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

Chapter 232: I Must Go Back and Dote on Her Properly

Grandmaster Taichu turned his gaze to the figure standing in attendance beside him—the Master of the Xuanzhao Palace.

“Xuanzhao. Dealing with the boy… I leave that to you.”

He paused briefly, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Zhang Xian possesses formidable skills in concealment and escape. If you cannot capture him immediately, spread word that the Yunmiao Sect is on the verge of total annihilation. Use that to flush him out.”

Taichu’s voice turned cold, losing its paternal warmth.

“The boy has endless tricks up his sleeve. The moment you find a trace of him, cripple his Dantian and shatter his Qi Sea instantly. Do not give him a single breath of respite or a chance to resist.”

“If the situation becomes critical and capturing him alive proves difficult… execute him on the spot. We cannot allow a variable like him any room to maneuver.”

The Xuanzhao Palace Master bowed deeply, his expression arrogant yet brimming with absolute confidence.

“Yes, Master! This disciple understands. I will drag him back alive.”

Grandmaster Taichu nodded and turned his gaze outward, looking past the railing of the flying boat.

At that moment, a somewhat disheveled figure flew up from the forest below and landed heavily on the deck. It was a middle-aged male cultivator wearing the robes of a Heavenly Abyss Alliance Councilor. Half his body was stained with blood, and his face was deathly pale.

He stumbled forward and knelt on one knee before Taichu.

“I pay my respects to the Lord.”

Grandmaster Taichu raised his right hand, a gentle force lifting the wounded man.

“Councilor Shen, you have suffered. The failure of this Western Region expedition is not due to incompetence in battle. It was caused solely by the collusion and rampage of [Hatred] and [Desire].”

As he spoke, Taichu cast a meaningful glance at Lin Xiaozhu, who stood silently behind him like a beautiful statue.

“Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that Zhang Xian was corrupted by [Desire] long ago. On this trip, he secretly conspired with the source of [Hatred], ambushing his own companions. His treachery led to the near-total annihilation of Investigation Team Five.”

Taichu’s voice was grave, carrying the weight of unquestionable truth. “Return now. Report this exactly as I have said to the Heavenly Abyss Alliance Council.”

Behind him, Lin Xiaozhu and Xia Chengyan bowed simultaneously, their voices mechanical.

“We obey the Lord’s decree.”

…

Directly below the flying boat, several hundred meters deep underground within a natural limestone cavern.

Zhang Xian sat in the dark, motionless.

The [Breath-Concealing Art] suppressed his aura to perfection; not a single wisp of spiritual energy leaked out. Yet, his senses were wide open. He could clearly feel the terrifying presences hovering above his head—especially that familiar, distinctive fluctuation of [Hatred].

Nangong Yao is actually mixing with the Guiyuan Sect now?

“Good lord,” Zhang Xian thought to himself, a dry smile touching his lips. “It’s a Villain Boss convention up there.”

Facing a terrifying existence like Grandmaster Taichu—a monster half-a-step into the Soul Formation stage—bravery was stupidity. The only winning move was to lie low, turtle up, and wait for the storm to pass.

His main worry was Long Zhi.

Before they separated, he had planted several powerful threads of Heart-Questioning Sword Intent within her spirit as a failsafe. At a critical moment, he could detonate them to collectively shatter Taichu’s [Great Dream Evolution Art] on the group.

But the timing was impossible to gauge from down here. One wrong move, and he would only speed up their execution. Everything now relied on Long Zhi’s on-the-spot judgment and her acting skills.

Suddenly, he sensed the massive flying boat’s engine flare. It began to move, heading toward the Central Continent.

Zhang Xian let out a silent breath of relief. Having the mountain that was Taichu Zhenren pressing down on his head was suffocating.

He calmed his mind and began circulating his Qi to regulate his breathing. His plan was simple: trail them from a safe distance, then find an opportunity to reach the Heavenly Abyss Alliance for backup. Since the Guiyuan Sect had played their hand and turned traitor, he needed the Alliance to step up.

Let the Titans clash. King against King.

Just then, a strange sensation washed over him.

Ping.

Zhang Xian felt a stroke of sudden inspiration. The barrier to his next cultivation realm, which hadn’t budged for a long time, suddenly developed fine cracks. Vast spiritual power began circulating faster on its own, and his comprehension of the laws of Heaven and Earth became crystal clear.

“This is…”

Zhang Xian blinked, then his eyes lit up with joy. “The [Outstanding Disciple Halo] triggered! That means Master Fuxi successfully crossed her Tribulation!”

A warm, fuzzy feeling filled his chest. “Haha, truly my good Fuxi. I’ll have to spoil her rotten when I get back.”

However, in that split second of distraction—triggered by his joy and the sudden surge of power—his control over the [Breath-Concealing Art] slipped.

It was an infinitesimal fluctuation. A tiny ripple in a vast ocean.

But it was enough.

An icy, bone-piercing sense of crisis instantly electrocuted his nervous system.

“Shit!”

Zhang Xian didn’t think. Instinct took over, and he threw himself deeper into the cavern.

BOOM!

Almost at the exact moment he vacated his spot, a streak of golden sword light—pregnant with terrifying Gengjin killing intent—tore through hundreds of meters of bedrock. It struck the exact spot he had been sitting, slicing through the hard rock as if it were tofu.

The earth groaned and shook violently.

Zhang Xian barely rolled out of the blast radius. Before he could even catch his breath, the air screamed.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three more fierce golden sword lights, arranged in a triangular kill-formation, punched through the dust cloud, locking onto him.

Zhang Xian didn’t panic. With a light flick of his spirit sword, three thick, swirling curtains of water instantly condensed before him.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The golden lights pierced the water walls one after another. Although the water element weakened them layer by layer, the Gengjin Qi was stubborn, punching through the defense. However, their speed and power had been sapped just enough.

Zhang Xian side-stepped, letting the weakened blades whistle harmlessly past his ear.

The three sword lights didn’t dissipate. They hovered in the air, emitting a hungry hum.

A flash of golden light blinded the darkness. A figure appeared before Zhang Xian as if by Teleportation.

The newcomer wore black and white Daoist robes. His face was handsome but marred by an innate, sneering arrogance. His eyes looked at Zhang Xian as one might look at a bug.

It was the Master of the Xuanzhao Palace.

Zhang Xian hadn’t spent six months undercover in the Guiyuan Sect for nothing. He recognized the gilded cloak immediately.

Taichu Zhenren’s personal disciple. Founder of the Xuanzhao Palace. One of the six Upper Palace Masters. A giant who stood at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul stage—a powerhouse ranked within the top five of the entire Central Continent.

Xuanzhao scanned Zhang Xian with an appraising, disappointed gaze.

“Master warned me repeatedly that you would be slippery,” Xuanzhao said, a trace of disdain curling his lip. “He told me to have patience. I didn’t expect you to be… nothing more than this.”

Zhang Xian could feel the profound, crushing spiritual pressure emanating from the man. It was far heavier than Wangchuan’s had been. Every small realm within the Nascent Soul stage was a massive gulf, and this man was a high-level elite.

But Zhang Xian didn’t feel fear.

Instead, a blazing fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

Perfect.

I’ll use you to test my limits. Let’s see what my Heaven-grade Arts and Five Elements Spiritual Roots are really made of.

Xuanzhao keenly caught the hunger in Zhang Xian’s eyes. He narrowed his own, amused.

“Oh? Interesting. A mere Golden Core ant dares to bare its fangs at me? Admirable courage.”

Xuanzhao stepped forward, the air around him sharpening. “I heard you single-handedly resolved the [Desire] calamity in the Southern Region. I am genuinely curious… let’s see how much you really weigh.”

Zhang Xian rolled his wrist, loosening up his sword arm. He retorted without a shred of courtesy.

“Don’t worry. I’m definitely heavier than you.”

“Hah!”

Xuanzhao sneered.

With a mere thought, one of the hovering sword lights shot straight at Zhang Xian’s face, moving at a speed that blurred vision.

Zhang Xian’s eyes sharpened.

Clang!

A flying sword intercepted the attack mid-air. It wasn’t a trick or a dodge—it was a head-on collision using the [Heavenly Palace Azure Cloud Sword].

Metal against Metal.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In an instant, golden sparks showered the cavern like fireworks. Sword Qi slashed deep grooves into the walls. Relying on the superior quality of his Top Grade Spirit Treasure, Zhang Xian met Xuanzhao’s attacks blow for blow, fighting him to a standstill.

A flicker of surprise appeared in Xuanzhao’s eyes.

“Indeed, the rumors were true. Your Spirit Treasure is of excellent quality,” he admitted coolly. “It is a pity that in a battle to the death, it is your Realm that has the final say.”

As the words fell, a second streak of spiritual light shot out from behind him.

Two swords began to attack in an interlocking pincer movement, the sword momentum instantly becoming dense, suffocating, and lethal.