Jiang Chen devoted himself to cultivating every day. His discipline impressed the elders in House Yan, who’d been observing him in secret. They approved of the young man more and more.

At first, they worried that he might’ve approached Yan Qingsang with ulterior motives. Now, it seemed clear that he was merely a diligent wandering cultivator trying to gain the support of a large faction. He worked on improving himself and his cultivation with a single-minded focus that even many scions from aristocratic families didn’t possess.

Jiang Chen knew Elder He and Elder Quan were secretly watching him, but he pretended to not know and took no actions to change that.

In a hidden room in the manor, Elder He sighed. “Look at him, Elder Quan, then look at the youths in our family. There’s a stark contrast with how they treat their cultivation. Our youths have grown complacent. They lack the urgency, vigilance, and hunger of the wandering cultivators. This young man has great potentia...