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

Leaving the Ten Thousand Corpses Tomb, Shen Xian felt not a shred of regret.

This expedition into the Ancient Ruins had been a monumental success. With the Mysterious Turtle’s treasure-hunting senses currently exhausted, lingering here would be a waste of time.

More importantly, Ye Qingxian’s safety took precedence.

As he walked, his Divine Sense imperceptibly swept through the Blood Jade Ring, tallying the spoils of war.

Inside, mountains of treasure were sorted by category.

In the cultivation technique section, aside from the legacies left by several Golden Core Elders of his clan and the manuals looted from Su Mei and her cohorts, the crown jewel was undoubtedly the [Spirit Beast Ascending Dragon Art].

This secret technique was the key to unlocking the Mysterious Turtle’s potential.

Shen Xian already possessed a drop of Azure Dragon Essence Blood. With this art, he could potentially force the turtle’s bloodline to evolve into that of a true dragon!

The Ancient Dragon Clan were the undisputed masters of the seas.

If his turtle could harness even a fraction of that bloodline, its treasure-hunting abilities would skyrocket. It might even surpass the sensory range of the Purple Immortal Ganoderma.

As for Dharma Treasures and artifacts, Shen Xian’s harvest could only be described as an embarrassment of riches.

Setting aside the heap of standard Dharma and Spirit Treasures, just the [Burning Heaven Cauldron] and the [Heavenly Secret Disk]—two genuine True Spirit Treasures—were worth more than the rest combined.

Especially the latter. The [Heavenly Secret Disk] was a top-grade True Spirit Treasure, an item so valuable that even Soul Formation Venerables would risk their lives to snatch it.

Possessing it gave his combat power a terrifying boost.

And if he used it for a System Return? The multiplier might yield a Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure—an artifact capable of making even Void Refinement Celestial Venerables weep with envy.

Then there was the [Turtle-Snake Lamp].

Although incomplete, this Ancient Treasure had survived endless eons and was stored in the Ancient Sword Sect’s Treasure Pavilion within its own independent spatial dimension. Its intrinsic value likely eclipsed even the True Spirit Treasures.

Once restored with the three missing materials, its power would be unimaginable.

Beyond equipment, the raw resources Shen Xian had gathered were innumerable.

The Purple Crystal Beast Core from the Shadow Marten in the abyss; over three hundred Yin Fiend Bone Crystals from the Nether Bone Realm; piles of materials from the cultivators slain in the Molten Fire Ruins; Azure Spirit True Water from the Dragon Transformation Pool; and the Dragon Marrow Meat carved from a seventh-rank Demon Beast.

But the true prize was the seventh-rank material: the [Nine Tribulations Thunder Pattern Crystal].

This single crystal was worth a king’s ransom, easily matching the value of everything else put together.

If the outside world knew a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator held such wealth, even the old monsters at the Soul Formation stage would lose their composure and hunt him down.

Fortunately, he had kept a low profile. No one knew the extent of his fortune.

With this stockpile, I won’t have to worry about finding fodder for the System Returns, Shen Xian thought, a satisfied smile touching his lips.

He could use these items to trigger rewards or exchange them with the Shen Family for other resources. For a moment, the thrill of overnight wealth washed over him.

This trip was worth every second. For the first time, he found himself genuinely enjoying the life of an adventurer.

Right, I can’t forget the Li Fire True Seal.

After the battles in the Godfiend Battlefield, his compatibility with the True Seal had reached eighty percent. The power he could unleash now approached the level of fundamental laws.

If he achieved one hundred percent fusion, a single strike from him would rival a blow from a Soul Formation Venerable.

Of course, he needed to raise his base cultivation quickly. Otherwise, that one strike would drain him dry.

Lost in his calculations, Shen Xian arrived at the exit of the Godfiend Battlefield.

A large crowd of cultivators had gathered near the portal, lying in wait like hunters by a rabbit hole, hoping to ambush weakened explorers carrying loot.

Shen Xian didn’t break stride. He simply swung his sword.

Whoosh!

A wave of biting frost and snow exploded outward, freezing the air and the ambition of the ambushers instantly. The crowd scattered like frightened quail, making way for him with terrified obedience.

He stepped through the exit, returning to the main area of the Ancient Ruins.

Outside, groups of cultivators lingered, waiting for sect members or companions who might never return.

“Brother Shen!”

“Young Master!”

Wei Zhaoli and Wang Yu spotted him immediately. Since Shen Xian had dropped his disguise, he was easily recognizable.

Shen Xian nodded in greeting.

Surreptitiously, he checked the tracking letter in his ring—the one containing a trace of Divine Phoenix Essence Blood. There was no reaction. The signal was dead.

Ye Qingxian was long gone.

He wasn’t surprised.

Fortunately, she had only just entered the Golden Core stage. Even as a reincarnated empress, she couldn’t break through to the Nascent Soul realm overnight. As long as she remained below Nascent Soul, the Ice Soul Immortal Sect wouldn’t harvest her.

He had time, but he had to reach the Northern Region before her breakthrough.

Crossing the spatial rifts between the regions was a death sentence for ordinary cultivators. Only by reaching the Nascent Soul stage and mastering higher-level powers could one withstand the tearing force of the void.

But Shen Xian had made up his mind. He was going.

After all, she is my lawfully wedded Dao Companion, he told himself, gazing toward the distant horizon. If I let a demon seize her body without lifting a finger, wouldn’t the Shen Family look incompetent if word got out?

It was a solid excuse.

He nodded to himself, layering on more rationalizations. Besides, her talent is exceptional, and I’ve invested heavily in her. It would be a waste of resources to let her perish.

It’s rare to find a Dao Companion with such potential to aid in dual cultivation.

The more he justified it, the more necessary the trip seemed.

Plus, the Northern Region was known for its dense Spiritual Qi and an abundance of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. A sightseeing trip to expand his horizons wouldn’t hurt.

The corner of his mouth quirked up.

He realized he had changed. The old Shen Xian—lazy, indifferent, content to rot in a rice paddy—would never have considered crossing a continent for someone else.

When did this happen?

“Brother Shen, what’s wrong?” Wei Zhaoli asked softly, noticing his distracted expression.

“It’s nothing.” Shen Xian snapped back to reality. He reached into his robes and pulled out an item he had prepared earlier. “This is for you.”

It was a jade pendant carved from emerald stone, glowing with a soft, lustrous light. Suspended inside the gem was a drop of crystalline liquid.

This was the [Azure Light Pendant], a healing Spirit Treasure given to him by Bai Qingyao.

He had plenty of treasures to gift, but he had to be strategic. The [Heavenly Secret Disk] was too valuable to use on a low multiplier; he needed to save that for a massive return.

This mid-grade Spirit Treasure was the perfect candidate for now.

Wei Zhaoli froze when she saw the pendant.

“Brother Shen…” Her voice trembled slightly, filled with emotion and a trace of lingering guilt.

She looked at her fiancé, her heart fluttering. A complex mix of gratitude and affection swelled in her chest.

“Take it. You need a few reliable healing treasures for protection,” Shen Xian said, pressing it into her hand.

His words reminded her of the ambush by Lin Lang and the desperate dual cultivation that followed. Her ears burned red.

He is always thinking of my safety.

She felt incredibly fortunate to have met him.

Wei Zhaoli gripped the pendant, the hard edges of the jade pressing into her palm. The sensation grounded her. She looked down at the liquid sealed within—Thousand-Year Stone Marrow. It was a holy healing item that even Golden Core True Persons would kill for.

[System Notification: Host gifts mid-grade Spirit Treasure ‘Azure Light Pendant’ to Dao Companion. Triggering fifty-fold blessing return.]

[Reward: Top-grade Spirit Treasure ‘Sun and Moon Boat’.]

[Do you wish to claim?]

The prompt appeared right on cue.

Shen Xian’s brow lifted.

A spirit boat? And a top-grade Spirit Treasure at that?

This was a massive win. A high-tier transport vessel was exactly what he needed for the long, dangerous journey to the Northern Region.

“Brother Shen, I have something to tell you!”

Wei Zhaoli suddenly spoke up, her expression turning serious.