[{"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-45":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},2320507,4538,"Chapter 45: Too Late—the Taxes of Qingxi Fang Have Already Been Collected for the Next Dozen Years!","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-45",45,"\u003Cp>Red Eyebrow Recluse Zhong Tianshuo—no, Wang Yulou corrected himself—the clan chief would not keep him locked up any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But letting this old bastard go so easily was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao waved his hand, and the black vine spirit seed he had nurtured for years flew toward Red Eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Eyebrow tried to dodge, but Wang Xianmao, with his Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation, easily suppressed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black vine burrowed into Red Eyebrow’s back, crawling along his spine while draining his blood and growing wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh~ Ahh~ Mmm~ Mmm.....”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In excruciating pain, Red Eyebrow let out desperate screams that sent a chill down Yulou’s spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clan chief frowned slightly, and the vines sealed Red Eyebrow’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Red Eyebrow’s desperate struggles and moans, Yulou worriedly said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clan Chief, don’t let him die—we haven’t learned everything yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax, this is the Black Vine Locking Soul Art I developed from my own unique spiritual technique—his spine will be corroded by the black vine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao paused, glanced at Red Eyebrow, now seeded with the Black Vine Locking Soul Art, and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you still wish to achieve Foundation Establishment, only I can remove the black vine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yulou, do you want to achieve Foundation Establishment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying on the ground, Red Eyebrow gasped for breath, sweat the size of beans streaming like streams down his flesh crevices—he made no cries, only exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at this deformed mass of flesh, Yulou felt a creeping revulsion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivation, cultivation—Red Eyebrow had become neither man nor ghost, and those like the clan chief who had already achieved Foundation Establishment were even more...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it worth it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clan Chief, Yulou wants to achieve Foundation Establishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Eyebrow replied weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he regret it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, he was already too late to regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life is not always a smooth path; Red Eyebrow paid the price for his choice, but at least now he still had a faint, elusive chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not regret it—he wanted to achieve Foundation Establishment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clan Chief, Wang Xianmao, whoever you are—I still want to achieve Foundation Establishment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, spirit! This secret art was awakened by my spiritual technique, Red Eyebrow—unless you find a Wood Dao expert of Purple Mansion rank to remove it, then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Eyebrow understood. Red Eyebrow knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clan Chief, Yulou understands—Yulou will surely teach everything I know to Young Masters Yulou and Yuan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this humble, groveling behavior of Red Eyebrow made the clan chief wary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To endure to this extent...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Eyebrow, where did your true master come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the clan chief did not ask—he spent only an instant to devise a suitable plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait until Yulou and Yuan have finished learning, then interrogate him thoroughly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Return to Qingxi Fang, Red Eyebrow—I believe in you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao had this confidence: the black vine seed had been cultivated for years, and the Black Vine Locking Soul Art was cast with his own spiritual technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a powerful Purple Mansion cultivator like Mang Xiang—or even the legendary Jin Dan True Person—could break it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Red Eyebrow did not want to die, he must obey!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Foundation Establishment? You’ll never achieve it in this lifetime!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanied by the clan chief, the group returned to Qingxi Fang in only half a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, lying in bed, Yuan felt a sense of things changed beyond recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, it feels like a dream—why did Master want to kill us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan couldn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both he and Yulou had been his disciples; Red Eyebrow was too cruel—he even wanted to kill them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hard to say. Greed drove him to raid Jin Guang Pavilion; after succeeding, fear made him want to eliminate all threats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps... our master never saw us as disciples at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, we only became his disciples in exchange for something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou too felt as if viewing things through mist—was the lure of Foundation Establishment truly that great?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve Foundation Establishment, Red Eyebrow slaughtered everyone in Jin Guang Pavilion, risking the enmity of Bai Qian, the legendary Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Immortal Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve Foundation Establishment, Red Eyebrow even planned to kill his own disciples to remove all possible threats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve Foundation Establishment, Red Eyebrow changed his name and surname under coercion, becoming Wang Yulou from Zhong Tianshuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This craving made Yulou feel a cold dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not yet know that Red Eyebrow had even considered slaughtering an entire mortal town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan fell silent for a long while, then murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still like Sister Ningyao, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were blood brothers; Yuan saw no need to hide anything—he was troubled and longed for his brother’s comfort and support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister is a person with unshakable Dao heart; now that this has happened, you and Zhong Ningyao have little chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, there are many beautiful female cultivators—you’re still young, you’ll meet better ones later, don’t dwell on this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou understood the repression of youth, but he wanted Yuan to realize: after this event, he and Zhong Ningyao were utterly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last year, Sister taught me swordplay and held my hand, saying I was a sword prodigy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, if this hadn’t happened—if I become a powerful cultivator in the future—would Sister like me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan knew many things had changed forever, yet he still could not accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He craved some form of validation—desperately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something wrong with what you just said—do you realize it, Yuan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harsh reality has planted fear and worry in your heart, so you’re seeking security from a hypothetical scenario.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t think about this anymore—our main task now is to diligently cultivate and return home as soon as possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Shen Sect and Miao Feng Mountain are clashing; Mang Xiang Ancestor seeks Jin Dan—I fear the future will be chaotic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou saw clearly: the Ten Sects of Wunan were ten stable cultivator kingdoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purple Mansion power was already terrifying enough to rival twin suns; if Mang Xiang succeeded in becoming Jin Dan, it would surely shift the balance of power between Hong Deng Zhao and other factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From limited information, Yulou noted that Tian She Sect had recently added a Purple Mansion-level beast elder: Fanshipiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Fanshipiao’s joining Tian She Sect is linked to Mang Xiang’s attempt at Jin Dan, then the conflict between Gu Shen Sect and Miao Feng Mountain becomes terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou saw this possibility—certain events had already occurred, and now they were rising from beneath the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his own cultivation was still low; in the coming chaos, he could do too little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan’s romantic fantasy about Zhong Ningyao was the peculiar daydream of youth; Yulou even felt a touch of envy for his innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hope I’m just overthinking...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qingxi Fang, Garrison Cultivator’s Residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao was drinking tea and discussing Dao with Mu Chunze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators skilled in Wood Dao, discussing choices of Wood-element magic treasures and spirit seed cultivation, then recent newly developed techniques—they spoke with great pleasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chunze, you’re profiting too heavily in Qingxi Fang—be careful. The sect now demands strict resource quotas,” Wang Xianmao warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Chunze didn’t change expression; he pointed toward Hong Deng Zhao and cursed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it because Jiang Bao, that dog, collected all the garrison cultivator’s income for the next dozen years?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What can I do? You know my master—I support Mang Xiang Ancestor’s Jin Dan attempt, but I must also support my master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re dissatisfied, I understand—but as a disciple, you should understand my loyalty to my master, Xianmao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too late—the taxes of Qingxi Fang have already been collected for the next dozen years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wang clan of Anbei, as vassals of Hong Deng Zhao, are backed by Mang Xiang Ancestor’s lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Chunze, as a Purple Mansion disciple and Hong Deng Zhao’s true heir, has his own Purple Mansion backing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’re struggling—we’re all struggling. Let’s understand each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t cut the spiritual energy or spirit spring supplies to Fuyuan Ju, Zhiwei Fang, and Huafeng Ju—can you agree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such a small matter? No problem. But... did you come here just for this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Chunze agreed readily, but he hadn’t expected Wang Xianmao had come all this way over such a trivial thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s just a few hundred spirit stones difference—really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xianmao, you’ve regressed over the years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao mentally cursed Mu Chunze as a beast, but asked seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, there’s another matter—I received word that Gu Shen Sect raided Wolong Fang. Are they preparing to fight Miao Feng Mountain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Chunze’s pupils contracted, then he laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The matter between Miao Feng Mountain and Gu Shen Sect? I’m just a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator—how could I possibly know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ll need to pay more for that answer.\u003C\u002Fp>",1434,"2026-06-20T15:48:26.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6fc4837db1e76ad53bb66df9530d90c7c3f841301017f7f3c1c2ac3d041f0bf0","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-46","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-44",243,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-the-jade-palace-cover.jpg"]