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

Chapter 186 is complete! But not for me... [Third Update]

Meanwhile, countless miles away...

Deep within the Taiyi Palace, in a secret chamber shrouded by countless rune-like restrictions.

An elderly man with a simple and ancient face, dressed in a black Taoist robe, was startled awake from his meditation cushion!
Between the opening and closing of his eyes, it seemed as if a river of stars flowed, and his aura was faintly connected with the entire secret chamber and even a colossal object further away.

"The energy of the Xuanmen is fluctuating?! Just now in my dream, there was even a sign of perfection. Could it be that the 'Gate of the Mysterious Female' in the 'Taiyi Furnace' has finally been nurtured to perfection and can manifest in the world to receive offerings from all the spiritual sects under heaven?"

The old man's face lit up with ecstasy and excitement. In a flash, he appeared in a side hall on one side of the secret chamber.

This side hall was incredibly spacious, with huge array diagrams engraved on the ground.

At the center of the array stands a bronze furnace, ten zhang tall and of ancient design.

The furnace body is engraved with birds, beasts, insects, fish, and scenes of ancient people's sacrifices. At this moment, it is humming slightly, and thousands of rays of light shine through the gaps in the furnace lid, exuding a scorching and ancient aura.

Inside the furnace, a slightly illusory, yet imbued with the essence of creation and decay, blurred doorway floated uncertainly, absorbing the spiritual energy surging in from the countless pores in the furnace wall.

However, the old man's joy upon seeing the door lasted only a moment before it froze.

He stared intently at the illusory portal in the furnace, his pupils contracting sharply!

"No! The aura is wrong! Although the gate within the furnace has manifested, it is still ethereal and lacks sufficient spirituality. It is far from being able to draw upon the spiritual tides of heaven and earth and nourish the true spirit on its own! This fluctuation... this fluctuation does not originate from my furnace!"

The old man was immediately filled with shock and anger. He then did some quick calculations with his fingers, his face suddenly flushed red, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!
"Who is it?! Who exactly has refined the true 'Seed of the Mysterious Female'? How could they be one step ahead of my Taiyi Zhengtong?!"

"Om-"

at this time.

The firelight flickered in the furnace, and a blurry figure materialized from the rising steam.

This person was dressed in white, with a towering figure that seemed not to be a physical being. He was actually an incarnation formed from the combined faith of countless incense offerings, and was surrounded by the faint sound of sacrificial chants.

His gaze swept across the slightly trembling, dimming furnace, and he said calmly, "The foundation of the Xuanmen has been shaken, and five hundred years of spiritual essence has vanished into thin air! Within it lies the essence of Yi Wood, enough to bring me back from the dead! The furnace fire has not been extinguished, yet the spiritual energy has leaked out. Liu Jin, you need to give me an explanation!"

The old Taoist priest, Liu Jin, trembled, his scalp tingling. He dared not look directly at the white-robed figure and lowered his head, saying in a hoarse voice, "Reporting to Your Excellency, I was terrified just now and sensed something was wrong. So I forcibly deduced the secrets of heaven at the cost of my lifespan. Although I suffered a backlash, I glimpsed a ray of clarity. It seems... it seems that the embryo of the 'Mysterious Gate' has been formed!"

"The Xuanmen is complete?!" The voice of the white-robed figure suddenly rose, causing the entire secret hall to vibrate.

He abruptly turned his head to look at the illusory portal in the furnace, which was now even more ethereal than before, and shouted sternly, "You call this a success? This portal has not only failed to solidify, but it's become even more ethereal! Its spiritual energy is scattered! Liu Jin, are you blind?!"

Liu Jin Daoist's wrinkles deepened, and he said with a wry smile, "Your Excellency, you are wise. What I mean is not that the gate we have cultivated is complete, but rather... rather that there may already be a true 'mysterious gate embryo' in this world, being conceived and born in an unknown place!"

"..."

The secret hall fell into a deathly silence.

After a long while, the incense smoke emanating from the white-robed figure surged violently, almost turning into flames, and crackling sounds emanated from it!
His voice turned low and cold: "You mean that your Taiyi Dao Palace, after spending thousands of years scavenging rare treasures from all heavens, using the chosen ones of destiny generation after generation as fuel, and forging the golden radiance of merit from three thousand three hundred reincarnated disciples, has created this 'false gate' that is inferior to others?!"

Liu Jin, the Taoist priest, remained silent, not daring to say another word.

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is!" The white-robed figure seemed to have suddenly realized something, but his anger intensified. "No wonder the innate Qi that had accumulated in the furnace for five hundred years disappeared without a trace! It wasn't that it dissipated into the void, but that it was absorbed from afar by the unseen master and became the nourishment for that true Xuanmen embryo!"

He glared at Liu Jin: "In this world, besides your Taiyi Dao Palace, what other family has such resources to steal this fortune? Is it the long-declining Xuanpin Medicine Sect, which only knows alchemy? Or is it those old fogies deep in the Jade Capital of the Immortal Dynasty who think they control everything?"

Liu Jin cautiously said, "Your Majesty, perhaps we could send an envoy to investigate secretly..."

"No need!" The white-clad figure interrupted decisively, his tone resolute. "Sending an envoy? To alert them? To accomplish this without us even noticing, their strength and secrecy far exceed our imagination! Ordinary investigations would only be a way to alert them!"

The incense on his body suddenly condensed, transforming into a sharp, illusory talisman: "Issue my decree: Immediately request the leader of the Heavenly Mystery Alliance to personally perform a divination! At any cost, find out who stole the creation and calculate the location of the Xuanmen embryo!"

Liu Jin was greatly alarmed upon hearing this: "Your Excellency, please reconsider! Asking the Heavenly Secrets Alliance Leader is not only a matter of immense cost, but also concerns our palace's eternal plan. If the Heavenly Secrets Alliance is tainted by karma, I fear..."

"What are you afraid of?!" the white-robed figure coldly rebuked. "Liu Jin! Don't you understand? The Xuanmen is the only one! The struggle for the Great Dao has become an irreconcilable conflict!"

He pointed to the increasingly illusory portal within the furnace: "Now it's no longer a question of whether the Taiyi Dao Palace can forge this portal! It's about whether, if we cannot seize the true embryonic portal, all our efforts over thousands of years—this false portal within the furnace, along with all the resources, fortune, and merit it has devoured—will ultimately become a wedding dress for someone else, drained dry by the true master from afar! In the end, that master will achieve their goal and prove the truth!" "At that time, let alone being exposed, even the survival of our lineage will be a pipe dream! Go quickly!"

Liu Jin Daoist's face turned deathly pale, and he finally bowed deeply: "This old Daoist... obeys the order!"

"Whoohoo-"

The north wind is like a knife, scraping the bone with pain.

About seven or eight miles away from Hidden Star Villa, a group of people were braving the wind and snow, making their way forward with difficulty.

Leading the group were a man and a woman.

The woman was dressed in a striking red outfit, with a beautiful face, but her eyes held an air of arrogance. She pointed into the distance and said, "The Hidden Star Courtyard is just ahead. The Hidden Star Dharma Master's dojo is right there."

Beside him stood a man in black, his face cold and hard, but his eyes held an unyielding anxiety and sorrow. He murmured, "The spiritual energy here is rather scarce."

The woman in red said, "Rumor has it that the Hidden Star Dharma Master, Ji Mingzi, possesses unparalleled supernatural powers, capable of defeating Nascent Soul cultivators, suppressing demons and slaying evil, and even daring to disgrace the Jade Capital of the Immortal Dynasty. It's a pity that he doesn't know how to conceal his abilities and is too sharp-edged. Now, countless eyes are secretly watching him. He only relies on his ruthless methods to make people hesitant to act against him. Perhaps he cultivates here to avoid being plotted against by others."

The man in black nodded and said, "I don't ask for anything else, I only ask that he can save my Yu'er. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will endure any hardship, even if it means going through fire and water or being annihilated."

The several cultivators who appeared to be followers behind him exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing this.

One of them couldn't help but whisper, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! The rumors circulating in the world are a mixture of truth and falsehood. The North is remote and its spiritual veins are depleted. How could it be a place for powerful figures to reside for long?"

Another person said, "Those truly accomplished masters, which one of them doesn't reside in a blessed land, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon? Those who dwell in such desolate places are likely unworthy of their reputation. Don't waste your time and energy, only to end up disappointed and wasting your time..."

But another person interrupted, "Don't talk nonsense! The title of Hidden Star Dharma Master is earned through real battles! The place where his current residence is located was originally the mountain gate of Yuehua Mansion, which he destroyed with a single palm! There was a Nascent Soul Grandmaster guarding that gate, and it is said that there was also a Dharma Aspect True Monarch cultivating in seclusion in Jade Capital. In the end, the Nascent Soul Grandmaster was no match for him, and the Dharma Aspect True Monarch did not come to retaliate. How could he have such an undeserved reputation?"

"There must also be those who, due to the renowned reputation of the Hidden Star Sect, acted on his behalf..."

"Boom!"

Before the words were even finished, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from heaven and earth!
Everyone looked up at the distant sky.

Between heaven and earth, spiritual energy flowed like rivers flowing into the sea, transforming into streaks of aurora, rushing and roaring, all disappearing into the deep canyon in the distance!
Its force was so great that it caused the wind and snow to swirl backwards!

"Spiritual energy tides?! No! Someone is absorbing and expelling vital energy, forcibly altering the spiritual energy of the earth's veins!" Behind the man in black, an old man completely wrapped in a cloak stared wide-eyed. "What kind of supernatural power is this?!"

The woman in red was also shaken, murmuring, "Indeed, just like back then, this person cannot be judged by ordinary standards..."

Almost simultaneously, inside the Hidden Star Courtyard.

The disciples of all the sects sensed something and rushed out of their houses, looking up in astonishment.

The vast torrent of spiritual energy pressed down, dimming the sky. At the end of the torrent was the secret chamber where Chen Qing was in seclusion!
"It's Uncle-Master Jiming!"

"My martial uncle is about to emerge from seclusion!"

After a brief silence, the disciples' faces lit up with excitement. Without any command, they all bowed and paid their respects towards the secret chamber, their eyes burning with fervor.

The Cold Mirror Daoist and the Illusion Cloud Fairy, who were stationed here, also revealed themselves.

"Fifty years of arduous cultivation, and Junior Brother Jiming's actions this time far surpass those of the past!"

"Senior brother is joking. Every time I emerge from seclusion, I am far better than before!"

quiet!
As soon as the two finished speaking, the surroundings suddenly fell silent!
A buzzing sound came from the secret chamber that had absorbed endless spiritual energy!
The next moment, it was as if all the light was completely sucked out, and the area within a hundred feet of the secret chamber was plunged into darkness!
All was silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Then, a glimmer of light quietly appeared from the deepest part of the darkness.

Suddenly, a burst of light appeared!
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness, his body radiating Daoist energy!

As soon as Chen Qingfu appeared, tender green grass sprouts broke through the frozen soil at the foot of his feet, growing rapidly and spreading branches and leaves; withered ancient trees came back to life, and countless rare flowers and plants emerged in large numbers, spreading a rich fragrance!
In the blink of an eye, the cold winter turned into a warm spring, and the deathly silence transformed into vibrant life. The rich spiritual energy of Yi Wood intertwined with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, making one feel an improvement in cultivation with just one breath!
(End of this chapter)