The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 169: One Step at a Time

The grand banquet at Longze was a scene of singing and dancing, a celebration of worldly pleasures.

However, this has nothing to do with the ten true disciples who are located on the battlefield.

Even the cultivators on the Dragon Fang ship, who were devoted to the Great Dao, sat cross-legged and looked up at the water curtain in the sky, forming a stark contrast with the many people who indulged in pleasure and wandered around the Thirteen Spirit Islands.

Even when the various Daoist sects were resting, at the request of the Daoists, the battles captured by the Water Mirror Barrier were still being replayed on the water screen. Even if there were combat methods that the cultivators could not understand, Chu Longjun was willing to calm down and explain them to the Daoists.

"Qing Lingzi of the Ziyang Sect has fought twelve battles and won all twelve. Please do not be fooled by the fact that he only uses thunder and fire talismans to kill his enemies."

"The One Yang Fire Talisman gathers to create the Three Yangs, the Three Yang Fire Talismans combine to create the Six Yang Talismans, and the Six Yang Talismans then create the Nine Yang Elixir Fire Talisman."

"Then the lightning talismans are drawn and interwoven, the thunder and fire combine to form an array, like red clouds spreading and lightning refining the sky..."

"Don't think his methods are really unremarkable. Just take these thunder and fire talismans, have you ever seen such powerful thunder and fire talismans in the markets of the Immortal Sect?"

Chu Longjun pointed a finger at the water curtain, dissecting the intricacies of the battle within.

The Cloud Book Crimson Talisman is led by the Ziyang Temple, which prioritizes the Crimson Talisman and the Cloud Thunder Purple Talisman in order to obtain the changes in the sky.

After everyone had digested the information, he turned and pointed, bringing up the battle on the Western Iron Mountain again as an example.

"As for Li Erlang, he cultivates a primordial ancestral qi within his body and uses the principles of controlling life and soul. His methods are similar to communicating with the underworld and commanding spirits... which cannot be deduced by common sense."

"Catch the ghosts, perform rituals to appease them, use talismans to control the evil spirits, and then use the minor supernatural power of summoning souls to break the spells of the five ghosts in the five directions."

"It's like Tian Ji's horse race, which allowed him to overcome the strong with the weak and gain the upper hand over the bell and chime in every way."

"Of course, more so because his methods were so mysterious when he first appeared that the Zhong family's son was at a loss and was bound by every move, which is not something that can be learned."

As he spoke with great enthusiasm, Chu Longjun raised the golden goblet in his right hand and slowly approached the assembled disciples, imparting the essential truth to them selflessly.

In such a grand competition, many magical arts and supernatural powers are things that wandering Taoist priests in the prefectures and counties have never heard of or seen before. Even the basic Five Elements magic is already incredibly precious, let alone the signature magic of the true lineages of these various sects.

Among the guests, those with a heart for the Way all treated each other with the respect due to a disciple, bowing their heads to ask questions, hoping to glimpse even a corner of the true meaning.

This caused both the Qilin Ancestor and Princess Su, who were also at the head of the table, to have different expressions. The Qilin Ancestor was the most respected of the Six Spirit Mountains and in charge of Qingping Prefecture. He had knelt down to attend this banquet in order to find out what the Old Dragon's Feast was trying to do.

Princess Su, on the other hand, desired to establish her own government in the southwestern prefectures and govern the world...

Each of the deities held power and was wary of the Dragon King's attempt to win people's hearts.

The proud and aloof Princess Su of the Southern Kingdom sat high on the golden throne. She glanced at the old dragon mingling with the guests, then waved her hand, summoning Long Jiu Nu before her to ask a question:

"Your name is Chu Jiu'er?"

"Yes, greetings to Your Highness the Princess." The dragon maiden lowered her eyes and gave a soft bow before Princess Su.

This princess from the Southern Kingdom has quite a reputation throughout the kingdom, but it's probably not for any particular reason.

Princess Su was beautiful, powerful, fond of women, and extravagant. After being granted the title of Kaidao Prefecture in Qingping Prefecture, she was unshakable by the court discussions and edicts of the nobles and officials of Jinling.

"Oh? She really is a pitiful sight!"

The matriarchal princess at the head of the table looked at the dragon girl with great interest.

She had only just met Li Qing, and the Dragon Lord already wanted to offer her a dragon princess to ensnare Li Erlang? He wanted to control everything; how greedy!
But I imagine the person next to him is probably the most unhappy, right?
Princess Su summoned the Dragon Girl to serve her, then turned her head to look at the Qilin Ancestor beside her. Could this ruler of the Six Spirits Mountain really tolerate the Water God and Dragon Lord of this region integrating the rogue cultivators and heroes of the prefecture?
That's obviously unlikely...

It was nearly dusk.

The Ten Absolute Paths were at their leisure, either wandering or meditating within the vast battlefields.

In the heart of a certain iron mountain, a handsome man leans against a cloud platform atop the peak. Springs flow endlessly from all directions, their clear, cool sounds refreshing the mind and spirit.

Upon closer inspection, one can discover that the true water flowing and swirling in the void is as clear as cold dew, with a chilling and penetrating aura lingering around it; it is none other than the legendary Nether Spring Weak Water.

This is Yang Jue, the eldest son of the Yang clan of Chaojiang Prefecture!

"Hmph...who are you?"

"Why do you remain hidden in the clouds without uttering a word?"

This Yang Jue, wearing a jade crown and a cloud-and-water robe, sat cross-legged on the cloud platform. The Weak Water flowed like a celestial river, and the clear dew in the clouds praised without roots. It was as if the heavenly water came to embrace the lord of the clouds. Every move he made had a unique air about him.

He glanced at the cloud formation and immediately cut off the figure's whereabouts.

"Nothing else!"

"For this decisive opportunity, for Yang Zongzi."

Sure enough, a hoarse voice rang out from the clouds, revealing a hazy figure about ten feet tall.

The person who had been hiding his true intentions immediately pointed to the upcoming final competition.

"Oh, the decisive battle? What kind of decisive battle will it be?"

Yang Jue straightened up halfway from the cloud platform and cast his gaze upon the figure. The gentle stream flowed beside him, gathering and dispersing at his will, like the majestic peak of a snow-capped mountain, emanating a Daoist aura.

He wanted to see what this man's plan was, and whether he could be expected to seize the decisive opportunity.
"..."

"The Dragon Lord of the East Sea ascends to heaven riding nine dragons, possessing near-divine combat power. If all the Daoist sects join forces to eliminate him from the competition, what do you think, fellow Daoist?"

"The disciples of the Three Sovereigns are skilled in the Three Sovereigns' writings, both large and small, and can summon all spirits, monsters, ghosts, and gods, none of whom can resist them... So, is it possible to be eliminated?"

The Dragon Lord is a powerful figure who leads the pack among the Ten Absolute Dao Seeds, while the Walker from the Three Emperors Great Dao Sect, bearing the name of the Great Dao Sect, is equally terrifying.

Only if these two are eliminated, or even just if only the Dragon Lord is eliminated, will everyone in the subsequent paths have a chance to reach the top.

"And then what? How can I trust you?"

Yang Jue sat cross-legged on the cloud platform with a calm expression. The gentle spring water was so light that even reeds could not cross it and goose feathers could not move it. It had silently seeped into the clouds.

How can one trust someone who hides their true intentions and reveals their true nature?

He mustn't attract the attention of the Dragon Lord and be used as a pawn.

As fellow people of the East Sea Road, the Dragon Lord, who rode nine dragons and swept across the vast East Sea by himself, defeated numerous bandit generals and clashed with the Dragon Palace without flinching, was already a figure who could stand on equal footing with the abbots of various sects. He had no desire to provoke him.

Just as the Weak Water silently invaded, a faint light suddenly flashed in the clouds. Before the simulated Weak Water even got close, a strange image of a mountain and sea symbol suddenly appeared on it, with six mountains facing the sea. Accompanied by the sound of surging waves, when the Weak Water in its myriad forms rushed up, it was immediately blocked by the waves and cliffs, and was ultimately kept outside the clouds.

This is actually a map of mountains and rivers!
The figure in the clouds cast a piercing glance down, its gaze penetrating everything.

"Young Master Yang should consider this carefully. Since the Dragon Lord has made such an arrangement, the position of the crown cannot be obtained by brute force alone."

"Such an opportunity, if not seized by Heaven, will only bring misfortune upon oneself!"

"Moreover, the Weak Water Ghost God behind Yang Zongzi is far inferior to the Three Sovereigns True Text and that sea dragon that overturns rivers and seas..."

Amidst the misty clouds, a hoarse voice faintly echoed, but the mist vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace.

Damn it! Who is this? How does it know the name of my Netherworld Weak Waters?

Yang Jue's expression changed drastically, thinking to himself that this person was arrogant and dared to come to his door like this...

Meanwhile, atop the Iron Mountain in the west, Li Qing was dismantling the royal altar within the three-foot jade platform.

Suddenly, a series of uninvited footsteps stopped before the mountaintop.

The visitor gazed at the mountain peaks, where the iron mountain had melted away and rift valleys had sprung up, and his expression was deeply moved.

The battle that took place on the Western Iron Mountain seemed unusual, and this Youhuangzi from the South probably does indeed have some skills.

"This humble Daoist is Qing Lingzi of the Ziyang Sect. Greetings, fellow Daoist!"

The Taoist priest in the purple robe with the talisman stepped forward, faced Li Qing, and bowed.

Qing Lingzi of the Ziyang Sect?

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Qing gathered all the items on the altar into his pocket. When he turned around, his pupils immediately contracted.

But then they saw the man in the purple robe with cloud-like patterns standing in front of the mountain, his body surrounded by spiritual talismans, the four colors of red, purple, crimson and blue flowing around him, their paths faintly weaving together to form a celestial book cloud map, which was quite frightening.

Beside him stood another Qingqiu demoness, her long, flowing golden hair reaching her waist. She held a blue-and-white oil-paper umbrella, her wrists were as white as frost, and her bare feet stood barefoot. With each step, she seemed to float on the ground without being touched by dust. She also looked at Li Qing with curiosity.

Among the various sects in the southwest, the Ziyang Sect and the Tiannan Temple have the closest relationship, and Ziyang and Qingqiu are both located in the same prefecture...

Just as some people on Longze had guessed, Dan Shufu Dao Qing Lingzi, Qingqiu Fox Girl Ya Jun, and Tiannan Yi Qi You Huangzi were the three most likely to form a Dao Seed alliance. "Greetings, fellow Daoist."

Li Qing flicked his sleeves and bowed to the two men.

Although he didn't know why these two people had suddenly come to his house, Li Qing simply stood there silently. Seeing this, Linglong Changzhu didn't delay. She pointed a finger and took the altar and shrine into her hands, holding the Hunyuan King's Carriage in her palm. She stood beside Li Qing, protecting her Dao Lord.

"At the hour of Hai tonight, the final battle will begin. The ten mountains, battlefields, and continents will serve as the boundary. Only one person will remain, and that person will be the victor."

"Does Fellow Daoist Youhuang have any plans regarding this?"

Qing Lingzi stepped forward and softly probed Li Qing.

As far as they knew, this Youhuangzi was a true disciple of Tiannan Temple who had been promoted in the contemporary era. He had only returned from overseas two years ago and could not even be called a true disciple. He was a disciple introduced to Tiannan Temple by Danshu Yin and had no roots in the southwest region.

He must be all alone!
"Let's take it one step at a time." Li Qing shook her head, looking quite uncertain.

Sure enough, Qing Lingzi and the fox demon's eyes lit up.

"Then why don't you make an alliance with us, just like the junior disciples of the White Bone Path and the Six Spirits Mountain?"

"The final showdown ahead will likely test the courage, vision, resourcefulness, and adaptability of all parties involved..."

"I believe that the three of us, each from a different sect, should join forces to have a chance to win."

"The Primordial Dragon Talisman commands the Five Thunders; how can we miss such an opportunity?"

The fox spirit Ya Jun was beautiful and graceful. She wore a golden silk shawl, which was tied up with only a hairpin and a hair ribbon. Her wide robe and open sleeves could not hide her beautiful face. When she saw Li Qing, her eyes were filled with clear water and she was full of anticipation.

If the Ten Absolute Dao Seeds were to be joined by forces from all four directions, their numbers would be difficult to control, and they would surely incur the wrath of the masses; if only two people joined forces, they would indeed be somewhat isolated and outnumbered.

With the three of them working together, and Qing Lingzi and You Huangzi being the latter among the Ten Absolute Dao Seeds, they had a foothold without attracting too much attention.

But, shall the three of them make a pact together?
Li Qing raised an eyebrow, his silver-gray pupils scanning the two of them silently. After pondering for a moment, he finally nodded.

"Can!"

He had just tested the Weak Water Sheep Jade with the Faceless Rampage, only to find that the man's mind was fickle and difficult to control, so he simply gave him a heads-up and then retreated.

Now that someone has come knocking on his door, isn't that exactly what he wanted?
"Since the final round format is like this, I have no other choice!"

They put away the royal carriage that Linglong had handed over, and Li Qing and Linglong, one in each carriage, followed the two in front.

On the vast continent of the Ten Directions Battlefield, there are countless overt and covert interactions between various sects, but there is only one person who rides a dragon and sits alone on Iron Mountain, with no one else interacting with him.

The First Dragon-Raising Lord of the East Sea!
As the saying goes, a person's reputation is like a tree's shadow. The Dragon Lord sat alone on the mountaintop, bored out of his mind. For the past three days, no one had dared to challenge him.

"Looks like I've become everyone's target. Black Serpent!"

The man gently stroked the head of the four-horned dragon he was sitting on and chuckled.

He didn't originally have a challenge to the Five Streams Peaceful Banquet; he only received it from a less fortunate Taoist priest after hearing about it.

In the path of cultivation, many things must be earned through one's own efforts. Whether it's the Yin Spirit Daoist method or supreme supernatural powers, they are all a huge resource for him now.

Chu Long arbitrarily changed the competition rules, and Huanlongjun knew without a doubt that he did so to have himself and the Daoist of the Three Emperors Sect, two outsiders, be surrounded and eliminated.

"However, it doesn't matter. Snatching food from a tiger's mouth always comes at a price."

Since he established his foundation in the Purple Mansion, he had long been accustomed to being hunted and being hunted back, which was not an unacceptable bad thing for him!

Within the Dragon Marsh, various sects were preparing for battle with all their might, maneuvering and uniting from all directions, while outside, guests celebrated and various sects listened to the Dharma. It was truly a grand feast that was not seen for a hundred years.

At this moment, in Lingnan Prefecture.

In the Bone Mountain.

Venerable Ancestor was busy at the top of White Bone Mountain, repairing the broken mountain gate and dojo while cursing the fierce old man Yin from time to time.

Just as he was personally repairing the broken spiritual veins, Venerable Soul Ancestor suddenly felt a chill down his spine. After staring wide-eyed for a moment, he ignored the white bone Taoists in the mountain, raised a Venerable Soul Banner, and rode the clouds down to White Bone Mountain.

"Who are you, you scoundrel? Are you tired of living and want to climb on the ancestral spirit banner?"

The Venerable Ancestor was robust and imposing, his aura overwhelming. His ghostly spirit pressed down directly into the void ahead.

Sure enough, after this movement, the invisible fluctuations along the rocky path became more pronounced, revealing a transparent outline before the Venerable Soul.

"Huh? It's you, Ancient Demon - Guardian!"

The burly man raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise.

In the demon mountains of the southwest, there are many old demons. The most powerful among them is called the Ancient Demon or the Great Sage. This Ancient Demon, Shou Gong, is one of the more famous old guys.

A hundred years earlier, when the southwest was still unstable, this ancient demon, the Palace Guardian, transformed into an old Taoist priest surnamed Mu. He even founded a heretical sect in Tiannan Prefecture, calling himself the Ancestor, and had dealings with all the Yin Gods of the southwest.

Of course, at that time no one knew that his true form was a gecko!
"you……"

Before he could even express the emotion of recognizing an old friend, Venerable Soul Ancestor felt a chill creep down his spine, for another figure suddenly appeared behind him—a refined old man in white robes and a black cloak.

The two Yin gods, one on the front and one on the back, are luring each other in. Could it be that they dare to commit violence in front of my White Bone Mountain?

Damn it, damn it!

The Venerable Soul was both shocked and furious. A sense of foreboding immediately flooded his mind. However, this Venerable Soul Ancestor was also quite experienced. He simply threw out the Soul Banner, and in an instant, mist billowed up, and the overwhelming soul pressure combined with the deep and oppressive Soul-Destroying Divine Light, instantly transforming into a Soul-Destroying Ghost-Slaying Blade a thousand feet long, which slashed down fiercely.

As the saying goes, the one who strikes first wins. If we can break through the pincer attack of the two, hide in the mountain gate, gather the people of the White Bone Mountain Gate, and protect ourselves without worry.

In that instant, the Venerable Soul Ancestor had never felt such affection for those worthless disciples and students!
when……

What was alarming was that when the thousand-foot-long demon-slaying blade of light landed in front of the white-haired, youthful-faced old man, it was as if it had struck the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain, with a tremendous backlash coming from his soul.

The man's five fingers transformed into claws, grabbing at the blade's light. Instantly, the Yin-Yang Profound Qi appeared, splitting into Yin and Yang, with a touch of spirituality, dividing into the light of two worlds. In an instant, it evolved into a hundred-foot-long Yin-Yang fish diagram in the void, firmly fixing the Soul-Destroying Ghost-Slaying Blade that was falling from the sky.

With each step the demon-slaying blade advanced, its yin-yang symbol expanded further, layer upon layer of yin-yang symbols emerging in the void. The qi stopped, and finally, yin and yang merged, the two polarities returned to their proper places, and the demon-slaying blade was ruthlessly torn apart.

The Yin-Yang symbol, formed from the Yin-Yang primordial energy, shattered the supernatural Ghost-Slaying Blade with a single strike, forcing the original Soul Banner back into place.

"You fool, what's the rush!"

The handsome old man waved his hand, lowered his eyelids, and scolded Venerable Soul Ancestor in an annoyed tone.

The old patriarch guarding the palace beside him also quickly stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over, chuckling, "Brother Venerable Soul, your charm remains as dignified as ever!"

"This is no outsider, but Crane Lord, who serves Yin Zu. Brother Dao, do you not remember him?"

Huh? Where did this come from... Crane-kun?
Just as Venerable Soul Ancestor was about to unleash a torrent of curses, he was jolted awake by the reminder from that Wood Guardian.
Is this the old crane beside Master Yin?

Was that old crane also an ancient demon or spirit?

I do not know how?
In that instant, the Venerable Soul's face turned both pale and ashen, filled with even greater shock and rage.

No... Since your Tiannan Temple still has the foundation of Yin spirits, why were you in such a hurry that day?
If that's the case, he now even suspects that Yin Zu deliberately took the opportunity to destroy his White Bone Mountain Sect in order to plunder it.

“Years ago, when I saw Youhuangzi disappear, neither my master nor I were in the mountains. Someone sneaked into Linyuan Mountain and destroyed Youhuang’s soul lamp.”

"And we'll use your Lingnan witchcraft methods!"

With a flick of his right hand, He Jun transformed the Yin-Yang fish diagram into two streams of profound energy, which swirled around his fingertips three inches away, before getting straight to the point.

Someone impersonated the sorcery of Lingnan witchcraft and tricked Youhuangzi away. How did your White Bone Temple manage to escape with a clear explanation?
It could even be said that the person behind the scenes wanted to use the Lingnan White Bone Path, which is usually devoid of virtue, to test how much power Master Yin still had left...

"You mean?" The Venerable Soul Ancestor's expression turned increasingly gloomy. He and the Yin God True Person could generate countless thoughts with a flick of their fingers and then have them all vanish in the blink of an eye. How could they not understand the cause and effect involved?
Crane Lord crossed his arms, a chill creeping into his eyes, and said:

"The Heavenly Palace - Eleven Luminaries, recently, the Dragon Lord of the East Sea was designated as the Moon - Taiyin. I also heard that two other luminaries are currently overseeing Qingping Prefecture."

"You old fool, since we've both been tricked like this, we should at least kill one or two of our members to save face, right?"

Seeing the flicker in the old ancestor's eyes, he further said:

"Since it's a misunderstanding, I'll grant you the right not to repay the debts owed by your White Bone Sect!"

"But the reputation of the Five Immortal Sects of the Southern Kingdom can't be so worthless, can it? What do you say?"

(End of this chapter)