The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 163 Youhuangzi

In front of the central island of Longze, a water mirror nearly a hundred feet high hangs down, reflecting the entire scene of the Ten Deadly Battlefields.

On that iron mountain, there might be a dragon coiled up, deterring anyone from approaching; or there might be a dazzling light emanating from it; or there might be soldiers patrolling...

However, beneath the Iron Mountain in the Western Desert, four or five true disciples of the immortal sects erected a protective barrier of wind, earth, water, and marshland, which shrouded the entire Iron Mountain in clouds.

Of course, while the movements of these disciples of the immortal sects, which were connected in one go, were not exactly aesthetically pleasing, they did not violate the rules.

But what surprised the guests in front of Dragon Island even more was the skill of those immortal disciples on Iron Mountain.

These people even came from the same sect: the Silver-feathered Golden-winged Roc, the Fish-Dragon Dao Soldier, the Winged Flying Tiger, the Yin Ghost Talisman, the Netherworld Spirit Position Technique… it was as if several immortal sects had joined forces.

"this……"

What are they trying to do?

The Fengshui Marsh below was covered by a barrier for dozens of miles. It was a maze set up by the four contemporary disciples of Liuling Mountain and Baigudao, who were actually going to join forces to support the Taoist on Black Mountain as the flag-bearer.

"These three immortal sects are from different schools and lineages: Qi Cultivation, Beast Taming, and Talismanic Arts... How could they... gather together on one mountain?"

The various immortal sects in the southwest region have different paths and different doctrines, and they rarely interact. How could this situation suddenly occur?

As the guests looked on in surprise and doubt, even the most honored guests at the head of the table showed unusual expressions and glanced at them.

The duel on this Western Iron Mountain is quite interesting!
“This monkey does have some quick wit.”

The Qilin Ancestor of Liuling Mountain pointed towards the water curtain in the sky, shook his head, and laughed and cursed.

“These youngsters are all true disciples of several contemporary sects. The longest they have been practicing is no more than sixty years, and the shortest is less than ten years.”

"Compared to the various Purple Mansions, they are still inexperienced. Whether in combat or in supernatural powers, they have no advantage. Therefore, the five of them joined forces to protect only one person holding Iron Mountain..."

"He certainly has some magnanimity."

While the Qilin Ancestor outwardly pointed at the group with a resentful tone, his true intention to favor the Xuanmen disciples was already quite obvious.

"Of course, luck is also part of strength, as is the ability to maneuver skillfully and skillfully!"

Now that he, the dignified patriarch of the Six Spirits Mountain, has given his evaluation, no one in this Dragon Marsh Feast can overturn his assessment, and no one dares to raise any objections.

The decorated sedan chair was carried by many people, and the Taoist priests in the surrounding fields praised it repeatedly, calling out that the disciples of the three sects were respectful and friendly, which was truly remarkable.

Meanwhile, more people focused their attention on the young man in cloud robes that appeared on the water screen.

While the Taoist priests of various mountains possess complex methods, including the Five Elements Escape Technique and the Four Symbols Primordial Qi, and each has their own means, and their battles may be intense, they are certainly not as interesting as the contest at the Western Iron Mountain.

Jiang Daoist's skills were renowned throughout the Southwest. His Qimen Dunjia was indeed difficult to deal with, but the challenger was even more formidable. With a breath of primordial ancestral energy, he broke through the Qimen Dunjia barrier. His two top-tier protective magic artifacts were something even the older generation of Daoists would envy.

The Taoist priests who dealt with the Iron Mountain were casual and composed, and their magnanimity was remarkable, which greatly increased everyone's goodwill towards them.

"That must be a disciple of Tiannan Temple, right? He's so young!"

The White Plum Blossom Goddess of Qingqiu Mountain covered her face and chuckled, but then asked the question that everyone wanted to know.

The Five Directions Immortal Sect is one thing, but this person, who is supported by the true disciples of two sects, is so unfamiliar?

It would have been better if they hadn't asked; the question caused the Daoists of the Purple Mansion on Dragon Island to suddenly fall silent.

Just a few days ago, the scandalous gossip about Guilang-Liqing Baisuhua Daofu was exposed, and they refused to believe that Bai Mei Niangniang really didn't know!
Was she trying to tease Princess Su, or was she trying to sow discord between the Dragon King and Princess Su?

"Tiannan Daozi, Guilang Liqing, you may not recognize them yet!"

"In the past, the two elders of the White Bone Path attacked this person in secret, and were then killed by the Netherworld Gods and Demons in Liuhuangzhou, Tiannan. Not long ago, in the Netherworld Ghost Market of Jiangnan Road, two Yin God True Persons were left stranded in the Netherworld with no way back, which was also due to this person's methods."

"I met him once before, when he entered the southwest, and I invited him to a banquet..."

The Dragon King sat high on the golden throne, recounting his encounter with the guests in detail.

Since it is a grand banquet of peace and tranquility, the banquet itself is the main event, and the competition is merely an embellishment.

With the Dragon King above and all the guests gathered, they asked and answered questions, enjoying themselves immensely!
Gui Lang - Li Qing, Chu Longjun thought he was going to walk the path of ghosts, but after disappearing in the southwest for several years, he unexpectedly ran wildly on the path of immortal cultivation.

Indeed, what the Qilin Ancestor said was true. Although Li Qing's cultivation level was not particularly high, with the blessing and protection of the Netherworld Gods and Demons, it was no problem for him to sit alone as one of the Ten Great Masters!
Chu Longjun didn't care about the so-called scandalous reputation at all. To him, Princess Su was more like a supervisor sent by the Southern Kingdom, a restriction on his permanent confinement of the Southwest.

Although it might be a bit embarrassing, even if she had three thousand male concubines, it wouldn't affect the Dragon Palace in the slightest.

"Gentlemen, do you know why I have turned the quota for participation into invitations?"

“Everyone here is a top expert in the Purple Mansion Realm. The Dragon Lord, with the power of nine dragons, overwhelms all cultivators; Yang Zongzi, surrounded by the Weak Water, manipulates all enemies with ease; the disciples of the Three Emperors summon thousands of spirits and ghosts, and the mountains and rivers of the region are of no use to him... Even Daoist Youhuang - Li Qing, is protected by the rampant Dao, and his primordial energy is abundant.”

"They are all extraordinary individuals who cannot be defeated!"

Dragon Lord raised his wine cup and approached the stage, letting out a soft sigh:

"Let us drink a cup to celebrate the birth of these ten extraordinary talents, and see if the disciples of the Three Emperors have the deeper foundation, or if the pure blood of Qingqiu is superior, or if there is someone else entirely?"

The drums beat rapidly during the banquet. The Dragon King raised his sleeves and drank with the guests. One by one, the guests of the Purple Palace and the sons of noble families began to analyze the upcoming competition.

Such a grand competition is itself a remarkable topic of conversation. If the name of the Ten Absolute Daoists were to spread throughout the capital, the judges would immediately have a completely different status at this Qingping Banquet.

A murmur of laughter and chatter arose in the room, but some people below seemed distracted.

A dozen or so Taoist disciples from Tiannan, dressed in blue and green robes, gathered together. Some of them were Taoists stationed in Tiannan, while others came from prominent local families and had been invited.

"Senior Sister Lü, what are you looking at?"

Three or five blue-clad Daoist disciples followed from the stern of the Dragon Fang ship, calling out to the tall woman ahead.

These are descendants of the Lan family of Tiannan. This time, the Lan family has sent five Daoist disciples, all of whom are at the upper-middle level of Qi Refining, to broaden their horizons.

"Hehe, I heard that Li Zhenchuan from the Hall of Ten Thousand Laws participated in the battle, but he was eliminated by being swept into the Dragon Swamp by the Weak Water Heavenly River before he even entered the battlefield..."

This is the first true disciple of the Purple Mansion in recent years after Bai Qingye. It's just a pity that his cultivation and foundation are too shallow. Before he could show his skills, he encountered Yang Jue of the East Sea and was directly knocked out of the game by a Weak Water Divine Power. Just now, I saw him wandering in the Dragon Swamp on the side of the water curtain.

"Senior Sister Lü, Senior Sister Qing Shu?"

Several people called out to the woman several times before they finally brought her back to her senses!

"I thought you'd been bewitched by some wicked Taoist priest."

Among the younger generation of the Lan family, Lan Qingyu is the leader. In the past four or five years, many alchemical scriptures and medicinal tools in Tiannan Temple have been put down, and the art of craftsmanship has been used as a supplement. This has made the cultivation path of this generation much easier. In the past four or five years, there have been quite a few Taoists who have achieved the upper level of Qi Refining.

"no!"

Lü Qingshu shook her head, looking as if she was still in shock.

Although she and Lan Qingyu were two years apart, they were both cultivators in the outer academy and achieved the upper-level Qi Refining stage in the same year, so their relationship was naturally not bad.

With a flick of her right hand, she drew everyone's attention to a corner of the massive water curtain, focusing on the scene of the Iron Mountain in the northwest. "Senior Brother Li of the Hall of Ten Thousand Laws is out of the running, but there is another one in my temple... a Purple Mansion Daoist who has taken over the battlefield of Iron Mountain."

Everyone looked up in confusion, gazing at a corner of the dome-shaped water curtain.

On the clear blue water, a young man sat upright on a three-foot jade platform. He held a precious lamp in one hand and a fan with eight treasures in the other, which he gently waved. His silver-gray eyes seemed to be constantly scanning the Iron Mountain, giving him a rather extraordinary appearance.

"Hmm? From within the temple? It doesn't seem like a Purple Mansion Daoist from within the temple!" A disciple of the Lan family wondered. The Purple Mansion Daoists in the temple all wore purple robes and phoenix crowns, so they shouldn't be dressed like this.

The Seven-Star Lotus Crown and the Plain Cloud Robe—this does seem to be the style of the Taoist from the East Sea…

“Youhuangzi-Liqing, the ‘Flying Waterfall Palace’ opened 130 miles east of Wanfa Court a few months ago was bestowed upon him by imperial decree.”

Lü Qingshu was inevitably somewhat unsettled.

She knew Li Qing. Back then, she was only at the middle stage of Qi Refining, and Li Qing had also just started Qi Refining. The two of them worked together to deal with a sorcerer who had gone out of control while raising a black dog. At that time, she was still the senior sister...

How could the changes be so miraculous in just four or five years?
It's him!

Lan Qingyu's pupils contracted as she suddenly recalled the dragon's tribulation that year, and the scene of parting and meeting with Senior Brother Li in the Western Mang Mountains.

Back then, when the Lan family's alligator armored warriors and a dozen or so Taoist disciples were chasing flying corpses, they encountered Li Qing. After the Lan family's Taoist disciples spoke rudely, Taoist Li left Western Mang alone. Lan Qingyu always felt deeply apologetic when news of his disappearance came later.

Rumors are like knives. If we had kept our clansmen's mouths in check back then, Senior Brother Li wouldn't have left alone in despair, and he wouldn't have disappeared because of the "White Bone Path".

"Senior Brother Guilang, is he alright?"

"That's right, I think I vaguely heard Fourth Uncle mention that Senior Brother Li has returned!"

"He's still as powerful as ever, he actually managed to steal a dragon flag? I remember he had a red dragon, a very majestic dragon..."

Lan Qingyu stared blankly at the figure in the water curtain, which seemed to be the senior brother in blue robes she had seen before she entered the Dao, who was rowing a raft alone and walking alone in the Ghost River of the Abyss... The senior brother in blue robes with the red dragon around his body back then, and now, the three figures seemed to have invaded reality from memory and finally merged.

It really is Senior Brother Li!

It wasn't just these few people; among the night-roaming ghosts on the Dragon Island Ghost God Seat, the Third Master Ma from Shanyang County stared wide-eyed, almost turning into a green-skinned dead ghost.

"The Five Ghosts Generals are above, are they Ma Yuan's friends?"

How did he obtain the Purple Mansion?

Grandpa Ma hadn't forgotten the blow he suffered from the hammer years ago. He had originally thought that now that he had a powerful backer and had joined the Five Ghosts General's ranks, he would have a chance to get revenge.

But reason tells it that being alive is better than anything else.

Ten battlefields, ten iron mountain dragon flags, and ten supreme cultivators appeared before this southwestern circle of cultivators.

If this banquet can be held, the influence that the Dragon Lord can gain will be far greater than anyone imagines. After this banquet, guests from the Five Streams will come, and the Four Seas will be at peace. This will be enough for him to radiate his power throughout the entire Southwest.

On the five dragon-tooth-shaped ships, the guests each made their own choices regarding which contestants they favored, valued, and bet on.

However, on the high platform of Longyu, Princess Su frowned slightly, looking somewhat displeased.

"What? Didn't Chu Long consider the Daoist disciple of the Yu Gui Zhong family as a potential champion?"

Why did he target Li Qing?

Li Yunsu leaned against the throne listlessly, standing alongside the three emperors.

Until she saw a corner of the water curtain, where a Taoist priest carrying the "Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts Picture" was hiding sinisterly in a corner of the marsh, she immediately let out a soft snort.

"Even the most powerful clan members in the Purple Mansion are still acting so furtively; they really can't be seen in public!"

All the Venerable Ones turned their heads at the same time, looking in the direction of the water curtain. Sure enough, somewhere in the Western Iron Mountain, someone had quietly sneaked into the Iron Mountain while the true disciples of the Six Spirits Mountain and the White Bone Path were fighting with the various sects below the mountain.

Upon seeing Princess Su, Chu Longjun's expression froze for a moment, then he burst into loud laughter.

"Your Highness is unaware of this!"

"Ghost Lang married into the Cui family of Youtian, and was a member of the old clan. Zhong Qing was from a clan in Lingnan, and was most skilled at capturing ghosts and commanding spirits."

"I thought these two would only meet at the final moment, but I didn't expect they would meet soon!"

The ghostly young master of the underworld, the ghost-catching young master of Lingnan—this can be called a battle of destiny.

"I have visited the Ghost Zhong family several times and have a close relationship with you all. But Princess, you must know that Ghost Lang is also a close friend of the old dragon despite the age difference."

"I have known Young Friend Li for far longer than the princess has..."

Chu Longjun could tolerate everything else, but he couldn't bear to let this woman treat Li Qing as a taboo. He had made arrangements years in advance to invite the ghostly Li Qing to the table. In fact, it could be said that He Wu, the ghostly concubine, and Jin Nancan of Liuling Mountain were both introduced to Li Qing by Longjun.

He would not allow Li Qing to become a member of the Suhua Dao Mansion.

"Little Jiu'er, who do you think will be better between these two?"

Chu Longjun shook his head, but turned to look at the woman standing behind him.

The woman was dressed in a well-fitting jeweled dress, tall and slender, with an elegant and beautiful face, fair skin and jade bones, and the appearance of a concubine. She had a small jade horn on her forehead. Standing among the many dragon princes and princesses, she was like a crane standing among chickens.

This is Long Jiu Nu, Chu Jiu Er!
"I don't know, perhaps it's Lord Li?"

"he……"

The dragon girl hesitated, first considering the reputation of the Netherworld Ghost God, but when compared to the Lingnan Ghost Controlling Zhong family, she could only shake her head slightly, not daring to speak rashly.

"It seems that Li Erlang is quite to your liking."

"After this banquet, how about I betroth you to him? This second son of the Li family is quite talented; perhaps he can help you advance further."

"As the saying goes, 'one should choose a suitable partner, wealth, and place.' What one seeks is simply to pick one that pleases the eye."

"If acquiring more resources leaves you with a guilty conscience and breeds inner demons, why bother acquiring them?"
Even the strongest cultivator would feel uneasy just looking at him, so he simply wouldn't comply...

"Since you find him agreeable, you've gone to cultivate with him!"

With a nod and a slight smile, the old dragon king spoke of his absolute will with an unyielding majesty.

"Hmm... I obey my father's command!" Dragon Girl Chu Jiu'er bowed and responded in a soft voice.

How could she not know that her father simply wanted to use a beautiful woman as bait to solidify his affection for Li Erlang?

And she was nothing more than a beautiful bait...

Turning their heads to look at the water curtain, the young man in cloud robes sat upright on a jade platform, holding a precious lamp in his hand, his silver eyes looking down, attracting the attention of many wild gods in the void.

Benedict! Benedict! Benedict!
That was the sound of bamboo canes and straw sandals striking the iron stone steps. A hazy, indistinct aura approached from below the mountain, walking slowly and deliberately towards Black Mountain.

This person moves without a sound, as still as a cold pool; if one were to speak of a ghost, he would be more like a deity!
(End of this chapter)