Three days after the Championship, Elder Mo presented Liu Yan with a jade box containing a perfect-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. The ceremony was public, attended by hundreds of disciples.
"Liu Yan," Elder Mo announced, "your dedication and talent honor our sect. This pill will ensure your successful breakthrough to Core Formation. Use it well."
Liu Yan bowed deeply, his face showing appropriate humility while his eyes gleamed with triumph. He glanced toward Chen Wei's section of the crowd—did he even remember the crippled genius he'd poisoned five years ago?
Probably not. That was the nature of predators. They never remembered their prey.
Chen Wei watched the jade box change hands with complete calm. Inside his mind, probability calculations cascaded:
• Liu Yan would attempt breakthrough within one week: 67%
• He would use the pill: 99%
• The contamination would activate: 94%
• The breakthrough would fail: 87%
• Liu Yan's cultivation would be permanently damaged: 79%
Combined probability: 43%
Not perfect, but Chen Wei had backup plans. Multiple causality chains all leading toward Liu Yan's downfall. This was merely the most elegant.