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

Chapter 254: Hehehe, Qianji Takes the Blame Again

Hu Yanqing was scared witless. He only belatedly realized that he had nearly been Soul Searched into a drooling idiot.

He immediately let out a squeal like a pig being slaughtered.

“No! Don’t Soul Search me! I’ll tell you everything! I am the Young Master of the Baoqing Workshop in the Central Continent! My family’s wealth rivals nations! I can give you as many Spirit Stones as you want! Spirit Treasures! Pills! Cultivation Techniques! Take it all! I only beg Senior to spare my life!”

Zhang Xian couldn’t be bothered with his nonsense. The assets of the Baoqing Workshop were nothing in his eyes. He simply swept a cold gaze toward the open space in the plaza.

The disciples nearby trembled, terrified into silence.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three streaks of light tore through the air, solidifying into three figures.

All three wore the standard Daoist robes of a Palace Master, their gold-edged cloaks embroidered with “Wendao” (Dao Asking), “Suolong” (Dragon Locking), and “Fugu” (Rune Bone) respectively.

On the left stood a beautiful woman with high-piled hair and a lovely face. Her aura was vast and mighty, clearly that of a Great Cultivator at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul stage. Zhang Xian instantly judged from her attire that she was the Palace Master of the Wendao Palace, one of the Upper Six.

Simultaneously, a system prompt chimed in his mind:

[Ding! Discovered Daughter of Destiny with 67 points of Providence: Wen Yan.]

[Ding! Wen Yan’s Favorability towards you is -20. Binding successful.]

Beside the beautiful woman stood a middle-aged man with a long beard. His aura was also at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul stage. He was the Palace Master of the Suolong Palace and the current Acting Sect Master of the Guiyuan Sect.

On the right was a thin, withered old man with an aura at the fifth level of the Nascent Soul stage—the Palace Master of the Fugu Palace.

Seeing the tragic state of the Golden Cicada Palace and Hu Yanqing being trampled underfoot, the Fugu Palace Master was both shocked and furious. Pointing a trembling finger at Zhang Xian, he shouted sternly.

“Who exactly are you? How dare you run wild and commit violence in my Guiyuan Sect!”

In his heart, however, he was full of doubt. This fat man looked utterly unremarkable, his aura weak and unassuming. Yet, he had crushed the third-level Nascent Soul Hu Yanqing like a bug. His strength was definitely superior to his own.

Only with Palace Master Wen Yan and the Acting Sect Master beside him did he feel slightly reassured.

“Sect Master! Palace Master Wen Yan! Save me!” Hu Yanqing screamed, clutching at this lifeline with desperate hope.

“Too much noise.”

Zhang Xian exerted a slight downward force with his foot.

CRACK!

Hu Yanqing’s scream cut off abruptly. His eyes bulged.

Immediately after, Zhang Xian flicked his sleeve casually.

SPLAT.

Hu Yanqing’s head exploded like a ripe melon, sending red and white matter splattering across the pristine plaza.

A Nascent Soul stage Palace Master was thus utterly annihilated in body and spirit. Dead beyond dead.

Clean. Decisive. Ruthless.

Seeing this bloody scene, several disciples with weaker mental fortitude rolled their eyes back and fainted on the spot. The rest stood pale-faced and trembling, unable to process the violence.

The Guiyuan Sect Master’s face turned ashen. Suppressing his rage, he flicked his sleeve, sending a gentle wave of Spiritual Qi to sweep up the terrified disciples—and the unconscious Song Zhang—and fling them out of the Golden Cicada Palace grounds.

The upcoming battle was absolutely not something low-level disciples could witness. Staying meant certain death.

His gaze locked onto Zhang Xian, his voice icy to the bone.

“Fellow Daoist! Who exactly are you? To commit such atrocities within my Guiyuan Sect… do you not think you owe us an explanation?”

As he spoke, the entire mountain gate began to tremble!

Hummm—

One after another, incredibly thick, multi-colored light screens rose from the ground, shimmering with complex talisman patterns. They closed overhead like the petals of a lotus, sealing the entire area—along with Zhang Xian and the three Palace Masters—inside an inescapable cage.

Highest Alert. The Turtle in the Jar.

The Sect Master had a sharp eye. Although he couldn’t gauge Zhang Xian’s depth, he knew the man’s cultivation was extremely high. His side had dispatched the sect’s three strongest combatants; sending anyone else would just be feeding the meat grinder. It was better to concentrate their strength and, relying on the sect’s formation enhancements, kill this intruder here and now.

Zhang Xian quickly scanned his three opponents. A strange smile twisted his lips, and he let out a hoarse, grating laugh.

“Hehehe… This Poor Daoist is Qianji!”

“Your Guiyuan Sect has hunted this old man for nearly a thousand years. Today, I have returned for revenge!”

He skillfully slammed another black pot onto Qianji’s head.

“Utter nonsense!” The beautiful woman, Wen Yan, raised her willow-like eyebrows and rebuked him sternly. “The Old Demon Qianji has long since been executed! Who are you really? How dare you impersonate a dead man!”

Her tone was certain. She clearly knew the inside scoop.

Zhang Xian’s heart stirred. Knowing Qianji is already dead… seems this woman is in Taichu’s inner circle. Her status isn’t low. Perfect. I’ve sent quite a few Daughters of Destiny to the grave before; sending a new one on her way isn’t a bad way to spend the afternoon.

He stopped wasting words. He threw his arms wide.

SHING!

In an instant, countless illusory sword shadows emerged from the void behind him, rotating like a galaxy of blades. Sword Intent soared to the heavens, blotting out the sun.

Heaven-grade Sword Technique: [Myriad Spirits Return to Ruins].

“Go!”

Thousands upon thousands of annihilating sword shadows swept toward the three masters, threatening to erase even space itself.

“What terrifying Sword Intent!”

The Sect Master’s expression turned grave. Not daring to be negligent, he formed hand seals rapidly. Azure Wood Spiritual Power surged, transforming into countless tough vines and giant phantom logs that formed a layered wall in front of him.

Palace Master Wen Yan was the fastest. Possessing a rare Mutated Wind Spiritual Root, her figure became as elusive as a breeze. She weaved freely through the dense storm of sword shadows, her flexible rapier flicking out thousands of sword blossoms to shatter and deflect the incoming attacks.

The old man from the Fugu Palace let out a loud shout. Thick, earth-yellow spiritual light spread out, condensing into massive rock shields. Simultaneously, several giant stone golems flew from his sleeves, forming a defensive phalanx. Earth-attribute defense—unbreakable.

The three displayed their abilities, cooperating seamlessly to block Zhang Xian’s grand opening move.

Then, they charged forward in a triangle formation.

Zhang Xian controlled his twin swords, meeting them head-on.

One against Three!

Sword rain fell densely, scattering Spiritual Qi in chaotic bursts. The plaza’s ground caved in, jade tiles shattering into shrapnel. The nearby Golden Cicada Palace disintegrated under the runaway energy, turning into rubble.

The three Guiyuan Sect masters grew more alarmed the longer they fought. This mysterious fat man possessed exquisitely superb sword techniques and multiple spiritual roots. One-on-one, none of them were his match. However, three against one, they were gradually gaining the upper hand.

The Fugu Palace Master took the lead in taunting.

“I admit your strength is extraordinary! But you should never have intruded into the heart of the Guiyuan Sect!”

“Under the suppression of our Ancestral Formation, our strength is boosted while yours is stifled! As we wax and you wane, you are a bird with clipped wings! Today, you die here!”

The situation was indeed as he said. The Guiyuan Sect’s defensive formation was profound. Within the light screens, Zhang Xian could feel an invisible pressure weighing on his soul, making his Spiritual Power sluggish. In contrast, his three opponents glowed with radiant light, their auras seemingly endless.

However, upon hearing this, Zhang Xian showed no panic.

Instead, he smiled faintly.

“Is that so? What a pity.”

“This old man’s favorite thing to break… is a turtle shell that can’t move.”