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

Chapter 232 Fighting on behalf of others
"A great supernatural power to reverse time? It means turning back my time to before I left the Stele Forest? But if that's the case, how come I woke up earlier than expected? There are many things that don't make sense..."

As the Taoist slowly approached, Chen Qing's mind raced with thoughts. He focused the imperial aura in his eyes, trying to decipher its mysteries. However, one-third of the imperial aura had already been consumed and dissipated. The "Myriad Manifestations and Flowing Years" was clearly a great divine power involving the fundamental laws of heaven and earth, completely beyond his current scope of cognition and ability. Even with the blessing of the Taiyuan imperial aura, he could not see any clues.

Even more critically, in the blink of an eye, the feeling of being pulled away from the depths of one's soul became increasingly intense!

His time in the dream has come to an end; he is about to awaken!

"This is not a dream; time has truly changed!"

This was not the first time Chen Qing had encountered a time distortion. Previously, when he and Elder Youchan and others escaped from the fragments of the Nascent Soul Daoist Temple of the Moonflower Palace in the North, they fell into the void and experienced a time distortion due to the space-time phenomenon.

But this time, it's much more complicated than the last time!

After all, being suddenly "disconnected" in an ordinary confrontation is already extremely dangerous, let alone confronting a Celestial Emperor? Even if the other party is suspected to be a projection of himself!
Having experienced this many times before, Chen Qing already knew that even with the Dao traces that continue the dream, there was still a gap between waking up and entering the dream again. It could be as short as a few breaths or as long as several hours. He had a general understanding of the pattern, but he did not yet fully understand it.

"Even when fighting an ordinary opponent, being disconnected from the dream and waking up is extremely dangerous, let alone this person in front of me? If things go wrong, the uncontrollable interval between us could make me die countless times in this dream!"

In addition, he had just used the profound mystery of the "Slaying Evil and Transforming Scenery Method" to forcefully activate the rudimentary form of his inner landscape in the Golden Core Realm. This landscape is newly formed and most vulnerable to violent fluctuations. If his mind is slightly unstable, the rudimentary form of the inner landscape will be distorted and out of control, risking collapse and loss of control, and all previous efforts will be wasted.

Of course, for Chen Qing, the biggest concern actually lies in the changes of time itself—the operating mechanism of the Dao Yan Lu is mysterious and unpredictable, but it undoubtedly affects time, allowing him to project his will from the future!
If even a trace of this being, who stands at the pinnacle of this era, were to be discovered, it could shake the very foundations of the nation!

However, the arrow is already on the bowstring and must be released. The only option is to utilize the existing rules and fight for every possible chance of survival.

"The Dao Traces, Continued!"

With a thought, the ink-black Dao trace shot out and merged into the void.

In an instant, the surrounding world trembled almost imperceptibly, as if a stone had been thrown into a lake, causing tiny ripples to spread.

"Huh?" The Taoist priest let out a soft exclamation, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He flicked his sleeves slightly, as if sensing the inexplicable fluctuations, and then frowned.

Chen Qing had no time to look at anything else or investigate further; he had to leave behind enough obsession to maintain the situation for his dream body, which was about to enter a "half-on" state!

Based on past experience, after his main consciousness departs, this body will fall into a state similar to deep meditation. He will appear dull and be able to handle general interactions. He will look like a normal person who is a bit dull, but in essence, he is not good at complex and cunning. Therefore, he has not given him any more obsessions, such as going to the bottom of hell.

The white fog is getting thicker!

With a thought that flashed through his mind, Chen Qing engraved three obsessions deep within the Purple Mansion of his dream body—

First, protect yourself!
Secondly, we must do our best to preserve the imperial aura!
Third, avoid the Taoist's sharp edge and find an opportunity to escape!
Once the obsession is settled, a sense of detachment washes over me like a tidal wave.

"Although these obsessions are a bit outrageous, I still hope that when I enter the dream again, I won't see a scene where I have already been suppressed and captured in the dream."

Sensing that only half of the imperial aura remained, Chen Qing's main consciousness was forcibly pulled out of this dream world and returned to the real world amidst his worries.

Unbeknownst to him, the moment his consciousness faded, "Li Qing" standing in the sky trembled, and his once bright and clear eyes suddenly became empty and indifferent, as if reflecting all things, yet nothing could enter his heart.

A cold, pure, almost divine aura emanated from him, followed by the emergence of Chen Qingtuo's style of conduct and obsession.

The highest form of detachment!

"Om-"

In the next instant, deep within the Purple Mansion of the dream body, the Tathagata Talisman burst forth with colorful light. The radiance flowed and shone, illuminating the soul as clear as crystal!
Click! Click! Click!

As it suddenly reached its limit, fine cracks spread across the surface of the talisman!
One thought after another arose from the depths of my heart!
Then, in the dream, he made a hand seal!

The nascent inner landscape, formed by the forced elimination of evil, disintegrated completely!
The profound mystery of "words of power" contained within, originating from Taoists, was frantically devoured and dismantled by the Tathagata Talisman!
Behind him, the two projections suddenly solidified!
One is the ethereal and lofty "Hidden Star True Lord," whose incense offerings and vows are as numerous as smoke and mist; the other is the "Lord of the Dark Clouds," whose icy eyes see through all illusions!

The projection of "Lord of the Dark Clouds" shone brightly with a dazzling light, its gaze piercing into the Purple Mansion as if it were a tangible substance, merging with the light of the Tathagata Talisman!
In an instant, the already exceptional comprehension of the dream body reached an inconceivable state, amplified by the combined power of the Tathagata Talisman's supreme analytical ability and the Ice Soul Eye's ability to see through the essence!

The projection of "Hidden Star True Monarch" trembled slightly, then suddenly inhaled, swallowing a large chunk of the remaining half of the imperial aura, and then resonated with some ancient beings in the darkness.

"Buzzing—"

The stone tablets, imbued with the will of thousands of sages of the past, suddenly trembled!

"Ok?"

The Taoist priest who was the first to notice something was amiss. He saw that Chen Qing's eyes suddenly became empty and indifferent, and his aura was cold and pure, as if the Heavenly Dao was high above and untouched by worldly emotions. For the first time, he showed obvious surprise in his eyes.

"He transitioned from extreme motion to extreme stillness, from emotion to detachment in an instant? He actually stepped into the supreme state of detachment during the battle?!"

Despite his surprise and doubt, he acted without hesitation!
The whisk is unfurled again, like a jade brush sweeping across the sky, causing ripples in the void. Invisible shackles appear out of thin air, ready to completely seal away the dreamlike body as if a scroll were being rolled up!
However, faced with this profound grappling technique, Meng Zhong's body moved with the slightest touch of his toes, his body as swift as a willow catkin in the wind, shifting and turning within a small space.

Every step he took was exquisite, perfectly avoiding the point where the shackles closed. His movements were extremely simple, yet they caused the Taoist's supernatural powers to miss every time, as if he had calculated every possible change!
"What a profound statement about transcending emotions! Because of the absence of emotions, there is no fear; because there is no fear, one can calculate all the secrets of heaven!" The Taoist's expression hardened, his contempt vanished, and he formed a mysterious hand seal, causing his aura to surge dramatically!
"All things return to their origin, heaven and earth become the prison!"

Boom!

Centered on the Taoist, a violent wave of energy swept in all directions. The brilliance, color, and even the flowing spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to be seized by an invisible hand and melted into a mass of chaos, as if to solidify, seal, and frame this space!
The world, which had come to a standstill due to the arrival of the Taoist, began to "operate" again under this power!
In the distance, Qu Lezhi, Lu Zhao, and the others, who had just regained their senses, were horrified to see the surging spiritual energy above the stele forest, with the figures of the Daoist and Li Qing appearing and disappearing within it. Even higher up in the celestial palace amidst the clouds, Venerable Huangyun and Venerable Xinghui were also alarmed.

"A projection of the Emperor himself has actually appeared? And he even used 'Return of All Things to Origin'?" Venerable Starshine's gaze pierced through the clouds. "What exactly is his current situation? Perhaps we can glean some insight from this!"

Venerable Huang Yun's expression turned solemn: "That Li... that Hidden Star Dharma Master, when he clashed with me in a mental battle earlier, he had already revealed all his trump cards, yet he still had a hidden trick up his sleeve!"

"Roar!!!"

Just then, the remains of the Taiyi Dao Palace also broke free, letting out a violent roar and struggling to get up. However, the colors on its body quickly faded, and its movements became increasingly sluggish. It was actually affected by the aftershocks of the Daoist's great supernatural power and was about to be sealed as well!
The dreamlike being at the eye of the storm did not directly resist the overwhelming power of "All Things Return to Origin," but instead changed its hand seals.

The projection of "Hidden Star True Monarch" resonated and vibrated!
"Buzz!"

The entire forest of steles suddenly roared!

Those ancient stone tablets, inscribed with sword intent, Dao traces, battle spirits, talismans, and other symbols, seemed to come alive all at once, transforming into streams of light that soared into the sky and converged on the figure in green robes in the air!
This torrent further disrupted and shook the Taoist's "Return of All Things to the Origin" sealing process, causing it to stagnate for a moment!

"Hmm?" The Taoist's eyes suddenly lit up as he looked at the ancient sage's thoughts contained in the flowing light. His eyelids twitched. "The 'Word Spirit' technique that I have been comprehending for many years has actually been seen through by him. He even used the myriad thoughts of the stele forest to induce a resonance between heaven and earth?!"

Under his gaze, the idea of ​​the forest of steles gathering in the sky swirled and condensed around him in his dream, eventually evolving into a virtual forest of steles!
Although blurry and indistinct, it echoes the real stele forest below, like a mirror reflection!

In the dream, I was suspended between two layers of stele forest, one real and one unreal, with hundreds of stele shadows reflected in my eyes. I slowly raised my hand and made a hand seal.

"Slay evil, transform the scene."

The next moment, the Heart Sword slashed down on the body and mind in the dream!

Instantly, the hundreds of stone tablets reflected in his eyes detached from his pupils with this slash and merged with the illusory forest of stone tablets gathered in the outside world!

"Om-"

The remaining Taiyuan Emperor's aura within his body surged forth!

The "Other Self Storage Aura" method that Chen Qing had previously comprehended has undergone another transformation. The Taiyuan Emperor Aura no longer depends on the projection, but has been integrated into this illusory forest of steles where reality and illusion intertwine!

"Boom boom boom!"

Thunder roared from the sky!

The countless stele shadows absorbed the imperial aura, forming a pitch-black stele in the very center, instantly transforming from the ethereal to the tangible, solidifying into a majestic "forest of steles in the sky"!
Each of those stone tablets was ancient and weathered, recording some kind of profound understanding derived from the Great Primordial Era. When they were gathered together, they exuded a magnificent imperial aura that ruled over all directions and transcended eras!

"This, this is..."

In the distance, the group of young cultivators were so overwhelmed by the sudden, immense pressure that their minds trembled and their faces turned pale.

Qu Yuezhi's hair and beard trembled as he stared at the forest of steles reflecting the sky, his eyes filled with astonishment. After a long while, he said, "You have truly encountered an incredible stroke of luck! You have actually witnessed... someone using the Golden Core realm to refine a landscape into form!"

"A Nascent Soul external realm?!" The Taoist also looked surprised and doubtful. "How can a Golden Core body bear the manifestation of an external realm? Especially one that contains the Daoist essence of my master?! Moreover, the Supreme Being should be without any inclination, in a state of oblivion and confusion, detached from worldly affairs. How come this person, who has clearly stepped into this realm, seems to have a clear purpose? This doesn't make sense!"

In the dream, the body remained silent. A certain nature left by Chen Qingzhu's will maintained the operation of this body. Seeing that the Taoist's supernatural powers were slightly slowed by surprise, he put his hands together in a mudra!
The exterior of the stele forest suddenly contracted and superimposed, transforming into a square, ancient and profound "Taisu Mountain and Sea Seal"!
The bottom of the seal depicts the sun, moon, and stars surrounding the mountains, rivers, and the nation; the seal knob is none other than the blank ink stele!
The Emperor's might is like a prison, suppressing all ages!
"town!"

The great seal, carrying the force of collapsing stars and resetting earth, fire, water, and wind, descended upon the Taoist!

"With a single thought, sever evil, and transform the void into a landscape! With imperial aura as the foundation, the external scenery naturally takes shape!"

In the dream, a simple interpretation of the obsession emerged in my mind and body: "To subdue this person, protect myself, and preserve the imperial legacy."

"Rumble--"

The Tai Su Mountain and Sea Seal shone with boundless light, slowly pressing down. With each inch it descended, a section of the void collapsed!
"Crack!"

The chaotic cage that the Taoist had created with the "Return of All Things to the Origin" technique was rolled back in front of this great seal that contained the essence of the Great Origin Dao!

His body trembled, his figure dimmed, and he was forced to take two steps back by the backlash of his own divine power and the suppressive power of the Emperor's Seal. A solemn look finally appeared in his eyes!

"Boom!"

The great seal fell, engulfing the Taoist's figure!
Suddenly, all around fell silent.

But the dream body knew very well that this was only temporary peace. The remaining imperial aura, combined with the newborn nascent soul's appearance, could not truly seal the Immortal Emperor's projection. It could only buy some time. So, following the Supreme Thought, he calculated with his fingers, and then his gaze turned to the entrance at the bottom of the Hell.

"We must find a variable!"

The thought had barely formed in his mind when he sprinted toward the entrance!

On the other side, the aftershocks of this temporarily quelled battle of magic were spreading, stirring up huge waves that, in a short time, affected almost half of Jade Capital!
Soon, it attracted even more attention, divine thoughts, and will!

(End of this chapter)