The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 191 The Earthly Fiend Old Ghost
Huge waves surged and turbid currents churned in the water, and the heavy waves crashed against the rocks in the river, causing them to crumble at the slightest touch.

Just as the towering waves crashed down, a loud explosion rang out. General Jia Chang descended from the sky, breaking through the gloomy clouds and rain. He drew his silver armor, brought his arms together in front of him, and unleashed a leaping slash with immense force, cleaving down fiercely.

Rumble…

The divine leap and slash, with its vast Yin energy contained within, resembled a mountain-splitting blade hundreds of feet long. After cleaving the waves, water sprayed out, and the floating corpses and water ghosts beneath the waves were shaken by the immense force generated by the Yin energy, instantly shattering into streams of turbid water that scattered.

On the day of the Qingping Grand Banquet, the Twelve Rampaging Gods were able to suppress the Yuan Magnetic Heavy Domain to the point of explosion. When Li Qing was reshaping their bodies, he also used better ghost skins and more refined ghost spirits and soul essences.

The enhanced essence was bestowed upon all the madmen, with the armored madman showing the most significant improvement. At this moment, he truly resembled a majestic silver-armored corpse general standing tall, exuding extraordinary pressure.

Jia stood majestically amidst the clouds and rain, his arms like two pillars plunging into the water, wielding immense power to shake the heavens and conquer the seas. In just a few rounds, he created enormous whirlpools, several feet high and jagged, that swirled up in the several miles of water.

At this moment, the entire body of water seemed to be enclosed by the cloud and rain domain into a large vat. The hordes of monsters entered the water, but only the silver-armored monster stood on the surface of the water, its arms moving wildly, as if it were pushing the water in the vat, stirring up the ghosts and monsters in the water.

The two purple-robed figures in Chenxiang Prefecture gripped their magical artifacts tightly, retreated to the north and south banks with a look of apprehension, and turned their heads to cast their gazes at Li Qing as if asking for an answer.

The underwater curse, like a poison clinging to the bone, spread relentlessly toward the old ghost. With each step the dark ghost footprints took, the rapid footsteps pressed in from all directions.

Just as the old ghost in the abyss was about to exhale yin energy to break the death curse, several pale white ghost hands attacked. The enemy figures in all directions were unseen, only streams of mysterious yin ghost energy seeped into his bones. An unknown curse was imprinted on the old ghost's shoulder and back, instantly turning into a bruised handprint, causing him extreme pain.

"Where did this scum come from?"

"Hmph! You have a path to heaven but choose not to take it, and you come to hell even though there's no way out."

The water ghost's eyes were bloodshot. It shook its head, and its resentful aura surged violently, forcefully shaking away the dense array of ghostly hands. In its rage, the old ghost caused chaos in the abyss, with streams of turbid water sweeping across and rapidly transforming into countless water corpse ghosts.

However, the armored beast on the shore possessed the power to overturn rivers and seas with its arms. In just a few moments, it stirred up the abyss river and reversed its flow. Even the evil water demon could not resist such power to overturn the river.

Moreover, the Ghostly Curse had reached a terrifying level. The old ghost looked around and saw countless ghostly footprints surrounding him, blocking all his escape routes.

With the floating corpses of the water spirits clearing the way, as soon as they crossed the dark and cold footprints, they were immediately attacked and instantly disintegrated into streams of thick, turbid liquid.

After only two rounds, it had nowhere left to retreat and was locked at the bottom of the abyss.

Just then, from the murky water, a cold shadow slowly approached. The old ghost suddenly looked up and saw a thin, long figure with wings sticking out of its ribs. Behind this figure, a group of rampant ghosts lined up in the shape of geese, and a strong sense of malice rushed towards him.

"you……"

The old ghost underwater cried out in alarm, but the Yin Yi Fei Chang simply flapped its paper wings, treating the abyss water as nothing, and instantly crossed a hundred feet, its horn slamming into the water ghost's chest.

The immense force was like a hundred-foot-tall boulder rolling down, sending the old ghost flying in one fell swoop, crashing heavily onto the series of footprints.

As soon as the line was crossed, a terrifying chain reaction began instantly. The string of ghostly footprints seemed to come alive. Whenever one footprint touched the old ghost, the rest of the densely packed footprints crossed the barrier of cause and effect and stepped towards the old ghost.

As the darkness engulfed his vision, the demon beneath the abyss had nowhere to retreat. The malevolent aura beneath its skin spread out like ink, clashing violently with the eerie death curse...

"not good!"

The ordinary, refined Yin energy was broken open after only a few exchanges with the Ghostly Curse.

That killing curse was extraordinary, condensed from numerous curses and prophecies of violent death. It could truly be called insidious and vicious. Anyone struck by it would inevitably suffer the fate of losing their soul and being annihilated.

The old ghost under the abyss was not a fool; he knew that it must have been the local ghosts and gods who had made the move!

The gateways to Lingnan are mostly for clan-based private schemes, and there are countless clan ghosts among them. A big ghost like him from the Western Capital will probably not be welcomed.

However, before the old ghost could even think about it, a dark shadow that blotted out the sky suddenly fell from the water.

Seeing that the time was right, and that the water ghost, tainted by the death curse, had no power to escape, Li Qing flipped his palm and threw the soul banner. The thousand-foot banner was spread out in the water like a shroud for a corpse. Anything with a soul or spirit was wrapped up by the banner.

"Ghost King, please rest for a moment!"

"The little devil is merely passing by the sacred river and has no intention of lingering. He will leave now, he will leave now..."

Before the howls of the water ghosts could spread, the Heaven-Covering Soul Banner swept him in, engulfing him like a corpse wrapped in a shroud on a battlefield, and he fell back to the shore.

When the water ghost regained its sight, it found itself in a gloomy and dark place. A slender Taoist figure stood before it, wearing a seven-star crown, a brocade robe, sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, with an elegant and unrestrained aura. However, on its right hand, which was slightly rolled up, a terrifying aura that made all ghosts tremble was constantly lingering.

This Taoist priest is no pushover!
Looking at the pale water ghost that was only showing its head in the soul banner, it appeared to be about middle-aged, but it had no openings and its body was just a ghost skin.

Li Qing asked, "Judging from your appearance, you're not a mindless ghost. Which side of the spirits are you?"

This water ghost was not fierce by nature. When the Taoist priest in front asked him a question, it quickly explained, wriggling as if to kowtow, begging for mercy repeatedly: "This little ghost was born in the land of Xidu, in the ghost city of Huailian. I came here only to avoid disaster and will not stay in the southern country... Please, ghost lord, spare my life, spare my life!"

"Huailian Ghost City? What trouble could it be that it has traveled all this way to avoid, causing unrest in the southern waters?" Upon suddenly hearing the name of the ghost city, Li Qing raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that it was indeed so.

The changes in this river truly originated from upstream!
"The ancestor passed away last year. The ghost kings in the city ascended the throne and fought each other, devouring the blood and bones of hundreds of ghosts to build their own thrones, which terrified all the ghosts and caused them to flee..."

"The turmoil in the Yuan River has absolutely nothing to do with me; it must be the work of those mindless, vengeful ghosts who fled."

Old Ghost struggled to sit up, but the talismans on the soul banner were prominent, and the terrifying soul pressure forced him to the ground. He struggled several times but could only look up at the half-figure of the Dao, unable to see Li Qing clearly.

Grandfather, has he passed away peacefully?

Li Qing raised an eyebrow, as if suddenly remembering something.

Is that the Yin God Realm Ghost Lord who once communicated with Yin Zu? Or is it because his Yin lifespan has ended, causing the ghost scourge in the Yuan River to erupt again!
And what about the ghost kings who ascended the throne in the city? Could it be that there are now multiple more old ghosts and spirits?

Seeing that Daoist Li remained silent, the room fell silent for a moment. Cai Die'er and Prefect Ding were unaware of the existence of the Ghost City upstream of the Yuan River. Upon hearing this news, they looked at Li Qing with surprise and doubt.

"Hmph! Every region has its own capabilities. You old devil from the west, trespassing into the southern territory to commit atrocities, you truly deserve to be beaten."

"How many ghosts broke free from the shackles of Ghost City and Yin Mountain and wreaked havoc on the human world?" "Is your new Ghost King in Ghost City so incompetent at even protecting his home?"

Now that the Ghost King has ascended the throne, why have all the ghosts fled? What kind of divine wrath and ghostly resentment must the Ghost King have caused the great ghosts in the Underworld to scatter and flee!
However, Li Qing's three consecutive questions made the old man start to scheming in his heart.

The person before me may not know about the Holy City of Huailian. If I can leave behind some key information, I will have a chance to survive and live.

The water ghost under the banner had a flicker in its eyes, and hesitated to speak.

Li Qing, however, could not see its subtle movements. He clenched his right hand, causing the true fire on the banner to burst into flames and the lightning snakes to dance wildly. The soul banner rolled and then suddenly withdrew along with the lightning and fire.

With a "whoosh," lightning and fire scorched the soul, causing the great demon that had devoured the Purple Mansion to vanish into thin air in an instant, leaving no trace of life.

"Sigh? Master, you've really wasted another fine ghost skin!"

Linglong Changzhu approached with graceful steps, and with just a glance at the soul banner, she immediately knew that this old ghost had ruined things.

Her husband, Master Li, is always so wasteful; he truly doesn't know the hardships of life.

"This beast is quite talented, but it's... disgusting to look at."

Li Qing raised her finger to capture the Nether Pearl and Soul Essence left after the water ghost was destroyed, then shook her head and said.

The technique of separating turbid streams and creating ghosts as accomplices is indeed a good ghost technique, but the swollen, floating corpse is still too ugly to be pleasing to his eye.

With a flick of his finger, he bestowed the Netherworld Pearl upon the nearby Armored Crow, which had grown even more ferocious. The Great Ghost Spirit tossed it into the Southern Dipper Longevity Lamp, causing the lamp oil to swell slightly…

The Ghost Ancestor of Huailian Ghost City passed away, and all the evil spirits in the underworld fled in panic. This was a real headache for both banks of the Yuan River. The Yuan River was already teeming with evil spirits, and this calamity only added to the trouble.

Even if Li Qing tries his best and travels back and forth, how long can he catch them in this 100,000-mile stretch of river? How long can he stop them?
Upon seeing the giant demon underwater, he was instantly taken in by this Taoist priest from the immortal sect. After questioning him, he mercilessly killed it with a palm strike.

The two Purple Mansions stood frozen in place, staring at the silver-armored madman cruelly chewing on the Nether Pearl, a chill running down their spines. Looking at the situation in the arena, it seemed that the matter of the Abyss River was far from over.

"Your Excellency... came here because of the ghostly scourge of the Abyss River, because of the Ghost City?"

"Can...can I help you?"

The woman in colorful clothes held a spirit butterfly in her hand, walked slowly to Li Qing's side, bowed, and asked with concern.

Judging from Li Daoren's methods, he was definitely not here for the sake of a water ghost causing trouble or for the rebellion of a heretical sect. Such a person, who could easily suppress a day-roaming ghost with just his retinue, must be a high-ranking official in the Purple Mansion?

The Ghost City of Huailian was something they had never even heard of.

Ding Biejia's brows were also furrowed so deeply they seemed to drip water. As the second most important person in a prefecture, he was second only to the prefect. He could even travel separately from the prefect, and he was extremely familiar with the current situation of the Yuanhe River area.

If what that water ghost said is true, the problem is far more serious than they imagined!
There is a ghost city upstream of the Yuan River. What's more, the ghost city is now in dire straits, and the ghosts have fled... Isn't this going to bring disaster to all sides?
Li Qing stood still, holding up the Southern Dipper Life-Extending Lamp, waiting for the prophecy within to disintegrate the water ghost's spirit. After a moment of contemplation, he glanced at the colorful butterfly with a sidelong brow.

What can you do to help?
Ding Biejia and Cai Die'er are both ordinary unorthodox sects and practitioners of the Purple Mansion. In terms of combat strength, even if the two of them joined forces, they might not be able to stop the current "Candle". Let alone help each other, they might even have to ask for help.

The distinction between upper and lower parts is particularly evident within the Purple Palace.

Some people spend their entire lives refining the spiritual energy accumulated during the Qi Refining stage into magical power, barely managing to cultivate a foundation for the Dao. Others forge a foundation for the Purple Mansion Dao early on, mastering all Daoist arts, supernatural powers, and forbidden techniques.

Even in the Southern Kingdom today, the path of immortality is still a half-price, aristocratic pursuit!
"This is none of your business!"

"Taking good care of this prefecture and its twelve counties will be considered a great achievement for you."

As Li Qing waved his hand, he gave Ding Biejia a deep look.

He didn't expect the Purple Mansion in Chenxiang Prefecture to be of any help to him; he only hoped that they wouldn't do anything underhanded behind his back.

But it was clear that this Prefect Ding had some other ideas. While he was still in the state, he sent out two messages. One was sent towards the direction of Lin Yuan Immortal Mountain, while the other went straight east. Perhaps he was planning something else?
However, Li Qing was not afraid of him at all. At this moment, the water ghost perished and the Youyou Death Curse dissipated into nothingness. Li Qing summoned the horde of demons, threw out the Yuan Qi in his sleeve, and immediately the cloud platform rose several feet high, carrying the group back to the northern state.

Although the weather in the mountain valleys had cleared, the floodwaters from the previous torrents had not yet dissipated. The master of the Divine Travel Sect, inheriting the legacy of his father and grandfather, used the triangular magic flag to open a hidden path for dozens of miles to release the floodwaters. The large mud and stone entered through the North Flag Formation Gate and exited through the South Flag Formation Gate in an instant.

With just two magic flags and one great technique, one can easily escape thirty miles away. It can be used to adjust feng shui, transform the terrain, move people's spells, steal people's protective artifacts, and teleport to distant places. Its wonderful uses are numerous.

"It seems that unorthodox methods are not necessarily all minor ones!"

As Li Qing rode the clouds in the sky, gazing at the Divine Path disciples who were arranging the feng shui and guiding the mountain torrents, he suddenly recalled the first battle of the Qingping Grand Banquet.

That Taoist priest who used the Qimen Dunjia technique almost made him lose face. If this person hadn't been less skilled, he would have been even more troublesome than the patriarch of the Yu Gui Zhong clan.

The Divine Escape Technique appears to be a branch of the Qimen Dunjia (奇门大遁) method.
However, Li Qing's unintentional sigh had a completely different meaning in the ears of the two people beside her.

As for the woman with the colorful butterfly, her unorthodox lineage and small family were subject to suppression from the governor's office, the sorcerer's office, and even the local powerful clans in the southwestern prefectures and counties, and she could not obtain much resources.

Otherwise, the Spirit Butterfly Sect wouldn't only have spirit butterflies and no magical artifacts; the Wood Spirit Blood Sect possesses the power of Wood Spirit magic, and the Divine Travel Sect only has a few low-grade magic flags from top to bottom.

If this Taoist priest from the immortal sect could spare a glance for the three unorthodox lineages, and even slightly agree to or leave a way out...

The woman's eyes gleamed with a strange light. Her original intention to turn to that Taiyi disciple immediately changed. In the end, the only peak in Tiannan was still Linyuan Mountain!

Meanwhile, Prefect Ding, who was standing to the side, became increasingly uneasy as he listened. The Divine Speed ​​Sect had a great grudge against his Ding family, and this true disciple from Linyuan Mountain not only did not help him out of respect for his family, but also praised the Divine Speed ​​Technique.
Was he doing it on purpose? Or was it intentional...?

In Chenxiang Prefecture, two unorthodox sects joined hands to release the mountain torrents. Whenever they encountered an insurmountable peak, the prefect of Zishi would climb to the top, pick up his brush, dip it in ink, and compose a poem.

As the saying goes, literature carries the way, and words last for a thousand autumns. Every stroke, whether hook, horizontal, left-falling, or right-falling, is like the light of a knife, cutting through stone walls and piercing through cliffs; every vertical stroke and dot is like the sharpness of an axe, smashing stubborn rocks and shattering passes. A piece of writing can open up mountains, and a poem can pave a long road.

Furthermore, wolf riders drove away venomous snakes and ferocious beasts, while warriors in rattan armor cleared the silt from the road. It can be said that humanity and immortality joined forces, seeking only to open up a path of great harmony!
(End of this chapter)