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

Chapter 114 The Path of the Dao [Second Update]

"call--"

As soon as Chen Qingfu entered the Guanghan Ice Cave, a cool breeze brushed his face, and the scene before him suddenly changed!
Above them was a towering ice dome, smooth as a mirror; beneath their feet lay a wide, flat avenue formed naturally from millennia-old ice, so smooth and reflective that it was a perfect whole, without a trace of artificial intervention.

The air was chilly, but not biting; instead, it carried a warm, comforting quality. When inhaled, it instantly cleared the mind and dispelled all distracting thoughts.

"This place is the location of the cold eye of the Northern Darkness's earth vein, where the mysterious ice has naturally formed over ten thousand years." Master Yun Shu's tone was icy: "My ancestors of the Guanghan Palace did not build it, but rather followed the creation of heaven and earth, using their magic power to sort out the cold veins and enlighten the spiritual energy, thus creating this Ice Soul Cave Heaven."

Master Hanjing nodded slightly and whispered to Chen Qing, "Junior brother, the ice spirit energy here is extremely pure, which is very beneficial to your Xuan Yin body."

Master Yun Shu added, “The ‘Ice Condensation Abode’ and ‘Ice Abode’ ahead are your residences. Both are nourished by spiritual veins. If you need anything, just activate the communication talisman.”

As they spoke, the view ahead suddenly opened up, revealing two small ice crystal portals standing opposite each other.

Before Master Yun Shu could speak further, his expression suddenly shifted, and he said, "Fellow Daoists, you should all go and rest first. I have something to attend to."

"Please make yourself at home, fellow Daoist." Master Hanjing thanked Yun Shu and, after she left, said to Chen Qing, "Junior Brother, this place is excellent; it's perfect for you to sort out your insights."

He paused for a moment, then continued, “You don’t need to take the old man Dianheng’s words to heart. Yuehua Mansion has been gaining momentum in the North in recent years, so it’s inevitable that they will act recklessly. In fact, the lineages of Xuanyin and Liangyi have a long history and profound foundation, so they should have been the first choice, but they didn’t come.”

He sighed slightly and said, "I will contact them again when I arrive. Besides, the inheritance of the Guanghan Palace is also exquisite, but most of those who have achieved it are women. As for the other two schools, they are all paths that have been formed in the last few thousand years and have not been deeply rooted."

“Senior brother, there’s no need to worry so much. Let nature take its course, whichever path it may lead to.” Chen Qing nodded slightly and then said, “Speaking of which, the Guanghan Palace has a very deep foundation. Along the way, we’ve already met three Golden Core cultivators.”

Master Hanjing said, "As a superior sect, we each have our own unique atmosphere. Moreover, this place has a deep connection with my Hidden Star Sect. The 'Mysterious Nether Ice Soul Path' of my lineage was created by a patriarch of our sect in the past, who read the notes left by the Frost Fairy of the Guanghan Palace and combined them with his own insights!"

"Frost Fairy?" Chen Qing's heart stirred. The name sounded familiar. Upon closer thought, Li Benji seemed to have mentioned this name before his death!

"Indeed." Master Hanjing's tone was filled with reverence. "Frost Fairy was the senior ancestor of the Guanghan Palace. Her profound skills were all-encompassing. Unfortunately, she later disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only some mysterious notes. When she was alive, she took great care of our sect. Our sect's predecessors benefited from her legacy and thus achieved their current path."

Chen Qing nodded, then asked about his doubts: "Senior brother, I noticed that fellow Daoists like Dian Hengzi are quite eager for me to practice their sect's true understanding. Logically speaking, the true understanding of the Dao is the foundation of a sect. Even if there is an agreement beforehand, lending it to outsiders for practice is still giving them a handle to use against us and creating the risk of leakage. Why are they going to such lengths?"

Upon hearing this, Master Hanjing said, "Very well, I'll tell you about it."

He pointed his fingers like a knife and made a cut on the smooth, mirror-like ice between the two of them.

"laugh--"

A condensed, almost tangible stream of cold air shot out, but instead of damaging the ice surface, it condensed and spread on it, outlining a winding, upward-climbing path of ice crystals.

A chilly atmosphere permeated both sides of the path.

"Junior brother, do you know that the 'path of cultivation' is not an inanimate object?"

Chen Qing was taken aback.

Hanbing Zhenren flicked his finger upwards!
"boom!"

The ice crystal path extended rapidly, piercing straight towards the ice dome above!
"Crack-"

As soon as the ice crystals struck the dome, they shattered into countless tiny ice crystals and stardust, scattering like cold rain.

“Our spiritual practice is like climbing this house. Without breaking through this top, we will never know how vast the world is. We will only be trapped in ourselves, experiencing birth, old age, sickness, death, and worldly troubles.”

Master Han Jing withdrew his hand and sighed, "Above the Golden Core stage is called the Nascent Soul's Path of Inquiry! The so-called Path of Inquiry is when a Nascent Soul expert devours the Eight Sceneries, condenses his life force, evolves supernatural powers, forcibly breaks the shackles of heaven and earth, and draws in some profound power to open or continue a 'path' for future generations to walk, which is called the 'Path of Proving the Dao' or the 'Path of Inheriting the Dao'! Once this path is opened, it can point the way for those who come after and create a path of supernatural powers!"

With a flick of his palm, the scattered ice crystals and stardust were drawn together and quickly coalesced into several ice chains in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he connected the ground with the dome.

"Cultivation is like climbing, and seeking the Dao is like breaking through the dome."

"Once the path to enlightenment is completed, a 'chain' will be added to the world. Later generations will follow the path of enlightenment to climb by holding onto the chain, saving them from many tedious and difficult things. Once they reach a certain level, they can master the mysteries of magic and even supernatural powers."

"However, the world is like a prison, and the Great Dao is like a furnace! Once the path of cultivation is established, it is constantly eroded by the power of the world. If no one walks upon it and constantly tempers, nurtures, and strengthens it with their own cultivation..."

Master Han Jing unleashed his magical power from his palm.

"Crack!"

An ice chain snapped instantly and melted away completely!

"These chains will rust and break! The path ahead will return to chaos, and the shackles will fall again! At that time, those who have already cultivated the Dao will never have any hope of advancing any further in their lives! And the younger generation of disciples will even lose the qualification to sense this Dao and condense the Golden Core! Thus, immortality will be hopeless, the sect will be destroyed, and the lineage will be severed in the blink of an eye!"

Chen Qing's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the dispersing icy mist, the image of the Taiyi Dao Palace's ruthless methods of recruiting "chosen ones" flashing through his mind.

“So,” he said in a slightly deep voice, “the Taiyi Dao Palace’s eagerness to bind so-called people with abundant fortune is not just for the sake of one person’s path, but also to use their fortune and potential to cultivate a certain path, maintain the lifeline of the path, and delay the time when the 'shackles fall'?”

"Exactly this!"

With a single clench of his five fingers, the ice chains shattered, and a chill permeated the air.

"The strategy of weakening the spiritual energy is like cutting off the fuel supply at the root; the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is waning day by day, and good talents are becoming increasingly hard to find! Every family in the North has several Yin-attribute lineages, and which family doesn't have a precarious path to follow? Your 'Great Sun True Flame' path is, for them, an opportunity to balance Yin and Yang, break through the shackles, and delay the shackles! And you, Junior Brother..." He looked at Chen Qing and smiled, "Your foundation is profound, and your comprehension is astonishing; you are the 'penman'! Through your hand, we can redraw the traces of the path, strengthen its chains, and even give it new life. How can we not fight for such a 'path to survival'? How can we not be eager for it?!"

Chen Qing pondered in silence for a long while before saying, "Then what about the four paths of our Hidden Star Sect..."

"The traces of the Dao are still fresh, so it's relatively stable." Han Jing's tone softened slightly. "Your immediate priority is not to worry about when the shackles of heaven and earth will fall, but to use this bitterly cold land of the Northern Darkness to temper yourself! Comprehend the Yin-attribute true understanding that is most suitable for you, and condense your golden core as soon as possible!"

"I see."

After Master Han Jing returned to his quiet room, Chen Qing took a deep breath, glanced at the icy blue dome, and suddenly felt a stirring in his heart.

"If the Golden Core path in later generations is also like this, requiring continuous cultivation, reinforcement, and nurturing, then can the path inheritance I obtained tens of thousands of years ago still be used in later generations?"

Thinking about it this way, he felt a sense of urgency. He had thought that by communicating with the past, his sect's foundation would gradually increase, and there would be more than one path to the Dao in the future. But now, he realized that things had changed again.

"Moreover, the more paths a sect has, the more outstanding disciples it needs. Otherwise, it simply cannot keep up. No matter how long the sect has been passed down, if the talent pool doesn't keep up, it may quickly decline! More paths mean more talent, and more talent means more resources are needed..."

However, these things could not be verified at the moment. After turning the Samadhi True Fire Talisman, Chen Qingxian suppressed his surging thoughts, closed his eyes and focused on the present moment, immersing all his mind into the newly formed talisman.

This talisman can be called the Void Spirit Talisman.

Each time this symbol flashes on and off, fragments of insights about "emptiness," "void," and "gap" emerge from it.

With a slight thought, the talisman flashed, and Chen Qing's figure vanished from the quiet room. The next moment, he appeared silently three zhang away.

"It blends into the gaps in space and then manifests in another place, which can be called a small relocation."

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Qing once again urged his thoughts, and the core star point of the talisman rotated faster. He pointed his fingers like a knife and gently slashed in front of him!
"Fuck-"

A tiny, black crack, only a foot long and as thin as a hair, appeared out of nowhere!

The inside of the crack was dark and deep, emitting a faint suction force that was fleeting yet real!
"Similar to the spatial rifts around Mount Xuyuan, only smaller, but can be used as a surprise weapon at crucial moments."

He calmed his mind and felt a void in his head. After a moment, he focused his attention on the Void Spirit Talisman, pouring his divine sense into it. It was as if he were penetrating a thick ice wall and probing into a void.

Although it disappeared without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea, it seemed to have transcended the boundaries of the material world!

"Through this talisman, it seems possible to safely explore the void, unrestricted by the mortal realm! This void talisman can be considered a stepping stone to the Dao of Space! Its potential is limitless! Putting aside other matters, if this talisman is used as a foundation, if it is combined with the sword talisman..."

As soon as he opened his mouth, a point of yellow-green sword light burst forth, with the radiance of the Void Spirit Talisman attached to it.

A slight thought!

"laugh!"

The sword light vanished into thin air, and in the next instant, it appeared in front of the ice wall on the other side!
"It really works!" Chen Qing's eyes gleamed with even greater joy. "The combination of spatial teleportation and swordplay amplifies its power, making it impossible to defend against! During this trip to the North, I haven't even touched upon the true understandings of various schools, yet this Void Talisman alone is already priceless!"

With this thought in mind, he calmed his mind and began to more deeply comprehend and refine this newly created void talisman.

This realization leads to a state of complete detachment from the external world and oneself.

It wasn't until a loud roar that Chen Qing opened his eyes again.

"Boom——"

The earth trembles!

Shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, and the roars of wild beasts could be faintly heard through the thick ice walls.

With a swift movement, he arrived outside the cave. Above the Guanghan Palace, countless streaks of light and sword rainbows, like cold stars flowing against the current, rose into the sky from various ice caves and palaces, converging into a torrent that rushed straight towards the northern edge of the mountain range!

A murderous aura soared to the heavens, stirring up a blizzard!

Chen Qing's heart stirred, and he summoned his flying boat, which transformed into the size of a flying sword. He stepped on it and flew away, but he was puzzled. Could it be that something had happened in the Guanghan Palace?
"Although there are always some twists and turns in my dreams, it's really absurd that going to the North would directly cause such a major change in a sect, isn't it?"

Just then, a clear, cold voice sounded from my side.

"This is the homage of all tribes at the border!"

Ling Wan stood on the Ice Soul Longsword, suspended in mid-air, a thin layer of frost covering her body, her brows radiating heroic spirit and fierce fighting intent.

Her gaze swept over Chen Qing, and she said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, you are new to Beiming, so you may temporarily retreat to the mountain gate. This is a common practice in the North, and it is also our duty! If you wish, you may observe from the sidelines, but you must be careful at all times. This place is not like the South. One careless move, and even a Yin Spirit can perish! Do not use your Southern combat experience to deal with this..."

Before she could finish speaking, a surging black tide broke through the curtain of snow and wind at the edge of the snow line in the distance!
The howls shook the heavens, and the demonic aura was like smoke from a wolf's beacon!

That was a torrent formed by the convergence of various demon races!
　Third update, aiming for midnight...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)