Wen Jingshu frowned slightly upon hearing Wang Chenliu's words.
When other great families produced geniuses, they usually hid them away, only showing them off once they had fully matured.
Yet the Wang family announced them directly.
Even Wang Fuyan's return had been exceptionally high-profile.
Puzzled, Wen Jingshu voiced her question.
Wang Chenliu chuckled and said, “Do you really think they can be hidden?”
“On the surface, the great families mind their own business, but in reality, there's no shortage of comparing, suppressing, and sending spies and undercover agents behind the scenes.”
Before Wang Xuzhi's accident, the Wang family had also adhered to the practice of only announcing geniuses after they grew up.
The result was that when Wang Xuzhi was keeping a low profile and gaining experience outside, other families used the excuse of 'not knowing she was a genius of the Wang family' to ruthlessly attack her even after she revealed her identity.
Only then did the Wang family wake up to the reality that blindly hiding one's talents could not guarantee safety.
When they needed to make a grand entrance, they had to make a grand entrance. Since they had the Wang family backing them, they needed to have the poise and confidence of someone with a powerful supporter.
The Mahayana Stage cultivators guarding them would either hide in the shadows or protect them out in the open. This would make ill-intentioned people wary, which was the only way to deter them.
Besides this, there was another, more important reason they dared to travel and gain experience so openly: the Wang family Ancestor, Wang Xuzhi, was a peak Tribulation Passage Stage cultivator.
If an ordinary peak Tribulation Passage Stage cultivator were to take action, there would only be two outcomes.
First, for those whose Dao Hearts were not in great perfection, they would be detected and rejected by the Heavenly Dao.
The power of a peak Tribulation Passage Stage cultivator was no longer something the cultivation world could bear. The moment they made a move, they would feel a crushing pressure sufficient to destroy everything.
At best, their cultivation would plummet; at worst, they would perish on the spot.
Although many families had peak Tribulation Passage Stage cultivators presiding over them, most of them were merely figureheads who would never take action unless it was a matter of life and death.
Second, those whose Dao Hearts had reached great perfection would be forced to ascend directly.
Just like Wang Jinye and Wen Zhiqiu, who were forced to ascend simply by leaking a tiny bit of spiritual energy.
Wen Shuyi was currently in this state as well, which was why she usually had her Dao protector handle matters for her.
However, Wang Xuzhi's Dao Heart was damaged, and she suffered from hidden ailments. Her Dao Heart could not sense the pull of the Heavenly Dao. Her injured body only allowed her to exert power comparable to a peak Tribulation Passage Stage cultivator without actually triggering ascension, though it was slightly inferior to true peak Tribulation Passage power.
This awkward, in-between state of hers was actually like exploiting a loophole.
The peace buckles worn by Wen Jingshu and the others carried Wang Xuzhi's divine soul aura. The moment they encountered danger, Wang Xuzhi could rush over instantly to save them.
With the Wang family's overall strength, they were more than capable of claiming the top spot among the Eight Great Families; they simply did not care to fight for such empty titles.
As a matriarchal family, they had never cared for such superficial face.
Instead of wasting time on that, they preferred to focus on how to provide their children with better cultivation resources.
Wang Chenliu explained briefly, then shifted the topic, saying:
“You're still wearing Thousand Faces on your face, right? That girl Wanting and Yanci have them too. It makes it convenient to disguise yourselves when going out.”
Frequently changing identities to travel and gain experience was also an excellent tradition of the Wang family.
Hearing Wang Chenliu's words, Wen Jingshu was utterly speechless.
In the past, they had joked about how her mother and sister loved to wear disguises when going out. As it turned out, this habit was inherited directly from the Wang family!
Wen Jingshu subconsciously touched her face. Having traveled for so long, Thousand Faces had indeed been a massive help.
With Thousand Faces, the life-saving treasures on them, the Mahayana Stage cultivators protecting them from the shadows, and the Ancestor ready to rescue them at any moment...
There really was no need for the Wang family's geniuses to hide themselves.
Wang Chenliu added, “Don't worry. When you leave the Wang family, I will directly activate the Wang family's internal teleportation array for you. When you leave and where you go will be known to no one but yourself.”
Hearing these layers upon layers of added protection, Wen Jingshu couldn't help but click her tongue.
If they still managed to lose their lives under such meticulous protection...
Then it could only be attributed to fate!
However... since Wang Chenliu had mentioned the Dao Heart, Wen Jingshu suddenly thought of the Dao Heart Stone she had left in the mortal realm.
The Dao Heart Stone was indeed a good thing. Wen Jingshu had originally intended to use it for herself, but now that she heard Wang Xuzhi's Dao Heart was damaged and she was unable to ascend, she couldn't help but contemplate giving the Dao Heart Stone to Wang Xuzhi.
As the saying went, the Dao Heart Stone was merely the icing on the cake for her. Without it, her comprehension of the Dao would at most be slightly slower, but it wouldn't hinder her ascension.
But it was different for Wang Xuzhi. Her Dao Heart was damaged, and perhaps only the Dao Heart Stone could perfect it.
Wen Jingshu weighed the options in her heart for a long time. When she snapped back to reality, she suddenly felt ashamed of her transactional calculation.
The Wang family truly treated her, her mother, and her sister as family. Ever since she arrived at the Wang family, the Ancestor had even chatted with her through the night. That kind of warmth from an elder to a junior could not be faked.
To the three of them, the Wang family was real, dependable family.
If their roles were reversed and Wen Jingshu's Dao Heart was damaged and required the Dao Heart Stone, the Wang family would undoubtedly yield this treasure to her without hesitation.
But what about her? Knowing that the Dao Heart Stone could repair Wang Xuzhi's Dao Heart, her instinctive reaction had been to weigh the pros and cons.
Ultimately, her thousand years of scheming and intrigue as the talisman cultivator Wen Jingshu had still influenced her. But now, she possessed extraordinary talent and had family by her side who truly wished the best for her...
When it came to family, she really shouldn't be so calculating.
Having reached a decision, Wen Jingshu casually threw down two formation plates to prevent anyone with ill intent from overhearing the subsequent conversation.
Wang Chenliu watched her actions. Before she could ask, Wen Jingshu spoke first:
“Aunt, I wonder if the Dao Heart Stone can repair the Ancestor's Dao Heart?”
The Wang family had always been ruled by the direct line. Since both Wen Jingshu and Wang Chenliu were of direct descent, it was only proper to call her “Aunt.”
The moment the name “Dao Heart Stone” was uttered, Wang Chenliu froze on the spot. Only after a long while did she ask, “The Dao Heart Stone? You have the Dao Heart Stone?”
The very treasure their Wang family had searched for thousands of years without success, Wen Jingshu actually possessed?
Wen Jingshu did not hide it any longer, explaining briefly, “I once went to the mortal realm to recruit disciples and discovered it there by chance.”
“However, that Dao Heart Stone is bound to the local environment. To take it away, it must be replaced with a natural treasure of equal value.”
Hearing this, Wang Chenliu repeatedly uttered the word “good” three times. Her excitement was unconcealed as she grabbed Wen Jingshu's shoulders and said:
“Good child, how thoughtful of you! With this Dao Heart Stone, the Ancestor has hope of ascending!”
How high-spirited and vigorous Wang Xuzhi had been back then! In terms of natural talent, she was the undisputed number one of her generation!
If not for that accident... she would have ascended ten thousand years ago.
Rather than watching generation after generation of the Wang family's children ascend to immortality while she could only silently guard them.
Wang Chenliu continued:
“Good child, since you are willing to part with the Dao Heart Stone, the family will not mistreat you. Ordinary treasures probably won't catch your eye, so you can go directly to the treasury to choose.”
“When you told me before that you wanted to participate in the Golden Core Stage division of the tournament, I thought you were being overconfident. Looking at it now, my vision was too narrow.”
“The tournament in seven days shall be as you wish. You will join the Golden Core Stage division.”
Hearing this, Wen Jingshu's eyes lit up.
Back in the Qingyun Sect, she had refrained from participating to protect her alternate identity. Now that she was home with her family backing her, she could openly challenge those of higher realms!
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