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

Chapter 216 We must turn enemies into friends!

Inside the small courtyard of Blackwater City, the dreamlike mist in front of Chen Qing suddenly dissipated.

In the final moment, he saw the Taoist in his dream, with blood piercing through his brow, and thus grasped the characteristics of his innate divine power.

"Compared to defeating enemies and mastering great power, my innate divine power is more inclined towards the power of unorthodox methods, and has a bit of the meaning of borrowing the laws of nature."

As Chen Qing was thinking, the streak of blood light returned from the clouds and merged into the Blood River Avatar. Its color became even darker and deeper, and its aura also grew stronger.

Sensing the changes, he pondered, "This dream-based supernatural power isn't based on any cultivation method mastered by my physical body; it's more like it's based on a cheat code within my dream..."

These things may seem complicated, but in reality, from the moment the Thunder Sword pierced the sky to the moment the blood light returned, it only took a breath or two.

Liu Yuanchen and Liu Shuang'er, who were watching from the sidelines, saw Chen Qing raise his hand and use the Thunder Sword to slay the demon, then open his mouth and spit out white mist, followed by a flash of blood. Although they did not understand the details, they both felt a chilling aura.

Liu Yuanchen suppressed his shock, looked around, and said, "Sect Leader Chen, this is no place to stay for long! Why don't we return to the office and discuss the follow-up matters?" He paused, then subtly implied, "The commotion you've caused this time is quite significant, attracting many people. But if more information gets out, it will likely draw even more attention."

Chen Qing composed himself and glanced at the sky. He did indeed sense several divine thoughts and gazes directed at him. He also noticed that several figures had tried to approach earlier, but seemed to have retreated temporarily because they were intimidated by his sudden attack.

But all of this shows that this place has indeed become a hotbed of trouble.

So he nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Liu Yuanchen immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his tense mind easing slightly. Then, his spirits lifted, and he said, "There's no time to lose, Sect Leader Chen, Shuang'er, let's hurry..."

"boom!"

Before the words were even finished, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from the horizon outside the city, like smoke rising into the sky, stirring up the wind and clouds!

Immediately afterwards, a crimson rainbow streaked across the sky, hurtling through the air at an astonishing speed, its target clearly being this small courtyard!
Liu Yuanchen's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Not good! It's the Heaven-Burning Escape Technique! How could it arrive so quickly?!"

After saying that, he turned to Chen Qing and said urgently, "Sect Leader Chen, the visitor is a guest elder of the Sky Patrol Division. He has been traveling and sightseeing in the surrounding areas recently. He has a fiery temper and is extremely difficult to deal with. Moreover, he has many connections behind him and a complicated background! If he confronts us and interrogates us, we will find it difficult to avoid many troubles! We must quickly return to the Division's office with me to take refuge. Once we are there, there will be proper procedures to deal with him, and he will not dare to be too presumptuous! But we must be quick!"

As they spoke, the crimson rainbow approached the city, and the scorching heat could be faintly felt even from a distance.

Chen Qing glanced at the approaching rainbow light and smiled, "No need to panic. I know the way to the Demon Guard's office. Follow me."

Then, under the astonished and uncertain gazes of the Liu siblings, Chen Qing strolled to an ordinary wooden door by the courtyard wall, which was the side door leading to the neighboring courtyard.

He reached out and gave it a gentle push.

"Squeak-"

The door opened with a click, but what lay behind it was not the narrow alley or neighboring courtyard as expected, but rather a scene of shifting light and shadow, a completely different view!

Liu Yuanchen and Liu Shuang'er stared intently, their eyes widening in surprise!
Behind the door, the interior of the temporary headquarters of the Demon-Slaying Guard was clearly revealed—

The solemn hall and the soldiers on duty—the two men, focused intently, could even hear faint voices in the distance!
"Void teleportation? A world within reach?!" Liu Yuanchen gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "Such supernatural abilities shouldn't be something a Golden Core cultivator can master!"

Liu Shuang'er also covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock, but she quickly recovered and said, "Chen Jun's abilities always exceed my expectations!"

"Gentlemen, let's go." Chen Qing stepped in first, disappearing behind the door.

Liu Shuang'er immediately followed.

Liu Yuanchen had no time to think it through. Hearing the buzzing sound from the sky, he could only suppress his horror and hurriedly followed.

"Squeak!"

The golden monkey cried out a few times and nimbly darted inside. The little black cat also realized what was happening and looked back at the courtyard with some reluctance. Upon hearing the monkey's cry, it immediately withdrew its gaze, gritted its teeth, and transformed into a shadowy figure, following closely behind.

Just after the figures of the monkey and cat disappeared through the door, the flowing light and shadow immediately returned to normal, and the scene behind the door became the scene of the side courtyard.

"call out!"

Just then, the crimson rainbow crashed to the ground, its light fading to reveal a middle-aged man in a crimson robe, exuding a sense of vicissitude and desolation. His hair was slightly disheveled, and fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he opened and closed them, and his aura was intense and scorching.

"Hmm?" After landing, the man's gaze swept across the courtyard, and his brows immediately furrowed. "Strange. The aura was still strong, but the person has vanished? No matter how fast the escape technique is, it shouldn't leave no trace. Besides, that person had just condensed their Golden Core. Even if they developed supernatural abilities, they couldn't have mastered them so quickly. And even if they had, they shouldn't have been able to catch me..."

In an instant, the man's divine sense spread out, carefully examining every inch of the place, but he could not find any trace of the people from before, as if they had evaporated into thin air.

"How strange!" The man stroked his beard and frowned, his eyes filled with confusion. "Could it be that this remote border region of the south is truly hiding a master of escape techniques who can evade my senses?" He turned his gaze to the direction of the yamen and shook his head. "If they have hidden in the territory of the Demon Guard, it will be difficult to force my way in. I left the capital in a fit of anger back then, vowing not to rely on the power of bloodline to make a living. Now, I cannot break my vow and use my status to intimidate others."

Thinking this, his gaze fell back to the courtyard, lingering for a long time on the lush, verdant vegetation nourished by spiritual energy, which faintly emitted a soft glow. His surprise deepened.

"Such rich essence of Yi wood! And this spiritual energy... it's almost solidified. Even ordinary spiritual vein nodes are no more than this." He squatted down, picked up a blade of grass, and felt the vibrant life force and pure spiritual energy contained within it. He muttered to himself, "In the past, cultivators have always sought out places with abundant spiritual veins to break through. When have I ever seen someone give back to heaven and earth after breaking through, turning an ordinary courtyard into a blessed land?"

A glint flashed in his eyes as he stood up, his face filled with curiosity and eagerness: "Could this be the special effect of reaching the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm and achieving the perfection of the Nine Revolutions upon forming the core? When the core is formed, it connects with the origin of heaven and earth, thus triggering such an incredible phenomenon! I must find a way to meet this person!"

Thinking of this, the crimson-robed Yan Yangzi's gaze fell on the distant government office. After pondering for a long time, his body flickered, turning into a faint crimson shadow and disappearing into the alleyways.

The courtyard returned to silence.

But soon, from all directions, several divine senses of varying strengths came one after another, hovering above the courtyard. They were all attracted by the previous lightning tribulation, but they were too frightened by the lightning sword to approach. Now, they searched from afar, moving back and forth, but found nothing and could not find the main body. Although they were also surprised by the vibrant spiritual plants in the courtyard, they did not dare to get close to take a look and could only retreat in disappointment.

hum!
After the numerous divine thoughts dissipated, a line of blood-red light suddenly wriggled in the corner, condensing into a miniature face like a living thing. It was the demonic ancestor who had fled earlier.

"Hiss—" Bloodface gasped, still shaken. "Blood Butcher's true spirit vanished in an instant! He didn't even have a chance to struggle! So, that Mingxia Chen Qing not only possessed a Nascent Soul level protective technique, but also clearly mastered the ability to curse and kill from afar, taking lives from tens of thousands of miles away! If I had hesitated even a fraction of a second, would I still be alive? I might have been the one to take the blame for Blood Butcher and his disciple! They're truly a jinx!"

Upon realizing this, the blood-red face's eyes darted around rapidly, their blood-red light flickering, clearly indicating that its emotions were turbulent.

"Danger! Utter danger!" A twisted smile appeared on his blood-red face as his thoughts suddenly shifted. "But it is precisely because of this that we should befriend him! Such a person is accompanied by calamities, yet his fortune is boundless! He is a true prodigy of the era, a child of the age! If, because of the karma of those two short-lived ghosts, Blood Butcher and Rainbow Phoenix, I offend this person and develop ill intentions towards my path of cultivation, thus creating karma and forming enmity, then I will surely die! No matter how much I struggle, it will be useless; in fact, the more I struggle, the faster I will die!"

Amidst the flashing blood, his thoughts became increasingly clear.

"We must turn enemies into friends! Heh, come to think of it, I'm probably the first person from the Demonic Sect to have glimpsed some of his true strength! Isn't this a golden opportunity? It's only right that I, your ancestor, be the first to act and invest! By the time the other old monsters from the Demonic Sects realize what's happening, they probably won't even have a sip of the soup!"

"This time, we must go all out!"

"For every exploration of the ruins and trial, the imperial court spares no expense, not only opening the secret treasury and bestowing elixirs and magical treasures, but also promising that all opportunities gained during the trials belong to the individuals involved, all in order to select the elite!"

The inner hall of the yamen was paved with bluestone.

Liu Yuanchen intended to inquire further about the mysteries of the Golden Core, but Liu Shuang'er preemptively spoke of the trial at the ruins—

"That ruin is extraordinary. According to research, it was a separate mansion and grotto-heaven jointly established by the Taiyin Sect and Yuehua Mansion in the medieval period. It was also a Nascent Soul Daoist site. For some reason, it was lost in the turbulent flow of time and space, and only reappears for a short time every sixty years."

Chen Qing was taken aback upon hearing this.

Liu Shuang'er continued, "If you can stand out in this trial, you will not only benefit from the ruins and gather spiritual energy, but you will also gain the favor of the imperial court, receive preferential treatment in the future, and have a smooth path ahead. This is a chance for a carp to leap over the dragon gate, and many outstanding talents from various sects are eagerly awaiting it. I have secured this spot for you, but whether you go or not is up to you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing began to ponder.

The mysterious gate in his heart exudes spiritual energy, and he also has the opportunity of dreams. He only needs to sit in the mountains to improve himself at will. The so-called resources and opportunities in the outside world are really like chicken ribs to him.

"Is this the cushy job you mentioned before, Fellow Daoist Liu?" After a moment's thought, Chen Qing didn't beat around the bush. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I appreciate your kindness, Fellow Daoist, but I am used to a life of leisure and dislike conflict. I don't want to get involved in karma. I'm afraid I won't be able to adapt to such a grand event."

This was a direct and polite refusal.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuang'er's eyes shifted, seemingly relieved yet disappointed. She sighed softly, "Everyone has their own ambitions. Since that's the case, I'll reply to the above."

Liu Yuanchen breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Liu, you just said that these ruins are related to the Taiyin Sect and Yuehua Mansion from the medieval period?"

Although Liu Shuang'er didn't understand, she immediately replied, "That's right. According to the records, that villa may have been a place where the two sects discussed their doctrines and where their disciples secretly trained. Although it has been abandoned, traces of the two sects' doctrines must still remain deep inside. Is Mr. Chen perhaps interested in this?"

(End of this chapter)