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

Xia Xuanyin shook his head, a look of helpless exhaustion on his face as the echoes of Han Yichen’s tirade faded.

“Enough,” the Emperor said, his voice weary. “The cultivators of the Baoqing Workshop who chose to remain are still citizens of our Southern Region. We cannot blame the weak for fleeing. Besides, news from the Central Continent is grim; the chaos caused by the Entities of the Seven Emotions is spreading there as well. The Guiyuan Sect has already formally refused our request for aid.”

He paused, shifting the tone of the room. “However, the Heavenly Abyss Alliance has agreed to intervene. They are dispatching a Grandmaster of Divination, a Nascent Soul expert, to assist us.”

The Heavenly Abyss Alliance. Along with the Guiyuan Sect, they were one of the two titans of the Central Continent. Unlike the rigid hierarchy of the Guiyuan Sect, the Alliance had started as a loose coalition of rogue cultivators and smaller sects, slowly growing into a behemoth that shattered the Guiyuan Sect’s monopoly.

An old monk from the Mountain Zen Monastery pressed his palms together. “Amitabha. That the Heavenly Abyss Alliance is willing to extend a hand is a great fortune for the Southern Region. I have heard that Your Majesty’s son is a leading figure among the Alliance’s younger generation?”

At the mention of his son, a genuine smile broke through Xia Xuanyin’s stony mask. “Indeed. My unworthy son, Xia Chengyan, has fortunately been ranked among the Central Continent’s ‘Ten Outstanding Youths.’ He will personally escort the Grandmaster here.”

Listening from the sidelines, Zhang Xian’s mouth twitched.

Ten Outstanding Youths?

It sounded like some sort of corporate ’30 Under 30′ list. Were they going to give him a plaque and a LinkedIn badge, too?

Elder Qing Shi stroked his long beard, nodding. “This is excellent news. If this Grandmaster can divine the location of the Demon Nest, this old man swears to cut it down with a single strike. We will sever this trouble at the root!”

The atmosphere seemed to be lifting, but then a sharp voice cut through the optimism.

“Zhang Xian!”

Sect Master Xing Jie turned her glare upon him. “You claimed to hail from a secluded secret realm. Now that the Southern Region stands on the precipice of annihilation, does the powerful family behind you intend to sit back and watch us die?”

Is this old woman senile?

Zhang Xian felt a surge of irritation. Why did she always target him? Rumor had it that Xing Jie had been dumped by a scoundrel in her youth, a trauma that made her exceptionally compatible with the Nine Turns Jade Condensation Sutra. Unfortunately, after centuries of failing to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, her bitterness had calcified into pure spite.

He didn’t bother with polite honorifics. “Sect Master, where exactly have I offended you? You seem determined to find fault with everything I do. What, are you suddenly concerned about my family elders?”

“Impudence!” Xing Jie’s face flushed red. “You are a calamity upon our sect! You bewitched Lin Yinyin and deceived Li Fuxi, driving her to use the ‘Jade Shattering’ technique!”

Her voice rose to a shrill scream. “Do you understand what that means? She didn’t just break a bone; she shattered her jade! She destroyed her own foundation, sacrificing her future cultivation because of your influence! I don’t know what demonic sorcery you use to twist minds, but while the Patriarch may tolerate you, I will not!”

“You dare bring my Master into this?” Zhang Xian shot to his feet, eyes cold.

Before spiritual energy could flare, a gentle but immovable force pressed down on Zhang Xian’s shoulder. Master Zhiyin didn’t look up, but his spiritual pressure kept Zhang Xian seated.

“Zhang Xian,” Zhiyin said softly. “This is an internal matter of the Yunmiao Sect. We will discuss it after the council concludes.”

Emperor Xia Xuanyin quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Please, everyone. The enemy is at the gates. We must be in the same boat, crossing the storm together.”

Zhang Xian forced his anger down. If not for the presence of his martial uncles and the Emperor, he would have already flipped the table. A Half-Step Nascent Soul cultivator? He had killed things scarier than her before breakfast.

He swept his gaze across the room, noticing Long Zhi watching him with a thoughtful expression. Her stare reminded him of a boast he had made earlier—something about arming the righteous forces.

Fine. If you want a show, I’ll give you a show.

“Your Majesty,” Zhang Xian said, his voice projecting clearly across the hall. “In this time of crisis, I, Zhang Xian, am willing to privately sponsor a shipment of military-grade supplies. Perhaps we could move to the Imperial Study later for a detailed discussion?”

Xia Xuanyin assumed the young man was merely trying to save face after the scolding. He nodded casually. “Very well.”

After the council dispersed, Xia Xuanyin led Zhang Xian to the Imperial Study.

“Young friend Zhang,” the Emperor said, his tone kind but patronizing, like an elder indulging a child. “Let us discuss this contribution you mentioned.”

Zhang Xian nodded, then turned to the side. “Head Seat Wang Ya, would you mind joining us as a witness? I’d hate for anyone to accuse me of hoarding resources while the world burns.”

Wang Ya gave a wry smile. “Very well. I shall shamelessly tag along.”

The three men entered the study and took their seats. Zhang Xian didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He stood in the center of the room and waved his hand.

Whoosh.

Space distorted. Dozens of jade chests and heavy iron-bound boxes materialized, slamming onto the floor with heavy thuds. They filled the open space of the study instantly.

Xia Xuanyin maintained a polite smile, but as Zhang Xian began flicking the latches open, the Emperor’s expression froze.

Box One: Packed to the brim with top-grade magical artifacts. Blades, spears, halberds—cold steel shimmering with lethal enchantments.

Box Two: A chaotic mountain of talismans. Earth, Fire, Wind, Thunder. The sheer density of trapped elemental energy made the air crackle.

Box Three: Hundreds of pill bottles, neatly labeled. Foundation Establishment Pills, Golden Core Nurturing Pills, Spirit Recovery Pills. Enough medicine to sustain an army for a year.

Boxes Four through Ten:

When the lids were thrown back, the room was bathed in a blinding prismatic glow. Ten crates filled with Top-Grade Spirit Stones. The spiritual pressure in the room spiked so drastically that the wooden furniture began to groan.

Xia Xuanyin’s breath hitched. His eyes bulged.

But Zhang Xian wasn’t finished.

He produced several smaller, intricately carved jade cases. He opened them one by one.

The rich, complex fragrance of Nascent Formation Pills wafted out, instantly clearing the minds of everyone in the room. Beside them lay stalks of Ascension Grass, their medicinal potency causing the surrounding qi to swirl in visible eddies. And finally, dozens of Low-Grade Spirit Treasures—actual Spirit Treasures—lay piled like common vegetables.

Xia Xuanyin and Wang Ya sat petrified. Their jaws hung slightly loose. They looked less like the supreme leaders of the Southern Region and more like peasants witnessing a miracle.

Watching their brains short-circuit, Zhang Xian felt a profound sense of satisfaction. This is the power of a whale.

“My abilities are limited,” Zhang Xian said with a modest sigh, gesturing to the dragon’s hoard on the floor. “I can only provide these strategic supplies as a small token of my regard.”

“Th-These… are all for us?” Xia Xuanyin’s voice trembled. He pointed a shaking finger at the Spirit Treasures. These items alone were worth more than the entire liquid assets of the Imperial Treasury.

“Of course,” Zhang Xian grinned. “Distributing them is Your Majesty’s headache. I only have one condition: the origin of these Earth-Grade materials and Spirit Treasures must remain confidential. I prefer to keep a low profile.”

“I understand,” Xia Xuanyin inhaled deeply, regaining some composure. “‘A man’s wealth is his own ruin if revealed.’ You have my word.”

Zhang Xian thought for a moment, then reached into his robes and pulled out two ornate brocade boxes. He slid one to the Emperor and one to Wang Ya.

“You two bear the weight of the entire region on your shoulders. It is thankless work. This is a personal token of appreciation—call it the ‘Zhang Grand Gift Package.’ Please, don’t refuse.”

Grand Gift Package?

Wang Ya, still dazed, opened his box. He nearly blinded himself.

Inside, nestled in silk, were items that defied logic: Two Earth-Grade pills for purifying spiritual roots. A chaotic-patterned Lotus Seed capable of repairing damage to the Inner Core. Three Spirit Treasures—a sword, armor, and a pendant—forming a perfect offensive and defensive set. And… a bag of tea leaves?

“The pills will temper your roots,” Zhang Xian explained casually, as if describing vitamins. “The Lotus Seed repairs foundation damage. The three Spirit Treasures are a matched set. As for the tea… it’s a local specialty from my hometown. Drinking it provides a permanent boost to your Comprehension stat—ah, I mean, your enlightenment potential.”

Wang Ya stared at the box.

His brain had stopped working.

Pills to upgrade talent? Two kinds? A matched set of Spirit Treasures? He had been a high-ranking elder of the Yunmiao Sect for centuries and didn’t own a single Spirit Treasure, yet this kid just handed him three? And tea that improved comprehension?

Suddenly, Li Fuxi’s terrifying cultivation speed made perfect sense. She wasn’t cultivating; she was pay-to-winning! She was practically eating heavenly treasures for breakfast!

Next to him, Xia Xuanyin was undergoing a similar existential crisis.

The Emperor stared fixedly at the pill in the center of his box. It was an Ascension Pill.

Years ago, he had nearly bankrupted the national treasury trying to win one of these at an auction hosted by Yang Poxiao, only to fail. It had been a regret that haunted him for years.

Now, that dream—that legendary pill—sat quietly in Zhang Xian’s “gift package,” tossed out as casually as a party favor.

Xia Xuanyin looked at the pill, then at the smiling young man. For the first time in his life, the Emperor of the Southern Region felt like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.