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

Chapter 300: Establishing the Mountain Gate, Myriad Spirits Treasure Hall

Black Profound City lay only a single day’s journey from the Holy City.

After transmitting a message to his disciples, Shen Xian made his way to the city.

The moment he stepped through the gates, Yan Hao, the commander of the Black Dragon Guards, was already waiting. He had been holding his post there for quite some time, his posture rigid with anticipation.

“Deputy City Lord!” Yan Hao saluted, his fists cupped with military precision.

There was no trace of the arrogance one might expect from a Soul Formation Venerable facing a junior. His face was etched with genuine reverence. Ever since Shen Xian had publicly refined a high-grade True Spirit Treasure, he had completely conquered this commander’s respect. It was not fear, but the heartfelt admiration one warrior holds for a supreme grandmaster.

“Take me to see the City Lord,” Shen Xian said calmly.

“At once!” Yan Hao barked, turning to lead the way.

***

The Black Profound Celestial Venerable’s mansion dominated the city center. It was a fortress of dark majesty, cast entirely from Profound Nether Iron, with statues of black dragons coiled menacingly along the eaves, staring down at all who approached.

When Shen Xian entered the main hall, the Void Refinement late-stage powerhouse was lounging on a jade throne. He was idly toying with a black Go piece, his gaze fixed on a chessboard that mirrored a star map.

“Deputy City Lord Wang. A rare sight indeed,” the Venerable said, a faint, unreadable smile playing on his lips.

Since Shen Xian had accepted the position of Deputy City Lord, he hadn’t set foot in this hall once. Even the establishment of the branch division had been delegated to his disciples. It was as if he treated the Celestial Venerable like a predator waiting to swallow him whole.

Shen Xian cupped his hands, his expression smooth. “City Lord, matters have been pressing. I offer my sincere apologies.”

“Enough. There is no need for hollow pleasantries between us.” The Black Profound Celestial Venerable waved a hand dismissively. “Speak. What brings you here today?”

Shen Xian didn’t waste breath on explanations. He simply waved his hand, retrieving the *Myriad Spirits Forging Furnace*.

“That furnace…”

The Black Profound Celestial Venerable narrowed his eyes. The black stone between his fingers gave a sharp *crack*, a spiderweb fracture appearing on its surface.

It was an ancient heavy treasure.

Shen Xian stood tall, neither humble nor arrogant. “This is the Myriad Spirits Forging Furnace. This junior wishes to use it to lay the foundation for the Duobao Sect’s mountain gate.”

Although the Duobao Sect maintained a branch in Black Profound City, it was merely a storefront for selling Magical Artifacts. It lacked the spiritual roots of a true sect. Shen Xian needed a location that could provide an endless supply of earth fire.

“You intend to rely solely on this ancient treasure?” the Venerable asked, skepticism coloring his tone.

The object was extraordinary, certainly, but to base an entire sect’s legacy on a single artifact seemed reckless.

Shen Xian offered a faint smile and tapped the body of the furnace with a single finger.

*Hummmm.*

The Myriad Spirits Forging Furnace emitted a low, resonant vibration that seemed to shake the air itself. One by one, three hundred and sixty Heavenly Craft Cloud Seals ignited along the furnace walls. Each rune was a condensed fragment of the ancient Great Dao of Artifice—a complete inheritance that even the Black Profound Celestial Venerable had never witnessed before.

“Once this furnace is anchored, it will link with the earth veins, transforming a hundred-mile radius into a blessed land for artifact forging,” Shen Xian explained.

As he spoke, the nine apertures at the furnace’s base erupted with nine-colored spiritual flames. The fire twisted in the air, weaving a mirage of a majestic mountain gate. The density of the Spiritual Qi radiating from the illusion was suffocating—fully thirty percent richer than even the core cultivation chamber of Black Profound City.

*Snap.*

The black stone in the Black Profound Celestial Venerable’s hand disintegrated into fine powder.

As a Void Refinement expert, he understood the implications instantly. This was not merely a tool; it was a cornerstone capable of sustaining a sect for ten thousand generations.

“What does the City Lord think?” Shen Xian asked.

The Venerable nodded slowly, masking his shock. “It is indeed a fine object. Where do you plan to establish this site?”

“I must ask the City Lord: where in this city is the earth fire most intense?”

The stronger the earth fire, the greater the power of the array, and the more beneficial it would be for the ancient treasure.

The Black Profound Celestial Venerable’s eyes flickered with a calculating light.

His mind instantly went to a forbidden zone within the city—*Burning Heaven Valley*. The earth fire there had been raging uncontrollably for a thousand years. It was so volatile that only a Tier-5 Formation Master could hope to stabilize it, leaving it as a festering wound on the city’s map.

“There is such a place… but do you have the capability to handle the trouble it brings?” he asked slowly. He raised a hand, and a screen of light materialized in the air.

The image displayed *Burning Heaven Valley*.

It was an apocalypse of churning magma and violent, chaotic Spiritual Qi. It was less a valley and more a forbidden death zone.

Shen Xian’s heart leaped with joy.

*Perfect.*

As a Tier-5 Formation Master, suppressing unruly earth fire was well within his capabilities.

“I can handle it,” Shen Xian said, nodding firmly.

A flicker of surprise passed through the Venerable’s eyes. This Tier-5 Artifact Refiner he had recruited seemed to harbor deep waters.

*Good.*

The more secrets the man held, the stronger he was, and the more Black Profound City would benefit. If Shen Xian could tame Burning Heaven Valley, the city would gain a new holy land for cultivation.

As for whether Shen Xian would use this power to challenge his authority? The Black Profound Celestial Venerable didn’t care.

A mere Nascent Soul cultivator, even given another millennium, would struggle to reach his current height. In the world of Cultivation, absolute strength was the only truth. No matter how hard Shen Xian worked to build his sect, if his personal power couldn’t keep up, he was merely fattening a pig for the slaughter. In the end, he would just be preparing a dowry for the Venerable.

With the Black Profound Celestial Venerable’s blessing, establishing the mountain gate became a simple matter of logistics.

As Deputy City Lord, Shen Xian mobilized the city’s military and resources. Within days, the chaotic energies around the perimeter of Burning Heaven Valley were organized and suppressed, bringing a semblance of stability to the region.

When the news reached the Black Profound Celestial Venerable, he was genuinely surprised. His expectations for his new Deputy City Lord rose yet again.

***

**Burning Heaven Valley.**

Shen Xian stood at the edge of the abyss, staring down at the roiling magma. He first established a high-grade isolation barrier to seal the area, then summoned the *Myriad Spirits Forging Furnace*.

The moment the artifact appeared, the earth fire in the valley seemed to sense a threat.

*ROAR!*

The magma erupted violently, waves of fire surging hundreds of feet into the air. The flames twisted and coalesced, transforming into a colossal fire dragon over a hundred *zhang* long, lunging straight for Shen Xian!

“This earth fire has developed sentience?” Shen Xian was shaken. His hands flew through a series of seals.

When he had initially surveyed the area, the fire’s true nature had been dormant. Now, the presence of the Myriad Spirits Forging Furnace had drawn out its essence!

The furnace trembled violently, its three hundred and sixty Heavenly Craft Cloud Seals flashing in a frantic stroboscopic rhythm.

Sweat beaded on Shen Xian’s forehead. “This isn’t just fire… it contains a trace of Ancient Fire Essence. With my Nascent Soul cultivation, suppressing this by force will be difficult!”

*BOOM!*

The fire dragon slammed into the forging furnace with a world-shaking impact.

Shen Xian was blasted backward dozens of *zhang*, his boots carving deep furrows in the rock. A drop of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.

His eyes widened in realization. “No wonder the Black Profound Celestial Venerable couldn’t tame this place for a thousand years. This isn’t ordinary earth fire… it’s the legendary *Nine Nether Fire*!”

The floor of the valley suddenly cracked open, revealing a terrifying abyss. Nine streaks of blood-red fire essence shot out from the depths, weaving together in the air to form a net of annihilation, trapping the Myriad Spirits Forging Furnace.

Shen Xian’s expression turned grim. “A miscalculation! If I don’t suppress this immediately, the ancient treasure will be damaged, and I’ll be buried in this sea of fire!”

In this critical moment, Shen Xian bit the tip of his tongue, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the *Turtle-Snake Lamp*.

“Xuan Shang! Aid me!”

The lamp’s flame exploded outward, and the phantom of Xuan Shang materialized in mid-air. Her expression was frosty, her presence radiating an imperial chill.

She swept a cold gaze over the raging fire essences and scoffed. “A mere remnant spark dares to act with such insolence?”

She waved her wide sleeve.

Three hundred water-blue Formation patterns descended from the heavens like a celestial net, crashing down upon the fire essences.

Shen Xian seized the fleeting opportunity. He channeled every ounce of his Spiritual Qi, his hands forming a blur of seals. Golden light condensed before him, forming a complex talisman—the Tier-5 *Fire Suppression Talisman* from the System!

“Heavenly Craft Stabilizes the Veins, Myriad Fires Return to Origin!”

The talisman transformed into a stream of golden liquid light, merging directly into the forging furnace. Instantly, the furnace erupted with a blinding golden radiance.

The nine fire essences let out shrill, human-like screams as the furnace’s gravity took hold. Slowly, inexorably, they were dragged toward the nine apertures at the base, devoured bit by bit.

Shen Xian could feel the change immediately. Inside the furnace, an alchemical miracle was occurring—the *Nine Nether Fire* was fusing with the *Heavenly Craft Cloud Seals*.

Three days and three nights passed.

When the final wisp of fire essence was refined, silence fell over the valley.

The Myriad Spirits Forging Furnace hovered quietly in the center of the crater. The cloud seals on its surface had transmuted into a deep, fiery gold, radiating a Pressure that made the air feel heavy as lead.

The once-violent earth fire now flowed around the furnace like a gentle stream, docile as a tamed pet.

Nine pillars of spiritual light erupted from the valley, piercing the clouds. The sky for a hundred miles around was dyed in brilliant, auspicious colors.

But the most shocking transformation was on the valley floor. The charred, dead rock began to shed its blackened skin. From the stone, fiery red Spirit Grass sprouted rapidly, their leaves naturally stamped with cloud patterns identical to those on the furnace.

These *Heavenly Craft Grass* released a pure, dense Spiritual Qi, instantly elevating the valley’s cultivation environment by an entire realm.

Shen Xian looked over his creation, his eyes reflecting the golden glow of the furnace.

“Next,” he murmured, “I shall use this foundation to build the Myriad Spirits Treasure Hall.”