The Jiang Family Ancestral Land was, in truth, an independent spacetime, shrouded in profound mystery. Without permission, there was simply no way to enter. Even among the members of the Jiang Family, generally only the Patriarch or members of the council of elders were permitted to enter the Ancestral Land. This was the location of a core part of the Jiang Family's foundation, and it was Jiang Chen's first time setting foot inside.
Originally, Jiang Chen had imagined that the interior would be a dazzling expanse of galaxies and myriad wondrous phenomena, unimaginably magnificent. To his surprise, however, upon stepping inside, he found it completely unlike anything he had envisioned. Once inside, it resembled a valley isolated from the rest of the world.
The mountains and plains were brimming with vitality. Even the air contained an exceptionally potent force of life.
"Chen'er, you've come!" The voice of the Thirteenth Ancestor suddenly sounded beside Jiang Chen's ear.
Jiang Chen, who had been looking around in wonder, hurriedly replied, "Thirteenth Ancestor Grandfather, I'm here."
"Chen'er, follow this small path straight ahead. Grandfather will be waiting for you up ahead."
"Understood, Thirteenth Ancestor Grandfather." Jiang Chen nodded, then began walking slowly forward. Along the way, Jiang Chen felt his body growing lighter and lighter, as if it were continuously absorbing the surrounding life energy.
Before long, Jiang Chen arrived at a small village. Dozens of thatched cottages of various sizes dotted the area, making it feel just like an ordinary village in the mortal world.
"Chen'er, over here~" An elderly man leaning on a walking stick stood at the doorway of one of the thatched cottages, looking at Jiang Chen with a warm smile.
"Thirteenth Ancestor Grandfather!" Jiang Chen cried out, then ran over happily to the Thirteenth Ancestor.
"Hahahaha, Chen'er, you've finally come!" The Thirteenth Ancestor affectionately patted Jiang Chen's little head.
"Come, let's go inside with Grandfather." With that, the Thirteenth Ancestor took Jiang Chen's small hand and stepped into the thatched cottage. The moment Jiang Chen crossed the threshold, he discovered that the scene before his eyes instantly changed. The interior was nothing like the crude simplicity he had imagined.
Unexpectedly, the inside of the thatched cottage revealed an entirely different view, concealing a small courtyard within.
"Sit down, Chen'er." The Thirteenth Ancestor led Jiang Chen to a stone table in the courtyard and sat down.
Seeing Jiang Chen's puzzled expression, the Thirteenth Ancestor smiled and began to explain.
"Are you very confused? Actually, these thatched cottages are where some of our Jiang Family Ancestors slumber. Every Ancestor has different living habits, so the environment inside each cottage is different. You'll understand as time goes on."
"Oh, right, Chen'er, let me have a look at your body!" With that, the Thirteenth Ancestor's eyes flashed with a golden light as he inspected Jiang Chen's physical condition.
"Mmm, not bad. The current physical strength of your body, Chen'er, has actually reached such a formidable state. Even those direct bloodlines of the True Dragon and Qilin races, renowned for their physical prowess, fall far short of your physical vitality at your age. It seems the decision this old man made previously was correct: letting you lay a solid foundation first before embarking on cultivation. When the time comes, your cultivation speed will undoubtedly achieve twice the result with half the effort." After finishing his inspection, the Thirteenth Ancestor nodded in satisfaction.
Immediately afterward, the Thirteenth Ancestor made a grabbing motion through the air, pulling out two cultivation manuals from thin air and placing them before Jiang Chen.
"Chen'er, these two manuals are the cultivation techniques passed down through our Jiang Family lineage. One is the *Grand Freedom Contemplation Method*, and the other is the *Tianji Manual*. Which one do you feel you want to cultivate?" The Thirteenth Ancestor looked quietly at Jiang Chen with expectant eyes.
"Thirteenth Ancestor Grandfather, what is the difference between these two manuals?" Jiang Chen looked at the Thirteenth Ancestor with confusion.
"Hahahaha, you little fellow. Very well, let Grandfather explain it to you in detail. This *Grand Freedom Contemplation Method* is not a detailed cultivation manual; it is more like a set of cultivation insights. Every person who practices this manual ultimately achieves completely different results, relying entirely on their own enlightenment to constantly refine the cultivation method that best suits them during their practice.
"As for this *Tianji Manual*, it was passed down by our First Ancestor. It can peer into the heavenly secrets, and even alter and utilize them, but at times one must pay a certain price for doing so. Which one do you think you want to choose?"
The Thirteenth Ancestor looked quietly at Jiang Chen. In his heart, he did not want Jiang Chen to learn the *Tianji Manual*, because the *Tianji Manual* leaned more heavily toward foresight, whereas given Jiang Chen's talent, studying the *Grand Freedom Contemplation Method* was the most suitable choice.
Jiang Chen looked at the two manuals placed on the stone table, his heart caught in a dilemma. Suddenly, inspiration struck him. "Thirteenth Ancestor Grandfather, can I cultivate both?"
"Are you certain? Cultivating both together is no ordinary difficulty. In fact, within our Jiang Family, only the First Ancestor ever cultivated both manuals simultaneously." Hearing Jiang Chen's words, the Thirteenth Ancestor could not help but frown.
"Yes, Thirteenth Ancestor Grandfather, Chen'er is certain he wants to study both manuals at the same time." Jiang Chen looked firmly at the Thirteenth Ancestor and nodded his little head.
"Very well, since you have such determination, Chen'er, Grandfather will impart both of these manuals to you in the coming days. However, you must reach the realm of minor accomplishment in both before you can leave the Ancestral Land." Seemingly thinking of something, the Thirteenth Ancestor laid down this requirement for Jiang Chen.
"Understood, Thirteenth Ancestor Grandfather. Chen'er promises that until he reaches the realm of minor accomplishment, he will not leave the Ancestral Land by even half a step."
In the days that followed, the Thirteenth Ancestor slowly and in great detail imparted his insights into both techniques to Jiang Chen, bit by bit.
......
Unwittingly, ten years had passed since Jiang Chen entered the Jiang Family Ancestral Land.
On this day, Jiang Chen, who had been meditating at the center of the lake, suddenly opened his eyes. His vital energy was boundless and majestic, resembling a cosmic furnace.
His physical body had been developed to its ultimate realm; at this moment, his mere physical strength alone had reached a terrifying hundreds of millions of catties.
Jiang Chen extended his hands and clenched his fists tightly. A series of explosive sounds echoed through space, and upon closer inspection, one could even see space itself trembling out of nowhere.
"No, my physical body still hasn't reached the realm of perfection." Jiang Chen could faintly sense that deep within his body, a shackle remained unbroken.
Immediately afterward, Jiang Chen closed his eyes once more. A wisp of chaos and another wisp of multicolored Qi slowly emerged on the surface of his body, radiating a terrifying aura.
Under the tempering of the two forces, the bones in Jiang Chen's limbs gradually became crystal clear. Moreover, at the intersection of the two forces, a trace of immortal energy was produced, and the surrounding Dao Rhyme permeated and intertwined.