Chapter 453

Hearing this, even Gu Zhan, who had been dozing off while shouldering his axe like a wooden block, couldn't help but let out a "puchi" laugh:

Good grief, did this old emperor just hand over his own coffin savings to us? Is there still such a good thing in this world?

They think they're raising pigs.

Gu Linjiang's sneer grew thicker: "They think they're secretly hoarding a large sum of immortal crystals, eating the interest, and then fleeing before we blow up, which would not only let us legally and reasonably collect a large portion of the interest, but also dump all the losses on us. What they don't know is that while they want the interest, I want... their principal."

"Li Si that old fox, being overly clever, thinks that as long as the Immortal Dynasty's army remains in their hands, they can at any time slaughter this fattened pig of ours. But he doesn't understand that the power of finance can drain a world's marrow without spilling a drop of blood."

"Great Elder, what should we do next?" Lin Feng asked respectfully.

Gu Linjiang lifted his head, glanced at the scorching sun outside the window that seemed never to set, his tone turning icy cold, like a lofty deity.

"They've been carousing for half a year; it's time to sober them up."

"Pass on my order: launch the harvesting the leeks plan in three days."

"First step, issue an announcement externally: due to an irresistible stellar storm hitting the overseas trade route opened by the Gu Merchant Guild, the caravans suffered severe damage. To safeguard depositors' principal, effective immediately, the monthly interest on all supreme wealth management products will be reduced from ten lis to... one ten-thousandth of a li."

"Second step, tighten credit. All collateral loans, immediately stop renewals, and require all debtors to repay principal and interest in kind with actual immortal crystals within three days! Those who cannot, seize their collateral according to law using the mortgage contracts!"

"Third step, notify all establishments under the Gu Merchant Guild that control pills, treasures, spiritual herbs, and formation shops... all goods, raise prices a hundredfold! Moreover, starting today, Gu Merchant Guild shops will refuse 'Gu banknotes' and accept only top-grade immortal crystals in kind."

Boom!

Lin Feng felt as if ten thousand divine thunders were exploding simultaneously in his mind.

These three orders, each enough to trigger a major earthquake. Issued together, they intend to... they intend to drive the entire Ruin-Heaven world to death!

"Great Elder... this... once this news gets out, the entire Ruin-Heaven world will collapse instantly!"

Lin Feng's face turned deathly pale, his voice trembling,

"Those sects simply cannot produce actual immortal crystals to repay loans, because all their immortal crystals have been invested in wealth products! Once the wealth-product interest plummets, they will surely panic and rush to withdraw!"

"But we have no actual immortal crystals on hand to give them withdrawals, and with prices skyrocketing a hundredfold and refusing banknotes... this... this will provoke a rebellion among all cultivators!"

"Rebel?" Gu Linjiang laughed, a laugh that made one's hair stand on end, "What do they have to rebel with? Their sect land deeds are in our hands, the core disks of their mountain-protecting great arrays are pledged to us, and even the flying swords they hold still have ninety percent of their loans unpaid; with a thought I can remotely lock the patterns of those swords."

"What I want is their bankruptcy. Only when they go bankrupt can ninety percent of the spirit veins, mines, and blessed lands of the Ruin-Heaven world be legally and properly surnamed Gu forever."

Gu Linjiang patted Lin Feng's shoulder, his tone gentle yet exuding undeniable domineering: "Go, press that destruction button. Let this world witness what a true... dimensional strike is."

……

……

Sending Heaven Hall, Di Wu Ceng 【True Transmission Realm】.

No palaces, no immortal mountains and spiritual springs.

All that met the eye was a vast, boundless heavenly pool whose edge could not be seen.

This heavenly pool is less a pool and more a expanse of purple-gold ocean.

The pool water is not ordinary water, but condensed from limitless, extremely pure liquid Term: Hong Meng Dao Qi!

On the surface of the purple-gold pool water, seven-colored glows mingle; from time to time, strands of more ancient, more primordial chaos flow out, transforming in the air into auspicious symbols like dragons, phoenixes, and qilins, swirling and dancing, then re-merging into the pool water.

This is, as legend has it, the supreme creation ground where the ancient heavenly court cultivated its core disciples—the Place: Sheng Xian Chi!

By the shore of the Place: Sheng Xian Chi, neatly arranged were hundreds of meditation mats carved from unknown divine wood.

On each mat still lingered faint traces of the ancient heavenly pride's powerful Dao resonance, having crossed myriad ages without fading.

Merely standing here, Hun Yuan Xue felt her Dao mind become unprecedentedly clear and empty, as if she could at any moment slip into a deep state of enlightenment.

"I've struck it rich... this time I really have!" Hun Yuan Xue exclaimed, her face flushed red, breathing rapidly.

As the daughter of the Hun Tian Immortal King, she had seen countless heavenly treasures, yet this ocean formed purely from Term: Hong Meng Dao Qi still completely overturned her understanding.

Not to mention her; even if her father, the Hun Tian Immortal King, appeared in person and saw this sight, he would likely lose composure on the spot.

As long as she could soak in the Place: Sheng Xian Chi for a while, even absorbing just one ten-thousandth of its power would be enough to transform her Dao foundation, opening a spirit vein surpassing the ninety-nine meridians, laying the solidest groundwork for future breakthroughs to the Giant Immortal King realm.

Feng Lingyun likewise widened her beautiful eyes; those usually still-as-water clear cold pupils were now filled with shock and longing.

Only Gu Yuan's avatar remained expressionless, though a flicker of greed flashed in the depths of his gray-black eyes.

He could feel that the drop of dark-purple Item: Yuan Du granted by Zang Tian Ge Title: Ba Zhang Lao in his sea of consciousness was violently trembling as if gone mad upon sensing the aura of the Place: Sheng Xian Chi.

"How rich this primal essence... if I could devour all the Term: Hong Meng Dao Qi in this pool... and then refine this drop of Item: Yuan Du..." A crazy thought irresistibly sprouted in Gu Yuan's avatar's mind.

Meanwhile, in another unseen void, Gu Yuan's true form, cloaked in the 【Heaven-Deceiving Robe】, silently gazed upon this sea of Hong Meng, a satisfied smile curving his lips.

"Not bad, even more magnificent than I imagined; with this pool's Term: Hong Meng Dao Qi, plus the transformation of the 【Primordial Source Dao Disk】, it's enough to push all of the Gu Family's existing true immortals to the threshold of the Immortal King!"

Just as everyone's hearts were stirred, an aged, harmonious voice with a hint of mechanical quality sounded from behind them.

Congratulations to the four of you, having passed through myriad trials, you have become the 108th batch of true transmission disciples of the heavenly court.

Everyone's hearts jolted, and they abruptly turned around.

They saw an old man in gray Dao robes, with crane-white hair and a youthful face, wearing a smile, who had silently appeared behind them at some unknown time.

This old man had no vital aura whatsoever, his eyes empty; he was actually a remarkably lifelike humanoid puppet.

"Junior Hun Yuan Xue (Feng Lingyun) pays respects to the senior." Hun Yuan Xue and Feng Lingyun dared not delay, hastily bowing in salute.

No need for excessive courtesy.

The puppet elder slightly nodded, his voice still flat,

"I am the guide of this place, acting under the Immortal Emperor's decree, awaiting the fated ones here. Since you are true transmission disciples, you may cultivate in the Place: Sheng Xian Chi; how much fortune you gain depends on your own ability."

Moreover, the heavenly court's treasury is also open to you. The ancient battle seals you obtained in the previous checkpoints can be exchanged here for corresponding treasures, techniques, and inheritances.

Saying this, the puppet elder swept his wide sleeve.

Hum—!

A massive golden light curtain slowly unfurled before everyone.