Pay-to-Win Immortal: My Gacha AI Waifu

Zhang Hanxiao, the top performer in mission attendance at the Qingyun Sect, was naturally no weakling.

Despite his fondness for gambling and brothels, his talent was undeniable. At less than thirty years old, he had already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Among the disciples of Chixiao Peak, he was only slightly older than Mu Baishuang and Li Qingran. While his cultivation level wasn't as high as Lu Changtian and others, he had always been stronger than Li Qingran. Back when they were both at Chixiao Peak, Li Qingran was often called upon by Zhang Hanxiao to act as a sparring partner, but she had never been able to defeat him.

Both of them practiced the exclusive sword technique of Chixiao Peak—the Minor Formless Sword.

Zhang Hanxiao had mastered the technique, while Li Qingran, who had joined Chixiao Peak relatively recently, had only reached a basic level of proficiency. Daoist Qingxuan, her master, was often in seclusion and wasn't particularly attentive, and Li Qingran didn't seem to have much talent for swordplay either. As a result, her progress had been slow, and it had taken her three years to barely reach a basic level of mastery.

Facing Zhang Hanxiao, who had mastered both the sword technique and internal cultivation methods and was stronger in every aspect, Li Qingran couldn't help but feel some pressure.

Yet, her hand remained steady on the hilt of her sword.

The Su Xian sword.

"Li Qingran, I heard from Senior Brother that you managed to reach the peak of Qi Refining despite your damaged dantian? Impressive perseverance. If only you had been this diligent when you were still at Chixiao Peak. Back then, you were always fooling around. It's too late to start working hard now."

Zhang Hanxiao instinctively reached for his flying sword but found nothing.

He then remembered that his usual sword had been given to Mu Baishuang.

Now, he only had a low-grade magical weapon—a shoddy flying sword that he wouldn't even use to cut vegetables.

He pursed his lips and still drew the sword. For dealing with Li Qingran, this shoddy weapon would suffice.

"Li Qingran, I'm at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. If I fight you at this level, even if I win, it would be an unfair victory. So, I'll suppress my cultivation to the peak of Qi Refining, just like you." Zhang Hanxiao pointed his sword at Li Qingran, arrogantly lifting his chin.

Not far away, Daoist Qingxuan couldn't help but twitch his mouth, his expression darkening.

What an idiot Zhang Hanxiao was!

Li Qingran's dantian was damaged, and she had no spiritual root. Even if he suppressed his cultivation to the peak of Qi Refining, it would still be an unfair fight. At the very least, he should suppress it to the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining to make it seem fair on the surface.

How had he ended up taking such a disgraceful fool into Chixiao Peak?

Wu Duantian, who understood Daoist Qingxuan well, knew that this elder cared deeply about face. Seeing Daoist Qingxuan's face darken like the bottom of a pot, he guessed that Zhang Hanxiao would likely be sent to the Reflection Cliff for half a year after today's events.

Facing Zhang Hanxiao's taunts, Li Qingran didn't respond.

Her sword was already out of its sheath, its light like lightning, her figure like a startled swan. She dashed toward Zhang Hanxiao at an incredible speed.

"Junior Sister, your first move, 'Startled Branch,' isn't quite there yet!" Zhang Hanxiao laughed loudly, leaping into the air and slashing down with his sword. Three sword shadows appeared in the air, converging toward Li Qingran. He had immediately used the ruthless killing move of the Minor Formless Sword—Lone Swan's Shadow.

Li Qingran looked at the three shifting sword shadows. She had lost to this move countless times in the past, but today, it didn't seem as daunting. Even though Zhang Hanxiao had suppressed his cultivation, his mastery of the sword technique was still sharp. Yet, in her eyes, it seemed slower than before.

Why…

Was it because of her perfect dantian?

The doubt quickly turned into certainty.

A perfect dantian was incredibly rare. Even in ancient times, it was something everyone coveted. How could it not have some special qualities?

As her thoughts raced, Li Qingran caught sight of Zhang Hanxiao's real figure. The two swords clashed with a metallic clang.

The smug expression on Zhang Hanxiao's face froze. He knew Li Qingran's weaknesses well, so he had started with his most reliable killing move.

Unfortunately, his move had missed.

On the ground lay a broken sword.

He looked down and saw that his sword was now only half its original length.

A low-grade magical weapon had been shattered in a single strike?

Zhang Hanxiao looked at Li Qingran in disbelief, standing a few steps away with her sword in hand. The sword emitted a faint chill, its blade as dark as the night, its hilt as white as the moon, with a crimson tassel swaying in the wind. This sword was definitely not Li Qingran's!

"That sword is of a high grade," Sect Leader Wu Duantian narrowed his eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, it's at least a top-grade magical weapon. The chill emanating from the blade is like a waterfall, and even among top-grade magical weapons, it's one of the best. With a bit more nurturing, it could easily develop a hint of spiritual intelligence, becoming a spiritual weapon."

Daoist Qingxuan's face was dark, his fingers rubbing the hilt of his sword, his teeth grinding audibly. He was itching to rush forward and end Zhang Hanxiao with a single strike.

Earlier, he had thought Zhang Hanxiao's victory would be unfair and embarrassing. Now, seeing the broken sword in Zhang Hanxiao's hand, he felt even more ashamed. What if Zhang Hanxiao lost to Li Qingran? Wouldn't that be even more humiliating? Weapons were also part of a cultivator's strength.

But this sword was indeed over the top.

For Nascent Soul cultivators like them, a quasi-spiritual weapon like this wasn't anything special.

But for Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, or even Golden Core cultivators, such a top-grade magical weapon was a treasure.

To give such a top-grade magical weapon to a mere Qi Refining cultivator?

What was the relationship between that mysterious expert and Li Qingran? Why was he helping her so much? Or was it that, for this person, a top-grade magical weapon was nothing special, something they could casually give away without worrying about wasting resources?

Daoist Qingxuan's mind was in turmoil, but the battle in the square had already taken a sharp turn.

Without his weapon, Zhang Hanxiao didn't dare to confront Li Qingran head-on.

The longer the sword, the greater the advantage. The flying sword's superiority also compensated for Li Qingran's shortcomings in sword technique. Zhang Hanxiao tried to exhaust Li Qingran's spiritual energy, but the longer the fight dragged on, the more his own spiritual energy was depleted, putting him at a disadvantage.

"How is this possible? In the past, her spiritual energy would have been exhausted by now!"

Looking at Li Qingran, who showed no signs of fatigue, Zhang Hanxiao's Dao heart wavered, causing him to lose focus for a moment.

Losing focus in battle was a grave mistake.

Li Qingran didn't miss this opportunity. Her sword technique changed, and her previously conservative attacks became fierce.

Her sleeves fluttered like butterfly wings.

The ninth move of the Minor Formless Sword—Dappled Shadows.

With a flick of her wrist, the sword seemed to transform into the dense patches of sunlight filtering through leaves, or perhaps it had shattered into countless fragments, each one aimed at a vital point.

Li Qingran fully realized how different she had become.

Dappled Shadows was the most difficult move in the Minor Formless Sword technique. In the past, she could never execute it smoothly, but today, it felt exceptionally natural.

The perfect dantian didn't just enhance the purity and reserve of her spiritual energy.

It also improved her comprehension!

Thinking of this, Li Qingran's eyes grew warm.

The value of that pill was unimaginable.

Yet, Senior had given it to her without hesitation, just to help her restore her dantian…

Perhaps that divine pill was something Senior could have used himself, but he still chose to give it to her.

"Senior, Qingran will not let you down!"

"Li Qingran, don't push your luck!" Zhang Hanxiao dodged in a panic, his anger reaching its peak.

He stopped suppressing his cultivation, forming hand seals with both hands, and his cultivation level returned to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

But Li Qingran's sword had already arrived!

The sword light was like a shadow, scattering golden fragments everywhere.

With a scream,

Zhang Hanxiao's body was sent flying, rolling in the dust. His chest and limbs were covered in dense sword wounds, blood gushing out.

Three steps away,

Li Qingran sheathed her sword and stood tall.