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

Chapter 226: The Ten Great Sacred Lands, Six-Eyed Ghost Mosquito

When the words “Dao Xuan Sacred Land” left Xu Tian’s lips, a flicker of intrigue passed through Shen Xian’s eyes.

The ancient texts he possessed made no mention of such a place.

“Might I ask for more specific information regarding this Dao Xuan Sacred Land?” Shen Xian inquired politely.

“Young Master Wang doesn’t know of the Dao Xuan Sacred Land?” Xu Tian stared at him, his face a mask of incredulity.

If not for Shen Xian’s aura clearly reading as Foundation Establishment, Xu Tian would have suspected this man wasn’t even from the Northern Region.

‘He must be a disciple from a reclusive sect, out for his first trial,’ Xu Tian concluded silently.

It was common knowledge that beyond the Ten Great Sacred Lands, the Northern Region harbored ancient, hidden forces in its untamed wilds. These hermits rarely showed themselves, but their foundations were terrifyingly deep.

Shen Xian shook his head. “I have lived in seclusion.”

Since he was fishing for information, honesty about his ignorance was the best policy. He only needed general knowledge that any commoner would know, so there was no risk of exposing his true identity.

“The Dao Xuan Sacred Land ranks seventh among the Ten Great Sacred Lands. Its ruler is the Dao Xuan Sect…” Xu Tian began his explanation.

Through Xu Tian’s narration, the map of the current era began to take shape in Shen Xian’s mind.

The Northern Region was no longer divided into provinces as it had been in antiquity. Instead, it was dominated by the Ten Great Sacred Lands.

These Sacred Lands were essentially independent pocket worlds, created by supreme beings at the Celestial Venerable level. Inside, spiritual energy was dense, laws were perfect, and humanity was protected from alien threats. They were the last bastions of human civilization.

Everything outside the Sacred Lands was classified as “Dangerous Lands.”

These wild zones were the domain of other races. While humans existed here, the spiritual energy was thin and the environment harsh, making it unsuitable for cultivation.

For instance, the desolate plain they were traversing was known as the Black Rhinoceros Wilderness, territory of the Black Rhinoceros demon beast clan.

The caravan’s mission was to hunt low-level Black Rhinoceroses and transport the materials back to the Sacred Land for profit.

Xu Tian also mentioned that the Dangerous Lands contained ancient Secret Realms—remnants of the old world. These were incredibly perilous, far deadlier than the controlled trials within the Sacred Lands. Generally, only Void Refinement Celestial Venerables dared to step foot inside them.

Shen Xian nodded along, absorbing the world-building.

…

Meanwhile, inside the luxurious central bronze carriage.

Su Ling’er was bustling about with enthusiasm, pouring tea for Qiu Ruoli. Her lively eyes kept stealing glances at the stunning woman sitting opposite her.

“Sister, try this! It’s our Chamber of Commerce’s special ‘Snow Spirit Tea.’ It helps calm the mind and concentrate the spirit.”

Qiu Ruoli accepted the cup with a cold, practiced grace. She took a small sip.

The fragrance was clear and refreshing—indeed extraordinary for a merchant clan, though it paled in comparison to the sacred tea of the Tianyao Sect.

The thought only deepened her irritation.

‘If not for that evil cultivator, I would be enjoying the finest spiritual tea in my own palace right now…’

Su Ling’er, oblivious to the icy wall Qiu Ruoli had erected, scooted a few inches closer.

“Sister’s name is so beautiful,” she giggled, her eyes sparkling. “Qiu Ruoli… It sounds like autumn dew falling on colored glaze. Clear, transparent, and moving.”

Qiu Ruoli’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘This little girl… why is she so noisy?’

She wanted to snap at her, but Shen Xian’s command echoed in her mind. She forced down her temper.

“You are called Su Ling’er?”

“Yes!” Su Ling’er nodded rapidly, her head bobbing like a pestle pounding garlic. “I’m the Young Miss of the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce. I came out for some life experience, and now we’re heading back to Azure Nether City.”

Qiu Ruoli’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Azure Nether City? What kind of place is it? Who is the strongest cultivator stationed there?”

Su Ling’er tilted her head, confused.

‘How can this sister not know about Azure Nether City?’

Still, she smiled and explained, “Azure Nether City is a major city within the Dao Xuan Sacred Land. As for the guardian…” She tapped her chin. “My father says it’s a Soul Formation Venerable!”

‘Soul Formation…’

Qiu Ruoli filed the information away.

She was currently poisoned by Shen Xian’s alchemical concoctions. If she could find a Soul Formation expert to detoxify her, she might have a chance to escape.

She pressed on, asking more questions about the Chamber of Commerce. Su Ling’er answered everything without reservation, eager to please her new, beautiful friend.

…

Night fell.

The caravan set up camp on a flat stretch of the wasteland. The wind howled, carrying the scent of dry earth and ozone.

Shen Xian sat cross-legged by a campfire, the flames reflecting in his dark eyes. His fingers absently traced the rim of the Blood Jade Ring on his index finger.

“A Soul Formation Venerable stationed in Azure Nether City…” he murmured.

If the strongest threat was merely at the Soul Formation stage, he had little to fear. With his current strength, he could retreat unscathed even if he couldn’t win outright.

However, according to Su Ling’er, Azure Nether City was ranked at the bottom of the 108 major cultivation cities in the Dao Xuan Sacred Land.

The capital, Dao Xuan Holy City, was rumored to be crawling with Nascent Soul cultivators, with numerous Soul Formation experts and even a legendary Celestial Venerable watching over it.

And the Dao Xuan Sacred Land was only ranked seventh.

‘Where does the Ice Soul Immortal Sect rank?’

A sect controlled by the Demon Race that had successfully rooted itself in the Northern Region for millennia must be terrifying. If he wanted to crush them, he needed to be methodical.

Fortunately, his target, Ye Qingxian, was currently only at the mid-Golden Core stage. He had time.

Qiu Ruoli appeared beside him, her expression as cold as the night air.

“That little girl is naive,” she transmitted to him. “She answers whatever I ask without a shred of caution.”

Shen Xian snapped out of his thoughts and chuckled. “Isn’t that perfect for us?”

Qiu Ruoli scoffed. “What is your plan? Are we really following them to Azure Nether City?”

In her view, they should head straight for the capital. The spiritual energy would be denser, and the chaos of a metropolis would offer her better chances to escape his clutches.

“Of course,” Shen Xian replied indifferently, ignoring her scheming.

Xu Tian didn’t know about the Ice Soul Immortal Sect. To find them, Shen Xian needed a secure base of operations to gather intelligence. The Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce in Azure Nether City, with its wide network and Soul Formation backer, was the perfect stepping stone.

Just as he was refining his plan—

Hum—

A faint tremor rippled through the ground. It wasn’t an earthquake; it felt like a massive, collective heartbeat waking up beneath the soil.

Shen Xian frowned. He activated the Void Reflecting Spirit Mirror.

His Soul Formation-level Divine Sense exploded outward, scanning a radius of a hundred miles in an instant.

“This is…”

His expression darkened.

At the horizon line, a black, shadowy mass was surging toward them like a tidal wave.

A beast tide.

Shen Xian zoomed in with his perception.

They were giant mosquitoes. Each one was 3 feet long, armored in a carapace black as ink and hard as iron. On their heads, six scarlet compound eyes were arranged in a disturbing hexagonal pattern.

Their mouthparts were terrifying—triangular, serrated awls designed to pierce armor and bone. When they flapped their wings, the air vibrated with a low-frequency hum. Combined, the sound of the swarm rolled across the plains like muffled thunder.

Six-Eyed Ghost Mosquitoes.

Rumble, rumble—

The ground began to shake violently. The pebbles around the campfire danced.

The caravan guards finally realized something was wrong.

“What is that sound?!”

“Not good! Look at the horizon!”

“Run! It’s a beast tide! It’s the Six-Eyed Ghost Mosquitoes!”

Panic erupted. The guards’ faces drained of color as they scrambled to summon their Magical Artifacts, their formations crumbling into chaos.

“Hold your ground!” Xu Tian shouted, his face ashen. He drew his treasured sword, his knuckles white. “Everyone, listen to my command! Activate the Mystic Light Protection Array immediately!”

“Yes!”

Several late-Foundation Establishment guards frantically formed hand seals. A pale golden light shield rose from the carriages, expanding to envelop the entire campsite just as the black tide began to blot out the stars.

“Damn it,” Xu Tian cursed under his breath, sweat beading on his forehead. “How could we be so unlucky?”