at even higher prices.
Making money suddenly became easy.
As long as they bought in and then sold out, they could easily earn contribution points that previously required completing several or even dozens of sect missions.
Thus, more people went crazy.
More and more people began to invest their savings, hoping to make money, and they indeed did, further stimulating the market.
Even the more cautious individuals, upon discovering that fellow disciples they usually looked down upon were making more money than themselves just by buying and selling, naturally felt unbalanced and thus joined the wave as a matter of course.
Under such a wave, the price of Substitute Death Yin Puppets soared.
From the initial 200 contribution points, it climbed all the way to 300 contribution points, a fifty percent increase that drove countless speculators even crazier.
After all, its price hadn't stagnated and was still rising.
It was rising today, so it would surely rise tomorrow; if it rose tomorrow, why wouldn't it continue to rise the day after? Not buying now would be a loss!
Thus, more and more people acted upon hearing the news.
300, 400, 500—finally, when the price soared to 500 contribution points, people's rationality somewhat returned, feeling that it might be enough.
Zhao Xuhe was the first to grasp this subtle point, beginning to secretly sell off the Substitute Death Yin Puppets he had hoarded in batches, preparing to cash out and exit.
At the same time, the entire Substitute Death Yin Puppet market's price also began to fall.
After all, Zhao Xuhe wasn't the only smart person in the world; others also keenly noticed the downward trend and began to gradually sell off their goods.
If this development continued, it wouldn't take a few days for the price to completely collapse and return to normal.
However, just as this wave was about to subside, suddenly, a piece of news from the upper echelons of the Primordial Saint Sect spread throughout the sect overnight.
"The Primordial Saint Sect is preparing to counterattack!"
"The loss of the Jiangnan mass grave enraged a True Person within the sect, who decided to take action personally, mobilizing disciples to launch a counterattack and engage in a battle with the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion!"
"A great war is imminent!"
During wartime, all materials beneficial to the war effort are bound to increase in price.
And the Substitute Death Yin Puppet, a tool that can save lives at critical moments, how important would it be in the bloody and brutal upcoming righteous-demonic war?
It's equivalent to a second life!
Undoubtedly, on the night this news spread, the price of Substitute Death Yin Puppets, which had begun to fall, experienced a second surge!
Not only did it instantly return to the peak of 500 contribution points, but it also continued to climb!
By the next morning, 500 contribution points had become 1,000 contribution points, a fivefold increase compared to the original price of 200 contribution points!
In the Library Pavilion, Wang Borong stood on his treasured rocking chair, dancing with excitement, his old face flushed with excitement and fanaticism.
"No, I need to buy more. Selling this little amount now won't earn much. If I hoard more, I'll have enough contribution points for a cave dwelling!"
At this moment, the entire Primordial Saint Sect was celebrating among ordinary disciples.
These ordinary disciples lacked insight, connections, and information channels, so when others were secretly selling, they were still buying.
And now, they had made it big.
Countless ordinary disciples saw their net worth double overnight, earning more money than some senior disciples with backgrounds and backing.
For a time, countless fantastical stories spread throughout the Primordial Saint Sect.
For example, a poor lad who was publicly rejected by his fiancée, after doubling his wealth, angrily broke off the engagement, leaving behind the words, "Do not underestimate the poor youth."
Another example, a little girl who had to rely on others due to her father's death and her mother's remarriage, living a life of daily abuse from her stepmother and unable to keep her father's inheritance, now doubled her wealth and immediately bought a high-end cave dwelling in full.
Do you have dreams? Do you want to realize your dreams?
Come buy Substitute Death Yin Puppets!
This kind of madness, where everyone was involved, peaked one day when a disciple at the peak of Qi Refining suddenly broke through and successfully established his foundation.
Because that disciple publicly admitted that the reason he could break through was entirely due to earning enough contribution points by trading Substitute Death Yin Puppets, which he then used to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill in full. Therefore, he wanted to thank the Substitute Death Yin Puppet; without it, he couldn't have defied fate.
It was completely insane.
1,000, 2,000, 3,000—the price of Substitute Death Yin Puppets soared, and while some were happy watching the skyrocketing prices, others were sorrowful.
Happy ones included Lü Yang.
He didn't hesitate and chose to sell when the price soared to 2,000.
After all, he had originally bought 10 at 200 contribution points each and sold them at 2,000 contribution points, making a tenfold profit and earning 20,000 contribution points!
Sorrowful ones included Zhao Xuhe.
When he saw the price rebound, he regretted it deeply, especially after seeing Wang Borong, whom he used to look down upon and even planned to harm.
As far as he knew, Wang Borong, who had been mediocre for decades and was almost half-buried, had hoarded over 20 Substitute Death Yin Puppets, all bought at high prices during this period. When Zhao Xuhe was secretly selling, he even mocked him as a leek waiting to be harvested.
But now, he was about to earn 100,000 contribution points!
If it were just that he didn't earn anything, that would be one thing.
But when Zhao Xuhe saw Wang Borong earning so many contribution points and grinning every day, it felt even more painful than his own loss!
Seeing the price of Substitute Death Yin Puppets rising continuously without stopping, Zhao Xuhe pondered repeatedly and hesitated for an entire night.
Finally, he re-entered the market.
He threw the contribution points he had previously earned back into the Substitute Death Yin Puppet market.
At first, he remained cautious and didn't invest all his contribution points, but as he watched the price keep rising, he felt he was losing out with every increase.
"Opportunities must not be missed. I've already missed once; how can I miss a second time?"
"It will still rise. Buying now is better than buying later."
Many others shared Zhao Xuhe's thoughts.
When this group of early cash-out individuals re-entered the market, it further stimulated the price increase of Substitute Death Yin Puppets and strengthened people's confidence.