Jiang Che merely sighed at the name 'Ai Cao.'
Though Ai Kun had described the girl as stunningly beautiful, Jiang Che didn’t think she was actually that attractive.
After all, the name 'Ai Cao' sounded a bit off to him.
Why not just call her 'Ai Ye'?
They’re both green plants anyway...
Jiang Che mentally complained.
He was, in fact, an extremely devoted man. Since he hadn’t even secured the Xiao triplets yet, he wasn’t in the mood to flirt with other girls.
Hmm... redefining the word 'devoted.'
"Alright, since no one has anything else to say, let’s disperse. If anyone wants to cultivate or break through in my Jiang family’s Spirit Gathering Array in the future, notify me in advance. Our Jiang estate is small, and spots are limited!"
Jiang Yunhuang’s wrinkled face beamed like a chrysanthemum.
Now, he was completely worry-free. Above, he could rely on the Jiang ancestors; below, he could leech off his own grandson and grandson-in-law. How unbeatable was that?
The Jiang family had connections in the upper realm, his own grandson had a mysterious and powerful master, and his grandson-in-law also had a mysterious and powerful master... Who could understand the bliss of such a carefree life?
"Patriarch Jiang... but..." An elder from an ancient martial sect, a grandmaster-level powerhouse, spoke up.
Though Dragon Country officially only had five grandmasters, its people had ingrained the art of secrecy into their bones—how could there really be just five?
"Elder from Longhu Mountain, didn’t you just say you were already halfway into the coffin and didn’t need spiritual energy anymore? I’m just granting your wish," Jiang Yunhuang replied with a particularly sleazy grin.
The old grandmaster: "......"
Even Jiang Ruoxu, standing nearby, found it hard to watch. If he weren’t part of the Jiang family, he’d probably be plotting murder by now.
Hoarding spiritual energy with the Spirit Gathering Array and calling it 'maintaining social order'... Only the shameless could say such things with a straight face.
[You useless disciple, do you see now? This is Jiang Che’s mindset... In the cultivation world, you must be selfish, or you won’t survive. It’s a dog-eat-dog world. A fool like you wouldn’t even know how you died if you stepped into the Nine Heavens.]
Mo Lianxing once again piled pressure onto her young disciple.
After seeing Jiang Che’s breathtakingly beautiful master, she was overwhelmed by a sense of inferiority.
She knew Jiang Che’s master was formidable, but she never expected her to be such a stunning celestial beauty—so radiant that it made her feel unworthy.
"Master... I haven’t said a word! Why are you scolding me again?"
Jiang Ruoxu was miserable. Ever since Jiang Che appeared, he hadn’t dared to speak, afraid his master would drag him out for comparison.
He’d already buried his head in the sand like an ostrich—why was he still being singled out?
[You spineless fool. You’re both descendants of the Jiang family—how are you so pathetic?]
Mo Lianxing’s voice was another dagger to his heart.
The poor guy’s Dao heart shattered completely. His master had already defected to Jiang Che’s side. Given Jiang Che’s shameless personality, he’d probably offer her a Body Refining Pill soon, and then she’d abandon him to elope with Jiang Che...
The mere thought of that scene nearly broke him.
Soon, Jiang Yunhuang shooed everyone away.
Though the Jiang family’s actions were inhumane, no one dared to protest—not even in whispers behind their backs.
"Che’er, I don’t know what a Spirit Gathering Array is, but your move is ruthless."
Jiang Yunhuang led Jiang Che and Jiang Ruoxu toward the Jiang ancestral grounds.
In the backyard, a mist shrouded the path. Beyond it lay the so-called Forbidden Martial Zone—a place where martial arts were restricted, yet internal energy could still be used freely.
As they stepped inside, intricate array patterns covered the ground—this was the Spirit Gathering Array!
Most of the spiritual energy from the revival had been concentrated here, making it incredibly dense. Though it couldn’t compare to the spiritual energy radiating from Jiang Che’s premium spirit fields, it was still impressive.
"Hmph, the Jiang family has guarded the Realm Gate for generations. Even without merit, there’s effort. Now that spiritual energy has revived, it’s only right we enjoy it first..."
Jiang Che said it casually.
"Haha, exactly... This is what our Jiang family deserves..."
Jiang Yunhuang’s expression suddenly shifted mid-sentence.
Spiritual energy surged toward him, flooding his meridians.
His aura skyrocketed—
Breaking Heaven Stage 2, Breaking Heaven Stage 3, Breaking Heaven Stage 4... all the way to Breaking Heaven Stage 7 before finally stabilizing!
"Holy shit!"
Jiang Che remained calm, but Jiang Ruoxu was terrified. Was his grandfather mutating or something?
How the hell did his cultivation soar so high?!
[You fool, your grandfather’s cultivation talent is exceptional. Even as a grandmaster, he forged his own martial path. He was only stuck at the Breaking Heaven Stage because of the world’s limitations. Now, with spiritual energy, his accumulated potential is erupting.]
Mo Lianxing felt her disciple was as clueless as a pig.
Hopeless!
Maybe she should consider replacing him while he was still young.
Jiang Ruoxu didn’t dare argue, only nodding awkwardly with a forced smile.
"Phew—"
Jiang Yunhuang exhaled deeply, his gaze sharpening.
Breaking Heaven Stage 7!
He felt invincible now. If he faced those three Breaking Heaven Stage cultivators again, he could crush all five of their heads with one hand.
"Che’er, this Spirit Gathering Array is incredible. The deeper you go, the richer the spiritual energy..."
"Uh... Bro, Grandpa, the Realm Gate is just ahead—it’s an altar. That must be the passage to the Nine Heavens..."
Jiang Ruoxu couldn’t help but interject.
Jiang Yunhuang shot him a sidelong glance and chuckled, "And whose fault is it that the Realm Gate awakened in the first place?"
Soon, under Jiang Ruoxu’s guidance, they arrived before a massive altar.
The altar wasn’t large but exuded an ancient aura, surrounded by strange seven-colored stones arranged in an archaic formation.
Jiang Che raised an eyebrow, studying the altar. He tried using the 'Book of Mathematics' to deduce its origins, but it yielded nothing.
The Book of Mathematics was just a fragment—it couldn’t achieve omniscience.
Jiang Che suspected the complete version consisted of at least nine volumes. If combined, they might form the 'Book of Truth.'
[Ding! Primordial Altar detected.]
Upon hearing the system's prompt, Jiang Che cleared his throat and gestured as he introduced, "My master once mentioned this—it's the Primordial Altar..."
The moment these words left his lips, Mo Lianxing could no longer stay seated.
[As expected! Master Jiang's teacher must be a figure of immense power, to even know of something as profound as the Primordial Altar!]