The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 166 The Curse of the Southern Dipper Demon Star

"Incredible methods, incredible techniques."

Zhong Qingzi wiped away the blood dripping from his nostrils with his right hand and sighed.

However, his hands did not stop moving at all. He flipped the straw hat over and put it on his head, and the five-colored cinnabar energy immediately rose up.

Having reached the foundation of the Purple Palace and perfected the Crimson Palace, he had cultivated a Daoist technique to a state of consummate skill, imbued with profound Daoist charm, and gradually developing a sense of Daoist intent.

Even though Li Qing's unexpected "Zhenwei Hand" technique shattered the Five Ghosts of the Five Directions, it was only a minor injury.

Zhong Qingzi had previously considered himself to be a level above others in terms of cultivation, and he had intentionally restrained his magical powers and supernatural abilities, as if trying to achieve fairness.

But now he realized that Li Qing, the second son of the Zhong family, was no ordinary person. How could this Zhong family son dare to be so arrogant?

"The Skin-Peeling Ghost Realm, the Soul-Summoning Ghost Hand... do they all come from the Netherworld?"

"Reijiro?"

Perhaps only a genius like You Tian could find the top-tier ghosts in the Hundred Ghosts Record!
The lost yin side of the Heavenly Capital, the shattered Six Heavens, the other pole of the world—this is a place that countless cultivators have longed to set foot in for hundreds of years.

Perhaps, You Tianzhen has countless opportunities...

"I suppose so!" Li Qing nodded slightly, lifted the treasure lamp, and two colors of true fire immediately surrounded his body, intertwining with his robes, as if to cleanse his body and transform it into the Yang Fire Robe of the Flame Emperor.

"understood."

Zhong Qingzi's bamboo hat trembled slightly, obscuring his facial expression, but it was clear that he had developed a strong interest in You Tian.

After receiving this ambiguous answer, Zhong Qingzi lifted the bamboo staff, and immediately five-colored smoke began to continuously form from the staff, with auspicious light and colorful hues spreading.

After easily twirling the bamboo staff into a flourish, the five-colored cinnabar energy gathered into a cloud of rosy clouds that hung high in the sky, the five elements of cinnabar energy flowing and swirling, as if a golden cloud were covering the sky.

At the end of the bamboo staff, five-colored smoke transformed into golden clouds, seemingly forming a giant hammer of celestial power. As soon as it raised its hand to strike Li Qing, the wind and clouds surged, five-colored light rose high, and golden flames burst forth, overwhelming everything in their path.

Five-colored clouds covered the sky, and the evil spirits were washed away as they fell down. At this moment, supernatural powers were frequently unleashed, and the restraint from before was no longer possible.

In the Dao of Alchemy, the Yin Spirit Realm is called "Crystallization" or "Golden Elixir." This bell and chime, which condenses the Qi and Sha of the elixir, can conjure up smoke and clouds in the void with a wave of its hand, causing the heavens and earth to change color.

As Li Qing carried the treasure lamp and wandered through the Black Mountain, he immediately realized that he could not withstand this attack. Without further hesitation, he flicked his right hand, picked up a golden bean with two fingers, and flicked it towards the five-colored divine light shield that came from the sky.

"Chop down trees to make flags, scatter beans to create soldiers, and let the Yellow Turban warriors leap into the sea to listen."

"Edict!"

The golden light collided with the five-colored clouds, and in the next moment, an aura as large as a mountain and as powerful as a surging wave rose from the ground. A loud tremor was heard in the air, the pure energy dispersed, and the precious light hung high. A majestic warrior, riding the gale and stepping on auspicious clouds, came rolling in with the roar of mountains and seas.

That Yellow Turban Warrior had a crystal-clear body, bathed in the light of the sky, with bones of gold and steel and a body like Mount Tai. He wore a half-length yellow robe that exposed his belly, and a yellow turban covered his forehead.

As soon as he landed on the ground, the Yellow Turban Warrior responded with a shout: "Yes, sir!"

The next moment, the mountain giant was covered in yellow light and swung his arm to smash into the bell-shaped giant hammer.

Rumble…

The collision sent smoke and clouds flying, creating towering waves of energy. Just as the energy was in disarray, from the west came the Fifty-Four Radiant Fire Jade, carrying unparalleled heat, while from the east came the Dark Palm, striking down from afar – yet it was the next killing move from both of them.

The Crimson Divine Might unleashed a series of explosions, devastating dozens of miles. The Ghost Hand, shrouded in shadow, brushed past the Fire Jade and descended from the sky, striking at Li Qing with a single palm.

Instantly, the divine bamboo hat shone brightly again, and the five-colored cinnabar fire rose once more, breaking through the air waves and isolating the intense heat.

The dragon-like creature, formed from the Heavenly Palace Profound Qi, coiled in front of him and rammed into the Soul-Hooking Handprint. After a brief struggle, it became clear that the power of the handprint was far greater than Li Qing had imagined. He himself was pushed dozens of feet away along with the protective dragon-like creature.

Fortunately, at that moment, the Seven-Star Lotus Crown on Li Qing's head flashed with spiritual energy and cast a ray of starlight to bless her, which barely managed to stop the giant handprint.

Li Qing appeared disheveled, but the Zhong family son on the other side was clearly disgusted and worried.

"How come his vital energy is becoming more and more abundant? It seems to be exactly the same as when we first fought?"

Zhong Qingzi's own magical power was only about 60-70% remaining at this moment. How could the opponent, a mere cultivator at the lower level of the Purple Mansion realm, possess such abundant primordial energy?

"Oh, right! Profound Origin Dragon Qi? Is it similar to Yin-Yang Profound Origin Transformation Qi, capable of subtly absorbing magical power...?"

Zhong Jiazi noticed the rapidly weakening aura of the Soul-Hooking Handprint and then discovered the agility of the profound primordial energy.

That profound energy was absorbing the practitioner's magical power. It wasn't obvious during the earlier exchange, but when this giant handprint struck down, its power was immense and the signs of the absorbed magical power became increasingly apparent.

Such primordial energy is rare. Only in top-tier Daoist methods and ancient scriptures can one find the Profound Primordial Energy that absorbs magical power, the Profound Yellow Energy that is impervious to all laws, the Primordial Magnetic Light that can shatter all laws, and even the Clouds Above, the Three Flowers of the Dao, the Five Qi Canopy, and so on...

[Crack!] The yellow armor on the Yellow Turban Warrior's body blocked the attack of Dan Sha, as if layers of shells were peeling off. He swung his arm wildly, sweeping away the five-colored smoke and shadow. In a flash, he appeared next to Li Qing.

With a flick of his right hand, the Yellow Turban Warrior lifted Li Qing onto his left shoulder, unleashing the Yellow Heavenly Treasure Light to protect the Daoist Master, and looked down at the Daoist opposite him.

Zhong Qingzi, not to be outdone, made a hand seal with his right hand, remotely addressing his former master of Lingnan—the Five Ghosts General, whose subordinate ghosts were called Red Eyes, Headless, and One-Armed.

As the Taoist completed the hand seal, a crack suddenly appeared in the original five-colored clouds, from which three great ghosts emerged: the Red-Eyed Ghost, the Headless Ghost, and the One-Armed Ghost.

As the saying goes, "You may have your brilliant plan, but I have my own way out."

A five-colored curtain of smoke obscures the sky, a dragon coils in the heavenly palace, the mystical energy breathes forth, Yellow Turban warriors tread mountains and seas, and the ghost generals of Lingnan receive their orders.

One is a divine bamboo hat, protecting the day and revealing the wonders of the alchemical cauldron; the other is the Seven Stars hanging high, with lotus flowers and brackets, its precious light shining brightly and its prestige undiminished.

The two fought for only a hundred rounds, yet they displayed a dazzling array of techniques.

The magical artifacts that appeared alone included: the Ten Thousand Souls Talisman Banner, the Ghost-Slaying Bamboo Staff, the Divine Bamboo Hat, the Southern Dipper Life-Extending Lamp, the Seven-Star Lotus Crown, and the Yellow Turban Bean Soldiers...

Not to mention the various profound martial arts hand seals and several minor supernatural abilities that the two of them used!
The guests and Taoists surrounding Longyu all held their breath and focused all their attention on it.

"The rampant bandits, the ghosts fighting the ghosts, the Yellow Turban warriors vanquishing the demons."

"Although Li Erlang is called the Ghost Gentleman of Youtian Prefecture, I think his methods are mostly based on metaphysics and exorcism, and can not be considered strange."

"On the contrary, that Daoist disciple of the Ghost-Controlling Clan, with his power derived from alchemy, is the Ghostly Path King's Assistant!"

"..."

The guests sighed with regret, for they had truly believed they would witness the appearance of an ancient ghost.

But there's nothing wrong with that; fighting ghosts and catching their accomplices can be quite fun!
Just as the guests on the Dragon Tooth Ship were filled with regret, in a corner of Dragon Island, the Ghost Master Ma San of the Shanyang Sect stroked his long beard and said to himself, "Not necessarily!"

"The six ghosts behind Li Erlang, I have traveled all over Lingnan, and those few demons and monsters in the underworld of the Five Ghost Generals are no match for them."

"Let's wait and see, Li Erlang. If he gains the upper hand, all will be well. If he can't win..."

"Hehehe... Based on my understanding of that Taoist, he has never been one to cherish his reputation."

"They will definitely turn against us by any means necessary!!" Around Dragon Island, many Purple Mansions and even Day Wandering Great Ghosts turned their heads to look at this green-skinned dead ghost.

Oh? This person has some grudge against that ghostly gentleman?
A six-day-old ghost? We really need to take a good look at that!

Meanwhile, aboard a certain dragon-tooth-shaped ship, the Taoist disciples of Tiannan Temple were extremely anxious.

Tiannan Temple has always been austere and has not produced any notable figures in recent years. It has never been a topic of conversation in the southwestern prefectures.

Even today, there is actually a Taoist priest in the temple who has won the attention of the cultivators? They are naturally proud of him.

Gazing at the battle within the water curtain, these Qi Refining Realm disciples couldn't truly understand the intricacies of the situation; they could only roughly discern who possessed greater power and who had less.

"Do you think this... Uncle Li, will he win?"

One of the Taoist disciples in blue robes couldn't understand the group of people frantically capturing hundreds of ghosts and the strongmen fighting three demons, so he just stood by and asked in confusion.

In his eyes, the two were evenly matched, but he couldn't see the difference in their strength at all!
"Youhuangzi?"

"If he wants to win, he will definitely win."

Two beams of light descended from the edge of the large ship, and immediately a strong voice responded.

This is a red-robed disciple of the Hall of Ten Thousand Laws, who has just attained the Purple Mansion realm and has not yet been granted the position of Dean, but was invited to the Grand Banquet of Peace and to the Ten Absolute Battlefield.

Unfortunately, before they could even climb the mountain, they were swept off the island by the Ruoshui Tianhe River.

He was helpless; unable to seize any opportunity, he had no choice but to retreat.
Upon seeing that person, he wore an expression of complete control.

Why? Because he participated in the true transmission of "Youhuangzi" and the grand ceremony of the union of Zifu and Erda.

This is the third-ranking disciple in the temple's hierarchy, personally chosen by the patriarch to be taught by his side, and bestowed with the name Youhuangzi. He is already practically half a disciple of the patriarch...

As the various strange paths within Dragon Marsh unfolded, the fierce battle between the two forces on the Western Iron Mountain had reached a fever pitch.

Five-colored smoke billowed across the sky, and the primordial energy coiled like a dragon on the ground. Rampaging gods seized their accomplices, while the accomplices devoured the rampaging gods. A mighty warrior wielded the Yellow Heaven Treasure Light, sweeping everything aside. The three demons of Lingnan were wantonly violent and arrogant!
After another two hundred or so rounds of fierce fighting, they engaged in a direct confrontation.

Li Qing dodged the blow from the Yellow Turban Warrior's shoulder, avoiding the powerful strike that could split the clouds. The Yellow Turban Warrior resisted with his body and was immediately struck in the chest by the staff, swaying as if he had suffered a considerable injury.

As if they had smelled blood, the three-headed demons bypassed the Yellow Turban Warrior and pounced on Li Qing, determined to tear him to pieces.

"Don't run!" The three-headed old ghost leaped forward, grinning maliciously.

At this critical moment, Li Qing held a lamp in his left palm and a ghostly light shone in his right. His figure seemed to suddenly retreat more than ten miles away, making the three-headed day-wandering demon feel that the Taoist's figure was getting farther and farther away, smaller and smaller.

"what?"

"Boss, what kind of escape technique is this? Traveling dozens of miles in an instant? Is he a Yin God? Is that how he does it?"

The one-armed ghost was completely dumbfounded. He was about to succeed, so close at hand, how could this person suddenly slip away?

The headless ghost on one side was also frustrated; its severed head was now braided and tied around its waist, and it echoed in a muffled voice...

However, it was far more than that. Not only did the Taoist priest flee dozens of miles away as if he had seen a ghost, but the sky also grew darker and darker.

The three-headed demons tried to turn around, but were surprised to find that they could no longer turn around. Behind them seemed to be the edge of the world, an unreachable place.

As darkness fell, the figures in the distance grew smaller and smaller, with only the lantern in the Taoist's hand seemingly still emitting a faint starlight. The oppressive feeling overhead intensified, making his eyelids grow heavier and heavier.

"So brave!!"

Just as the three demons of Lingnan were about to drift off to sleep, a sudden shout rang out, and the Daoist chant that penetrated their very souls made them shudder.

"Oh no, second brother, third brother, we've been infected!"

"What exactly did this heartless Taoist priest do?"

At this moment, the Crimson-Eyed Demon finally cried out in shock and anger, only then realizing that it wasn't that the Taoist had fled dozens of miles away in an instant, but that the three of them had been imprisoned in a small world in that instant.

The three-headed old ghost cursed loudly, but his filthy and violent words seemed so pale at this moment.

Li Qing didn't know what the three-headed demon was cursing, but it was clear that it wasn't anything nice.

He shook his head and chuckled lightly, then took two steps forward and peeled the ancient ghost scroll that was floating in the air down from the sky.

Within the square scroll of ghostly skin, there is a boundless, dark land, a vast expanse of emptiness, with only the image of a three-headed demon wandering within. The image of this three-headed old demon is so lifelike, just like a real person!
The Demon Star's Fate-Slaying Spell, Sixth Spell—The Candlelight Shadow Wall Technique!

The origin of this method comes from the legendary "Painting of Rebirth," which is another illusory world that imprisons countless spirits and essences, where even ghosts and monsters are reduced to withered bones.

Using candlelight as a medium and paper as a prison, the candle illuminates its form, imprisoning its spirit; all passing beings are unable to escape...

These three old ghosts were far too arrogant. They pounced and received the curse face to face, allowing Li Qing to easily imprison them and store them in the mural without any effort.

"Even the powerful demons who have been traveling through the area for days can't resist this? This method is too bizarre!"

Zhong Qingzi, watching this scene from afar, felt a chill run down his spine. Even he wouldn't dare to rashly enter Li Qing's territory at this moment.

Unknown laws, unknown curses—you never know what forbidden techniques he holds or what curses he hides. That's what's most terrifying.

Are all the ancient forbidden arts recorded in the Starry Sky Prophecy Books so bizarre?

If he knew that this was just a minor demonic curse, Zhong Qingzi might have handled it differently... But at this moment, he began to panic.

The Yellow Turban Warrior swayed, but managed to steady himself before taking two steps to block the Dao Lord's path.

With powerful protectors and the incantation of the spirit lamp complete, Li Qing would no longer waste time with the bell and chime. He knew that the Taoist had a remarkable scroll of "Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts," and even though it was not an ancient treasure but a later rubbing, it was still one of the most powerful magical artifacts.

Once this picture is offered as a sacrifice, whether it's the tyrannical god, the strongman, or even Li Qing himself, they will inevitably be captured.

After hesitating for a few moments, Li Qing frowned slightly, then immediately relaxed.

With a single palm strike, a dense barrage of sun-like energy burst forth. Zhong Qingzi, on the other hand, also saw an opportunity to engage in battle. At the same time, he combined the Five-Colored罡煞 (罡煞 is a type of internal energy) with his right-hand Ghost-Grabbing Technique, unleashing dozens of Ghost-Slaying罡刃 (罡刃 is a type of internal energy). These blades moved like a whirlwind and were as fierce as crimson thunder. They clashed with the fire-like energy in the very center and exploded with a deafening roar.

In the aftershocks of the explosion, fifty-four more beams of red light shot into the sky, striking the bell with unstoppable force.

"A talisman? Cost money?"

This strange talisman made Zhong Qingzi feel uneasy. He didn't know what its function was. Perhaps it was to ward off evil spirits or to pollute magical power... How could he dare to use the Five Elements Qi to resist it?
In a flash, he managed to retreat, but the speed of the Fiery Flower was even faster than his, like a crimson butterfly, and in the blink of an eye, it had passed Zhong Qingzi's figure.

"Empty?"

Before he could even feel joy, a moment later, Zhong Qingzi's face suddenly froze, and he stood rooted to the spot, unable to move...

(End of this chapter)