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

Chapter 99 The Sword Draws! [Third Update]

Hidden Star Sect, Baoyuan Peak.

When the two men in front of him fell into deep thought, the Taoist Shouzhuo said earnestly, "Since the Taiyi Dao Palace has used the Rilun Gate to search for you, you must remember to never be alone, lest you be taken advantage of by villains."

He turned his gaze to Lieyangzi: "Junior brother, I have already sent people to gather irrefutable evidence. I will personally go to the Rilun Sect soon, and with this evidence, force their sect leader to make a Daoist oath to restrain his disciples and nip this calamity in the bud..."

"It's that same old trick again!" Lieyangzi roared. "Compromise! Concession! Our sect is already declining due to the weakening of the Spirit Strategy, with fewer and fewer disciples. If we don't take advantage of our remaining power and crush Sunwheel Island with overwhelming force, it will only bring disaster for ten thousand years!"

Hearing this, Chen Qing vaguely sensed a deeper meaning, as if the reason for the sect's decline was not only due to the weak foundation he had left behind.

"It's not about backing down, it's about not being able to! Junior Brother Lieyang, look at this letter!" Daoist Shouzhuo frowned, a flash of light appeared between his fingers, and a jade talisman was unfurled in mid-air, with golden characters flowing on it.

Lieyangzi and Chen Qing stared intently, their expressions changing.

"...Hidden Star and Sun Wheel belong to the East Sea Alliance and should watch over and help each other. If any Golden Core cultivator dares to start a war and slaughter their fellow cultivators, it will be considered a violation of the alliance. Our Taiyi Dao Palace will surely punish them on behalf of Heaven to serve as a warning to others!"

The seal was clearly the Dharma Seal of the Discipline Hall of Taiyi Dao Palace!
"Under the net of laws and regulations, if a Golden Core cultivator makes a move, it will be handing them a handle!" Shou Zhuo's voice was heavy. "The Taiyi Dao Palace doesn't even need to take action itself; it can simply use this as a pretext to unite with other sects to blockade and suppress me! At that time, my Hidden Star Sect will be plunged into the quagmire, declining even faster, with little chance of recovery!"

Lieyangzi's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, he was so pent up he felt like he was about to explode!

He slammed his fist into the jade pillar beside him, leaving a charred fist mark.

"Golden Core cultivators can't make a move? It seems there are restrictions between the sects," Chen Qing's voice suddenly rang out. "Then I will do it. I am not a Golden Core cultivator."

"Junior brother!" Shouzhuo's expression changed slightly. "You still don't understand the dangers involved? Once you step out of the mountain gate, you'll be captured by their trap..."

"Senior Brother, you are mistaken." Chen Qing shook his head and said, "The Golden Core restraint only binds the hands and feet of my Hidden Star Sect, right? Can the Golden Core of the Taiyi Dao Palace do whatever it wants?"

Lieyangzi said, "They really do whatever they want. They are not restrained at all and can do whatever they want. There are always people from all sides who will defend them."

"..."

Chen Qing, unable to use his keyboard technique for the moment, simply laid his cards on the table and said, "Senior brothers, my Yin Spirit has reached perfection in the early stage, and I need to 'bear the burden and temper my form' to enter the middle stage! The Sun Wheel Sect slaughtered its fellow disciples because of me, which is an unforgivable sin, but also an opportunity for my path!"

He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Shou Zhuo: "I will lead the expedition to the Sunwheel Sect to demand justice! We will act with the sect's decree, upright and justified! Let's see if the Sunwheel Sect dares to defy the world and openly intercept and kill the envoy from our superior sect!"

He paused, then added, "Moreover, even when facing a Golden Core cultivator, I have a way to resist."

"Bearing the burden and tempering the form..."

Shouzhuo and Lieyangzi are both highly accomplished individuals above the Yin spirit level, so they naturally understand the key to this realm.

The phrase "to bear burdens and temper one's form" means that "to bear" refers to receiving and "to carry" something.

Entangled in cause and effect, amidst the chaos of the mortal world, like grains of sand attached to a soul, one must bear the consequences and untangle the entanglements so that the Yin spirit can be tempered and enter the middle stage.

If cause and effect are not understood, the divine will cannot be tempered, and the Yin spirit will be like a precious pearl covered in dust, unable to shine.

Simply put, Chen Qing had done something that caused a certain impact. As long as he takes responsibility and resolves the matter, he will be free from the karmic burden. His divine sense will be relieved of its weight and he can advance further.

Shouzhuo's eyes gleamed as he weighed the pros and cons, about to speak, when a voice drifted from the depths of the mountains—

"good."

"Master Brother!" Shouzhuo and Lieyangzi's expressions turned solemn, and they bowed in unison towards the main peak.

The ethereal voice of Daoist Qingyuan rang out: "Shouzhuo, then do as Junior Brother Li says. When we go to punish him, he shall be the one in charge, upholding my decree and acting on behalf of the sect."

"I will obey the sect leader's decree!" Shouzhuo bowed and accepted the order without further hesitation.

Chen Qing also bowed solemnly towards the main peak: "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother."

Qingyuan's voice fell silent, as if it had never appeared.

Shouzhuo turned to Chen Qing with a solemn expression: "Junior Brother Li, this journey is fraught with extraordinary danger. I will prepare enough protective talismans and escape treasures for you. In addition, Junior Sister Huanyun is meticulous and proficient in illusion magic. She can accompany us to protect us, conceal the secrets of heaven, and see through the undercurrents."

"Senior brother!" Lieyangzi exclaimed anxiously, "Why won't you let me go? When it comes to killing and protecting the Dao, my Fire Cloud Peak..."

Shouzhuo interrupted directly, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Junior Brother Lieyang, you are a pillar of the sect, renowned for your prestige. Your every move is a signal! The Taiyi Dao Palace will surely sense it, and it may lead to even greater unforeseen events." After speaking, he stopped looking at Lieyangzi and asked Chen Qing, "Junior Brother, is there anything else you need?" "I have a method of protecting the Dao that I still need to practice, which will take another day." Chen Qing pondered for a moment and said, "Besides that, since I am acting on behalf of the sect, I should have a title to set the record straight."

“That is as it should be.” Shouzhuo nodded. “A Daoist name is a mark of a practitioner, either attained through self-realization or bestowed by a master. Junior brother, do you wish to take one yourself, or…”

Chen Qing lowered his gaze slightly, sensing the decay and annihilation within his body, as well as the light of Buddhist intent, before raising his head and saying, "Let's call it 'Silent Brightness.' Silent means returning to the true nature after annihilation; Brightness means penetrating the light."

“Jiming…” Shouzhuo recited it twice, “What a fine Daoist name! It perfectly matches my junior brother’s foundation and aura, profound and mysterious!”

With his Daoist name settled, Chen Qing's aura became increasingly calm and restrained.

He composed himself and asked a question: "There is another matter. The Sun Wheel Sect is so unscrupulous. Who exactly is the elder of the Taiyi Dao Palace who is backing them? Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you be prepared for any eventuality."

"It is to inform you," the Taoist Shouzhuo said solemnly, slowly uttering a name:
"The Insightful True Man, Deputy Head of the Discipline Hall of Taiyi Palace, who is in charge of the 'Heart-Burning Furnace'!"

"That True Man Dongming is a follower of the 'Bright Fire' lineage of the Taiyi Dao Palace. He holds the precepts and wields the Heart-Burning Furnace. Three of his disciples have attained the Golden Core stage, and his power is immense! Junior Brother Jiming, if we encounter any of his disciples this time, we must rely on the sect's decree, always stating that we are 'obeying the Hidden Star's decree,' and act with restraint. We must not give anyone a handle to use against us..."

"Om-"

The flying boat, like a shooting star, pierced through the clouds and mist.

At the bow of the boat, Chen Qing stood against the wind, with a woman in palace attire beside him, her hair piled high, her aura ethereal and otherworldly—it was none other than Fairy Huanyun.

Her voice was gentle, yet tinged with seriousness, as she meticulously explained the relationships between the various branches of the Taiyi Dao Palace, the conduct of its disciples, and even the hidden forces on the islands of the East China Sea.

Chen Qingjing listened.

Inside the flying boat at the rear.

"That must be Grandmaster Uncle Jiming? He's really quite young!"

"Ten years since I entered the sect, I've been like a dragon whose head is seen but whose tail is never seen! I've heard that the lotus platform recognized its master back then, which shook the entire sect!"

"Shh! Don't speak ill of your elders!"

Mingxin coughed lightly, and all the disciples immediately fell silent, bowing their heads and standing respectfully.

Chen Qing took in all the subtle movements behind him and suddenly asked, "Senior Sister, our sect and Taiyi were once top sects, so why have we declined to this state? Does that 'Spirit-Severing Strategy' really have such power that it can erase a foundation built up over thousands of years?"

“There is indeed a reason for this…” Fairy Huanyun hesitated for a moment, about to explain.

"boom!"

The flying boat shuddered violently! It felt as if it had crashed into an invisible iron wall! The protective shield flickered with spiritual light! The disciples inside, whose cultivation was slightly weaker, were immediately thrown about, exclaiming in alarm!
"Who dares to obstruct the entourage of the Hidden Star Sect!" Fairy Huanyun raised her eyebrows and shouted angrily. With a flick of her wrists, several streams of light entered the hull of the boat, forcibly stabilizing the situation.

"Hahahaha!"

His wild laughter roared like thunder, tearing apart the sea of ​​clouds!
The swirling clouds in front dispersed, revealing a colossal ship, entirely golden and shaped like a blazing sun, lying across the sky!

Several figures stood at the bow of the ship, exuding a fierce aura. The leader was a burly man in a red robe with a bushy beard, surrounded by flames, with a sinister aura appearing and disappearing!
His gaze, like poisonous fire, locked onto Chen Qing at the bow of the ship, and he sneered, "It's like finding a needle in a haystack! My Sunwheel Sect has been searching for you for so long, and you've actually delivered yourself to our doorstep! Surrender immediately! Otherwise..."

"Too much nonsense."

Chen Qing didn't even wait for him to finish speaking before he opened his mouth and spat out!
A tiny yellow-green light shot out from its mouth, initially no bigger than a grain of rice, but in an instant it swelled up in the wind and transformed into a strange sword rainbow!
The sword rainbow pierced the sky silently!
Wherever it passed, traces of decay and ash appeared in the space!

The protective flames surging around the burly man with the thick beard and the surrounding crimson-gold talismans were pierced through as easily as paper!
"What is this..."

The sinister grin was still on his face when the sword's rainbow pierced through his brow!

puff!
The faint sound was like a bubble bursting.

The world became silent.

　call--

　　It's quite early today...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)