[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-503":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Path of Immortality",{"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},2271653,4436,"Chapter 503: Scheming","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-503",503,"\u003Cp>Jiang Daolian’s many grievances with the Tianchi Jiang clan had long ago been told to Chen Hang by Jiang Daolian herself, back when they were both at the Changying Sub-Branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Daolian’s biological father was named Jiang Yue, a True Person of the Immortal Path who had attained the Pure Yang realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man had been at odds with the Jiang clan lord since his youth, and later, over power struggles, the two sides nearly forged a mortal enmity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Jiang Yue perished during Tribulation Crossing, even though some elder clan members spoke up in his defense, Jiang Daolian’s standing within the clan remained perilous, targeted by the faction loyal to the clan lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because she sensed the bleakness of her future, Jiang Daolian chose to leave Tianchi and come to Yucheng to cultivate, then bet on promising disciples at the Sub-Branch, hoping to secure future support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason Chen Hang formed a bond with Jiang Daolian at the Sub-Branch was precisely because of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Jiang Yue perished during Tribulation Crossing, he left behind many old retainers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, since the Jiang clan lord now held the position of Pavilion Elder, as the patriarch of the clan, he still had to maintain some decorum in his actions, lest he lose public favor and invite criticism from other clan branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, over these years, Jiang Daolian had only suffered covert exclusion, with no one daring to openly attack her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But times are no longer as they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the sudden deaths of Jiang Zhi and Jiang Weibo, the two leading old retainers, Jiang Daolian’s position in Tianchi has plummeted nearly to nothing, drawing the covetous eyes of many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one now scheming to seize Jiang Daolian’s inheritance is Jiang Shunming, a clan elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man’s reputation among the great clans is far from good; he is known for shifting allegiances with the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jiang Yue was powerful, he pledged loyalty to Jiang Yue; but when Jiang Yue perished during Tribulation Crossing, he promptly switched sides to the Jiang clan lord, exposing every secret of his former master to win favor and glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a former retainer of Jiang Yue, Jiang Shunming had a rough sense of Jiang Yue’s vast wealth and had long harbored covetous intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, precisely as he made a great leap in his cultivation and entered the Return to Void realm, and precisely as Jiang Zhi and Jiang Weibo died, Tianchi Jiang had no one left to fiercely protect Jiang Daolian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Shunming was overjoyed and intended to seize Jiang Daolian’s entire inheritance at this opportune moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If possible, he even wished to eliminate Jiang Daolian entirely, to erase any future threat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet due to Xue Jing’s protection, Jiang Shunming’s plans, though cleverly laid, faced numerous obstacles and were far from as easy as he had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Zhi and Jiang Weibo… could their deaths have been suspicious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Chen Hang suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As far as I know, both died in battle on Dantai Tian due to bad fortune; there should be no hidden machinations within. Currently, Tianchi Jiang is fully committed to conquering the Yellow Zone of Dantai Tian, locked in fierce conflict with the local power, Yutong Mountain…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing paused for a moment before speaking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though Jiang Ying, the Jiang clan lord, has a somewhat narrow temper—his character has even been mocked by fellow cultivators—he has paid close attention to administrative affairs since taking office, managed affairs with skill, and his territorial expansions and practical governance are well documented; he is, in fact, a capable lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the five great clans—Xiao, Jiang, Wei, Xie, and Sima—are all fully engaged in seizing Dantai Tian, terrified of falling behind the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Zhi and Jiang Weibo were veteran Jiang clan members; at such a critical moment in the struggle against Yutong Mountain, with Jiang Ying’s intellect, he would never deliberately weaken his own forces to hand an advantage to Yutong Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he truly wished to vent his anger, he would have done so long ago; he wouldn’t have deliberately preserved Jiang Zhi and Jiang Weibo’s lives until now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether moved by turbulent currents and seeking a new refuge, or quietly accumulating strength to prepare for future changes,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>when the Zhonglang Catastrophe ended, the twelve great clans mostly turned their efforts outward, and through joint efforts, seized numerous lands and dimensional spaces to serve as ancestral domains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though within Xudu Tian, the Eight Sects and Six Clans loomed like towering mountains above the twelve great clans,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>unshakable, inescapable, forcing them to humble themselves merely to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But beyond Xudu Tian, most of the twelve great clans were themselves colossal powers, Jueburongxiaoqu !\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And three hundred years ago, Tianchi Jiang had set its sights on the precious land of the Yellow Zone of Dantai Tian; now, even the Jiang clan lord Jiang Ying has personally taken the field, standing in confrontation with Yutong Mountain in the Yellow Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Xue Jing’s words, Chen Hang nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the distant, lofty sky, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, when one considers it:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Lingjiang and Jiang Daolian share considerable similarities in their backgrounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both lost their immediate elders early, and both are at odds with their respective clan lords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet unlike Wei Shao of the Wei clan, Jiang Ying is remarkably tolerant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Jiang Ying has taken out his resentment on Jiang Daolian, treating her with indifference, and previously even sought to arrange her marriage to Wang Dian, treating her as a mere expendable commodity,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ying has never harbored any real intent to harm Jiang Daolian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these years, if Jiang Ying had truly intended to eliminate Jiang Daolian,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>she would never have lived long enough to come to Yucheng Sub-Branch to cultivate; she would have died long ago in Tianchi, even Jiang Zhi and Jiang Weibo unable to protect her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Wei Shao of the Wei clan, it is different—he has always harbored the intent to eradicate Wei Lingjiang completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rumor circulating among major powers—that he has wasp eyes and jackal’s voice, with a deeply treacherous heart—is no idle slander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Among the Three Calamities of Pure Yang, Wei Shao has already passed the Wind Calamity and now stands at the threshold of the Fire Calamity; he has painfully sought from Xu Huang Tian the Wind-Fire Cushion to deepen his insight and accumulate merit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His cultivation level, even among all clan lords, ranks among the highest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Chen Hang shook his head inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he suddenly shifted his gaze and spoke to Xue Jing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it seems the plot to seize Jiang Shimei’s inheritance is merely the personal greed of this Return to Void elder, Jiang Shunming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It appears so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing nodded, then added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, True Person, rest assured—we have already secured Jiang True Person; she is now in seclusion at Yang Kezhen’s cave, cultivating her Golden Core energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She is a proper cultivator who passed the Daqianshan trials and was promoted from the Top Ten Disciples to a Yucheng cultivator; since she is within Xiao Ming Ze, Tianchi Jiang cannot possibly extend its reach into her, let alone when it’s only Jiang Shunming’s personal ambition.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Yang? So Jiang Shimei has caught Elder Yang’s eye?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang True Person has considerable talent in talisman crafting; after Brother Yang went to the Grand Knowledge Hall, he developed a fondness for this art; after conversing with her, Brother Yang developed a genuine appreciation for her talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Xue Jing found it somewhat amusing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since Jiang True Person began training under Brother Yang, his young disciple has been scolded every three days and severely reprimanded every five days, constantly compared and inwardly suffering.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang chuckled, then paused briefly before saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since Jiang Shunming so desperately wants Jiang Shimei’s inheritance, he must have secretly investigated her background thoroughly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Xue Jing finally understood the implication in Chen Hang’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Jiang Shunming had truly uncovered every detail of Jiang Daolian’s past, he would certainly know of Chen Hang’s existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Shunming’s actions, then, amounted to deliberate provocation—he held Chen Hang, the Yucheng True Disciple, in utter contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is Jiang Shunming’s base of power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for his base of power, Jiang Shunming’s greatest asset is the Qingshu Sect in Dongmi Province… this sect was painstakingly built from nothing by Jiang Shunming, dedicated solely to gathering cultivation resources; its disciples are mostly demonic or monstrous, acting without restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it lies near the northern territories under Huzhao Sect’s jurisdiction, it is said that Qingshu Sect must pay tribute to Huzhao’s northern-region cultivators to avoid being raided by northern demonic sects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing hesitated a moment, then said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is rumored that the one receiving Qingshu Sect’s tribute is Huzhao Sect’s Gu Shu True Person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gu Shu? That surname reminds me of old events… what is the relationship between this Gu Shu and Gu Yi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Haizhao Gu clan is a minor but notable cultivation clan in the northern region; Gu Shu and Gu Yi both hail from this clan and are distant relatives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang nodded slightly, said nothing further on the matter, then suddenly asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earlier you said Qingshu Mountain pays tribute to Huzhao cultivators—does it pay tribute to Yucheng as well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is fear of power without reverence for virtue; no matter how close Qingshu Mountain is to the northern region, it still lies on Eastern Land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang swept his sleeve, his expression turning cold:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since Qingshu Mountain is filled with demonic and monstrous elements, we shall break its mountain gate, burn its scriptures, to intimidate all minor powers on the frontier—and give Jiang Shunming a lesson he won’t forget!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tone shifted abruptly, revealing a latent killing intent, solemn as a mountain, overwhelming and immense!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing immediately rose and bowed, signaling his understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to depart to carry out the order, Chen Hang suddenly spoke again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have my disciples, Liu Fengye and Xie Jing, these two clan elders from our sect, carry out this task…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Jiang Shunming himself, I have a letter to deliver to him—please, Elder Xue, send one of your disciples to deliver it on my behalf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing nodded in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to wait for Chen Hang to write, but saw Chen Hang pause, then casually pick up a blank sheet of paper from the jade desk and hand it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paper was utterly empty, not a single ink mark upon it, weightless in Xue Jing’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One slight loosening of his grip, and the wind would carry it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deliver this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, having chatted a while longer with Xue Jing and personally seeing him out of the hall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang stood beneath the sunlight, his robes fluttering in the wind, his expression calm and placid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two matters Xue Jing had mentioned today—Ji Faikai’s expedition to Yuzhou, and Jiang Shunming’s plot to seize Jiang Daolian’s inheritance—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>upon closer examination, were not truly troubling matters at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter could be crushed with a mere gesture, requiring no personal intervention from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Yuzhou matter that deeply troubled Xue Jing, it was not nearly as serious as Xue Jing imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More than a year remains until the Dan Yuan Assembly… the struggle for Dao Heir—everything hinges on the outcome of the Assembly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang murmured slowly to himself, then turned and reentered the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Ji Faikai’s current momentum, he and Ji Faikai must eventually clash completely—but that will only happen after he attains the Primordial Spirit; there is no need to rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, the most urgent matter is the imminent Dan Yuan Assembly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After consideration, among all the Dao arts and divine techniques Chen Hang had mastered, the only one capable of significant short-term improvement was the Tai Su Jade Body, the method of achieving bodily sainthood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sixth layer of the Yuan realm is the peak of the Golden Core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his current physical cultivation remains at the fifth layer of the Yuan realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although over these years of training beyond the heavens he has absorbed numerous great medicinal treasures and consumed several spiritual veins, these resources still fall short of enabling him to advance further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang’s current plan is to mobilize the power of his fief and all the treasures in his mansion to push the Tai Su Jade Body one step further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flawless, perfected body, he will enter the Golden Core Grand Assembly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he secluded himself in cultivation, months slipped away like water, unnoticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a spiritual peak in the Jiang clan of Tianchi, shaped like a giant iron cone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After humbling himself to personally escort Xue Jing, the registered disciple who had come to deliver the message, Jiang Shunming returned to his mansion and grew increasingly stifled with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly reached out, snatching the white parchment from the desk and tearing it to shreds, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, as if ready to devour someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A mere Golden Core dares to insult me so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not for Yu Yuchen’s influence, I could kill him in the blink of an eye—no more trouble than crushing an ant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Shunming spat bitterly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First you destroyed my Qingshu Mountain base, then you sent a lowly brat to rebuke me face-to-face?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never imagined Chen Hang would go this far to defend Jiang Daolian—this humiliation, Jiang Mou will repay in full!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the hall, incense mist drifted thickly; everywhere one looked, jade beads hung amid emerald dots, exquisitely splendid. Hundreds of lanterns hung from the eaves, their light brighter than daylight, radiant and glorious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Jiang Shunming raged in fury, a man with a green scar on his face sat silently, sipping tea with calm ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when Jiang Shunming turned his gaze toward him did the man rise slowly and say:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must cease your actions against Jiang Daolian. Destroying Qingshu Mountain was merely a warning. If we do not now rein ourselves in, we risk provoking the wrath of Taihe True Person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Golden Core, Brother Jingcheng—a mere Golden Core…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Shunming still refused to yield:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s still only a true disciple, yet he acts with such finality—if he truly becomes Yu Yuchen’s heir, what will become of us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Ji True Person of the Ji clan still holds him in check. If this man inherits Yu Yuchen’s mantle, it will be no blessing to the Nine Provinces and Four Seas!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jingcheng said nothing in reply, patiently waiting until Jiang Shunming finished his tirade, then smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since the Heavenly Sovereign’s passing and the fall of Zhonglang, our clans have always been forced to tread carefully to survive within Xudu Tian—this is not news to either of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that we’ve confirmed Jiang Daolian holds considerable status on Changli Island, we should simply withdraw. What more is there to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the cost has been too high—my Qingshu Mountain was destroyed by Liu Fengye and Xie Jing, sent by Chen Hang himself. His intentions are far from pure!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Shunming sighed, then fixed his gaze squarely on Jiang Jingcheng and probed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When, do you think, will this suffocating existence finally end?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak plainly—why test me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jingcheng shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve now achieved the Return to Void realm—I can tell you this: twenty years ago, several clan lords, working together, uncovered new clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that one can manifest again in this world, the balance of the Nine Provinces will surely change—and when it does, the clans who lent their strength—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jingcheng’s voice suddenly halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause under Jiang Shunming’s searching gaze, he finally spoke again, slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know that the Nine Provinces and Four Seas were meant to be governed jointly by our clans?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sovereign was personally commissioned by the Dao Court, before the eyes of the Immortals and Gods of Xuanjie Tian, entrusted with the celestial mandate to resist Tianyi Yan and his rebels—his merits were immense!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As descendants and disciples of the Heavenly Sovereign, we are the most legitimate heirs to this legacy. As for the Eight Sects and Six Clans…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of sharp light passed through Jiang Jingcheng’s eyes. He laughed aloud, hands behind his back, and shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let us wait and see!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, another half-year passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Changli Island, a golden-robed boy arrived at the hall holding a jade slip, requesting an audience. After the boy entered and bowed, Chen Hang took the jade slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at it once, and his expression changed instantly, leaving Tu Shan Ge somewhat bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yin Wuji, you truly are you—what a magnificent feat you’ve wrought!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang praised.\u003C\u002Fp>",2805,"2026-06-19T22:30:06.574Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","729186ffe7b31f8934f39dd80105d8321b1727502b34f5354e34dadebeee7129","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-504","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-502",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]