[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-divinity":3,"chapter-ascending-to-divinity-ascending-to-divinity-chapter-303":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to Divinity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280853,4461,"Chapter 303: Cutting Water","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-303",303,"\u003Cp>Jiang Zhao extended her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stream of silver-white light appeared, churning violently, radiating beams of brilliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something seems to be tugging at my bloodline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, the girl’s expression turned icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian frowned slightly and asked, “What effect does this tug have on you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sensing for a moment, the sister flipped her palm, gripping the silver-white radiance, and said, “So far, it has no major impact—I can guarantee my bloodline remains under my control, never slipping free.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian paused to consider, then relaxed slightly. “When you suppressed your bloodline with sheer willpower in the Zhao family’s ancestral grounds in Guangling City, treating it as a tool and holding it fast, you unknowingly neutralized one of their hidden moves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sister swept her hand, retracting the silver glow, and whispered, “You taught me this: control the bloodline, don’t let it control you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian nodded, said no more, and led Jiang Zhao through the portal, leaving the Star Palace projection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep within the mountains, space rippled with distortion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian and his sister descended, their forms clearly materializing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mountain gate was a special portal left by the Star Palace projection—only beings granted permission by the Prefecture Divine Envoy could enter or exit here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We didn’t get a chance to tell Yin Yin before we left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Zhao lifted her wrist, glancing at her identity device. “She couldn’t find me and already sent a message asking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian said gravely, “Don’t say too much yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sister replied, “I only said I was bored in the Star Palace projection and went out with you—nothing else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian turned his head. “After a while, once I go to Water Star, you’ll take Yin Yin to Yinshan to train. It’s safe there for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sister nodded obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A drone shuttle landed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It carried Jiang Jian and Jiang Zhao toward the edge of Taiping Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cabin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian sat by the window, watching the scenery blur past, his thoughts growing heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closer they drew to Taiping Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he sensed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That terrifying, life-threatening danger, rising from the deepest depths of his spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twelve crystal facets planted on the Divine Illumination Barrier had been torn from him by force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By all logic,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The herbal apprentice named Yao Tong,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should have sensed something, at least a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet from start to finish, she took not a single action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even under Zhou family’s tight surveillance, she showed no abnormality whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day, she did the same routine: clocked in to work on time, clocked out, bought groceries, cooked meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her behavior resembled that of an ordinary girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the most unusual thing was,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every night,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood before the window, gazing outside—for an entire night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the photos sent by Zhou Lingling,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city lay under nightfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Tong stood beneath the curtains, eyes vacant and dull, eerily still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One photo even captured Yao Tong’s pupils turning—directly toward the lens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhou family member assigned to surveillance was so terrified, he still hadn’t recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter what you are,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s time to end this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s gaze turned cold. He rose from his seat and opened the cabin door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Taiping Prefecture’s Shangzhou Fleet Yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paper dolls Qing Feng and Ming Yue had both completed their tasks and were racing toward this location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shangzhou, Yanshun Road, Anyang Community.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian read the address once, shut off his identity device, found an open-air café, and waited quietly with his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl in a long dress appeared silently and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A boy in a short tunic stepped out soundlessly and halted before Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Zhao, who had been alert,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Jiang Jian’s calm expression,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly realized,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two unpredictable Divine Palace cultivators were trustworthy allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Zhao had grown up with Jiang Jian; she knew him intimately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Often, no words were needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single glance was enough for instant understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Head to Yanshun Road.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian set down his cup and stood first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two paper dolls exchanged a glance, their forms turning transparent and vanishing silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sister flipped her palm, drawing a long sword, holding it steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade shimmered with clear light, like a beauty’s glancing gaze, her eyes cutting through water—ripples of reflection, mist and dew swirling around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A spirit-infused treasure: Autumn Waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Except for you,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Spring Surge realm, I have almost no rivals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Zhao spoke softly, gripping Autumn Waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian shook his head slightly. “Beyond the sky lies higher sky; beyond people lie greater people. Never lose reverence for the unknown. Never grow complacent—otherwise, you’ll suffer greatly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Zhao murmured an acknowledgment, her expression thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vessel bearing the Zhou family’s emblem descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian, long time no see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the cabin door, Zhou Lingling gazed at Jiang Jian, her expression complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind her stood a man and a woman, both watching Jiang Jian with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sisi and her boyfriend Liu Feng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yinshan’s wonderland was Earth’s fourteenth wonderland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news that Jiang Jian of Linjiang Prefecture had become Lord of Yinshan had already spread across the surface world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Jiang Jian and Shen Xi’s feat of shattering the Boundary Gate had yet to be officially announced,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely the title “Lord of Yinshan” was enough to inspire awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This drastic shift in status left Zhou Lingling, Zhou Sisi, and others unsure how to relate to the new Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You and your ancestral elder have helped me greatly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian stepped onto the gangway and spoke first, breaking the awkwardness. “Once this matter is fully resolved, I’ll repay you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Lingling, flustered, hurried into the cabin and smiled. “I naturally did my best for the ancestral elder’s orders—this was just a small favor, nothing more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sisi and Liu Feng stood aside, behaving obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Zhou Sisi—she was nothing like her former spoiled, unreasonable self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she had become remarkably mature, even stepping forward to brew tea for Zhou Lingling, Jiang Jian, and Jiang Zhao before quietly retreating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Jiang Jian became “Lord of Yinshan,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single member of the Taiping Prefecture Zhou family had changed their attitude toward Zhou Qingyue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingyue, after all, was officially registered as the Lord of Yinshan’s household pet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her blood brother—the former Emperor of Shang, now the Zhou family’s ancestral elder—had personally ordered that no resources be spared to maintain this bond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Lingling, as a Zhou family descendant with a decent relationship to Zhou Qingyue, was entrusted by the clan head with the duty of fulfilling all of Zhou Qingyue’s requests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long ago,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingyue relayed Jiang Jian’s request: to use Zhou family resources to monitor a girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire Zhou family took this seriously, mobilizing vast resources to track Yao Tong’s movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yao Tong’s residence, the Anyang Community, had within days replaced all its original residents with Zhou family guards!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The efficiency of their operations and the speed of their actions were unprecedented!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yao Tong’s workday ends at 5:30 p.m.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every day she takes a hovering vehicle, spending seven minutes to return to the Anyang Community.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to estimates, she will arrive at the Anyang Community today at 5:37 p.m.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All residents and security personnel inside and outside the community have been replaced by Zhou family guards, standing by!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As soon as I give the order, the family guards will immediately move out and apprehend this scoundrel!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Lingling raised her wrist, summoning a holographic screen, and said seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although in her view,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>dealing with an ordinary girl\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>hardly required such complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this matter concerned the Lord of Yinshan—it was no longer a trivial matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not just the Zhou family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even certain high-ranking officials in the Taiping Prefectural Office had secretly inquired of the Zhou family for details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>at the center of the storm,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Tong\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>remained utterly unaware of it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1334,"2026-06-20T01:21:35.424Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e12b932d52fe077b54dee1213c2d7ccc98051852d25ffb085ac300c891c80d60","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-304","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-302",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-divinity-cover.jpg"]