259: Xinrong enters the third rank! Ultimatum!

Shen Xinrong stared blankly at the bronze cauldron, which had returned to its calm state, her eyes filled with incredibly complex emotions.

There was shock, dawning realization, and even profound sorrow.

She slowly stood up, walked to the offering table, and her fingertips trembled slightly as she touched the cold body of the cauldron.

"So... it was because of it?" Her voice was hoarse, tinged with bitterness and self-mockery.

"The lives of dozens of people in my Shen Family, all because of this insignificant thing... A family heirloom, yet it became a death warrant. Truly... an ominous object."

She abruptly pulled her hand back, as if burned, and turned to Li Shengyuan, her eyes filled with determination: "Shengyuan, this object, to me, will only constantly remind me of that bloody nightmare."

"Since it showed its peculiarity through your power, perhaps it was destined for you. Keeping it with you is better than it bringing me more sorrow, and it's safer. The Demonic Cult painstakingly wants to obtain it; if it's with you, they'll never get it!"

"Please... take it."

Li Shengyuan looked at the unshed tears in Shen Xinrong's eyes and her resolute expression, understanding that she wasn't being sentimental, but truly saw this object as the source of disaster, while also containing her absolute trust in him.

He pondered for a moment, did not decline, and nodded solemnly: "Alright, I will temporarily keep this object. Aunt Shen, rest assured, I will investigate its origin and purpose. The blood of the Shen Family will not be shed in vain!"

He reached out and took the seemingly ordinary bronze cauldron; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, and that restrained, ancient Dao rhythm once again resonated subtly with the Divine Demonic Power within him.

He carefully put the cauldron away.

The Demonic Cult exterminated the Shen Family, seeking a treasure, yet they never expected the treasure to be openly placed in the Shen Family ancestral hall... They probably only knew that the Shen Family possessed this ultimate treasure, but didn't know what it looked like, ultimately leading to a fruitless effort.

Afterward, Li Shengyuan, Yue Xiyan, and his other beautiful wives and parents left the old Shen Family residence first, leaving the space to Shen Xinrong.

She wanted to be alone, to speak with her parents again, to confide the years of separation and longing, and to comfort their spirits in heaven.

Only after killing one of the true culprits would she have the face to step into this place again and speak to her parents... It wasn't until the sun set, painting the sky orange, that Shen Xinrong slowly emerged from the ancestral hall.

When she reappeared before the waiting crowd, everyone keenly noticed the change in her.

Previously, although Shen Xinrong's cultivation was not weak, a hint of unresolved sorrow and gloom always lingered between her brows.

But at this moment, although her eyes were still slightly red, her entire aura had become serene and clear, her true qi flowing smoothly throughout her body, subtly emanating a more powerful fluctuation.

Yue Xiyan's beautiful eyes widened slightly, and she exclaimed in surprise: "Xinrong, your... your cultivation..."

A hint of surprise also flashed in Li Shengyuan's eyes, followed by understanding.

He sensed that Shen Xinrong's aura had steadily advanced from her previous Fourth-Rank realm into the Third-Rank realm!

Moreover, her foundation was stable, not a forced advancement, but more like a natural progression.

Long ago, when he and Aunt Shen were intimate, her cultivation had been stuck at a bottleneck, difficult to improve, likely due to the obsession in her heart hindering her progress.

Dao cultivators prioritize their state of mind the most!

Now that a major revenge had been initially exacted, the obsession in her heart had likely gradually become complete.

This led to the sublimation of her soul, smoothly advancing directly to the Third-Rank!

Shen Xinrong felt everyone's gazes, nodded slightly, and softly said: "Before my parents' spirits, I spoke all the words that had been suppressed in my heart for many years, and my state of mind seems to have... suddenly cleared."

"The bottleneck of many years has actually been broken."

Her words were calm, yet conveyed a sense of relief and rebirth.

Having let go of some obsessions and initially avenged a blood feud, her Dao heart had been cleansed and sublimated.

Li Mu and Wenren Qingxuan exchanged glances, both with relief in their eyes.

Princess Pingyang, Yue Xiyan, and Yue Qingmeng, the master and disciple, all congratulated her, happy for this.

Breaking through a realm was a joyous occasion, but what made them even happier was the change in Shen Xinrong's mindset.

Li Shengyuan nodded with a smile: "Congratulations, Aunt Shen, on your breakthrough in mindset and advancement in cultivation. Your uncle and aunt, with their spirits in heaven, must feel comforted."

He paused, his gaze then turning sharp, "Now, only the last step remains."

Night fell.

Li Shengyuan was alone in the study, taking out the small mirror, a communication artifact exclusively used for speaking with his Senior Sister Female Emperor Mu Qingning, and infused it with magical power.

A moment later, the jade talisman glowed faintly, and from the other end came the cold and authoritative face and voice of Empress Mu Qingning:

"Shengyuan, what is it?"

Seeing Li Shengyuan, a hint of joy and longing also appeared in Female Emperor Mu Qingning's eyes.

"Senior Sister," Li Shengyuan's tone was grave, "Lord Nu Tao has been executed and offered before the Shen Family spirits. Aunt Shen's state of mind has broken through, reaching the Third-Rank."

"Now, we just await news from Zixuan and Xue Yao. Once they find concrete evidence of Prince Wei Mu Weiran colluding with the Demonic Cult and acting against the Shen Family... I will personally go to Prince Weis Residence and take his life, to honor the spirits of the entire Shen Family in heaven!"

"I hope you, and those old fellows in the imperial family, are mentally prepared!"

After capturing Lord Nu Tao and performing soul-searching to obtain the necessary intelligence and information, he had sent Zixuan and Xue Yao to work.

With their efficiency, it should be soon!

Female Emperor Mu Qingning on the other end of the mirror was silent for a moment, then Female Emperor Mu Qingning's voice carried a chilling murderous intent:

"Granted! The day the evidence is conclusive will be the day Prince Wei is brought to justice, and at that time, no one in the imperial family will dare to object!"

"I, await your news."

The communication ended, and Li Shengyuan looked up in the direction of the imperial capital, his gaze like a knife.

The candlelight in the study fell on him, casting a long shadow, and a fierce murderous intent permeated around him...