The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 168 A Demonic Taoist Priest in the Southwest
On the western Iron Mountain, how dilapidated this perilous peak, forged from refined iron, is now?
Coming down from the foot of the mountain, half of the iron mountain was lifted up. The layers of refined iron ground seemed to be squeezed by an unparalleled force, with layers of wrinkles hanging down between the mountainside. At the very top was black stone that had been melted into molten lava by the fire and precious light and then solidified again...

Above the azure sky, a silver-feathered, golden-winged roc spread its wings and soared through the heavens. Jin Nancan led two true disciples of the sect to quickly ascend Iron Mountain, looking around with surprise and uncertainty.

As he raced uphill, Jin Zhenchuan gazed at the mountain peak where a hundred ghosts roamed at night, his pupils trembling.

Before one's eyes was a colossal, ferocious shadow perched atop the mountain, its dark owl feathers standing tall in the mountainside, its menacing malice palpable even before one got close.

The three-headed, bone-faced owl circled the high mountains, its noisy, hoarse cry announcing death.

But then Li Qing swept his large hand, and the Five Peaks Handprint brought the dozen or so ghosts to him. The Ghost-Suppressing Talisman was placed before him, and the ghosts immediately disappeared.

He summoned the group of ghosts with one hand and then tossed them behind the Taoist priest descending the mountain.

"Your treacherous soldiers are returned to you."

These are Daoist soldiers under the command of Zhong Qingzi, more than twenty Purple Mansion Yin Ghosts. The energy they expended was naturally considerable. If the altar had not been set up, Li Qing's Paper God would not have been able to contend with such a number of ghosts.

Upon hearing this, the latter stopped, turned around, and with a flick of his sleeve, gathered the dozen or so vengeful spirits into his sleeve, turning them into spirit tablets. After only a moment's hesitation, he opened his robe and threw out the five wandering demons and the faceless demon.

Thus, having exchanged their captives, the madman and the ghost queen, Zhong Qingzi gazed deeply at the mountain peak, then, with his staff planted on the ground, descended step by step from the Western Iron Mountain.

In that final instant, he glimpsed another terrifying figure in the shadows beneath Li Qing.

"Those ghost birds, those demons, the Six Heavenly Palaces really do still exist..."

I knew I deserved to lose!
Zhong Qingzi shook his head and gave a bitter smile. He glanced at the White Bone Daoist and the True Disciples of the Six Spirits Mountain on the mountainside, then raised his staff and headed towards the Dragon Marsh.

From this day forward, Youhuangzi of Tiannan Temple will truly stand in the view of the Southwest Immortal Path.

The Dao of Qi, the Dao of Soul, and the Dao of Ghosts; the prophecies and incantations of demonic stars are unpredictable—yet another extraordinary Daoist...

Jin Zhenchuan and the others glanced at the defeated Zhong Qingzi with flickering expressions, their hearts filled with surprise, but they quickened their pace and swiftly climbed to the top of the mountain.

At this moment, Li Qing had already ascended the altar, and took out spiritual medicine pills, grains and other elixirs from his mustard seed bag, and offered them to the four-legged cauldron for the owls to eat.

"During the six days, the fierce owl and the ghost dragon are cold in nature, attracted to warm blood, like to eat qi and blood-nourishing medicines, and also love the five grains..."

"If you wish to summon the owls in the future, there must be proper procedures both inside and outside the capital. A yin altar must be built in Qishan, and an altar must be erected in the capital. Prepare the five grains, medicines, and the five kinds of sacrificial animals and blood offerings. Only with sufficient food and provisions can they be used by you!"

The ancestral owl, as large as a mountain, did not compete with the other owls for food. Instead, it perched to the side and hoarsely told Li Qing how to drive the Qishan owl.

The human-faced owl tribe in the Qishan region was once extremely prosperous, but after the six-day shattering, its size has been greatly reduced, simply because of the lack of food!

However, this ancestral owl had almost transcended the body of a yin bird and was only one step away from the legendary Netherworld Bone Phoenix, so it naturally no longer competed with the other yin birds for food.

At this moment, breathing in the long-lost fresh air, the ancestral owl was filled with mixed emotions.

"Qishan is severely damaged. Now that you have inherited this blessed land of Yinshan, you must manage it with care and rebuild Qishan Prefecture. I do not seek fame in the two worlds, but only that this place not be allowed to fall into ruin..."

"If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to call upon me. I reside in the northern part of Qishan and guard the land of Qishan."

"My name is Ferryman Owl!"

Six heavens reside in the north of the earth, where the Heavenly Capital still exists in this world. It guides souls through the two lifetimes, fulfilling the mission of the human-faced owl. It is a messenger that travels between the Yin and Yang realms in past eras, and also one of the guides for lost souls entering the Netherworld.

After making its promise, the ancestral owl let out a hoarse sigh, and then went back into the dark vortex.

The ferryman owl glanced back and saw the three owl monsters engrossed in eating, and felt a pang of bitterness in its heart.

On this journey, it saw the long-lost capital city again and also recognized the newly appointed Lord Qishan.

Unfortunately, the Qishan region harbors many hidden dangers; it remains to be seen whether this person can completely quell them...

Seeing the terrifying mountain monster leave, Jin Zhenchuan and the others dared to approach quickly. However, the roc was really afraid of the three-headed human-faced bone owl at the mountain altar. This was a great monster that had reached the end of the three-headed Purple Mansion Foundation stage. Its body was covered with dark and turbid aura and had a fierce appearance. It was too terrifying for a bird of prey!
No matter how Jin Nancan called out to it, he couldn't get the roc under his command to move, so he stopped forcing it and simply let it spread its wings and patrol the sky.

"Brother Li, what was that just now..."

The battle on the mountain was quite fierce. Several times, the group tried to go forward but could not find an opportunity. Only after they rearranged the Feng Shui Ze Tu formation below were they able to climb up the mountain to help.

At this moment, the four of them looked around at the mountaintop, which had been ravaged by war, and were still shocked by what they saw.

The defeated Taoists in the distance also peeked out from behind the altar, and happened to make eye contact with the three bone-faced owls that were over ten feet tall. Luckily, they didn't faint from fright.

Li Qing stood before the altar, holding the scroll of "Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts" in his hands. With his right hand gripping the scroll, he used the still powerful divine power on the altar to place the scroll into the divine fire amidst the burning candlelight. The flames suddenly rose to several feet high, scorching the scroll and making a sizzling sound.

This is the most brutal way to completely erase the mark that the Ghost-Controlling Zhong clan made on it.

The smoke and fire had been burning for only a dozen breaths when the entire divine painting seemed to have turned slightly yellow, and the demon-controlling spell was broken by the candlelight.

At this moment, Li Qing moved the scroll aside, reached out and wiped away the many remaining magical restrictions, then gently shook it to unfold the "Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts" painting.

With a soft "plop," the chains binding the ghost on the portrait of Zhong Kui loosened, and the ghost-god Cui Ying tumbled down from the vertically laid-out scroll, landing in front of Li Qing.

"what?"

"You actually... won?"

Cui Ying tumbled violently, picked up the magic sword that had fallen to the ground at the same time, and looked up to ask Li Qing in surprise.

That Zhong Kui statue was truly ferocious; she thought Li Qing would also perish here.
At this moment, the horde of demons gathered, the old owl paused, and the true disciples of all the immortal sects assembled. Above, Li Qing held a map, Cui Ying held a sword, and the royal altar glowed faintly with spiritual light…

This Western Iron Mountain is truly a gathering place for rampant ghosts, immortals, and monsters.

"Yes, I have won!"

Li Qing turned the scroll again, and the entire picture of Zhong Kui catching ghosts was rolled up again, turning into a scroll and put into his sleeve.

This is his spoils of war.

Zhong Qingzi specializes in alchemy and controls ghosts; his magical power seems inexhaustible.

However, his supernatural powers and spells are not top-notch. The Ghost Control Zhong Clan cultivated a side sect of ghost control, inheriting only a small part of the Six Heavens Ghost Path. Although it is somewhat strange and bizarre, its killing power is particularly lacking.

Perhaps, only in the Weak Water Sheep Jade can one see the former glory of the gods?

Li Qing turned to look at Cui Ying again. Although this fiend had regained her spiritual essence through the refinement process, she had also lost most of her memories. No forbidden techniques or spells could be found on her...

"There are still two days left. Gentlemen, shall we wait together on this Iron Mountain for the arrival of our people?"

After gathering all the ritual implements, Li Qing ascended the altar, summoned the Five Rampaging Gods who had been captured by Zhong Qingzi, and placed them in the royal shrine for nurturing. He then turned to invite the various Daoist sects to join him...

After the terrifying giant claw collided with the Dharma image of Zhong Kui, the matter of Xijue Iron Mountain fell into a dark and hazy state, as if a layer of shadow had veiled the view through the water curtain, and even the aftershocks of the battle could no longer be seen.

Chu Longjun stood up abruptly, wanting to wipe away the gloomy aura, but after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately did not make a move.

Whether it's Li Erlang or Zhong Qingzi, it's either that these two have some taboo methods they don't want others to see.

Since that was the case, the Dragon Lord let them go. Then, the Dragon Lord raised his finger and pointed. After a short while, the view from all sides of the Ten Absolute Iron Mountain reappeared in the water screen.

The first mountain is the Dragon-Raising Lord of the East Sea.

The second mountain, Qingqiu Yajun.

The third mountain is Ziyang Daozi.

……

After the scene on the tenth mountain flickered for several breaths, the gloom in the water curtain slowly faded, revealing a tattered mountain peak where dragon flags fluttered, upon which stood a dozen or so figures: wandering Taoist priests, true disciples of two sects, and paper-wielding ghosts and gods...

Winners, losers, followers, and supporters all gathered together. If one ignored the shattered and withered rocks, Xijue Iron Mountain would truly be the most harmonious place atop the Ten Absolutes.

Beneath the clouds, an altar stood in the center. Within the altar, a Taoist in cloud robes gazed into the distance. Below him, humans, ghosts, and demons sat in two rows. Above the dark clouds, three terrifying ferocious birds hovered in the high sky, looking down down at the rugged and twisted mountain road.

With such a grand scale, the cultivators looked down upon it, and it stood majestically like a sacred mountain. No Taoist wandering among the ten mountains would ever want to climb this desolate Black Mountain.

This is the secluded bamboo grove atop the Western Peak!
"As expected, this one won."

"Unfortunately, the battle between Zhong Kui and the Netherworld Gods was actually hindered by a dark cloud."

"Is that a Taoist priest from Tiannan Temple?"

On the Five Directions Dragon Tooth Grand Ship, the guests whispered among themselves, truly marveling at how the relatively unknown Youhuangzi had managed to defeat Zhong Qingzi on his very first appearance in the Southwest Immortal Path.

Even if it relies on the altar and the spirits summoned, the spirits are still part of its power.

What surprised everyone even more was the two spells that Li Qing cast.

"In the Black Mountain Prefecture of the Northern Kingdom, there once stood an old temple. The walls of the temple resembled pagodas, adorned with statues of celestial maidens, all alluring and exquisitely lifelike. If one gazed upon them with mesmerization, one's spirit would be captivated. If one harbored lustful thoughts, one would fall into a realm of blasphemous demonic dance; if one was filled with fear, one would enter a terrifying realm of a hundred ghosts besieging one's soul..."

"This is an ancient legend from folk tales, called 'Painted Wall'."

"The Candlelight Shadow Wall Technique is an ancient incantation that originated from this, and it is also recorded in our immortal sect. However, no one has ever practiced or refined it before. Does it really possess such power?"

A certain Yunfu Daoist from the Ziyang Sect murmured to himself, marveling at Li Erlang's methods. With just a lamp and a piece of paper, he illuminated the scene and instantly captured the three demons and monsters at the Sun-Wandering Realm within a single page of a scroll, seizing their will, disturbing their spirit, trapping their bodies, and capturing their souls...

Once you enter the Ghost Scroll, you will be trapped inside and there is no way to escape. Only methods outside the painting can break this spell.

It's truly bizarre!

"And that last spell completely sealed off all of Zhong Qingzi's remaining abilities, leaving him powerless and without any means to rely on!"

These two spells belonging to the "Southern Dipper Longevity Scripture" are too bizarre. It is expected that in the southwestern immortal sects, the spells of prophecy and the curses of witchcraft will be picked up again by the Taoists.

After all, Li Erlang's Taoist magic and supernatural powers did not seem particularly outstanding, but he was truly a master of one trick that made him invincible. He even managed to defeat Zhong's Daoist son, which was truly astonishing!
Amidst the dragon-tooth-shaped ship, Lü Qingshu turned her head in surprise and exchanged glances with the Taoists of Tiannan Temple.

"Fellow disciples, what...what should we say?"

Now that Youhuangzi-Liqing holds the title of one of the Ten Great Masters, even the true disciples of White Bone Path and Six Spirits Mountain are willing to be his followers. If they didn't know, that would be fine, but now that they do, shouldn't his fellow disciples go and pay them a visit?
Upon hearing this, the red-robed Taoist master at the head nodded and said:

"We should go and pay our respects to Senior Brother Youhuang."

"But this grand banquet and competition is not over yet. I think Senior Brother Youhuangzi has quite a bit of ambition for the top spot in the final competition. Let's see what the arrangements will be after the preliminary rounds?"

Now, the winner of the Ten Mountains competition is practically a given, with most of the participants already eliminated. There shouldn't be any further changes in the remaining two days.

But when it comes to the final victory, no one dares to predict.

If it were a normal competition, the winning seed would undoubtedly be the Dragon Lord of the East Sea. He controls nine dragons, each of which has at least the cultivation level of the Purple Mansion Foundation stage. Among all the cultivation types, his power is far ahead of the competition.

The remaining fox spirit Ya Jun, the disciples of the Three Emperors, Ruoshui Yang Jue, Ziyang Daozi, and others are all far inferior.

The most terrifying of the nine mature sea dragons is almost entirely composed of Yin spirits. Even if Li Qinghe summoned the Ghost Mother and a flock of owls, they might not be stronger than him!

After all, he was a candidate for "Moon" among the eleven luminaries.

However, the final competition of this banquet was not a one-on-one duel. Just like in the Western Absolute Mountain, the White Bone Path, the disciples of the Six Spirits Mountain, and Youhuangzi of Tiannan joined forces...

If that's the case, then even the Dragon Lord, who truly deserves the title, is no match for four hands.

At this moment, on the golden throne of Dragon Island, four figures stood side by side, surrounded by a group of cultivators, who were also commenting on the various Daoist sects within.

"You should be familiar with the Ziyang Sect and Tiannan Temple, right? The Ziyang Sect is also located in Jinping Prefecture, along with Qingqiu Mountain."

"It's a pity that the Six Spirits Mountain and the White Bone Path haven't produced a single powerful Taoist!"

Immediately, an old man, familiar with the place, stroked his long beard and shook his head with a sigh.

In theory, this competition format usually involves the five immortal sects gathering together to eliminate other Taoists first.

However, both the White Bone Sect and the Six Spirits Mountain were eliminated before the competition even began. The methods of the one from the Purple Sun Sect were also not very sophisticated. Although Li Erlang from Tiannan's Taoist magic was unpredictable, his cultivation level was ultimately much lower...

Based on this, the First Alliance should consist of Tiannan Li Erlang, Qingqiu Shan Yajun, and Yiji Ziyangzong Qing Lingzi.

Will the Dragon-Hunting Lord of Linchuan Prefecture in the East Sea and Yang Jue of Chaojiang Prefecture join forces?

The disciples of the Three Emperors remained silent, but none of them dared to underestimate them.

Of the remaining few, one was from Jinlin Prefecture, another was a rogue cultivator from the South China Sea, and the identities of two others remained unrevealed. It was truly impossible to guess what had happened!
The Ten Great Battles were about to begin, but the Dragon Island Banquet was even more joyous. On the Dragon Tooth Ship, guests traveled among the islands, enjoying endless fine wines and delicacies, singing and dancing to their hearts' content. It was truly a time of peace and prosperity, a time when the world was cleansed.

Amidst this joyous feast, three days passed in the blink of an eye…

There was truly no one on the battlefield who could overthrow these ten Dao Seeds. For the next two days, the ten who controlled the Dragon Flag spent almost all their time recuperating and preparing for the final battle.

Until the fourth day at dawn, a purple-blue water dragon danced among the clouds in the Dragon Palace, soaring high into the sky, stirring up thunder and lightning, and bringing a sudden downpour of clouds and rain.

Upon landing on the island, he transformed into a valiant man clad in silver scale armor.

This is the Crown Prince of the Five Streams Dragon Palace, a powerful cultivator, but unfortunately, he was unable to attend the banquet due to his status.

He glanced at the Western Iron Mountain, then looked intently at the Ten Directions Iron Mountain. The Five Streams Dragon Prince took a deep breath and spoke:

"Gentlemen, now that the initial decision has been made, please rest on this island for the time being."

"Tonight at Hai hour, we will begin our final showdown, to determine who is superior in the ten-fold battle!"

"To ensure fairness, none of you shall leave the island during this period. The rest of you, including the defeated and the rest of the troops, shall leave this place..."

The Dragon Prince then explained the quotas and rules for the Ten Great Competition, and then began to select participants.

Today is the fourth day of the Grand Banquet of Peace and Prosperity. The Dragon Lake is filled with the sounds of music and revelry, but only these ten true disciples are the ones who will truly influence the future of the Southwest Immortal Sect...

(End of this chapter)