The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 160 Each to Their Own Side

North of Longze lies a large continent.

Ten iron mountains stand on the continent, and ten dragon flags are raised on their peaks. There is a three-day limit, and whoever obtains a dragon flag is the winner. The ten winners can take a scroll of the Dragon Palace Taoist teachings.

With cultivators gathered in large numbers and such generous rewards available, who among the participating sects would hesitate?

By the time Li Qing had gathered clouds and rain to follow the streaks of light, the Dao Seeds at the forefront had already landed on the island and headed towards the Ten Directions Iron Mountain.

On the eastern Iron Hill, a sea dragon coiled and roared, making it clear without even looking that the Dragon Lord of the East Sea had entered!

In the third black iron mountain peak, talisman arrays hung high, and precious light soared into the sky. Could it be that the true disciples of the Ziyang Sect have already begun to set up an altar and array according to the terrain?

In the central mountain area, soldiers and horses are waving about, banners obscuring the sky, perhaps some high-ranking official is about to ascend the altar...

"So fast!"

The various cultivators exchanged glances and spontaneously dispersed into several groups, avoiding the place where the dragon was entrenched and each seeking their own target.

As soon as Li Qing and the others set foot on the island, Linglong Chang was forced by the barrier to transform into a wisp of primordial energy and enter Jiangzhen Yunxiu's sleeve, returning to the royal altar.

The moment the challenge letters from these five immortal disciples touched the barrier, the sense of repulsion from the island's barrier vanished completely.

Clearly, a barrier had long been set up on this vast battlefield continent, making it impossible for anyone to move an inch without a challenge!

"Brother Li, which Iron Mountain are you eyeing?"

Jin Nancan pointed to the jade pendant at his waist, and immediately a mighty true wind rose into the sky. A shadow of silver feathers and golden wings soared into the sky and flew over the sea of ​​clouds. It was the Silver Feather Golden Winged Roc, one of the six spirits!

The Great Roc of the Purple Mansion soared in the sky, its five directions of true disciples connected by their qi, instantly becoming the most conspicuous group along the continent's coast.

Upon receiving Jin Zhenchuan's inquiry, Li Qing's silver-gray pupils flickered slightly for a few moments before he pointed directly at the Iron Mountain on the far right and declared:
"The chief of Dongshan is the Dragon-Raising Lord, the three eastern places should be where the Ziyang Sect is located, and the five eastern places where troops are summoned are probably the disciples of the Three Emperors? The true successor of the Qingqiu demoness and the Weak Water Sheep Sect Master also seem to have gone to the central Iron Mountains."

"Then let us bypass them and go to the Western Hills!"

The Dragon Lord of the East Sea, commanding nine dragons, unleashed only a four-horned dragon, shattering half the icy path and overwhelming all cultivators, thus ending that farce… This person is likely the foremost among those of this lineage, and at this moment, that Eastern Mountain must not be coveted…

With Li Qing making the decision, no one objected. As the Linglong Master's cloud and rain energy was summoned out again by Li Qing, the cloud and rain magic realm rose up once more. The ethereal water vapor hung in the air, neither water nor mist. If one opened their magic eye, the cloud and rain dust would appear like precious pearls, crystal clear, with talismanic light appearing and disappearing.

A gust of wind swept by, and the five people and the roc that were standing on the shore of the continent were instantly swept away by the swirling clouds, leaving no trace.

Only those with slightly weaker escape techniques and most of the Qi Refining cultivators began to land on the island in small numbers. When they saw the turbulent clouds in the distance, they assumed it was a natural phenomenon...

Clouds and rain swirled across the sky, traversing vast battlefields and continents, reaching straight into the Western Mountains.

The four disciples of the immortal sect remained silent the entire way. Only upon entering the mountain did Jin Nancan exchange glances with them, cupping his hands in greeting:
"Brother Li, let's go to the summit to make arrangements and retrieve the dragon flag!"

"I, Jin, will command the Silver-feathered Golden Roc and the Cloud Carp Daoist Army. Please stand guard on the perimeter to repel the crowd for Brother Li!"

Every Taoist holding a challenge letter is qualified to compete for one of the Ten Greatest Spots. Even if these four are determined to bet on Li Qing in this battle, each of the true disciples of the immortal sects has their own pride.

Just now, Li Qing captured four people with one palm and then used the Boundless Cloud Rain to sweep the various paths into the mountain, which really made Jin Nancan feel a bit competitive.

Even though both sides have their own collaborations, they are by no means mere foot soldiers under Gui Lang-Li Qing's command... They are, after all, contemporary disciples of various immortal sects!
At this moment, Jin Nancan stood still with his hands clasped, unwilling to follow Li Qing up the mountain to serve him. Instead, he wanted to open a pass at the foot of the mountain and use his own way to block challengers from all directions for Li Qing.

"Okay...so!"

"Then I entrust everything to you all."

Li Qing stared intently at this disciple of Jin, discerning the atmosphere and realizing that his actions of subduing everyone with one hand were indeed presumptuous and impolite.

He said no more at this moment, but simply bowed to the four people, leaving everything to Jin Zhenchuan's discretion.

After parting, Li Qing made a hand seal with her right hand, and the Heavenly Mansion Profound Yuan Qi surrounded her. From a distance, the dark blue Yuan Qi looked just like a fallen star.

And look at the towering iron mountain with its dragon flag fluttering, standing majestically like the ancient black mountain, incredibly awe-inspiring.

Li Qing climbed step by step toward the iron mountain of the battlefield, which was entirely made of metal. On this iron mountain, a mixed atmosphere changed and flowed, and there was even a strong smell of blood and rust.

Perhaps someone has already fought one battle?

Having reached about halfway up the mountain, Li Qing suddenly sensed something was amiss. He puffed out his chest, took a deep breath of fresh air, and circulated his vital energy throughout his body. After several breaths of cultivation, Li Qing turned towards the barren iron mountain and let out a shout.

Whoosh...

The immense primordial energy emanated from his lips and teeth, growing rapidly in the wind. Just three inches in front of him, it instantly transformed into a monstrous force. By the time the primordial energy was three zhang away from him, it had already turned into a massive storm that overturned the seas and turned the sky upside down.

Boundless air waves rippled, and the raging winds swept back, transforming into a violent gale wall that enveloped the entire iron mountain. If this iron mountain had not been made of metal, how could the rocks and plants on it have survived?
"This is?"

The two true disciples of the White Bone Path saw the young man with the lotus crown walking on cloud shoes and carrying a gourd at his waist ascending Black Mountain. They thought he was most skilled at summoning and driving away gods and communicating with the six heavens and the netherworld, just like the true cultivators of the White Bone Path.

But when they heard the sudden roar that dispelled the ten-mile-long clouds and ravaged the entire Black Mountain, they realized that their thoughts were completely wrong.

He is, after all, a Qi cultivator from the Southern Heaven!

“In the past, the Dragon Lord once said that Gui Lang-Li Qing had a pact with ghosts. If he died, he would immediately enter the Yin Palace of the Netherworld and, after sixty years of nurturing, become the Lord of the Yin God Realm.”

"Exorcising spirits, communicating with the dead, cultivating qi... with so many techniques, he will probably be the leader of our generation among all the prefectures in Lingnan in the future!"

Jin Nancan looked up at the black mountain ravaged by the fierce winds and finally nodded in acknowledgment of Youhuangzi.

Such a person is rare in the entire Southern Kingdom. His bet at this moment will only bring tenfold or a hundredfold return in the future, so he will definitely not lose money.

With a flick of his right hand, Jin Zhenchu ​​revealed eight triangular command flags. With a wave of his sleeve, he tossed them into the air, and the eight command flags soared into the sky. Each flag took its place in its respective direction and was positioned in the four fields of the far western Black Mountain. Then, Jin Nancan cast a spell with hand seals to fix them in the void. Wherever the mysterious light array patterns of the eight-cornered command flags extended, ancient forests immediately sprang up from the flat ground, and streams surged with torrents.

In just over ten breaths, the Wind, Earth, Forest and Marsh Formation naturally rose up, and the Black Mountain in the far west, one of the ten battlefields, was covered by ancient forests and marshes. Many Taoists near the Black Mountain suddenly saw the formation flags fall and were immediately struck by the formation.

"Alright, Brother Li should be able to subdue the Taoist who went ahead on that black mountain. As for the outer positions, we'll have to do our best."

"We mustn't let Brother Li underestimate us!"

The four Taoists had known each other for a long time and had developed a tacit understanding. They exchanged a glance and followed.

The four paths at the foot of the mountain began to move, clearing obstacles for Li Qing.

On Black Mountain, the raging gale ravaged every corner. Li Qing looked at the mountain peak swept by the violent air currents, and the malice that had been lurking like a venomous snake or a ferocious beast finally disappeared. Of course, the figure hidden on the mountaintop was finally forced to reveal itself.

A fierce wind raged, and the dragon flag atop the peak fluttered wildly. A figure in blue robes, carrying a magic sword, stood beneath the flag, raising an eight-treasure fan three feet above his head. The fan shimmered with magical light, and when it was held aloft, a vacuum of about ten feet appeared within the raging wind. This was Jiang Shiqi, a wandering Daoist, a renowned hermit of Lingnan Dao, a Daoist with the cultivation level of the Upper Foundation of the Purple Mansion.

This person followed closely behind the Dragon Lord, Yang Jue, and the others, traveling westward. With a wave of his sleeve, he subdued the various Taoists who were fighting against him and took control of the Western Mountain first.

This Taoist priest Jiang rose to prominence among the Taoist priests of the prefecture. He studied under several lineages and learned various methods. He was most skilled in the art of concealment and esoteric arts. Once he entered Black Mountain, he would capture all the Taoist priests and then hide himself to the side to await the arrival of others.

But he had considered that his escape techniques could be broken by various Daoist methods: eye techniques? External vision techniques? Yin-Yang Dao?
But he never expected that the newcomer would break his proud escape technique in such a simple and brutal way!
As the wind grew weaker, the figure climbing the mountain behind the wind curtain became clearer and closer... Jiang Shiqi raised his precious fan but made no move, simply watching the young man approach from outside the gale.

"Lin Yuan, Bai Gu, Liu Ling Shan?"

"This is truly the first time I've ever seen the true disciples of these three immortal sects join forces! What, aren't your fellow Daoists coming to your aid?"

Jiang Daoren lightly raised his right hand to his waist, gestured with the corner of his mouth toward the chaotic feng shui energy below the mountain, and chuckled lightly.

"A beautiful sedan chair is carried by many people!"

"Brother Dao's methods are truly remarkable; you're already about to establish the altar foundation?"

Li Qing shook his head and immediately saw four or five Taoists bound by golden ropes under the dragon flag.

These people were among the first batch of Taoists to enter the Ten Absolute Battlefield. At this moment, they were bound to the ground by the victor, their magic power was restricted, their speech points were sealed, and they were battered by the raging wind and turbulent currents. As a result, their Taoist robes were tattered, their hair and headdresses were disheveled, and there were faint traces of blood on their bodies.

Beside the dragon flag, the Taoist priest somehow found some jade and built a three-foot-high white jade platform on the peak.

If Li Qing had arrived even half a moment later, and Jiang Daoren had set up the altar before entering the mountain, he would probably have suffered some hardship.

"Alright, fellow Daoist from Tiannan."

"There's no way out here, and the dragon flag already has an owner. Let's try somewhere else!"

Jiang Shiqi did not want to waste any more words with this young man. After the surrounding gust of wind formed by the primordial energy gradually subsided, he waved his hand to summon the Eight Treasures Fan, which emitted a hundred feet of light and pressed down on Li Qing from above.

He had already seen these four or five contemporary disciples, and three of them were still only at the Qi Refining stage. They were not worth him restraining his temper. Giving them a heads-up beforehand was already giving them enough face.

If this kid really doesn't know when to back down, then we can't blame him!

"The Ten Directions Dragon Banner has no owner; why do you speak such boastful words, fellow Daoist?"

Unfazed by the oppressive light, Li Qing flicked his right sleeve, and two flames immediately ignited from his fingertips. Seeing the Taoist's light shining down, he retreated instead of advancing, with streaks of blazing stars flashing around him. The fire from the stone and the fire from the human world merged and intertwined, compressed to the extreme...

The saying goes, "If you understand one method, you understand all methods." In the Southern Dipper Scripture, after Li Qing mastered the "Gathering Qi into Blade" method of Qi cultivation, the condensation time of this Star Fire Method was greatly improved compared to before. The fifty-four Suns took shape almost instantly, like a mysterious pearl dredged from lava, deep black and red.
Before the Eight Treasures Divine Light could strike him, Li Qing pointed with his right finger, and fifty-four Southern Bright Fire Stars surrounding his body shot out with unpredictable trajectories. The dark red suns, like fire thunderbolts, rushed out a thousand feet in the blink of an eye. Their purpose was not the Eight Treasures Divine Light, but rather to go straight for Jiang Shiqi, the Taoist priest!

Rumble......

A series of explosions resounded across the summit of Black Mountain, and the powerful shockwaves collided with the still-lingering gale, creating a swirling, distorted gust of wind.

On the other side of Black Mountain, the dazzling Eight Treasures Divine Light had just struck Li Qing when he touched the Seven Star Lotus Crown on his head. The seven stars on the crown immediately cast down a beam of starlight, blocking the Eight Treasures Divine Light. Then, the protective Heavenly Palace Profound Origin Qi transformed into a primordial energy python, and the boundless Profound Origin Qi pounced on the struggling divine light, completely severing it!

"All the fire elements have actually deviated from their trajectory?"

Li Qing placed his right hand on the yellow gourd at his waist, his brows furrowed.

Just as he drew fifty-four fire stars and locked onto Jiang Daoren with his divine sense, Jiang Shiqi's figure suddenly disappeared from Li Qing's perception. Even though Li Qing sealed off every foothold of Jiang Daoren's retreat with those dense fire stars, they still all missed!

"Dissociation of the five senses? Distortion of the six senses?"

"It's still the Qimen Dunjia technique..."

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Li Qing's spiritual sense remained firmly locked onto that aura.

Before the smoke of battle had cleared, Jiang Daoren's figure suddenly disappeared from Li Qing's perception.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling aura, like the spitting tongue of a venomous snake, attacked from the right.

The sword light instantly surged hundreds of feet forward. Just as it was about to collide with the starlight, it suddenly split into seven identical sword lights, bypassing Li Qing and attacking from behind.

"Splitting and combining light?" Li Qing raised an eyebrow and pointed to the Seven Star Lotus Observation above his head. Instantly, the North Star transformed into a radiant star, casting starlight to protect him.

The seven sword lights slashed down, and the starlight seemed to surge, but each sword light split into seven more, until forty-nine separate sword lights appeared, which slashed wildly at Li Qing with a series of bangs.

However, Li Qing has the Seven Stars Formation outside and the Heavenly Palace Profound Origin Qi Shield inside, which protects all the blind spots in the world. Even the casual strike of the Yin God Sword Lord - Jin Yao Tai Bai in the past could only barely shatter these two layers of treasure light.

The sword light split into seven, then into seven again, a dense array of separate and combined sword lights slashing at the two layers of precious light. After a series of clashes of metal, it was all in vain...

"call!"

After the forty-nine sword lights of separation and reunion were completely worn away, they only dimmed the starlight slightly, which made Daoist Jiang's teeth ache a little.

"What a magnificent and profound light, like the Taihua Mountain... Who are you?"

The Qi cultivators of Tiannan Temple have always lived a simple life and rarely went out, so I had never heard of this person's name.

The shimmering starlight, like a curtain of springs hanging down, truly armed this kid to the teeth!

"Oh, it's Liujia Qimen, isn't it?" Li Qing suddenly realized, finally understanding where the anomaly from earlier came from.

Ignoring the Taoist's question, he touched the lotus crown with his fingertip, removing the shimmering starlight and leaving only the primordial energy that transformed into a python coiled around his body.

The Seven-Star Lotus Crown still consumes too much of one's vital energy. The initial battle of the Ten Directions Battlefield must last for three days. Now that we have tested the Taoist's swordsmanship and strength, we no longer need to rely on the Lotus Crown and can save some vital energy!
The swordsmanship's "separation and reunion" and the qi cultivation's "gathering qi into a blade" are only slightly more advanced techniques in the Daoist arts, and are not particularly difficult to master.

That esoteric art, however, is rather troublesome!
Li Qing patted the yellow gourd at his waist, held a black banner in his palm, and gently shook it. The banner grew from three inches to ninety-six feet tall, and then turned back to about one foot tall at will, which Li Qing could control!
The mystical arts are unpredictable, coupled with the sword light that can separate and divide at will, and the superior eight-treasure fan.

These are not like the cultivators from small families in the foreign countries, nor are they the rogue cultivators from the southwest. Their methods are in no way inferior to the elders and deans of the Five Directions Immortal Sect. Li Qing's first battle is quite a challenge.

"It seems the young Taoist priest has this problem with me?"

"When two people meet on a narrow path, there is no chance to retreat!"

The two were more than a hundred feet apart. They each snorted coldly, and their magical power and vital energy immediately rose.

To put it bluntly, this mere hundred feet distance is nothing more than a reachable distance for cultivators like them, and it is not a safe distance for either of them.

But as Li Qing said, the Five Streams Peace Banquet and the Ten Absolutes' Struggle for the Dao were originally a narrow encounter, so there was no reason to talk about it.

(End of this chapter)