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

Chapter 226: Bye-Bye, You There

“No! Master! Don’t!”

Yang Poxiao was terrified out of his wits, struggling frantically against the invisible suppression. The [Shadow Flame] technique within his body roared at full power, and pitch-black flames attempted to burst through his pores to defend him.

However, the Shadow Flame—a power sufficient to make ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators tremble—was nothing more than a feeble spark encountering a vast ocean before Grandmaster Taichu.

It had barely surfaced when an invisible force snuffed it out. It didn’t even stir a ripple in the air.

Grandmaster Taichu slowly raised his hand. His index finger drifted toward the center of Yang Poxiao’s brow. The fingertip looked plain, unremarkable, yet it contained a terrifying, invasive power capable of stripping a soul bare.

Just as the skin of his fingertip touched Yang’s forehead, Grandmaster Taichu felt resistance. The force of his Soul Searching technique hit a solid wall.

“Hmph?”

He paused, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his face.

“This is not our sect’s [Soul Forbidden Curse Seal]. Where did you learn such a high-level method to protect your Sea of Consciousness?”

Yang Poxiao’s face was as pale as paper. Cold sweat soaked his back, and his voice cracked, carrying a pathetic sob. “Dis-disciple… once suffered Soul Searching and narrowly escaped death! A-after that, I searched high and low for this secret technique… Master, spare my life! This disciple is willing to tell you everything! I won’t hide a thing!”

Grandmaster Taichu looked down at Yang Poxiao’s contorted, fearful face. A faint trace of regret appeared in the old man’s eyes—not for the act, but for the waste of resources.

“This matter is my fault,” Taichu sighed softly. “You grew too quickly. As your master… I cannot keep you.”

The finger exerted a minute amount of force.

Snap.

“Ugh—!”

Yang Poxiao only had time to let out a short, stifled gasp. The light in his eyes vanished instantly. His body went limp, collapsing onto the cold floor like a puppet with its strings cut.

Breath extinguished. Soul shattered.

Grandmaster Taichu withdrew his hand. He looked at the rapidly cooling corpse and shook his head.

“What a pity. I originally intended to use him to explore the secrets of the Drifting King. I was too impatient. I didn’t expect this disciple to have guarded against me so thoroughly. My forcible probe backfired and shattered his soul origin directly.”

He glanced at Song Zheng, who stood nearby like a beautiful, wooden statue.

“Dispose of him,” he ordered indifferently. “Do not leave any traces. This venerable one needs to personally make a trip to the Western Region.”

Song Zheng bowed slightly, her voice calm and mechanically obedient. “Yes.”

Far away in the Western Region.

Zhang Xian, having just finished cleaning up the mess with Qianji, was preparing to leave the battlefield when a crisp System notification rang in his mind.

[Ding! Detected that Yang Poxiao has died. Destiny Value reset to zero.]

Zhang Xian abruptly froze in mid-step. His expression twisted into a mask of pure astonishment.

???

“What? Yang Poxiao is dead? Actually dead?”

He blinked, looking around at the empty wasteland.

“Which kind soul helped me take him out?”

The sudden death of his greatest nemesis was undoubtedly spectacular news. It felt as if a huge boulder had been lifted from his heart, allowing him to breathe freely for the first time in months.

But as the initial relief faded, a cold chill of paranoia settled in.

He took a deep breath and analyzed the situation calmly. Yang Poxiao should have been safe within the Guiyuan Sect. For him to die suddenly and violently implies the murderer is likely someone inside the sect—and someone with high authority.

Yang Poxiao was a transmigrator. The Drifting King was a transmigrator.

One dead without a sound. One missing under mysterious circumstances.

Loud alarm bells began to ring in Zhang Xian’s mind. The fate of his two “countrymen” was a bloody warning written on the wall. The waters of this world ran far deeper than he had imagined. There were predators in the dark who didn’t care about “systems” or “plot armor.”

I must be extremely careful. I absolutely cannot repeat their mistakes.

The priority hasn’t changed. Eradicate the vessel of [Hatred], Nangong Yao.

Zhang Xian suppressed his chaotic thoughts. He circulated his technique again, condensing a wisp of green sensing flame at his fingertips. At the same time, he released several more reconnaissance puppets, scattering them into the wind.

Fifteen days later. The ruins of the Animal Crossing Association.

Deep within the cavern, standing before the colossal Stone Gate of Fate, a fine golden spatial rift silently tore open.

Grandmaster Taichu stepped out.

He looked up at the giant metal gate, and for the first time, his calm facade cracked. The corner of his mouth curled up into a smile he could hardly suppress. It was the raw, trembling excitement of a wish finally fulfilled after centuries of waiting.

“How many years has it been? This venerable one can finally open the Stone Gate of Fate.”

However, his brow immediately furrowed. His powerful Divine Sense swept the surroundings like a radar.

“Hmph.”

He raised his hand and made a grasping motion at the empty air. From an extremely hidden crevice in the rock wall, a tiny, inconspicuous black pebble flew into his palm.

It was the recording stone Zhang Xian had secretly placed.

“Child’s play.”

Taichu pinched his fingers. The stone turned to dust instantly.

He disregarded the minor annoyance and refocused on the gate. The light patterns on the metal surface were pulsing, waiting for input.

He raised his hand. In the air before the two empty slots following the sequence “3.1”, he wrote the numbers with spiritual energy.

1… 4.

Rumble.

Unlike the silence that had followed his countless previous attempts, this time, the world shook. The stone gate emitted a heavy, ancient grinding sound—the sound of history being unearthed—and slowly began to slide upward.

Grandmaster Taichu stepped inside.

Behind the gate lay a vast, metallic hall. The architecture was alien, composed of unknown alloys. One wall was lined with rows of jade slips, clearly containing cultivation techniques and secret manuals. The other side was stacked with open crates filled with neatly arranged High Grade Spirit Stones. There were even a few spiritual treasures emitting powerful energy fluctuations.

It was a treasure trove that would drive the outside world into a frenzy of blood and greed.

However, as Grandmaster Taichu’s gaze swept over the wealth, he frowned.

These things were valuable, yes. But they were not what he truly wanted.

His Divine Sense exploded outward, enveloping the entire facility. Almost immediately, he locked onto something. His figure blurred, teleporting to the deepest part of the chamber, stopping before a second, massive blast door.

As he approached, a sensor triggered. A voice recording played over hidden speakers, the tone relaxed and teasing.

“Wow! I never thought someone could actually break through the restriction outside. Congratulations, congratulations!”

“When you hear this message, I imagine that I—this handsome, dashing, and exceptionally talented Senior of yours—have already successfully Ascended to the legendary Immortal Realm! Hahahaha!”

Grandmaster Taichu’s expression remained stony.

“So, how about it? The Spirit Stones and treasures I left behind are pretty good, right? Many of them were personally refined by me. Absolutely top quality. Of course, as a generous and open-handed Senior, my true legacy is far more than just these trinkets.”

The voice paused, and the tone shifted, becoming even more playful and annoying.

“However… just to prevent you from randomly mashing buttons and getting in here by luck, I have another safeguard. A little test of intellect.”

“You wouldn’t be unable to solve it, would you? No way, right? No way?”

Hearing the mocking tone, Grandmaster Taichu’s face darkened significantly.

He abruptly shifted his gaze to the metal panel beside the door. There, glowing in soft blue light, was a new line of symbols and empty slots that made his scalp tingle.

It wasn’t numbers. It was a chaotic mess of lines he had never seen before.

Seeing this brand-new “ghostly scribble,” a vein throbbed violently on Grandmaster Taichu’s forehead. An uncontrollable surge of murderous rage welled up like a volcano.

Damn it all!

Even with his half-step Soul Formation state of mind, he couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

How can there be another question? What the hell is this symbol?!

He stared at the three empty slots, forcing down the urge to destroy the entire room. He gritted his teeth and tried to input the only “special” number combination he had learned from Yang Poxiao.

3… 1… 4.

The light on the wall flickered.

And then, it dimmed. Access denied.

The annoying voice, triggered by the failed attempt, chimed in right on cue.

“No way? You actually got it wrong?”

“Bye-bye, you there!”