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

Chapter 265 Entering the palace three times

[There was once a patriarch, [name omitted], who was born with extraordinary abilities and innate wisdom. Born into a wealthy and powerful family, he abandoned his riches and entered the mountains to cultivate himself. However, his unconventional behavior often led him into worldly troubles. After undergoing countless tribulations, he attained enlightenment and was revered by later generations as the Awakened One, whose Dharma lineage continues uninterrupted, and whose incense burns ever brighter.]

Standing on the white mist platform, looking at the newly completed chapter, Chen Qing felt reassured, but also felt a little uneasy, and frowned slightly.

"'Unrestrained in conduct, prone to worldly entanglements and troubles, but later attains enlightenment through tribulations'—this sentence is a bit problematic." He pondered this judgment, recalling the various descriptions he had given the little monkey about the patriarch's life, and felt a sense of bewilderment. "According to my prediction, this should have been a smooth and successful path, so why, in the Daoist Records, is it still impossible to escape words like 'troubles' and 'tribulations'? Could it be..."

As his mind raced, several guesses came to mind.

Firstly, this Daoist record actually contains the principle of balance, where fortune and misfortune are intertwined. One may enjoy wealth and leisure in the past, but will have to pay the price with hardship later. Heaven dislikes excess and does not allow one person to take all the benefits.
Secondly, this third patriarch was destined to embark on the path of seeking the Dao fruit of the Demon Buddha. This path was full of thorns and unpredictable dangers. He was entangled in karma with such beings, and his "calamity" was preordained.

Thirdly, perhaps "acting unrestrainedly and getting involved in many worldly affairs" is itself the trigger for calamity? The Dao Yan Lu has its own operating rules, and the destinies recorded therein are deduced by combining various factors, and cannot be completely reversed simply by setting them.

"That's all."

With a soft sigh, Chen Qing's gaze regained its resolve.

"Once a move is made, there's no going back. Once it's written, there's no reason to change it. At least, the foundation for this opening is incredibly solid, far surpassing the previous two. Even if there are storms, we should be able to turn misfortune into good fortune. This should be a satisfying start to a novel!"

With this thought in mind, he no longer hesitated. He raised his hand and pressed it against the pages of the book that were shimmering with light. At the same time, he activated the method he had prepared beforehand. The green flame in his heart surged, and he instantly slashed out the Buddha image and Dao fruit in his heart, transforming it into a blank projection of himself and others. Enveloped in a burst of green energy, he entered the book!
"Dream!"

As the white mist dissipated, Chen Qing opened his eyes.

The first thing I saw was an unfamiliar stone roof, with spider webs hanging down.

His heart skipped a beat, and he glanced around.

What came into view was a small stone cell with cracks on all four walls, a heavy iron door, and a pile of moldy straw in the corner.

"This scene, this damp smell, is clearly..."

Click.

Just then, the iron gate opened wide, and a tall figure blocked the entrance.

The newcomer had a dark complexion, with a scar running from his forehead to his chin, adding to his ferocity. His breathing was heavy, and his gaze swept across the cell, but changed abruptly when it fell on Chen Qing's face!
This man, with his face full of fat, actually managed to squeeze out a hint of obsequiousness. He rushed forward and said to the two jailers behind him, "Hurry up and untie Chen Jun!"

"Here!"

Two jailers rushed forward.

Chen Qing did not refuse. A few breaths later, the chains on his body fell to the ground with a clatter, and a surge of spiritual energy gathered from all directions and merged into his body. A point of glazed Yin spirit containing Buddhist light and starlight then unfolded in his Niwan Palace.

"This body has actually reached the peak of the third realm!"

The scarred man bowed and clasped his hands, saying humbly, "Lord Chen, this is truly a huge misunderstanding! My men were muddle-headed and invited you to this filthy place! I am Zhang Meng, the prison warden of Xuanyu, and I have come to apologize! I have prepared wine and water at Mufa Tower, and I earnestly hope that Lord Chen will do me the honor of visiting and allowing me to show some hospitality."

He glanced at Chen Qing's expression and added, "I've heard that the Mufa Tower was the favorite place of your sect's leader back then. It was in that tower that your leader forged an indissoluble bond with the Taiyi Dao Palace, creating a beautiful story..."

What kind of ridiculous rumors are these?

Just as Chen Qing was about to speak, his mind was suddenly jolted, and countless fragments of memories surged forth!

Immediately, he stopped speaking, calmed his mind, and sorted out the threads of his memory. The first thing he needed to figure out was his current identity and background.

Chen Qiu, a direct descendant of the Marquis of Donghai.

At the time of his birth, many strange phenomena occurred. He pointed one finger to the sky and one finger to the earth, proclaiming, "In heaven and on earth, I alone am supreme." This startled the two prefectures of Donghai and Dingbo, and his family placed high hopes on him, inviting many famous teachers.

Chen Qiu was indeed incredibly talented, mastering all kinds of techniques with ease and becoming proficient in them after just one try. At the age of thirteen, he condensed his innate spiritual talisman, which shook the East Sea.

Later, he was spotted by a wandering master from the Hidden Star Sect and taken in as a disciple.

The master in the East Sea imparted all his knowledge to Chen Qiu for several years, and Chen Qiu actually entered the realm of Yin Shen, which amazed his master. Fearing that he would delay the development of such a talented person, he hurriedly sent him back to Dingyuan Mountain to be carefully cultivated by the sect. He himself went on another journey to fulfill an old promise and has not returned to this day.

Chen Qiu spent ten years cultivating in seclusion on Dingyuan Mountain, reaching the pinnacle of the third realm. The Golden Elixir was within reach, yet he repeatedly failed to achieve it.

He consulted the sect elders and learned that he had been confined to the East Sea and Dingyuan Mountain since childhood. Although his magical power was advanced, he had not been tempered by the mortal world and his mind was flawed. Therefore, he was ordered to go down the mountain, both to gain experience and to search for his master's whereabouts.

Who would have thought that entering the mortal world would be like a fish entering the sea?

With a distinguished background and immense wealth, he enjoyed the scenery along the way, living a carefree and leisurely life. He not only welcomed all sorts of people from all walks of life and made friends with them, but also became entangled with several female confidantes, long since forgetting about his search for a master.

Fortunately, he had two junior disciples who accompanied and served him, constantly reminding him to keep up with his master's teachings.

It wasn't until he arrived at Tingfeng City, which was related to his master's old agreement, that he happened to be there during the city's lantern festival. He saw a woman being harassed by a playboy and impulsively intervened, only to fall into a trap. He was framed by a local tyrant and unjustly imprisoned, which led to Chen Xing's awakening.

only……

"Why am I entering the Xuan Prison again? Am I inextricably linked to the Xuan Prison? Does the Dao Yan Record have a fixed refresh point when it enters my dream? But..." He recalled the experiences in those memory fragments and found that something was wrong. It could be said that there were quite a few things to complain about.

"This Xuan Prison is far too dilapidated, with scarce spiritual energy. Even the people imprisoned here have become spoiled brats who fight over women? In the heyday of the Immortal Dynasty, this place was where Golden Core cultivators were suppressed and demons were imprisoned!"

As he was thinking, the scarred man asked cautiously again, "Mr. Chen, judging from your appearance, are you perhaps unwell?"

Chen Qing did not respond immediately, but instead took the opportunity of moving his wrist to carefully examine Zhang Meng.

"His aura is mixed and his foundation is unstable. He must have barely crossed the threshold of cultivation by relying on pills or unorthodox methods. He is completely different from the Xuan Yu Si Yu in my memory, whose aura is pure and whose laws are strict."

The more he inquired, the more puzzled he became. He then withdrew his gaze and said, "Zhang Siyu, I've heard that Xuanyu is a vital instrument of the Immortal Dynasty, responsible for capturing evil cultivators and suppressing powerful figures. When did it start getting involved in street brawls and romantic entanglements?"

Zhang Meng's fawning smile froze, thinking that this young master of the Marquis's mansion was using this as an excuse to vent his dissatisfaction. He quickly rubbed his hands and said, "Lord Chen, you jest! Times have changed, and Xuanyu also needs to do its part for the peace of the region. However, your status is noble, how can you be compared to those common playboys? This matter must be a frame-up! Don't worry, I will definitely investigate it thoroughly and give you an explanation! Please come to Mufa Tower first to calm your nerves..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing pondered for a moment, then stopped pressing for answers and nodded, saying, "Since that's the case, lead the way. I also have something I want to ask you."

"Please, Mr. Chen!" Zhang Meng was overjoyed and quickly stepped aside to lead the way.

I walked out of the cell and through the dimly lit corridor.

Chen Qing's divine sense spread out, touching everywhere.

Seeing that only one-tenth of the prison's array remained, and the occasional flashes of light were like candles flickering in the wind.

Those imprisoned were mostly weak-blooded martial artists or newly condensed talismans, lacking the surging golden cores and eerie demonic aura of their previous lives.

"The authority of the Immortal Dynasty has declined to this extent? Even a place as important as the Xuanyu Prison has become like this?" Chen Qing felt a chill in his heart.

This time, he created the third patriarch, entering the past immortal dynasty in a dream. Chen Qing did not know the specific era, but when telling the story, he narrowed it down to the end of the immortal dynasty.

"According to the information obtained from the Remnant Scroll Pavilion, this Immortal Dynasty has lasted for about 30,000 years. Chen Xu was born at the beginning of it, and Li Qingyao was born in the middle. It has been at least 10,000 years since the end of this Immortal Dynasty! Some changes are normal. I just didn't expect that my third incarnation would belong to the lineage of the Marquis of Donghai. However, this lineage should be surnamed Lu. Why is my body surnamed Chen?"

In his memory, during Li Qing's time, the Donghai Marquis's family had few notable descendants, except for the Dingbo Marquis Lu Zhao, whose lineage was outstanding. He knew little about the Donghai Marquis's family.

Before his thoughts were settled, he had already followed Zhang Meng out of the Xuanyu prison.

The Xuanyu Prison, once a powerful artifact of the Celestial Dynasty and a place to suppress all directions, is now so poorly guarded that people can come and go as they please. Where is the solemn atmosphere it once was?

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and looked at Zhang Meng, who was following closely beside him with a big smile on his face.

This person's cultivation is mixed and his foundation is weak. In Li Qing's time, he would have barely qualified to enter the Xuanyu as a soldier. Now he has become a prison master.
“Zhang Siyu, I have been cultivating in the mountains for a long time and have not heard of the outside world. Tell me, what is the situation in the outside world now? How come the laws of the Immortal Dynasty and the majesty of the Xuanyu Prison have become so lax?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meng still felt that he was about to cause trouble, so he showed a little bit of distress and flattery: "Lord Chen, you are a proud son of a great sect, you don't know the hardships of us lowly officials!"

He lowered his voice: "It was hard to say inside, but now that we're out, I won't hide it from you. The world is not what it used to be! Sects and families everywhere are powerful, and imperial decrees lose three-tenths of their effectiveness once they leave the capital. Our Xuanyu still has its reputation, but the spirit stones and resources allocated by the higher-ups are decreasing year by year. We're even struggling to maintain the array, so how can we have the spare capacity to deal with those powerful cultivators who can move mountains and overturn seas? We can only manage the trivial matters of mortals in this city and get by."

As he spoke, he led Chen Qing to an elegant building in the city.

"Mufa Building".

Chen Qing looked at the plaque and changed the subject: "You just said that this building has a history with my sect?"

Zhang Meng was taken aback, then quickly put on a smile: "Indeed! Back then, your sect's Dharma Master, a wandering ronin, once disguised himself in the Xuanyu Prison, where he met beautiful women and befriended many heroes. My ancestors were fortunate enough to serve him!" His face beamed with pride. "Legend has it that the Dharma Master loved the fine wines of this establishment. It was here that he met a Taoist priest surnamed Yu from the Taiyi Dao Palace, and the two became fast friends. They drank and talked happily, almost becoming sworn brothers! It was precisely because of this encounter that the Dharma Master, after a period of quiet contemplation, began to stir, leading to his later legendary feat of sweeping away the demons in the north and becoming famous throughout the land..."

Chen Qing's eyes twitched slightly upon hearing this.

This unofficial historical rumor is far too outlandish!

He suppressed his strange feeling and was about to take the opportunity to ask for more information when a sweet, seductive voice suddenly came from outside the door—

"Now that you've escaped, why didn't you send anyone to let me know? You made my heart pound with worry!"

Upon hearing the sound, all the guests in the building froze, their eyes glazed over.

Chen Qing also felt a slight ripple in his mind, and the glittering Yin spirit in his Niwan Palace naturally flowed, instantly smoothing out the ripples.

"Bewitching arts?" Chen Qing's mind clicked. "Could it be one of the beauties Chen Qiu had encountered on the road? It seems that his imprisonment was not accidental! Could it be that he was set up by a honey trap!"

As he was thinking, a fragrant breeze wafted in, and a red figure, like smoke and mist, drifted down into the building.

The newcomer's face was covered by a light veil, revealing only skin as white as snow. Her figure was graceful and slender, and her eyes possessed a captivating charm.

But before the woman could even stand up, another thunderous shout came from outside the building!
"What a shameless witch from the demonic sect! How dare you use evil magic to bewitch my young master!"

The sound shook the rubble, and with it, a burly, bald man, nine feet tall and with bulging muscles, strode over. His eyes, like copper bells, shone with a sharp light. He first glared fiercely at the woman in red, then turned to Chen Qing, cupping his hands in greeting, "Young Master! I heard you've been having some trouble with your cultivation lately? That's wonderful! I've always said that the path of cultivation is fraught with difficulties and dangers. What could be more secure and wealthy than returning home to inherit the title of Marquis? Your setback in cultivation is simply the will of Heaven! Quickly come back to the manor with me, and don't get involved in the troubles of the martial world anymore!"

(End of this chapter)