My System, My Wife Feng Aotian [Transmigration] - Chapter 31.1

With the Shen Maiden dead, Feng Jue had survived this perilous trial by a hair’s breadth. What lay ahead remained uncertain. Before ascending the Ladder to Immortality, she needed time to recuperate and regroup.

She carried the bowl containing 03 and the beads to the bedside and placed it beside her pillow.

With both the Host and itself unharmed, it was time to get down to business.

03 pulled up the character profile. Feng Jue couldn’t help but frown at the sinister image of the Shen Maiden, her portrait etched on the seashell. Why bother showing me such an ominous thing when everything’s fine?

03 pointed at the portrait. “Before she died, she uttered two words.”

Squished inside the bead, 03 superimposed the Shen Maiden’s face over its own, raised a matchstick-like arm toward the sky, and let out a defiant cry: “He… didn’t…”

Clack.

Performance complete, 03 reverted to its usual black circles. “This ‘He’ could refer to the Shen’s former or new master, and we don’t know what she meant by it.”

However, 03 felt no regret over the timing of the fatal strike. It didn’t dwell on what might have happened if it had struck earlier or later. Reality was reality, and the present was enough.

Hearing these words, Feng Jue couldn’t decipher the Shen Maiden’s dying message. Her brow furrowed as she reflected on everything that had transpired, from the elevation of the Chongshan Secret Realm to their experiences within it—all permeated by an unsettling strangeness.

Her gaze turned cold, warmth fading as she reverted to her usual proud demeanor. “Whatever it takes,” Feng Jue declared, “gods be slain by gods, Buddhas by Buddhas. Whatever stands in our path, we’ll eradicate it all!”

03 raised its twin staves in agreement, affirming its support for its Host’s actions and beliefs. It pledged unwavering loyalty as a good companion to its Host and a reliable helper to humanity!

Feng Jue nodded, glancing at 03.

The current 03 truly instilled in her an indescribable sense of security. To have safely survived the Shen Maiden’s self-destruction and then pierced her Shen Pearl with a single strike meant that 03 possessed at least Late Golden Core Stage cultivation!

Though she didn’t know its exact level, it also possessed a wealth of mysterious artifacts.

With both formidable strength and unwavering loyalty, the sharp sword she had sought was finally within her grasp.

Feng Jue settled comfortably into a seated position, closed her eyes, and raised her hand.

As her spiritual power surged from her Sea of Consciousness, before it could even circulate through her Spiritual Veins, she suddenly remembered something. Opening her eyes, she asked 03, who was squeezed into a bowl shaped like a bead, “Come to think of it, did you call my name today?”

03: “Eh?”

Nothing within the Jade House could be heard from outside. Beyond the barrier, Qiu Shuangshuang gazed longingly at the Jade House and took a bite of a Jade Spirit Fruit.

Crunch.

How quiet it is…

How much she missed a proper bed! She was, after all, the Young Miss of the Autumn Water Pavilion. Why was she living such a rough life? Next time she went out, she’d bring a portable dwelling like Palace Master Feng. She missed a proper bed so much.

Crunch.

Qiu Shuangshuang chewed on the Jade Spirit Fruit and glanced at Xue Bufan. After they reached shore, he had built a bonfire to dry their clothes and had been sitting silently by the fire ever since.

Could today’s events have frightened him? she wondered. That’s unlikely. Young Master Xue may not have a high cultivation level, but he’s brave and resourceful—he even led us out of the Maze.

Unable to sit still, Qiu Shuangshuang called out to Xue Bufan. Having received his care since they met, she felt no reservations about approaching him. “Young Master Xue,” she called. Xue Bufan startled awake and smiled. “Miss Qiu, what can I do for you?”

Qiu Shuangshuang blushed and waved her hand. “No, I’m just shaken from today’s ordeal and needed someone to talk to. Oh, Young Master Xue, is there something new on your ring?”

She held up her hand, showing the black ring she had obtained after escaping the Illusionary Realm in the Dungeon. A pale purple gemstone had mysteriously been set in the leftmost groove, shimmering brightly.

Xue Bufan nodded and showed her his ring.

“Although we didn’t kill the Shen Maiden ourselves, for some reason, she counted us among those who passed,” he said.

Hearing this, Qiu Shuangshuang looked bewildered.

Xue Bufan pursed his lips and explained, “Whether it was the Underground Palace earlier or the Maze later, the Shen Maiden was—” He pointed toward the Immortal Palace in the clouds. “A trial left for us by the Immortals. If we pass, we can claim the treasures within the Immortal Palace and the Inheritance left by the Immortals.”

Qiu Shuangshuang exclaimed in surprise, “Young Master Xue, you also know about the Inheritance?”

Now it was Xue Bufan’s turn to look surprised. The two stared at each other in mutual astonishment.

Qiu Shuangshuang knew about the Immortal Palace Inheritance, a legacy left by the ancient texts of the Autumn Water Sect. Even after Xue Bufan saved her life, she hadn’t told him about it. First, the Secret Realm was too dangerous, and Xue Bufan’s claimed Golden Core Stage cultivation was false. She couldn’t risk the life of her savior by asking him to face such peril. Second, knowledge of the Inheritance was restricted to disciples of the Autumn Water Pavilion, who entered the Secret Realm specifically for this purpose. She would gladly share any other treasures with her savior, but she couldn’t ask him to compete with her senior brothers and sisters for this sacred opportunity.

As for revealing it to Feng Jue… she had no choice. With the Immortal Palace so clearly visible in the sky, and Palace Master Feng determined to claim it, Qiu Shuangshuang would have perished in the Secret Realm. To meet with her fellow Autumn Water Pavilion disciples, she had no choice but to entrust Feng Jue with the full truth and plead for her protection to reach the Immortal Palace and find the others.

Yet now, having reached the foot of the Immortal Palace, she hadn’t seen a single senior brother or sister, and had nearly died again.

Qiu Shuangshuang sighed deeply and confessed everything to Xue Bufan.

Xue Bufan nodded understandingly. “If you’re asking how I know about the Immortal Palace Inheritance, it’s because… after my spiritual roots were damaged, I received guidance from my master’s Spiritual Consciousness. My master is the Palace Master of Chongshan Immortal Palace.”

“What?” Qiu Shuangshuang exclaimed, her face filled with shock. “But didn’t Chongshan Immortal Venerable ascend long ago? How could his Spiritual Consciousness still remain in the mortal realm?”

Xue Bufan, his hand hidden in his sleeve, touched the ring on his thumb. Lowering his voice, he said, “My Master’s Spiritual Consciousness revealed to me that his ascension was no ordinary event. He was betrayed by treacherous foes, nearly losing his divine soul. To survive, he scattered his Spiritual Consciousness and hid it in secret places. By chance, it encountered me.”

Qiu Shuangshuang’s eyes widened with excitement.

Isn’t this exactly the kind of thrilling story she craves while traveling?

Xue Bufan continued, “The Chongshan Secret Realm was once my Master’s immortal abode. Now that it’s fallen into obscurity, its treasures are open to whoever can claim them. But as his disciple, I must secure his inheritance!”

“Ah!” Qiu Shuangshuang suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes darting to the Jade House nearby.

Palace Master Feng also came for the inheritance. Does that mean…?

Xue Bufan, who naturally understood what she was thinking, chuckled heartily. His gruff voice contrasted sharply with his homely face. He stood abruptly and declared, “I’m grateful to Palace Master Feng for saving my life, but securing the inheritance is my paramount goal. However, I’ll share everything I know with you all.”

He held out his hand, showing Qiu Shuangshuang the ring. “Master left this inheritance, but only those who pass the trials can claim it. The Dungeon’s Illusionary Realm was merely the initial test. The Maze and the Shen Maiden were just the first trial.”

Qiu Shuangshuang stared at Xue Bufan in shock. Just the first trial, and it was this difficult!

Xue Bufan smiled wryly. “If I hadn’t witnessed the Immortal Palace awakening Master’s Spiritual Consciousness, I wouldn’t have realized this was his test. His remnant spirit revealed that escaping the illusion merely marks the beginning of the trials. There are three trials in total, each interconnected.”

“The first trial’s Shen Maiden should never have been this arduous, nor a life-or-death struggle. But something went wrong… Now that the Shen Maiden is dead, only the three of us have passed the first trial.” Xue Bufan’s voice grew solemn as he observed Qiu Shuangshuang’s paling face. He knew she understood the implications. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the Heavenly Palace and murmured, “That means…”

“Only one of us three can obtain the inheritance?” Qiu Shuangshuang raised her voice, her body trembling with a mix of excitement and fear.

Xue Bufan nodded. “Yes.”

Among the three, Feng Jue had already reached the Golden Core Perfection Stage, making her the most likely candidate to claim the inheritance. Yet he too coveted it, and he refused to sit idly by and wait for death.

“I’ll head on ahead. Would you like to come with me?” Xue Bufan asked Qiu Shuangshuang.

The greatest opportunity of her life was right before her, yet Qiu Shuangshuang’s face paled. She swallowed hard and hesitated. “I… I need to think about it.”

She had nearly died in the first trial, and that was only the first! How much more difficult would the subsequent trials be? All she had ever wanted was to return to her senior sisters and brothers, to return to the Autumn Water Pavilion. Moreover… Qiu Shuangshuang’s heart churned with conflict. Biting her lip, she murmured, “Should I compete with you for this opportunity?”

Setting aside the fact that these two had saved her life, she would have to face not only the trials themselves but also Palace Master Feng, who was at the Golden Core Perfection Stage!

The Palace Master Feng who could slay a Nascent Soul Stage Shen with a single strike!

Qiu Shuangshuang trembled.

Xue Bufan understood her dilemma. Smiling, he said, “My Master told me that the remaining two trials are the Thunder Beast after the Ladder to Immortality, and answering questions in the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Books—one martial, one scholarly.”

“Our true opponents aren’t each other, but these final two trials. I’m deeply grateful to Palace Master Feng for saving my life, so I’ve shared everything I know. If you choose to wait here for her, please convey my words to her.” Xue Bufan clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Qiu Shuangshuang. “I’ll be on my way now. May one of us claim the inheritance!”

With those words, Xue Bufan turned and stepped onto the stairs of the Ladder to Immortality.

He climbed slowly, his figure growing smaller with each step. Clouds drifted across the stairway, and his shadow eventually vanished behind them.

Qiu Shuangshuang slowly opened her mouth.

What should I do? What should I do?!

Just as she was frozen in indecision, she heard the door creak open. Feng Jue emerged, freshly adorned in immaculate robes, her forehead ornament now bearing a new, intricate pattern. She stowed the Jade House into her Storage Ring.

“You’re not going?” Feng Jue asked, clearly having overheard the conversation between Xue Bufan and Qiu Shuangshuang.

Qiu Shuangshuang murmured, “But my cultivation…”

Tsk.

Feng Jue curled her lip in impatience, her hand smoothing the golden hairpin in her hair. In a languid, dismissive tone, she said, “Xue Bufan, whose cultivation is inferior to yours, dares to press forward. And you’re afraid? What, do you really want to spend your life as the carefree Young Miss of the Autumn Water Pavilion?”

Qiu Shuangshuang froze, staring blankly as Feng Jue strode past her.

Feng Jue, a grown woman, towered over her, her bearing proud and elegant, her beauty at its peak. Her gaze, like a needle, pierced Qiu Shuangshuang’s heart, filling her with overwhelming shame.

“Whether you go or not is your choice. At least I’ll have one less rival. I wonder what my senior sisters and brothers, who’ve been so obsessed with this opportunity, will think when they realize the chance was right in front of me, yet I remained indifferent, leaving them with no hope.”

Feng Jue waved her hand, said “Goodbye,” and stepped onto the Ladder to Immortality.

03 emerged from Feng Jue’s collar, watching the shrinking figure in the distance. Qiu Shuangshuang had kept her head down the entire time, but just as she was about to disappear from sight, she suddenly moved.

“Qiu Shuangshuang is following,” 03 said to Feng Jue.

Feng Jue hummed in acknowledgment, lazily remarking, “She has some courage.”

“Come to think of it, with her innate talent and spiritual roots, she surpasses most cultivators in this Secret Realm. If she lacks the boldness to contend with heaven and man, why bother cultivating immortality at all?”

03 hopped onto Feng Jue’s shoulder, gripping a strand of her cascading hair. “Her parents protected her too well.”

It’s precisely because they protected her so well that she developed such reckless, fearless defiance, leading her to run away from home.

Feng Jue’s gaze darkened. She raised her arm, sweeping away the clouds at the hem of her sleeve, and said with careless disdain, “By the time I was fifteen, I’d experienced more hardships in the Secret Realm than all the tears she’ll ever shed in hers.”

“Host, you’re truly remarkably brave!” 03 immediately gushed, praising Feng Jue in a steady voice, exaggerating her virtues to the point where Feng Jue felt like pinching the System and throwing it off the sky. Just then, Feng Jue felt something cool brush against her cheek.

03 circled Feng Jue twice before landing on her shoulder. “Rest assured, I will protect you just as well.”

Feng Jue silently climbed upward. After a long pause, she chuckled softly. “You’re not calling me by name again?”

You could call me by name.

03 replied, “I will protect Feng Jue very well.”

Outside the Immortal Palace…

With the Shen Maiden’s death, the illusionary realm within the Dungeon vanished without a trace. Those who had escaped the illusion, or failed to escape, found themselves disoriented, their vision blurring and then clearing to reveal they were now in the midst of towering mountains.

“What’s going on?”

The group exchanged bewildered glances, realizing—how crowded it was.

So many people. Why was everyone here?

Disciples from various sects lay scattered across the ground like discarded trash, many still dazed and confused, as if awakening from a dream. Yet their faces were strikingly youthful.

Siyi’s gaze swept quickly over the scene, her brow furrowing.

It wasn’t just their youth; these disciples were renowned prodigies, each blessed with exceptional spiritual roots and talent.

“Fascinating,” Siyi chuckled softly.

They certainly knew how to select candidates.

The bewildered disciples exchanged glances, spontaneously gathering in small groups of two or three. Just then, a woman dressed in crimson robes pushed through the crowd, exclaiming in surprise, “Elder Siyi? You’re here too!”

The woman was none other than Gu Yuqing, a disciple from Renyang Peak of Lanyang Palace.

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