Chapter 1

The weather in the Cultivation world was ever-changing.  

Snow had just fallen moments ago, yet thunder now rumbled across the skies. Above Celestial Pivot Peak, dark thunderclouds blotted out the sun, their deafening roars shaking the heavens. Within the clouds, colossal bolts of violet-gold lightning, thick as pillars, gathered the spiritual energy of heaven and earth before crashing violently onto the lone figure at the peak.  

This was no ordinary storm.  

Someone was undergoing Tribulation Transcending.  

Before the viewing platform, nearly a thousand disciples jostled for space, crowding together to witness this rare spectacle.  

“It’s actually the Nine-Nine Golden Immortal Tribulation!”  

“Incredible! Who could possess such cultivation and fortune?”  

“You don’t even know that? And you dare call yourself a disciple of the Profound Sky Sect?”  

“I’m new here, I really don’t know.”  

“Who else could it be but the master of Celestial Pivot Peak—Junior Uncle Chu Xuanqing?”  

“Chu Xuanqing?!”  

Within the Profound Sky Sect, the name Chu Xuanqing was legendary.  

Not only was he the youngest disciple personally taken in by the sect’s founder, renowned as the prodigious Junior Uncle who had reached the Tribulation Transcending realm at a young age—but also because Celestial Pivot Peak oversaw sect discipline. Any disciple who violated the sect’s rules would inevitably be handed over to Celestial Pivot Peak for punishment.  

Rumor had it that the master of Celestial Pivot Peak was merciless and ruthless in his methods.  

Those who fell into his hands faced either three thousand strikes of the rod for minor offenses or the extraction of their Immortal Bone and expulsion from the sect for grave ones.  

Upon learning that the one undergoing tribulation was Chu Xuanqing, the disciples who had abandoned their tasks to watch the spectacle instinctively took half a step back, fearing that their curiosity might land them in trouble.  

Yet, the allure of witnessing a Golden Immortal’s ascension ultimately outweighed their fear.  

The crowd lingered, unwilling to disperse.  

The Nine-Nine Golden Immortal Tribulation, as the name suggested, required enduring eighty-one heavenly thunderbolts to succeed.  

So far, Chu Xuanqing had only withstood the first.  

The remaining eighty would grow increasingly devastating.  

By now, Celestial Pivot Peak had been flattened by the bombardment, and the protective barriers set up by the sect’s peak masters and elders had mostly shattered. From the viewing platform, Chu Xuanqing’s snow-white robes made him appear as insignificant as a lone snowflake amidst the overwhelming tempest of lightning.  

“No one in the Cultivation world has ascended in over a thousand years. And now, the first to do so is a Golden Immortal!”  

“Tsk, don’t speak too soon. Whether Chu Xuanqing can ascend is still uncertain.”  

“Junior Uncle is a once-in-a-generation genius, and he summoned the Nine-Nine Golden Immortal Tribulation. Surely, he’ll succeed?”  

“You don’t understand…”  

On the fifth day of the tribulation, during the forty-second bolt of the Nine-Nine Golden Immortal Tribulation—  

An anomaly occurred.  

Ordinary cultivators feared their cultivation being insufficient or their Dao-heart wavering during tribulation, leading to their bodies and souls being obliterated. But Chu Xuanqing’s tribulation was different. Before the forty-second bolt, he had remained composed, as if leisurely sipping tea amidst blooming flowers. After the forty-second bolt, he himself was unharmed—but the heavenly lightning was not.  

To the astonishment of all, the violet-gold tribulation lightning fizzled out like a firework doused in water.  

“How could this happen?”  

“The tribulation lightning hasn’t finished descending, yet it’s dissipating?”  

“No way! What kind of phenomenon is this?”  

As the disciples buzzed with discussion, not only did the thunder grow quieter, but the lightning itself also thinned. Initially as thick as pillars, by the forty-third bolt, it had shrunk to the size of a child’s arm. By the forty-fourth—  

With a faint *hiss*—  

The thunderclouds dispersed, and daylight gradually returned.  

Snowflakes the size of salt grains fluttered down.  

The tribulation lightning had completely vanished.  

“…”  

“It’s over! Junior Uncle has failed his tribulation—*again*!”  

“How boring. I thought it would last longer this time, especially since it was the Nine-Nine Golden Immortal Tribulation.”

“I see this Nine-Nine Golden Immortal Tribulation isn’t all that impressive after all.”

“Ah, lost the bet. Next time I’ll learn my lesson and go all in on Junior Uncle’s victory.”

Clearly, such scenes were already commonplace in the Profound Sky Sect.

To put it in modern terms,

Chu Xuanqing was like a high school senior who’d been retaking the college entrance exams for decades. At first, everyone had high hopes, waiting for him to top the charts. But after so many attempts, whenever news spread that he was taking the test again, people just used it as gambling material.

And since it was a gamble, once the results came out and the suspense disappeared, the crowd naturally dispersed.

The once crowded and lively viewing platform quickly became deserted.

Only a girl in a goose-yellow feathered cloak with twin buns remained, holding up a paper umbrella against the snow, unwilling to leave for the longest time.

“Who’s she?”

A disciple glanced at the girl before leaving.

The girl had a petite oval face, fair pink skin, cherry-red lips, and lively cat-like eyes that were adorable and playful, with a striking beauty mark between her brows.

Even in the Cultivation world where beauties were everywhere, her looks were exceptional.

“That one—”

“Who else could it be but Chu Xuanqing’s Dao Companion, Junior Aunt Ming Yan from Celestial Pivot Peak.”

“So it’s her. I heard…”

“Junior Aunt” Ming Yan was unaware she’d become the center of the disciples’ gossip.

Standing on the viewing platform, she quietly tightened her cloak. After the crowd dispersed, the temperature dropped rapidly, and with Celestial Pivot Peak’s perpetual snowfall, Ming Yan—who had only just reached Foundation Establishment—found it hard to endure.

“Why is it taking so long this time?”

Seeing that everyone had left and she was the only one remaining, Ming Yan muttered under her breath.

Her gaze fell on the distant peak of Celestial Pivot Peak, where her husband Chu Xuanqing had just undergone his tribulation. Unfortunately, fate played its tricks again—this time, he still hadn’t succeeded.

“Thirty-six times now. The book said that if Chu Xuanqing fails his tribulation forty-nine times, he’ll undergo a drastic change in temperament and kill his wife to prove his Dao.”

Ming Yan counted on her fingers. “Thirteen more to go.”

She sighed softly.

Feeling a bit anxious.

It had been countless years since she transmigrated into this novel, *Catching Demons and Seeking the Dao*.

Back then, when Ming Yan saw a cannon-fodder female character with the same name as hers in the novel, her heart sank with foreboding. Later, after reading the book five times—almost memorizing it—sure enough…

She transmigrated into it.

At least she was prepared.

Ming Yan thought with relief.

*Catching Demons and Seeking the Dao* was exactly what its title suggested—a story about the female lead Mu Qingqing, a descendant of demon hunters, who leveled up by slaying demons throughout the Cultivation world. Righteous and unyielding, Mu Qingqing killed small demons and big demons alike, wielding her ancestral artifact, the Demon-Slaying Whip, with unstoppable efficiency.

And the original Ming Yan, unfortunately, was just one of the countless minor cannon-fodder demons who died under that whip.

The tragic backstory of this minor character aside, let’s fast-forward to Ming Yan’s transmigration.

Not long after arriving, Ming Yan discovered that the seemingly insignificant original host actually harbored a huge secret.

Ming Yan was an unkillable demon!

Not only that, but whoever killed her would have all their cultivation absorbed by her.

Even more overpowered than the legendary Star-Sucking Skill.

In the novel, the original owner relied on this very point to dare confront Mu Qingqing as a demon. Little did she expect that the Demon-Slaying Whip in Mu Qingqing’s hands was a divine artifact from the upper realm, imbued with the laws of Heaven. No matter how extraordinary the original owner’s talents were, she couldn’t withstand the judgment of Heaven’s laws.

The original owner died in confusion.

While the original owner didn’t understand, Ming Yan knew all too well.

What Heaven’s laws? It was just another way of saying “protagonist’s halo.”

In the world of the novel, opposing the female lead was practically asking for death.

That said, in a world where humans and demons were irreconcilable, it was hard for a demon like the original owner to survive unscathed without high cultivation.

So, Ming Yan set her sights on the novel’s major antagonist—Chu Xuanqing, who attained the Dao by slaying his wife.

About Chu Xuanqing, the book wrote:

[Chu Xuanqing, the youngest uncle of the Profound Sky Sect, possessed unparalleled spiritual roots and celestial talent, a once-in-ten-millennium genius of the Cultivation world. Yet, fate was unkind. With the gates between the upper and lower realms sealed, Chu Xuanqing failed forty-nine Tribulation Transcendences, leading to a drastic change in temperament. He turned to the Path of Emotionlessness and slew his wife.]

In the early parts of the novel, Chu Xuanqing, as the youngest uncle of the Profound Sky Sect, was aloof but garnered many fans due to his formidable strength and high “coolness” factor.

No one expected him to turn deranged in the mid-to-late stages of the story, sparking an uproar in the comments.

“Chu Xuanqing, you scumbag, die! Can’t ascend and blames your wife?”

“Being his wife is so tragic. Rest in peace, sister. May your next life be free of trash men.”

“I actually liked Chu Xuanqing before—ugh, sisters, I feel tainted!”

Among the countless comments condemning Chu Xuanqing as vile and low, Ming Yan had contributed her share. She even recalled writing a particularly inspired long rant, vehemently demanding that the author make the female lead strike down the scumbag Chu Xuanqing in the later chapters.

So when Ming Yan transmigrated into the novel and learned the secret burdening the original owner, she immediately thought of Chu Xuanqing: What a coincidence!

Wasn’t this scumbag fond of Wife-slaying Dao Attainment?

Fine, let him slay her.

She wasn’t afraid of him killing her—she was afraid he wouldn’t.

If he killed her, not only would she not die, but she could also absorb all his cultivation.

After all, in the novel, Chu Xuanqing was the undisputed pinnacle of combat power in the early stages.

If she obtained his full Tribulation Transcendence cultivation, she could dominate the Cultivation world. Even if she couldn’t defeat the female lead, couldn’t she at least avoid her?

Thus, Ming Yan schemed to marry Chu Xuanqing.

Counting back, it had been ten years since she and Chu Xuanqing became Dao Companions.

In those ten years, Chu Xuanqing devoted himself to cultivation, attempting Tribulation Transcendence after Tribulation Transcendence—five times this year alone.

The entire sect placed high hopes on this “repeater.” On the surface, they told him, “Youngest Uncle, don’t feel pressured,” but secretly, they all hoped their sect would produce an immortal, allowing them to rise along with him.

Only Ming Yan knew the gates to the upper realm were sealed shut—Chu Xuanqing could never ascend, no matter what.

Now, having failed his thirty-sixth Tribulation Transcendence—though not yet forty-nine—his resentment and frustration must have reached a boiling point.

It was time, Ming Yan thought, watching the tall figure approaching her through the snow.

The snowfall grew heavier.

Impatient for him to reach her, Ming Yan strode forward.

“Husband—”

She lifted her skirt and bumped headfirst into Chu Xuanqing’s unyielding chest, pouting in complaint.  

“Why are you so late this time?”  

Chu Xuanqing took the paper umbrella from her hand, holding it aloft with one hand while the other encircled her slender waist. His reply was succinct:  

“Business.”  

“What business could be more important than me?”  

Ming Yan tilted her head up to look at Chu Xuanqing.  

The man’s jawline was flawless, his thin lips slightly pressed together. With his black hair and dark eyes, he looked as if he had stepped out of a painting—exceptionally handsome. At the corners of his eyes, the faint crimson glow of an Immortal Mark shimmered, a sign of his cultivation at the Great Perfection of Tribulation Transcendence Stage, adding an eerie allure to his appearance.  

The only pity was his frigid demeanor. Ordinary people would fall ill from the chill before they could even get close.  

Ming Yan blinked her cat-like eyes, her tone innocent. “Speaking of which, this is already your thirty-sixth failed Tribulation Transcending, isn’t it?”  

“Mn.” Chu Xuanqing glanced at her, his expression unchanged.  

Ming Yan found it strange.  

Any man with ordinary pride would have been angered by such words from his Dao Companion.  

Especially someone like Chu Xuanqing—a man born with incomparable arrogance.  

It wouldn’t even be surprising if he stabbed her through with his sword right now!  

Yet Chu Xuanqing remained utterly unaffected.  

Truly, as the saying went, barking dogs don’t bite, and biting dogs don’t bark.  

Ming Yan then considered her outfit for the day.  

The inner robes beneath her cloak were meticulously chosen for color and style, her hairstyle specially arranged to balance elegance and charm.  

She had even taken care to darken her brows with charcoal and rouge her lips and cheeks.  

A flawless death ensemble—nothing left to chance.  

So she poured oil on the fire: “I heard that Immortal Chief Wang next door only needed three attempts to ascend.”  

The moment the words left her lips, the temperature between heaven and earth plummeted.  

Even the falling snow seemed to freeze midair.  

Was he… angry?  

A thrill of delight ran through Ming Yan. This tactic really worked.  

In the next instant, the oppressive aura of a Great Perfection Tribulation Transcendence cultivator descended upon her like a towering mountain.  

Chu Xuanqing gazed coldly at Ming Yan and raised his right hand.  

Death loomed. Ming Yan’s heart tightened, a bead of cold sweat forming at the tip of her nose.  

Here it comes—  

Wife-slaying Dao Attainment is finally here!  

She had longed for this day, yet now that it was upon her, fear crept in. Was this the might of a Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert? Terrifying! But soon… it would be hers.  

“It’s the thirty-seventh time.”  

Chu Xuanqing’s fingertip brushed against the vermilion beauty mark between Ming Yan’s brows, tracing it lightly.  

Ming Yan: ?  

Are you… proud of that?