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

Chapter 207 Unofficial History

Regardless of Chen Qing's thoughts, the twelfth prince's eyes flickered with surprise upon hearing Liu Xuangang's words.

He pondered for a moment and then said, “Although I am a member of the royal family, my knowledge of these events before and after the founding of the dynasty is actually limited. The palace records are mostly vague about the Tianyantai Incident, only saying that the first Empress was morally deficient and intended to defy the heavens with evil magic, causing a great disaster, which was eventually quelled by the joint efforts of the Taiyuan Holy Emperor and the Hidden Star True Lord. As for the details, such as the involvement of calamity, fortune, and merit, there are many different versions, and it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the falsehood.”

At this point, the twelfth prince shook his head and smiled, "To be honest, I've always been a little puzzled. Since it's all in the past, why not just tell the truth to the world? Such secrecy only leads to a lot of speculation from the world."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xuangang seemed to have few reservations and spoke frankly: "Your Highness is unaware that she was, after all, the first Heavenly Empress, the legitimate wife whom the Primordial Immortal Emperor married through proper channels. To place all the blame on her would be too harsh, and wouldn't that also question the Primordial Immortal Emperor's judgment of character? What would become of the royal family's reputation? That's one point. Secondly, although the Heavenly Empress has fallen, her descendants have continued to this day, holding power both in and out of court. How could they sit idly by and watch their bloodline be wantonly criticized and nailed to the pillar of shame? Wouldn't that shake the very foundation of their existence?"

"I see, one thing can affect the whole situation." The twelfth prince suddenly realized, and then a new curiosity arose. "But Liu Qing, you just mentioned the Gate of Mysterious Female. Could this secret realm be related to the First Heavenly Empress?"

"The First Heavenly Empress devoted all her resources to collecting nine types of primordial energy containing the essence of the Mysterious Female Gate. Although her efforts ultimately failed, she did not leave behind nothing. Instead, she left behind some crucial 'catalysts' or unfinished methods. At that time, the Taiyi Dao Palace had an extremely close relationship with the Heavenly Empress, and there were even rumors within the palace..."

Liu Xuangang lowered his voice as he said this: "The first sixth prince, whose reputation in unofficial history is quite complicated, once concealed his identity and cultivated in the Taiyi Palace for a period of time."

"The deposed king actually came from the Taiyi Dao Palace?" The twelfth prince's eyes lit up. "I've heard that before! I heard that he was the one who personally dug out the supreme spiritual bone of the Hidden Star True Monarch, stole the True Monarch's fiancée, and even destroyed the sect from which the True Monarch came, thus forging an irreconcilable blood feud!"

"..."

Chen Qing, who was eavesdropping nearby, was speechless for a moment. He had actually heard many versions of the story of the Hidden Star True Monarch, but this one was the most speechless for him.

But the twelfth prince became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, seemingly extremely knowledgeable about these matters and showing great interest: "Later, the Hidden Star True Lord endured humiliation and hardship, and in order to seek the supreme profound method, he voluntarily threw himself into the Xuan Prison, a place that terrified people. It is said that in the prison, he became the disciple of a mysterious master, and only then was he able to defy fate and be reborn! It was also in the prison that he met the Taiyuan Holy Emperor and the Qingqiu Holy Maiden, who were also training there. It is said that the Holy Emperor swore brotherhood with the True Lord on the spot, and the Heavenly Maiden secretly fell in love with him at that time. Later, she even turned against the Frost Fairy in order to compete for the True Lord..."

Chen Qing's eyelids twitched, and he gradually felt numb.

This latest version of the story is far too bizarre and absurd!
The hatred of patricide, wife-stealing, and the extermination of an entire family has all been pinned on the sixth prince, Xu Qitian? Although the key characters' relationships are strangely consistent, this content is practically a drastically altered version of a traditional Chinese novel!

But Liu Xuangang nodded slightly and praised, "Your Highness knows a lot."

However, he did not dwell on the matter of the Hidden Star True Monarch, but instead said, "Given the special relationship between Taiyi Dao Palace and the First Heavenly Empress, after the Heavenly Empress's downfall, Taiyi Dao Palace likely took over her research legacy on the Gate of Mysterious Female. In fact, Taiyi was not the only one interested in this back then. The Mysterious Female Medicine Sect, the Radiant Dragon Sect, and even my Yujing sects, who wouldn't want to control this source of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?"

"Is that so? I've never heard of it before!" The twelfth prince immediately became interested.

"This matter was hinted at during the reign of Emperor Taiyuan. After he ascended to heaven and the current emperor ascended the throne, it was discovered that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was gradually declining, so this matter was brought up again," Liu Xuangang said, then suddenly sneered, "Speaking of which, it was Taiyi Dao Palace that took the initiative to bring this up, saying that in order to make up for the loss of spiritual energy, they called for the reconstruction of the Gate of Mysterious Female and the restoration of the source of spiritual energy. As a result, various families signed the 'Lingmen Law' and the 'Yujing Protocol,' and also agreed on the share of spiritual energy that each family would claim from the Gate of Mysterious Female..."

As he spoke, he shook his head: "But in the end, everyone discovered that this was a scheme by Taiyi Dao Palace to restrict and manipulate them. They took the lead by using what they obtained from the Heavenly Empress. Seeing this, the other families knew that further research would only benefit Taiyi, so they all gave up. Among them, the most unwilling was the Xuanpin Medicine Sect, after all, their family had a deep connection with the Xuanpin Sect!"

As he spoke, Liu Xuangang suddenly changed the subject: "If I am not mistaken, what Taiyi Dao Palace has painstakingly nurtured in this secret realm is not just some incomplete fragment. They probably want to reunite the Nine Qi and reforge the legendary Gate of Mysterious Female!"

Upon hearing this, the twelfth prince's breathing quickened!
Liu Xuangang then said at the opportune moment, "Your Highness, consider this: if you could obtain a fragment of this gate, even just a wisp of its aura, it would be of great help to your cultivation. The Taiyi Dao Palace has been secretly operating for thousands of years, and its ambitions must be considerable. Perhaps today is a fortuitous coincidence, and Your Highness is destined to obtain this good fortune."

The twelfth prince forced himself to remain calm and said, "Lord Liu, how could the Taiyi Dao Palace be easily dealt with? Besides, how could you possibly find such an opportunity?"

"Your Highness, rest assured." Liu Xuangang flipped his hand, and a bronze compass appeared. "This is the Pulse-Finding Dragon-Seeking Compass, which can sense the flow of the earth's spiritual energy and avoid the Taiyi Monitoring Formation. We only need to sneak in through the gap, obtain the fragment, and then immediately flee. When Taiyi investigates, they will only think it was the work of that thief who broke into the formation."

As they were speaking, the compass needle suddenly began to vibrate violently and emit a buzzing sound!

Liu Xuangang immediately focused his attention and, after probing with his senses, smiled and said, "Thanks to Your Highness's good fortune, the spiritual energy in this realm is already distinct, faintly converging towards that crimson mountain, restless and uneasy. This must be a sign that it has been stirred by the core object. If it is not that legendary gate, what else could have such power?"

The twelfth prince's breathing quickened slightly, and a burning glint flashed in his eyes, which he then suppressed. He shook his head and laughed, "Lord Liu, don't try to fool me. How could the Taiyi Dao Palace not be prepared for such a powerful weapon? Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs have probably laid a net of heaven and earth. If we go there rashly, what difference would it be from sending ourselves to our deaths?"

"Your Highness, rest assured," Liu Xuangang said confidently. "The main force of Taiyi has been drawn away..."

Before the words were even finished, several incredibly powerful auras suddenly erupted from the distant horizon, streaking across the sky like meteors, heading straight towards Mount Tonglu! Immediately afterward, a massive light curtain that enveloped the heavens and earth suddenly rose up, with endless runes flowing around it, and a terrifying pressure descended instantly!

"The Taiyi Binding God Formation!" Liu Xuangang's expression changed drastically. "They've actually activated the entire protective formation! It seems that the little thief who broke into the core area has really stirred up a hornet's nest! Your Highness, come with me quickly, this place is about to become an extremely dangerous place!"

He grabbed the still-shocked twelfth prince and dashed off along the pre-planned route!
The twelfth prince looked worried and said in a low voice, "Liu Qing, if we act in this chaos and are investigated by the Taiyi Dao Palace, it will be difficult to end the situation."

Liu Xuangang stroked his beard and chuckled, appearing confident and in control: "Your Highness, rest assured, even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Right now, that audacious little thief has already crossed the line with Taiyi, and the old Daoist Dongming is probably overwhelmed with worry right now, how could he have time to spare for anything else? We only need to..."

Before he could finish speaking, a thunderous roar boomed from the heavens, interrupting him:

"You scoundrels! Do you really think my Taiyi Dao Palace is some backyard you can covet at will? That little thief will naturally be taken down, but none of you opportunistic, sneaky demons and monsters will escape either!"

The roar was deafening, carrying a chilling killing intent, causing the ancient trees to rustle and the spiritual energy to stagnate!
Everyone looked up in horror and saw a bolt of lightning pierce through the clouds, as if divine punishment had descended upon the world!
Amidst the lightning, the Insightful Immortal's hair and beard stood on end, his Taoist robe fluttering wildly, his body wreathed in blazing light and destructive lightning, like a thunder god descending to earth! He held an ancient thunder cauldron in his hand, within which pure white flames leaped, radiating terrifying power capable of burning mountains and boiling seas!
Immediately afterwards, streaks of light rushed in from all directions. Seventy-two Taiyi disciples with profound auras each held a formation flag and took their positions. As the flags fluttered, streaks of spiritual light intertwined and laid out a huge net of light covering the heavens and the earth!

The Taiyi Binding God Thunder Law Heavenly Tribulation Array is complete!
"Not good!" Liu Xuangang's composure vanished. He never expected that Master Dongming would arrive so quickly and without mercy, directly activating the sect's protective formation!
In the face of death, he reacted with lightning speed. Gritting his teeth, he spat out a mouthful of blood essence onto the bronze compass in his robes and unleashed it with all his might! "All rivers flow back to their source, settle!"

The compass grew longer in the wind, and the ancient runes on it lit up one by one, turning into a hazy blue light that barely protected the group!

"Dangdangdang——"

The next moment, a pillar of light intertwined with lightning and fire crashed down, causing the blue light barrier to shake violently and ripple wildly!
Liu Xuangang trembled violently, his face turned ashen, and he struggled to stay upright.

"Your Highness, please be extremely careful! This old ghost, Dongming, is truly determined to kill! These bolts of lightning are mixed with Dongming's Pure Light Flame, his natal fire that he has refined for many years. Once it comes into contact with it, it is almost impossible to extinguish!"

On the other side, Chen Qing, hidden in the shadows of the mountains and forests, witnessed this drastic change through his subtle connection with the ruined gate in the mountains, and was also filled with trepidation.

"The authority and priority of this Taiyi Binding God Thunder Heavenly Tribulation Array even surpasses the mountain array I control! What a domineering and powerful method!"

Through his connection with the Mountain Gate, he could clearly sense the terrifying power of that thunder array!
"Once this formation is activated, all variables that have intruded into this place must be suppressed and eliminated! This insight is to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free!"

Upon realizing this, Chen Qing immediately concealed his aura to the extreme. With the help of his familiarity with the restrictions of the secret realm, he merged his qi with heaven and earth, and even his heartbeat, breathing, blood flow and pulse almost stopped, as if he had turned into a lifeless stubborn rock, without revealing the slightest flaw.

However, the power of that formation far exceeded his expectations.

High in the sky, Master Dongming waved his hand once more.

Seventy-two array flags fluttered in the wind, and pure white fire and destructive lightning surged out from the Thunder Cauldron, transforming into countless fine electric snakes like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, falling into the spiritual vein nodes throughout the secret realm!
"Buzz-buzz-buzz-"

The entire Floating Capital Secret Realm trembled violently, as if a sleeping giant beast had been forcibly awakened!
The invisible threads of law were forcefully tightened and adjusted!
Chen Qing felt that the surroundings suddenly became viscous and heavy, as if he had stepped from shallow water into a bottomless ocean, and terrifying pressure was pressing down from all directions!
He groaned, and a flash of azure light appeared on his body. Although he managed to stabilize himself by relying on the profound mystery of the Azure Lotus and his understanding of the secret realm, he could no longer move an inch and was trapped here!

"Suppression at the Nascent Soul level!"

Left with no other choice, Chen Qing's body trembled with a bloody aura, which restored some of his mobility.

"Buzz!"

But the next moment, he felt a tremor in his heart and sensed that the Gate of Taiyi, which was connected to his divine sense, was shaking violently!

"Oh no! That person is about to break out! Well, the situation here is already a mess. Although I can use the Taiyi Gate to fight, if I lose control, the Golden Core transformation might begin, and the situation will become complicated. Oh well, I've already done what I needed to do, and this matter is no longer my concern. I might as well escape."

at this time!

"Found you! You cowardly scoundrel hiding your head and tail!"

As if sensing something, the enlightened master in the sky abandoned Liu Xuangang and his group, who were struggling to resist the thunder and fire and were on the verge of collapse, and looked towards a certain place!
Then, he flicked his finger lightly at the Thunder Cauldron.

scoff!

A beam of light, imbued with pure white fire and destructive lightning, carrying a terrifying will to purify all things and judge everything, crashed down!

"Boom!"

Amidst the deafening roar, the secret realm trembled!
In that area, ancient trees that would take several people to encircle, hard rocks, and even flowing springs instantly vaporized and vanished without a trace, revealing a huge, charred crater!

The destructive energy aftershocks spread wildly in all directions!
"Pfft!"

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke burst open at the edge of the pit, and a slightly plump figure stumbled out, his wide sleeves fluttering and carrying a rich fragrance of elixir.

"Tsk, Dongming, you're too hot-tempered, you're really sullying this beautiful place."

The old man had a ruddy complexion, and his white hair and beard were crystal clear, like jade. His eyes were warm and clear, and a purple jade gourd hung at his waist. The surface of the gourd was naturally covered with cloud patterns, and there was a faint image of dragons and tigers converging, exuding spiritual energy.

After he stood still, he dusted off his sleeves and actually shook off the few white flames that were stuck to his body onto the ground. With a sweep, he extinguished them all!
"Master Shenxuan!" Liu Xuangang exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the newcomer, "What brings you here?"

The old man, known as "Master Canxuan," chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Liu Xuangang and the twelfth prince, whose face showed surprise and doubt, before finally landing on the brilliance of the True Man Dongming, whose face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water: "Young man of the Liu family, you can use that old path in the well to sneak in, but you won't allow this old man to find another way?"

As he spoke, his smile faded slightly, and he pointed to Mount Tonglu in the distance: "Your Taiyi Dao Palace is secretly refining a false sect here, attempting to seize the essence of creation from heaven and earth. Such actions clash with the very foundation of my Medicine Sect's lineage. If I were to remain silent, wouldn't I be ashamed before my ancestors?"

(End of this chapter)