The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 210 Agarwood Ding Family
When she left, Li Qing was alone, but when she returned, she was suddenly accompanied by two tall and slender female Taoist priests, one big and one small.

When Li Qing and the other two returned to Chenxiang Prefecture, the expressions of the officials in the prefecture were inevitably somewhat strange!
Upon hearing of Li Qing's return, the three unorthodox sects sprang into action, gathering early in front of the prefectural government office to await their audience with this Taoist priest.

As dusk approached, Li Qing picked up two volumes of commission logs concerning the changes in Huailian Ghost City. He handed one to the magistrate of Chenxiang Prefecture and presented the other to Linyuan Immortal Mountain. If the Yuan River were to change again in the future, later generations could follow these past records to explore its origins.

He separated the two volumes of records that he had just finished recording and left the prefectural government office.

Upon closer inspection, Li Qing saw Cai Die'er from the Spirit Butterfly Sect, Zhang Gui from the Divine Travel Sect, and an old man from the Wood Spirit Sect.

The three had been waiting here for a long time, not only to thank the Taoist who truly regarded them as a lineage of Xuanmen, but also to find a way out in front of this true disciple of Lin Yuan!
"Are you here too?"

Li Qing saw the three people from afar, raised her hand and beckoned them to come closer.

In his view, anyone who possesses the true essence of immortality can be called a Xuanmen (mysterious sect), regardless of whether they are unorthodox sects or major immortal sects; it's simply a matter of scale!

"The monstrous disturbances in the Yuan River have been brought under control again, but the Ghost River still exists here, and Taoist priests and sorcerers in various states still need to be on guard."

At this point, Li Qing paused, then raised an eyebrow and looked at the three leaders of the Left Path Clan.

"This Abyss River stretches for thousands of miles, teeming with water ghosts. It just so happens that I also cultivate the Netherworld Ghost Path. At that time, I will preach from the Immortal Mountain of Abyss and offer a reward of great medicinal herbs, rare delicacies, and soul blood to the water ghosts of the Abyss River..."

"The three sects of unorthodox doctrines are located deep in the southern and western regions of the country. It would be excellent if they could offer some assistance!"

The Abyss River Water Ghost was born from the remains of the fallen Yang God Heavenly Ghost. Although it is unknown which part of the Abyss River the Heavenly Ghost's remains mentioned by the Cold-Clothed Ghost Lord are located in, this innate Yin spirit born from the remains of the Heavenly Ghost will be of great benefit to Li Qing's subsequent cultivation.

The trip to Ba Kingdom replenished a considerable amount of spiritual materials and supplies. In addition, Li Qing had accumulated quite a substantial amount of resources over the years. The number of black-scaled soul fish in the two clean water bowls in the Netherworld Palace was also quite large, enough to support a long-term commission covering the entire southern prefecture.

Simply tossing a jade slip with a rough list to the three of them can be considered Li Qing's way of valuing and requesting these three unorthodox sects!
Night-roaming water ghosts are worth between sixty and eight thousand Dao Zhu in spiritual materials, or can be exchanged for low-grade magic artifacts and spells... Day-roaming water ghosts can be exchanged for mid-grade magic artifacts at most...

This bounty for the water ghost of the Yuan River needs to be evaluated more thoroughly by the Foreign Affairs Hall of Lin Yuan Mountain before it will be issued to various prefectures and counties in Tiannan.

Li Qing needs to refine those naturally born water ghosts and extract strands of primordial spirit essence. The various folk magic lines that are in a predicament also need those spiritual materials, magical artifacts and spells that are almost not circulating. It is conceivable that this will be a win-win situation.

The three sects of the Left Path swept their spiritual senses over the jade slip, and upon seeing the resources listed on it, as well as spells and magical artifacts such as "Erosion Fire Technique," "Resurrection Technique," "Black Dog Nail," "Paper Lantern," "Seven Heart-Piercing Nails," and "Twenty-Four Golden Spears and Silver Axes," their hearts immediately stirred.

The "Black Dog Nail Refining Method" and "Seven Heart-Piercing Nails" were obtained by Li Qing from battles with rogue cultivators. They are powerful magic weapons even among folk magic lineages, and the threshold for exchanging them is not too high. In particular, the Filthy Black Nail, which is refined from black dog blood, is a cheap and easy-to-use introductory magic weapon. The complete "Black Dog Nail Refining Method" is a real asset to be included in a small magic lineage.

If we could capture some of the river ghosts and exchange them for one or two pieces of clothing...

The three unorthodox cultivators looked at Li Qing with fervent eyes, bowing in unison. The only one, a Purple Mansion Daoist named Cai Die'er, however, saw further ahead, bowing slightly before asking:

"Brother Li, is there a time limit or quantity requirement for this request? My Lingdie Sect has a Ghost-Faced Butterfly that specializes in devouring souls and ghosts, but it requires a considerable amount of resources to raise in sufficient numbers. I've heard that you require aquatic spirits to cultivate your magic, but I wonder what the quantity requirements are?"

Among the three great spirit butterflies of her Spirit Butterfly Sect is the Ghost-Faced Butterfly, also known as the Ghost-Swallowing Butterfly. It doesn't usually have much effect, as it can only exorcise ghosts and devour souls. However, there aren't actually that many ghosts in the southwest. For these lower-level spirit butterfly cultivators, it's far less efficient than cultivating a fireball technique, so very few people raise and refine them.
If this Taoist priest Lili has a large demand, she can have her disciples raise Ghost-Faced Spirit Butterflies on a large scale. At least, the investment in raising the spirit butterflies can be recouped. Even if it's all for nothing, each person will have an extra spirit butterfly, and their spiritual power will increase by more than 30%.

After all, they specialize in the Spirit Butterfly Technique, and each additional spirit butterfly is like adding a new sea of ​​spiritual energy. However, the southwest is a poor and remote place, and they simply cannot afford to raise them...

"Oh? A ghost-faced butterfly?"

"This request has no time limit, and the more the better!"

"After I return to the mountain, I will reassess the difficulty and reward of this task in Lin Yuan Mountain, and then issue the commission to various state governments."

Li Qing was initially surprised, but then slowly nodded.

He needs a large number of Yuanhe water ghosts to see if the Yin spirits and water ghosts transformed from the remains of the Heavenly Ghost are truly of great benefit to the condensation of Yin spirits.

After making a request to the three of them and briefly mentioning the matter of Huailian Ghost City, which gave them a general understanding of the Ghost River, everyone dispersed.

However, not long after Li Qing left the prefectural government office, he did not meet up with Mo Ling and his apprentice. After pausing for a moment in front of Chenxiang Avenue, he turned around and headed towards a six-story building in the north of the city.

It was an octagonal building constructed from eighteen ancient trees, each a thousand years old. With upturned eaves at each corner and eight ridge beasts guarding the eight directions, it was in an excellent location. As soon as one stepped onto the building, the entire city of the prefecture could be seen.

A wisp of clear light, carried by the wind, disregarded any restrictions within the octagonal building. It swept through with profound Yin energy, forcefully breaking through the barrier in front of the building and bursting into the octagonal building on the top floor!

"Fellow immortal, your divine sense is lingering and causing quite a disturbance. May I ask what important matter you have to discuss with me?"

Li Qing used her qi to control the wind and forcefully entered the building. She stood on the windowsill between the buildings, pointed to the seven-star crown on her head, and glanced down at the several Taoists sitting there.

The most eye-catching among them was a young man who was also wearing the Jiangzhen Cloud Robe. He had a hooked nose, golden roc eyes, and a face as sharp as a knife. His appearance was extremely aggressive. His cloud robe was also from the same source as Li Qing's, and it was made in the Jiangzhen Peak of Taiyi Dao. His cloud robe was decorated with cauldron patterns, making it majestic and beautiful.

There were originally attendants and protectors on both sides manipulating array plates to set up restrictions, but just now, Li Qing broke through all the octagonal barriers in the building with one force, causing the surrounding protectors to stand up abruptly.

In their eyes, this Taoist priest from Tiannan was incredibly rude, breaking into the house through a broken window and questioning them from a high vantage point.

"What a scoundrel from the southwest, you..."

One of the Dharma protectors looked displeased and stood up to angrily rebuke Li Qing.

To a sect like this, the likes of Tiannan Temple, Liuling Mountain, and Baigudao, even though they are all among the Five Immortal Sects, are really just like barbarians from a remote and impoverished area.

The Great Dao Sect is ranked in relation to the Lesser Immortal Sect, the Mysterious Sect in relation to the Side Sect, the Side Sect in relation to the Left Path, and the Left Path in relation to sorcerers and rogues... There is a complete hierarchy of contempt from beginning to end!
However, before the Taoist could finish uttering his insolent words, he suddenly noticed Li Qing's deathly pale eyes staring at him.

Immediately afterwards, an unparalleled force suddenly rose from the back of his head. The Taoist felt a buzzing in his brain and was instantly sent flying like an arrow. It was as if he had been kicked several times without anyone noticing, and was thrown out, smashing the entire cabinet of celadon before crashing onto the floor.

"How rude!"

"The first lesson in entering the Daoist path is to restrain one's true self. Don't you understand the principle that trouble comes from the mouth?"

Li Qing looked down from the high building's window, rolling up the beaded curtain in front of the window while casually raising his hand to scatter the non-existent dust in front of him. He casually swung the Taoist priest over as if he were swatting a fly.

Despite the many setbacks he suffered at the hands of the Yin Gods and old ghosts, he dared to turn against even the old guys at the Yin God realm who angered him. How could he possibly turn against this mere Purple Mansion Daoist?
The man who had spoken rudely earlier was now lying among the wood chips, his protective divine light extremely dim. Even more terrifying was that a dark blue footprint had somehow climbed up his robes and imprinted itself on the back of his neck. That ghostly footprint contained the most vicious and wicked curse. Only a few breaths had passed, and the Taoist priest was already in a state of confusion, his three souls unstable and his seven spirits about to dissipate!

This is the "Great Black Heaven Curse," a masterpiece created by Li Qing, who combined prophetic incantations and ghostly curses to their fullest extent. It imitates the footsteps of the ancient celestial ghosts who traversed the six heavens, making it an absolutely forbidden technique.

The Three Saints Daoist on the main seat, Ding Sansheng, also frowned deeply. Just now, as soon as his divine sense was raised, the terrifying attack had already landed on the head of the Enlightened Daoist. His divine senses could not find the origin of the attack, making it seem as if he was watching from the sidelines and could not react in time.

"Brother Li Erlang, you truly live up to your name!"

"Ding Sansheng, the true disciple of Taiyi, greets fellow Daoist."

The young Taoist priest with the hooked nose didn't seem as aggressive as his appearance suggested. After giving Li Qing a meaningful nod, he still bowed and introduced himself.

Only then did the guardian Taoists on both sides realize what was happening. They rushed to the side of the fallen Taoist, took out precious talismans and elixirs, hoping to temporarily suppress the invasion of the "ghost footprint".

However, as soon as they made contact with the Taoist priest, the black ghost footprints strangely attacked along the medium, entering their divine thoughts like a ghost descending from the heavens. With one kick, four or five people were pressed to the ground, and all sorts of gloom and resentment overwhelmed their hearts.

But... that's a bit scary!

How could this "Black Heavenly Curse" still be able to transmit and invade?

Seeing the Ghostly Man flick his finger and cast a spell, his three or five guardian Taoists were all unknowingly affected. Even Ding Sansheng couldn't help but twitch his lips, feeling secretly ashamed. At the same time, he became even more wary of Li Qing, the Second Young Master. Li Qing had ridden into the Five Streams and won first place at the Qingping Banquet, so his strength was naturally not lacking.

The Ghostly Gentleman of Jiangnan Prefecture, the Youhuangzi of Tiannan, is so renowned that even Ding Sansheng, who was born with a Daoist physique, dares not underestimate him.

The hook-nosed youth then pushed out a phantom pill and enveloped the six Taoists who had been invaded by the 'ghost footprints'. The auspicious light of the Nine-Flowing Clouds spread and shone upon the six Taoists. Their bodies immediately seemed to turn into mist, hazy and illusory, as if they had left reality and entered another illusory space, like a mural world.

The six Taoists' physical bodies became ethereal in reality, and the ghostly footprints that attacked them gradually became more and more distant from them, as if the medium in between had been completely blocked.

This is an illusory treasure. The illusory core contains incomprehensible illusory power. By slightly arousing the illusory power within the perfectly round core, the six people were instantly plunged into the realm of illusion, barely escaping the attack of the "ghost footprints". 
"The secret elixir of the illusory path?"

Seeing the three Taoist priests casting spells, Li Qing did not stop them. She swept her sleeves and walked into the pavilion. Only after the Taoist priests pulled out the illusory core and truly stripped away the Black Heaven Ghost Curse did the six pitch-black footprints move without wind, walking step by step towards Li Qing, like six invisible, formless spirits, lingering and protecting Li Qing's side.

This was the Six Heavens Ghost Path that had dominated the capital for tens of thousands of years. The pressure brought by Li Qing alone far surpassed that of an entire Dharma Altar lineage. Even the true disciples of the Taiyi Path felt their scalps tingle when they saw the vicious and eerie footprints and heard the rapid, thumping ghost footsteps.

If Li Qing hadn't stopped himself, the "ghost footprint" probably wouldn't have given up!

"Are you the descendant of the Ding family of Chenxiang who joined the Taiyi Sect?"

Li Qing raised her eyebrows and looked at the young man standing in the main seat.

This was a Taoist priest not much older than Li Qing, and similarly, he was also a step away from reaching the Purple Mansion Foundation stage, making him a true peer in the same realm.

If they were to actually fight, and if this Taoist priest didn't have any other magical treasures on him, Li Qing was 70% confident that he could keep the seven of them here within fifty rounds. Apart from the somewhat strange illusory core, these people's strength wasn't particularly strong!
"Your Ding family owes the Divine Travel Sect half a life, the life of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator!"

The son of the Chenxiang Ding family traveled tens of thousands of miles away, returning from the shores of the East China Sea to the far west. How could Li Qing not guess his intention? It was nothing more than to support his Chenxiang Ding family.

Unfortunately, in the end, it was still because the Ding family of Chenxiang went too far. What could have been resolved with a simple apology was instead met with their stubbornness.

"Brother Dao, that's quite amusing. To be honest, two generations ago, the three sects of the Left Path also owed six lives to my Ding family's direct descendants."

"Back then, there was no one to uphold justice for my Chenxiang Ding family, was there?"

"Brother Li, don't be fooled by their current state of being like stray dogs, living in constant fear. You may still be able to investigate how arrogant the Divine Travel Sect was back then."

Ding Sansheng shook his head and chuckled. Seeing that the six attendants were unharmed, he turned to look at Li Erlang again.

Lin Yuanyouhuangzi, known as the Prince of the Underworld, has never left Tiannan Prefecture, but his name has long been known throughout the Southern Kingdom.

If we say that the scholar from the Red Bean Academy who married a fox spirit from Qingqiu sixty years ago is the enviable story of the fox spirit scholar from Qingqiu, it is a beautiful tale that every scholar admires.
So, when Jiangnan Li Erlang was talking by candlelight at night, the people of the South were both curious and fearful. They wanted to explore, but were also truly indulging in the taboo tales of ghosts and monsters!

Upon learning that Li Erlang was going to sort out the cause and effect of the past in Chenxiang Prefecture, Ding Sansheng had no choice but to abandon everything and return to Tiannan Prefecture.

This person's name is too mysterious and unpredictable. If we are not careful, it is not impossible that the Ding family of Chenxiang will be destroyed by him.

"Oh? So, Fellow Daoist Ding intends to make those unorthodox sects pay for their blood debts?"

Li Qing let out a soft "hmm".

Since returning from Huailian, Li Qing was still blocked on her way. Before she could even drink a cup of tea, she was in a really bad mood. That Black Heaven Ghost Curse almost made her want to kill someone. If it weren't for the life-saving pill that Ding Sansheng had, this group would probably have lost several members.

At this moment, he didn't care whether there were any hidden reasons or not, and went straight to the point with his questions.

"That's not necessary. It's just that small households in a small area are competing for food and causing friction."

"What obstacle are those unorthodox sects to me? I simply wish to visit you, my fellow Daoist, in Tiannan Prefecture!"

The Three Saints Taoist shook his head slightly. In the end, there was only one Tiannan Temple in Tiannan Prefecture. At this moment, Taoist Li was the pillar of Chenxiang Prefecture. He only hoped that Taoist Li would not take sides.

The southwest is a harsh place, and Chenxiang Prefecture is only so big. Only one of the unorthodox sects and the major clans can survive well. If the three sects of the unorthodox sects rise, the Ding clan of Chenxiang will have to fall into obscurity. If the Ding clan of Chenxiang grows stronger, those unorthodox sects will find it difficult to continue their lineage...

If he wanted to make a move, those three unorthodox sects would disappear from Tiannan Prefecture overnight. At that time, could Li Qing also destroy him because of that?
The fact that I'm exchanging glances with Li Erlang at this moment is purely out of courtesy to him.

"In that case, remember what you said today!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qing glanced deeply at the seven people from Taiyi Dao Beidou Peak. Since none of them were people who wanted to cause trouble, it would be best for them to go their separate ways.

Leaving behind only a meaningful remark, Li Qing got up and left in a huff. At the moment, he was truly busy and had no time to play any games with this small local clan.

The scaled fish in the two water basins still needed to be dealt with; this might be the largest amount of spiritual material Li Qing had. The bounty on the Yuanhe River water ghost also needed to be issued as soon as possible. With such a great upheaval in Ba Kingdom, Li Qing couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency and quickly walked away into the distance...

After Li Erlang left, the Seven Sons of the Big Dipper lineage of Taiyi Big Dipper finally breathed a sigh of relief after the hasty confrontation.

Gazing at the gradually disappearing Taoist and the six ghostly footprints behind him, they finally understood what the Six Heavens Ghostly Path was!

The Dharma Protector, who had originally intended to berate Li Qing but instead received a good lesson, sat cross-legged on the ground with a pale face, unconsciously wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. The other Daoists on both sides also let out a long sigh of relief, as they were truly afraid of fighting with that Daoist here.

It's all Kaiyang Daoist's fault for not being able to control his mouth; he almost got into trouble!
Thinking of this, everyone turned around and glared at the man.

Just after Li Qing left, the sound of light and rhythmic footsteps echoed continuously in the octagonal building.

Tap! Tap! Tap...

These were even more elusive footsteps than Li Qing's ghostly footprints. With each step, the octagonal building was enveloped in a dense array of mystical talismans. When the figure in the purple robe appeared on the stairs, the entire octagonal phoenix building abruptly vanished from the world, sinking into a realm resembling a magical domain.

Li Qing, who was leaving in the distance, suddenly sensed something, paused for a moment, but then ignored the person who had come...

"You shouldn't get caught up in this kind of emotional argument, San Sheng'er!"

As soon as the purple-robed figure appeared, the Taoists beside Ding Sansheng immediately straightened up and looked up at the newcomer.

Lin Yuan, clad in purple robes and seated on the throne of the Purple Mansion, is the head of the Law and Order Academy among the four academies of Lin Yuan. Judging from his cultivation and supernatural abilities, he is already comparable to the head of a peak of the Taiyi Dao.

The head of the Law Court, holding a jade token and wearing a golden crown, walked step by step from the depths of the legal domain to the seven people. He merely glanced at these so-called "Seven Sons of the Big Dipper" and shook his head, saying:

"Each of the five immortal sects has its own Dao seed, some with astonishing talent, others with profound destiny..."

"Currently, among all the Daoist seedlings of the Five Directions Immortal Sect, Li Qing can be ranked as first-rate in terms of both potential and combat strength, almost on par with the Yin God!!"

Even if Li Qing's cultivation level is unlikely to surpass that of the Ghost Mother for a long time to come, even if he stops here, it is not something that these ignorant little guys can take advantage of.

"His temperament is rather mild, so it's best not to provoke him."

As the godfather of these three saints, and having paid a great price to pave the way for them in the Taiyi Dao, the head of the Law Enforcement Academy was naturally Ding Sansheng's guide.

As the head of the academy of Tiannan Temple, he had to warn these little guys!
Do you really think that being born with a Daoist body and having a connection with the Dao makes you superior to others?

Compared to the ancient foundation left by the Six Heavens Ghost Path, which can even suppress Yin Gods, talent sometimes doesn't matter much... 
(End of this chapter)