[{"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-60":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},2320522,4538,"Chapter 60: A Letter Arrives at Wang Family Mountain, the Wang Clan","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>Returning to his room, Yu Lou cultivated for an hour, pushing his current cultivation to the maximum limit allowed by heaven and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before sleeping, he lay on his bed, eyes open, staring at the empty darkness before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu An was already snoring, but Yu Lou simply couldn’t fall asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the profound silence, Yu Lou thought of his “meeting” with Mu Yingxi today and her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, he quietly rose, slipped out the back door of Fuyuan Residence, and entered the backyard of Zhiwei Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, when Hong Mei was being escorted by the Wang trio, Wang Rongsheng used the carrier pigeons Wang Shi had set up in the mortal town to send a message to the clan chief for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shi also had faster communication methods in Qingxi Fang than carrier pigeons—gray-backed falcons with early-stage hybrid demon cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These gray-backed falcons possessed cultivation equivalent to the early stage of Qi Gathering, could fly fifteen hundred li per day, and were spiritual birds bred by beast-tamers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference between spiritual birds\u002Fanimals and demonic birds\u002Fanimals is that the former have been tamed by cultivators and can be used directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the donkey shed at Zhiwei Fang, two gray-backed falcons nestled contentedly together, perched on the wooden beam beneath the shed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Yu Lou approach, the wooden spirit donkey in the shed snorted, pointing its nose toward the hay and lowing “Er-a, er-a.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its noise startled the falcons on the beam; disturbed in their slumber, the pair immediately pecked furiously at its forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though hybrid demon birds had considerable attack power, fortunately, Wang Shi’s wooden spirit donkey also possessed cultivation and thick hide, so it suffered no injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, which of you two is willing to deliver this letter to the clan chief?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Lou pinched a handful of hay and shoved it into the donkey’s mouth to silence the brute, then made his request to the falcon pair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After examining the slip of paper in Yu Lou’s hand, the male and female falcons conferred briefly, then flew up and landed on his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they were spiritually cultivated birds, their species’ nature meant they were small and light—so even perched on his hand, Yu Lou felt no weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling five sharp pecks on his fingers, Yu Lou asked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five Dragon-Tiger Dried? Isn’t one enough for delivering a letter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragon-Tiger Dried sounded impressive, but it was merely dried snacks made from tiger stick roots and little celestial dragons, offering minor benefits to cultivation and vital energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general method involved stuffing processed tiger stick roots into gecko bellies, then drying them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They cost about one spirit stone for six, with the expense mainly going into processing the tiger stick roots—the geckos were ordinary ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, even though the falcon pair had demanded extravagantly, it was still very cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yu Lou could never forget the Wang clan’s motto—always haggle down by ninety percent first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One at most. Not another single one!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Yu Lou’s words, the two falcons flew angrily around him, squawking harsh insults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, the male falcon landed on Yu Lou’s shoulder and gave his arm two heavy pecks, glaring at him with unmistakable intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One and a half—but I can’t give them to you until tomorrow. If you agree, I’ll entrust you with the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not, I’ll wait until the next Wang caravan passes through Qingxi Fang to send it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Lou wouldn’t tolerate these birds arbitrarily raising prices; Wang Shi’s rule was one Dragon-Tiger Dried per delivery—they’d not only raised prices but dared to quintuple them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another round of curses, the male falcon snatched the letter from Yu Lou’s hand and flew off without looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his bright, clever eyes were filled with utter contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stupid human child—easily tricked into giving up half a Dragon-Tiger Dried. What an idiot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shi people always start haggling by slashing prices to the floor; under their intense training, these spiritual birds had learned how to counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To haggle effectively, you must first inflate prices, then let the Wang fools slash them back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Lou slept soundly, while the male falcon carrying the letter sped swiftly through the starlit night toward Wang Family Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirteen years ago, Yu Lou and Yu An left Wang Family Mountain together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, three years had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The male falcon flew over the capital of Anbei Kingdom, where the brilliant glow of countless lanterns symbolized the rising power of the Wang clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it flew, dawn’s light caught up with its shadow; its graceful form reflected on the water’s surface. After flying all night, the male falcon landed on a floating log in the Nameless Lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lowered its head, drank a few sips of water, then took flight again beneath the rising sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It flew over flat fields and through forest waterfalls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, amid turbulent mountains, it found the hidden entrance to the Wang clan’s territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath a sheer cliff, a greenish underground river flowed from a cave at the cliff’s base; the falcon dove sharply, hugging the water’s surface as it flew into the Wang clan’s secret realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the artificial underground river, hidden by towering mountains, lay a paradise-like sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrounded by thousand-zhang mountains and concealed by a cloud-array overhead, the Wang clan’s territory resembled a heavenly realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The abundant spiritual energy intoxicated the falcon; flying past orderly courtyards, it soared straight toward the central plateau in the basin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi-Blind Donkey Plain, the eighth-rank spiritual object—the very foundation of the Wang clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From above, over a hundred donkeys scattered across the plain, fighting, sleeping, or creating little donkeys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this central plateau, four winding streams flowed outward from the center, cascading into waterfalls at the plateau’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water plunged underground, then was redirected by four channels back into the deep earth veins beneath the Qi-Blind Donkey Plain, where it was recirculated by array power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These streams were all spiritual waters from Qin Yun Qingxi; the river itself was undergoing the transformation from spiritual water to spiritual object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the source of the streams, standing at the heart of the Qi-Blind Donkey Plain, were several ancient, lush pines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual waters from Qin Yun Qingxi flowed from their roots, nourishing them, while they, in turn, nourished the waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the thickest of these ancient pines grew a platform formed naturally from its branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seated upon it was a Daoist in meditation—Wang Clan’s patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The male falcon landed beside the platform, hopped twice, and placed the letter before Wang Xianmao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao didn’t open his eyes; a breeze blew, unfurling the letter, revealing Yu Lou’s message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perched on a nearby branch stood a beautiful red-crowned spiritual crane, who asked the falcon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Graybeak, wasn’t it your wife’s turn to deliver the letter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Crane, with cultivation at the peak of the minor demon stage and having practiced the demonic arts provided by the Wang clan, could speak directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The falcon couldn’t—he was too low in cultivation and intelligence, merely chirping a simple reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too late. Wang kid, ambushed. Unsettled. I came.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wang kid was ambushed?” Elder Crane gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yu generation had already lost Yu Liu; now another was ambushed—Wang Clan had seemed plagued by misfortune these past years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hum~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao ignored the birds’ chatter and blew a bone flute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This specially crafted bone flute enabled targeted voice transmission within the Wang clan’s territory; different tones summoned specific individuals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, an elder of the Wang clan appeared before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yu Lou and Yu An have been away three years—it’s time they returned. Go fetch them, and be careful on the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder was aged in appearance but powerfully built, his eyes gleaming with spiritual radiance, his cultivation at the peak of Qi Gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded thoughtfully and bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xian Zhou humbly obeys your command, Elder Brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xian Zhou turned to leave, the patriarch’s voice echoing in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A few years ago, disciples from Miaofeng Mountain ambushed Rong Yuan—but he killed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they’re embroiled in fierce conflict with Gushen Sect. On your journey, make your presence known—loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let them know the Anbei Kingdom Wang Clan has the right to join this game.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his brother’s words, Wang Xian Zhou smiled and waved dismissively—he knew exactly how to handle this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gushen Sect and Miaofeng Mountain were locked in heated conflict; Wang Xianmao’s old friends had visited twice, urging the Wang clan to take a side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Xianmao found Miaofeng Mountain’s offered gains insufficient, so he had delayed his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, by sending Xian Zhou to make a public appearance, he could further raise the Wang clan’s entry fee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Miaofeng Mountain wants the Wang clan to fight for them, mere scraps won’t do—they must bleed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Qingxi Fang, Gao Jian stuffed himself with Zhiwei Fang’s donkey-meat buns while watching the packed crowds inside Baibao Pavilion, his mouth watering even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But remembering the news shared by his fellow guard, he could only drool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not even dream of extorting anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wang clan was tough—and growing tougher by the year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above them stood titans like Mang Xiang and Xuan Zhuan; below, numerous high- and peak-stage Qi Gathering enforcers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the other day, the new arrival Wang Rongsheng openly threatened to crush Che Clan’s territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrogant? But he had the strength to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While other long-established shops struggled, Wang Clan’s Baibao Pavilion had opened only a few days and already crushed its rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, someone’s flying with a spiritual device over Qingxi Fang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jian’s subordinate was the first to notice the anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jian looked up and saw a man riding a white flying carriage, hovering motionless in Qingxi Fang’s sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrogant—he could sense the rider was merely a Qi Gathering cultivator, but spiritual light obscured his face and blocked his spiritual sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing such arrogance, Gao Jian didn’t hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tossed aside his bun, drew his Spirit-Binding Rope from his waist, and leapt onto the roof of Baibao Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swinging the rope like a whip, he cracked the air and bellowed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who dares violate Qingxi Fang’s regulations!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded fierce, but he was merely probing the stranger’s background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was smart—he knew anyone bold enough to fly here must have power and connections; he only needed to put on a show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be a dog, you must have the mindset of a dog—no need to kill yourself for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how careful Gao Jian was, it made no difference, because Wang Xianzhou had come with a mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianzhou, seated on the Mirror-Silver Orchid Wood flying carriage, saw Gao Jian and smiled, pointing at him lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shocking Spike, a secret technique passed down among the Immortal Alliance’s envoys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It targets the cultivator’s spiritual soul, one of the strongest specialized attack techniques accessible to Qi Refining cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianzhou merely flicked a finger, and Gao Jian fell from the rooftop as if struck by lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Gao Jian lie sprawled like a dead dog, Wang Xianzhou dispersed the spiritual light from his flying carriage and taunted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Gao, it’s been only a few years—have you already dared to bare your teeth at me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former Immortal Alliance envoy, inner disciple of the Red Lantern Society, strongest Qi Refining killer of the Wang clan, holder of the record for slaying a Foundation Establishment cultivator while still in Qi Refining—Wang Xianzhou, at your service.\u003C\u002Fp>",1899,"2026-06-20T15:48:26.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","44f06eb4b2fbbc2a2fe3d8e62297f8dcd2a3b687061a8e1e021e78039569b540","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-61","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-59",243,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-the-jade-palace-cover.jpg"]