I Was Forced to Marry a “Trash” Cultivator, But She Turned Out to Be a Reborn Empress!

Deeper into the labyrinth, the group faced one crisis after another.

Fortunately, thanks to Shen Tianhao’s immense power, he neutralized most of the threats, and the group suffered no casualties.

Ye Qingxian led the way, and at last, they reached the labyrinth’s end.

Before them, a bronze altar floated in midair.

Nine coiled dragon pillars surrounded the altar, each bound by a massive bronze chain whose other end vanished into an endless darkness.

Ye Qingxian’s heart stirred.

Sensing the opportunity she had long awaited, she stepped into the void and vanished without a trace.

“Madam’s path is one that defies fate itself!” Shen Tianhao sighed in admiration.

Suddenly, the guard standing behind him struck without warning, plunging a dagger deep into his back.

The sudden betrayal caught Shen Tianhao completely off guard.

He froze, his gaze falling upon the black blade protruding from his chest. An eerie blue light pulsed along its edge—the unmistakable glint of the Soul-Sealing Poison, a signature toxin of the Shadow Tower.

“You…” Blood bubbled from Shen Tianhao’s lips, but his right hand shot out, clamping down on the attacker’s wrist like a vice.

This man was one of his own, someone he trusted completely. How could he possibly be an assassin?!

At that moment, the guard’s face began to distort, his features melting like hot wax to reveal an unfamiliar man beneath, his skin covered in intricate tattoos.

The real guard had been replaced by this assassin long ago.

“With you out of the way, nothing can stop me now,” the assassin sneered, a crimson talisman suddenly appearing in his left hand.

He had been biding his time, waiting for this perfect moment.

The most powerful one among them was gone, and this final obstacle was about to be removed. Soon, he could complete his mission without any interference.

In the next instant, he slapped the talisman, and it erupted in a dazzling crimson light. A terrifying force slammed into Shen Tianhao, sending him flying backward to crash heavily against the ground, his life hanging by a thread.

Shen Xian’s heart lurched. An assassin! He hadn’t seen this coming.

“And now, it’s your turn,” the assassin said, his lips curling into a predatory smile as his gaze fell upon Shen Xian, a mere second-level Qi Refining cultivator.

“Third Young Master, run!”

But just then, Shen Tianhao roared, staggering to his feet with astonishing resilience. He launched himself at the assassin like a cannonball.

The assassin laughed in mockery.

How could a man afflicted with Soul-Sealing Poison possibly be a threat?

Yet, Shen Tianhao, still airborne, wore a look of grim determination. His blood-soaked fingers flew, tapping the jade pendant at his waist seven times in rapid succession…

This was the Shen Family’s ultimate life-saving seal, a treasure reserved only for the captain of the guard!

A burst of azure light erupted from the pendant, forcefully flinging Shen Xian more than thirty feet away.

The assassin’s pupils contracted. Realizing Shen Tianhao’s intent, he hastily summoned his spiritual energy for a killing blow.

A flash of spiritual light riddled Shen Tianhao’s body with countless bloody gashes, but he paid them no mind.

This desperate, final burst from a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator pushed him beyond his limits.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Tianhao tackled the assassin, pinning him down. The spiritual energy within him began to surge violently.

His skin began to fissure, blinding white light erupting from every crack.

“Are you insane?! You’re going to detonate your dantian?!” the assassin finally shrieked, his voice laced with panic.

He struggled to break free, but Shen Tianhao’s hands were like iron vices, locked onto his vital points.

Boom!

An earth-shattering explosion reverberated through the labyrinth. The violent spiritual turbulence tore the bronze ground into a web of cracks.

Thrown to a safe distance, Shen Xian was unharmed.

When the dust settled, the ground was a scene of utter chaos. All that remained was a charred, three-zhang-wide pit.

Shen Xian’s expression flickered. He was astonished by the unwavering loyalty of the guard captain his mother had sent.

A rare stir of emotion rippled through him.

Recalling how the shadow of his second brother loomed over every assassination attempt, his heart turned to ice.

This was far from over.

Shen Xian took a deep breath and approached the crater, his gaze fixed upon its edge.

When a cultivator self-destructed, their body was usually obliterated, but there were always a few “remnants” left behind. He intended to bring them back to the family.

Bang!

Just then, the scorched earth exploded open!

“Didn’t see that coming, did you?” The assassin clawed his way out of the ground. He was drenched in blood, his left hand was gone, and a gaping, bowl-sized hole festered in his right chest.

Yet his eyes were as cold and venomous as a viper’s, his lips twisted into a grotesque grin.

In his eyes, Shen Xian, a mere second-level Qi Refining cultivator, was as good as dead.

Even gravely wounded, he could still easily overpower him.

Shen Xian simply stared back, his expression calm, betraying not a hint of panic.

The assassin mistook his calm for fear-induced shock. He laughed. “So this is the legitimate heir of the Shen Family! Killing you will be more than enough to compensate for my lost century of cultivation. What a bargain!”

He had observed his target the entire journey, mapping out every strength and weakness. He knew for a fact that the boy had no more tricks up his sleeve.

And even if he did, what could a second-level Qi Refining cultivator possibly do?

This was the source of his confidence.

Yet, Shen Xian remained silent.

The assassin frowned. Something felt wrong. But it was too late to hesitate. He lunged forward, his remaining right palm glowing with a sinister blue poison as he aimed for Shen Xian’s throat.

The seemingly simple strike concealed seven layers of hidden force—enough to trap even a novice Foundation Establishment cultivator.

If he weren’t so grievously injured, he wouldn’t need to resort to such a complex move.

“Die!” the assassin snarled, already envisioning the sight of the boy’s throat bones shattering.

Shen Xian stood motionless. Not even a corner of his robe fluttered.

Just as the poisoned palm drew within three inches of his throat, his eyes suddenly glinted with a golden hue.

Clang!

A clear, resonant ring of a sword echoed through the chamber.

A streak of icy light shot from Shen Xian’s sleeve. The moment the Traceless Sword appeared, the very air seemed to freeze.

And coursing through its blade was the potent spiritual energy of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!

“You…!”

The assassin’s pupils shrank to pinpricks, but it was too late to pull back.

The Traceless Sword sliced through his palm as if it were tofu. The sword’s energy surged up his arm, invading his meridians and shredding the last remnants of his spiritual power.

With a flick of the sword’s tip, a surge of azure energy erupted. To his horror, the assassin realized his own prized poison was being forced back into his body by the sword’s power!

The deadly poison instantly ravaged his organs. His flesh began to rot, the decay visible to the naked eye.

“No… impossible…” the assassin staggered backward, black blood oozing from all seven of his orifices. “You’re clearly…”

“Only at the second level of Qi Refining?” Shen Xian stepped forward, lifting the assassin’s chin with the tip of his blade. “That was a long time ago.”

As his last word fell, the Traceless Sword erupted in a blinding golden light.

The sword energy shot upward like a dragon, piercing through the assassin’s jaw and exploding from the top of his skull.

His head exploded like a watermelon. Before the remains could even touch the ground, they were shredded by the lingering sword energy into a fine crimson mist.

Shen Xian sheathed his sword, not even sparing the mist of blood a glance.

He bent down and picked up the shattered jade pendant from the scorched earth. His fingertips gently traced the two characters inscribed upon it: “Tianhao.” Then, he stood quietly to the side, waiting.

An unknown amount of time passed before the ground began to tremble.

Boom!

Immediately afterward, a powerful aura erupted, soaring into the heavens and alerting every cultivator in the vicinity.

All eyes turned toward the cave.

The sky above it was filled with a radiant glow, where the ethereal shadows of spiritual beasts swirled and shifted, emitting a terrifying pressure.

Everyone held their breath, wondering what great change was taking place within the cave.