Even a cherished son of the Li clan like Li Longchuan would likely suffer a beating from Old Madam Li for daring to change a name in the family genealogy.

Yet, Li Fengyao accomplished just that. Leaving aside his ambition, his capabilities were clearly extraordinary.

Jiang Wang sighed, “He’s certainly ambitious!”

Xu Xiangqian knew Jiang Wang had urgent business in Linzi, so he wouldn’t keep urging him to go out for entertainment.

They parted ways at Changhua Avenue.

For Jiang Wang, the purpose of this trip to deliver gifts had been achieved, and his task was fulfilled.

The Chongxuan family naturally possessed a residence in Qidu, the esteemed Bowang Marquis Manor, grand and noble. However…

With Chongxuan Zun present, Chongxuan Sheng would certainly not choose to live there and make things difficult for himself.

During his earlier travels in Linzi, the portly fellow had spent a fortune to acquire a lavish mansion for social gatherings and banquets. However, lacking the historical prestige of a titled family, this residence, no matter how splendid, would always be considered lacking in depth by those of true nobility.

This revealed the difference in status between Chongxuan Zun and Chongxuan Sheng within the family. Chongxuan Zun was already regarded as the young master of the Bowang Marquis Manor, while Chongxuan Sheng, though holding a respected position, was always a step behind.

Linzi was known for its Seven Great Scenic Wonders, with “Maple Haze at Dusk” being one of them.

Chongxuan Sheng’s private residence was located near the renowned Haze Mountain, its value far exceeding that of ordinary mansions, bordering on extravagance.

With Chongxuan Zun around, he couldn’t fully leverage the reputation of the Bowang Marquis Manor, so he could only display his own strength as much as possible. Wealth was one aspect of that.

When Jiang Wang arrived at the residence, Chongxuan Sheng had not yet returned. However, the servants had been instructed in advance and would certainly not neglect him.

Haze Mountain was named not for morning or evening haze, but because the mountain was covered in red maples, resembling the evening glow. Hence the name “Haze Mountain.”

It was said that every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when viewed from afar in the evening, the sunset glow in the sky would perfectly align with the red maples of Haze Mountain, merging into one radiant spectacle, hence the name “Maple Haze at Dusk.”

Jiang Wang’s room offered an excellent view of Haze Mountain.

However…

It inevitably reminded him of the maple forest outside Mapleleaf City and the people within.

He once danced with his sword among falling maple leaves, a moment of pure joy that was unlikely to be repeated.

Years had passed, and those who were once by his side…

Jiang Wang leaned against the window, his eyes lost in thought.

Tiger was in the army, so he had avoided that catastrophe, but they had not been able to contact each other since.

An’an was being fostered in the Lingxiao Pavilion. No matter how devoted Ye Qingyu was, her small, sensitive mind would inevitably feel apprehensive. Yet, he couldn’t claim to be secure in his position. Everything he had achieved could be lost at any moment. No matter how much he longed for her, he couldn’t bring her here…

The evening breeze rustled the maple leaves, creating the illusion of a rolling red sea.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching.

Jiang Wang closed the window, lost in thought.

He sat back on the couch and began to explore his Five Viscera Seas.

Because time was too short, and his desire to bring An’an back was too strong, he couldn’t even afford the time to grieve.

The greatest advantage of a vast and majestic Isolated Heavenly Island was the ability to more clearly sense its position when navigating the Dragon Vein into the Mist of Ignorance. Its immense size made it difficult to get lost.

His mind immersed in the Dragon Vein, he first carefully examined the Palace of Heaven’s Reach, as he always did.

He had a “guest” residing in the Palace of Heaven’s Reach, so he had to be cautious.

The Entangling Star Serpent affectionately coiled around him a few times before resuming its journey through the Star River Vortex.

Jiang Yan remained as steady as a mountain, and the Nether Candle was unusually quiet.

The experience of exploring the Mist of Ignorance was mystical.

The entire Palace of Heaven’s Reach moved like a Dragon Vein, his mind in control, making him feel like a dragon. He could clearly sense the constant erosion of the “dragon’s body” by the Mist of Ignorance.

He needed to continuously mobilize Dao Yuan to repair the eroded parts, while memorizing the feeling of the path he had traveled, constantly exploring “forward.” Because there were no directions in the Mist of Ignorance, no front, back, left, or right.

However, cultivators often created a virtual orientation to avoid getting lost. Jiang Wang had the enormous Isolated Heavenly Island and the beacon created by the Divine Power Seed, making his “orientation” relatively clear.

The confrontation with the Mist of Ignorance was something that permeated the entire Dragon Transformation Realm cultivation process.

With the scale of Jiang Wang’s Isolated Heavenly Island and the beacon generated by the Divine Power Seed, this process was much safer than for ordinary cultivators. However, Jiang Wang still set a relatively high warning line. Once his Dao Yuan reserves reached that line, and the repair speed began to fall behind the erosion speed, he would immediately return.

At this point, his spirit, energy, and essence were still enough to support a battle at the spiritual level. In other words, he had specifically left room for Jiang Yan to respond.

Some cultivators said that traversing the Mist of Ignorance was the process of immersing one’s Dao Yuan into the mists. This statement was not without merit.

The Dragon Vein itself became a “battlefield” between the cultivator’s Dao Yuan and the Mist of Ignorance, constantly being eroded and repaired.

Dao Yuan was not merely a simple sublimation of Qi and blood, but a perfect fusion of intention and power, a true reflection of the natural origin. It was the beginning of the Great Dao, the foundation of all cultivation.

And the Mist of Ignorance, obscuring the three souls and confusing the seven spirits, was a corrosion and hindrance to cultivation.

What was “ignorance”?

It was unenlightenment, foolishness. It was, in fact, the most primitive state!

Human cultivation began with Dao Yuan, and the term “Dao Yuan” itself meant “the beginning of the Dao.” In a sense, Dao Yuan ended ignorance!

Therefore, when a cultivator could complete the exploration of the Five Viscera Seas in the Mist of Ignorance, lock onto the location of each viscera, and completely eliminate the influence of the Mist of Ignorance, they would have completed their own “enlightenment.”

Gaining control of their body, possessing their own “room,” they could then influence the world from within.

Therefore, the next realm after the Dragon Transformation Realm was the Inner Palace Realm!

Buddhism often compared the mortal world to a sea of suffering, viewing the human body as a solitary boat.

In cultivation, this referred to the process of navigating one’s own Dao Vein to explore the Five Viscera Seas in the Mist of Ignorance. It described the cultivation of the Dragon Transformation Realm.

The saying, “The body is like a Bodhi tree, the mind is like a mirror stand. Always diligently wipe it, lest it be covered with dust,” meant that in this process, one must constantly repair oneself, not allowing the Dragon Vein to accumulate too much “dust,” lest they become lost in the Mist of Ignorance.

Of course, there were also “originally, there is nothing, where can dust be found?” innate Buddhas, who simply regarded the Mist of Ignorance as nonexistent. However, this had little reference value for ordinary cultivators.

And Confucianism said, “If one cannot sweep one’s own room, how can one sweep the world?”

In terms of cultivation, it meant that if one could not clear their own state of ignorance and complete their own “enlightenment,” they would not be able to enlighten the people.

This described the barrier to entering the Inner Palace Realm.

By the time Chongxuan Sheng returned, night had fallen.

He reeked of alcohol and looked exhausted.

However, as soon as he returned to the residence, dismissed the servants, and entered Jiang Wang’s room, his eyes widened, and his fatigue vanished.

“How did it go today?” Jiang Wang asked, absentmindedly, while slowly finishing his work.

Chongxuan Sheng said in a muffled voice, “Full, and dirty!”

The Dragon Vein emerged from the Mist of Ignorance and landed back on the Isolated Heavenly Island. Jiang Wang withdrew his mind. “What happened?”

Chongxuan Sheng’s tone was unhappy, but he was smiling. “I was turned away all day and got a nose full of ashes!”