The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 254 Building Up for the Future
The Five Immortal Sects Grand Competition saw the true disciples of each sect take center stage, each claiming a place on the Flower Ranking, and their names would be renowned throughout the Southern Immortal Cultivation World for the next sixty years.

Li Qing glanced at the list from the viewing platform and left after the results were announced.

Linglong, however, noticed something unusual among those scholars. As she rode away on a cloud, she teased Li Qing, "Master, do you have some connection with those mortal scholars? Summoning them to the Immortal Platform, are you going to give them a hand?"

"mortal?"

Li Qing raised an eyebrow, turned her head to look at her arrogant master, and corrected him.

"They are no ordinary people!"

"The scholar-official system, through its study of the Book of Poetry and the teachings of archery and mathematics, has educated countless people. Only then have these scholars been selected. Each of these individuals is proficient in one of the six arts, and each seeks a method within the method. They cultivate their minds and persevere with unwavering determination. Those who achieve success are called national scholars."

"The former governor of Guihua and the general who guarded Zhenjiang in the north were both people of this kind."

Those who achieve greatness possess divine insight, their writings can control water and fire, their chess and archery can wield weapons, they can contend with deities and fight against underworld gods. Apart from the one shortcoming of their fleeting youth, they are otherwise excellent.

If you arrogantly treat the southern gentry as mere mortals, you will suffer a great loss!

Thinking about this, Li Qing had some new ideas.

The Li family was originally a small household in the prefecture. Their ancestors worked hard and made excellent paper. Now, the Li family has four sons. Apart from Li Qing, who mistakenly entered the path of immortality, and Li Yong, who had a smooth official career, the remaining two collateral descendants are not spoiled brats either.

While there's nothing wrong with cultivating one's mind and following the Taoist path, if one can also explore unorthodox methods and acquire another Taoist technique, the path ahead will obviously be much smoother.

The three paths of internal alchemy, ancient cultivation of qi, and superior spiritual refinement point directly to the path to longevity, while the concepts of innate constitution and physical constitution have long since shut out all living beings.

The Golden Elixir Path relies on innate talent, while the orthodox methods of talismans are distinct from those of ordinary people; both are beyond the reach of ordinary individuals.

"With the Ba Kingdom in turmoil, the Western Capital unstable, and the You Tian about to appear, it is easy to imagine that the future Tiandu Great Realm will be far from a peaceful place."

"If we could find a righteous method from a different path and deduce it to the upper realm of the Purple Mansion, we could acquire extraordinary skills for a few people. Immortality is not guaranteed, but at least we could protect ourselves in this era."

Unorthodox methods are not without merit. For example, the Spirit Butterfly Method is quite good. It uses spirit butterflies to enter the Dao and gives rise to various other methods, such as the Ghost-Faced Butterfly that devours souls and ghosts, the Dream Butterfly that kills in dreams, and the Crimson Flame Phoenix Butterfly that manipulates wind and fire...

The Spirit Butterfly Sect is still a small lineage in the southwest, not even reaching the prefectures and counties, and its cultivation resources are extremely limited. If it could cultivate a few companion spirit butterflies at the upper level of the Purple Mansion realm without regard to cost, this path would be different.

With various thoughts on his mind, the auspicious clouds swirled and instantly traversed a distance of a thousand miles.

Upon returning to the Immortal Peak Dojo where he was staying, Li Qing dismissed his attendants and entered the Qishan Underworld.

The Ghost Mother priestess commanded the Netherworld to sink the fragments of that continent, spanning dozens of miles, into Mount Qi. To the southeast of Mount Qi, there was a plateau, covered with lush red herbs that stretched for dozens of miles. Crystal fungi shimmered with light, and from time to time, moonlight, like flowing nectar, would fall from the lighthouse-like canopy of the moon mushroom, illuminating this Netherworld.

Li Qing stood at the eastern gate of Qishan, his hands behind his back, overlooking the southeast corner.

The spirits in the underworld were already in an uproar because of it. Among the owl flock, many strange owls couldn't help but want to peck at the Soul Grass Moon Fungus to fill their stomachs, but they were stopped by the three old owls of the underworld who obeyed orders, and even a considerable dispute broke out.

The wandering ghosts and spirits were also attracted to the new continent that descended from the sky. The Soul-Gathering Grass that constantly dissipated soul power and the Moon-Gathering Mushroom that condensed moonlight at midnight every night were equally irresistible temptations for them!
Seeing the fierce beasts surrounding Lu Zhou, Li Qing narrowed her eyes slightly.

He and the Ghost Mother had gone to great lengths to bring back a desolate yet vibrant land of the underworld, not to allow hordes of ghosts to run rampant. Li Qing drew his fingers and made a hand seal, his powerful spiritual energy sweeping across the sky, and the dreamscape silently enveloped the evil spirits and monsters on the earth.

A hundred ghosts roam freely, reigning supreme during the day; among them are the Ghost of the Child, the Ghost of the Headless, the Ghost of the Five Sons, and the Ghost of the Wraith...

Before they could even realize it, wounds had already appeared on their bodies. In the dream, a malevolent spirit was wreaking havoc, invisible to the eye and untouchable to the touch.

The demons were in chaos. The demons, which were originally formless, were cut in two by a stroke of the sword, which defied common sense, and could never be reconnected.
Tongzi the old ghost held the ghost infant, but inexplicably, many sinister blood handprints appeared on his body. Each ghost handprint seemed to have invaded under his skin, trying to dissolve his soul and flesh.
As soon as the headless ghost bared its teeth, a chaotic sound of footsteps arose from the illusion. Countless ghostly footprints surged forth like a tide, crushing the wandering heroes into dust with unstoppable force...

The attack of the Great Black Heaven Mantra came without warning, and in the blink of an eye, it suppressed all the troublesome ghosts. The followers in various parts of the Underworld did not dare to make any rash moves, but simply hid behind the various gardens of the Underworld and quietly watched the Great Lord perform the spell.

After Li Qing dealt with the ghostly wanderer in the underworld, he looked down at the desolate plateau below the mountain and used his mind to connect with the Qishan Underworld Contract, intending to use Qishan's authority to swallow that precious land into Qishan.

With his current understanding of the Ghost Register, he wrote in the Qishan Underworld Contract to measure the area of ​​the grassland, including how many acres it was, how many Danhun Grasses it contained, and how many Ningyue Mushrooms it had. He also created a separate Underworld Lord's Notice to the Land, placing the entire "medicine garden" under Li Qing's name.

Instantly, another page appeared in the Netherworld Contract, transforming the dozens of miles of land into a medicinal garden, located in the southeast of Qishan. At the same time, it added a touch of emerald light to this dark and boundless land of Qishan.

In an instant, the earth shook the eight-hundred-mile-long Qishan Mountain. In the southeast corner, the land subsided, the dark spring flowed eastward, and the Styx River, which originally flowed in the northern region, took a new branch, passing through the foot of Qishan Mountain, flowing around the southeast, and circling the newly born medicine garden.

With the power of Qishan, he swallowed the Netherworld into the earth's veins in the blink of an eye, transforming it into a watery fortress in the southeast.

Qishan's five prefectures are connected to one ward, and the moonlight shines on the river island in the southwest!
At this moment, the Qishan Netherworld under Li Qing's control had grown to nearly a hundred miles in size, comparable to the Youbo Water Palace, which was enough for him to do many things.

Holding the golden pages of the underworld contract in his palm, Li Qing pondered for a long time before suddenly speaking:
“The land of Qishan is different from other underworlds and netherworlds; there are too many wandering ghosts and spirits that must be eliminated one by one.”

"When the Jiazi year is overrun, we should raise the altar, shake the soul banner, and issue an edict to cleanse the area a hundred miles southeast of Qishan... At the very least, we must ensure that the entire route from the underworld to that river island medicine garden is safe."

"Do you think you can do it?"

Qishan is rife with evil spirits, and Li Qinglian has been rampant for many years. He has been raising troops for a thousand days to use them for one day, and now is the time for them to serve.

The ghostly and elusive creatures, the legendary skinned ghost paper, are ancient treasures. Once they fall into the hands of the Linglong Mad Master, they will become invaluable treasures, and she has long been eager to try them out.

Linglong Chang, the chief priest of the Ghost Realm, Jia Chang, the general who can move mountains with his strength, Feishi Chang, the general who can summon the haze to cover the land, Wumian Chang, the king who carries a map on his waist, You Chang, the six sons who can disappear without a trace, and Jiazi Chang, the group of Chang, displaying their supernatural powers... Now that the group of Chang has become powerful, they are naturally qualified to cleanse the Underworld.

"Order!"

These several deities slowly appeared from a corner of the underworld. The first among them was the exquisite deity, who held up the royal carriage bestowed by the master in her left hand, a bare soul banner tied around her waist, and departed after acknowledging the words. The sixty-year cycle of paper offerings for the deities—they must be capable of handling things now.

Li Qing glanced at the group of rampaging figures in the distance and then stopped paying attention to the matter.

Turning its head to look at the Underworld, the One-Horned Ghost General stood helplessly guarding the gate of the Underworld. Having just entered the Qishan Domain, it had no idea that this great man had such a large background and career.
The Toad Immortal, leading his fellow immortals, had just finished planting spices and herbs in the courtyards of several underworld gardens and was now standing guard outside the West Garden Gate. The three-headed, bone-faced owl crouched on the fence of a withered tree not far away, waiting for the old man's instructions. The ghost god Cui Ying leaned against the side of the flower gate, also wanting to know what Li Qing would do next.

"In that river island medicinal garden, the moon fungus, which grows as tall as a tower, produces moon essence that nourishes all things. Beneath it, the Danhun grass nurtures Yin soul power, which is its companion treasure."

"There are 2,800 plants of the Moon-Condensing Fungus in this continent, enough to bathe a hundred-mile-long medicinal garden. We must not allow it to be harmed by wandering ghosts and owls."

A red line was drawn in the underworld that could not be crossed: it must never be allowed to harm the Moonlit River Continent.

With the medicinal field about to be established, there are very few capable subordinates in the underworld. Li Qing needs to first purchase a few ghost soldiers to serve, and then carefully study what kind of precious medicine that lives on moonlight will be cultivated in the medicinal field in the future.

Since entering Fengdu Heaven, Li Qing has missed several "Fengdu Gatherings." From now on, he will probably have to attend more often in hopes of finding something useful. The two one-horned ghosts and the mighty ghost he missed last time would be good laborers...

Qishan is rising again, and everything is waiting to be rebuilt. However, Li Qing's own path has also reached a point where he needs to accumulate strength. He needs to spend a lot of time immersing himself in and improving all kinds of Taoist methods and supernatural powers. He cannot neglect the cultivation of his Taoist intent. Furthermore, he also needs to further prepare the foundation, materials, and magical artifacts for the Yin Spirit path.

During this most difficult period, one must devote all one's energy to the path of cultivation before the Yin Spirit Dao Fruit can finally blossom.

Li Qing understood something and delegated administrative authority to Jia Chang's subordinates before turning and heading towards the East Garden.

At this moment, the incense burners on both sides of the pavilion were faintly lit. The nine-leaf Bodhi tree branch was inserted vertically into the jade vase on the algae platform. It could be seen that new buds had already sprouted from the Bodhi stem. Its leaves were emerald green, with drops of dew condensing on them. The nine-leaf Bodhi tree is also known as the Enlightenment Tree. It is nourished by the wind and dew, which enhances inspiration and greatly benefits cultivation and enlightenment.

Even those who ranked high on the Immortal Sect Grand Competition's Flower Ranking only received a single Bodhi leaf, but Li Qing possessed an entire Bodhi seedling!

With this pure Bodhi branch present, a continuous stream of Bodhi dew can be produced from this bottle of nine-leaf Bodhi branch, which can greatly assist Li Qing in his practice.

The fifth grade of the precious medicinal herbs of nature - the longevity elixir - possesses a profound mystery that elucidates the laws of nature. Each plant is a rare and precious treasure in the world.

Initially, his interest in the Bodhi branch stemmed from a desire to see what a "longevity elixir" was, hoping to find the "Phoenix Blood Bodhi Fruit" in the Qishan region. However, this rare treasure proved to be far more precious than he had imagined.

Then Li Qing used a jade needle to pick up a drop of dew and brought it close to his nose. Immediately, the drop of Bodhi dew burst into mist with a "pop" sound, like a bubble, and entered the space between his eyebrows and ancestral aperture.

The spiritual mist awakened his consciousness and connected him to the deepest, most mysterious realm. Li Qing felt countless inspirations surging up in his Niwan Palace. Things he couldn't understand or see through before suddenly became clear and insightful.

"Truly a gem among medicinal herbs, with the path to immortality attainable through its cultivation, it truly lives up to its name as the 'elixir of immortality'!"

Bodhi seeds glisten like dewdrops, and inspiration flows like a spring.

During this period of clarity, Li Qing stroked the table with her hand, using drops of Bodhi dew to sustain the fleeting inspiration.

The path is boundless, and the future is uncertain. Due to differences in one's background, everyone's methods of cultivation are different. When one truly reaches this stage, the fleeting inspiration is the most precious thing.

The lantern cast a faint, cold light, like gauze. It was unclear how long the Taoist had been sitting before the candle. Suddenly, he moved, and with a flick of his sleeves, a pale, white skeleton fell before him.

The twelve ribs in front of the white bone were entwined with golden peony patterns. Once activated by Li Qing, the "incorruptible yellow aura" immediately flourished from the white bone, swirling in front of the body like a yellow dragon coiled up, impervious to water and fire.

This was left behind by the Desolate Domain Corpse Demon Lord after his death. His supernatural powers were inscribed on his bones, so that he did not decay after death, which was extremely miraculous.

"Unfortunately, I have already received the Heaven-Mending Pill, and my physical form is firm and my Dao is solid and jade-like. I am imitating the body of the innate holy spirit, and I cannot recklessly introduce this yellow qi source again."

"I'm afraid we need to think carefully about how to incorporate this incorruptible bone talisman into the Rebirth Chariot..."

The Dharma rites for the rebirth of the deceased number over eight hundred, and have now reached their limit. Imitation of Dharma implements is merely copying others without capturing the true essence. To take it a step further, innovation is naturally necessary.

The royal carriage is equipped with a Hunyuan Huagai (Primordial Canopy), which is formed from the overseas treasures of the Wind-Repelling Pearl, Fire-Repelling Pearl, Water-Repelling Pearl, Night-Shining Pearl, Youth-Preserving Pearl, and Glazed Pearl arranged in a six-nine ratio. It is a superior protective barrier.

In addition, there are the Six Ding and Six Jia exorcising spirits from the Divine Altar, the Rebirth Yin-Yang restriction which imitates the ancient Lingnan treasure "Rebirth Sedan Chair", and the paper spirit restriction that constitutes every inch of the palanquin's base... But in essence, this palanquin was originally intended by Li Qing as the central army's royal palanquin, mainly used as a heavy weapon for killing and warfare.

If the "Immortal Great Restriction" on the Corpse Demon Lord's body could be refined into the Royal Carriage and transformed into a weapon for primordial rebirth and the exorcism of spirits, it would be equally effective in battles involving Yin spirits.

As his thoughts surged, the dewdrops condensed on the nine-leaf Bodhi branch rapidly dried up and consumed, and Li Qing also gained a clear understanding of the outline of his next path.

The methods of the Daoist priest and the royal carriage are essentially the same as those of the "exorcism" system. It just so happens that Li Qing's minor supernatural powers, such as "soul summoning" and "five-star teleportation," are also minor techniques for communicating with the underworld and exorcising spirits.

If he wants to deduce the Dao, he must refine these methods into one and combine the branches of supernatural powers.

The primordial qi is the foundation, and the sea of ​​qi is the basis. When a person is born into this world, their qi is suspended in the sky. As long as one qi remains, one has the power to overturn heaven and earth. This Dao foundation of the mysterious yin qi is the root of primordial qi and the source of all laws.

Summoning ghosts and spirits, exorcising gods and using incantations, summoning the Five Thunders, and unleashing the tyranny of stars... these are the methods within the Tao, the techniques within the methods, the power of supernatural abilities.

"Yes, the first step is to wait until the Jiazi Rampant Altar has cleansed all the ghosts and honed their ferocity, and then incorporate the way of exorcising spirits into the Rebirth Chariot and the art of communicating with the underworld into the Soul Summoning Seal."

"Communicating with the spirits and exorcising demons will give me the power to confront the spirits directly, instead of having to rely on other means every time."

At this moment, Li Qing understood the choice to make next. The arrangement of the heavy restrictions on the carriage arose from the bottom of his heart. If the incorruptible talisman and the immortal restriction were added, the carriage of rebirth might be able to break through the thousand restrictions and become a truly top-level magic weapon.

Gently stroking her brow, she dispersed the increasingly chaotic thoughts. When Li Qing raised her head again, most of the incense in the burner had burned away, and the dew on the nine-leaf bodhi branch had all evaporated. A feeling of weariness welled up in her heart.

But... it was truly worthwhile. At the moment this stream of inspiration flowed, although the enlightenment dew that had accumulated on the nine-leaf Bodhi branch for so long dissipated, Li Qing was finally able to deduce the next sacrificial restriction for the Rebirth Chariot. It was worth it that this thing had accompanied him all the way since the White Paper Bridge era...

(End of this chapter)