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

Chapter 9 Getting stronger with old age
In front of the mountain gate, on the blue stone steps.

Fang Da'ao clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, staring intently at a person on the mountain path.

Opposite him, Han Sha, dressed in a white Taoist robe from the Haiyuan Temple, stood with her head bowed, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Han Sha!" Fang Da'ao's voice boomed like thunder. "When the sect is in trouble, you switch allegiance and still have the nerve to come back?"

Han Sha trembled, and before she could speak, the five disciples of Haiyuan Temple behind her burst into laughter.

“A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Junior Brother Han is exceptionally talented. How can he be buried in a minor sect like yours?” A young man with a hooked nose stepped forward from the crowd, his words laced with sarcasm.

"Nonsense!" Fang Da'ao roared in fury. "If it weren't for my eldest master saving him from the pirates' blades back then, he would have been—"

"Senior Brother Fang!" Han Sha suddenly looked up, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes. "I chose this path precisely to carry on Master's legacy! The Haiyue Technique is incomplete; I can't achieve anything significant with it!"

"You've been deceived!" Fang Da'ao exclaimed in anguish, taking two steps forward and stepping out of the mountain gate. "My sect leader has already told me, we—"

Before he finished speaking, seeing Fang Da'ao leave the mountain gate formation, the man with the hooked nose suddenly pointed his fingers like a sword, and a water arrow shot out from his sleeve!

Fang Da'ao hastily turned to the side!
whoosh-

At the critical moment, a white piece flew through the air and deflected the water arrow with a "ding", carving a three-inch deep hole in the rock wall behind Fang Da'ao!
"A sneak attack?" Fang Da'ao couldn't understand the change, but he knew he was the one who had attacked him. His muscles tensed like a bowstring, and he adopted a bear-style stance with the imposing force of a mountain. "Want to fight? Then let's fight!"

at this time.

"Big Claw, stop!"

A voice rang out, and Chen Qing slowly walked out from inside the mountain gate, with Qu Xiaoyao following closely behind, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.

Chen Qing's gaze first swept over Han Sha, and finally landed at the end of the mountain path—

There were four people standing there.

The elderly man at the head of the group had a white beard that reached his chest, a gaunt face, and bright, piercing eyes. He wore a long blue and white robe and leaned on a jade staff with an ancient chess piece carved on the top, which seemed to radiate a faint spiritual light.

Behind him stood two men and a woman, all with extraordinary bearing: the young man on the left carried a sword case on his back, with a blood-red dot of vermilion between his brows; the man on the right had a jade flute hanging from his waist, and a face as handsome as jade; the only girl was about sixteen years old, with a golden bell on her wrist that jingled softly in the mountain breeze.

"Thank you for your help earlier, otherwise my nephew would have been seriously injured in a surprise attack," Chen Qing said, cupping his hands. "I wonder what brings you all from the Xuanji Chess Academy here today?"

"Fellow Daoist, are you the sect leader of the Hidden Star Sect? You arrived just now, and even if we hadn't made a move, I'm sure the sect leader could have protected you." The old man nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and chuckled. "I am Mo Huaiyong. I've heard that your sect is a descendant of the Central Spirit Continent, so I've come to pay my respects."

The remnants of Zhonglingzhou?
Has this reputation even reached the Xuanji Chess Academy?
Chen Qing's eyelids twitched, and he glanced at Han Sha out of the corner of his eye. Then he shook his head at Mo Huaiyong and said, "My humble abode is simple and unassuming, and I'm afraid it might be disrespectful to our distinguished guest. It's better not to..."

Mo Huaiyong's white beard twitched slightly, his smile undiminished, and he interrupted, "This old man has another opportunity to give you on this trip. The land of Nanbin has a deep connection with my Xuanji Chess Academy since ancient times. It is a tradition of our sect to regularly visit talented people. The Hidden Star Sect is also in Nanbin, so we should come and pay them a visit."

Chen Qing felt a slight chill.

These words, though seemingly gentle, were actually a barbarian's tactic, implying that the Nanbin region has been the sphere of influence of the Xuanji Chess Academy since ancient times!
However, according to Chen Qing's understanding of the situation, there are now forces in the South China Sea involved, while the Xuanji Chess Academy has been nowhere to be seen for a long time.

"I see." He remained calm, cupped his hands, and continued to decline, "Senior is too kind, but unfortunately, the disciples in my sect are not talented enough to be considered by the Chess Academy."

Mo Huaiyong's gaze lingered on Fang Da'ao, and he said meaningfully, "His qi and blood are vigorous, and his muscles and bones are almost like iron. He already has the beginnings of the Yellow Court. If he gets a good teacher to guide him, he may very well achieve something."

Upon hearing this, Fang Da'ao replied without hesitation, "I am a disciple of the Hidden Star Sect, and I will only acknowledge my sect in this life!"

Zheng——

The swordsman behind Mo Huaiyong hummed softly, but he raised his hand and pressed them down.

“The other day, I gave some guidance to a few young disciples at Haiyuan Temple,” he said gently, looking at Han Sha. “I heard one of them say that he has two fellow disciples whose talents surpass his own, who are in the Hidden Star Sect on Mingxia Mountain. I admire their talent, so I came here specifically for this purpose, and I have no other intentions.” Chen Qing frowned slightly.

Why would the prestigious Xuanji Chess Academy make a special trip to our door just because of a casual remark? Moreover, despite our repeated refusals, they persisted. Their cultivation is unfathomable, and their sect is powerful. Why should they be so fixated on our small sect?

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!
"The path of cultivation relies most heavily on opportunity. Since we are here today, how about this—" Seeing Chen Qing remain silent, Mo Huaiyong flipped his sleeve, and a jade chess piece appeared in mid-air, its clear light flowing. "This is the 'Inquiry Chess,' which can test one's innate talent and comprehension. Why don't we let you two young friends give it a try? Consider it a test of their abilities. This is much more accurate than the bone-reading methods of ordinary sects."

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes slightly.

This old Taoist priest seemed kind, but in reality, he was pressing me relentlessly, using his power to intimidate me. If I refused again, I might offend a behemoth like the Xuanji Chess Academy! If it was just a test of my innate talent…

"I cannot refuse your kind invitation, senior." He took a deep breath and then said, "However, the mountain gate is simple. Why don't we try it out on the stone platform in front of the mountain?"

A glint flashed in Mo Huaiyong's eyes, and he nodded, saying, "Good."

Soon, the group moved to an open area in front of the mountain gate.

After receiving permission from his martial uncle, Fang Da'ao took a deep breath and straightened his back, while Qu Xiaoyao nervously gripped the hem of her clothes, her little face tense.

Mo Huaiyong flicked his finger, and the jade chess piece spun in the air, its clear light falling like rain, sprinkling onto Fang Da'ao and Qu Xiaoyao.

"Relax your mind and sense carefully." Mo Huaiyong's voice was ethereal, as if it contained some kind of mysterious rhythm.

Fang Da'ao gradually relaxed, and its body shimmered with a faint yellowish-brown light, vaguely forming the shape of a bear; while Qu Xiaoyao was surrounded by misty water, like smoke and illusion.

"The foundation is still acceptable..."

A fleeting look of disappointment crossed Mo Huaiyong's eyes.

These two aren't...

At the same time, whether it was because Chen Qing was nearby or because Qinghui was intelligent, the chess piece in mid-air suddenly trembled!
A few rays of moonlight unexpectedly shone upon Chen Qing!

"Oh no! Mr. Mo, weren't you supposed to be testing my disciples? Why are you targeting me, an old man of the sect?"

Chen Qing felt a chill and instinctively activated his Taihe Qi to protect his body.

But the next moment——

boom!
When the clear light encountered the qi, it boiled and gathered towards Chen Qing's crown chakra, suddenly bursting forth with a dazzling pillar of light, like a long river, and then swirling in the air!
In an instant, rolling phantoms burst forth from the light—

Majestic mountains rise abruptly from the ground!

The vast blue sea surges with waves!
Where mountains and sea merge, a strange phenomenon unfolds in mid-air!
"This...this is..."

Mo Huaiyong's pupils shrank abruptly, and the composure on his face vanished completely!

"His aura is close to the Great Harmony, resonating with mountains and seas?!" The young man carrying the sword box exclaimed in a low voice, "This person's cultivation level is not high, yet he can stir up auras. Could it be that the person with profound fortune that we are looking for is this person?"

The entire place was deathly silent, with only the howling of the mountain wind.

The handsome man behind Mo Huaiyong broke the silence, whispering, "Uncle-Master Mo, this person is only at the initial stage of cultivation, but such extraordinary phenomena cannot be manifested by anyone without a solid foundation, yet he is also the leader of a sect..."

Mo Huaiyong slightly raised his hand to stop him from saying anything more, and then looked intently at Chen Qing.

　If you happen to be passing by, please help me bookmark this page. I'm a newbie and I'd really appreciate it...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)