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

Chapter 184 Xuan Mu
Night was falling.

On the empty altar, the rock-solid body of the strongman slave suddenly trembled, and a glimmer of light flashed in the depths of his hollow eye sockets before disappearing again, returning to deathly silence.

Deep within its core, Chen Qing's will had quietly descended, using the body of this strongman slave as a base to investigate the changes around it.

As the shadows shifted, a middle-aged scholar in an indigo robe silently stepped out, his face bearing his usual perfectly measured expression of regret: "It seems this remote offering to the Hidden Star True Lord has not gone smoothly either. It is fate. Get up and come with me; there's no need to sit here idly."

He turned and led the way, his steps measured and unhurried.

Chen Qing's thoughts swept across the surroundings, finally focusing on the middle-aged scholar.

Before the wooden princess's reminder, Chen Qing might not have thought much of it, but now, looking at it again, many details revealed that it was no coincidence that the middle-aged scholar would lead the strongmen and servants on a journey every time he arrived.

"There are indeed not that many coincidences in this world. I had a vague feeling that something was wrong before, and now I see that this person did it on purpose!"

Ahead, the middle-aged scholar's mind was clear. He had already discovered that every time he had his strongman slave perform a remote sacrifice to the "Hidden Star True Lord," a mysterious will would descend upon him.

After several attempts, he realized that what had descended was no ordinary lingering resentment, but was even related to that legendary name, or even its true form!
If it truly is that being who was once buried in history, then its value is immense! Enough to satisfy many of my desires!

What this middle-aged scholar yearns for is to glimpse more truths buried by time, whether it be the vast history or lost secret techniques!
While both sides pretended to be confused, Chen Qing's consciousness followed the strongman slave silently, and they soon arrived at a destination.

This time, the middle-aged scholar led the strongman slave to a building, not the cave treasures they had found before.

A three-story pavilion built inside a cave!
The surrounding area was a vast and empty cave, seemingly inside a mountain, with a few pavilions faintly visible in the distance.

"Strange, almost all of this person's collections have been in the cave, and now even buildings are being built inside the cave! Could it be that this person has never seen the light of day?"

Thinking about it this way, the Fragmented Scroll Pavilion seems even more mysterious.

But soon, his attention was drawn to the plaque hanging on the building's entrance.

"The Forbidden Laws of Chengtian Tower?"

From the name, Chen Qing could guess what was hidden in this building.

Sure enough, as the strongman followed the middle-aged scholar inside, Chen Qing's divine sense swept over the various displays in the building.

What one sees are mostly jade plaques with dull colors and simple shapes, which float quietly on the stone platform. Their surfaces are often cracked and damaged, exuding the aura of time.

With the slightest touch of divine sense, one can perceive the incomplete true meaning of the Dao sealed within.

“These things are quite useful. Although I have already laid the foundation for the Golden Core path, the Great Dao is infinite. To achieve perfection and flawlessness, and even to glimpse the Nascent Soul realm, I need to learn from many sources and draw inferences from one instance to another.” Chen Qing’s mind raced. “Moreover, these dead paths that have long been severed in the mortal world may be able to revive if placed in the Immortal Dynasty of Dreams. They may even be in the process of being passed down and integrated into the heritage of my Hidden Star Sect! At that time, the title of Dharma Master will be truly deserved.”

He was thinking as he looked around.

Beside each jade tablet is a small inscription that briefly describes its origins, the sect it belonged to, and the time of its demise.

As Chen Qing's thoughts swept through, several unfamiliar sect names came into his perception.

"The Hundred Refinements Weapon Pavilion perished at the beginning of the Meteor Era; the Bewitching Demon Sect was destroyed in the middle of the Meteor Era; the Flowing Cloud Immortal Sect was annihilated at the beginning of the Chaotic Era..."

Chen Qing had recently had many contacts with people from the Great Yan Dynasty and had also read some secret documents. He knew that after the Immortal Dynasty Era came the Meteor Era, when it was said that a celestial star fell to earth, causing a catastrophe. The Central Spirit Continent was sunk during this era. After that, there were frequent wars and sect wars, which was called the Chaotic Era. Then, the spiritual energy gradually dried up, leading to the End of Dharma Era. Until recently, there was a faint new opportunity, which was called the New Beginning Era.

As he was pondering, his mind suddenly jolted, causing subtle ripples to spread in the surrounding void. He had caught sight of a Dharma teaching, and his mind trembled, unable to grasp it.

The Book of the Moon and the Moon!
"Just by looking at the name, you can tell which lineage it belongs to."

Chen Qing focused his attention on the jade tablet.

"Speaking of which, I destroyed the Moonflower Palace, but I missed its inheritance cave. However, the inheritance sites of these major sects are different from those of small sects like the Sun Wheel Sect. Their inheritance caves are either heavily restricted or involve spatial techniques, so they are not easy to obtain. When I enter the dream again, I will have to investigate them carefully."

As he pondered, his thoughts fell upon the annotations beside the jade tablet, and he immediately paused in surprise—

"This 'Book of Lunar Moon' is a true explanation of the life and destiny of the Nascent Soul stage. It comes from the 'Moonflower Palace,' a major sect in the northern region during the Immortal Dynasty. This sect perished around the middle of the Immortal Dynasty, presumably destroyed during the chaos of the Demonic Calamity."

However, beneath this ancient annotation, there was another line of small, still-fresh ink, written with sharp strokes—

"According to recent research, the one who wiped out the entire Yuehua Mansion was actually a great supernatural being known as the 'Dharma Master'. His background and origins are still being investigated. This person was able to destroy a sect, so he must have been an important figure during the Immortal Dynasty. If we can find out more about him, we may be able to further improve the 'History of the Immortal Dynasty'."

"..."

Chen Qing fell silent for a moment, his mind churning, and he read the line of text over and over again.

"The efficiency of this Remnant Scroll Pavilion is indeed very high. However, since the name of the Dharma Lord has appeared here, it means that the altered history has already occurred! Is the chaos of the Demonic Tribulation just a general statement, or is there more to come?"

As he pondered, his consciousness focused on those last few words.

The History of the Immortal Dynasty!
"Could it be that this Remnant Scroll Pavilion has compiled its own history of the Immortal Dynasty?"

At this thought, Chen Qing's mind began to fluctuate once again.

"If that's the case, I might be able to grasp the future development of the Immortal Dynasty, almost like a prophet! In addition, the matter of Yuehua Prefecture can also be considered a hint..."

He immediately suppressed his distracting thoughts, no longer focusing on the cultivation technique itself, but instead carefully examining the names of the sects.

This sight was even more shocking. "Taiyi Dao Palace, Zhenglu Sect, Huanglong Sect, Xuanpin Medicine Sect, Sword Washing Pool, Ancestral Witch Altar..."

These five sects and six schools, which were once prominent and ranked among the top in the mid-Immortal Dynasty, all have records of extinction in their names and the cultivation methods they belonged to!
Chen Qing glanced at the list and was shocked to find that seven companies had already vanished without a trace!
"Good heavens..." He gasped. "This is only the first floor. Seven of the five sects and six religions are already confirmed to be extinct. Do the other floors record the fates of the remaining sects?"

He focused his attention and examined the list further, discovering that several of the sects had descriptions of their subsequent branches.

Under the name "Mysterious Female Medicine Sect," it is written: "Later, it branched into the Mysterious Hundred Herbs Sect, the Drunken Immortal Workshop, and the Mysterious Female Elixir City of the Northern Cold Continent, etc."

Most of the others are similar; although their original lineage has been destroyed, some branches have survived and continued the family line.

“Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn’t fall down when it’s dead. However…” His gaze finally settled on a cultivation technique called “The Glazed Treasure Scroll,” the source of which was clearly marked as “Taiyi Dao Palace”!
Let's look at the time of its demise: "At the end of the Immortal Dynasty".

"They've really persisted for a long time," Chen Qing thought, then looked at its branches: "The main branches that followed were the Seven Lineages... the Heavenly Craftsmanship Palace?!"

Seeing the evolution of one of the branches, Chen Qing was taken aback. He had a memory of this prefecture, as Ling Xiao and Old Xu, whom he had met during his rotation, both came from here.

According to An Ning, a woman in a palace dress, the Tiangong Mansion is now almost integrated with the Great Yan Dynasty, much like the Ministry of Works.

Recalling this, he looked down and saw that it read: "Except for the Heavenly Craftsmanship Palace, most of the others have declined, but the Soul Melting Hall in the Southern Flame Continent stands out and ranks among the seven side sects."

Chen Qing had heard people say that while the Southern Flame Continent was nominally ruled by the Crimson Flame Dynasty, it was actually secretly controlled by the seven major demonic veins, and there were also seven other unorthodox forces that should not be underestimated.

"Looking at it this way, the remaining power of Taiyi Dao Palace is actually not small."

At this moment, the middle-aged scholar who had been standing quietly to the side seemed unable to contain himself any longer. He slowly stepped forward, pointed to several jade tablets, and began to introduce them as if they were his own treasures.

"This newly acquired 'Nine Nether Soul-Slaying Thorn' focuses on cultivating a single point of killing intent, capable of injuring even a Golden Core soul at the Yin Spirit Realm; and this 'Minor Five Elements Shifting and Escape Technique,' though mostly incomplete, still offers valuable insights into the wonders of spatial transformation..."

His tone was calm, yet he succinctly revealed the characteristics of each method, his words subtly conveying a sense of guidance and recommendation.

"It's too obvious..." Chen Qing sighed, a warning sign creeping in. "If Princess Namu hadn't pointed it out, and I hadn't been prejudiced, I might not have noticed the deliberate intent here. If this person harbors malicious intentions and secretly guides me to practice some dangerous techniques, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

Despite his wariness, he didn't hold back. His divine sense swept over the numerous jade tablets like a net, forcibly memorizing their contents. Now that his divine soul was becoming increasingly resilient, he managed to memorize the general framework and essence of eight or nine incomplete manuals in a short time.

"It can be used as a stone to learn from other mountains, but if you want to truly cultivate, you will need to spend a lot of effort to complete and deduce it. But with this framework, it will be much easier to fill in the flesh and blood later."

As Chen Qing was pondering, his mind suddenly focused on a dark blue jade tablet.

The Diagram of the Mysterious Female Connecting to Heaven.

The source is marked as: Xuanpin Yaozong.

"The Mysterious Female Contemplation Method?" Chen Qing's heart stirred. "That's it! Since this sect is named after 'Mysterious Female,' it's only natural that it has related methods!"

He immediately focused his mind and probed into it.

"boom!"

The moment one's divine sense entered it, a booming sound was felt!

A scroll seemed to unfold within Chen Qing's sea of ​​consciousness—

Amidst swirling clouds and ethereal light, a colossal gate, indescribably majestic, ancient, and mysterious, stands tall, connecting heaven and earth!
The gate was hazy and the details were hard to discern, but one could feel its vastness and the aura of creation within it. In a daze, Chen Qing felt as insignificant as dust. After regaining his composure, he realized that he was standing in a medicinal field in front of the gate, looking up at the giant gate.

"This is?"

As his thoughts raced, a whisper rang in his ear: "Our sect's patriarch was once a lowly medicine boy in the Celestial Court. Though of humble rank, he was fortunate enough to witness the majesty of the 'Mysterious Female True Gate,' which he engraved in his heart and painstakingly drew this record!"

Chen Qing was startled!
"This visualization diagram actually originated from witnessing the true Gate of the Mysterious Female?! The Mysterious Female Medicine Sect, the Immortal Court Medicine Boy... their origins are here!"

Upon further investigation into the source of the sound, it was discovered that it was merely a lingering thought, devoid of any mystery.

With a sigh, Chen Qing focused all his attention on trying to see the details of the giant gate!

"Buzz!"

In the next instant, Chen Qing's body trembled violently inside the quiet room. His clothes billowed without wind, and a point of chaotic light emanated from his body. The phantom of the mysterious portal deeply rooted in his heart suddenly appeared and resonated with the visualization diagram in the jade slip!

"Qiang!"

Inside the pavilion, the dark blue jade tablet that recorded the "Mysterious Female Connecting Heaven Contemplation Diagram" also trembled, breaking free from the stone platform's restraints and floating in the air, radiating countless hazy rays of light, illuminating the surroundings!

The air suddenly stagnated.

"what?!"

Upon seeing this, the middle-aged scholar's expression suddenly changed drastically. Then, as if he understood something, he stepped aside and looked at the scene before him with an uncertain expression.

"Is this person no longer planning to hide?"

(End of this chapter)