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

Chapter 291: Arrival in the City, Sensing a Treasure

As the spiritual light of the teleportation formation faded, Shen Xian found himself standing within a grand hall inscribed with countless intricate array patterns.

The cultivators present in the hall cast sidelong glances when they realized the massive array had activated for only two people. However, their curiosity was fleeting. With the grand auction approaching, cultivators from all corners of the world were flooding into the city.

Since these new arrivals came from the Holy City, they undoubtedly possessed some status, but that was hardly a rarity these days.

“Lord Wang!”

A respectful voice suddenly cut through the hum of the hall.

An elderly man dressed in magnificent brocade robes led a retinue toward them. His posture was submissive, his head bowed low, and a token of the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce hung conspicuously at his waist.

The Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce maintained branches in every major city. They had been waiting for this arrival and moved to greet their guests the moment they materialized.

Shen Xian offered a slight, indifferent nod.

Behind him stood Venerable Zi Yun, hands clasped behind his back. He looked for all the world like a harmless, withered old man, his aura completely retracted.

For this trip to Snowstorm City, Shen Xian had explicitly ordered the Chamber of Commerce to suppress all information regarding this Void Refinement Celestial Venerable. He needed to avoid being targeted.

According to his intelligence, the Divine Silence Quicksand was not the headline item of this auction. The lower his profile, the higher the chance he could acquire it without paying an exorbitant price.

For Shen Xian, who was currently hemorrhaging funds to build his empire, every spirit stone counted.

After successfully linking up with the local branch, the two followed the brocade-robed elder through the main thoroughfare, heading toward the eastern suburbs.

The spiritual energy in the eastern district was slightly thinner than in the center. It was primarily inhabited by first-rate forces, a step down from the top-tier powerhouses.

Although the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce was one of the three titans of the Holy City, its grip on the other cities within the Holy Land was tenuous. Whether it was Azure Nether City in the past or Snowstorm City now, their local branches held only average status.

The streets were bustling with activity. Cultivators walked in groups of three or five, their varied attire betraying their diverse origins.

Shen Xian’s gaze swept over a group of cultivators wearing crimson dharma robes, flame patterns embroidered on their cuffs—disciples of the Flaming Sun Sect. Not far away, several female cultivators walked with ancient zithers strapped to their backs, jade tablets at their waists carved with the characters “Tian Yin.” They were likely from the Western Ridge Tian Yin Pavilion.

These were all first-rate forces, renowned throughout the Holy Land.

As for the top-tier forces, they had yet to show their faces.

Rumors claimed that the centerpiece of this auction was an Ancient Treasure from the primordial era. Items from antiquity were invariably mysterious and contained earth-shattering power. Naturally, such a prize had drawn the attention of the heavyweights.

Fortunately, their eyes were fixed on that Ancient Treasure. If they were competing for the same materials as Shen Xian, he would likely have to bleed his wallet dry.

As they continued forward, Shen Xian suddenly felt a ripple of Divine Sense from the Blood Jade Ring.

“Master! Master! I smell something good!” Xiao Hei’s childish voice rang out in his mind.

Since arriving in the Northern Region, the little fellow had holed up in the small spirit beast chamber inside the Blood Jade Ring. Even after Shen Xian settled in the Holy City, it refused to come out.

It was terrified that if it showed its face, it would be forced into manual labor, accelerating the ripening of spirit plants. It only deigned to react when it sensed treasure, desperate to prove its value without actually working.

“Is it actually reliable this time?” Shen Xian asked, his mental tone dripping with skepticism.

Whether in Azure Nether City or the Holy City, the little glutton had given similar reactions. But ever since it consumed the Purple Immortal Ganoderma, its “treasure sense” usually pointed toward the heavily guarded vaults of major sects.

Detecting treasures that already had owners was completely useless to him.

“Master, it’s right nearby!” Xiao Hei transmitted urgently.

After evolving into a Dragon Turtle, its sensory range had expanded significantly, and its sensitivity to Providence and treasures had sharpened.

Hearing this, Shen Xian scanned his surroundings. The street was lined with ordinary shops; it didn’t look like a place harboring supreme treasures.

Except…

To his front left, a sprawling structure dominated the view.

The building was constructed entirely from crystalline profound ice, refracting the sunlight into a dazzling cascade of seven-colored light.

Over a dozen ice pillars, carved with coiling dragons, supported a dome that soared ten *zhang* into the air. Each pillar was inlaid with fist-sized night pearls, emitting a soft, luxurious glow that competed with the daylight.

Inside, the hall was teeming with people. Hundreds of stalls were arranged in concentric rings, with various spiritual materials shimmering atop specially crafted cold jade display platforms.

Noticing Shen Xian’s lingering gaze, the brocade-robed elder immediately stepped forward to explain. “Master Wang, this is the largest trading area in the city. It has a bit of everything, though… the quality is generally average.”

Places like this were typically frequented by loose cultivators with shallow foundations. If one’s Providence was strong enough, they might stumble upon a hidden gem, but the chances were infinitesimally small.

The last time someone picked up a true treasure here was thousands of years ago.

Shen Xian’s heart stirred.

Xiao Hei hadn’t consumed a Purple Immortal Ganoderma yet, so it couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, but it seemed the treasure was indeed inside that trading hall.

He nodded slightly, asking no further questions.

He planned to settle into his lodgings first, then find a way to return and investigate properly.

Moments later, they arrived at the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce’s territory.

The estate was situated in the eastern part of the city, right where several minor spiritual veins converged.

The elder led them through the main building, which was shrouded in protective formations, and brought them to a private courtyard.

Pushing open the gate made of Cold Ironwood, a scene of refined elegance revealed itself. Miniature rockeries floated in mid-air, defying gravity, while golden-scaled fish swam lazily in a crystal-clear pond.

The courtyard was divided into two wings, perfectly suited for two people.

“If you have any needs, Master Wang, please do not hesitate to contact me.” The elder left a communication Talisman on the table and withdrew silently.

Shortly after he left, Venerable Zi Yun headed toward his own quarters. For an existence like him, daily life was a constant cycle of cultivation and comprehending the Heavenly Dao, always seeking that next sliver of advancement.

He lacked Shen Xian’s leisurely pacing.

Shen Xian entered his room and casually flicked his wrist, establishing an isolation barrier.

As a Tier-5 Formation Master, even a casually deployed restriction was enough to detect the prying eyes of a Celestial Venerable, ensuring he wouldn’t be disturbed.

With the room secured, he summoned Xiao Hei from the Blood Jade Ring.

A palm-sized, azure-gold Dragon Turtle crawled slowly out of the ring, the Bagua patterns on its carapace flowing with a faint, rhythmic spiritual light.

It stretched its limbs lazily, its dragon horns glowing softly, before crawling unhurriedly to Shen Xian’s feet. It found a comfortable spot and flopped down.

“Is Master going treasure hunting?” it asked in a childish voice, laced with lethargy.

Its pale golden vertical pupils were half-closed as if opening them fully was simply too much effort.

“Eat this.” Shen Xian tossed a stalk of Purple Immortal Ganoderma onto the floor.

Ever since his rise to fame in the Holy City, the Purple Immortal Ganoderma—an item he once risked his life to obtain—had become as common as cabbage to him.

Seeing the prize, Xiao Hei finally showed a spark of energy.

It elegantly raised a front claw, the tip glowing with a trace of dragon *qi*, and levitated the spirit medicine before its face.

Unlike ordinary spirit beasts that would wolf down such a treasure, Xiao Hei took small, delicate pecks. With each bite, the essence of the Purple Immortal Ganoderma transformed into wisps of purple mist, which were slowly absorbed by the Bagua patterns on its shell.

As the medicinal power integrated, the patterns on its carapace began to shift.

The seemingly chaotic lines deconstructed and reassembled themselves, gradually manifesting a miniature, holographic star map above its shell.

The tips of its dragon horns flared with azure light, tracing mysterious, complex trajectories in the void—calculating the secrets of heaven and earth.

“Master, position confirmed!”

Its voice suddenly lost its childishness, becoming ethereal and distant.

The star map on its carapace abruptly contracted, condensing into a single point of azure-gold light that hovered between its claws.

Within that speck of light, a miniature azure dragon could be seen swimming, emitting an aura that felt ancient and profound.

The light point drifted slowly into Shen Xian’s palm. It was cool to the touch yet carried the undeniable majesty of the Dragon Race.

Even more miraculous, when Shen Xian clenched his fist, the light point phased through his flesh and blood, manifesting directly on the back of his hand. It pulsed gently like a living thing, a compass needle pointing unerringly toward the target.

“Just follow the light,” Xiao Hei said, instantly reverting to its lazy state as it curled up into a ball. Yet, within those half-lidded dragon eyes, a flash of majesty belonging only to a True Dragon flickered briefly.

Shen Xian swept the turtle back into the Blood Jade Ring, sent a quick transmission to Venerable Zi Yun, and stepped out of the room.