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

Chapter 295: Hidden Killing Intent, Profound Mystery Supreme Treasure

Shen Xian’s tyrannical display of wealth left the entire hall reeling.

Yet, the auction had to continue. The three treasures following the Divine Silence Quicksand were each more significant than the last. By this point, the cultivators on the fourth floor had been completely priced out; the stage now belonged exclusively to the top-tier powers, a battlefield of pure financial might.

Bai Liuqing, having already suffered a humiliating loss of face, became increasingly unhinged. His subsequent bids were frantic, far exceeding the offers of other factions, as if he were desperately trying to buy back the dignity Shen Xian had shredded.

This reckless spending drove prices to stratospheric heights, shattering the auction house’s historical records. The final ancient treasure, in particular, soared past 500 spirit crystals—a figure that bordered on insanity.

In the end, the artifact fell into the hands of the Cold Moon Palace. As an ancient Sacred Land, their accumulated wealth was indeed a chasm that few could cross.

Shen Xian watched the item vanish for such a terrifying price and sighed inwardly.

*Major forces are truly different,* he mused. *The foundation built over tens of thousands of years isn’t something an ordinary person can rival overnight.*

Although his Duobao Sect appeared to have stepped into the ranks of first-rate powers, its actual foundation was likely thinner than even some second-rate sects.

*I must continue to expand,* Shen Xian calculated coldly. *There is no other option.*

His greatest potential threat remained the Ice Soul Immortal Sect of the Sky Dome Sacred Land. They were a titan that had stood for eons; touching them now would be suicide. He needed more leverage, more allies.

***

The auction concluded, and the crowd began to disperse.

Bai Liuqing returned to the Cold Moon Palace’s estate in Snowstorm City, his expression dark enough to freeze water. The moment he stepped into the main hall, a guard clad in black armor approached rapidly and dropped to one knee.

“Holy Son, the investigation is complete. The man is a VIP guest of the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce. He goes by the surname Wang, possesses a Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, and is an artifact refiner of unknown rank.”

“A mere Nascent Soul cultivator? You expect me to believe he is a fifth-tier Grandmaster?” Bai Liuqing’s voice was frigid, his eyes flashing with dangerous light.

True Grandmasters of refinement were currently gathering in the Holy City for the Hundred Arts Sect’s grand gala. Why would one be wasting time here? He immediately concluded that this “Wang” was a mediocrity—likely a fourth-tier dabbler at best.

Those 250 spirit crystals were probably his entire life’s savings.

The guard continued, “This subordinate also discovered that he came specifically for the Divine Silence Quicksand. Before the auction, he visited the trading hall and purchased some common, low-grade materials.”

“Heh…” A sneer curled Bai Liuqing’s lip. “So, he’s a scavenger. This Holy Son is curious to see what sort of trash he intends to refine with such junk.”

He spun around, his sleeves whipping up a biting gale of frost. “Go. Map out the layout of the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce branch. This Holy Son will teach them the consequences of offending the Cold Moon Palace.”

If this were the Holy City, he might have hesitated. But a branch office in a remote city, guarded only by a Deity Transformation Realm cultivator? He didn’t even need to look them in the eye.

At this moment, his killing intent was absolute.

“Holy Son…” The accompanying Elder hesitated, looking troubled. “The Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce may not be a peak power, but their roots in the Holy City run deep…”

“Silence!”

Murderous rage exploded in Bai Liuqing’s eyes. “My Cold Moon Palace has stood for over a hundred thousand years! When have we ever swallowed such humiliation?”

*Crack.*

The ice crystal in his palm shattered into dust.

“A merchant’s lapdog dares to strike my face in public?”

The Elder sighed inwardly but dared not speak further. He knew this Holy Son too well—spoiled rotten by the Palace Master, arrogant, entitled, and vindictive to the extreme.

Bai Liuqing walked to the window, staring out at the glittering nightscape of Snowstorm City. His fingers unconsciously traced the Cold Moon Token at his waist.

“Surname Wang… This Holy Son will teach you that there are existences in this world that ants like you cannot afford to provoke.” A cruel smile twisted his features. “Once I have you… I will make you beg for death.”

He turned sharply, his voice dropping to a glacial whisper. “Dispatch two Shadow Guards. I want eyes on him at all times. I want to know every breath he takes.”

*Dare to make me lose face…*

Bai Liuqing watched as nine needles of ice condensed from the moisture in his palm. “If I do not flay his soul and refine his spirit, my hatred will never be quelled!”

***

Meanwhile, Shen Xian had returned to his residence.

Having secured the Divine Silence Quicksand, he wasted no time. He immediately deployed a high-grade isolation barrier to shield the room from prying eyes and requested Venerable Zi Yun to stand guard outside, ensuring absolute interruption-free silence.

Only then did he solemnly retrieve the Turtle-Snake Lamp and the three gathered materials.

“Now, the restoration begins.”

Staring at the damaged Profound Mystery Supreme Treasure—a relic from the ancient era—Shen Xian felt a surge of anticipation.

He assumed the lotus position, levitating the Turtle-Snake Lamp three feet before him.

The lamp’s ancient bronze body emitted a faint, ghostly luminescence in the dim room. The single wisp of green flame at the wick flickered weakly, teetering on the edge of extinction.

*First, the guidance of Ren Water.*

Shen Xian’s internal spiritual roots surged. Vast spiritual power poured from his dantian, drawing out a stream of brilliant azure water-light. He guided it to merge with the Netherworld Death Water he had obtained, the two fluids fusing into a blinding radiance.

The water-light traced a complex, arcane trajectory through the air, aligning perfectly with the eroded patterns on the turtle relief at the lamp’s base.

The moment the liquid touched the bronze, the lamp emitted a deep, resonant hum. The eyes of the turtle relief suddenly ignited with two points of spectral blue light.

Shen Xian’s focus sharpened. He immediately summoned the Heaven Fire Glazed Glass.

The crimson crystal floated upward, drawn by the lamp’s flame. Under the catalysis of the Li Fire True Seal, fine fissures appeared on the crystal’s surface. Strands of golden-red essence were extracted by the lamp’s fire, unspooling like silk.

These threads wound themselves around the snake-shaped handle. The dull, lifeless scales began to glow one by one, as if fresh blood were being pumped into the metal serpent.

*Now, the critical juncture.*

Shen Xian held his breath, lifting the Divine Silence Quicksand in his palm.

The silver-gray grains moved of their own accord, defying gravity to form a miniature vortex driven by his spiritual pressure.

When the first grain of sand touched the lamp’s flame, the reaction was instantaneous.

*BOOM!*

The flame roared, surging three feet into the air. Within the green fire, a phantom image of a turtle and snake intertwined manifested, roaring silently.

Shen Xian’s hands flew through a series of seals, executing the “Heaven-Mending Art”—a pinnacle fifth-tier refining technique. He guided the quicksand to fuse evenly into the lamp’s structure.

Controlled by an invisible hand, the grains sought out the microscopic fractures in the artifact, filling the voids that the naked eye could not see.

*Kan and Li in alignment; Yin and Yang generating creation…*

As Shen Xian chanted the true words of the Dao, the three materials began a miraculous transformation.

The Netherworld Death Water solidified into azure crystal orbs within the turtle’s eyes. The Heaven Fire Glazed Glass became a network of crimson veins pulsing through the snake’s body. The Divine Silence Quicksand formed mysterious silver-gray runes, binding the turtle and snake components into a seamless whole.

The lamp shuddered violently. Shen Xian’s eyes narrowed as he rapidly struck out with nine stabilization seals.

As the final seal sank into the base, the lamp erupted with a visible shockwave of spiritual power.

The ripple swept outward, instantly devouring every wisp of Spiritual Qi in the room, creating a terrifying, momentary vacuum domain.

When the light finally faded, the Turtle-Snake Lamp hovered in the air, completely reborn.

The profound turtle at the base stared out with eyes as deep as the abyss. The spirit snake forming the handle shimmered with crimson-gold scales. The flame itself had transformed into a strange, mesmerizing fire of interwoven silver and green. Within the core of the flame, the phantom of the turtle and snake, necks entwined, was now clearly visible.

“This is the true form of a Profound Mystery Supreme Treasure…”

Shen Xian reached out, his fingertips grazing the cold bronze. He could feel the oceanic depth of power residing within.

Compared to its previous broken state, the repaired lamp was a world apart. Its spiritual flow was a perfect loop, and it hummed in subtle resonance with the Ren Water Spiritual Root within his own body.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice, regal and imperious, echoed from the flame.

“Who has awakened This One?”