Battle Through the Heavens: Marry Cao Ying, Reward is Devouring Ancestral Symbol

Tang Huo’er visits againOnce the space tunnel was completely stabilized, Shen Wen personally tested it a few times.

Stepping in from the Snake-People Mountain Range, it took only a moment before his other foot emerged in that hidden valley on the outskirts of the Pill Domain.

After several trips back and forth to confirm that the spatial flow was steady, the anchors were firm, and there were no hidden risks, he finally felt completely at ease.

This tunnel, which had taken over a month and a massive amount of resources, was finally finished.

From now on, there would be no need to detour through Tianya City between the Northwest and the Central Plains; the core strongholds of both regions could be reached instantly.

Whether it was personnel transfers, material transport, or responding to emergencies, everything would be much more manageable.

Shen Wen didn’t linger in the Northwest.

After settling the follow-up matters with the four Elders of the Snake-People Clan and Shen Tian, who stayed behind, he stepped directly into the tunnel and returned to Holy Pill City.

The residence was quiet, and the sunlight was pleasant.

Cai Lin was reclining on a soft couch by the window of the flower hall, holding a scroll, her fingertips lightly stroking her already prominently rounded belly.

Xiao Yi Xian sat beside her, head down as she toyed with some freshly picked medicinal herbs. Her aura was a bit more condensed than before she left; it seemed her secluded cultivation had yielded significant gains.

When Shen Wen stepped into the hall, both women looked up simultaneously.

There were no greetings, just their eyes meeting.

Cai Lin’s purple eyes flickered with inquiry, while Xiao Yi Xian’s gentle gaze held the same concern.

Shen Wen nodded slightly, his tone calm. ”Everything that needed to be done is settled.”

He didn’t elaborate on the process, but that single sentence was enough.

The tension in Cai Lin’s eyes relaxed, and she didn’t ask further; a faint smile curved Xiao Yi Xian’s lips as she lowered her head to continue organizing her herbs.

Their understanding was already present in the silence.

Shen Wen was about to sit down when his gaze suddenly paused.

There was someone else in the hall.

Tang Huo’er was sitting in the guest seat, dressed in a red and black outfit with her crimson hair tied high, holding a teacup and chatting with Cai Lin and Xiao Yi Xian.

It was unclear what they had been discussing, but she had a smile on her face and a relaxed expression, completely unlike the awkward and stubborn demeanor she had when she first arrived at Pill City.

Why was she here?

Shen Wen’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

Hearing footsteps, Tang Huo’er turned her head, her gaze meeting his directly.

In that instant, the smile on her face brightened significantly, and a flash of undisguised joy crossed her eyes.

But almost immediately, that joy was suppressed, replaced by a carefully maintained, reserved, and proper demeanor.

She set down her teacup, stood up, and nodded slightly to him, her voice steady:

”Grandmaster Shen, you’re back. I came to discuss business with Sister Cao Ying; Burning Flame Valley has a few batches of medicinal herbs to handle, so I stopped by for a visit.”

Before Shen Wen could speak, he caught a glimpse of Xiao Yi Xian and Cai Lin exchanging a look.

That look clearly hid a trace of amusement.

The business had been settled several days ago.

Cai Lin lowered her eyes to flip through the scroll, but the corner of her mouth twitched slightly;

Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head to fiddle with the herbs, her eyelashes drooping, pretending she hadn’t heard.

Shen Wen suddenly understood.

He didn’t expose her, just smiled, his gaze landing on Tang Huo’er as he said casually:

”I see. Then I must congratulate Miss Tang on breaking through to Dou Zong.”

This wasn’t just a polite remark.

Tang Huo’er’s aura was completely different from before, much more solid and heavy, faintly exuding a blazing resonance of the same origin as the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame. She had indeed entered the Dou Zong realm.

Hearing him call her ”Miss Tang” right away, the awkwardness she had suppressed for several days flared up again.

She looked up directly at Shen Wen, her tone carrying a hint of stubbornness she hadn’t even noticed herself:

”Shen Wen, calling me Miss Tang is a bit too distant, isn’t it?”

The hall fell silent.

Xiao Yi Xian looked up for a moment before lowering her eyelids again; Cai Lin’s finger flipping the scroll paused slightly, then she continued as if nothing had happened.

Shen Wen readily followed her lead:

”Then I shall call you Miss Huo-er.”

Tang Huo’er was startled.

What was the difference between this and ”Miss Tang”?

And yet, coming from his mouth, it seemed... to have a bit more of an indescribable meaning.

She pursed her lips, not knowing how to retort, so she could only cough lightly and follow his lead:

”Speaking of which, I have to thank you. After refining the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, the Bottleneck that had stuck me for several years loosened up for no apparent reason.”

She paused, her tone becoming more serious. ”It wasn’t just a Breakthrough in cultivation.

After the Strange Fire entered my body, my cultivation speed became more than twice as fast as before, and my affinity for fire-attribute energy also grew much stronger.”

Shen Wen nodded, his tone flat but hitting the mark:

”Ranked twelfth on the strange fire ranking list, it is naturally a wondrous object of heaven and earth.

Burning Flame Valley has nurtured it for hundreds of years, and with the accumulation over time, the energy stored within is extremely vast.

Now that you’ve successfully refined it, this energy won’t explode all at once but will slowly release and merge into your body as you Cultivate.”

He looked at Tang Huo’er. ”For a long time to come, your progress will be a step faster than others.

This is the Strange Fire’s feedback, and also the foundation accumulated for you by the ancestors of Burning Flame Valley.”

Tang Huo’er listened quietly, the light in her eyes flickering slightly.

She knew Shen Wen was telling the truth, but when these words came from his mouth, they seemed to be more than just statements.

He could see her progress, and he could see the reason for it.

”Then if there are any difficulties in cultivation in the future, I might have to bother Grandmaster Shen again.”

Her tone was light, with a hint of a joke.

Shen Wen smiled:

”Miss Huo-er can come anytime.”

The address was still polite, but the tone was as natural as if it were meant to be.

Tang Huo’er didn’t stay long. After a few more pleasantries, she stood up to take her leave.

Her figure crossed the courtyard and disappeared beyond the residence gates. Her stride was still upright and brisk, but it seemed a bit lighter than when she arrived.

The hall returned to silence.

Xiao Yi Xian set down the herbs in her hand and looked up at Shen Wen, a faint smile in her eyes.

”These past few days, Miss Tang has come every day.”

Her voice was soft, as if stating a common occurrence. ”She said it was to discuss business. But the business was finished in half a day.”

Cai Lin set the scroll aside, her purple eyes sweeping over indifferently:

”Today is already the fourth day.”

Shen Wen sat down in a chair and took a sip of tea, his expression normal:

”Burning Flame Valley has a partnership with us. Since she’s new to Pill City, it’s only natural for her to visit often.”

Cai Lin didn’t respond, but the half-smile on her lips became more pronounced.

Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head and continued to organize her herbs, pretending she hadn’t heard.

Shen Wen set down the teacup, his gaze circling between Cai Lin and Xiao Yi Xian’s faces, rarely showing a hint of hesitation.

”There’s something...” He paused, rarely weighing his words. ”I want to discuss it with you.”

Cai Lin looked up, a trace of surprise flickering in her purple eyes. Shen Wen was usually decisive; what matter required such solemnity?

Xiao Yi Xian also set down the herbs in her hand and said gently, ”Husband, just say it.”

Shen Wen rubbed his nose, feeling a rare sense of guilt:

”What do you think... if I take Qing Lin as a concubine?”

As his voice fell, the hall went silent again.

Cai Lin’s eyes flickered as she looked Shen Wen up and down. Her gaze wasn’t exactly surprised; it was more like a realization of ”as expected.”