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

Chapter 237 Karmic Fire Forges a Golden Body, Immortal Emperor Suppresses Old Gods

"Whoohoo-"

Flames swirled and danced!
Chen Qing formed hand seals, using the scenery outside the Stele Forest as a base, the Tathagata Talisman as a guide, and his own abundant spiritual energy and the endless primordial energy exhaled by the pseudo-Mysterious Gate as fuel, frantically absorbing the surrounding karmic fire!

Beside him, the cultivator surnamed Jiang squinted at the scene before him, first surprised, then a smile appeared on his face.

"Such good fortune makes them worthy to be my companions!"

"boom!"

Intense golden flames condensed around Chen Qing's body, no longer an illusory light and shadow, but gradually transformed into a simple and heavy suit of armor burning with raging golden flames!
The golden body formed by karmic fire is beginning to take shape!
In addition, wisps of bright yellow aura flew out from the void, gathering behind Chen Qing to form a blurry Dharma wheel shadow, which slowly rotated.

"Buzz!"

Just as the golden body of karmic fire took shape, at the center of the karmic fire golden lotus array, in the blank space in the center of the mural "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor", a barely perceptible ripple spread out!

A majestic figure flashed by, exuding an aura of majesty that Chen Qing recognized!
He immediately realized that the blank space in the center of the painting was actually the seal left by the Taiyuan Immortal Emperor!

Although Chen Qing did not use the "Destiny Connection" technique to activate the lingering Taiyuan aura left in the seal, the imperial aura from the same source within the stele forest behind him still attracted a bit of Dao aura from the seal and integrated it into the stele forest!
Immediately, Chen Qing also roughly figured out the characteristics of the imperial aura in the landscape of the stele forest. It was stably maintained at about one-third of its peak level, which was just enough to suppress the level of the Nascent Soul stage.

It's as if it's been solidified; it neither decreases nor increases on its own, unless it absorbs another source of imperial essence!

Just as the imperial aura in the mural merged into the landscape of the stele forest, the scene before Chen Qing's eyes suddenly changed!

What he saw was no longer a gloomy and ghostly place, but a vast sea of ​​clouds.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, palaces stretched endlessly, radiating countless rays of spiritual light. Countless majestic deities with indistinct faces sat high among them, their dignified gazes looking down upon the surroundings.

Beneath the sea of ​​clouds lies the vast mortal world, where billions of living beings toil like ants, working tirelessly like oxen and horses.

Subtle yet continuous streams of incense smoke and prayer energy rose from the heads of these beings, merging into the clouds and nourishing the high and mighty deities, making their divine light even more radiant and their aura even more profound.

The gods indifferently enjoyed the offerings, regarding the creatures below as mere straw dogs and cattle.

Gods and men rule the world, and all living beings are treated as animals.

This thought suddenly popped into Chen Qing's mind, and then the illusion shattered, and everything before his eyes returned to its original state.

The surrounding array of karmic fire had disappeared, and a faint ripple spread out from his body, radiating in all directions!

The mural seemed to tremble slightly before returning to calm.

"Since it is a seal, if we rashly trigger the echo, and the seal is broken, the being inside could break free, potentially causing great danger..."

Thinking this, Chen Qing concealed his aura, hid his Karmic Fire Golden Body, withdrew the view of the Stele Forest, and turned his gaze back to the mysterious mural.

"A sacred Buddhist diagram, a seal of the Celestial Emperor—who exactly is the master of this place?"

at the same time.

Meanwhile, the four Nascent Soul cultivators from the prominent families of Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li, along with Lu Zhao, Ao Yu, Han Jing, Qing Yuan, and others from the Hidden Star lineage, entered this hellish abyss almost one after the other.

The moment they landed, a chilling aura enveloped them, and the black swamp beneath their feet bubbled and sputtered, with pale, swollen arms reaching out to grab their ankles.

"Watch out on the ground!" Li Muyun shouted in a low voice. A jade ruyi flew out from his sleeve, casting a clear light that forced back the approaching ghost hand, but the ruyi's radiance also dimmed a little!
"The malevolent energy here is extremely corrosive to spiritual treasures!"

Lu Zhao drew his sword technique, and a chilling sword aura swept across, severing several ghostly hands. Black mist swirled around the severed ends, emitting a sizzling sound. Then he said, "This place is eerie; we cannot linger here. Quickly find my junior brother's whereabouts!"

So everyone immediately used their own methods, either by summoning magical treasures or by employing supernatural powers, to carve out a path through the encirclement of the ghostly hand and cautiously advance forward.

However, the deeper one goes, the denser the yin energy becomes. What crawls out of the black swamp is no longer just arms, but also twisted, decaying creatures that are half-human and half-ghost!

These monstrous creatures have no intelligence and only attack on instinct. At first, there were only a few scattered ones, which were manageable, but soon they emerged from the darkness from all directions!
"Form the array!" Daoist Qingyuan calmly directed the formation. The Hidden Star Sect members quickly moved closer to him, and starlight swirled around them, forming a simple sword array. The sword light was like a wheel, shredding the approaching ghosts.

However, the number of ghosts was simply too great, advancing one after another, and the sword formation's light flickered unpredictably, increasing the pressure sharply.

On the other hand, the four Nascent Soul cultivators, Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li, were in an even more sorry state.

Although their cultivation was not bad, their family foundation could not compare with that of the major sects. The power of their magic weapons was greatly reduced under the erosion of Yin Sha. In addition, the ghosts here were almost endless, which made them exhausted in dealing with them!
The Bagua mirror that the cultivator surnamed Qian brought out was tainted by filthy black energy, making its operation sluggish; the cultivator surnamed Sun waved a banner, and a cold wind howled, but the banner was almost torn to shreds by several powerful ghost cultivators!

"These things are endless!" The cultivator surnamed Zhao's face was grim. He smashed a ghost that pounced on him and panted heavily. "If this drags on any longer, we'll probably be worn down to death here! Brother Qian, you are best at divination. Could you calculate where the opportunity lies? We need to grasp the key points and not waste our efforts!"

The cultivator surnamed Qian gave a bitter smile and said, "Let alone the fact that this place involves the late emperor and our fates are uncertain, how can I possibly spare any effort in the current situation?"

Upon hearing this, the others sighed and then said, "We will protect you and try to seize this opportunity!"

"Wow!"

As soon as they finished speaking, a golden light suddenly exploded in the distance, shattering many ghosts into pieces and clearing a space!
However, the royal team, led by the Ninth Prince and the Eleventh Prince, charged ahead with unstoppable momentum thanks to the auspicious power of the "Nine Dragon Seal"!
They were enveloped in a halo of light, and ordinary ghosts dared not get too close; once they were swept over, they would explode!
The princes thus proceeded with ease, even having the leisure to offer their comments.

"This place is said to be dangerous, but it's really nothing special. Once we find the right direction, locate Li Qing, subdue him, and present him to the Emperor, everyone will praise us." The eleventh prince played with a dragon-shaped jade pendant, the pressure emanating from it making the approaching ghosts tremble.

Another prince, the nineteenth, laughed and said, "If we make a move, the others won't stand a chance!"

The words just fell!

"Crunch... crunch..."

A piercing sound of machinery suddenly rang out!
"Wow!"

Above, a strangely shaped bronze flying boat broke through layers of yin energy and slowly descended.

The boat was covered with divination symbols and runes. As the spiritual light flickered, it pushed away the surrounding filth and malevolent energy by three zhang (approximately 10 meters), creating a pure and tranquil place.

Four cultivators dressed in dark blue Daoist robes stood at attention on the ship's side, all of them at the Nascent Soul stage!

At the bow of the boat, an old man with a red face and white beard stepped out. He held a compass and pointed it into the distance, where it emitted bursts of light.

"It's the Measuring Boat from Baigong Mountain!" Li Muyun's pupils shrank suddenly.

The cultivator surnamed Qian's Adam's apple bobbed as he said in a hoarse voice, "That old man is holding the 'Mirror of Extraordinary Abilities'! It can detect opportunities! The Immortal Dynasty relies on this item to often snatch opportunities from those destined for it!"

"This old man is Master Xuanji, who is stationed in Yujing from Baigong Mountain!" Upon hearing this, everyone around him turned solemn.

Baigong Mountain ranks among the Five Sects and Six Religions, but it remains detached from worldly affairs. Its disciples dedicate their lives to refining artifacts and creating puppets in accordance with the rhythms of heaven and earth, and rarely get involved in conflicts.

The treasures within its gates are countless, and this "Sky-Measuring Boat" is especially renowned, said to be able to measure the void and evade all laws.

At the bow of the ship, the Venerable Xuanji put away his compass, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below. He said indifferently, "The disturbance in Nili has affected the very foundation of the Jade Capital's spiritual veins. I have come here specifically to investigate the turbulent flow of earth energy and repair the rifts in the laws. You have trespassed into this forbidden area and disturbed the Yin energy. Do you know that you have committed a grave taboo?"

Upon hearing this, the princes' arrogant expressions softened slightly. Although they were of noble birth, they were well aware of the power and influence of Baigong Mountain and were wary of its close ties with the Ministry of Works of the Celestial Dynasty.

The Ninth Prince forced himself to remain calm and cupped his hands, saying, "Venerable Xuanji, we also noticed something strange about this place. Fearing that evil spirits might be causing trouble in Yujing, we came to investigate. You may not know, but there is another person involved, who is..."

"Investigate?" Master Xuanji interrupted him, pointing to the path the group had taken. "Wherever you have passed, the Yin energy is boiling and the ghosts are restless. You are clearly adding fuel to the fire."

Before the words were finished, the hexagram on the side of the celestial vessel suddenly lit up, and a beam of clear light poured down, illuminating the dark swamp below.

In an instant, the countless pale arms lurking in the mud screamed and withdrew as if they had encountered their nemesis. Even a few twisted ghosts at the Nascent Soul level in the distance let out uneasy growls and hesitated to get closer.

Everyone was immediately stunned by this move!

Qingyuan Daoist flashed to protect Lu Zhao and the others, and whispered, "Baigong Mountain doesn't usually make a move. There's probably something hidden at the bottom of this Nili that even they covet. No one has touched it before, so they've been able to sit still. But now they've probably made a move. You all need to be careful, as their methods are often hard to guard against."

Just then, Master Xuanji looked at the group and paused for a moment on Daoist Qingyuan, seemingly surprised, but quickly recovered. He then addressed everyone present, saying, "This place has become a whirlpool, and none of you are allowed to enter. Retreat quickly, or don't blame me for not showing you any mercy."

He had just subdued everyone, and now that he speaks again, everyone is paying attention and their resolve is wavering.

Soon, several Nascent Soul cultivators from prominent families couldn't withstand the pressure, bowed, and took their leave.

As soon as someone took the lead, others were unwilling to leave.

Before long, only a few people remained here, mainly the princes and the Hidden Star lineage. In addition, there were six Nascent Soul cultivators from mid-grade aristocratic families, including Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li.

"Oh?"

Master Xuanji's gaze swept over the crowd. The Nascent Soul cultivators from various aristocratic families felt immense pressure and were secretly alarmed. They all thought that with this person's cultivation level, they would have no choice but to comply.

Although the princes were somewhat worried, they showed no fear.

Finally, his gaze settled on Qingyuan Daoist.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist," Qingyuan Daoist stepped forward and bowed. "I am Qingyuan, the Hidden Star Daoist. I have come here because my junior brother is trapped here. Although the secrets of heaven are profound, human feelings still exist."

Master Xuanji's eyes flashed with starlight, as if he were deducing something. After a moment, he said, "You brought this calamity upon yourself; cause and effect are cyclical. Since you insist on staying, then you'd better take care of yourself." With that, he raised his hand and waved it lightly, "Set up the 'Zhou Tian Forbidden Array' to seal the entrance. You are allowed to enter, but not to leave!"

"As you command!" The four Nascent Soul guards responded in unison, their figures swaying as they took their positions. Streams of spiritual light flew from their hands and merged into the void, instantly creating a large array that sealed off both the inside and outside!

Seeing this, Daoist Qingyuan frowned slightly, but knew that this was not the time to argue, so he led Lu Zhao, Ao Yu and the others to explore the place where the Yin energy was even stronger.

"Wait!"

A cold shout rang out from behind them.

Ninth Prince Xu Wenhao stepped forward from the crowd.

"Master Qingyuan, Li Qing of the Hidden Star Sect has committed heinous crimes in Yujing, destroying the lineage of the Dao, killing countless people, and even angering the Emperor! You, as fellow disciples, not only do you not think of cleaning up your own sect, but you have also sneaked into this place. What is your intention? Do you intend to protect that traitor and collude with him from within?"

"Ninth Brother is right!"

The princes also had unfriendly expressions and formed a tight encirclement. Their guards also unleashed their auras and spiritual pressure, enveloping the Hidden Star Sect members.

How could Ao Yu tolerate such humiliation?
He immediately glared with his dragon eyes and sneered, "I wondered who was barking here, it turns out to be Your Highnesses. What, is the Jade Capital so vast that it can't even accommodate my Hidden Star Sect in searching for someone? You keep spouting 'traitor' and 'crime,' but where is the evidence? Do you think the laws of this Immortal Dynasty are so easily determined by your golden words, that whoever you say is guilty is guilty? If you have the guts, let the witnesses speak for themselves!"

"witness?"

The princes exchanged glances, their brows furrowed. As far as they knew, those who had faced Chen Qing were basically all dead!

Where did the witnesses come from?
Upon realizing this, they understood the danger involved, yet they were unwilling to back down!

The two sides immediately became tense and on the verge of exploding!
At that moment, Daoist Qingyuan slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the Ninth Prince, the Eleventh Prince, and others.

"We are minding our own business and have no intention of arguing with others. Your Highnesses, please don't needlessly damage our harmony."

That seemingly ordinary glance caused the aura around the people opposite to freeze, and the surging magic power in their bodies became like being trapped in quagmire, its circulation sluggish. The fierce momentum they had just raised vanished in the blink of an eye!

For a moment, the Ninth Prince and the others were filled with doubt and uncertainty. They thought that with the help of the royal treasure and the Dharma Image, they could act recklessly. How could two people suddenly appear, both of whom seemed to be tough opponents?
Even Master Xuanji's eyelids twitched, and he re-examined Daoist Qingyuan, thinking to himself, "This person's aura is profound, having reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, with one foot already touching the threshold of the Dharma Aspect stage. The Hidden Star Sect has indeed produced a remarkable figure. These Xu family disciples, relying on their status, bloodline, and the support of magic treasures, are reckless and have no respect for our sect whatsoever. They deserve to be taught a lesson."

Just as the group of princes were filled with shame and indignation, caught in a dilemma—

"Buzz!"

A strange ripple spread from the depths of Nili, sweeping past the crowd.

As the ripples passed, the Ninth Prince, the Eleventh Prince, and the others all trembled violently. They felt a power awakened deep within their blood, and a surge of heat spontaneously flowed to their limbs and bones. A faint golden luster appeared on their bodies, and an aura of majesty arose from within!

"Bloodline connection!" The Ninth Prince was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. "That's it! This place was established by the late Emperor Taiyuan, and it retains the Daoist aura of an emperor! Just now, it must have been the ancestral legacy that was activated and blessed upon our bloodline!"

"May Heaven bless us! With the dragon energy of our ancestors protecting us, what do we have to fear from the cultivators of the sect!"

The other princes were also greatly encouraged, their strength and confidence soaring. Their previous fear vanished, and their eyes once again became arrogant.

At the same time, the compass in Master Xuanji's hand suddenly emitted a bright light, the pointer spun and finally locked onto a direction!
"Ok?"

He flicked his finger, and a stream of light shot out from the compass, following the ripples, cleaving through the yin energy, piercing through the darkness, and revealing the scene at the bottom of the abyss to everyone's perception!
Two figures stood out prominently before the mural.

A man in a blue robe, upright and honest, was none other than Li Qing, whom they had been searching for!
The other man was muscular and strong, with his cloak fluttering in the wind, yet he made the princes change color instantly!
"Jiang Shangkun?!" the Eleventh Prince exclaimed in shock. "What is this rebel leader doing here?"

"Good! Li Qing is colluding with this wanted criminal!" The Ninth Prince's eyes flashed with cold light. He was first shocked, then laughed angrily. "This Li Qing is indeed no good! He's in cahoots with the rebels! He must be a rebel himself! Now that we've run into him, let's wipe them all out and bring them to justice!"

(End of this chapter)