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

Chapter 34 Unexpected Visitor
"Although this meeting yielded considerable results, strictly speaking, the objectives were not fully achieved. While we obtained intelligence about the Immortal Dynasty, it was too general and lacked focus on the early years of the Immortal Dynasty..."

When Chen Qing walked out of the Five Qi Pavilion, the street vendors had already begun to pack up. As he walked, he thought to himself, and decided to look for pills and formulas to suppress the alien bloodline.

At the street corner, a lean man with a bookstall was bending over to tidy up his books. When he saw Chen Qing pass by, his eyes lit up and he called out, "Fellow Daoist! Here to browse for books again?"

Chen Qing stopped and asked, "Do you still have any pill formulas for sale? Or ancient books that record the affairs of the Immortal Dynasty?" As he spoke, he casually flipped through the tattered scrolls on the stall.

“Neither of those are currently available, but I can keep an eye out for you if you need them. However, this time, I have other good stuff!” The man mysteriously pulled a yellowed booklet from his pocket, the four faded gold characters “Secret Records of the Buddhist Monks” faintly visible on the cover. “You know that the guy in the Five Qi Pavilion is fond of ancient secrets; this booklet records the origins of Buddhism, and I guarantee it will satisfy him!”

Chen Qing immediately asked, "When did Buddhism originate?"

The man was taken aback, then said, "That era is very long ago. I heard that the human race has only just begun to rise and is still searching for the path to enlightenment."

“The Daoist Chronicle,” Chen Qing glanced at it a few times, frowning as he noticed the obscure language and unfamiliar figures mentioned. “How much do you want?”

The man held up five fingers: "Five pieces of spiritual marrow, no bargaining."

"Too expensive." Chen Qing closed the booklet and put it back. "Let's find someone else."

"Fellow Daoist!" The man pressed down on the book. "This was brought out of the ancient temple ruins by my sworn brother who risked his life!"

Chen Qing shook his head and revealed his answer: "Half a piece."

The man almost choked!

Who bargains like that?
This wasn't just cut in half; it was cut right down to the ankle.

"Four and a half dollars!"

"Farewell." Chen Qing turned to leave.

The man hurriedly stepped forward: "Three pieces! That's the lowest I can offer!"

Chen Qing flicked his sleeve and said, "Let's talk about it another day." He was preoccupied with other matters and had no desire to argue.

After taking a few steps, he heard the man's unwilling shout from behind: "Fellow Daoist! I'll keep this book for you!"

Chen Qing waved his hand without turning his head, and his figure quickly disappeared into the shadows of the street corner. A few steps later, he arrived in front of Qingnang Pavilion.

Chen Qing pushed open the door and entered, and saw the shop owner, Old Master Sun, hunched over, weighing a few vine leaves with a small scale.

Hearing the commotion, the old Taoist priest looked up, his cloudy eyes brightening: "Zhou Yuanjing's disciple? What brings you here this time?"

"Senior Sun." Chen Qing stepped over the threshold, cupped his hands in greeting, and got straight to the point, "I've come today to seek some elixirs or medicinal herbs that can suppress and regulate heteromorphic bloodlines. If they can even suppress or treat bloodline backlash, that would be even better."

Old Master Sun paused on the small scale in his hand, squinted at Chen Qing, and asked, "Who needs it? Do you perhaps have taken in disciples from other races?"

“Not a disciple,” Chen Qing shook his head, “but a fellow Daoist’s request.”

Old Master Sun nodded: "It is commendable that you are willing to go to great lengths for fellow Daoist, but..." He shook his head, "Harmonizing Yin and Yang and sorting out the origin of different bloodlines is no easy task. Just the few main ingredients that I can think of are hard to find, not to mention Nanbin, but even in the entire Dongling Continent. Some of the main ingredients have even disappeared in ancient times."

Chen Qing listened without any emotion; the extinct medicinal herbs might still exist in the Immortal Dynasty of Dreams!
Just then, a boy of about seven or eight years old suddenly popped out from under the counter. He had a round face and bright eyes. He tugged at the old Taoist's sleeve and said, "Grandpa! Didn't you say a few days ago that the root of 'evening primrose' combined with 'mysterious yin cold marrow' could also regulate blood circulation? You also said it was a pity that you couldn't find 'red-veined stone' anymore."

Old Master Sun chuckled and ruffled his grandson's hair: "You little rascal, eavesdropping on your elders! Those are just ancient prescriptions, they don't count." He then sighed to Chen Qing, "Many herbs have long since disappeared, and the main ingredients in the elixir, 'Thousand-Year Snow Lotus' and 'Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass,' are now extremely difficult to find..."

Chen Qing replied, "Please tell me the formula, senior!"

Old Master Sun waved his hand: "Very well, it's just an ancient prescription that's long been useless. Why not tell you about it? This prescription is called 'Taiyin Qinghui San'."

He dipped his finger in the tea and wrote a few lines on the counter:

Three qian of Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Grass, one thousand-year-old snow lotus, seven red-veined stones...

Chen Qing memorized the name and properties of each herb, and finally took out a piece of spiritual marrow and placed it on the cabinet.

Old Master Sun frowned: "Back then, your master discussed the Dao and herb gathering with me. I gave him a useless prescription, so how could I possibly collect your spiritual essence?"

"This bento is a gift for your grandson's first meeting." Chen Qing smiled, took a step back, his aura suddenly merged, and his figure drifted backward like smoke, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Old Master Sun paused, staring at the empty doorway and muttering, "Moving like flowing clouds? Old Zhou's disciple... has already reached such a level? This progress is too fast!" He looked down at the spiritual marrow, then at his bewildered grandson beside him, and sighed, "If you had half of his talent, I could die in peace."

The boy pouted defiantly, "I'll definitely be better than him in the future!"

Old Master Sun laughed heartily, but a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes.

"The formula is available, but some of the ingredients have long been extinct. Fortunately, they are recorded in the 'Record of Extinct Things,' so they may be found in dreams."

As dusk settled, Chen Qing strolled to the pastry shop, only to find it closing up shop and the shopkeepers leaving.

He shook his head and chuckled, then bought a few calligraphy practice books and left Xiaoyingzhou.

"The snacks are gone, but this calligraphy practice book is indispensable."

As night deepened, Chen Qing walked slowly along the mountain path, sorting through the information he had gathered that day.

Although what he learned today filled some gaps in the Immortal Dynasty and even refreshed his understanding of the "Records of the Great Void Dao," he was trapped in a treasure vault in his dream, and the outside world was constantly changing. Knowing only the ethereal and fleeting nature of the Void was of no help to him.

"Now it seems that with the Taixu Daoyanlu in hand, if we really get to the point of desperation, abandoning the identity of 'Chen Xu' is nothing more than wasting Dao traces to create a new past ancestor and start afresh."

But then, his brows furrowed as he recalled his experiences in the Immortal Dynasty of his dreams. "No!" Chen Qing's eyes suddenly sharpened. "Precisely because there is a way out, we should not go against our conscience! If we retreat at the first sign of trouble, how are we any different from Liu Wang?"

He took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air, exhaling all the stale air from his chest, and his eyes regained their clarity.

A way out is a trump card, not a turtle shell, and certainly not an excuse to escape.

Fight for what you should fight for, defend what you should defend; entering a dream should be a time to temper your heart!
Just as his thoughts became clear and his mind became lucid—

"Sect Leader Chen seems preoccupied. Could it be that he is worried about the Haiyuan Temple?"

A cold, clear voice came from the shadows a few feet away without warning!

Chen Qing felt his hair stand on end! He had been extremely cautious on this trip, avoiding ambushes, traps, and tailing, yet someone still managed to silently approach him to within ten feet!

He turned his head sharply and saw a tall, upright figure standing in the shadows.

The newcomer carried an ancient-looking sword box on his back. The box was dark and dull, yet it exuded a sharp edge.

"It's you?" Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly as he recognized the person as the young man carrying the sword box who had been following Mo Huaiyong earlier!

“It is indeed I, Ling Wufeng.” The young man stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight illuminating his handsome face, a single vermilion dot between his brows like blood. Seeing Chen Qing’s sharp gaze, he didn’t beat around the bush and spoke directly: “Sect Leader Chen, there is no need for vigilance. I have come here for two reasons: to deliver a message and to present a gift.”

"Oh?" Chen Qing's aura was deep and calm, with the Great Harmony hidden in his Yellow Court, stored up but not released.

“Firstly,” Ling Wufeng said calmly, but his words were earth-shattering, “Haiyuan Temple is no longer a threat. They are struggling to protect themselves and are on the verge of extermination.”

"What?" Chen Qing's pupils suddenly contracted!
“This faction acts erratically and recklessly, harboring unrealistic ambitions and provoking people they shouldn’t have.” Ling Wufeng’s tone was completely calm. “Now they are embroiled in trouble and have no time to spare for anything else.”

A chill ran through Chen Qing's heart. A sect that might have a third-realm cultivator in charge could be in trouble if it offended someone it shouldn't have.
The cruelty of the cultivation world seems to be far beyond imagination!
We have to play it safe!
Suddenly, the thought in his mind became clearer than ever before.

With the channel of "The Record of the Great Void Dao", he can continuously obtain spiritual energy feedback and cultivation secrets, and can also use it to exchange for the resources needed for cultivation. However, precisely because of this, he must be steady and cautious in the present world, and grow stronger in silence. He must never be the one to stand out!

Taking a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions, Chen Qing looked at Ling Wufeng and asked, "The second one?"

With a flick of Ling Wufeng's palm, a translucent white jade plate appeared. This object was about the size of a palm, with a faint light flowing throughout it, and stars flickering inside, like a microcosm of the universe.

"I've heard that Sect Leader Chen is fascinated by the past of the Immortal Dynasty." Ling Wufeng handed over the jade plate. "This is a fragment of the 'Myriad Manifestations Star Chart,' which contains some scattered observations, maps, and celestial phenomena from the early years of the Immortal Dynasty. Uncle Mo said it might be useful to you."

Chen Qing was taken aback, then overjoyed.

This is like a pillow delivered to someone who's about to fall asleep!
He was worried that he knew too little about the details of the early years of the Primordial Immortal Dynasty, and that his actions in the dream were like the blind men touching an elephant. He did not suspect anything at the moment—if the other party wanted to harm him, there would be no need for such trouble.

"Please thank Senior Mo for me! I will remember this favor." He didn't stand on ceremony, reaching out to take the jade plate, its surface warm and slightly cool to the touch. Then, almost instinctively, a wisp of pure Taihe Qi flowed along Chen Qing's arm into the jade plate, attempting to explore its mysteries.

"Wait!" Ling Wufeng's expression changed slightly. "This item was forcibly copied, and the information it contains is complex and chaotic. You need to protect your mind with a mind-clearing talisman. If you rashly investigate, you might suffer..."

Before he could finish speaking, something unexpected happened!

"Om-!"

The jade plate was stimulated by the Taihe Qi and burst out with dazzling white light!

Countless chaotic, noisy, and distorted torrents of thoughts flowed back into Chen Qing's sea of ​​consciousness along with that wisp of primordial harmony!

In an instant, illusions began to appear before Chen Qing's eyes!

There were apocalyptic scenes of stars collapsing, mournful cries on ancient battlefields, and the frenzied roars of cultivators going mad! Their consciousness had to be completely torn apart and assimilated!
Ling Wufeng's expression changed drastically, realizing something was wrong!

He knew better than anyone the dangers of this Jade Plate. Even with his cultivation level, he needed the protection of his elders and the aid of a mind-clearing treasure to barely withstand it when he first came into contact with it. The Hidden Star Sect Leader in front of him was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. How could he possibly resist?

"Although the rubbings of the Myriad Manifestations Hard Drive also have the effect of condensing spiritual consciousness, even the eldest senior brother almost suffered a qi deviation the first time. This Hidden Star Sect Master may have luck and talent, but ultimately his inheritance is shallow..."

Just as Ling Wufeng was about to make a move, he suddenly received a telepathic message, causing him to pause in his actions.

At this critical moment——

"boom!"

Deep within Chen Qing's sea of ​​consciousness, the Samadhi True Fire Talisman suddenly emitted a bright light!

Crimson-gold flames swept out, pure, blazing, and burning away all evil!
The chaotic thoughts that surged forth immediately emitted a hissing sound upon contact with the Supreme Yang True Fire, just like snow meeting boiling water, instantly being purified into wisps of green smoke.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, crimson flames burned fiercely, incinerating all external evils and protecting the single point of clarity in the spiritual platform.

Chen Qing's eyes regained focus, his breathing stabilized, and his gaze became as clear as ever.

"call--"

Exhaling a breath of hot white mist, Chen Qing looked down at the jade plate whose light was gradually fading, feeling both lingering fear and a hint of excitement.

The Samadhi True Fire Talisman is truly miraculous!
But we can't be so reckless in the future.

He raised his head and said to Ling Wufeng, "Thank you for reminding me, Fellow Daoist Ling, so that I could react in time."

Ling Wufeng stood frozen in place, his eyes fixed on Chen Qing, the vermilion mark between his brows trembling slightly with extreme shock!
　Here's the first one. The second one is still being polished. I got home too late today, so please bear with me...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)