The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 237 Remembering the Past, Li Erlang

After disappearing for nearly forty years, Li Qing suddenly returned to the south of the Jiangbei natural barrier.

Meanwhile, the generals in Jiangbei had long been numb from days of agonizing waiting. They were no longer surprised by Li Qing's return and were busy consolidating the front lines and dealing with the upcoming counterattacks from the Northern Dynasty's vassal troops. They had no intention of paying any attention to him.

After Li Qing returned, Shi Laojun and Mo Ling Fairy immediately came to his door.

"Young friend Li, your seclusion has taken many days. The Five Directions Immortal Sects' Grand Competition is about to begin, and the Battlefield of the Heavenly Barrier will also resume. Let's not delay any longer and return to our sect!"

The old Taoist priest didn't ask such foolish questions as where Li Qing had gone. He had gone to great lengths to kill a deity, and Li Erlang was also skilled in ghost and god arts. What else could he be doing?
It's nothing more than a taste of victory!

However, with the Five Directions Immortal Sect Grand Competition imminent, neither he nor Li Qing, who was about to participate in the competition, could afford to delay any longer. Moreover, the troops of the two countries were already stationed in the north and south of this natural barrier. It would be somewhat inappropriate for outsiders like them to remain here without any orders from Jinling.

After discussing the matter, the various factions did not linger any longer. They raised auspicious clouds, mounted their escape lights, and began to head south.

Shi Laojun rode alone on a golden phoenix in front, while Li Qing used his sleeve to create a hundred-zhang-long cloud dragon, which lifted up the old Taoist priest and his disciples at the same time, and they soared into the sky towards the land of nine mountains and eight rivers.

Mo Ling, standing to the side, turned her head to look at that aloof face. Although she had many questions in her mind, she didn't dare to speak for the time being.

Li Qing, however, with his hands behind his back on the azure dragon in his sleeve formed from the auspicious clouds of primordial energy, asked in a low voice, "Liu Daotu's mastery of the art of law is quite disciplined, and he acts with composure. Does he still have the confidence to condense his Dao foundation?"

This old Taoist disciple, who resigned from his duties in the Court of Law and Orders and came to the Li Qing Taoist Temple, is already quite old. He has less than half a century left to live. As for whether he has any confidence in forming a foundation for the Tao, he failed to do so decades ago, and now he probably has even less hope.

This Liu Daotu was rigid and methodical in his actions, even to the point of being considered foolish and pedantic. He was not particularly talented and came from a respectable family in the south. In his youth, he had no resources to support him and relied entirely on his tireless cultivation day and night. By the time he reached the peak of Qi Refining, he was already old and weak, and there was little hope for him to go on!
"Reporting to the Lord... I still have more than half a century left in my life. I will diligently serve at the altar day and night and live up to the Lord's kindness."

Upon hearing Li Qing's question, the old man assumed that the Lord of the Flying Waterfall Palace had noticed his old age and wasted resources by keeping him in the Dao Palace.

Over the years, the old Taoist priest, as the master of the altar who had reached the completion of Qi cultivation, had received considerable financial support from the Taoist temple. However, the initial nurturing of the altar was simply too difficult to achieve, and the progress of the paper-burning altar over the past few years had been unsatisfactory, which was beyond his control.

He wasn't afraid of the Lord of the Prefecture's dislike, but he was afraid of wasting the resources given by Lord Li and ruining the construction progress of the altar!

Seeing the old Taoist's solemn expression, Li Qing chuckled and shook his head, raising his hand to gently suppress his worries, and explained again:
"That's not the reason."

“I observe that you act with discretion, and you are the only one in the manor who can stand firm. If you are really not confident in condensing your Dao foundation, I have heard that some Dao sects have produced a type of Foundation Establishment Pill that can help Dao disciples who have reached the Qi Refining stage to condense their Dao foundation.”

"However, this pill has only just been created and its principles have not yet been refined. There are still many drawbacks. For example, it can only condense a low-grade Dao foundation, and its magical power is somewhat impure. It will take a lot of time to stabilize it..."

At this point, Li Qing paused, giving the old Taoist disciple a deep look.

"I've heard that this pill will be featured in this Immortal Sect Competition. You should prepare yourself accordingly!"

The only old Daoist disciple with the power of law and command in Feipu Dao Mansion, a senior old Daoist disciple of the direct line of the immortal sect, his mastery of the power of law and command alone is no less than a so-called "Foundation Building Pill". He is also a sincere person, so Li Qing is happy to lend him a hand.

Such a favor! The moment Liu Daotu received the promise, his eyes were filled with fervor. He didn't know how to repay it, so he simply bowed deeply to Li Qing and said nothing more.

No one could understand the despondency of an old Taoist disciple who had devoted his life to cultivation and was now waiting to die. Otherwise, he would not have left the Law Enforcement Academy to take on a leadership role at the Flying Waterfall Taoist Mansion, hoping to build connections and networks for future generations.

But at the very end, things took a turn for the better?

This scene of the master and servants following each other made Fairy Mo Ling thoughtful. She showed kindness to those who were in a state of confusion and helped those who were in trouble. She could see the whole picture from a small part. No matter how cold and arrogant Li Erlang was, he deserved to rise to power in this way because of his kindness and righteousness.

"Fellow Daoist, you are truly remarkable now. You have killed a deity of the Imperial Dynasty while in your Purple Mansion form. Who in the world does not know you?"

"In the upcoming Immortal Sect Competition, the Flower Ranking will be a piece of cake."

Mo Ling Fairy's eyes rippled like mirror waves as she looked more and more at the man in front of her. She recalled the first time she met him, the figure of him riding a red dragon to strike the hundred ghosts of the Yuan River; and she also saw the tall and slender figure standing in front of her in front of Huai Lian Yin Mountain.

Each time I interacted with Li Qing, I felt his mystery more and more, like a mountain spirit in the forest, shrouded in layers of mist.

If I had such abilities back then, my sect wouldn't have been destroyed. At the very least, I could have retreated safely, just like that immortal sect.
Looking at Li Qing, the eyes trembled slightly. This Fairy Mo Ling's mind was far from at peace. It was likely that she would not be able to shake off her admiration for this Fellow Daoist Li for a long time. Of course, admiration depends on the person. If it were a rude and arrogant big bearded man, then she could only feel wary!
Fortunately, the Jade Spirit Mending Heaven Dao lineage does not rely heavily on mental state and is considered a half-path of materialistic creation immortality; otherwise, it would have truly given rise to inner demons...

Thus, with golden phoenixes soaring through the sky ahead and cloud dragons winding behind, the journey of ten thousand miles was completed in just half a day.

Upon entering the land of the Nine Mountains and Eight Rivers, the Three Emperors Dao Sect was no longer the same as it had been two months prior. The previously closed Nine Mountains and Eight Rivers were now open to the outside world, and caravans were constantly coming and going on the main road, with carriages flowing like water and horses like dragons. Most of these were carriages and horses from Jiangnan, Jiangbei, and the East China Sea. Among the people coming and going, at least eight out of ten possessed Daoist skills.

The Immortal Clan Grand Competition is about to begin, and more than 80,000 people will be attending, making it the grandest event in the Southern Kingdom!

As soon as they returned to the peak where they had temporarily settled, Cai Die'er had already come out to greet them from more than ten miles away. At this moment, this skilled female cultivator was so nervous that she could not speak. She only exchanged glances with Li Qing the whole way. After that, she followed behind Li Qing like a puppet, obediently and inexplicably, not daring to say anything.

When they first met, she thought that this True Disciple Li was just a true disciple of the immortal sect with the ability to reach the Purple Mansion Foundation stage. Coupled with Lin Yuan's background, he was worth it for her, a small rogue cultivator from a side sect, to make a fortune.

But recently, rumors have been circulating that you gentlemen are blind to human nature, and that the ghostly man casually slays the mountain god...

This is terrifying!

The fall of a Yin Shen Zhen Jing would be major news anywhere, let alone one of the fifty-four gods of the Imperial Dynasty.
Neither the two academies nor the various immortal sects imposed any restrictions on this matter. On the contrary, they spread the news of the battle far and wide. Hearing about such deeds, the heroes of the East Sea were filled with passion and wanted to venture into the battlefield of that chasm.

In a side sect branch of Chaojiang Prefecture, Pei Jiu sat imposingly in the main seat, gazing at the jade slip presented by his subordinates. His expression was grave. After a long while, he finally sighed, then turned and burst into laughter.

"Brother Guan, this... it really is him."

"I told you back then, those immortal sect disciples who can be tricked into going overseas must either have a powerful backer behind them, making it impossible for anyone to openly offend them. Look, look, hahaha!"

Having said that, Pei Jiu, who now calls himself "Master of Thunder Pool" and the master of the Thunder-Drawing Clan, laughed heartily, seemingly recalling Li Qing's novice behavior when he first entered the world of martial arts.

"Yes, yes, you have to have a good eye for people."

While Guan Daoren was shocked, he also had some considerations. However, half a year ago, he and others at Leichi Mountain received a reply from Tiannan Temple. Li Qing also promised to come in person to congratulate the opening of Leichi Mountain, a side sect of the East Sea.

Looking back now, this was an extraordinary friendship!

It's equivalent to a life-and-death friendship at the Yin God True Realm, not to mention that the Seven-Colored Coral Dragon of Li Qing's elder brother was also arranged by him.

That voyage they made years ago, which yielded a Dharma boat and forged such a bond, truly marked a turning point in their lives.

"Haha, then this ceremony really can't be too cheap; it has to be quite grand."

"Send the message down: prepare fine wines and delicacies from the East Sea, treasures from the mountains, and fish from the springs in the water. Let Fellow Daoist Li see the changes we have undergone."

Pei Jiu remained as cheerful as ever, and many of his disciples were former heroes. This Thunder Pool was more like an alliance of rogue cultivators than a sect...

However, the chivalrous men of the manor were not too bad-natured. In addition, Pei Jiu disciplined them quite strictly, and they also came together with the original disciples of the Thunder-Attracting Dharma lineage. Before the mountain gate was opened, they were often hired by various families in the East Sea to guard the fleet and capture sea beasts.

They've changed identities, but they seem to be doing the same old thing, and they're quite happy about it!

On the contrary, it is Jiangnan Road.

This is the hometown of Li Qing, where he spent his childhood, from his early education to his studies of "The Doctrine of the Mean" and "The Great Learning". The legend of this Li Erlang is also very popular in the Jiangnan Red Bean Academy.

After all, in the minds of those naive young scholars, being betrothed to a ghost princess was an extraordinary topic of conversation, especially since she was a powerful ghost capable of bringing disaster to the country. This second son of the Li family was simply a role model for us all!
All the scholars of the academy knew that Li Erlang had gotten into trouble and had entered the immortal sect to seek the art of subduing ghosts and prolonging life. However, not long ago, when the jade talisman that allowed the ghostly young man to casually kill gods flowed to Jiangnan Road, the entire Red Bean Academy was in an uproar.

In particular, those teachers who had once taught Li Qing to study the Four Books and Five Classics and the two schools of literature (North and South); those who had slapped Li Qing's hand for being distracted in his studies; and those who had punished him by making him copy scriptures for his illegible handwriting, all spent a lot of money to buy the immortal's image transmission jade talisman and examined it frame by frame. Finally, they confirmed that it was indeed him...

Four thousand li east of Guihua Prefecture lies Hongdou Prefecture in Jiangnan, the secondary capital of the Southern Kingdom, where the Hongdou Academy stands. At this moment, groups of scholars, adorned with jade belts and long swords, move about among the mountains, rivers, and pavilions, some riding four-horse carriages, others riding spirit beasts. Such scholars possess the demeanor of ancient clan ministers, able to speak eloquently and slay demons with their swords. Even if they cannot attain immortality, their lifespans are far longer than those of ordinary people.

Meanwhile, in the South Hall of the Academy, five or six scholars and ladies in their early twenties gathered for a drink on a floor of the Cloud Pavilion. These young scholars had already achieved some success in their studies, but had not yet been appointed to official positions in the Southern Kingdom.

Of course, it was also because they came from high-ranking families, mostly from distinguished households, that they declined lower-ranking official positions and only considered those at the level of prefectural officer or above. Otherwise, their classmates would have all taken up their posts and served the country in the past few years.

The scholars sat at various tables, watching the sword dance and listening to the flowing wine cups on the winding stream. After a short drink, they talked at length about which prefecture each family was from and what connections they had, sharing the resources of their aristocratic families.

There was a dissolute man with a jade belt and an open robe who leaned back on a soft seat, picked up a silver-inlaid wine pot, and poured wine down his throat. Judging from his wild and unrestrained actions, he was a figure like Ji Kang of ancient times.

The man was somewhat alluring, with fair skin, flowing black hair that was slightly wavy, and a touch less scholarly and more languid, yet his aura was not domineering.

After finishing the wine in the pot, the man disappointedly tossed the silver pot aside and sighed with a dejected expression:

"Alas! I'm afraid this is the last time I, Ruan, will drink with you all."

His half-dead appearance aroused the curiosity of the others, who were all puzzled. One close friend teased, "What's wrong? Could it be that Brother Ruan has overindulged in fine wine and ruined his health?"

"Pah, you..." Looking at the fool who was deliberately trying to make fun of him, this scholar Ruan really had no desire to banter with him. He sighed again, waved his hand and said, "Sigh, I'm too lazy to banter with you."

"Some time ago, it was rumored that Li Erlang, who dropped out of our academy and joined the Taoist sect, did something earth-shattering. You all know about it, right?"

"Gentlemen, you have eyes but cannot recognize a person. The Ghostly Gentleman slays the Mountain God with a laugh. How majestic and domineering!"

This scholar, Ruan, shook his head and sang, but his tone was one of utter despair.

“My old man now finds me an eyesore and wants me to work under Li Yong, and also pursue Li Qing’s cousin and arrange a marriage.”

"Everything is ready for the journey, and we will set off for Tiannan Prefecture in three days!"

To leave Jiangnan and serve under someone else, taking orders from others, is truly not in Ruan Feng's nature.

But for the sake of his family, he had no choice. After all, the Huaxuan-Li family of Guihua Prefecture had produced such an extraordinary figure. If he could make contact with him, it would save his family a century of hard work.

Not to mention that the young woman from the collateral branch of the Li family was of the right age and rumored to be extremely beautiful, there were many people who wanted her. With this push and pull, the Ruan family was determined. Even if Ruan Feng was unwilling, his family status would not allow him to disobey.

It would have been better if they hadn't talked about it, because as soon as Li Qing was mentioned, the expressions of the people in the room immediately changed.

Upon hearing the name Li Qing, the three scholars at the table all turned to look at the only woman present. They saw that the woman sat gracefully behind the table, glancing at everyone with an unchanged expression, and remained silent.

As soon as the scholars were seated, one of them laughed and said, "You are two years older than us, but you don't know that Li Qing and we have been classmates for six years."

"Brother Ruan is going to work under the eldest son of the Li family, and he's even set his sights on the younger sister of that family. You'd better ask us to introduce you to her, wouldn't you?"

"and……"

At this point, the scholar in the tall hat gave a sly smile and gestured towards the Mu siblings behind him.

"Back then, Li Qing was extremely mild-mannered and seemed to secretly admire Miss Mu. He lingered around her but dared not approach her. We often encouraged and teased him to flirt with Mu Xuan! Brother Ruan, do you know who to ask for help now?"

Thinking of that quiet boy among their former classmates, these classmates smiled knowingly, especially remembering how the boy would immediately become timid and speechless whenever he saw Mu Xuan.

Extremely lukewarm, hesitant and indecisive?

Ruan Fengshizi, however, felt more and more that the person in question was not the same as the one in the rumors. After suspiciously examining his friends from the aristocratic families, he threw out a jade slip containing a message.

Are you all playing a trick on me? Or have you mistaken me for someone else?

“That ghostly young man, Li Qing, is no gentle and courteous young man, you see…”

The instant Ruan Feng tossed out this priceless jade slip from the immortal sect, a curtain of spiritual light immediately appeared within the Cloud Pavilion:
Within the curtain of water, the waves surged endlessly, and countless black-armored soldiers and warships occupied the river's surface. Furthermore, colossal beasts, their spiritual light emanating from them, lurked menacingly.

Above the vast river and clouds, a man in a lotus crown held a wooden box in his hand, took out a pair of ghost scissors, and looked down at the entire river. A ruthless glint flashed in his gloomy and merciless eyes. With a wave of his hand, his aura rose and his ghost hair danced wildly. With one strike, he killed the supreme deity who was walking in the air, and the goddess in the distance was also forced to lose an arm.

Call me cunning or treacherous, call it it, hmph... the strong will always be strong, and the weak will perish. This fine head, I'll take it!

Perhaps because they were too far apart, the transmission talisman did not record Li Qing's voice, but the voice imitation added later in the jade talisman recording was even more domineering and arrogant.

These scholars had heard of it, but this was the first time they had ever seen this jade slip containing a message. After all, a thousand taels of gold was not a small amount for them, and not all aristocratic families had a fortune like the Ruan family.

Upon seeing the figure in the shadow, the former classmates from the academy all stood frozen in shock.

"It's really him."

"It sure is him!"

“But Li Qing has changed so much… He wasn’t like this before.” The younger scholar from the Mu family frowned slightly, feeling that he was completely different from the young man he remembered.

"Otherwise what? Do you think being haunted by a vengeful ghost is a good thing?"

"Just surviving is already... a very difficult feat!"

The noblewoman named Mu Xuan rolled her eyes at her foolish younger brother, then looked at that gloomy and domineering figure, her memory seemingly distorted.

Not long after Li Qing's accident, the Mu siblings and the scholars from Guihua Mansion all visited the Li family in Huaxuanfang.

Of course, they never heard any news about Li Qing again after that. Some said he was dead, and some said he had entered the underworld as a court official!
Until recently, when the chaos in Yun Gui Mountain and the disappearance of the prefect of Guihua Prefecture occurred, Gui Lang's real name, Li Qing, was gradually recalled.

"It really is that person?"

Ruan Fengshi straightened up and looked at the teleportation talisman that had turned into shattered jade and crashed to the ground after being played once. The treasure worth a thousand gold pieces was gone just like that. He didn't feel any heartache, but just turned to the side and asked in surprise.

We're both friends who enjoy poetry and music, so how come you actually know someone like this?

He hadn't really considered forming a marriage alliance with the Li family. With his pathetic state, even the Li family's daughters probably wouldn't be interested in him. He only hoped that Li Yong could tolerate his tendency to get drunk and lose his mind if he entered Tiannan Prefecture...

Turning his head to look at Mu Xuan again, the already drunk Ruan Fengcai suddenly realized:
"Since you have such a long-standing relationship, could it be that Miss Mu's elders do not intend to help you and Li Erlang make up for your regrets?"

"I heard……"

Ruan Feng had only spoken halfway when he suddenly slumped back in his seat and fell into a deep sleep; he was truly a dissolute scoundrel.

"No!" Mu Xuan's eyes darted around and flickered, of course she denied it, but facing that drunken scoundrel, such a denial would only make her seem desperate.

She gave that dissolute young man from the Ruan family a disdainful look, then looked around and dismissed the rambling gathering.

"Summon two servants to escort this soon-to-be-appointed Attendant Ruan back to his residence. Everyone should also get some rest; we're leaving tomorrow to attend the grand immortal competition across the Nine Mountains and Eight Rivers on behalf of the academy..."

(End of this chapter)