Pay-to-Win Cultivation: I Get 10,000x Returns

Chapter 257: Methods Extremely Cruel

The Guiyuan Sect Master let out a desperate, furious roar, screaming at his fellow sect members outside the light shield who hadn’t managed to flee far.

“Go! Get out of here!”

Simultaneously, Zhang Xian withdrew his Spiritual Qi. The amber dome of the [Dark Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Monolith] dissolved into nothingness.

In the same split second the shield vanished, Zhang Xian uttered a soft command.

“Condense!”

His entire form transformed into a streak of purple lightning, disappearing from his spot in an instant.

The Sect Master felt the chill of death envelop him. He looked at the severely injured Wen Yan beside him, the unconscious Fugu Palace Master, and the other Elders scrambling for their lives. A flash of resolve hardened his eyes.

He gritted his teeth until they nearly cracked and roared to the heavens.

“Ten Thousand Trees Everlasting, Protect My Land!”

Azure Wood Spiritual Power exploded from his core, spreading frantically outward. Countless phantoms of towering ancient trees materialized, weaving together to form a massive green domain that barely managed to cover a small area near the ruins of the Golden Cicada Palace.

And at that very moment—

BOOM!!

The third volley of destruction descended.

A torrent of pure white spiritual energy, vast as the Milky Way pouring from the sky, instantly flooded the final sanctuary of the Thirty-Six Palaces.

In the distance, Lu Yao and other surviving disciples who had reached safety looked back. They watched the floating islands—the heart of their sect—being swallowed whole by the blinding white light. Many collapsed on the spot, wailing in despair.

As the light and dust slowly cleared, the truth was revealed. The third Mountain-Protecting Grand Formation was shattered. The Thirty-Six Palaces within had collapsed into rubble.

Zhang Xian reappeared in the sky above the scorched earth of the Guiyuan Sect. He gazed down expressionlessly.

The Sect Master lay collapsed on the ground, his aura weak as a candle flame in a storm. Covered in blood, he had exhausted his foundational life force to shield the last few survivors. Wen Yan and the Fugu Palace Master lay unconscious nearby.

Zhang Xian flashed down into the ruins. Without even glancing at the dying Sect Master, he spoke indifferently.

“Whether you live or die depends on your own fortune.”

He flicked his wrist. A gentle force scooped the unconscious Wen Yan from the rubble and lifted her into the air.

Without another word, he took Wen Yan and slowly ascended.

Simultaneously, the suffocating fleet of warships in the sky began to vanish, withdrawn into his System Space one after another, leaving only a single vessel hovering silently.

Just as he was about to board, he saw a slender figure floating in the void nearby, looking panicked and utterly disheveled.

It was Lu Yao.

She had sustained minor injuries during her escape from the bombardment. Now, she watched him from a distance, her gaze complex.

Zhang Xian looked at her. “What are you doing here? Hu Yanqing is dead. The ice poison in your body will dissipate over time. There’s no need to follow me.”

Lu Yao’s heart pounded wildly. In the end, ambition overcame fear. She gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and spoke in a trembling voice.

“This lowly maid… wishes to follow Senior. I beg Senior to take me in. I am willing to serve by your side, even if it means ten thousand deaths.”

Zhang Xian intended to refuse, but a thought crossed his mind. He casually tossed the unconscious Wen Yan toward Lu Yao.

“Come up together.”

He boarded the flying vessel first.

Lu Yao caught Wen Yan, stunned for a moment, before overwhelming ecstasy flooded her veins. Her body trembled uncontrollably.

“Yes! Yes, Senior!”

After witnessing Zhang Xian’s god-like power, her insane ambition to cling to a powerhouse and change her fate had completely taken over. Following this Senior was her only chance to soar to the heavens.

Aboard the flying vessel, Lu Yao stood cautiously to the side, somewhat at a loss.

Zhang Xian paid her no mind. He piloted the vessel to tear through the sky at astonishing speed, heading straight for the Yunmiao Sect in the Southern Region.

He had been in the Western Region when the trouble started, too far to help immediately. However, Lin Yinyin and the others had Earth-grade shuttle artifacts and the [Nine Nether Tribulation Puppet]. They shouldn’t be in mortal danger.

Moreover, his master Li Fuxi had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. With her Top Grade Spirit Treasures and Heaven-grade cultivation art, her strength shouldn’t be far from his own.

I just don’t know how the rest of the sect is faring, he thought. Since the route back passed the Guiyuan Sect, I didn’t mind spending an hour to collect some interest.

The vessel sped along, the sea of clouds blurring past.

Zhang Xian glanced at the unconscious Wen Yan. He pointed a finger from a distance, shooting a thread of icy energy into her body.

“Ugh.”

Wen Yan groaned in pain and slowly woke up.

She realized she was on the deck of a flying vessel. Then she saw Zhang Xian—still disguised as “Yu Yun”—and Lu Yao standing nearby, excitement visible in the girl’s eyes.

She instantly recalled the world-destroying bombardment before she lost consciousness. Her face changed drastically. She struggled to rise, only to find her body screaming in pain and her spiritual power sluggish.

“You! What do you want? Where is this?”

Zhang Xian wasted no words. He secretly activated the Sword Intent of the Heaven-grade [Heart-Questioning Sword], quietly enveloping both Wen Yan and Lu Yao.

Sure enough, neither woman showed signs of being controlled by the [Great Dream Evolution Art].

Zhang Xian looked at Wen Yan with a placid gaze. “I can spare your life. But the condition is that you must honestly answer a few questions.”

Wen Yan gritted her teeth. “If I answer, will you let me go?”

“Right now, I am the one asking the questions. Your only choice is to trust me.”

Wen Yan took a deep breath, resigning herself to fate. “Speak. What do you want to know?”

Zhang Xian got straight to the point.

“What is the relationship between Grandmaster Taichu and [Hatred]? What is his relationship with The Drifting King? And what exactly does he want from the [Stone Gate of Fate] that makes him go to such lengths?”

Three questions. Each more explosive than the last. Each touching upon Grandmaster Taichu’s deepest secrets.

Wen Yan’s face stiffened. Her eyes flickered violently.

Finally, she gritted her teeth. “I don’t know!”

“Heh.”

Zhang Xian scoffed. He didn’t bother wasting another breath.

A flicker of spiritual light gathered at his fingertip. He gently pressed it against Wen Yan’s Dantian—her lower abdomen.

“AHHH!!!”

Wen Yan let out a shrill, agonizing scream. Her face turned deathly pale, sweat pouring down like rain. An indescribable pain tore through her limbs and bones. She curled into a ball, convulsing violently.

[Ding! Wen Yan’s Providence value has dropped to 1 point. Favorability: -50. Current Favorability: -70.]

With that casual, light touch, Zhang Xian had shattered her Violet Mansion and Nascent Soul. He had stripped away the cultivation she had painstakingly built over a thousand years, turning a mighty Nascent Soul master into a crippled mortal with a broken Dantian.

Watching from the side, Lu Yao trembled. A chill ran through her heart, yet it was mixed with a surge of morbid excitement and perverse pleasure!