The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 178 Order the Five Thunders
"Pfft!"

On the golden throne, Princess Su covered her face with a fan at her waist, chuckled softly, and broke the deadlock between the Dragon King and Li Qing.

"Old Master Chu, please don't make things difficult for him. The second son of the Li family has always been faithful to one woman, only devoting his heart to the Ghost Mother, thus forming a bond in the netherworld..."

"Don't try to make a decision on your own and end up making things worse!"

Princess Su spoke earnestly, and in just a few words, she completely put Chu Longjun down.

"Moreover, Li Qing has just established his own household and has no surplus wealth. In order to obtain a scroll of Taoist teachings and compete for a supernatural power, he must spare no expense and fight with all his might at the banquet."

"Even the Dao Prefecture is in decline, and your Dragon Palace, which possesses the Five Streams and controls the Four Rivers, cannot afford to part with such resources. What can he possibly do?"

Perhaps, the dragon girl Chu Jiu'er was indeed beautiful and delicate, but Li Qing was not one to be swayed by beauty, so why would she be bound by it?
Old Dragon's actions are truly too worldly!
Upon hearing Princess Su's heartfelt words, Li Qing also lowered his sleeves, cupped his hands, and silently bowed.

But if that were the case, it would be a huge disrespect to the Dragon King.

Even if you, Li Erlang, are protected by gods and spirits and come from a celestial sect, you still managed to seize the top spot at the banquet using a less-than-clever method. Now that the Dragon Lord admires talent and has sent his daughter to present a treasure, how dare you refuse?
On the island, the hermits of the Three Mountains and heroes from all over the world gathered here. Many Taoists were already in high spirits. When they saw Li Qing being so disrespectful, they stood up abruptly. All the cultivators had received the Dragon Lord's favor, and in the blink of an eye, they were like a surging tide of people. Their power was immense.

Seeing that the Dragon King remained silent and Li Qing kept quiet, Princess Su, however, lightly touched her silk stockings and took two steps closer to the trembling Dragon Girl. She raised a finger to lift her chin and said with great tenderness:
"Your Dragon Palace is a large and powerful family, and it is understandable that you cannot favor one son over another."

"I adore Xiao Jiu'er. Why not let her come into my Hua Su family? My prefecture encompasses nine counties and one state, so I am quite wealthy..."

This statement is indeed true. This princess of the royal family was granted a fief in Qingping Prefecture, which was extremely luxurious. Now she has moved her residence to the side of Longze, radiating her influence to the four rivers and five streams. The power of Suhua Dao Prefecture is extremely strong.

Before the Dragon King could answer, Princess Su waved her sleeve and took the Dragon Girl into the Nine-Colored Phoenix Carriage, bringing her under her wing.

So let's see what the Dragon King can do next.

"you……"

Chu Longjun's forehead veins bulged, and his aura instantly surged with anger. Such a person, with a thought, could cause dark clouds to loom over the entire Dragon Swamp, with a suffocating Daoist aura lingering within, as if a storm of clouds and thunder was about to descend at any moment.

This is the Lord of the Water Dragon, the Yin God Demon Lord. Even though his killing power is not too great, and his original dragon blood is far from being elite, a Yin God is still a Yin God.

The old dragon loved making friends across the five mountains and four seas, mostly drinking buddies who schemed against each other. But to his sons in the Dragon Palace, he still played the role of a strict father. He cared for them equally, and those with some ability were also brought back to Longze's favor. Even the less favored collateral relatives were either appointed as water lords or granted the authority to establish their own residences...

Li Yunsu is a pure-hearted woman who loves beautiful women. How could he let the nine women go with her?

"I have twenty-one sons of the dragon, and I will never let them suffer the slightest grievance. However, Jiu'er believes that Li Erlang is a suitable match for her, so she will follow him!"

"Hmph! Hua Su, you'd better stay away from my son, or I will really raze your Daoist temple that's always trying to take advantage of others."

Chu Long's expression was cold. With just a slight lift of his right hand, the five types of thunder—Heavenly Thunder, Divine Thunder, Dragon Thunder, Water Thunder, and Earthly Command Thunder—were instantly subdued, transforming into five blue-purple arcs of lightning that bounced and fell between his fingers.

With a flash of lightning, it tore through the azure sky and shook the heavens, a speed that even many Purple Mansion Divine Eyes could not keep up with!

In the blink of an eye, the colorful carriage and phoenix palanquin were torn apart by the five directions of lightning. The mysterious treasure light and the clear blue barrier were instantly ripped apart by the five lightning strikes.

Everyone says that Wuxi Chulong is just a side sect master who has not mastered the true method of the Great Dao and is the weakest among the Yin gods in the southwest. Is that really the case?
The phoenix carriage shone with precious light, golden clouds stretched in thousands of layers, and auspicious clouds rose in layers, impervious to all magic. But then, five bolts of lightning leaped and thunder roared, rising from the Dragon Lord's fingertips, a thunderbolt ten thousand feet long, arriving in an instant.

The lightning arc, seemingly no thicker than a finger, raged violently, yet it carried unparalleled secret power, piercing through the endless void. A thousand layers of golden light were shattered by its single strike.

The three-zhang-long phoenix carriage was instantly dismantled and shattered, leaving only the colorful phoenixes pulling the carriage in front and a few female attendants.

With a single strike, the winds and clouds shifted dramatically, and the thousand-forbidden artifact—the colorful phoenix carriage—shattered in the blink of an eye.

"Chu Long, you can try again!"

Princess Su raised her eyebrows, her sleeve concealing a radiant light, yet the aura of supreme divine power was already locked above the Dragon Lord's head.

It seems that Chu Long has become increasingly arrogant in recent years due to his close association with the nobles and officials of Jinling...

"What wouldn't I dare to do?"

The Dragon King smirked coldly, flicked his robes, and pointed at the phoenix carriage that had been torn apart by lightning magic, leaving only a single base. He then moved the dragon girl sideways and brought her back.

The dragon princes beside them, including the dragon prince, the thunder dragon Ziqing, and the red dragon Chuli, immediately protected their younger sister and confronted Princess Su!

Seeing that the two sides had started fighting over a single word, even the guests who were far away could not help but notice what was going on. Looking at the thunderous Long Ze, they really didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, the apocalyptic celestial phenomenon lasted only for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before slowly dissipating. Sunlight once again pierced through the clouds, like golden scales, magnificent and grand.

On Dragon Island, everyone's hearts were pounding in their throats.

As expected, the rumors of Princess Su's discord with the Dragon King were not false!
"Brother Chu, Princess... why go to such lengths! It was meant well, but wouldn't it be a pity if it backfired?"

Let's each take a step back, let's each take a step back.

Seeing the sudden turn of events, Lady White Plum of Qingqiu Mountain frowned and quickly stepped forward to persuade the two to stop their fight. The guests from the Purple Palace on both sides also tried to mediate.

After another cup of tea's time, the two of them finally managed to suppress their anger.

The Five Streams Peaceful Banquet is no ordinary event; it is the first grand banquet outside the Five Directions Immortal Sect that brings together independent cultivators and heroes from all over the land.

It already has the beginnings of becoming a major force and a powerful entity.

It would be too disrespectful to the Dragon Lord to ruin this banquet, but that would not be a wise choice either. The Southwest needs a place that can gather the power of cultivators from all sides!
Whether this power is in her hands or temporarily in the hands of that old dragon...

After a moment's hesitation, Princess Su suppressed her displeasure at the dismantling of her carriage, flicked her sleeves, glanced disdainfully at the princes of the Dragon Palace, and then turned to look at Li Qing, saying:

"The choice is yours." "After the banquet, you may return to the Daoist temple to find me..."

Leng Ling's gaze swept over the four directions of Long Yu's Purple Mansion. After leaving a word with Li Qing, Princess Su lightly flicked her sleeves, releasing a beam of Cangming Glazed Treasure Light, which soared straight up to the Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace. This emerald-like cold light shone into the sky and instantly transformed into an unorthodox divine power: Glazed Cangming Heavenly Dragon.

Its thousand-foot-long dragon body, as if cast from crystal, stood majestically like a jade vein. With a roar, it instantly soared into the azure sea of ​​clouds. Even the mere scales and claws visible in the clouds resembled a wild god, breathtaking to behold.

Floating on the sea of ​​clouds, arriving on a dragon, and now entering and leaving the azure sky, Princess Su of the Southern Kingdom truly deserves to be called a figure on par with all the Yin Gods.

This supreme technique, a top-tier heretical supernatural power, possesses genuine Yin spirit combat strength, causing even the Yin spirit masters in the arena to straighten their posture.

Just as Hua Su Dao Master left, the clan member Li Jingyuan also bowed with his right hand and followed him away.

Among the Li family's imperial clan, Princess Su is undoubtedly the most outstanding. After entering the southwest, she established her own government and her foundation grew stronger and stronger. Now she is gradually becoming a reliable vassal for the imperial clan. He came from Jinling, so he should bring a wedding ceremony and get to know this little aunt well...

After the less-than-pleasant interlude, on Dragon Lake, armor gleamed in the sun, golden scales unfurled, and on the colorful boats on both sides of the lake, dragon spirits and old crocodiles, with elaborate banners and increasingly louder bell and drumbeats, were bringing the grand banquet to a close.

Looking around again, the Qilin Ancestor of Six Spirits Mountain had already quietly departed.

The Dragon Lord and Li Qing stood facing each other, several feet apart. The heroes and wandering warriors from all sides were also awed by the towering dragon that seemed to reach the sky, and obediently returned to their original seats.

Clearly, Princess Su couldn't stand Chu Longjun influencing Li Qing, and was even less willing to facilitate the so-called dragon girl marriage!

"There are five thunders in the world, which are guided by the Dao and obey your commands... What you just heard was the command of the five thunders. After you go back, you must practice this supernatural power diligently."

"Since you're used to being alone, I won't force you. Do as you please."

The Dragon King and Li Qing exchanged a glance, their expressions slightly wavering. Since the matter of entrusting the Dragon Girl had already been disturbed by others, their Dragon Palace offspring were not worthless.

As the saying goes, fate brings people together and fate separates them; the red phoenix star moves in an instant. If it doesn't work out, they will each find their own destiny in the future, which can be considered as the will of Heaven.

The dragon princess, standing guard among the dragon princes, looked rather somber. She herself had no objection to the matter, but being politely refused and then escalating into such a dispute was truly unsightly.

Before the banquet was over, surrounded by his several dragon brothers, he turned and returned to the Dragon Palace...

Seeing the unfriendly gazes of those dragon princes, Li Qing fell silent for a moment.

Li Qing was unwilling to become the son-in-law of Chu Longjun and delve into the karma of the Dragon Palace. The Dragon Palace invited many heroes in the southwest region, but it also caused a lot of disputes, so it was not a place to stay for long.

But to be used by Princess Nasu as a tool in her power struggle with the Dragon King? He didn't want to play that role either.

After letting out a soft sigh, Li Qing took two steps forward and bowed to Chu Long again, saying:

"The Dragon Lord once humbled himself to invite you and bestowed upon you a predestined destiny, which led to today's outcome. You are deeply grateful."

"If you ever need my help in the future, please write a letter and send it to the Immortal Mountain of Lin Yuan in the south of the sky. I will certainly do my best to help!"

As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. In the past, Li Qing was merely a Qi cultivator, yet he was treated differently by the Five Streams Dragon Palace. Now that he has achieved success, it is only right that he makes such a promise.

Li Qing's eyes were like clear springs, sparkling and clear. She made a sincere promise to the Dragon Lord before turning around.

Upon hearing this, Chu Longjun finally nodded slightly, and as he watched the Star-Crowned Daoist walk away, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Too close and they become disrespectful; too distant and they easily resent us—this is for the best!"

"It was I who was greedy..."

A Dao seed with an immeasurable future cannot be bound or restrained by any means. Forcing it might only lead to disaster when it breaks free.

In a flash of thought, the Dragon King came to a conclusion. He was a magnanimous person, so he stopped caring about it.

He then raised his hand to take the golden goblet, holding a pot of sweet dew wine. With one hand holding the pot and the other holding the goblet, the old dragon toasted and drank with the distinguished guests from Dragon Island and the honored guests from Purple Palace, feasting all night long. The entire Dragon Marsh was filled with joy and laughter.

As Li Qing left Longyu and slowly climbed onto the Dragon Tooth Ship, the four true disciples, Jin Nancan, Gui Ji, and He Wu, were already waiting in front of the ship to greet her.

This Brother Li... has been hiding his true abilities for a long time. When we came to him that day, we never thought that he would use such methods to occupy the top spot on the Ten Great Masters List!
"Brother Dao, you are truly amazing."

Just as Li Qing was about to return, the four true disciples held up wine cups and jugs. The ghost maiden, her eyes sparkling, held up a wine cup with both hands to welcome him.

Li Qing did not refuse, took the wine cup, covered the cup with his sleeve, and drank it all in one gulp.

"I owe a great deal to the several fellow Daoists who blocked my way around the mountains, which allowed me to conceal my methods and avoid attracting attention, until I was able to win by chance."

"Gentlemen, would you like to join me for a drink?"

The five of them gathered and went up to the upper deck. They found a table and drank wine, talked and laughed, and indulged in unrestrained revelry, which was in line with the true nature of those who cultivate the Tao.

As for the original Daoist sects, some traveled to the Dragon Marsh Islands, while others obtained Daoist scriptures and set off to leave.

Just like that Dragon Lord, after passing the test of the Eleven Luminaries Heavenly Palace, he did not return to the East Sea after the Qingping Grand Banquet, but instead headed north, intending to traverse the three prefectures of Qingping, Jinping, and Guihua, and go to the land of Duxibaqiu, the Duxiba Kingdom, which was the location where the Heavenly Palace was active.

Among the celestial luminaries, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter are already waiting for him on the way north of Qingping...

However, he did not expect that three transparent outlines would sway in the wind in the clouds above his head. These were traces that even a real person's divine sense could not detect. This was the innate divine ability of the ancient demon - Wood Guardian - Formless Escape Technique.

The Crane Lord from Lin Yuan Sect is making his first appearance among the Five Immortal Sects. It seems he's here to intimidate others and demand an explanation for his sect and his master...

(End of this chapter)