Ayin Qingzhu stared unblinkingly at the courtyard, concentrating entirely on sensing his aura.
The other elders were paying close attention as well, gathered in small groups to share their thoughts.
"I... I have never heard of anyone attempting the Threefold Nirvana Tribulation all at once! This is undoubtedly a suicidal way to boost one's strength!"
"What a pity. Such a rare cultivation genius, yet so fragile in mind, is about to perish beneath the Nirvana Tribulation."
"The tall tree catches the wind! I suppose he was simply too outstanding, to the point that even the heavens couldn't bear to watch."
"What a shame. The hope of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace rising to prominence has just been destroyed like this!"
Everyone present shook their heads and sighed.
[Ding! Ayin Qingzhu generates resentment. Emotion Value +50]
[Ding! Ayin Qingzhu generates shock. Emotion Value +100]
……
[Ding! Ayin Qingzhu generates joy. Emotion Value +199]
Meanwhile, inside the house, Chen Xuan was flushed bright red. The Nirvana Tribulation within his body had already erupted.
He had heard every word of the discussion outside, and naturally, he understood the joy Ayin Qingzhu felt at the end. She must have assumed that facing the Threefold Nirvana Tribulation meant he was undoubtedly doomed. Moreover, the moment he perished, the unfavorable public opinion surrounding her would be completely rewritten. In the end, even the person in the wrong would become Chen Xuan himself.
What a wonderful thought.
Unfortunately, it was nothing more than a thought.
Because when facing this Nirvana Tribulation, he had long since prepared a foolproof method.
He took out a jade pendant with a greenish hue. If Qin Xiuqing were here, she would surely recognize it as a Tribulation-Crossing Jade passed down from ancient times, capable of helping anyone survive the Nirvana Tribulation. It was a true priceless treasure that could not be bought with gold—virtually impossible to obtain!
Chen Xuan held the jade pendant in the palm of his hand and formed a hand seal with a single hand.
Suddenly, the greenish jade pendant began to gleam. The light was cool and gentle, quickly enveloping his entire body. In the blink of an eye, like refreshing a computer screen, the crimson red faded from Chen Xuan's body, and his physique returned to normal.
This meant he was completely unharmed and had successfully survived the Threefold Nirvana Tribulation.
Outside the courtyard, the crowd sensed that Chen Xuan's aura was exceptionally stable—even slightly stronger than that of some of the elders present.
Everyone stood frozen like statues, their eyes filled with shock, unable to recover their senses for a long time.
No one had expected Chen Xuan to actually succeed!
How did he do it?
The sound of whispers echoed continuously.
At the same time, not far away, Ayin Qingzhu was completely dumbfounded. Although she had not approved of Chen Xuan before, believing that while his talent was indeed impressive, he had not conquered her and thus was unworthy of being her husband—and consequently ignoring his advice—the man had now left her far behind in the dust, fully qualified.
The moment she remembered that he had just handed her a letter of divorce to end their marital relationship, she wondered: should she go up and congratulate him right now? To smooth things over?
Ayin Qingzhu stood there, hesitating for a long time.
Putting aside their past marriage as husband and wife, they belonged to the same sect, which alone meant she ought to go and offer congratulations. Perhaps, having just completed his breakthrough, he would be in such a good mood that he wouldn't hold her past actions against her. After all, their wedding had been known to every super sect in the Eastern Xuan Region, and Chen Xuan had loved her deeply. That previous letter of divorce might have just been a tactic to force her into willingly sharing a bed with him.
However, the moment she reached the doorway, she was blocked by a group of people.
"I'm sorry, Senior Sister, but Senior Brother Chen is in closed-door cultivation and does not wish to be disturbed."
Chen Fei's attitude was cold, his tone indifferent yet laced with a hint of anger.
Hearing this, Ayin Qingzhu could hardly believe her ears and eyes. She had long known that Chen Fei and Chen Xuan were close brothers. In the past, whenever she came here, Chen Fei and the others would call her sister-in-law, their attitudes exceptionally warm, even fighting over who would be the godfather to their future children.
Why had things changed now?
Before she could recover her wits, an impatient voice sounded in her ear.
"Senior Sister, leave at once while we haven't lost our tempers, or don't blame us for being rude!" Chen Fei rebuked coldly.
Before Chen Xuan and Ayin Qingzhu married, he too had fantasized about being the one by her side, living out his days with his goddess even if his cultivation was inferior, having no regrets. But looking at it now, he was grateful that Senior Brother Chen had sacrificed himself to let them see Ayin Qingzhu's true colors, allowing them to narrowly escape being cuckolded! Otherwise, given his temperament, he might have already charged over there.
"Convey my congratulations to him! Also, tell him I do not agree to a separation!"
With that, Ayin Qingzhu stepped upon a green lotus and vanished from everyone's sight.
[Ding! Ayin Qingzhu generates anger. Emotion Value +50]
Chen Xuan tallied the numbers in his mind. Today alone, he had harvested several hundred points of Emotion Value from Ayin Qingzhu. If only the elders were also listed in the system's database, this wave would have made him ridiculously wealthy!
Having completed his breakthrough, Chen Xuan was in high spirits and invited his best brothers in the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace—Chen Fei and the others—to his courtyard. They called it a celebration, but it was essentially a final farewell party before parting ways.
That night, the group drank until they were dead drunk, completely blacking out. In the end, Chen Xuan had to carry everyone back one by one.
Early the next morning, without disturbing them, Chen Xuan shouldered his pack and quietly left the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace.
Little did he know, atop a massive island within the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, Qin Xiuqing watched the young man's receding figure as he walked further and further away, then turned to the beauty beside her and said, "Qingzhu, surely now you realize what you've missed out on?"
To leap from a Body Tempering Stage cultivator to a Four-Yuan Nirvana Stage powerhouse in a mere five years!
This was no longer just being gifted; it was a rarity in this world!
Which super sect wouldn't spare no effort to retain a talent like this? Yet what about their Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace? They were parting ways with him simply because of Ayin Qingzhu. Qin Xiuqing could well imagine that once word got out, eight or nine out of ten super sects in the Eastern Xuan Region would likely go crazy, bringing forth conditions that were bound to be extremely tempting.
"Master, is there still room for redemption?" Ayin Qingzhu asked softly.
She regretted it too. But there was no medicine for regret in this world!
Sure enough, Qin Xiuqing sighed and said, "Redemption? How do you redeem this? Once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back."
Ayin Qingzhu clenched her slender hands tightly and remained silent.
*I haven't agreed. He can forget about separating!*
***
Meanwhile, after leaving the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, Chen Xuan had a clear objective: he sped away in the direction of the Great Yan Empire.
His purpose was very simple: revenge!
Fortunately, he had read the original novel and could roughly deduce where Lin Dong was currently located, saving him from wandering aimlessly like a headless fly in the Great Yan Empire and wasting time.
With his direction locked in, he wasted no time and traveled at full speed.
***