[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-348":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Watching the Immortals Fall",{"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},2260221,4410,"Chapter 348: Son-in-Law on a Dragon?","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-348",348,"\u003Cp>On a bright autumn morning, the dawn light was faint, the distant sky a hazy white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You sat upon a green stone on the Cloud Mist Cliff, already in deep meditation, his chest rising and falling in rhythm with his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the scattered spiritual energy around the Cloud Mist Cliff began flowing steadily into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a subtle shift of his spiritual sense, a vast sea of spiritual fire ignited within him, surging through his limbs and meridians, crashing relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After days of recuperation, his body had nearly fully recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Dan Yangzi advised him to begin cultivating spiritual energy, using medicine to aid the revival of his meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the thick spiritual flame continued to surge within him, tiny flames began spilling out from his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A powerful force erupted in an instant, coalescing into a scorching physique that roared outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the majestic aura, grains of earth on the cliff began trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He broke through…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You silently murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he entered the ruin with the Six Immortal Sects, his body cultivation had only reached the third stage; according to his earlier analysis, this physical realm should have nine stages total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning from the ruin, he first fell unconscious, then spent time recuperating, daring not to use spiritual energy until he was sure it wouldn’t strain his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he resumed body cultivation, he realized he had already crossed a major threshold—the very one he was meant to face at the fifth stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If judged purely by combat power, he was now nearly approaching the Boundless Upper Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This seemed unexpected, yet not entirely surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle at the altar nearly killed him; the Divine Sword Array had brutally honed him, so his body breaking through under extreme conditions wasn’t strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could probably beat the tsundere ghost now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wouldn’t that mean making her lie down when he told her to, kneel when he told her to, spread her legs when he told her to, and admit she was Little Water Tiger when he demanded it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You gently lifted the corner of his mouth, then slowly exhaled a breath of stale energy, rising from the green stone and turning toward the cool pavilion behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were waiting for him in the pavilion; seeing his body cultivation complete, they both stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Ji You regained mobility, he no longer needed them constantly at his side; though the three often went out strolling and chatting, it had grown dull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the awake young master was less fun than the unconscious one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finished. Let’s go rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You took the brocade towel Zhuo Wanqiu offered and wiped his sweat, then sat on the wheelchair Ding Yao held steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu pushed him down the mountain: “Lord Kuang came this morning. He’s drafted a plan to resolve the grain and spiritual seed distribution issues in Fengzhou. He asks when you’ll return to Fengzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five days from now. Elder Dan Yangzi says I won’t need to take medicine after five days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll send word as soon as we get back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disaster had ended, the tsundere ghost was safe, and Ji You’s injuries had nearly healed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he decided to return to Fengzhou and continue along the path he’d planned—to help the poor and make money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian demons were still advancing south, but he alone could do nothing about it; better to focus on what he could accomplish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, things were already much better than before. Ji You had no grand ambitions; when he first arrived in Qingyun, he only wanted to join a private sect as a bandit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ji You pondered, Ding Yao’s voice reached his ear: “Young Master, your senior sister came again this morning. She brought even more medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Sister He?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. She’s come five times in three days. Even He Jia’s patriarch came today. It’s a bit too eager.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Ji You awoke, he’d been restless in his room and often wandered outside, so nearly everyone in the compound knew he was awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu indeed visited often, showing deep concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Ji You’s view, his world-saving senior sister was doing this because, after surviving the human catastrophe, she’d suddenly decided to bind him to her family through marriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was right in his thinking—but wrong about the target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, He Lingxiu didn’t intend to introduce him to a match from the Qiu family; she intended to marry him herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the hour of the snake, the sun was warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third house of the first row of the inner courtyard’s immortal dwellings, He Lingxiu sat upright at a tea table in her courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father He Ye and several elders of the family sat across from her, sipping tea and chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Book Academy had a new headmaster—a major event for families allied with the academy—and naturally, they came to offer congratulations. He Jia was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the fragrance of spiritual tea drifted through the courtyard, rich and fragrant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the campaign, all major families suffered heavy losses. Even our He family lost two Spirit Traveling elders in that battle. Someone with Ji You’s combat prowess cannot be allowed to slip away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Ye’s voice echoed through the courtyard, silencing everyone—including He Lingxiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her father’s words, she recalled the scene of Chu Xian collapsing while Ji You stood firm, sword in hand; her eyelashes trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Heavenly Dao Assembly ended, Ji You entered the Sage Sanctuary to train but failed to break through, drawing widespread criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, some claimed Fang Lao had been avoiding him, and the sword wound he suffered on Dongping Mountain might have been inflicted by Ji You himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But rumors were just rumors; few believed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially He Lingxiu, who had been in seclusion all last year and knew little of these rumors. She’d always assumed Ji You had hit a dead end and would never shine again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only during this campaign did they truly see his combat power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He punched a Spirit Ascension demon spawn to death, blocked a Spirit Traveling demon’s killing strike with his sword, wrested a soul from the Heavenly Dao, and slew Chu Xian amid the miasma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each feat sent shivers through those who heard them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Ye now looked at his daughter: “Lingxiu, be more active in the Heavenly Book Academy. You must secure him as a son-in-law.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Long frowned: “He’s already entangled with a daughter of the Yu Danzong. He may not agree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yu Danzong may be an immortal sect, but it cannot cultivate the Immortal Dao. When great matters arise, it must seal its gates—this alone speaks volumes. Especially since Ji You’s body cultivation requires little medicine, clearly she’s not his true match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Ye turned his teacup: “Especially the Yu Danzong’s sealing—perhaps it’s tied to the Six Immortal Sects’ exploration of the ruin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Long blinked: “There’s more to this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ruin has always been under the Six Immortal Sects’ control, never opened—yet when disaster struck, it was already breached. In my view, the Six Immortal Sects secretly coveted its treasures. There were alchemists from Yu Danzong present during the Qiling Disaster. Doesn’t it strike you as suspicious that Yu Danzong sealed its gates at just that moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you saying the Six Immortal Sects forced Yu Danzong to lend alchemists to explore the immortal relics, and Yu Danzong sealed itself out of fear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Ye nodded: “Precisely. So while Yu Danzong appears prestigious, it remains outside the core of power. It holds little appeal for Ji You.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Long nodded: “That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marriages between families are about mutual support. Entering our He family as a son-in-law isn’t a loss for him. When Lingxiu bears him a child, the second son can take his surname. As for his other women, we can turn a blind eye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Ye lifted his teacup: “Yu Danzong seeks loyal alliances and strictly controls their sons-in-law. I doubt they’d offer such generous terms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, He Lingxiu frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being saved by Ji You during the campaign, she had indeed developed feelings for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially during this quiet time after the disaster, each night, the image of him standing firm with sword in hand would drift into her dreams, leaving her drenched in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But some things she simply couldn’t accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bearing Ji You a child, letting the second son take his surname—that was fine. But turning a blind eye to his other fleeting romances filled her with revulsion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The He family was one of the few thousand-year clans still standing in Qingyun, allied by marriage to a Hall Master of the Heavenly Book Academy, holding exalted status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu herself was about to enter the Spirit Ascension Realm. Women of such cultivation were rare in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had her own pride. Even when she’d once considered Chai Ze and Shi Junhao, she’d never imagined allowing them concubines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lingxiu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu’s eyelashes fluttered as she snapped back to attention, looking at her father: “I was just thinking. What is your wish, Father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think of what I just said?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can accept the first part. But turning a blind eye to his other women? That’s too difficult for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Ye patted her shoulder: “For millennia, marriages among Qingyun clans have always been this way. It’s not unusual. I know this is hard for you, but as my eldest daughter, you must think of the family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, He Lingxiu reluctantly nodded: “I’ll follow your plan for now. What happens after Ji You becomes our son-in-law depends on me—I’ll decide how to manage him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s choose a suitable time to formally invite him. I’ll issue the invitation in my name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you wish, Father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The discussion ended. He Ye and He Long rose and left He Lingxiu’s courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were not disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy. According to academy rules, unless invited as honored guests, outsiders could not stay overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially now, with Qingyun’s hidden currents and constant covert struggles, this rule was stricter than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu saw them off at the academy gates. On her way back up the mountain, she unconsciously glanced toward Jixiang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as she looked, she suddenly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the path lined with golden leaves, she saw many prominent senior and junior sisters from other halls walking back and forth—some clearly not from Jixiang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yu Shiliu, someone she was close to, was among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You had already returned to Jixiang Hall and was sitting with Cao Jingsong and others, examining a pile of invitation scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like when he first entered the inner courtyard, or when he topped the Heavenly Dao Assembly—but the identities of those sending invitations were vastly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he entered the inner courtyard, his invitations mostly came from hundred-year clans. This time, most were from thousand-year clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly, times have changed. Look—there’s even a personal letter from an elder of the Chen Shixian clan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong picked up one he found interesting and unfolded it: “My great-granddaughter is eighteen, gentle and virtuous… what do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You, seated at the tea table, replied: “I won’t look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My harem has never been under my control.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong nodded, fully agreeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Old Cao would’ve urged him to marry quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once they learned he was the junior master of Lingjian Mountain, they dared not speak rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To enter the courtyard of that traitorous disciple, his word meant nothing—it had to be the strongest one who approved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, those ancient clans, proud of their deep pedigrees, all wanted to take him as a son-in-law; if the junior master saw them, they wouldn’t just be barred from entering the courtyard—they’d likely have their legs broken and thrown into some mountain ravine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All under heaven bustle for gain, all rush for profit. After the campaign, Ji’s true combat strength came to light, and naturally, his door became crowded with visitors. Even my family sent a petition—it’s pure nonsense matchmaking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin pulled out a warm petition from his bosom and silently handed it to Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You reached out to take it, thinking: Sister, stop pretending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You and the Lu sisters have already numbered yourselves in line without my knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the Wen family’s petition, Ji You reached out to open the other letters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he claimed he dared not look, curiosity was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among those who sent petitions, besides the outsider Elder Chen Shixian, the most prestigious were the He family and the Yu family, where Elder Yu Shiliu of the Heavenly Book Academy hailed from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them hoped Ji You would become a son-in-law and promised him many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an outsider, even though Ji You lived in this environment, he hadn’t deeply understood the importance of clan alliances—until these petitions piled up, giving him a faint sense of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rural cultivator, alone and unaffiliated, no matter how strong his combat power, was seen by lofty immortal clans as nothing but a potential son-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could a single warrior compare to a vast clan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even if they promised to let a second son take his surname or overlook outside romantic ties, it was still a son-in-law arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, that stubborn little brat—since meeting him, from grumbling “husband” to cooing “husband”—had never once suggested he join Lingjian Mountain as a son-in-law, nor said he must take the Yan surname.\u003C\u002Fp>",2262,"2026-06-19T15:28:41.422Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","739fd7c385df51cfafa5d869560ad030289bbb138fd332d629669c548b40a298","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-349","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-347",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]