The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 157 The Grand Banquet is About to Begin
Wuxi Longze.

Lingjie Island.

The grand banquet at Wuxi Qingping has begun. On the horizon, a crocodile monster beats a war drum, a dragon spirit plays a suona, and in the vast Dragon Marsh, red flags are hung and colorful lanterns are raised. Clam maidens play music in palaces and water maidens dance on the blue waves. It is a scene of peace and prosperity throughout the world!
Li Qing stood on one side of the courtyard railing, listening to the exhilarating sound that resounded throughout Longze. He picked up an arrow about a foot long in his hand, exerted a little force in his wrist, and threw the golden arrow. After circling halfway, it landed steadily in the stone basket in the courtyard.

After entering the Dao, they are nourished by primordial energy, which allows their lives to ascend and become different from ordinary people.

Let alone pitch-pot or flower-throwing games, even without using any magic, one could casually pick up an object and throw it, and split mountains and rocks with ease.

At this point, Li Qing no longer found the game of pitch-pot enjoyable; it was merely a way to pass the time.

It has been almost ten days since Li Qing returned from Longze Daofu. Apart from sending a dragon maiden to visit him as usual, the Dragon Palace has not paid any attention to him!

It seems that Princess Su has truly got her under her thumb!

Purple mist filled the hall, and two sticks of yellow bud incense burned. In the center of the main hall, a series of colorful amulet coins were held high. They were colorful, round on the outside and square on the inside, surrounded by talismans, and cast into a six-star dipper shape to ward off all soldiers!

These fifty-four Southern Dipper amulet coins were placed high in a copper basin over a fire pit, where six paper-paper figures bowed and kowtowed seven times, hoarsely chanting the "Longevity Scroll," while continuously adding yellow paper petitions to the fire pit...

It takes seven days to color the coins, and intricate symbols and patterns appear on the front of the coins. The front of the coins features a Big Dipper symbol above and ten demonic stars below. The back of the coins is decorated with six seal characters: Tianfu, Tianliang, Tianji, Tiantong, Tianxiang, and Qisha, which are then dyed in five colors.

Using lucky charms and auspicious stars as a talisman is a superior method found in the "Southern Dipper Longevity Scripture".

Li Qing ordered the Six Ding Gods to offer sacrifices to the Southern Dipper High Heaven, obtain meteorite iron and spiritual gold, and privately cast fifty-four coins in the shape of the Dipper and the Dipper, matching the positions of the Southern Dipper Star Palace. He then used a fire basin and a fire swamp to refine them, and offered them with the "Longevity Mantra"... Now, the task is complete!
These amulet coins are used to ward off evil spirits and demons, and to warn and pray against evil. Each of these five-colored amulets is forged from Jiuhua spiritual gold, making them much thicker and more refined than ordinary Taoist coins. They are instruments used to set up altars, exorcise evil spirits, and practice righteousness.

The Linglong Crazed Master beside him had already peeled the skin off the remains of the Netherworld Ghost God and made paper. He had taken two rolls of ancient, lost ghost paper. Now that he had just returned, he saw his master worshipping the heavens and privately minting coins.

The woman leaned against the windowsill, her eyes fixed on the changing scene.

puff!

As the three-foot-high red flame suddenly went out, the magic coins in the brazier were finished, and the Six Ding Gods stopped chanting the Southern Dipper and looked up at the still burning red brazier.

The fifty-four colorful dipper coins are complete. Each coin is imbued with the Daoist rhyme of the five directions, and is entwined with the secret power of the Southern Dipper. If one opens their spiritual eyes to look at it, one can see the six illusory stars in the shape of a dipper, appearing on the coin.

"The Southern Dipper Life-Extending Lamp is newly completed and is a celestial artifact. If it is used for a ritual, it will need a supporting artifact. Unfortunately, the star talisman diagrams are really rare, so we have to settle for second best and cast talisman coins to suppress it."

Li Qing turned around, watching the changes in the hall, and mumbled something between her lips.

With a flick of his fingertip, he conjured a blade of primordial energy, transforming it into a silver thread that plunged into the brazier. In an instant, it pierced through the square holes of the coins, looping together to form a copper coin magic sword. With another thought from Li Qing, the primordial silver thread shifted and arranged the coins into auspicious dragon and talisman shapes.

It is said that it can be used to ward off disasters and bring good fortune, while it can be used to suppress and kill.

Through repeated manipulations and transformations, its extraordinary nature has been revealed, further piquing the interest of the exquisite and arrogant master.

"Your Excellency has privately minted coins, invoking the authority of the Southern Dipper in the heavens. This violates two prohibitions, and I fear that the astronomical observatories throughout the capital have already taken notice."

As Li Qing's master, Linglong is now considered a half-advisor in a certain sense, and inevitably has more things to consider.

Private sacrifices to the heavens are forbidden in the celestial capital, lest extraterrestrial demons and unknown ancient gods descend with their intentions and wreak havoc.

Even ancient apocryphal texts and classics have been stripped of their scholarly traditions, let alone the "annoying coins" that privately use the Big Dipper as a weight.

This is no less impactful than the unauthorized establishment of evil shrines!

"I have taken the authority of the Dipper constellation and studied the principles of the Hetu and Luoshu, but I am not worshipping all the celestial deities. Even if something goes wrong, the Southern Dipper Prolongation of Life has various measures in place, so why be bound by rules and regulations..."

"Besides, these five-colored dipper coins won't circulate in the market, so it's fine."

Li Qing shook his head, and with a flick of his right hand, he gathered the five-colored light of the dipper back into tiny, sparkling points, and put them into his sleeve in one go.

Before we could say anything more, a beam of light suddenly appeared beneath the golden clouds on the horizon, its energy pointing directly at this mansion.

Those two true disciples and the Ghost Princess have arrived!

Seeing that the banquet was about to begin and that her master was confident, Linglong nodded in agreement. With a flash of light, she instantly captured the Six Ding Rampaging God into the altar, extinguished the yellow incense on the altar, and then picked up the palm-sized Hunyuan King's Chariot and followed.

Outside the courtyard, Li Qing had already stepped out of the main gate to welcome the disciples from all directions.

"Brother Li, the banquet has been going on for almost three quarters of an hour. Shall we set off now?"

On the cloud platform, three true disciples, led by Jin Zhenchuan, bowed and invited Li Qing.

In the past few days, they had heard some scandalous rumors. Some said that this Second Master Li had entered the Hua Su Dao Mansion next to the Dragon Palace... Some said that Second Master Li had not returned home all night under the Hua Su Dao Mansion... Some said that Lady Su had taken Li Qing as her lover, which caused a rift between her and the Dragon King...

In short, on the eve of the grand banquet, this rumor had a significant impact on the Dragon Palace.

The group looked at Li Qing again. She had a seven-star crown on her head, a lotus flower as her headdress, and her cloud-patterned robe was embroidered with green leaves. She was tall and slender, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. Her delicate features were indeed in line with the aesthetic of a high-ranking female ruler.

However, there are also rumors that Li Qing has a particular fondness for ghost concubines. Is it true or not?
The three people on the cloud couldn't help but shift their gaze to the Ghost Princess surnamed He. Ghost Princess, wasn't there one beside them?
The more they looked at Li Qing, the less innocent he seemed.

"Thank you all for waiting." A clear voice rang out from below the clouds, breaking the crowd's thoughts. Li Qing bowed to the cloud platform, raised his right hand at his side, and the sound of footsteps echoed. A graceful woman swayed out from the courtyard.

The woman had a beautiful face and a bright, intelligent features. With a flick of her left finger, she closed the courtyard gate. Her sleeves lightly covered her fair face as she handed the Hunyuan Royal Carriage to Li Qing.

"This is……"

Before the crowd on the cloud platform could even wonder what was going on, they saw the exquisitely beautiful woman in her silk stockings and slingback shoes, her hair ornaments swaying like flowers. With each step she took, the air around her began to twist invisibly. When the woman landed after three steps and stood beside Li Qing, boundless clouds and mist rose up, instantly obscuring the view of the crowd.

Upon turning their heads again, Li Qing's voice rang out beside them.

"Gentlemen, shall we go together?"

Beside the cloud platform, a hazy mist gathered, revealing Li Qing and the woman, their figures half-hidden and half-revealed within the mist and clouds. In that instant, they traversed over three hundred feet, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other cultivators.

The ghost princess, whose nose had just been brushed by the mist, felt as if she had encountered her natural enemy, and her hair stood on end.

This is... the Ghost Realm!
This water is not water, but rather an extremely gloomy and yin energy; this fog is not fog, but rather a vengeful ghost that rips out skin and bones.

Ghost Princess He Wu suddenly raised her head and met the eyes of the exquisite and arrogant master. Her pupils widened in shock, filled with fear and disbelief.

Another wandering ghost, no, a rampant demon! And a supreme deity possessing a domain of law, curses, and complete spiritual consciousness…

First came the Faceless Man, then came the Exquisite Lord; this is already the second formidable figure to appear under Li Erlang's command!

The four disciples of the Immortal Sect were all shocked, but only Jin Nancan, who had also raised a battalion of Daoist soldiers and had a certain level of expertise in summoning and exorcising spirits, could roughly sense the difference in Linglong's master.

This is the chief general and chief deity of the altar. Such a powerful chief is the absolute right-hand man of the Daoist master.

Judging from the Cloud and Rain Domain of this Dao Lord, it has already entered the "Law Domain" realm. Such a powerful spirit capable of controlling a "domain" must have quite a background.

"Brother Li, please!"

Jin Zhenchuan and Li Qing exchanged greetings and immediately ascended the Cloud Platform, using their escape light to head together to the Dragon Palace Island.

Wuxi Longze connects to the source of the Wuxi River, flows downstream across Lingnan, and connects with hundreds of rivers to enter the East China Sea. Although it was created later, it is definitely one of the most blessed lakes in the South. Fish and shrimp gather in the shimmering water, and treasures and treasures are found amidst the spiritual aura.

Between the islands, there are various treasures such as water coral, red banyan willow, water lily, and mud lotus. Every three miles, you can find a precious lotus, and every five miles, a brocade-colored fish glides across the waves. All of these are rare and precious creatures in ordinary waters...

The Dragon Lake stretched endlessly, its shimmering waters reaching the horizon. In the water and clouds, the great and small dragons revealed their true forms. The hundred-foot-long water dragons stirred up clouds and rain, causing thunder to rumble. The old alligator soldiers beat drums to boost morale, while the green-eyed horseman played the suona. They moved with unstoppable speed, and countless magical artifacts filled the sky, obscuring the sun and dazzling the eyes.

Before the section of Dragon Palace Island that emerges from the water, one after another dragon tooth-shaped towering ships are moored on the shore, like a small mountain. Every now and then, Taoist priests ride a magical artifact through the air and then land on the towering ships.

Li Qing and his companions found a large dragon-tooth ship with enough seats to dock.

"Today's banquet begins, with no shortage of nine mountains and eight islands to spare, and an endless supply of fine wines and delicacies. The clam maiden pours the wine, and the water spirits entertain us. It is certainly wonderful, but this humble Taoist is still somewhat unable to resist. I really want to see what kind of figures our generation from the Southwest has produced in the Qingping Magic Contest?"

"The founder of Qingqiu Mountain and the Qilin Lord of Liuling Mountain arrived at Longze at Chenshi today, I heard, to watch the banquet!"

"And the prominent families and clans of the four prefectures and seventeen states..."

The ship was enormous, divided into three levels. Each level was the size of a marketplace, where people from the imperial palace to the county and state were constantly coming and going. They gathered in small groups, composing poems or spreading rumors, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

People from the four prefectures of Tiannan, Qingping, Lingnan, and Jinping, even those with the slightest connection to the various lineages, all came together to witness the grand banquet.

The Yin God Dragon Lord set up a feast, using a great supernatural power as a stake, and invited cultivators from half of the Southern Kingdom to a banquet. This was a grand occasion that was rarely seen in a hundred years.

As soon as everyone descended from the cloud platform, they occupied a long, awning table on the side of the upper railing. The six of them sat around it, leaving two empty seats.

"This banquet has far-reaching implications. Five large dragon-tooth boats were used to carry more than 50,000 guests. Although there were many ordinary people, there were countless water spirits in the marshland, so no accidents would happen under normal circumstances."

"Let us not step forward for now. After the banquet begins, when the True Immortals take the stage, let those few Purple Mansion Foundation Establishment cultivators choose their battlefields first, then we will bypass them and strike at their weaknesses..."

After much deliberation, Jin Zhenchuan, having a well-thought-out plan, inquired of Li Qing.

Having chosen to support Li Erlang, he and his disciples, having mastered several true lineages, naturally had to do their utmost to plan and strategize.

Moreover, with the two powerful figures that Gui Lang Li Qing has currently displayed, plus some magical artifacts and the day-roaming ghosts and gods behind him, he is indeed much stronger than his own family... With everyone working together, helping him seize one of the ten dragon flags in the preliminary round and fulfilling a favor should not be a problem!

"Brother Jin is truly wise and mature. I have also heard of the prestige of those experts."

Li Qing raised his eyes to look at the four true disciples, bowed and thanked them, saying:
"From now on, we'll have to rely on you guys!"

He has not yet revealed his abilities to the various immortal sects, so it is best to keep his trump cards to himself for now. He should keep the Primordial Chaos Royal Chariot, the Bean Scattering Soldier Technique, and the Demon Star Curse as a backup plan.

At the final moment of the battle, only one out of ten will be pursued. Only then, with a swift and decisive attack, will victory be within reach...

(End of this chapter)