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

Deep within the Ashen Wild Forest.

Facing Long Zhi’s icy, bone-piercing gaze, Zhang Xian realized that words were useless. The corruption of [Hatred] ran too deep; her reason was gone.

He stopped hesitating. If words wouldn’t work, he would use thunderous means to beat her into submission.

Zhang Xian struck first.

With a flick of his wrist, several Talismans shimmering with aqueous blue light shot forward. They activated instantly in mid-air, transforming into roaring streams of water shaped like dragons, charging straight for Long Zhi’s throat.

Facing the incoming water dragons, Long Zhi didn’t even flinch. She simply flared her aura. The lightning encircling her body surged violently, expanding into a jagged sphere of electric arcs.

Hiss—!

The water dragons, despite being imbued with powerful spiritual energy, evaporated the instant they touched her lightning barrier.

But the water was merely a distraction. In the split second the steam obscured her vision, Zhang Xian vanished.

He reappeared directly in front of her, his speed defying logic. In his hand, an ancient longsword flowed with seven-colored radiance—a Top Grade Spirit Treasure, freshly upgraded by the System.

With a low shout, Zhang Xian brought the sword down in a simple, brutal overhead cleave.

Long Zhi reacted instantly, raising her “Thunder Roar Sword” to block.

CLANG!!!

A shockwave of violent energy exploded from the point of impact, flattening ancient trees and shattering giant boulders within a radius of dozens of zhang.

Long Zhi grunted, her knees buckling under the immense force transmitted through her blade. Her sword—a mere Middle Grade Spirit Treasure—let out a high-pitched whine of distress. Its spiritual light dimmed instantly, and a hairline crack appeared on the blade’s surface.

This was Zhang Xian’s plan: use the absolute suppression of a Top Grade Spirit Treasure to shatter her weapon. For a sword cultivator, losing their sword was like losing an arm.

Long Zhi’s pupils contracted. Though her mind was clouded by [Hatred], her combat instincts were razor-sharp.

Purple light exploded from her eyes. She released her left hand from the hilt and thrust her palm at Zhang Xian.

Crackle!

A massive net of purple lightning materialized out of thin air, crashing down to entrap him. Simultaneously, she used the recoil of their clash to launch herself backward, creating distance.

Zhang Xian didn’t dodge. He simply tapped the air with his finger.

The moisture in the atmosphere froze instantly. A massive curtain of ice, several feet thick, materialized before him.

CRACK!

The violent lightning net slammed into the ice curtain. The opposing elements screeched as they ground against each other. The lightning net dissipated, and the ice wall shattered into fragments, but the attack was neutralized.

It was the Heaven Grade version of the Yunmiao Sword Scripture.

Having gained some distance, Long Zhi let out a guttural chant. The lightning around her body intensified, turning her into a beacon of violet destruction. She pointed her Thunder Roar Sword at him, and a sphere of condensed purple lightning gathered at the tip before shooting toward Zhang Xian like a meteor.

Zhang Xian merely flicked his wrist. An almost identical bolt of purple lightning swept out to meet it.

BOOM!

The two bolts collided in mid-air, erupting in a blinding flash before mutually annihilating.

A flicker of confusion passed through Long Zhi’s chaotic eyes. She twirled her Spirit Sword, drawing a complex flower pattern in the air.

Instantly, the void behind her rippled. Countless purple sword shadows manifested, densely packed and arranged in a lethal formation.

It was the Spirit Ruins Sword Sect’s ultimate guarding technique: [Myriad Spirits Return to Ruins].

Seeing this, Zhang Xian moved.

His figure swayed slightly, mirroring her movements perfectly. He drew the exact same sword flower.

But the result was terrifyingly different.

Behind him, countless sword shadows appeared, but they didn’t just glow purple. They shimmered with Gold, Green, Blue, Red, Yellow, Cyan, and Purple. The seven-colored sword light fanned out behind him like a peacock spreading its tail—magnificent, dazzling, and overwhelmingly powerful.

“Go!”

“Go!”

Both shouted simultaneously.

In an instant, the sky was filled with a torrential rain of blades.

Purple lightning swords clashed against seven-colored radiant swords in a cacophony of explosions. The entire forest seemed to transform into a churning ocean of sword Qi.

For a moment, the stalemate held. But then, the quality difference became undeniable. The seven-colored sword lights began to shred the purple shadows layer by layer, grinding them into dust. The remaining prismatic blades continued their trajectory, screaming toward Long Zhi.

Long Zhi’s expression turned grave. She tilted her head back, levitating off the ground as a lightning shield formed around her.

“Condense.”

A barrier of purple lightning, far more solid and vast than before, materialized in front of her. It looked like solid amethyst, flowing with liquid electricity. It slammed into place, forcibly blocking the torrent of seven-colored swords.

This was her self-created defensive technique: [Purple Empyrean Dragon Roar Mantra].

Zhang Xian’s expression remained flat. He formed a sword finger and pointed remotely at the sky.

“Fall!”

BOOM!

A bolt of lightning as thick as a water bucket crashed down from the heavens, striking Long Zhi’s purple shield with pinpoint accuracy.

Crack.

The shield shattered instantly. The violent force of the thunder poured into Long Zhi’s body.

“Ugh!”

Long Zhi stumbled, nearly falling from the air. For the first time, shock replaced the madness in her eyes.

The [Purple Empyrean Dragon Roar Mantra] was her unique creation. She had poured her heart and soul into perfecting it. How could this man execute it? And how was his version so much more powerful?

She had no way of knowing that Zhang Xian’s System had long since upgraded her Earth Grade technique to Heaven Grade. Coupled with the amplification of his Top Grade Spirit Treasure, the difference in power was like heaven and earth.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Long Zhi forcibly rallied her spiritual energy. She pointed a trembling finger at Zhang Xian.

“Fall!”

A bolt of purple lightning slashed toward him.

Zhang Xian formed a single-handed seal. A light shield swirling with earthen-yellow runes materialized instantly—the Heaven Grade defensive technique, [Dark Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Monolith].

Boom!

The lightning struck the shield and vanished, causing nothing more than a faint ripple.

Zhang Xian smiled, mimicking her gesture.

“Fall!”

“Fall!”

“Fall!”

His fingers tapped the air rapidly. Bolts of dark golden lightning, thicker and more violent than hers, crashed down like a string of firecrackers.

Long Zhi dodged frantically, her heart filled with insurmountable horror.

This opponent not only knew her secret techniques but wielded them with greater power. He mimicked her attacks, crushed her defenses, and mocked her efforts.

Worse, she saw him reach into his robes during a lull in the bombardment, pull out a pill, and toss it into his mouth like a piece of candy.

He was playing with her.

Her combat instincts screamed a final warning: Run. You cannot win.

She didn’t hesitate. She swept her sword horizontally to create a distraction, then turned and shot toward the depths of the forest.

“Thinking of leaving?”

Zhang Xian chuckled, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment. He formed a seal with both hands and pressed down toward the earth.

HUMMM!

A massive, earthen-colored dome descended from the sky like an inverted giant bowl. It slammed into the ground, completely sealing off the area and trapping Long Zhi inside.

It was the trapping form of the [Dark Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Monolith].

Long Zhi slammed into the barrier. She struck it with her sword, but the light shield didn’t even vibrate. It emitted a dull, heavy thud, mocking her futility.

However, she didn’t panic.

She closed her eyes and began to chant rapidly. The lightning surging around her body suddenly retracted, collapsing inward until she seemed to transform into a streak of illusory purple light.

“Illusion!”

With a soft cry, the illusory electric light ignored the physical barrier of the monolith. It phased right through the energy wall, reappearing instantly on the outside.