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

Chapter 3 What's fake can become real.

When Chen Qing opened his eyes, he was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling.

He looked around and found himself in a small, cramped, damp stone cell, completely sealed off, with no windows except for an iron door.

A faint ray of light shone through the crack in the door.

"The texture of this dream, the light, the water... it's just like the real thing."

Chen Qingxuan immediately realized that his consciousness was not riding on his physical body at this moment, but was filled with extremely rich, unrefined spiritual energy.

"What's with this spiritual energy? It's so crude and concentrated. I'm absorbing it whole without refining it, and I'm not afraid it will dissipate all the time? It's too extravagant!"

Just as he was wondering, a sharp pain shot through his head, and countless memories flooded in like a torrent, instantly overwhelming him and causing him to groan. His mind went completely blank.

Zhongling Continent... Taichu Immortal Dynasty... Dingbian City... Xuanyu... The last successor of Xing Shu Sect...

All sorts of information swept through Chen Qing's mind like a whirlwind.

But this torrent came quickly and went quickly. A few breaths later, Chen Qing let out a long sigh, sensing the extra memories, his expression strange, as if he were dreaming.

"No, I am indeed in a dream. Based on the fabricated biography of the founder, a dream within a dream has been created that feels real. According to my memories, this body's original name is Chen Xu, the last successor of the Xing Shu Sect. The Xing Shu Sect is a border sect of Zhong Ling Continent. Its mountain gate was destroyed, and its disciples were almost wiped out. Chen Xu managed to escape, but was captured by the sword cultivators of the Tai Chu Immortal Dynasty and imprisoned in the Xuan Prison."

The Mysterious Prison is the place where the Primordial Immortal Dynasty suppressed Qi cultivators; even those with extraordinary cultivation could not escape it.

"The last successor of the sect? That matches perfectly."

After sorting through his memories, Chen Qing suddenly realized something.

"However, whether this Primordial Immortal Dynasty is fabricated or based on fact is unknown. Unfortunately, the Hidden Star Sect is small and its resources are limited. Maintaining its lineage is already a struggle, so it has no spare capacity to understand the history of the Central Spirit Continent and has no way to compare it. Speaking of which, why was this 'Record of the Evolution of the Great Void Dao' suddenly activated? Is it because I became the sect leader, or did I lie to my nephew? If it's the former, that's fine; I can always find the book's uses when managing the sect in the future. But if it's the latter..."

After a moment's thought, he suddenly understood.

"Now that Master has paved the way, what is there for me, as a disciple, to endure humiliation and hardship for the sect by simply using my words? It's just making up stories, isn't it? I've read plenty of those in my past life, I have a lot of knowledge!"

Now, he's even more curious about how the story in his dream will unfold.

"They say they can repay a life, but they have to complete their life's story first, right? Now that their identity and background are set, it's time to revive the sect, but they've become prisoners. How can they revive it?"

He focused his attention on sensing the body.

"What a waste! This body full of spiritual energy must have been swallowed whole using a crude breathing technique. The spiritual energy fills the limbs and bones without any restraint, which is like leaking air all the time! If one were to use the breathing techniques of the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll, it would take two or three years of non-stop cultivation just to absorb this spiritual energy! And just leave it like this? What a waste!"

With this in mind, he immediately visualized the scenery of the sea and mountains and practiced the method of circulating qi.

hum!
The next moment, the spiritual energy within Chen Qing's body trembled, like a raging fire being poured into boiling oil. The spiritual energy in every part of his body boiled and surged towards the Yellow Court Palace along the meridians of his cultivation technique! Like a torrent pouring down!

This spiritual energy was extremely abundant, as easy to control as his own limbs. In his seventeen years of cultivation, he had never fought such a rich battle!
Wherever spiritual energy passes, it solidifies like a sword, conquering and cultivating within the meridians—

Puff puff!
In the blink of an eye, all six meridians were connected!
"Has the proper channel been opened up?"

Chen Qing looked surprised. Opening up the meridians requires not only a certain amount of spiritual energy, but also a certain quality of spiritual energy!

"In the initial stage of Huangting, one must absorb the essence of the moon and the morning air, discard the impurities of blood and flesh, and condense acquired energy into internal breath. However, internal breath is loose and can only strengthen the body and toughen the meridians, but it is not enough to open the meridians. Only by stepping into the second stage, 'Chonghe Foundation Building,' and mastering the Taihe Qi, can the meridians be opened! But... there is no Taihe Qi in this body?"

All things carry yin and embrace yang, and through the interaction of these energies, harmony is achieved; this is called harmony.

This realm harmonizes Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the illusory and real aspects of the soul. It allows one to grasp a trace of the Great Harmony Qi, build the foundation for longevity, and establish the basis for exploring the profound Dao. Therefore, the second realm is the realm of harmonious foundation building.

"But it's just opening the meridians, without the Great Harmony Qi circulating in the body, so it's still the first realm of cultivation." Connecting the dots, he suddenly realized: "This fictional ancestor's body originally had the second realm of cultivation? But it was crippled?"

In an instant, fragments of memory seemed to resonate, transmitting scattered information—

After being arrested and suppressed, his cultivation level was reduced...

Right now!

"The character '丙' is number thirty-one! Why did it trigger a change in spiritual energy?"

A loud shout rang out from outside the door, and the iron gate burst open. Several burly prison guards filed in, wielding shackles and rushing straight at Chen Qing!
Chen Qing suddenly opened his eyes, intending to resist, but a sharp pain shot through his brow! An ancient seal script character for "prisoner" appeared on his forehead, instantly sealing his meridians and suppressing his qi and blood! Just a moment ago he was at the peak of the first realm, seemingly on the path to Foundation Establishment, but in an instant he was reduced to a mortal body!
Wow!

The specially made shackles immediately suppressed the spiritual energy within Chen Qing's body, causing him to catch his breath and collapse to the ground.

"This dream really doesn't seem like something that just happened temporarily..."

A doubt crossed his mind, but according to the fragments of memory, the Xuanyu Prison was a place specifically for imprisoning cultivators, so having such a method of suppression was reasonable.

"Chen Xu, I only released the Spirit-Suppressing Lock because you were born into a prominent family, had a tragic fate, and were always well-behaved. Is this how you repay me?"

A tall, thin man in a black robe strolled into the cell amidst a cold, clear voice.

It was Li Benji, the warden of Prison No. 3, Class C.

He stopped in front of Chen Qing's face, the tip of his boot almost touching his cheek, and said coldly, "I know you are resentful. The Chen family once followed the Sage to cleanse the Central Continent, and your great-grandfather was even ranked among the 108 stars. You, Chen Xu, joined the army at the age of twenty and fought in the Western Wilderness, but because of your sworn brother's slander, you were stripped of your military power and had your spiritual bones destroyed, which implicated your family, and you were forced to wander on the frontier. In order to rise again, you joined the Star Pivot Sect, but the Immortal Dynasty abolished all sects..."

He suddenly squatted down, his cold face close to Chen Qing's eyes: "But the laws of the Immortal Dynasty are strict. Once you enter here, you must abide by the rules. Stop thinking about revenge. Otherwise, no matter how powerful your background is, you will not escape going to the Spirit Execution Platform!"

After saying that, he left with his men without waiting for a response, showing no concern whatsoever for Chen Qing's reaction.

Bang!

The iron gate closed.

Chen Qing tried to circulate his internal energy, but it felt like carrying a huge boulder. His meridians were blocked, and it took him a while to recover before he could get up with difficulty and sit leaning against the wall.

"Born into a powerful clan yet stripped of military power and crippled of his spiritual bones—is this an additional setting? So his cultivation level was indeed destroyed. Is it because his past cultivation was high that he progressed so quickly? No, it's because his spiritual energy is too abundant. Even the spiritual energy in this prison is unusually dense. I didn't notice it before, but now, upon closer inspection, I can feel the surging spiritual energy everywhere. It must be due to the times..."

He tried to piece together Chen Xu's fragmented memories, but found it as time-consuming and difficult to do quickly, like turning the pages of a book.

"This is unlike any ordinary dream; it feels like I've truly traveled to Zhongling Continent. But Zhongling Continent sank more than ten thousand years ago, and this is the life story of a fictional character..."

As he pondered this, Chen Qing shook his head and sighed.

"Never mind, I'll think about it when I wake up. The talisman will awaken me in three hours, but I don't know if I'll be able to get any life feedback."

Who knew that this wait would last for a full seven days!

"He's been asleep for so long? His physical body must be starving! Luckily, the sect has some dry rations, so Da'ao and the others should be alright. I'm just afraid they'll worry if they don't see me for seven days. Moreover, the spiritual essence that maintains the formation must have been depleted quite a bit. If it really doesn't work, I'll have to find a way to wake him up. But this is my first time entering a dream, and I'm afraid that this dream and the wake-up call might leave some hidden dangers."

During these seven days, "Chen Xu" was imprisoned here and only received two Bigu Pills to satisfy his hunger. It is said that one of these pills can keep one from hunger for three days.

"According to the setting, 'Chen Xu' was supposed to revive the sect, but under the overwhelming power of the Primordial Immortal Dynasty, his escape seemed a distant prospect. How could a half-crippled cultivator possibly make a comeback? Moreover, in the past few days, as I've been studying fragments of memories, I've discovered that while the cultivation techniques in this world do have different levels, they are incredibly crude. In terms of detail, they're even inferior to the 'Sea and Mountain Fragments.' At most, they only reach the third level of perfection, and there are no annotations from predecessors. With these, he has no chance of making a comeback..."

Bang!

The iron gate suddenly opened.

Li Benji entered with his hands behind his back, coldly glancing at the corner: "Consider yourself lucky! The Tenth Princess wanted to select a few prisoners with innocent backgrounds, and she actually remembered you." Then, he changed the subject, "But don't even think about regaining her favor. Now, you're at best a dreg of her medicine!" So this fictional patriarch has some past connection with the Tenth Princess?

Chen Qingxin knew this was a turning point within a dream, and silently got up.

Soon, he was led into a spacious stone hall.

Several prisoners in shackles stood with their heads bowed inside the hall.

A stone seat at the head of the table was suspended in mid-air, veiled by a thin gauze. Behind the gauze, a slender figure could be vaguely seen, exuding a cold aura. On either side stood cultivators with profound auras and officials of the Xuanyu Prison, while Li Benji stepped aside, appearing to be observing with indifference.

When Chen Qing's gaze swept over the stone seat, his pupils suddenly contracted as he saw a faint, dark, spiritual light flash behind the thin veil!
The light flashed and disappeared so quickly that it was almost an illusion.

"Disordered spiritual light?" He was puzzled. "According to the 'Haiyue Fragment Scroll,' this is a hidden danger left by forcibly breaking through the second realm before it is perfected. As a result, the yin and yang will be out of balance and the five elements will be out of balance. He should be in seclusion to use the spiritual energy of the earth veins and the marrow cleansing grass to regulate it. Why would he personally come to the Yin Sha Land?"

Seventeen years of arduous cultivation of the "Haiyue Fragment" led him to speculate: "Could it be that because the Primordial Immortal Dynasty, which serves as the background, is so ancient, there are no cultivators to annotate it, and even the royal family is unaware of these cultivation secrets?"

at this time.

"By order of the princess!" a silver-patterned old man in a black robe suddenly proclaimed, "Select three men to serve as close attendants and demonstrate the new law! You must answer truthfully and not speak recklessly!"

"Just three people?"

An uproar immediately broke out in the hall.

A frantic will to survive blazed in the prisoners' eyes.

The chances are slim, and the competition is fierce!
Next, the selection process begins.

Then four men stepped forward from beside the old man and began to question him, some sternly inquiring about his background and experiences, others examining his bones and meridians.

The prisoners who were questioned were all trembling with fear and trying their best to behave. Some wept to express their loyalty, some tried to preserve their spirits, and some even crawled on their knees to beg for mercy.

Soon, two prisoners were chosen.

One of them was tall and strong, with solid bones. Although his cultivation had been destroyed, his foundation remained. The other was eloquent and quoted classical texts when he answered questions. He must have come from a prestigious family.

A few breaths later, it was Chen Qing's turn.

"Ci number 31, Chen Xu. A remnant of the Xing Shu sect, an abandoned son of the Chen family."

Upon hearing the registration, the old man in black robes suddenly turned his gaze towards him: "You are Chen Xu, the one who brought down the Chen family? As a former border general, you should have some insights."

Before Chen Qing could respond, someone in the distance suddenly shouted, "The third person has been chosen!"

The old man in black robes immediately withdrew his gaze and waved his hand: "Forget it, there's no need to answer. Picking out three is about enough. After all, this is Xuanyu, and any more would be against the rules."

"My lord! Give me another chance!"

The prisoners who were not chosen looked ashen-faced.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out—

"your Highness."

Since he was in a dream, Chen Qing had no scruples and bypassed the old man in black robes and others, speaking directly to the figure on the stone seat.

This action startled all the cultivators present.

Li Benji narrowed his eyes and stared at him coldly.

Chen Qing ignored him and continued, "Your Highness, before you broke through to the third realm, your foundation must have been unstable, right? Have you recently experienced an imbalance of Yin and Yang, and felt a needle-like sensation in your body when you touch anything of the Five Elements?"

The old man in black robes' pupils contracted sharply, and his imposing aura suddenly pressed down: "Where did you learn this?"

"Dingbo-kun".

Behind the veil, the figure who had remained silent finally spoke.

These three words immediately silenced the old man in the black robe.

Then, the woman's voice came again, leaving no room for argument: "Bring him along too."

Without explanation, these five simple words are like golden rules.

The old man in black robes bowed in response, then turned to Chen Qingshi with a complex expression: "Chen Xu, come forward!"

Under everyone's gaze, Chen Qing stood among the chosen prisoners, becoming the "fourth person".

He glanced at the three people beside him, pondering what to do next, when suddenly he felt his vision blur and distort at the edges, and white mist began to rise.

"Time is up?"

A chill ran through Chen Qing as he felt his consciousness slowly detaching from the body of "Chen Xu," and he immediately understood.

I'm about to wake up.

As soon as Chen Qing opened his eyes, he felt an emptiness inside his body.

"Is this because I've gotten used to the abundant spiritual energy in my dreams? Too bad it's all fake after all... Hmm?"

Suddenly, wisps of true energy surged out from above, as if gurgling spiritual energy was pouring in from the crown of the head. Although not surging, it was continuous and gradually filled the whole body, blending seamlessly with the flesh, as if it had been tempered for many years.

"How pure it is! It's similar to the true energy I refined in my dream, but in much smaller quantities, only about one-tenth of what I had in my dream..."

He suddenly realized something, recalled his past experiences, and sorted out his current understanding of the rules of the *Tai Xu Dao Yan Lu*, gaining some insights—

"By teaching others, one can gain traces of the Way."

"Consuming Dao Traces allows one to create characters and experience their life stories through dreams."

"The spiritual energy honed in dreams can be fed back to the physical body at a ratio of ten to one."

As he was pondering this, the commotion outside the window caught Chen Qing's attention.

Chen Qing rolled out of bed, pushed open the window, and saw the yellow paper talisman, exhausted of spiritual power, lying on the ground, still emitting a faint awakening sound intermittently. He was stunned at first, then suddenly realized.

"I was awakened by a talisman. I was in a dream for seven days, but only three hours passed outside the dream!"

　This poor newbie is begging for recommendations, favorites, and to keep reading...

(End of this chapter)