[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-29":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon Lies Hidden",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289327,4477,"Chapter 29: The Ancestors","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-29",29,"\u003Cp>Although Wei Yuan had no concept of immortal silver, he read the expressions on the faces of others and knew the tuition was extremely expensive. Since the Daoist was willing to teach for free, Wei Yuan immediately bowed deeply and stood quietly in wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be formal—sit down,” the Daoist said kindly, growing fonder of this child from humble origins who knew books and manners. But then he thought again and sighed inwardly: He’s a good child now, but in a few years, the Azure Palace will surely corrupt him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist sat upright and said: “Three thousand seven hundred years ago, our Founder emerged from obscurity and accidentally obtained a cultivation method, thereby stepping onto the immortal path. After establishing his Dao foundation, he founded the Tai Chu Palace, which at the time consisted of nothing more than a boundary stone and two thatched huts. Thereafter, the Founder carved out land in the northern reaches, sword by sword, purging demons and evil spirits, slowly transforming a lifeless wasteland into a realm of clear mountains and pure waters, saving countless lives and accumulating great merit with heaven and earth. His cultivation advanced like that of a deity, and after three hundred years, he achieved Guiyi and ultimately reached the pinnacle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the Founder perfected his Dao, he took on twelve disciples in succession. Three of them were born with the tide of fate, naturally endowed with destiny, and entered the immortal path early. After these three ancestors achieved great mastery, they gathered many younger disciples and fellow cultivators, launched a fierce northern advance, fought for years, and seized vast territories from alien races—this is the origin of Yunzhou. This great war was later called the ‘Three Immortals Secure Yunzhou,’ the greatest event of that era.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the alien races were cruel, and the war was brutal. Less than three years after the war ended, two of the Three Immortals perished in succession. The sole survivor, Immortal Lord Luo Fu, entered prolonged seclusion and rarely appeared again, serving only as the stabilizing pillar of our Tai Chu Palace. Even so, after a hundred years, Immortal Lord Luo Fu also transcended into immortality. After his transcendence, his body transformed into a ten-thousand-ridge mountain range, which remains one of our Tai Chu Palace’s sacred sites to this day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the Three Immortals passed, Tai Chu Palace flourished increasingly. Later generations established one observatory for each of the Three Immortals’ lineages, while other lineages that reached Guiyi were divided into halls. This is the origin of Tai Chu Palace’s original Three Observatories and Seven Halls. Over time, our Tai Chu Palace continually produced disciples born with the tide of fate, endowed with extraordinary talent, surpassing their predecessors, and forging entirely new Dao paths—five more halls were gradually added, bringing us to the current Three Observatories and Twelve Halls. The current Master of the Tianqing Hall, Immortal Lord Xuan Yue, possesses divine Dao mastery and also serves as Master of the Shuixue Hall, a unique distinction among all Hall Masters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the Daoist paused briefly and took a sip of tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan asked: “I’ve read in books that cultivation seeks immortality and tranquility. Why then did these three immortal ancestors fight and kill, ultimately perishing one after another? What was the reason?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist’s expression turned solemn: “Immortals and mortals are not separate—what immortal did not once walk the mortal path? Since ancient times, our human race has been weak, surrounded by alien races that annually raid our borders to plunder, burn, and kill. Some even devour humans as food or sacrifice them as offerings! What is the purpose of our cultivation, once we gain great divine power and magic? Is it only for our own immortality and tranquil ease? Such people exist—perhaps even many—but they were not our Tai Chu Palace ancestors! From the Founder and the Three Immortals down to today, every Tai Chu cultivator who attains divine power and magic does so to expand our territory, shape the heavens and earth, and secure more land for our human race to thrive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist added: “I didn’t tell you the later story of the Founder. Do you know where he is now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan naturally did not know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist pointed to the ground: “Right here! The land beneath our feet, this mountain gate suspended in blue air—it is the body the Founder transformed into after his death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan was stunned. The mountain gate, as far as his eyes could see, spanned hundreds of li, and he could not even glimpse its boundary—could all of this be the Founder’s transformed body?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist spoke slowly: “When the Founder reached the pinnacle of cultivation, he was three hundred and thirty years old. At that time, the land we now stand on was still within the territory of the Wu Yu tribe, filled with rivers of fire and caverns, covered in strange trees and poisonous herbs, and choked with lethal miasma—any ordinary person entering here for half a day would die. The Wu Yu tribe sacrificed humans as offerings and was immensely powerful, far beyond the strength of our human race at the time. Each great sacrifice captured hundreds of thousands of people to offer to heaven and earth. After perfecting his Dao, the Founder journeyed alone to the west and battled the three Great Wu Yu Shamans for months. He fought all three alone, slew the First Shaman, and severely wounded the other two. This battle drove the Wu Yu tribe back eight thousand li, and they dared not invade again for thirty years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After returning, the Founder sat in meditation beside the boundary stone he had personally erected, and passed away at the age of three hundred and thirty-one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the Founder’s death, his body transformed into sacred land, utterly changing this realm and turning a wasteland into an immortal mountain treasure. The sacred land formed by the Founder’s body spanned nine hundred and ten li. Under its nourishment, an additional seven thousand li of wasteland gradually transformed into habitable land for our human race. This is the origin of the original four commanderies of Ningzhou. Three days from now, when you enter the sect, the statue you will worship is built atop that original boundary stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan listened, nearly holding his breath. He had never imagined the ancestors of Tai Chu Palace were so fierce—this was nothing like the immortal tales he had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a shadow flashed into the courtyard—Zhang Sheng appeared and placed a small pouch on the table: “The tuition is all here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist took the silver pouch and said: “Why did you return so slowly? I just finished telling him the story of the Founder founding the Palace and the deeds of the Three Immortals. If you hadn’t come back, I’d have finished my tea already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng smiled: “Tuition is so expensive—how could I not make the most of a free teacher?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist did not linger. After collecting the tuition, he left the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Daoist departed, Wei Yuan was finally free to look around the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard was small: one main room serving as both bedroom and study, one side room as a cultivation chamber, and the other side room empty, its future use to be determined as needed. In a corner stood a modest kitchen, fully equipped with utensils. The Palace provides a central dining hall where all new disciples may eat; this kitchen is used only for preparing special spiritual foods and medicinal dishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The supplies issued to new disciples were placed on the main room’s study desk: three sets of robes, worn to clear the mind and brighten the eyes, keeping all dust at bay; one volume of Tai Chu Palace’s regulations; one volume of the Essentials for Joining the Sect; one identity jade tablet; one vial of Yin Qi Pills; and three strands of immortal silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan had never seen immortal silver before. He picked one up curiously. It was entirely milky white, warm and smooth to the touch, each strand as long as a little finger and as thin as incense. Immortal silver differed greatly from the ordinary silver he had known—it was far heavier. Three thin strands equaled thirty taels—the full monthly stipend for Wei Yuan’s first three months as a new disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immortal silver is forged by blending silver, gold, mica, and star sand, then nurtured with Dao energy for six months. It is the most widely used material for crafting magic treasures and arrays. By Tai Chu Palace convention, one tael of immortal silver equals one hundred taels of ordinary silver. Yet within the Palace, ordinary gold and silver hold no value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, all of Wei Yuan’s daily needs within Tai Chu Palace would require payment in this immortal silver. But compared to tuition fees, the new disciple’s monthly stipend was pitifully small—even if Wei Yuan ate and drank nothing, one month’s stipend would barely cover a single lesson. Tuition fees must therefore be subsidized by his master or his Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire valley housed new disciples; Zhang Sheng himself had a separate cave dwelling. After explaining several precautions, Zhang Sheng told Wei Yuan to study the regulations and the Essentials on his own, and would return after dinner to formally teach him Dao methods. Having been away from the sect for seven years, Zhang Sheng had his own affairs to attend to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhang Sheng left, Wei Yuan took out the two books and read them carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past three years, Wei Yuan had studied daily and developed an extraordinary ability to focus. He sat without moving all afternoon; by the time he finished both books, dusk was approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1628,"2026-06-20T03:38:27.933Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","49da44c2593a161a93a86ff1e6a2089536e63c848630f0095dff48ca78540453","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-30","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-28",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]