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

Chapter 21: Finding Bargains on Taobao, Five Years in the Snap
After leaving the Five Qi Pavilion, Chen Qing intended to find a shop selling talismans, but when he passed a miscellaneous bookstall, he suddenly stopped.

The stall was piled high with yellowed books, and several incomplete martial arts manuals were deliberately placed in a prominent position with high prices, but these kinds of manuals had fatal flaws and were not his focus.

"Fellow Daoist, are you looking to browse for books?" The stall owner was a lean man with darting eyes. "These are all ancient heirlooms. Why not buy one to try your luck and maybe snag a bargain?"

Chen Qing asked casually, "Are there any ancient anecdotes recorded?"

"Want to exchange for spirit marrow at the Five Qi Pavilion? Too bad you're too late!" The stall owner gave a knowing smile and mysteriously pulled out two booklets. "These are all that's left. Take three pieces of spirit marrow."

Chen Qing casually flipped through the pages and found only poorly made, cobbled-together unofficial histories. He shook his head and was about to leave when he caught a glimpse of a dusty book in the corner with three faded characters on the cover.

The Record of Absolute Things.

Chen Qing picked it up; it was rough to the touch, the pages were yellowed and brittle, and it gave off a musty smell.

"Oh, fellow Daoist, you have a keen eye!" The stall owner's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer. "This book isn't exactly a cultivation manual, but it records many rare and precious items! Who knows, they might come in handy someday! Look at this Illusionary Heart Grass..."

He pointed to several simple yet distinctive ink line drawings on the pages, ready to launch into a passionate explanation.

"These are all extinct items, what use are they?" Chen Qing remained noncommittal.

The stall owner immediately retorted, "Many of these items have seemingly disappeared. As long as we find something similar or with the same medicinal properties, wouldn't we be able to use them? In the past, these were closely guarded secrets! You can take this book and this spiritual essence!"

Chen Qing closed the book and shook his head, saying, "These are all extinct items, completely useless. At most, they're a spiritual plant, good for passing the time."

"A spiritual plant?" The stall owner's eyes widened. "This is a unique copy! Look at this paper, it's at least several hundred years old!"

“This paper is so old, it might tear at any time.” Chen Qing made a move to put the book down.

The stall owner quickly pressed him down: "Don't rush, don't rush!" He gritted his teeth and pulled out an even more tattered book from under his buttocks. "Including this 'Ancient Elixir Remnant Formula,' that's one Spirit Essence in total, how about it?"

Chen Qing took a look and saw that the paper of this book, "Ancient Elixir Remnants," was blackened and the edges were torn. The elixir prescriptions recorded in it were quite peculiar, and most of the medicinal materials used were unheard of.

"These were all copied from historical sites!" the stall owner emphasized. "Although the materials are hard to find, what if you happen to come across them?"

Chen Qing's heart stirred.

In the real world, these necessary medicinal materials are rare, but in the dreamlike celestial dynasty, these extinct items may still exist!

“Five spiritual plants, two of them,” he said decisively.

The stall owner said with a bitter face, "Fellow Daoist, this price is too much..."

Chen Qing turned and left.

"Deal!" The stall owner grabbed him. "Consider it making friends!"

With the two incomplete scrolls in hand, both Chen Qing and the stall owner smiled.

He turned the corner and stopped in front of a talisman shop.

"Fellow Daoist, take a look at the newly written talismans?" an old woman in a gray robe greeted, the colorful talisman papers on the table in front of her shimmering with light.

Chen Qing stopped to examine it closely.

"A newly refined Xuanjia Talisman," the old woman said, picking up a talisman shimmering with blue light, "can withstand a full-force attack from a second-level cultivator, and even a third-level cultivator can survive a first-strike attack!"

"How much do you want?" Chen Qing asked directly.

"Three pieces of spiritual marrow."

Chen Qing's eyes twitched slightly. This was almost half of his gains for the day, but considering the possible retaliation from Haiyuan Temple, he gritted his teeth and said, "One piece."

"Fellow Daoist, you jest," the old woman shook her head. "Crafting talismans is no easy feat..."

"Add another 'Surprising Beauty' talisman." Chen Qing didn't reply at all, pointing to the talisman paper with overlapping bird patterns.

After much haggling and heated debate, he finally settled on a half-piece of spiritual marrow.

Chen Qing put the two talismans into his pocket and spent half a piece of spiritual marrow to buy three "Sparrow Talismans" for warning purposes.

Touching the talisman in his pocket, Chen Qing felt a little more at ease. Before leaving, he didn't forget to bring some snacks and calligraphy samples for his two junior disciples.

As the sun began to set, Chen Qing returned to the entrance of Xiaoyingzhou. When he reached the bridge, he was stopped by the old man in gray.

"Someone just inquired about the Hidden Star Sect, but I pretended not to know. Judging from their attire, they must be from the Sea Abyss Temple."

Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly, and he cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for the reminder."

The old man then lowered his voice and said, "I heard that Haiyuan Temple has found traces of the Floating Divine Mountain and is inviting people to explore it. Be careful not to give them any excuse to use this as a pretext." "The Floating Divine Mountain?"

"It is said to be an ancient suspended peak named Xuyuan, which travels between heaven and earth and arrives at Donglingzhou every four or five hundred years. Its first stop is Nanbin. This mountain has a long history, which can be traced back to the Zhonglingzhou period. It is said that there are many treasures in the mountain, which often attract people to explore."

"Thank you, senior, for reminding me."

After thanking the old man, Chen Qing thought that there might be a true Zhonglingzhou inheritance on that ancient peak, and then turned to the Daocangfeng Tower to buy the Blood Steel Short Sword with a piece of spiritual marrow.

The sword has hidden patterns engraved on its blade, and it is drawn silently.

"With the Xuanjia Talisman protecting me, the Jinghong Talisman allowing me to escape, and the Lingque Talisman serving as a warning, plus this hidden sword, even if a third-realm cultivator attacks, I should be able to put up a fight! It's a pity I can't find a third-realm cultivator to practice against..."

After all that trouble, by the time Chen Qing stepped out of the illusion array, dusk had already fallen.

He gained a lot from this trip, not only replenishing his supplies but also getting a clear picture of the market. Next time he comes, he won't need to be so cautious and tentative as he was today.

In addition, they also discovered an extra way to obtain spiritual essence, which was extremely valuable.

"I'll gather more stories about the Celestial Dynasty in my dreams, and then send them to that Young Master Bai after some time..."

When the moon shone on the eastern mountain, Chen Qingfang, having shaken off several tails, returned to Mingxia.

The glow of the protective array was slightly weaker than when we left the mountain, but the lights in the mountains remained.

"Uncle-Master!" Fang Da'ao rushed forward. "You're finally back! A peddler just came down the mountain, saying..."

"The mountain will be closed from today." Chen Qing raised his hand to interrupt, "No outsiders will be seen."

Fang Da'ao was taken aback, then nodded emphatically.

As night fell, Chen Qing first went to the sect's quiet room to retrieve two books, then hung the Spirit Sparrow Talisman on the beam and hid the Black Armor Talisman close to his body.

Then, he sat cross-legged, took out the "Records of Extinct Things" and the "Remnants of Ancient Elixir Prescriptions," and prepared to read them through first.

A few pages later, he was drawn to a picture of a bright red scorpion—

"The Earth Fire Crystal Scorpion is as red as jade. Its energy is a mixture of fire and earth elements, similar to the fire poison of the earth veins. The fire poison in its tail can be refined into the Burning Vein Dispersing Powder, which is extremely domineering! Its nest is accompanied by red-veined stones, which can calm the fire poison and harmonize yin and yang."

Harmonize Yin and Yang?

Chen Qing thought to himself: Princess Xi Yao's yin and yang are disordered; this red-veined stone might be the cure.

Furthermore, this combination of fire and earth elements resembles the fire poison of the earth's veins, which confirms Master's warning that "an imbalance of the five elements leads to poison."

"If these wondrous objects from the dream world still exist, their uses would be numerous."

After looking at the prescription for a while, he was astonished to find that most of the incomplete prescription was used to quell various abnormalities in cultivation. It not only involved the imbalance of yin and yang, but also the collapse of qi and blood, the burning of the spirit by sunlight, and the trembling of the soul upon hearing thunder. These were clearly hidden dangers in cultivation at a higher level.

"Ancient alchemical formulas focused more on post-cultivation repair rather than pre-advancement support..."

After taking a general note, he put the book away and then opened the book he had taken from the meditation room. This book contained the cultivation insights of his master, senior master, and even his grandmaster.

He mainly looked at the contents of the life-gathering talisman.

The Fate Talisman is truly the foundation of cultivators in the late stage of the Second Realm.

This talisman is neither gold nor jade; it is based on the Qi of Great Harmony, incorporating cultivation insights, the characteristics of cultivation techniques, and one's innate mental state. Its form varies greatly, some resembling mountains, some like rivers, and others like dragons or phoenixes, differing immensely due to the different cultivation techniques and mental states of the practitioners.

After thoroughly memorizing the talisman-condensing insights of his predecessors in the sect, Chen Qing put away the book and went to sleep fully clothed.

In his dream, he had plenty of time to study.

"This time, entering the dream, I will use my dream body to condense the first life talisman and gain experience..."

When Chen Qing opened his eyes again, he had returned to the time of the Primordial Immortal Dynasty, and was greeted by howling mountain winds!
In his dream, he was not in the quiet room of Tingfeng Bieyuan, but on a cliff.

Clouds and mist surged beneath my feet, while distant mountains rose like swords, piercing the sky.

"Five years have passed in my dream..."

Chen Qing looked surprised.

"But where did this work of mine lead me?"

　Please show your support, everyone! Being a newbie is so tough! Just grab this if you're passing by, and maybe check it out sometime!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)