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

Chapter 248: How Can This Short Woman Be So Glorious?

High above the clouds, another figure clad in a gray robe, their face obscured by a deep hood, materialized silently in the air.

She merely gave a light wave of her hand.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Countless pitch-black flesh puppets, their eyes flickering with a crimson glow, poured out from her sleeves. They rained down upon the Yunmiao Sect’s mountain gate plaza like a swarm of locusts, instantly forming a terrifying army of silent killers.

The newcomer was none other than Nangong Yao.

Beneath her hood, her gaze was fixed intently on Li Fuxi, whose aura remained cool and aloof amidst the chaos. An uncontrollable fire of jealousy and hatred burned within Nangong Yao’s heart, distorting her thoughts.

Why?!

Why am I living in such misery, while this short woman is so glorious? Why is she revered by thousands?!

All of Zhang Xian’s women deserve to die!

Her mind was instantly submerged by the power of [Hatred]. A sinister, purple-black sword materialized in her grip, and she slashed down toward Li Fuxi’s head.

Li Fuxi showed no fear in the face of danger. Possessing a Heaven-grade cultivation technique and wielding a Top Grade Spirit Treasure, she felt no trepidation, even against an opponent whose aura far surpassed her own.

Her expression remained calm as she raised her spirit sword, conjuring thousands of sword blossoms in a single breath.

In an instant, the purest water-blue sword light soared into the sky, transforming into towering waves that swept across heaven and earth to meet the purple-black corruption.

Southern Region. Deep within the Penglai Immortal Island.

Inside a mysterious undersea Grand Formation.

Four figures sat like ancient, immovable rocks, maintaining the operation of the massive array. At the formation’s core sat Zhang Lele, her eyes tightly closed in meditation.

Suddenly, Su Yunmiao, her long hair white as frost, slowly opened her eyes. A barely perceptible ripple flashed within her gaze.

Apart from Zhang Lele, the other three guardians sensed the shift almost simultaneously and opened their eyes.

“What has happened?” asked a white-haired old man whose aura was as solid and heavy as a mountain. He was Qin Mian, the Supreme Elder of Penglai Immortal Island.

Su Yunmiao furrowed her brows slightly, her tone grave. “A sect warning. The mountain gate is facing a crisis. The Yunmiao Sect may be encountering a great calamity.”

Beside her, Su Ling spoke softly. “Shall I return?”

Su Yunmiao shook her head slowly. “The enemy is extremely powerful, with an evil aura that pierces the sky. You are likely not their match. It seems I must make the trip myself.”

Elder Qin Mian pondered for a moment before nodding. “In that case, you should go. Over these past few years, Miss Lele’s condition has stabilized, and the formation’s operation has entered a steady state. Your true self may leave; a clone will suffice to maintain the balance here.”

Su Yunmiao let out a soft sigh, her gaze sweeping over Qin Mian’s slightly weary face. “Alright. I must trouble Fellow Daoist Qin Mian to take on the extra burden.”

Qin Mian gave a faint smile. “We watch out for and aid each other. There is no need for thanks.”

Su Yunmiao nodded. Her figure rippled like water, and a water clone—identical to her true self but with a slightly weaker aura—silently condensed to take her place in the array.

“I will return as soon as possible.”

Her true self took a single step forward. Her figure blurred, merging directly into the void. In the next instant, she appeared high above the magnificent Penglai Immortal Island.

Without pausing, she flashed again, speeding toward the mainland with a terrifying velocity that shrank miles into inches. Her speed far exceeded the imagination of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators; she was crossing the world in heartbeats.

However, just half a day after leaving the Penglai sea, as she was about to cross into the Southern Region, a sudden warning spiked in her heart.

She abruptly halted, hovering in the sky tens of thousands of feet above the ground. Her cold, calm voice echoed clearly between the mountain ranges below.

“Fellow Daoist, having waited here for so long, why hide? Show yourself.”

“Heh. Truly worthy of being the founding ancestor of the Yunmiao Sect. Your spiritual perception is indeed extraordinarily sharp.”

Accompanied by a light chuckle, a figure appeared without warning on the clouds not far ahead.

The newcomer wore simple Daoist robes, his long hair parted in the middle. His face was handsome, his aura ancient and carrying a trace of unfathomable authority.

It was the Supreme Elder of the Guiyuan Sect, Taichu!

Su Yunmiao looked him up and down, her tone remaining flat. “You are Song Taichu? Blocking my path here… what is your intention? My Yunmiao Sect and your Guiyuan Sect have no enmity.”

Grandmaster Taichu’s tone was mild, as if chatting with an old friend. “Indeed, there is no grievance. It is just that this humble Daoist, wandering through these parts, happened to sense Fellow Daoist’s aura. I never expected such a secluded place as the Southern Region to hide a figure of such profound cultivation. I felt a sudden delight upon encountering a peer and wished to ask Fellow Daoist for some guidance.”

Upon hearing this, the corner of Su Yunmiao’s mouth lifted into a cold, mocking arc.

“Playing mysterious tricks. Your Guiyuan Sect’s reach is far too long. Very well… today I shall experience for myself whether you, Taichu—hailed as the world’s number one—truly live up to your reputation.”

The aura around her suddenly transformed.

A terrifying Pressure, ethereal as mist and clouds, erupted violently. The entire heaven and earth seemed to resonate with it, trembling in submission.

Simultaneously, Grandmaster Taichu looked up at the sky, his eyes turning grave and serious. He made no extra movements, but a vast, bottomless momentum—seemingly capable of bearing the weight of all things—surged skyward to meet her.

In the azure sky, the clash of invisible auras dyed the clouds a strange, endless gold. The firmament became their chessboard.

The auras of both had already transcended the scope of the Nascent Soul realm, reaching the absolute limit of this world: Half-step Soul Formation.

A peak-level confrontation was inevitable.

Back at the Yunmiao Sect’s mountain gate, the battle had fully erupted.

Zhiyin’s figure manifested, and a full twenty-four puppets flashed into existence beside her. These puppets all emitted the powerful spiritual fluctuations of the early Nascent Soul stage. Although individually their strength might not match the agility of a true Nascent Soul cultivator, they excelled in seamless coordination, making them the ultimate weapon against a chaotic swarm.

Acting Sect Leader Wang Ya also led from the front, engaging several flesh puppets. The Head Seats and Elders of each peak, along with elite inner sect disciples, roared as they summoned their Dharma Treasures and flying swords, unleashing their signature techniques to stem the tide.

Disciples with lower cultivation, led by their seniors, retreated swiftly and orderly into the second layer of the mountain-protecting formation, avoiding unnecessary slaughter.

For a time, the area before the mountain gate fell into a fierce deadlock. Zhiyin’s puppet army and the cultivators led by Wang Ya barely managed to hold back the seemingly endless torrent of flesh puppets.

However, everyone clearly understood that the key to victory in this war did not lie on the ground.

Everyone’s gaze involuntarily turned toward the sky.

There, Li Fuxi was locked in fierce combat with the mysterious gray-robed figure.

The Spiritual Pressure emanating from the gray-robed figure had reached the terrifying level of the late Nascent Soul stage. The [Hatred] seeping from her very being caused stinging pain to the Spirit Platform of anyone who dared to perceive it.

“Such a high cultivation realm, and sword techniques so ruthless… This person is definitely not Qianji!”

This thought arose in the minds of the Yunmiao Sect’s leadership, causing them no small amount of shock.

What they did not know was that, as the instigator of this war, Nangong Yao was just as shocked as they were.

Li Fuxi’s strength far exceeded her expectations!