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

The senior members of the Shen family stood silently outside the Ancestral Grounds, their gazes fixed intently on the entrance to the forbidden zone as they awaited the final outcome of the third trial.

The Fifth Elder stroked his beard and smiled with conviction. “The latter half of this third trial is ultimately the Second Young Master’s domain. The Heaven-Reaching Staircase tests one’s true foundation and comprehension—without genuine ability, elimination is inevitable.”

The other elders nodded in agreement, clearly placing great confidence in Shen Li.

After all, the Second Young Master possessed exceptional talent and a ruthless disposition, standing out as the foremost among the younger generation of the family.

Only the matriarch, Nangong Wan, wore a solemn expression. Her gaze swept over the Shen family disciples who had already been eliminated, yet she still couldn’t find Shen Xian anywhere.

“Xian’er… could it be that he is still persevering?” Her fingertips trembled slightly, her heart filled with a mixture of relief and worry.

If he was still battling through the trials, it meant he was far more extraordinary than anyone had anticipated. But if he had already failed and hadn’t returned yet…

She dared not follow that train of thought. Instead, she silently prayed, May Xian’er be safe and unharmed…

Just as everyone’s thoughts drifted in different directions, the usually silent head of the family, Shen Xiong, suddenly frowned deeply. With a flick of his sleeve, a shimmering spiritual barrier materialized before him.

“Head of the Family! Evil cultists have erupted into chaos across various regions! Several cities have already been attacked and are requesting urgent reinforcements!” Within the barrier, a steward spoke frantically, his expression fraught with panic.

“What?!”

All the senior members turned pale with shock.

During this grand ancestral ceremony, nearly all of the Shen family’s elite forces had gathered here. Who would have imagined that someone would dare stir up trouble at such a critical moment?

A cold glint flashed in Shen Xiong’s eyes, and he laughed bitterly in fury. “How audacious!”

He made an immediate decision, issuing a stern command. “Fifth Elder, Xing’er, stay behind. The rest of you, lead your troops back immediately to suppress this chaos!”

The Fifth Elder was a True Lord of the Nascent Soul Realm, fully capable of protecting the remaining Shen family disciples—especially with Shen Xing by his side, who possessed an Innate Dao Body and numerous treasured artifacts.

Everyone accepted the order and quickly led the eliminated disciples away.

Outside the Ancestral Grounds, the atmosphere instantly became desolate, leaving only a handful of people behind.

The Fifth Elder narrowed his eyes, gazing deep into the forbidden zone, and murmured softly, “Second Young Master, don’t let this old man down…”

Meanwhile, Shen Xing stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze profound, as if pondering something.

Could this chaos caused by the evil cultists truly be a mere coincidence?

Inside the Ancestral Grounds, atop the Heaven-Reaching Staircase.

Shen Xian stood on the platform before the steps covered in dark green, poisonous moss. Sensing something behind him, he slowly turned around.

Amidst the raging flames below, Shen Quan arrived with six Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Their bodies radiated spiritual light, though they looked somewhat disheveled.

“Third Young Master, why haven’t you continued climbing?” Shen Quan landed on the platform, holding a precious sword covered in talismans. A mocking smile played on his lips.

“This is simply the limit for a complete failure,” sneered a bearded cultivator.

Having just consumed restorative pills, they weren’t in a hurry to advance. They took their time, slowly recovering their strength.

Shen Xian remained silent.

He was contemplating whether he could use these people’s corpses to pave his way higher.

Boom!

Suddenly, a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator raised his hand and unleashed a palm wave, attempting a sneak attack.

“Get out of my way!” he shouted with a contemptuous grin.

The wave of spiritual energy howled toward him, but Shen Xian subtly shifted his body. The palm force merely grazed his sleeve before striking heavily against the steps.

The poisonous moss shattered under the force, revealing the original azure-gray stone beneath and dispersing some of the toxic mist in the area.

At the very moment the attack landed, the cultivator charged forward. A cyan-colored precious sword appeared in his hand, his entire body bursting with spiritual power, unstoppable as a breaking torrent.

He wanted to seize the first place!

A gleam flashed in Shen Xian’s eyes. Spiritual energy surged like waves from his dantian, his body blurring in an instant as he appeared right before the attacker’s face.

The cultivator’s pupils contracted sharply, completely unprepared for such terrifying speed.

The next second.

Shen Xian abruptly raised his right hand and grabbed the man’s wrist. His terrifying strength crushed the opponent’s bones instantly, dissipating the attack before it could land.

“Agh!”

The cultivator cried out in agony. Unable to resist, he was flung forward by Shen Xian’s momentum, crashing heavily onto the steps amidst the toxic mist. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Shen Xian then summoned the Traceless Sword.

Swish!

The sword left no trace, easily piercing the opponent’s chest and delivering a fatal blow.

In an instant, the moss on the steps began to crawl over the corpse, rising with chilling green mist as it sought to consume the flesh completely.

Shen Xian’s eyes sparkled as he turned to look at the remaining six.

“Perfected Foundation Establishment!” Shen Quan’s pupils constricted to pinpricks, the mockery on his face instantly freezing.

He stared fixedly at the corpse being devoured by the poisonous moss, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily.

The spiritual energy fluctuations produced by that brief exchange clearly belonged to someone at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The bearded cultivator’s medicine bottle clattered onto the steps, brown pills scattering everywhere. “No… impossible! Isn’t he just at the second level of Qi Refining?”

Shen Xian slowly withdrew the Traceless Sword. The bloodstains on the blade were spontaneously absorbed by the metal itself.

The moment he raised his gaze, the six remaining cultivators simultaneously felt a chill run down their spines.

That gaze was like a predator looking at a flock of lambs awaiting slaughter.

“Run!” Shen Quan suddenly roared, turning and leaping down the steps.

He knew all too well what facing a Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator meant. With their current strength, resistance was futile.

They could only rely on the Second Young Master now!

The other five snapped out of their stupor and scattered like frightened birds.

Some activated flying talismans, others jumped directly off the steps, and the most resourceful even bit their tongues to activate blood escape techniques.

“Now you want to leave?” Shen Xian chuckled lightly. The Traceless Sword in his hand suddenly glowed with dazzling spiritual light, the majestic aura of Perfected Foundation Establishment surging forth.

Clang!

The sword rang out clearly, shooting forward with the force of thunder.

The first strike was aimed at the bearded cultivator.

This burly man, who had been shouting the loudest just moments ago, had barely leaped half a zhang when a streak of sword light pierced his dantian, shattering his cultivation foundation and sending him crashing onto the platform.

“Third Young Master, spare me!” A tall, thin cultivator suddenly dropped to his knees, banging his head frantically against the stone. “It was all Shen Quan’s doing! I’m willing to be your dog…”

His plea ended abruptly.

As the Traceless Sword pierced his throat, the droplets of blood carried by the sword tip traced a perfect arc in the air.

Shen Xian’s expression remained calm. “I don’t need dogs that bite their masters.”

“A madman! He’s a madman!”

The cultivator activating the blood escape technique screamed, only to be pierced through the brow by a single sword stroke. He collapsed instantly in a pool of blood.

Farthest away, Shen Quan had already escaped to the edge of the platform, almost reaching the safety of the previous area.

A look of relief at narrowly escaping death had just appeared on his face when he suddenly felt a chill in his chest.

Looking down, he saw a blood-stained sword tip protruding from his heart.

“How… could it be…”

Shen Quan struggled to turn his head, seeing Shen Xian’s figure slowly fading ten zhang away.

It was an afterimage! The real sword had already pierced his heart.

In the blink of an eye, six corpses lay on the platform.

Shen Xian glanced at the very first corpse, which hadn’t yet been completely consumed by the poisonous moss on the steps.

He released his spiritual energy to gather the corpses of Shen Quan and the others, then leaped onto the first body.

Although he still had to endure the surrounding toxic mist, the corrosion beneath his feet was greatly alleviated.

“Now, the path is much easier.”

Shen Xian breathed a sigh of relief. Stepping on these corpses to create a path, he cleared the most dangerous section of the toxic mist area with just a few leaps.

The surrounding fumes tried to engulf him but were repelled by the golden radiance emanating from the Li Fire True Seal.

When his feet finally touched the last step, the poisonous moss behind him surged violently, completely swallowing the corpses.

Those cultivators who had once mocked him hadn’t even left behind a single bone.

Looking up, the final thunderous steps were within reach.

Purple lightning danced upon the stone, each bolt brimming with destructive power.

Yet Shen Xian’s eyes showed no fear; instead, they burned with fierce fighting spirit.

“Shen Li, this blessing belongs to me.”

He gripped the Traceless Sword tightly and stepped into the thunderous light.