Volume Hiding Ancient and Modern

His ancestor was a general in the Immortal Emperor's army, guarding the Western Desolate Continent. He was stripped of his post for "plotting rebellion"...

These records, without a doubt, fit perfectly with the background of "Chen Xu" from his dreams, at least on the surface. After all, the matter of plotting rebellion involved being framed and was all very secret.

Bai Shaoyou had been observing Chen Qing's reaction. Seeing his gaze linger on the Jade Slip, his expression remained calm, but there was a slight change that Bai Shaoyou keenly captured.

He became certain in his heart and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Chen, the 'Chen clan's Xu' recorded in this slip, their name, deeds, time, and place, seem to have many similarities with the remarkable person you mentioned last time who advised on pacifying the people?"

Chen Qing did not answer. Instead, he continued reading further down the slip, but the subsequent content was incomplete and had little to do with the "Chen clan's Xu." It spoke of the Immortal Dynasty's campaigns in the Western Desolate Continent.

He withdrew his gaze, feeling a sense of relief.

Many of his long-held speculations had found partial answers in this bamboo slip. This was not a bad thing for him; it was a good thing.

Regardless of how the Grand Void Dao Evolution Record presented the Immortal Dynasty world to him, for Chen Qing, the spiritual energy feedback was real, and everything he experienced was not false.

"Is there anything wrong with the contents of the slip?" Sensing the relief emanating from Chen Qing, Bai Shaoyou found himself unable to fathom his thoughts.

The Samadhi True Fire Talisman shimmered with golden light, clearing his distracting thoughts. Chen Qing took a light sip of tea, contemplating in his heart.

The sword and the bamboo slip proved Bai Shaoyou's ability to gather information about the Immortal Dynasty. To obtain more information about the Immortal Dynasty from him, he needed to provide a sufficiently weighty and self-consistent explanation.

Putting down the teacup, he met Bai Shaoyou's gaze and said frankly, "To be honest, Fellow Daoist, the person you investigated is none other than the past Patriarch of my Hidden Star Gate."

"Patriarch?!" Bai Shaoyou's knuckles turned white, and the table creaked under his grip. The composure on his face vanished, "That Chen Xu... Cultivator Chen, is your sect's Patriarch? He lived during the Immortal Dynasty era. Is the Hidden Star Gate truly an ancient lineage?"

His voice trembled slightly, and all his previous scrutiny and probing disappeared.

"No wonder you can reveal such secrets!" Taking a deep breath, Bai Shaoyou forcibly calmed his surging emotions, his tone completely changed. "Fellow Daoist Chen, my apologies! I never imagined you were a descendant of an ancient lineage! Regarding your Patriarch's later life, I am deeply intrigued. May I hear more?"

Chen Qing went with the flow, "Since Fellow Daoist is so persistent about the old affairs of the Immortal Dynasty, and last time you mentioned having 'Immortal Dynasty Anecdotes' at home, you must know a great deal. I am willing to exchange more secret tales of my Patriarch for a look. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Bai?"

"Why not?" Bai Shaoyou grinned and said to Old Zhou, who was standing by, equally shocked, "Old Zhou, go to the vault and fetch the original copy of 'Immortal Dynasty Anecdotes,' and then brew that pot of 'Nine Leaf Spirit Calming Tea.' Hurry!"

Old Zhou seemed to snap back to reality, bowed in acknowledgment, and quickly retreated.

"Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist." Bai Shaoyou turned back, his posture now carrying a hint of solemnity, the longing in his eyes almost overflowing. "With your sect's background, you should have many records of the Immortal Dynasty's affairs."

Chen Qing took in his reaction. Considering that Bai Shaoyou was a major source of Spirit Marrow and would be a continuous source of benefit in the future, he replied, "There are indeed traditions within the sect regarding my Patriarch's deeds, but I won't hide it from you, the records of the Immortal Dynasty are incomplete."

"Fellow Daoist Chen is truly noble! I am deeply grateful!" Bai Shaoyou's eyes flashed with joy and he immediately said, "You are welcome to peruse 'Immortal Dynasty Anecdotes' at your leisure. I only hope that when you have free time, you will not hesitate to impart some of your Patriarch's secrets!"

Old Zhou soon presented the Jade Slip containing "Immortal Dynasty Anecdotes" and the fragrant tea.

Chen Qing took the Jade Slip. It felt warm and smooth in his hand. He couldn't bother with anything else and immediately opened it.

As the Jade Slip unfolded, the opening page displayed a vast star map, with the positions of the six major continents clearly visible--

The Central Spirit Continent was known as "Qi Pivot Profound Earth," shaped like a turtle's shell, situated in the center;

The Eastern Spirit Continent was "Li Yang Profound Continent," like a dragon soaring in the sea;

The South Flame Continent was the "Crimson Flame Islands," resembling a phoenix spreading its wings;

The Northern Cold Continent was the "Xuan Ming Ice Domain," shaped like a black turtle carrying a mountain;

The Western Desolate Continent was the "Yellow Springs Desert Land," like a fierce tiger crouching on the ground;

Only the Western Continent was shrouded in a mist, marked only with the words "Ghost Domain" and "Unknown."

However, Chen Qing naturally knew that the Central Spirit Continent in this map no longer existed.

It had sunk.

[In the late years of the Dao Seeking Era, the First Origin Immortal Emperor appeared, conquering all under heaven and establishing the orthodox Immortal Dynasty...]

Chen Qing's gaze swept over these records, reading through the complex accounts at a glance, his fingertips sliding rapidly across the Jade Slip.

[After the First Origin Immortal Emperor ascended, the Immortal Dynasty gradually became decadent. The Heavenly Craft Workshop's "Thousand Mechanisms City" flourished with ingenious techniques, building flying ships and puppet armor, indulging in extravagance; the Marquis of the East Sea's "Coral Palace" used tens of thousands of acres of coral as its foundation, building crystal palaces and holding nightly revelries...]

As he read, Chen Qing shook his head silently. Although these records were detailed, they were not what he was looking for.

"The Immortal Emperor did indeed succeed in ascending, but there's no record of the exact time! It's just that after he left, the Immortal Dynasty went down the wrong path. Wonders led to the ruin of the nation!"

It wasn't until the words "Void Abyss Floating Li" appeared before his eyes that his gaze suddenly sharpened.

[...There was the Void Abyss Floating Li, spanning two continents, completing one cycle in four hundred and seventy years. Whenever it passed by, cultivators would ascend to its peak for banquets, drinking from void crystal goblets, listening to celestial music from the nine heavens, plucking stars and capturing the moon, indulging in extreme luxury, reaching the peak of prosperity for a time.]

Void Abyss Floating Li, this name was not unfamiliar to him. On Xuan Du Mountain in his dream, he had heard Xu Zhaoying mention it, saying that this mountain could traverse oceans and shuttle between continents, completing a cycle in four to five hundred years. At that time, it seemed to be over the Central Spirit Continent, and Xu Zhaoying had agreed to go see it together with him later.

He hadn't expected "Immortal Dynasty Anecdotes" to also have a record of it!

"Void Abyss Floating Li..."

"Fellow Daoist Chen recognizes this mountain?" Bai Shaoyou caught Chen Qing's focus and interjected, "This is an ancient wonder that can traverse the void and cross oceans." He paused, lowering his voice, "Coincidentally, some time ago, the Sea Abyss Temple discovered a Floating Divine Mountain in the East Sea. Ancient seal script for 'Void Abyss' was faintly visible on its body! It's highly likely to be this place!"

Chen Qing's heart skipped a beat.

Sea Abyss Temple?

He asked calmly, "Oh? Did the Sea Abyss Temple manage to ascend?"

Bai Shaoyou shook his head and laughed, "How easy is it to enter ancient relics? You must know that this mountain only comes around once every few hundred years, and it's still intact, which shows its extraordinary nature. The restrictions outside the mountain are strict. Even with all their means, the Sea Abyss Temple has not been able to enter. They are currently searching everywhere for a way to break through, but they don't realize that such a wondrous object is not something a mere small sect can monopolize."

Saying this, he shook his head, "This sect is likely not far from disaster."

Chen Qing's eyes flickered, and a flash of inspiration struck him.

Traversing the void... Crossing oceans... A cycle of four hundred and seventy years... Sea Abyss Temple's discovery... Difficult to enter due to restrictions...

These phrases collided in his mind!

"The Void Abyss Floating Li has existed since ancient times and has not fallen. It can still traverse continents, doesn't that mean..."

His heart pounded, and an extremely bold idea took shape in his mind.

After a while, Chen Qing took a deep breath, looked up at Bai Shaoyou, and asked, "Fellow Daoist Bai, in your opinion, if someone left behind some inheritance items on the Void Abyss Floating Li during the peak of the Immortal Dynasty, could later generations find them by following the traces after the divine mountain reappears ten thousand years later?"