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

Chapter 216: The Art of Poison & The Prodigal Son

Half a month after Wei Zhaoli entered secluded cultivation, the heavy stone doors of the quiet room ground open.

She emerged surrounded by a faint, lingering spiritual mist. Her skin possessed a lustrous, jade-like quality, glowing with an inner light. Although the drop of 10,000-Year Spirit Milk had not yet been fully absorbed, its effects were already transforming her physique.

As she stepped across the threshold, she saw Shen Xian leaning against a corridor pillar, idly tossing a cyan jade slip in his hand.

“Congratulations, Madam, on your progress,” Shen Xian said, stepping forward with a warm smile.

The address made Wei Zhaoli flush slightly, though a wave of sweetness washed over her heart.

“It is all thanks to my husband’s blessings,” she replied with a soft laugh.

The stiffness that had defined their early interactions had melted away, replaced by a genuine, comfortable intimacy.

“Perfect timing,” Shen Xian said, extending the jade slip. “I have prepared a gift for you.”

The slip contained a Third Rank High-Grade technique—the Flowing Cloud Talisman Dao Art.

It was part of the inheritance Shen Xian had received from the fallen Golden Core Elder. Since Wei Zhaoli was a Talisman Master, it was the perfect gift.

Of course, Shen Xian had a secondary motive. He was fishing for a System Return.

In the cultivation world, the “Four Great Arts”—Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Array Formations, and Talismans—were the pillars of auxiliary support.

Shen Xian was already an Artifact Refiner. If he could trigger a return for one of the other three, his survivability in the dangerous Northern Region would skyrocket.

Wei Zhaoli took the jade slip. Her Divine Sense swept through it, and her eyes widened in surprise.

As a practitioner of the craft, she recognized the value immediately. This was a complete, high-level inheritance. She looked up at him, her eyes curving into crescents of delight. He always seemed to know exactly what she needed.

“Since my husband has gifted this to me, I must strive to master it,” she said, her tone playful.

“Just don’t let it delay your cultivation,” Shen Xian teased.

“Don’t worry,” Wei Zhaoli nodded. “I only came out because I reached a bottleneck. I needed to stabilize my state of mind… and spend some time with you.”

Ding!

[System Notification: Host gifted Dao Companion Third Rank High-Grade “Flowing Cloud Talisman Dao Art.”] [Triggering 50x Critical Return…] [Reward: Fourth Rank High-Grade “Thousand Machinations Poison Scripture.” Would you like to claim it?]

Shen Xian blinked.

Poison Scripture?

He had fished for Talismans, Arrays, or Alchemy… and hooked Poison?

The corner of his mouth twitched. The System’s randomness was truly a chaotic force. He hadn’t obtained a single one of the Three Great Arts he wanted.

“Husband?” Wei Zhaoli waved the jade slip in front of his face, noting his strange expression. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing,” Shen Xian recovered quickly. A mischievous glint entered his eyes. “Since you’ve rarely come out of secluded cultivation, let your husband test your… progress.”

Before she could react, he swept her up into his arms.

“Husband! It’s still broad daylight!” Wei Zhaoli gasped, burying her face in his shoulder to hide her blush.

“The sun is merely envious,” Shen Xian laughed, carrying her toward the bedroom.

Hours later.

The room was quiet, save for the rhythmic breathing of the woman sleeping beside him. Shen Xian lay with one arm around Wei Zhaoli, his mind focused on the System interface.

“Claim.”

Boom.

Countless dark blue runes exploded in his mind.

Unlike the golden runes of orthodox arts, these characters writhed like living, venomous snakes. They swam through his Sea of Consciousness, dripping with malice and cold logic.

Bone-Eroding Powder… Drunken Immortal Smoke… God-Extinguishing Pill…

Shen Xian’s pupils constricted. Hundreds of lethal recipes flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

The knowledge was instantly branded into his memory. He knew exactly how to extract the venom from the fangs of a Seven-Step Snake. He knew the precise ratio to concoct Spirit-Eroding Water capable of melting a Nascent Soul’s physical body. He even saw the formula for the Thousand Machinations Lure, a colorless, odorless toxin that could ensnare Soul Formation cultivators.

But the most intriguing part was the “Poison Refinement Method.”

It was a technique to infuse toxins directly into magical artifacts during the forging process without corroding the weapon’s spirituality.

Fascinating.

Shen Xian held up his hand. A wisp of dark blue mist seeped from his pores, condensing into a beautiful, bewitching blue lotus in his palm.

“So this is the power of a Fourth Rank Poison Master?”

With a thought, the lotus disintegrated into fine, harmless dust.

Beside him, Wei Zhaoli murmured in her sleep, burrowing deeper into his embrace. She had no idea that the man holding her had just mastered a dark art capable of slaughtering Nascent Soul cultivators without lifting a sword.

A dangerous smile played on Shen Xian’s lips.

If the demonic cultivators of the Northern Region tried to target him… they were in for a nasty surprise.

He rubbed the Blood Jade Ring on his finger. Inside sat several bottles of rare poisonous herbs he had looted from Lin Lang.

It was time to put them to use.

Life in the Shen estate returned to a semblance of peace, but Shen Xian’s preparations reached a fever pitch.

The next day, he marched straight to the family treasury.

Shen Lingyue, the Chief Steward, hurried out to meet him.

“Third Young Master,” Shen Lingyue bowed, forcing a smile. “What… what brings you here?”

Internally, the steward was praying to every god he knew: Please don’t be here for materials. Please.

Lately, Shen Xian had been draining the family’s high-grade stockpiles like water. The Family Head had even questioned Shen Lingyue about the discrepancies, forcing the poor steward to shoulder the blame rather than rat out the heir.

“Open the vault,” Shen Xian said, cutting straight to the chase. “I need materials.”

Shen Lingyue’s eyelid twitched violently.

“Third Young Master… what exactly do you need? I can fetch it for you…”

“No need.” Shen Xian waved him off and strode past the steward into the secure warehouse.

He walked through the aisles of priceless resources with the casual air of a man browsing his own vegetable garden.

“This block of Star Pattern Steel isn’t bad. I’ll take it.”

“Huh? This box of Phantom Sand is only half full? Stingy. Well, I’ll take it all.”

“Oh, Mystic Ice Iron Essence? Excellent. I can use this.”

Shen Xian grabbed items off the shelves, tossing them into his storage ring with practiced ease. He completely ignored Shen Lingyue, whose face was twisting into a mask of pure agony.

“Th-Third Young Master!” Shen Lingyue stammered, his voice trembling. “Those are the family’s reserves! High-grade materials! You… this…”

“What?” Shen Xian turned, looking the picture of innocence. “I am the dignified Third Young Master of the Shen Family. Are you saying I can’t use a few rocks?”

“But… but those are Golden Core and Nascent Soul level forging materials!” Shen Lingyue cried, looking ready to weep. “We can’t just…”

“Oh, that works out perfectly,” Shen Xian grinned, showing all his teeth. “I’ve recently taken an interest in artifact forging. I need them to practice.”

Shen Lingyue nearly vomited blood.

Practice?!

Any single piece Shen Xian had just grabbed would cause a bloodbath among Golden Core rogue cultivators. And this prodigal son was going to burn them for practice?

Shen Xian ignored the steward’s internal hemorrhage and continued his shopping spree.

“This Spatial Crystal Stone looks sturdy. Taking it.”

“Oh? Thousand-Year Cold Jade? Nice. I have a wobbly table leg that needs propping up.”

Shen Lingyue clutched his chest.

Propping up a table leg?!

He felt his Dao Heart cracking.

But the nightmare wasn’t over.

Shen Xian walked to the deepest, most secure section of the vault. His eyes landed on a pedestal where a crimson crystal pulsed behind a heavy restriction.

“Steward Lingyue, this Crimson Crystal…”

“NO!” Shen Lingyue shrieked, his voice jumping an octave. “Absolutely not! Third Young Master, that is a Rank 5 material! It is the core component for refining a True Spirit Treasure! The Family Head placed that restriction personally! No one touches it!”

Shen Xian blinked, looking genuinely disappointed. “Oh. Fine.”

Shen Lingyue let out a breath, his knees shaking.

“I’ll just go ask Father for it later,” Shen Xian added cheerfully.

Shen Lingyue stared blankly at the wall.