There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 327 Return
Mingxia Mountain.

Outside the mountain gate, deep in the dense forest, many uninvited guests appeared.

They hid in rock crevices or concealed themselves in tree canopies, their breaths mingling and their thoughts varied, like hyenas searching for prey, lurking nearby.

However, they were also wary of each other.

"Why are there so many people all of a sudden?" A young cultivator emerged from the stream, looked around, and his expression changed. "Gentlemen, did you invite me here to get involved in some important matter?"

"It's not a big deal." In the distance, a rogue cultivator dressed in tattered robes appeared out of nowhere. He laughed and said, "I heard that Mingxia Mountain has offended those evil stars in the South China Sea. Hehe, they are the kind of people that even the major sects have a headache with... Maybe we can take advantage of the chaos and make some profits."

A gust of wind blew by, and a man carrying a long sword stood on a tree. He sneered, "Trying to gain benefits? Don't forget, Chen Qing, the leader of Mingxia Mountain, is the leader of the Nanbin Alliance! He's ruthless! Don't lose your life before you even get any benefits."

"The leader of the Nanbin Alliance?" A weasel-faced cultivator emerged from the ground, cackling, "So what if he's a king in Nanbin? He's just a frog in a well! Beyond the South China Sea, there are many powerful sects. Anyone from any of them is more powerful than our Golden Core Ancestor! No matter how strong Chen Qing is, can he be stronger than those truly powerful forces? In my opinion, this time the South China Sea tax collectors came knocking on his door, it's the beginning of the destruction of his Mingxia Mountain! Foreign bodhisattvas are ultimately more powerful than local earth gods!"

This argument that "the moon is rounder outside" drew silent nods from several onlookers.

In the minds of the cultivators in Nanbin, the cultivators outside were stronger. No matter how much they developed on their own land, they could not compare to those outside. This was almost an imprint on their minds.

"Senior Brother Bai! Something's wrong! There are so many suspicious people outside the mountain!"

Soon, outer disciples who had noticed the commotion outside the mountain hurriedly reported the news.

Bai Shaoyou sat calmly in the mountain. Although there was worry between his brows, he was not flustered. He was in charge of the various formations in the mountain and had already noticed the abnormality outside the mountain. He had already sent a message to his elder brother Bai Qichen to bring people to help.

"Don't panic. Master is incredibly powerful and has made all the necessary plans. We just need to guard the mountain gate."

His gaze swept over the slightly uneasy crowd around him, lingering for a moment on Fang Da'ao, whose face was filled with shame and whose fists were clenched. He said gently, "Junior Brother Fang, this matter is not your fault. It was all the schemes of petty villains. Before Master left, he had already set up a protective innate maze array for the mountain. This array is so profound that it is enough to make us innate masters invincible! Even if a powerful enemy comes to attack, they will not be able to cross the line!"

Upon hearing this, everyone recalled the ever-changing cloud formation that shrouded the mountains and felt somewhat relieved.

Seeing this, Bai Shaoyou offered another reassuring reassurance: "Besides, have you all forgotten? There has always been a master secretly protecting the safety of Mingxia Mountain and our fellow disciples. That is also a contingency plan left by our master! With him around, those clowns outside can't cause any trouble!"

His reminder reminded everyone of the times their disciples had encountered danger, but they had always managed to escape unscathed at crucial moments. It seemed as if an unseen hand was protecting them in the dark, which greatly boosted their confidence, and they all agreed.

Meanwhile, the "mysterious master" Jun Wuyai, whom Bai Shaoyou mentioned, was standing alone atop an ancient pine tree on the back mountain, his robes fluttering in the wind.

His divine sense had spread out, sensing the various auras lurking in the mountains and forests. He frowned slightly: "So many people from the South Sea, scattered cultivators from all sides, have actually come. Judging from my rich experience, someone is deliberately spreading news and stirring things up behind the scenes. It's usually a probing tactic to test the waters! But, there are even monks from the Western Desert? Two of them have a deep and heavy aura, already at the Golden Core stage... Chen Qing, Chen Qing, what have you been doing out there this time?"

With a change of heart, Jun Wuyai sensed a divine thought sweeping towards him, so he moved and landed in another place, pondering in his mind.

"That just now resembled the soul-searching intent of the demonic sect from the Southern Flame Continent! So, the demonic sect is hiding behind the scenes? However, I am well aware of your methods. During this period, I have been protecting this mountain within the Hidden Star Dao lineage and have received a lot of feedback on the fortune. Although the situation is unfavorable this time, it is time to seize the opportunity to make a move..."

Thinking this, he turned his gaze to a hidden depression.

Here, more than ten monks sat quietly in meditation.

The two leaders were particularly remarkable.

On the left stands a monk with a handsome face, holding a string of crystal prayer beads. His eyes are indifferent, as if all things in the world are but dust in his eyes. This man's Dharma name is "Mingjing," and he is the abbot of Dongbin Laiguo Temple.

On the right stood a burly monk with a faint, ethereal golden beard. His Dharma name was "Golden Beard," and he was a monk from the Vajra Rock Temple in the Western Desert. Sensing the change in the mountain atmosphere, a young monk couldn't contain himself and whispered, "Uncle-Master Mingjing, will Chen Qing really walk right into our trap? Are we being too passive by setting up an ambush here?"

Without raising his eyelids, the monk Mingjing said in a clear, ethereal voice, "All appearances are illusory. To be attached to whether something comes or not is to be attached to appearances. This is a strategy devised by Hanyue Temple and all the masters. We will create layers of disturbances, like waves washing away sand, until their minds are exhausted and they are close to their lair. When their vigilance is at its lowest, that will be the time for us to strike with lightning speed and guide them to conversion."

Upon hearing this, Monk Jinxu also said, "A bird startled by the twang of a bow, a fish swimming in a net, why worry? There are layers of obstacles ahead. Even if we cannot capture him, we can still disrupt his mind. By the time he gets here, he will be at his last gasp. If you and I join forces, capturing a mere leader of the Nanbin Alliance will be a piece of cake."

Their tone was calm, as if capturing Chen Qing was merely a matter of routine and a natural outcome. Little did they know that the "frightened bird" who was supposed to be constantly harassed and exhausted in the plan had already transformed into a raging dragon and overturned Hanyue Temple!
At that moment, a subtle transmission fluctuation was received by Monk Mingjing, and his brow twitched slightly.

"How is it?" asked the monk with the golden beard.

"The first interception went awry; communication was disrupted." Monk Mingjing's tone remained calm. "It's alright. A few setbacks won't affect the overall situation. The fish will eventually be caught in the net."

Just as the two monks were feeling reassured, suddenly, a jade talisman in their robes, used for emergency communication, shattered into dust with a "crack"!

At the same time, a throbbing sensation originating from their bloodline and an indescribable sign of great terror instantly seized their minds!

"Ok?"

The two were stunned at first, then another message arrived, and their faces turned deathly pale, their eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

"go!"

However, after the initial shock, they made a decisive decision!
Monk Mingjing could no longer maintain his detached indifference. Almost simultaneously, he and Monk Jinxu transformed into two streaks of lightning-fast Buddhist light, rushing to escape into the sky without a second thought! They didn't even have time to leave a single word of explanation for the bewildered monks around them.

however……

"Want to leave now? It's too late."

A voice resounded in everyone's ears!

"Om-"

In the sky, the void rippled and twisted, and a rotating circular portal appeared out of thin air!
Before the portal was even fully opened, a terrifying pressure had already poured down!

"Puff! Puff!"

In the mountains and forests, the cultivators who were hiding and spying were suddenly pressed down by this pressure. Those with weaker cultivation levels had their legs go weak and knelt on the ground, looking up at the sky with fear on their faces!
"A Nascent Soul cultivator?!"

"Which ancestor has arrived?!"

"It's none of my business, I was just passing by!"

Exclamations erupted, everyone terrified by the sudden turn of events.

The next instant, the door opened wide, and Chen Qing, dressed in black, stepped out, walking on air, his black hair flying.

(End of this chapter)