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

Chapter 36 My Turn, Print Cards!
[In the past, there was a patriarch named Chen Xu who, at a time when the sect was in decline, single-handedly upheld the precarious structure, re-established the lineage, and restored the foundation for longevity. He was revered by later generations of disciples as the patriarch of the restoration, and his incense is worshipped eternally.]

After clarifying his thoughts, the record of "Chen Xu" in the "Taixu Daoyanlu" flowed through Chen Qing's mind.

"The basic settings do not involve specific events, leaving room for interpretation."

He closed his eyes and concentrated, and his experiences after entering the Immortal Dynasty flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern—

He escaped the Xuan Prison, offered advice to bring peace to the people, and won the princess's favor;
He entered Xuandu Mountain to listen to the Dao, condensed a life talisman, and was intercepted and killed.

Upon arriving in Yujing, Li Xiao appears and is placed under house arrest by the Sixth Prince in the Treasure Pavilion;
……

“Every experience completes the character of Chen Xu.”

Opening his eyes, Chen Qing already had a general idea, so that night, he sat on the white mist platform in his dream, refining his thoughts.

“Breaking the deadlock requires strength, but ‘Chen Xu’s’ cultivation is still shallow. Following the normal path, it would be difficult for him to even leave the treasure vault. But since he is a fictional character, why not add another element? To win at cards, you have to print cards on the spot!”

Even so, Chen Qing did not act impulsively and weighed the pros and cons.

"There are three main points to note at the moment. First, according to the rules of the Dao Evolution Record, although Dao Traces can add settings, they cannot be exaggerated or outrageous, otherwise not only will the Dao Traces be consumed, but they will also become ineffective. Second, adding settings may also lead to new changes. Third, we must reserve enough Dao Traces for trial and error."

He continued to deduce his thoughts until dawn broke, then slowly withdrew from the white mist world and opened his eyes.

"Therefore, we must proceed step by step according to the plan. The first step is to accumulate Dao traces, and then summon disciples to compile them!"

Chen Qing had already made up his mind, so he stood up, pushed open the door and went out. The mountain breeze hit his face, making him feel refreshed.

In the distance, Fang Da'ao was throwing punches like thunder, his progress made at lightning speed thanks to the newly acquired Taiyue Map; Qu Xiaoyao squatted beside the herb garden, carefully fiddling with the spiritual herbs with her little hands, occasionally stealing glances at her senior brother practicing his punches.

For the next two days, Chen Qing stayed indoors, focusing on instructing his two junior disciples in their cultivation.

"Sink your Qi to your Dantian and channel your strength to your four extremities!"

As Fang Da'ao practiced his boxing techniques, Chen Qing would occasionally offer reminders and corrections.

Every punch Fang Da'ao threw was accompanied by the sound of his bones and muscles clanging.

"Uncle-Master, I feel that this Tiger Pounce move is lacking something in its spirit..."

Hearing the question, Chen Qing suddenly pointed his finger at Fang Da'ao!
It was clearly just a finger, yet it exuded a pouncing momentum and was extremely sharp. It suddenly retracted before touching the opponent's face, but Fang Da'ao was already wide-eyed with shock.

"Hupu is not about resemblance in form, but about the spirit. You are too focused on power, and you have lost your agility."

Fang Da'ao suddenly realized what was going on and got into a fighting stance again.

This time, his punches were much more fluid and controlled.

"good."

Chen Qing nodded in satisfaction.

"Uncle-Master," Qu Xiaoyao looked on expectantly, "when will I be able to be like my Senior Brother?"

Chen Qing chuckled, squatted down to be at her eye level, and said, "Da'ao has practiced the Five Animals Guiding Technique for seven years. Do you know how he got through those seven years?"

Qu Xiaoyao shook her head.

"Rain or shine, through the cold winter and scorching summer, it has never stopped." Chen Qing gently stroked the top of her head. "Cultivation is like the four seasons, each with its own time. Some people are like mountains, making rapid progress; others are like streams, flowing long and deep. You have a keen mind and can identify the properties of medicines with just a glance. This is a natural talent. When the time comes, you will naturally be able to accumulate knowledge and skills and then unleash your potential."

Qu Xiaoyao was completely confused.

Seeing this, Chen Qing thought to himself: This little girl has a gentle yet resilient nature, which is not entirely compatible with the "Mountain and Mountain Fragments", and she is even less suitable for cultivating the "Taiyue Tongtian Technique".

"It is unknown whether the Vast Expanse Sutra is suitable for her, but this method emphasizes the inclusiveness of all things, and requires a very high foundation and comprehension. Moreover, the original version has many omissions. After we get through the crisis, we need to find time to complete and deduce it before it can be passed on to others."

He pondered, "On the other hand, if all the techniques in the dream are practical, then as long as we make good use of the 'Records of the Great Void Dao,' why worry about not having enough techniques to inherit? We could really become a hidden sect with an ancient heritage and an extremely profound foundation!"

In fact, the teaching he gave to his junior disciple over the past two days has helped him solidify his foundation, sort out what he gained in his dream, and accumulate nineteen Dao traces.

"That's about enough. Even if a few steps are wasted, we can handle it."

As dusk settled in the mountains, Chen Qing was boiling medicine at the stone table in the courtyard, preparing a medicinal meal for his two junior disciples.

Fang Da'ao was still practicing his boxing in the courtyard when he suddenly stumbled, his fist technique dissipated, and he immediately looked annoyed: "Uncle-Master, I still can't figure out the key point of this mountain-like technique."

Upon hearing this, Qu Xiaoyao also complained that practicing calligraphy was boring.

Chen Qing smiled slightly and decisively began to fabricate: "The path of cultivation is inherently arduous. Let alone you, even the Zhongxing Ancestor was in a much more miserable state when he was trapped in the ancient treasure vault." "Did the Zhongxing Ancestor also encounter setbacks?"

The two little ones immediately perked up their ears.

"More than that." Chen Qing sat down, gesturing for the two to come closer. "I heard that the walls of that treasure vault are covered with restrictions, so much so that not even an ant can crawl out. The patriarch pondered for days without eating a single grain of rice..."

"Ah! Aren't you even going to drink water?" Qu Xiaoyao gasped.

"Is that the key point?" Fang Da'ao asked impatiently. "Uncle-Master, what happened next?"

Chen Qing laughed and said, "Of course we've escaped our predicament, otherwise how could we have this inheritance today?"

The two junior disciples immediately pressed, "How did the Patriarch escape from his predicament?"

"I don't remember very clearly, but it seems that I encountered an ancient cultivator by chance and received his help, which allowed me to escape." Chen Qing was waiting for this sentence. "However, the records in the sect's books are more detailed. I will check them tomorrow and tell you in detail."

Fang Da'ao's eyes lit up as he listened, and he said, "It sounds like a story from a legendary tale. No wonder he is the patriarch of the restoration!"

Qu Xiaoyao nodded emphatically.

Having achieved his goal, Chen Qing didn't abandon his two junior disciples. After they had rested, he returned to the quiet room, made some arrangements, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Upon arriving at the dream platform, he opened the "Records of the Great Void and the Evolution of the Dao" and frowned.

"Five Dao traces are gone, leaving fourteen! But the phrases related to 'Chen Xu' haven't increased. It seems the new setting consumed Dao traces, but was deemed invalid by the rules. However, it's not an exaggeration to say that this setting was aided by a senior expert, after all, there's a mysterious old man by his side..."

He didn't feel regretful, as this was a test and an attempt to find patterns, so he immediately turned to analyzing the reasons.

"Does the Dao think I'm going to fabricate an ancient cultivator out of thin air? But my real intention is to refer to that gray-robed old man..."

As Chen Qing sorted through the rules of "The Record of the Evolution of the Great Void", he suddenly realized: "As Chen Xu's story has developed to this point, any new settings can only be applied to Chen Xu himself and cannot involve the outside world!" Then, he realized that he needed to find an entry point that could be naturally integrated into the plot and have an immediate effect.

Is there such a starting point?

"It really does."

The next day, Chen Qing continued to instruct his two junior disciples all day. When he had some free time in the evening, he brought up the matter from the previous day again, saying that he had read the records in the sect and that he had not received help from a master.

Instead of answering directly, he asked, "How do you think the Patriarch escaped his predicament?"

Fang Da'ao immediately clenched his fist and said, "I will definitely break the seal with force! I will shatter the peace in the treasure vault and smash the gate with one punch!"

“No, if that treasure vault is the treasury of some immortal dynasty, that immortal dynasty sounds very powerful. How could it be easily broken?” Qu Xiaoyao shook his head: “If it could be broken, it would have been broken long ago. Maybe it was a clever trick! Uncle, please tell me quickly.”

Chen Qing laughed: "Regarding the method by which the patriarch escaped his predicament, perhaps due to the long passage of time, the records in the sect's books are not consistent, and there are three versions. The first version says that he obtained a peerless treasure in the treasure vault that recognized him as its master, which not only allowed him to break free from his predicament but also shocked the world, greatly increased his strength, and left behind a legacy."

"Impressive! This is what a true man should be like!" Fang Da'ao's eyes lit up, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

But Chen Qing then changed the subject: "However, there are also records that the patriarch suddenly realized his past life in a desperate situation, knowing that he was a reincarnation of an immortal. With a single thought, he broke the seal, became carefree, and left behind the lineage of true immortals!"

Qu Xiaoyao's mouth gaped slightly, and the medicine shovel in her hand clattered to the ground: "Is our Hidden Star Sect a true immortal lineage?"

“The third version,” Chen Qing changed the subject again, “is that the patriarch found a fragment of a profound manual on the wall of the treasure vault. That profound manual was all-encompassing, and he comprehended a method from it. Although a person is confined to a small space, their mind can roam freely with the energy of heaven and earth.” This version is obviously based on the setting of the “Primordial Qi Scripture”.

As he spoke, he was also thinking, wondering what level he could reach by cultivating the "Primordial Qi Scripture." It contained many profound words, but because it was an incomplete text, it did not mention the refinement of specific levels.

Upon hearing this, Fang Da'ao scratched his head and said, "Isn't this too far-fetched?"

Qu Xiaoyao, however, said, "I think it's more credible than the previous two explanations."

“The matter of cultivation is inherently mysterious and unpredictable.” Chen Qing nodded. “Like the bottleneck you are currently facing, perhaps a change of perspective will bring you sudden enlightenment.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Da'ao stared at his fist, seemingly lost in thought: "The mountain's shape penetrates to the bone. Could it be that the mountain's shape isn't the key point? Perhaps I should work on my bones more?"

"..."

Chen Qing was speechless for a moment, then finally said, "You should really get your head tapped more often."

When Fang Da'ao came to his senses, his face turned red, but Chen Qing shook his head.

He turned to look at the darkening sky, his heart filled with anticipation.

Which of the three versions can be recognized by the Taixu Daoyanlu?
In my dream, I will know the answer.

(End of this chapter)