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

Chapter 307 Real or Fake?
"Grandmaster?" Chen Qing raised an eyebrow. "If I understand correctly, you mean that True Monarch Hidden Star is your grandmaster?"

He frowned, wondering if this ancient cultivator's remnant soul was perhaps Yin Lin'er's disciple. But judging from the person's previous demeanor, it didn't seem quite right!
Although the ancient cultivator's illusory figure was weak, upon hearing this, he puffed out his chest and revealed a hint of arrogance on his face: "That's right! So strictly speaking, I am still your elder!"

"Oh?" Chen Qing's gaze swept over him, and he asked, "So, you're also from the Hidden Star Sect?"

The remnant soul of the ancient cultivator shook his head: "This humble Daoist is not a member of the Hidden Star Sect, but my mentor was a disciple of the Hidden Star True Monarch!"

"This relationship sounds a bit complicated. Let me sort it out." Upon hearing this, Chen Qing looked thoughtful and then shook his head, saying, "You say you are a disciple of the disciple of the Hidden Star True Monarch, but that person was a figure from the early days of the Immortal Dynasty, nearly 30,000 years ago. Could it be that you have nearly 30,000 years of cultivation? I don't think so. If you had such cultivation, you should be a figure of some importance, not just here swindling people. You should just tell the truth."

The ancient cultivator's face stiffened instantly, his eyes flickered, and he stammered without answering immediately.

Seeing this, Chen Qing's tone turned cold: "Your life and death are now in my hands. Do you think that just by saying a few words about having a connection, I will give you a break? Even if you can't prove the truth of what you say, if you can't explain it clearly, I won't be polite to you! Answering the questions honestly is your only way out."

The ancient cultivator's illusory figure's expression shifted, and finally he sighed in despair, saying helplessly, "So be it! My soul is now incomplete, and I have been refined into a weapon spirit and sealed in this vessel. I spend most of my days in slumber, barely surviving in this way, so that I can endure these long years."

"A weapon spirit?" A glint flashed in Chen Qing's eyes. "Tell me in detail, what exactly happened?"

The ancient cultivator seemed to have accepted his fate and no longer concealed anything, speaking as if pouring out beans: "Back then, my master was guided by the Hidden Star True Monarch and received his fundamental teachings. After the True Monarch disappeared, my master, after being selected, went to Dingyuan Mountain along with the best of several other major forces and briefly became a disciple of the Hidden Star Sect on Dingyuan Mountain to cultivate the Primordial Qi Great Art. However, later, my senior uncle Silver Scale went into seclusion and the sect experienced a conflict, with chaos everywhere and branches falling apart. My master was disheartened by this and eventually left Dingyuan Mountain to wander the world."

"Silver Scale... After Silver Scale, there was actually internal strife within the Hidden Star Sect?" When Chen Qing heard the other party mention "Silver Scale" and "Primordial Qi Technique," which roughly matched what he knew about the aftermath of "Chen Xu," he believed it to some extent and then pressed for the part he was most concerned about.

At the same time, he couldn't help but quickly recall who else he had instructed when he was "Chen Xu" besides Yin Lin'er, his nominal disciple.
But after much thought, he couldn't reconcile the ancient cultivator's master with the figure in his memory.

"Could it be the karmic consequence that occurred when the main consciousness left the dream after waking up, and the body acted on its own in the dream?"

At this moment, the ancient cultivator shook his head and said, "My master is very secretive about the specifics of the dispute and is unwilling to say more. I only became a disciple of the sect after my master left Dingyuan Mountain, so strictly speaking, I cannot be considered a disciple of the Hidden Star Sect. I know very little about the sect's past affairs and have never been particularly concerned about them."

"These old stories can be discussed later." Seeing this, Chen Qing did not delve into the matter, intending to verify them gradually in the future. He then steered the conversation back on track, "Let's talk about the secret you just mentioned, that this bronze jue is related to the Jiang and Xu families, as well as the Hunyuan Daozun. What exactly is going on?"

The ancient cultivator's illusory figure hesitated for a moment, noticing Chen Qing's gaze turn cold, and finally sighed, saying, "This vessel was originally an ancient treasure that the True Lord himself acquired during his early travels!"

Chen Qing frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "This doesn't match reality. This item clearly came from the Immortal Dynasty's treasure pavilion, so how could it be something I obtained while traveling?" In comparison, the Buddhist explanation seemed closer to the truth. However, he didn't say anything and just listened.

The ancient cultivator then said, "According to my master, this bronze jue is related to the ancient Jiang clan that rose to prominence during the Dao Seeking Era. The Jiang clan was one of the most ancient clans to establish a Dao lineage during the Dao Seeking Era. It is said that the bronze jue was originally owned by the Jiang family! Therefore, after True Monarch obtained this item, he relied on its profound mysteries and combined them with his own Dao of Stars to make rapid progress in his cultivation. He also used it to comprehend many supernatural powers and techniques, laying the foundation for the Hidden Star Sect!"

Chen Qing's gaze sharpened, his expression grave.

After all, this statement is so outrageous and far removed from the truth, so can this person's so-called secrets and hidden secrets really be believed?
However, it seems plausible to say that this title is related to the Jiang family.

For a moment, he felt somewhat confused and bewildered.

"and after?"

The ancient cultivator's illusory figure continued, "Before the True Lord disappeared, he seemed to have a premonition of something. He entrusted this vessel to one of his Daoist partners, the Azure Fox of Qingqiu, and made an agreement that when the time was right, or when his designated successor appeared, he could retrieve this treasure with the token and use its power to open a secret treasure. It is said that the secret treasure is related to the path of transcendence of several ancient great beings! It also contains the secret of the Primordial Immortal Emperor's ascension!"

"..."

Chen Qing really wanted to interrupt the other person and ask what "one of the Daoist partners" meant, because this was simply slandering his innocence!
But he also knew that arguing with the remnant soul in front of him was pointless, especially since the argument was becoming increasingly absurd.

The bronze wine vessel is indeed related to an agreement, but it was entrusted by an old man surnamed Jiang. He did not know the specific details of the agreement, so how could it be related to any path of transcendence?
Because there were too many discrepancies in the content, although the remnant soul spoke with great conviction and even used several seemingly lofty terms such as the most ancient lineage and the path to transcendence, Chen Qing felt more and more that the content was probably false. Even if the other party was speaking from the heart, it must have received false information from the source.

But since I've already asked, I'll let him finish.

So Chen Qing nodded, signaling him to continue.

The ancient cultivator's illusory figure then began to speak with increasing enthusiasm: "But for some reason, the Heavenly Fox did not wait for the person she was supposed to meet. According to the last rumors I heard, she took the bronze jue to an extremely dangerous secret realm, saying it was to fulfill another request left by the True Lord. Since then, the Heavenly Fox and the jue have disappeared without a trace, until 20,000 years ago when the jue reappeared in the world, but its spiritual essence had been greatly damaged, almost turning it into ordinary iron. I lost my physical body in a battle, and coincidentally, due to the karma of my sect, I became involved with the jue and ended up residing in it. In the end, the bronze jue was found by people from the Buddhist sect."

At this point, he revealed a look of resentment: "The Buddhists do not recognize the true nature of this treasure. Just because of its special material and inner space, they forcibly refined it with Buddhist teachings, turning it into a tool for communicating with that damned Buddhist realm! They even refined my remnant soul residing within it, turning me into the soul of the tool. It is truly despicable!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing was basically certain that the so-called secret was nothing but a lie, but he also realized that the process by which this person became a spirit of an artifact was probably not so simple.

You should know that when Li Qing was active in his previous life, he had never seen the bronze jue. How could this jue reappear in the world, be seen by this ancient cultivator, and even have its soul possessed by him?
However, Chen Qing was in no hurry to expose it. Instead, he asked, "What are the Primordial Dao Venerable and the great opportunity you mentioned before? If it's just these things now, they are all empty words, rumors and gossip, and can't be considered secrets at all."

Upon hearing this, the ancient cultivator's illusory figure immediately lowered his voice: "This brings us to another matter related to this wine vessel. As mentioned before, this wine vessel originally belonged to the Jiang family, but according to my master's research, if we trace its origins, we can trace it back to a True Immortal during the Divine Court Era. It was a wine vessel personally forged by him! The True Immortal's rank, title, and duties are now unverifiable, and there are few records of him in later generations. My master searched for a long time but could not find the key, so he referred to him as 'Hun Yuan Dao Zun,' saying that this was one of the few names related to him!"

"The Primordial Daoist Master?" Chen Qing's eyes flashed. "What extraordinary abilities does this one possess?"

He had assumed that since the other party claimed there were few records, their knowledge was limited. However, he was surprised that the remnant soul of the ancient cultivator suddenly became interested.

"This Primordial Daoist is truly a genius. He must have created his own cultivation technique that directly leads to transcendence! Its most profound aspect is perhaps its ability to modify and reshape the already formed Nascent Soul's external appearance, making it more compatible with one's own path! It is said that when this technique is cultivated to a high level, it can even fuse all laws, absorbing the rules of heaven and earth into one's own body, walking an unprecedentedly domineering path!" It can modify the Nascent Soul's external appearance?!

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing felt a chill run down his spine.

Although he already felt that what this person said was unreliable, he still couldn't help but think of the "Primordial Qi Scripture" that he had obtained in the Senluo Treasure Pavilion when he heard this!
"Although this person's words contain many errors, it's normal for him to know more if he truly lived from that era. Perhaps one or two of his ten sentences contain important information! However, who exactly is his master? We should ask him his name later!"

With this thought in mind, he asked again, "Is the great opportunity you mentioned related to this?"

“Indeed!” the ancient cultivator's illusory figure said with certainty. “According to my master’s speculation, my family’s Hidden Star True Monarch Ancestor is very likely the successor of this Primordial Dao Venerable, or at least received part of his inheritance! You should know that, according to legend, this Primordial Dao Venerable took in many disciples, including the ancestors of the Xu and Jiang families. At that time, it is said that neither of the two families had their current clans. It is precisely because of this that these two families were able to preserve their vitality in the Hundred Clans Era and rise rapidly in the Dao Inquiry Era!”

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Qing, his tone seductive: "Fellow Daoist, you bear the inheritance of the Hidden Star Sect and have been recognized as the master of this title. This is the will of Heaven! It is fitting that you inherit this cause and effect, seek out the traces of the Primordial Dao Venerable, obtain his inheritance, and perfect the Dao of the Return of All Laws to the Origin! At that time, let alone refining mere incense and vow power, it would not be an exaggeration to melt all the laws of the heavens and achieve the supreme path!"

Chen Qing was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You've said so much, but where exactly is the clue to the inheritance of the Primordial Daoist?"

The ancient cultivator's illusory face faltered slightly with excitement, and he said somewhat awkwardly, "This... I don't know the exact location either. I only know that the Primordial Daoist Master seemed to have gone to the Northern Lands in the end, possibly related to the remnants of the Jiang clan there, or the ancient secret realm guarded by the Xu royal family. After all, the origins of the Jiang and Xu families can be traced back to before the establishment of the Immortal Dynasty, or even to an era longer than that. They might know some inside information..."

Seeing Chen Qing's eyes grow increasingly cold, he hurriedly added, "I can confirm that this vessel is one of the key tokens of the Primordial Chaos inheritance! It must bear the secret mark of the Primordial Chaos Dao Venerable or the Hidden Star True Monarch, but it has been concealed by Buddhism! Now that you have the vessel's approval, you only need to find a way to expel the Buddhist power and restore its original source, and you will surely find clues!"

The Hidden Star True Lord did leave behind a remnant mark, but unfortunately it had no effect. Apart from that, there were no other traces!

After listening, Chen Qing had already made up his mind.

Regardless of how much truth or falsehood this ancient cultivator spoke, we should spare his life for now and slowly extract information from him later.

“Your information is indeed of some value.” Chen Qing didn’t beat around the bush and said directly, “I can keep you here in this noble household for the time being, but we need to agree on three rules.”

"Fellow Daoist, please speak!" The ancient cultivator's illusory figure seemed to have been granted a pardon.

"First, you must not absorb spiritual energy without my permission, and you must not enter the Bronze Jue without authorization."

"Second, when necessary, you must disclose all that you know and must not conceal anything."

"Third," Chen Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, "if I discover even the slightest unusual movement from you, or that anything you say is false, I will immediately scare you to death!"

The ancient cultivator's illusory figure trembled and quickly bowed, saying, "This humble Taoist swears that he will never dare to break his vow!"

"That would be best. Just to be on the safe side, we should add some restrictions on you as well."

Chen Qing flicked his finger, and a beam of blood-red light pierced into the opponent's remnant soul, causing his expression to change drastically!
He didn't explain much. He glanced at the sky and, seeing that it was still early, decided to ask the man in detail who his master was.

"To be honest, I don't even know your name."

"My Taoist name is Heluzi..." The ancient cultivator's illusory figure was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed, followed by a look of terror. Before Chen Qing could speak, he rushed towards the bronze jue!
Chen Qing frowned, then his heart skipped a beat!
A terrifying pressure descended without warning!
A pale golden light, seemingly from nowhere, filled the courtyard!

In an instant, the entire courtyard seemed to be separated from this world; the air became stagnant, the spiritual energy stopped flowing, and even the light dimmed!

In the other rooms of the courtyard, Mang Shoutuo, Zheng Qingtian and others immediately noticed the abnormality and immediately roused their qi and blood to rush out to protect Chen Qing!
However, the moment they tried to move, they were like mosquitoes trapped in amber, their movements becoming incredibly slow, and their aura was suppressed by the oppressive force, making it difficult for them to even take a single step!

"A powerful enemy is attacking!" Mang Shou Tuo was horrified. "Is it coming for the young master?! A master from the Sky Patrol Division? Or someone coveting a rare treasure? But this aura..."

The power of this pressure far exceeded anything he had ever seen in his life!
Murong Zhiqing paled and immediately looked at Murong Gu beside her: "Master! Help Young Master Chen!"

Murong Gu's expression was solemn as he slowly shook his head: "It's not that I'm unwilling, but... I can't! This is no ordinary pressure; it is the wisdom light of the Dharma Realm!"

"The light of wisdom in the Dharma realm?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone, including the frozen Mang Shou Tuo and Zheng Qing Tian, ​​was shaken to their core!
The light of wisdom in the Dharma realm is the means of the True Lord of Dharma Form!

That's a terrifying existence, like Asahi Toku!
But such a person is said to be rarely seen in the mortal world, so how could he suddenly appear here?!
Inside the house.

In the void before Chen Qing, strange ripples appeared out of thin air, slowly converging and eventually outlining the figure of a monk.

A terrifying pressure, like a raging storm or a collapsing mountain, crashed down on Chen Qing. He trembled violently, yet remained standing, asking in a deep voice, "Who goes there?"

The blurry monk clasped his hands together, a halo of wisdom flowing around him, and said slowly, "This humble monk speaks of profound truth."

(End of this chapter)