Chapter 411: Pre‑Deposit Grants Technique

"Sir Manager, the Gu Business Association has drawn all the lowly mud‑legged folk from the city these past few days, leaving the entrance of our bank considerably quiet…"

"Oh?"

Qian Youde didn't even raise an eyebrow, lifted the spirit tea from the small table beside him and sipped it leisurely, "Just a bunch of brainless fools, dazzled by the word 'free,' not realizing that free is the most costly—let them have it."

He had already heard of this so‑called Gu Business Association.

In his view, it was merely an outsider business association that had sprung up from nowhere, trying to plant its feet in Qingfeng City, burning money to make a splash.

Who hasn't done something like this before?

"How many days can the free period last? With a hundred‑billion subsidy—who's hanging around in the First Upper Heaven with a hundred billion? Once they burn through the money, those mud‑legged folk will have to come back obediently, begging us for loans, right?"

The subordinate quickly flattered, "Manager, you are wise! These mud‑legged folk are like untrained white‑eyed wolves; whoever offers a benefit they run to, they don't understand risk or long‑term thinking."

"But…" the subordinate's tone shifted, speaking hesitantly,

"In the past few days, several branches in the western and southern parts of the city have seen small‑scale early withdrawals of Celestial Crystals by depositors; the amounts aren't large, but…"

"Good news!"

Qian Youde slapped his thigh, sat upright, and a greedy smile spread across his face,

"Early withdrawals, according to Celestial Dynasty law, not only forfeit all interest but also incur a penalty payable to us! The more they take, the more we earn! We hope they pull out every single Celestial Crystal!"

He waved his hand, saying nonchalantly:

"Ignore it; just have someone keep an eye on them. I want to see whether this Gu Business Association can last a month. Once their capital chain snaps, we can use the charge of disrupting the financial order to seize both the people and the establishment. Then that so‑called hundred‑billion Celestial Crystals will be ours."

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!" the subordinate admired, bowing deeply.

Qian Youde was even too lazy to send anyone to intervene; he treated it as watching a monkey show.

However, the monkey show went on for more than half a month.

The entrance of the Gu Business Association was packed with a sea of people, with surges of spiritual light flashing back and forth, becoming a new sight in Qingfeng City.

Countless low‑rank cultivators struggling in the slums here experienced, for the first time, the luxury of a full supply of Spiritual Qi.

And Lin Feng, the nominal "legal representative," also became a hot‑topic figure in Qingfeng City.

Countless people leveraged connections and channels just to get a word with him, to become a familiar face.

He leapt from a helpless orphan to the admired President Lin.

Such a massive shift in identity left him momentarily lost, but whenever night fell silent, he recalled the spirit root that had been ripped away, the cold debt notice, and the flame in his heart burned even brighter.

He knew that all of this was only the beginning.

On the day the free period ended, countless people gathered at the Gu Business Association's entrance, their faces full of anxiety and unease.

Everyone thought the good times were over.

The Spiritual Qi Bank's manager Qian Youde had even stationed people here early, ready to watch the Gu Business Association's joke.

However, the new notice posted by the Gu Business Association made everyone's eyes drop.

"To thank the support of the vast Daoist community, our association proudly launches the 'Deposit Crystals, Get Spiritual Qi' event!"

"Anyone who deposits one hundred thousand low‑grade Celestial Crystals with our association can enjoy one month of free Spiritual Qi supply!"

"Deposit two hundred thousand, get two months free!"

"…and so on: deposit one million low‑grade Celestial Crystals to receive permanent free Spiritual Qi supply!"

The crowd boiled over again!

"Deposit money, get Spiritual Qi? Is there such a good thing?"

"One million, and it's permanent free? This… this is many times higher than the Spiritual Qi Bank's interest!"

Some quick‑witted people had already started calculating.

Depositing one million in the Spiritual Qi Bank yields a year's interest of only a few tens of thousands of low‑grade Celestial Crystals—barely enough to cover the Qi fee, let alone use freely.

But at the Gu Business Association, it's outright permanent free!

Anyone can do the math!

"Withdraw! Go to the Spiritual Qi Bank and withdraw now!"

"All my assets are in the Spiritual Qi Bank; I must pull them out and deposit them into the Gu Business Association!"

Some bold ones, or those suffocated by the high Qi fees, immediately made up their minds.

A small‑scale bank‑run storm quietly unfolded across every corner of Qingfeng City.

The Spiritual Qi Bank's manager Qian Youde's smile froze the moment he received the news.

"What? Deposit one million, permanent free? Have they gone mad?! What will they use to fill that hole!"

He finally realized the situation had completely slipped beyond his control.

This was no longer about burning money for hype; it was shaking his, even the entire Celestial Dynasty's financial foundation!

Yet before he could devise a response, the Gu Business Association unleashed its second, most lethal move.

"Breaking news! Our association exclusively releases the 'Mangg Niu Opening Mountain Technique'! This method directly targets the path of corporeal sainthood, its rank comparable to Earth Tier, originally priced at ten million low‑grade Celestial Crystals, now, for opening‑day guests, only one hundred thousand! A one‑time purchase with no subsequent fees!"

"Additionally: any VIP member who has deposited a full one million low‑grade Celestial Crystals with our association will receive this technique for free!"

"More importantly, the Celestial Crystals you deposit will still earn interest at an ultra‑high annualized 36% rate!"

Boom—!!!

If the earlier event merely lit a fuse, this news detonated the entire city.

Earth Tier Technique!

In the Xutian world, even the dirtiest Yellow Tier low‑grade technique costs tens of thousands of low‑grade Celestial Crystals, payable in installments with interest compounding forever.

But the Earth Tier Technique is something only the Celestial Dynasty's direct line or the core heirs of major factions can access, its value immeasurable in Celestial Crystals.

Now, the Gu Business Association is selling it for just one hundred thousand!

Deposit one million, and it's still free!

Even they calculate interest for you! Annualized 36%!

What is this concept?

That means if you deposit one million, you not only get a free Earth Tier Technique, but a year later you'll magically gain an extra 360,000 low‑grade Celestial Crystals!

Is there any deal on earth more profitable than this?

"Crazy! This world has gone completely mad!"

Administrator Qian Youde of the Spirit Qi Bank, upon hearing the news, went black in the eyes and fell straight off his thousand‑year Warm Jade Recliner.

He knows the heavens have collapsed.

"Malicious competition! This is blatant malicious competition!"

He roared at his subordinates in a fit of rage,

"They are disrupting the market! They are undermining the foundations of the Celestial Dynasty! Immediately, immediately, in the name of the Celestial Dynasty Bank Guild Councilor, issue a proclamation harshly condemning the Gu Business Association for this behavior! Tell everyone that behind this ultra‑high interest rate lies enormous risk! Their capital chain could break at any moment, and then everyone's Celestial Crystals will be lost with no return!"

The proclamation was issued quickly.

However, for the low‑rank cultivators who have been squeezed for countless years, this pompous condemnation appears so feeble and powerless.

Risk?

Every day they live, they endure the greatest risk!

Loss of capital?

They originally have nothing at all!

Rather than being a lifelong, unpaid beast of burden under the Celestial Dynasty's exploitation, they'd rather go to the Gu Business Association and gamble for a one‑step‑to‑the‑heavens future!

"To hell with the Celestial Dynasty! I won't serve any longer!"

"Withdraw the money! Take out the coffin capital! Deposit everything into the Gu Business Association!"

"Charge! For the Earth Tier Technique!"

Qingfeng City fell completely into madness.

Countless cultivators, like a tide, surged from all directions of the city toward the various branches of the Spirit Qi Bank.

They smashed open the doors, rushed the counters, with only one purpose—withdraw the money!

An unprecedented, city‑wide rush‑to‑withdraw storm erupted with a thunderous blast.