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

Chapter 296: You Sound Like a Side Character Setting a Death Flag

Hearing Su Yunmiao question his ability—especially that stinging phrase, “You can’t do it”—Zhang Xian felt a surge of indignation.

“Grandmaster,” he retorted, “where do you get the confidence to decide I can’t? Don’t forget, on the flying boat, I was the one who beat you until you fled with your tail between your legs.”

“Besides, isn’t there a [Love] entity suppressed within your true body? I’m afraid that if you enter the illusion, you won’t help—you’ll resonate with the other five entities and merge into a super-demon. Going in there would be suicide!”

“It doesn’t matter if you die, but don’t drag my Lele down with you.”

Su Yunmiao argued urgently, “The rules inside an illusion are twisted and unpredictable. Your spirit treasures and talismans might be useless! Relying on external items is a fatal taboo!”

Zhang Xian smiled confidently. “No problem. I have Revive Coins.”

“Revive… Coins?” Su Yunmiao blinked, clearly baffled by the term.

Zhang Xian chuckled and didn’t explain. Instead, with a thought, space warped behind him.

A battle puppet materialized silently. Its cold, mechanical eyes locked onto Su Yunmiao with indifferent lethality.

“Grandmaster,” Zhang Xian said, his tone relaxed but carrying an undeniable weight. “Times have changed. Now, I call the shots.”

Boom.

A terrifying Pressure radiated from the puppet, suffocating the room. Su Yunmiao’s expression shattered.

“A Soul Formation stage puppet?! How is that possible?!”

Realization struck her like a lightning bolt. No wonder Zhang Xian dared to face Song Yuanyi’s trap alone. He had been holding a nuclear deterrent in his hand the entire time.

Zhang Xian didn’t reply. He casually tossed a Storage Bag at her.

“Grandmaster, I have more trump cards than I can count, so stop worrying about me. Keep this bag. Use the stones inside to power the puppet—it will unleash full Soul Formation output.”

Su Yunmiao caught the bag instinctively. She swept it with her Divine Sense and gasped, sucking in a breath of cold air.

Inside were mountains of crystals. Blindingly white, pulsating with pure energy.

Supreme Spirit Stones.

The quantity was astronomical. Even in the mysterious Su Clan of her youth, Supreme Spirit Stones were strategic resources, rationed carefully. She had never seen a pile this big in her entire life.

Her beautiful eyes widened, staring at Zhang Xian in disbelief. “You… you actually possess this many Supreme Spirit Stones?”

[Ding! Gifted Supreme Spirit Stones.]

[Ding! Su Yunmiao Favorability: +54.]

Zhang Xian basked in her shock for a moment before speaking calmly. “So, I’m entrusting the [Four Symbols True Defense Array] to you, Grandmaster. As for the trash inside Lele’s illusion… leave them to me to flatten.”

Su Yunmiao looked at Zhang Xian, then at the silent Soul Formation puppet, and finally squeezed the heavy bag in her hand.

All her worries and objections dissolved into a soft sigh.

“Alright! Since that is the case, I will trust you! Leave the outside world to me!”

Half a day later, preparations were complete.

Zhang Xian gathered Li Fuxi, Lin Yinyin, and the others to announce his decision.

Hearing that he was personally entering the dangerous illusion, Lin Yinyin’s eyes immediately turned red. But they all understood—this was the only hope to save Lele. Despite their reluctance and fear, they forced themselves to stay strong.

Li Fuxi, usually the picture of a strict master, let her guard down. Her small face was etched with deep concern.

“Illusions are treacherous. They attack the heart and breed Inner Demons. It will manifest the people and things you care about most to break you. You must guard your spiritual clarity. Please, be careful.”

Su Yunmiao added a critical warning. “You are actively entering Lele’s mind. The scenes you see will be constructed from her memories and perception. If nothing goes wrong, you should appear directly by her side.”

Zhang Xian nodded, committing their advice to memory.

Seeing the gloomy atmosphere, he laughed heartily, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry! Your husband has plenty of life-saving tricks.”

“Did you forget the [Nine Nether Tribulation Puppet] I gave you? If worse comes to worst, I’ll just kill myself once and respawn at full health!”

“Besides, I’m the reincarnation of a mighty Immortal. Maybe I’ll speedrun this dungeon and be out in five minutes.”

Lin Yinyin pouted, her voice choked with tears. “Brother, stop talking! You sound like a supporting character setting up a death flag! It’s bad luck!”

Li Fuxi shot him a reproachful look, her worry deepening.

Zhang Xian smiled bitterly inside. He knew the dangers. In a battle of Divine Sense, external tools like the [Nine Nether Tribulation Puppet] might not even work. But in front of them, he had to project absolute invincibility.

“Alright. I’m going in.”

He wasted no more time. Every minute of delay increased the danger to Lele.

He stepped into the center of the array and sat cross-legged opposite Zhang Lele. He gently took her small, cool hand in his.

Following Su Yunmiao’s method, he cleared his mind and whispered the soul-guiding incantation.

“Spiritual platform, square inch, inquire of the true heart; soul, return, traverse the darkness.”

“With my Divine Sense as the boat, with bloodline as the guide, ferry across this illusory sea. Behold the true spirit.”

“Thoughts connect. Hearts resonate. Shatter falsehoods. Preserve truth.”

As he chanted, the world before him rippled like water. Everything blurred, twisted, and dissolved.

His Divine Sense detached from his body. He entered a strange state of weightlessness, falling… falling…

Time lost its meaning.

Then, the sensation stopped.

The chaos cleared.

He found himself standing under a night sky. A bright moon hung overhead, its cold light illuminating the familiar silhouette of distant mountains. At the foot of the hills, faint lamplights flickered like stars from a distant memory.

Zhang Xian looked around, startled.

This is… the small mountain village?

A wave of dizziness hit him, then passed. He immediately checked his condition.

Good. His Nascent Soul cultivation had been brought in intact. His spiritual power flowed without obstruction.

He felt a wave of relief, then instinctively reached into his System Space.

He froze.

It was empty.

The dazzling array of spirit treasures, Pills, Talismans, and his army of puppets—gone. It was a void, as if they had never existed.

He checked the artifacts on his person. Nothing. No reaction.

“Damn it!” Zhang Xian cursed under his breath. “Really? Not a single item brought in? So much for bulldozing the dungeon with a puppet army.”

He took a breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Okay. No items. But my skills remain.

He checked his Divine Sense. The comprehension of his Heaven-grade techniques was crystal clear.

He cycled the [Green Emperor Longevity Art]. A stream of pure life force flowed through his Meridians. He flicked a finger, and a wisp of profound Shadow Flame danced into existence.

Good. My cultivation and knowledge haven’t been stripped.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence.

Thump, thump, thump.

He looked up. Under the moonlight, a petite figure was sprinting toward him.

It was a girl of about fourteen or fifteen. She wore practical hunter’s garb and was barefoot, her skin a healthy, sun-kissed wheat color. An ancient hunting bow was slung across her back.

She ran with agility and speed, her large eyes shining bright and spirited in the night.