The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered around the young girl, her skin glowing faintly as she struggled to guide the flow of spiritual power within her body.  

She skillfully manipulated the energy circulation method represented by the Spring Transformation Scripture, the introductory cultivation technique of the North Star Sect.  

After multiple cycles of breathing and energy consolidation, beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead. She exhausted all her strength, striving to break through and successfully reach the Foundation Establishment stage.  

However, as the spiritual energy around her rapidly dissipated, the outcome of this breakthrough became painfully clear.  

The girl slowly opened her eyes, her face pale, a trace of unwillingness flashing in her gaze.  

…Failed again.  

Shen Qixi lowered her head and glanced at her palm.  

Upon realizing the result, her nails had dug into her skin, leaving red marks.  

Her heart was heavy, but she didn’t have much time to dwell on her thoughts alone.  

She sat on a formation disc carved from Celestial Blackstone, surrounded by glowing spirit crystals that filled the cave, providing an endless supply of power to the protective formation.  

Not far away, a barrier shimmering with violet light stood strong at the cave entrance, shielding it from intrusion.  

The spiritual energy here was abundant, undisturbed by outsiders—undoubtedly an excellent place for cultivation and advancement.  

Suddenly, the barrier at the cave entrance began to fade, dissolving.  

Someone outside had sensed the fluctuations in Shen Qixi’s spiritual energy, which meant they already knew she had failed to reach Foundation Establishment yet again.  

Shen Qixi couldn’t afford to wallow in self-pity.  

As the protective barrier completely dissolved, daylight streamed in. Shen Qixi hurriedly stood up, her heart weighed down by the frustration of failure.  

Carefully, she stepped out of the cave used for breakthroughs. The sky was dotted with leisurely white clouds, and the light fell upon her, illuminating her North Star Sect disciple uniform—simple in white and blue hues. Her delicate features could be described as beautiful.  

Outside the cave, someone was waiting for her.  

The man stood tall like a slender bamboo, his skin as cold and flawless as jade, his aura formidable. He wore a snow-white cloak, the collar revealing a long, pale neck.  

He was Immortal Venerable Rong Xueci, the leader of the North Star Sect, the righteous leader in the eyes of the cultivation world, and also Shen Qixi’s husband.  

Cultivators who had reached Foundation Establishment and beyond no longer concerned themselves with the whims of weather.  

Most preferred light, ethereal robes that fluttered gracefully.  

Yet Rong Xueci had a peculiar fondness for cloaks—fluffy ones.  

Shen Qixi knew that his storage ring contained many such cloaks.  

On him, the cloak didn’t appear heavy but instead exuded an air of nobility and elegance, enhancing his immortal aura.  

Shen Qixi lowered her head and walked to Rong Xueci’s side.  

“Going home?” Rong Xueci glanced at her, his words concise.  

Shen Qixi parted her lips, hesitated for a moment, then nodded before speaking again, “I’ve mastered the energy circulation of the Spring Transformation Scripture, but when I try to break through, my spiritual power stagnates. I can’t unleash the full potential of the scripture.”  

“Husband, do you know what I should do?”  

Rong Xueci seemed stumped by the question.  

The Spring Transformation Scripture was an introductory technique of the North Star Sect, typically used by outer disciples.  

Rong Xueci, however, had never practiced the Spring Transformation Scripture. His path of cultivation was entirely different from that of his mortal wife.  

“My lady, I don’t understand it,” he admitted after a pause, his exquisite brows furrowing helplessly.  

The courage Shen Qixi had mustered instantly deflated.  

She felt somewhat ridiculous in front of Rong Xueci.  

He had never struggled with breaking through to Foundation Establishment.  

It was said that Rong Xueci’s cultivation had already reached the Great Ascension stage—the next step was ascension to immortality.  

The more she asked, the more she felt ashamed of her own inadequacy.  

A cold hand enveloped hers, snapping her out of her thoughts. Rong Xueci held her fingers and guided her onto a slender, razor-sharp sword.  

This sword was Frostwater Moon, Rong Xueci’s commonly used Heaven-grade flight artifact.  

Ordinary cultivators couldn’t wield it.  

Even Golden Core cultivators were incapable of using it, let alone someone at the Qi Refining stage. Attempting to control it wouldn’t result in flight but rather an invasion of deadly frost energy from the artifact, endangering one’s life.  

Thus, Rong Xueci raised a hand and cast a protective barrier around Shen Qixi.  

The flight artifact soared into the sky.  

The high-altitude wind brushed against Shen Qixi’s face. She glanced absently and spotted a few cultivators in the distance.

Those cultivators were all at the Nascent Soul stage, their spiritual senses vast enough to instantly detect the aura of a low-level cultivator.  

“Immortal Venerable is with his wife again,” the cultivators murmured among themselves.  

“It seems his wife failed another breakthrough.”  

“Tsk tsk, just as I expected. A mere mortal like her—reaching Qi Refining is already the height of her fortune.”  

“A hundred years, and she still hasn’t broken through to Foundation Establishment. Does Immortal Venerable truly intend to stay with her?”  

“The cultivation resources he’s given her are things most cultivators can only dream of. What a waste.”  

“Ah, Immortal Venerable and his wife are simply too mismatched.”  

“Who knows why he even married her? With her talent, she wouldn’t even qualify as an outer disciple of our North Star Sect.”  

The mocking words reached Shen Qixi’s ears.  

Such remarks were nothing new to her.  

Most people thought this way—gossip was impossible to suppress.  

A hundred years ago, Shen Qixi had been brought from the mortal realm to the cultivation world by Rong Xueci.  

He had proposed to her and made her his wife.  

Back then, Shen Qixi had been nothing more than a herb-gathering girl from a remote mountain village.  

After marrying Rong Xueci, it felt like she had stepped into the clouds.  

An immortal had fallen in love with her, decided to spend his life with her, and taken her away from the village.  

In storybooks, this would have been a beautiful, romantic tale.  

But the happiness didn’t last.  

After arriving in the cultivation world, Shen Qixi realized that the immortal she had married was a figure of reverence, someone who stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.  

They were from entirely different worlds.  

Her marriage to Rong Xueci was not looked upon favorably by the cultivation world.  

Most believed Rong Xueci had lost his mind, marrying an utterly ordinary mortal.  

This was Rong Xueci—a man who could crush a Divine Transformation powerhouse with a single finger.  

No matter how one looked at it, they were mismatched.  

At first, people had assumed that Rong Xueci’s mortal wife must possess some extraordinary quality.  

But Shen Qixi’s talent was mediocre—no, worse than mediocre. She was a standard mortal, standing out awkwardly among the disciples of the North Star Sect. When she stood beside Rong Xueci, the sight struck the cultivators as indescribably jarring.  

Shen Qixi stole a glance at Rong Xueci. His profile was sharp and refined, a crimson teardrop mole perfectly placed at the outer corner of his right eye—an icy beauty that was also devastatingly captivating.  

“Husband, I…”  

Rong Xueci said, “You need not pay them any mind.”  

I’ll work harder to reach Foundation Establishment. 

Shen Qixi swallowed the words rising in her throat and pressed her lips together. “Yes.”  

Even if Rong Xueci had patience, she found it increasingly difficult to repeat her promises.  

Failing a breakthrough once was understandable.  

Failing twice meant there was still room for improvement.  

Failing three times meant she could try again.  

But four, five, six, seven times… with no end in sight.  

Attempt after attempt, failure after failure—it bred a crushing sense of defeat.  

It also made her realize the cruelty of the cultivation path. Some things could not be achieved through effort alone. Without talent, no amount of hard work would suffice.  

Once, when she had first entered the cultivation world and learned she possessed a spiritual root—that she could cultivate alongside Rong Xueci—she had been full of hope for the future.  

Now, her eyes stung, a sour ache rising in her chest.  

Frostwater Moon was incredibly fast. Soon, they arrived at the mountain peak where their cave residence was located.  

Shen Qixi raised a hand to wipe the corner of her eye.  

A gaze settled on her.  

Rong Xueci was watching her.  

Shen Qixi froze.  

Normally, Rong Xueci didn’t look at her much.  

He always avoided prolonged eye contact.  

Sometimes, Shen Qixi felt as though he was restraining himself.  

Had he grown weary of her? Was he only staying with her out of obligation?  

He studied her for a moment, and Shen Qixi suddenly didn’t know what to do.  

Then, she thought she saw a flash of amber in Rong Xueci’s eyes.  

Just as she was about to look closer, he blinked, his long lashes casting delicate shadows.  

A glimmer of light flickered at his fingertips.  

His slender fingers held a pale green pill that exuded a refreshing fragrance.  

“Husband, what is this?” Shen Qixi took the pill, puzzled.  

The immortal pill was wrapped in spiritual energy, soothing to the senses.  

But she wasn’t injured—she didn’t need healing.  

This pill was also different from the usual ones that replenished spiritual power.  

“Lotus Heart Pill,” Rong Xueci said gently.  

“For Qi Refining cultivators to extend their lifespan.”