My Turn, Play a Card!

[There was once an ancestor, Chen Xu, who, at a time when the sect was on the verge of collapse, single-handedly propped up the crumbling edifice, re-established the Daoist tradition, and renewed the foundation for eternal life. He was revered by his later disciples as the Ancestor of Restoration, his incense eternally offered.]

After clarifying his thoughts, the records concerning "Chen Xu" in the Grand Void Dao Evolution Record flowed through Chen Qing's mind.

"The basic settings don't involve specific events, leaving some room for interpretation."

He closed his eyes and concentrated, his experiences after entering the Immortal Dynasty flashing before him like a carousel—

Escaping the Mysterious Prison, offering counsel for peace and prosperity, earning the Princess's admiration;

Entering Xuan Du Mountain to listen to the Dao, condensing a Destiny Talisman, being ambushed;

Arriving at Jade Capital, Li Xiao appearing, being placed under house arrest in the Treasure Pavilion by the Sixth Prince;

"Each experience is filling out the character of 'Chen Xu'."

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

"Breaking through requires strength, and 'Chen Xu's' cultivation is still shallow. By normal means, it would be difficult even to get out of the Treasure Vault, but since he is a fictional character, why not add another stroke? To win at cards, you naturally have to print cards on the spot!"

Although he said this, Chen Qing didn't act rashly and was weighing the pros and cons.

"There are three main points to pay attention to currently. First, according to the rules of the Dao Evolution Records, although Dao Marks can add to the setting, they cannot be excessively exaggerated or absurd, otherwise, not only will the Dao Marks be consumed, but they will also be ineffective. Second, adding settings may also lead to new developments. Third, enough Dao Marks must be reserved for trial and error."

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

"So, I have to follow the plan step by step. The first step is to accumulate Dao Marks, then summon disciples, and start writing!"

Chen Qing had made up his mind, so he stood up, pushed open the door, and stepped out. The mountain wind hit him, refreshing his mind.

In the distance, Fang Da'ao was punching like thunder. The newly acquired Great Mountain Diagram had accelerated his progress significantly; Qu Xiaoyao squatted by the herb garden, her small hands carefully tending to the spirit herbs, occasionally stealing glances at her senior brother practicing his punches.

For the next two days, Chen Qing did not leave the mountain, dedicating himself to guiding his two junior disciples in their cultivation.

"Sink your Qi to your Dantian, channel your strength to the four extremities!"

Watching Fang Da'ao practice his boxing, Chen Qing would occasionally remind and correct him.

With every punch Fang Da'ao threw, there was a sound of tendons and bones clashing.

"Uncle-Master, this move, Tiger Pounce, I always feel it's missing something in its spirit..."

Hearing his question, Chen Qing suddenly pointed a finger at Fang Da'ao!

Though it was just a single finger, it exuded a pouncing force, sharp and fierce. It retracted just before touching Fang Da'ao's face, but Fang Da'ao's eyes were already wide with shock.

"Tiger Pounce isn't about looking alike, but about gathering the spirit. You focus too much on power and lose the agility."

Fang Da'ao suddenly understood and resumed his stance.

This time, his boxing was much more fluid.

"Good."

Chen Qing nodded with satisfaction.

"Uncle-Master," Qu Xiaoyao watched from the side with longing eyes, "When will I be able to do that like Senior Brother?"

Chen Qing chuckled, crouched down to her level, and said, "Da'ao has practiced the Five Animal Guidance Technique for seven years. Do you know how he spent those seven years?"

Qu Xiaoyao shook her head.

"Rain or shine, through winter and summer, without interruption," Chen Qing gently stroked her hair. "Cultivation is like the seasons; each has its time. Some are like mountains, progressing rapidly; others are like streams, long and profound. You have a delicate mind and understand the properties of herbs at a glance. This is already your talent. When the time comes, you will naturally break through after accumulating strength."

Qu Xiaoyao listened, somewhat bewildered.

Seeing this, Chen Qing thought: This little girl has a gentle yet resilient nature. She doesn't quite match the Mountain Scroll and is even less suited to cultivating the Great Mountain Heavenly Art.

"I don't know if the Vast Scripture would suit her, but this technique emphasizes embracing all rivers, requiring extremely high foundations and comprehension. Moreover, the original version has many omissions. After this crisis passes, I need to take some time to complete and deduce it before I can pass it on."

He pondered, "Speaking of which, if all the cultivation methods in the dream can be used, then as long as I make good use of the Grand Void Dao Evolution Record, why worry about not having enough cultivation methods to pass down? It would truly become an ancient lineage, a hidden sect with a profound foundation!"

In fact, the guidance he gave his junior disciples over the past two days had also slightly solidified his own foundation, sorted out what he had gained in his dreams, and accumulated Dao Marks to nineteen.

"It's about enough. Even if a few are wasted, I can bear it."

As dusk settled over the mountains, Chen Qing brewed medicine at the stone table in the courtyard, preparing medicinal meals for his two junior disciples.

Fang Da'ao was still practicing his boxing in the courtyard when he suddenly stumbled, his punch losing its force. He immediately looked annoyed, "Uncle-Master, I still can't grasp the key point of 'mountain momentum ingrained in the bones'."

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

Chen Qing smiled slightly and decisively began to weave a tale: "The path of cultivation is inherently bumpy. Let alone you two, even the Ancestor of Restoration was far more miserable when he was trapped in the ancient treasure vault."

"Did the Ancestor of Restoration also encounter setbacks?"

The two little ones immediately pricked up their ears.

"More than that," Chen Qing sat down with a flick of his sleeve, motioning for them to come closer. "Legend has it that the walls of the treasure vault were covered with restrictions, so much so that not even an ant could crawl out. The ancestor pondered for several days, not eating a single grain of rice..."

"Ah! He didn't even drink water?" Qu Xiaoyao gasped.

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

Chen Qing chuckled, "Naturally, he escaped. Otherwise, how would there be this inheritance today?"

The two junior disciples immediately pressed on, "How did the ancestor escape?"

"I don't remember clearly. It seems I ran into an ancient cultivator who helped me escape," Chen Qing waited for this sentence. "However, the sect's records are more detailed. I'll check them tomorrow and tell you more."

Fang Da'ao's eyes lit up as he heard this. "It sounds like a story from a legend. Truly worthy of our revitalizing ancestor!"

Qu Xiaoyao also nodded heavily.

With his objective achieved, Chen Qing didn't neglect his two junior disciples. After they had retired for the night, he returned to his quiet room. After making some arrangements, he slowly entered his dreams.

Upon arriving at the dream platform, he opened the Grand Void Dao Evolution Record and frowned.

"Five Dao Marks are missing, leaving fourteen! But the entries related to 'Chen Xu' haven't increased. It seems the new settings consumed Dao Marks but were deemed invalid by the rules. However, the setting of receiving help from a senior cultivator isn't exaggerated, especially with a mysterious old man by my side..."

He didn't feel regretful, as this was all part of testing and trying to find patterns. He immediately turned to analyze the reasons.

"Does the Dao think I'm fabricating an ancient cultivator out of thin air? But my intention was to refer to that old man in the grey robe..."

As Chen Qing sorted through the rules of the Grand Void Dao Evolution Record, he suddenly understood. "The story of Chen Xu has reached a point where new settings can only target Chen Xu himself and cannot involve the outside world!" He then realized he needed to find an entry point that could naturally integrate into the plot and take effect immediately.

Was there such an entry point?

"There really is."

The next day, Chen Qing spent the day guiding his two junior disciples as usual. When he had free time in the evening, he brought up yesterday's topic, saying he had checked the sect's records and that it wasn't about receiving help from a senior cultivator.

He didn't state it directly but instead asked, "How do you guess our ancestor escaped?"

Fang Da'ao immediately clenched his fist and said, "He must have used brute force to break the restrictions! He shattered the peace in the treasure vault and punched through the door!"

"No, since that treasure vault was the hoard of some Immortal Dynasty, the Immortal Dynasty sounds very powerful. It wouldn't be easy to break through," Qu Xiaoyao shook her head. "If it could be broken, it would have been broken long ago. Perhaps it was a clever strategy! Uncle-Master, please tell us quickly."

Chen Qing chuckled. "Regarding the method of the ancestor's escape, perhaps due to the passage of time, the sect's records are not uniform, and there are three theories. The first theory states that he obtained a peerless treasure in the vault that recognized him as its master. Not only did he break free, but he also deterred the world, greatly increasing his strength and leaving behind a legacy."

"Amazing! A true man should be like this!" Fang Da'ao's eyes shone, his fists unconsciously clenching.

But Chen Qing's tone shifted. "However, some records say that in his moment of desperation, the ancestor suddenly realized his past life, knowing he was an immortal reincarnated. With a single thought, he broke the restrictions and roamed freely, leaving behind the true immortal orthodoxy!"

Qu Xiaoyao's small mouth opened, and the medicine shovel in her hand clattered to the ground. "Is our Hidden Star Gate a true immortal orthodoxy?"

"The third theory," Chen Qing's tone shifted again, "says that the ancestor discovered a fragment of a profound technique on the vault wall. This technique was all-encompassing, and he comprehended a method from it. Although his body was confined to a small space, his spirit could roam the eight directions with the energy of heaven and earth." This theory clearly connected to the setting of the Primordial Chaos Qi Scripture.

As he spoke, he thought to himself, I wonder what realm the Primordial Chaos Qi Scripture can cultivate to. It's mostly filled with profound words, but because it's a fragment, it doesn't mention the refinement of specific realms.

After hearing this, Fang Da'ao scratched his head. "Isn't that a bit too mystical?"

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

"Cultivation is inherently mysterious and unpredictable," Chen Qing nodded. "Just like your current bottleneck, perhaps changing your perspective will lead to a sudden enlightenment."

Upon hearing this, Fang Da'ao stared at his fist, lost in thought. "The mountain's momentum enters the bone. Does that mean the mountain's momentum isn't the key, and I need to tap my bones more?"

"..."

Chen Qing was speechless for a moment and finally said, "You should tap your head more."

When Fang Da'ao came to his senses, his face was flushed, but Chen Qing just shook his head.

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

Which of the three versions would the Grand Void Dao Evolution Record acknowledge?

He would know the answer in his dream.