As Qin Yun had expected, his clan couldn't hold themselves back for long in demanding his inheritance. While he felt the urge to deny them this victory, dealing with the aftermath would be too much of a hassle. Still, this success would never come at his own expense. Why should he be the one to pay for a deal he never agreed to?

As for who was sent to deliver this notice, it was predictable. Once again, Qin Meihui was forced to deliver the news, putting her in an awkward position. While she felt revolted having to do this, she couldn't go against her family since it was even her grandfather himself, the current patriarch, who had demanded this of her.

Yet, Qin Yun didn’t hold it against her; he even welcomed her with a smile. As for her attitude toward Yun Jingfei, while they couldn't be considered friends, they were civil enough. Qin Yun didn't expect the two women to share all their thoughts immediately, but at least it was a start.

While most of Yun Jingfei's life had only consisted of cultivation, she still knew how to recognize the situation due to her prior circumstances. She knew there was something between her husband and this cousin of his, yet she chose not to pry. While she was married to him, she felt no urge to monopolize him nor jealousy.

Besides, while their relationship was physical, Yun Jingfei felt no emotional attachment to this man. Honestly, she hadn’t felt any attachment to most of those she had met. Maybe her heart had frozen over as she fell to the depths of despair, or perhaps this was simply her nature from the start. Still, this didn't mean she didn't feel gratitude or a sense of responsibility. She had agreed to this contract and would fulfill her end.

On her end, Qin Meihui didn't know how to feel seeing the man she was close to with another woman. It had only been a few days, yet their relationship seemed close, like they knew some secrets she wasn't privy to; she felt alienated and lonely, yet somehow glad that this man felt less apathetic than he once was.

Their conversation didn’t last long as they returned to the dreaded subject. Somehow, Qin Meihui expected Qin Yun to deny them entirely, yet she was shocked when he brought the crystal limb out of thin air. While she didn't know if this was what the clan sought from him, she knew this object's value from a single glance. Just the energy flowing through it was overbearing.

With her spoil in hand, Qin Meihui left, leaving the couple to their own devices. She was eager to report back to her grandfather and be done with this. Somehow, she felt things wouldn't be that simple, yet she hoped it wouldn't involve her further. While she did appreciate that man, she had her own life to consider.

Days passed, and much remained the same. While Qin Yun wasn't aware of the clan's thoughts on his inheritance, judging by the silent treatment he received, it seemed good enough.

With that out of mind, Qin Yun began his new research project. Those crystal creatures offered untold possibilities, and it would be sacrilegious to let them rot in his black box. He tried many things to harness that strange energy, but somehow, all it ever led to was an explosion.

Fortunately, he was prepared and stifled it by simply putting the crystal material back into the black box, as somehow, time didn't flow in that dimension. Anything placed inside would come back out in the exact same state it was put in.

Since his research into that energy had reached a standstill, Qin Yun chose to focus on another aspect. Namely the material's sturdiness. If he could harness this material to forge artifacts, he might birth something incredible. And so, from this day forth, the sound of heavy objects hammering into the crystal substance echoed constantly from his small courtyard, yet wouldn’t reach the outside as a small formation prevented any sounds from leaking out. He had taken inspiration from the formation he saw during his wedding and improved it slightly so as to render it invisible to any practitioners.

In a corner of the courtyard, Qin Yun had built a rudimentary smithy where he could experiment with forging. While crude, it still helped reveal some of the material's properties. For one, this crystal was sturdier than most of what he had ever seen. Using most of his strength, he only made the material cave slightly while destroying most of the ground beneath. As he expected, this makeshift building couldn’t handle the strain of his strength.

His other discovery was that, as he hammered the material, the energy flowing through would slow down, and some of it would be lost and absorbed into the material, somehow resembling his Qi when he used it to strengthen his body. With each recurrent hit, the material became slightly duller yet much harder. He would need to add more force to his blow to achieve the same effect a second time.

With his courtyard reaching the apex of what it could endure, Qin Yun had no choice but to relocate if he wished to complete his project. Yet, a smithy sturdy enough to withstand his strength would be hard to manufacture with his current means; he could only borrow one. Fortunately, one of his acquaintances could provide what he lacked.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

With this goal in mind, Qin Yun left his small workshop only to stumble upon a strange phenomenon. The sky had turned dark as thunderclouds rose overhead. Lightning arced upon their surface, filling the world with a sense of oppression.

At first, Qin Yun believed this to be the Heavens' reaction to someone attempting to reach a higher realm but soon ruled against it. Its might was much too spread out to be true Heavenly Thunder. It was as if the very land had incurred divine wrath.

He found Yun Jingfei not far away, sword in hand, looking above with a complicated expression. Qin Yun could guess her thoughts. It wasn't that long ago that she attempted her breakthrough, as she faced the very same oppression from the world. Yet, she fell in the end. This situation probably brought only bitter memories.

Still, this oppression was much stronger than it was for her. It seemed the reason for its arrival was much more severe than they thought.

A few moments later, opaque clouds darkened the sky as they blocked the sun's light, plunging the world into obscurity. Then came a flash of light that blinded all creation, followed by another, then another until the land itself was scorched black.

Forests lit aflame as the land caved in to this destructive force, yet the source of the Heavens’ ire was nowhere to be found. Thunder struck as if to simply relieve its frustrations. This was a scene akin to the end of the world.

Yun Jingfei shook slightly as she gripped her sword ever tighter. Her knuckles paled as she resisted the urge to buckle under this pressure. Despite her non-existent cultivation, the Heavens still regarded her as someone at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. She had to resist a stronger pressure than most, which she was mainly unable to.

Sweat pooled under her mask as she gritted her teeth, trying to keep her consciousness from fading. Yet, such struggles were useless as no one could resist Heaven’s Might. With a slight trace of blood dripping from her mouth as she bit her lips, her world faded to black, and she went limp.

Fortunately, Qin Yun was there to catch her, holding her in his arms as he had already predicted her predicament. Still, he felt a slight sense of pride at her display of endurance. Few were those who could stand tall under Heaven’s Might. As the saying went, Under Heavens, all are but ants. Yet, Yun Jingfei had proven them wrong as she defied her fate until she blacked out. Few were those who could claim the same.

As for Qin Yun, he felt no pressure as he wasn’t deemed a cultivator by this ethereal existence. While many speculated on what this strange force was, even whether it possessed sentience, Qin Yun had some doubts of his own, but it was much too soon to tell. Yet, he came to some conclusions, such as mortals were exempt from its control.

From what he understood, the Heavens was a system whose only purpose was to manage all the Spiritual Qi present in the world, whether loose in the atmosphere or within a cultivator's Qi Centre; all were subject to its control. As for the mechanisms that led to Heaven's Thunder's appearance, Qin Yun would have to experience it himself to truly know.

As the thunder slowly receded, Qin Yun noticed some fluctuations a distance away, slightly resembling what his own black box produced. Yet, he felt it was many times stronger. Still, spacial fluctuations weren't something that anybody could notice. Qin Yun could only do so due to untold time spent in the presence of it. Yet, even he felt slightly stumped when thinking about it.

While he remembered dabbling in it in some of his previous life, the knowledge was somehow barred to him, as if locked away in the recess of his mind. He figured that as he climbed the cultivation ranks, he would find the keys to unlock those memories.

Brushing those thoughts out of his mind, Qin Yun noticed the chaotic state of the city. While the city was enveloped by a grand formation that protected the city from any foreign invaders, nothing could be done against Heavenly Tribulation. After a few lightning bolts, the formation dome floating above the city receded, letting the destruction flow through as if someone had turned it off to preserve its foundation. Qin Yun had no doubts that any later and the formations would have been irreparably broken.

While the advent of this tribulation left the land and the city damaged, not many lives were lost, as if the Heavens had chosen to spare them somewhat. Still, panic echoed in the streets as buildings caught fire and crumbled, putting the city in a state of disarray. However, the unrest didn't last long, as the formation was brought online again, which resulted in the fires fizzling out.

Soon after, Qin Yun noticed the elders rushing about within the clan before gathering in the Main Hall. Less than ten minutes later, they all ran out and over half left the clan to rush out of the city toward where Qin Yun had noticed the spatial fluctuation.

Of course, he understood their intentions. Such potent spacial fluctuations were usually the precursing signs of the advent of a treasure. Besides, treasures of the space attribute were scarce, to say the least. It wouldn't surprise him if it led to a major conflict with all the clans in the city. Qin Yun very much doubted that his clan was the only one to notice such a thing.

While he was curious as to the origins of this treasure, Qin Yun had no interest in fighting for it. Doing so would only make himself a target to purge. Cultivators wouldn’t hesitate to kill even their own clansmen to get their hands on such a thing, much less someone like him.

With calm slowly returning to the city, Qin Yun picked up his bride and brought her back inside their house. To his surprise, she awoke much earlier than he anticipated. It seemed her mind had grown sharper in recent days since she started on the path of Sword Cultivation.

And so, two days passed until news arose from those who had left to seek that treasure. While no treasure was found, the City Lord's Mansion found an injured young man in its place. While their first instinct was to rob him of all his valuables, the young man fought back, despite his injuries, and managed to impress the City Lord into recruiting him. This was the extent of what Qin Yun could uncover.

While Qin Yun was slightly interested in the young man's origin, he would let fate take its course. Honestly, he simply didn't want to be involved in such things. He just wanted to remain quiet and cultivate in peace alongside his wife. Why bother to struggle for resources when he already had all he needed? Still, his peace was cut short, as always.

A woman in her thirties, along with a regiment of guards, burst into his small courtyard, disturbing his wife's cultivation. Yun Jingfei frowned and brandished her sword, wishing to cut them all down, yet Qin Yun quickly restrained her, for this woman was her mother-in-law.