[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-the-jade-palace":3,"chapter-ascending-to-the-jade-palace-ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-15":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to the Jade Palace",{"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},2320477,4538,"Chapter 15: Don","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-15",15,"\u003Cp>The second floor of Fuyuanju has a room permanently reserved for Wang family elites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Yulou met Wang Xianmao, the patriarch of the Wang clan, for the second time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao, one of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Xian lineage, is the Wang clan patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time he saw him was five years ago, when Yulou had only glimpsed his back from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, facing the patriarch directly, Yulou felt an overwhelming shock he could not suppress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao was broad-shouldered, yet his skin was a deep blue-green, his lips faintly pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His features were noble by nature, yet he was painfully thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his powerful Foundation Establishment aura was unmistakable, drawing attention irresistibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined, he appeared both haggard and formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this what a Foundation Establishment cultivator looks like?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does cultivation in this world carry backlash at higher levels?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou could not understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He obediently led Yuan, first bowing together to the patriarch and Elder Rongwen, then standing quietly with lowered eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his son’s condition unchanged from when he left home, Wang Rongwen’s worries eased slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But standing side by side, the difference between Yulou and Yuan was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not the contrast between moon and mud, pearl and fish eye—their innate talent was nearly equal—but a peculiar aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elders understood: some children seemed unruly and mischievous, others unusually well-behaved, naturally endearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan kept glancing around, while Yulou waited obediently for elders to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This difference seemed small, but to Wang Rongwen, it was significant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stirred a shameful feeling of wanting to discard the inferior product.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you staring at? Stand properly!” Wang Rongwen scolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao waved his hand and asked gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, no matter. Yuan, how was your time in Qingxi Fang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou thought: this Foundation Establishment ancestor, who looked like a man ravaged by illness, spoke with a voice perfectly normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything is fine, but I miss you and Father, since I haven’t seen you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spent too much time with Yulou, Yuan thought he’d learned the essence and boldly delivered a clumsy, half-baked compliment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, young Yuan didn’t understand certain things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance: if you dare to be bold, life will dare to give you a bloody nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Immortal Dao is vast. Wang clan disciples must stabilize their Dao hearts and stand on their own. You are thirteen—why still act like a child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Wang Rongwen was Yuan’s real father—he truly wished his son would prove himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patriarch Wang Xianmao said nothing but observed Yulou, silently nodding in approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, as Rongyuan’s letter said, this boy is fit to be a pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yulou, what have you both learned from Master Hongmei?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao, turning the spirit-wood beads in his hand, asked Yulou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle Rongyuan instructed me...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...and also the method of transforming metal and dissolving stone. Yuan has made remarkable progress in this—I am far behind him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou recounted every detail of his training, then added a word of praise for Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patriarch nodded slightly and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems placing you both in Qingxi Fang was the right decision—Hongmei possesses genuine transmission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But from your account, his true transmission does not align with Fulong Temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fulong Temple?” Neither Yulou nor Yuan understood the patriarch’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew Fulong Temple well—it ranked among the Ten Sects of Wunan, like Hongdengzhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why did Wang Xianmao mention Fulong Temple?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Foundation Establishment cultivator from Fulong Temple passed away within Hongdengzhao’s territory—specifically, near Qingxi Fang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hongmei excels in fire techniques; Fulong Temple cultivates both fire and earth methods. We initially suspected he had ties to Fulong Temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Rongwen spoke softly beside them, explaining to the two youths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both boys were Wang clan members; such minor matters could be told to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two boys exchanged glances; the patriarch raised a hand and tapped Wang Rongwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two haven’t seen each other in a long time—talk properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Rongwen, ever astute, grabbed Yuan’s collar and dragged him away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yulou, this is the first time I’ve seen you. The clan never told you about your parents—do you resent us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yulou dares not, and would never. The Wang clan has treated me generously; Uncle Rongyuan has regarded me as his own son.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For the clan to grow—or even to maintain its current state—someone must step forward to bear responsibility. Your parents were the pride of the Wang clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cultivate diligently. We have already avenged them for you—do not worry about such things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference between having family backing and having none lies here—Yulou was grateful he had been reborn into a great clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He need not suffer the fate of the time-travelers in the stories he’d read, weighed down by ancestral and national vengeance, facing enemies who always sent their elders to avenge their fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the sky falls, the ancestors hold it up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao had achieved Foundation Establishment, his cultivation deep, with at least a century of life remaining—Yulou need not fear the clan’s decline after his ancestor’s death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yulou understands. I will study the Supporting Dao arts diligently, cultivate Qi as soon as possible, and return to the clan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, good boy. Have you encountered any difficulties while training in Qingxi Fang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou hesitated. Wang Xianmao noticed his hesitation, his expression growing serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could someone dare to bully a Wang clan disciple?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With Brother Nianqiu looking after me, there are no difficulties—but... Patriarch, my master does have some peculiar traits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou had not wished to speak of Hongmei’s oddities—he was, after all, his master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Wang clan’s teachings reminded him how cruel the cultivation world truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One cannot know a man’s heart by his face; trusting someone too easily is not wise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Hongmei might be problematic, reporting it to the patriarch was the right thing to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, his daughter teaches us the fire techniques of the Dao-refining method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She once inadvertently told me my master’s fire method is not limited to Dao-refining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, control fire with spiritual power, originating from within; then command external fire—that corresponds to Qi Refining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, draw fire into the body, using it to forge the Dao foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using fire to forge the Dao foundation—is that a Foundation Establishment method?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. He may have obtained a Foundation Establishment transmission from somewhere, but his method is flawed. Any technique using external forces to forge the Dao foundation is a dead end. Tell me more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second, Hongmei’s daughter is at Qi Refining Level Five, yet she can practice the external-fire-command technique of Qi Refining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she cultivates this method, she wears special magical artifacts to avoid being burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those artifacts are extraordinary—they activate automatically without her prompting, and though made of cloth, they repel fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t understand Dao-refining well—what do you think, Patriarch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao pondered long, then sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without doubt, Hongmei is preparing for Foundation Establishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking you two as disciples is partly to save rent, to accumulate resources for his breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, his transmission is inadequate—he may be using the Wang clan to help him ascend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, how old is his daughter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Wang Xianmao studied Yulou, suddenly calculating the possibility of a marriage alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A marriage alliance would be good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hongmei was subtly flirting, trying to use the Wang clan as a backup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wang clan must seize the opportunity—see if they could turn him into a guest elder directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifteen.” Yulou replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood perfectly what Wang Xianmao was thinking, and added helpfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yuan really likes his senior sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patriarch chuckled at Yulou’s precocious demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boy, you are truly clever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, well done. Your observations today are very important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, this is your reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit wine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grade-eight Monkey Wine. With your cultivation, drink only a quarter of a cup at a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This cup is also yours—have your master modify it later, turn it into a bell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For both his past and present lives, this was Yulou’s first experience of a clan heir’s treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They gave away an eighth-rank spiritual wine as if it were nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They directly gifted a low-grade magic artifact golden cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this really a Foundation Establishment immortal clan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How utterly extravagant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yulou will cultivate diligently and never betray the clan’s trust and encouragement!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wang Xianmao nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only with capable talents emerging generation after generation can a clan remain prosperous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Yulou, he saw steadiness and meticulousness, depth and wisdom, and even deeper affection for his kin and brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, he urged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must cultivate diligently—I am now the Wang clan’s patriarch, but eventually the clan’s future rests in your hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without sufficient cultivation base and strength, you cannot bear the clan’s heavy burdens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… how about this: the day after tomorrow, I’ll take you to broaden your horizons—oh, and Yuan too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you’ll follow Rongwen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I humbly accept the patriarch’s teachings—Yulou will never forget!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao grinned broadly, but quickly regained his composure; the Foundation Establishment cultivator’s facial changes were so swift Yulou noticed nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright—I’ve got some clan-secret braised donkey meat here. Take it and eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patriarch, you really treat me like a child…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And these spiritual fruits—Nianniu gave them to me. Don’t let him see you eating them.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1542,"2026-06-20T15:48:26.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7c3b682e7f0657e113de67a939becc45cf60f71e783feb314bebbe80ce9227e8","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-16","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-14",243,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-the-jade-palace-cover.jpg"]