By the time I returned to Autumn Sun County, the afternoon sun had already climbed high.

Deep Profound Come Blessing, the steward of the estate, paced anxiously outside the clan lands. The moment he saw me, he rushed forward, his voice laced with relief.

“Young Master Jiang, you’ve returned! This old servant thought you were cultivating this morning and dared not disturb you. When noon arrived and still no sign of you, my heart nearly seized with worry! I feared I had been indiscreet and caused you to leave in anger!”

His anxiety wasn’t entirely unfounded. He genuinely feared he had touched upon some sensitive point in my heart, some root that ought not to be disturbed. He worried that his good intentions had inadvertently offended a noble individual.

“I merely went for a walk,” I replied, waving a hand, offering no further explanation. “Take me to your ancestral temple. I shall light incense there on behalf of Young Master Win.”

Deep Profound Come Blessing was a man of keen intellect, or perhaps he hadn’t been before, but after receiving lessons from Deep Profound Faith, he had long since grasped my importance, a weight that only continued to grow.

“Young Master, please follow me. The incense sticks are prepared, and the censer has been cleaned.” He respectfully led the way, asking no more questions.

My arrival in Autumn Sun County was ostensibly to worship at the ancestral temple on behalf of Deep Profound Win. Naturally, Deep Profound Come Blessing had made meticulous preparations.

The entire Deep Profound clan lands resembled a small city. While it lacked towering, solid city walls, its prosperity, equal to that of a county, and its thousand-year-old foundation served as a formidable barrier in themselves.

Deep Profound Come Blessing, a house-born servant granted the Deep Profound surname, held a higher status than ordinary retainers. Servants gained honor through their masters, and with Deep Profound Faith now thriving overseas and Deep Profound Win enjoying great favor, Deep Profound Come Blessing’s standing within the clan lands had significantly improved.

Following Deep Profound Come Blessing, we passed through the estate without hindrance. Few people spoke directly to us, merely offering greetings before stepping aside. Yet, with my enhanced hearing, I overheard many private conversations among the Deep Profound clan members.

“Is that the Azure Sheep Jiang Wang? He doesn’t look particularly bloodthirsty, rather refined and cultured.”

“He’s a heaven’s favored figure, already renowned overseas. You haven’t seen him when he’s killing people!”

“Have *you* seen him?”

“I haven’t, but my cousin has!”

Such discussions were numerous, a testament to the widespread recognition I now commanded. Of course, this was also likely due to my connection with Deep Profound Win, leading the Deep Profound family to pay closer attention to news concerning me.

Contrary to expectations, the Deep Profound family’s ancestral temple was neither grand nor imposing. It couldn’t even be described as large. Several clusters of green bamboo formed a small grove, within which a small, ancient, and unpretentious temple lay hidden. Green bricks and gray tiles, nothing extraordinary.

Deep Profound Come Blessing thoughtfully explained, “The Deep Profound family has larger temples, but those are for ordinary clan members to worship. This temple here is the true ancestral temple of the Deep Profound clan. Since you represent Young Master Win, you naturally should come here.”

Above the temple’s main gate hung a wooden plaque bearing the characters “Deep Profound Ancestral Temple.” The calligraphy was imbued with a concealed sharpness, thick and profound. On the doorposts flanking the main gate were two couplets.

The left couplet read:

*Beneath the heavens, what is heavy? Carrying mountains, carrying seas, none heavier than carrying responsibility.*

The right couplet read:

*In life, what is difficult? Chopping fate, chopping enemies, how more difficult than chopping delusion.*

Only those who had experienced much could truly grasp the depth of these couplets.

The character “person” (人), when burdened with heavy responsibilities, grows. It then becomes “big” (大), the “big” of an adult. Responsibility is indeed the heaviest burden in the world, heavier than mountains and seas.

And in a long life, sometimes the hardest thing to break free from is precisely “delusion” (妄). It can be false delusion, arrogant delusion, unfounded thoughts, or inappropriate desires. Enemies are before you, and you can draw your sword and strike them down. Even struggling against fate has discernible paths. But “delusion” originates within oneself. Many people fail to recognize or confront their “delusions” until death. They might be too arrogant to know themselves or their enemies, or they might be trapped in false delusions from which they cannot escape.

The Deep Profound family, with their Deep Profound secret techniques as their foundation, can reach feats akin to carrying mountains and seas. Yet, the couplet declares that the heaviest burden in the world is responsibility. The Deep Profound family once flourished to an extreme, equal in glory to a county, a top-tier renowned clan under the heavens. Yet, the couplet proclaims that the most difficult thing in life is to chop delusion.

Bearing burdens and achieving enlightenment. This couplet perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Deep Profound family. No wonder Deep Profound Floating Tu chose to die in battle in the maze realm, collapsing his Dao Body to create the Floating Tu Pure Land. No wonder Deep Profound Cloud Wave, during a family crisis, donned his armor in his old age and rushed to the battlefield. No wonder Deep Profound Chu Liang fought with blood and earned renown, killing former friends on the Qi Yang battlefield and fiercely defending Lin Zi city against a military god. No wonder…

In front of the door were two green stone stools. The left stool was empty, but on the right, a middle-aged man sat cross-legged. He wore plain gray cloth clothes, his eyes closed, completely silent. He didn’t even seem to be breathing, as if he were a sculpture. My and Deep Profound Come Blessing’s approach had no effect on him. He seemed like a part of the temple, not a specific person.

Deep Profound Come Blessing respectfully bowed to him but did not greet him, directly pushing open the temple’s main gate. I followed suit and bowed. I was here to worship on behalf of Deep Profound Win and naturally wouldn’t cause him any trouble. I would adhere to etiquette in all necessary aspects.

With a slight creak, a wisp of clear wind swirled into the courtyard.

Having arrived, Deep Profound Come Blessing spoke no more, even attempting to silence his footsteps, as if fearing to disturb the ancestors. I, however, walked with ease, but my cultivation of the Sound Department of the Five Immortals Like Dream Order allowed me to completely extinguish my footsteps. We entered the Deep Profound Ancestral Temple one after the other.

“What are you doing!”

A voice full of vigor suddenly erupted from behind, shattering the solemn silence of the temple. I turned back to see a short-bearded elder glaring at me. I calmly met his gaze but remained silent. As I said, this was the Deep Profound family, and I didn’t want to cause trouble for Deep Profound Win.

Deep Profound Come Blessing, hearing the voice, turned back and trotted over to the man, bowing and scraping. “Family Elder, this is Young Master Jiang Wang. He is here to worship at the ancestral temple on behalf of Young Master Win.”

This short-bearded Deep Profound clan elder, upon hearing Deep Profound Come Blessing’s explanation, completely ignored him and continued to glare at me. “Who are you? By what right do you worship at the ancestral temple on behalf of Young Master Win? Is the ancestral temple of my Deep Profound family a place for any ruffian to enter and worship?”

No matter how much Deep Profound Come Blessing’s status had risen, he was ultimately just a house slave of the Deep Profound family, never to be higher than his masters. And even less so compared to a family elder. Thus, even being completely ignored, he showed no trace of annoyance. He only feared that Young Master Jiang would suffer injustice, and that he wouldn’t be able to explain himself to Young Master Faith and Young Master Win. Therefore, even with fear in his heart, he gritted his teeth and, with a face full of forced smiles, blocked the elder. “Family Elder, you are often in secluded cultivation, perhaps you do not know. Young Master Jiang is a close friend of our Young Master Win, he is Viscount Azure Sheep, a fourth-rank Azure Plaque Catcher, a second-rank Guardian of the Sea warrior, one of the most esteemed heaven’s favored of our Great Qi’s young generation!”

This family elder was clearly here to find trouble. By now, if there was anyone in the Deep Profound family who didn’t know my name, it would only be someone who completely disregarded the future position of the family master. But which Deep Profound clansman wouldn’t care about who became the family master? I understood this point, but I didn’t want to escalate the situation, so I remained silent.

Deep Profound Come Blessing also understood this point, but he hoped this family elder would be more sensible. His explanation was, in fact, intended to build momentum.

“So he’s a Viscount!” The short-bearded elder sneered. “Since when has the threshold of my Deep Profound family been so low?”

“It is Young Master Win who invited Young Master Jiang to substitute for the worship…” Deep Profound Come Blessing still wanted to persuade him, hoping to use Deep Profound Win’s name to suppress him.

But the short-bearded elder backhanded him with a slap. “Do you have any right to speak here?!”

Deep Profound Come Blessing didn’t even dare to dodge, already bracing himself to lose half his teeth. But the slap never landed. While still in mid-air, it was caught by a young and strong hand.

The short-bearded elder’s eyes blurred. The young man who had been inside the ancestral temple had appeared in front of him. And his own wrist… felt as if it had been cast in iron!

I gazed at him calmly and slowly said, “You harbor anger in your heart, why vent it on a subordinate? You are wasting the reputation of the Deep Profound clan.” I turned halfway, using my free left hand to point at the couplet inscribed on the front of the ancestral temple. “You should know that the couplet on this ancestral temple mentions ‘chopping delusion’!”

“You… release me!” The short-bearded elder secretly exerted force, but he couldn’t free himself from that iron wrist. He was an Outer Building realm cultivator, yet in front of this young man, he was utterly powerless, like a child! He was both annoyed and anxious, to the point of speaking without thinking. “You audacious disciple! You merely cling to my Deep Profound family to survive, eat my Deep Profound family’s food, drink my Deep Profound family’s drink, use my Deep Profound family’s resources, and now you actually dare to lay hands on me!?”

Not only was I not angered, I even laughed. My five fingers slightly loosened, causing the short-bearded elder, caught off guard, to nearly fall. He stumbled back several steps before regaining his balance.

“So, you recognize me.” I smiled, gazing at him, and leisurely asked, “Yet I don’t know who you are, nor your name.”

You recognize me, yet I have no idea who you are. The question then becomes, who is more significant, and who is truly arrogant? There wasn’t a single word of contempt in my speech, yet it conveyed more contempt than any direct insult.

“This old man is Deep Profound Heng Sheng! Are you afraid you won’t succeed?” The short-bearded elder glared angrily. “You countryside brat, what can you do to me!” He deliberately stirred up trouble, hoping to provoke me. The best outcome would be for this young man to lose his temper and strike him.

“I’m simply too lazy to do anything to you,” I replied with a laugh. Not that I couldn’t, just that I was lazy.

“Regularly returning to the clan lands to light incense at the ancestral temple was A Win’s intention. He is currently handling matters overseas and cannot return for a while, so he invited me to substitute. That is the sole reason for my trip. I could have chosen not to come.” I didn’t continue the argument, directly turning to walk outside. “Then let Deep Profound Win himself come.”

The implied meaning was clear: Wait for Deep Profound Win to come find you.

No matter what, Deep Profound Heng Sheng was a family elder of the Deep Profound family, a clan member with the original Deep Profound surname. How I dealt with him would not be appropriate. Being lenient would be meaningless, and being harsh would make things difficult for Deep Profound Win. Handing the matter over to Deep Profound Win himself was the best approach. And that kind-faced, ruthless fat man would absolutely not give Deep Profound Heng Sheng any quarter just because he was old.

Deep Profound Come Blessing quickly pulled shut the temple’s main gate and eagerly followed behind me as I left. His heart pounded, yet he also felt a sense of satisfaction. Deep Profound Heng Sheng, a dignified family elder, had his hand raised to strike, yet was stiffly unable to land it! And now Young Master Jiang was walking away with such elegance and ease, truly heroic and extraordinary. What was momentum? This was momentum!

“Audacious disciple!” Deep Profound Heng Sheng gnashed his teeth and angrily rebuked my casual dismissal, yet it was hard to hide the weakness beneath his fierce exterior.

From beginning to end, the middle-aged man sitting on the stone stool showed no reaction. Even when Deep Profound Heng Sheng and I were on the verge of fighting, he didn’t even lift an eyelid. Neither Deep Profound Heng Sheng nor Deep Profound Come Blessing thought to interact with him.

A single fallen bamboo leaf, carried by the wind, swirled towards him. The moment it reached him, it fell silently and sharply, like a piercing knife, embedding itself in the ground. A leaf, heavy as cast iron.

Deep Profound Come Blessing followed me as I walked away and asked anxiously, “Young Master Jiang, are you truly not going to worship?”

My trip to Autumn Sun County, though primarily focused on the aftermath of Chu Mi, also involved the significant matter of worshipping at the temple on behalf of Deep Profound Win. Being able to substitute for him was in itself a declaration of power. Deep Profound Win intended to use this method to tell the entire Deep Profound clan that in the future, I could fully represent him. Seeing me was like seeing him. This was intended to elevate my influence and, at the same time, use my current reputation to further solidify his own influence. Deep Profound Come Blessing understood this meaning, which was why he had been so careful in his reception this time. Deep Profound Heng Sheng undoubtedly also understood this point, which was perhaps the reason for his obstruction.

In Deep Profound Come Blessing’s view, my inability to worship on behalf of Deep Profound Win was a significant loss. Hence his question. He cautiously suggested, “We can wait for Elder Heng Sheng to leave, then go…”

“Playing hide-and-seek?” I lightly laughed. “I’m not interested in playing such games with an old man.” To Deep Profound Come Blessing, this was a matter of heaven and earth collapsing, but to me, it was inconsequential.

Since my return from Tianya Platform, my reputation was already established. I no longer needed to borrow the Deep Profound family’s power. When the people of Qi discussed me, they wouldn’t first say I was Deep Profound Win’s good friend. On the contrary, when people mentioned Deep Profound Win, they often first mentioned the Azure Sheep Jiang Wang. Who didn’t know I had silenced the Inner Residence cultivators of the Fishing Sea Building!

“Then you should return to your room and rest first,” Deep Profound Come Blessing said, his heart still not giving up. “I’ll have someone come and give you a massage, guaranteed to be first-class!”

I glanced at him, thinking to myself, you are truly persistent. No wonder Deep Profound Faith’s eyes were perpetually dark circles. I shook my head and said, “The massage is unnecessary. What’s the deal with that Deep Profound Heng Sheng?”

Deep Profound Come Blessing looked left and right and softly said, “His heart leans towards Young Master Zun.”

So, I finally understood. Deep Profound Win’s previous major actions, even driving Wang Yiwu out of Lin Zi, had silenced the internal clan. Not only did the younger generation find it difficult to challenge his edge, but even the clan elders held less sway than he did. His position became increasingly prominent, yet there was always a critical point he couldn’t surpass. He held the advantage as the heir, yet he couldn’t definitively secure the right of inheritance with one decisive blow. This wasn’t because he wasn’t good enough, or hadn’t put in enough effort. It was because there was still another person—

Deep Profound Zun.

Although that person hadn’t taken action, or even made a sound, for a long time. No one could ignore him.

In August of Dao Calendar 3918, Deep Profound Win, guided by divine inspiration, arranged for Deep Profound Zun to enter Jixia Academy for one year of secluded training. Unbeknownst to us, it was now May of 3919. Only three months remained until the full year was complete…

No wonder someone in the Deep Profound family was starting to stir again. The mountain rain was coming, and the wind filled the building.

Soon, you will directly face Deep Profound Zun, Deep Profound Win. Are you prepared?

I lowered my head and looked at my palm, asking myself, Jiang Wang, are you prepared? That ultimate heaven’s favored who seized the glory of all his peers, that legend who was extremely likely to achieve the Heavenly Abode realm—Deep Profound Zun! Are you truly prepared to face him?

My five fingers slowly closed, and I gripped my fist tightly. No matter… I will try!

1. This chapter combines two updates into one.
2. I forgot to tell everyone, the couplets, songs, etc., that appear in this book, as long as the source is not marked, are all written by the author. There is no need to look for the source if you cannot find it. I hope you understand. o(^o^)o
Hmph hmph. I am very proud of the couplet “Unload the hook as the moon.” I also like “Carrying mountains, carrying seas, none heavier than carrying responsibility.”
3. Fourteenth place not kept, seeking more…