The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 257 Old Friends Reunite
At the summit of Tianchi Lake, the water rippled, and suddenly a dark shadow approached from below. A dragon's roar resounded through the sky, and waves surged in all directions. Butterfly dragons, mirage dragons, water dragons, horned dragons, and black dragons emerged from the water with the roar of the majestic dragon whale, truly resembling a "chaotic dragon gathering"!

The middle-aged scholar-like man then walked across the water, holding a sun plate in his palm, and threw the pill-shaped bait into the mouths of the various dragon species.

The dragon below was majestic and still had some wildness, but it was subdued by the Taoist's gestures and became docile, wagging its tail and splashing water, not daring to compete for food!

"Brother Guan, look who's here!"

Before he even appeared, Pei Jiu's hearty laughter echoed throughout the area around Tianchi Lake, causing all the dragons in the water to curiously peer out and search for the source of the laughter.

Upon hearing this, the Dragon-Taming Taoist turned his head and recognized the old acquaintance at a glance. He threw the bait in his hand into the water, lightly touched the surface with his toes, and immediately transformed into a three-zhang-long blue light that swept through the air.

“Just now, a great change occurred in the mountains, with strange phenomena appearing everywhere. I knew then that it was someone coming.”

"Li Jun, it's been a long time..."

At this moment, Li Qing visits the East Sea and looks back at his old friends. However, changes have quietly begun to occur in the boundless dark sky.

In a secluded corner of the southwest of the world.

A sharp, cold light flashed across hundreds of miles, sweeping across the dark void. The sword energy instantly annihilated hundreds of ghosts and demons, finally transforming into a young Taoist priest who stepped onto a desolate island.

Moreover, a golden sword pellet swirled and circled around the Taoist, shattering and isolating the pervasive gloomy and dark energy. The sword in his hand was stained with black blood, and it was unknown what kind of great calamity it had encountered that could have tainted such a magical sword with such spirituality.

This person was none other than the Venus "Taibai," who had been banished to the Netherworld for a long time.

Initially, he joined forces with the Osmanthus Governor to occupy a medicinal field in this secluded world, taking the best herbs from it and selecting a few barely usable medicinal plants to slightly alleviate the injury caused by the Ghost Scissors. He even upgraded the Taibai Shaojin Sword Pill by one level.

But the herb garden belonged to someone, and from then on, a headless evil spirit came to haunt them, chasing them relentlessly. Later, unknown ghosts and demons attacked them one after another, making them run around in all directions and never have a moment's peace...

Now, Taibai is no longer as spirited as he once was. His face is covered with messy stubble, and his temples are streaked with gray hair.

If even the mighty Yin God Realm is like this, one can only imagine how dangerous this boundless Netherworld truly is.

However, just as a sword's edge is forged through tempering, these thousands of days and nights of wandering in the dark world have also honed his sword heart into a well-rounded form, making it less sharp and more resilient than before.

Taibai raised his hand and threw the magic sword. It sank three inches into the ground, and boundless golden energy immediately spread out for ten feet, transforming into a faint sword domain.

This was a habit he had developed during his wanderings in the underworld. Whenever he rested, he would open up a small area of ​​his domain, which would at least allow him to immediately keep out the many evil threats from the shadows...

"Taibai?"

"I imagine you had quite a pleasant experience in this secluded place!"

Just as the sword cultivator was resting alone, an untimely laugh rang out from the dark void.

He was an unfamiliar face with a somewhat gloomy expression. The bright yellow Taoist robe could not conceal the sinister aura that was faintly visible in his tall and thin figure. Although he looked middle-aged, the moment he uttered a teasing tone, it immediately aroused nameless anger in people's hearts.

"Who are you?"

Taibai, wielding his sword, sat alone atop Yinshan Mountain, coldly surveying the uninvited guest.

He had experienced far too many such sudden provocations in this treacherous world. Some were sudden attacks by wandering evil spirits, others were phantoms of ghosts and demons. These evil spirits were all extremely tempting and threatening.

However, someone whose Taoist name is "Taibai" doesn't seem like a ghost born from this Netherworld!

The golden sword energy transformed into white threads, weaving in the void as if to cleave through the boundless darkness. Compared to its previous sharpness, the sword energy now refined had gained more substantial resilience, making it even more terrifying.

Just as the two were locked in a tense standoff, a faint, cold laugh echoed from afar.

"Him? The newcomer, Ziyao Jidu!"

“If you refuse to let that ghostly Li Qing enter my Heavenly Palace, someone has to fill the void.”

A young man with long, rose-red hair slowly emerged from the dim vortex, glanced at the arrogant middle-aged man who called himself "Tai Sui Tian Zun," and suddenly sneered.

"The organization has suffered heavy losses over the years, while you've been enjoying yourself in this desolate world. Today, the leader has ordered the two of us to bring you back!"

The red-haired youth showed no mercy to the paranoid and deranged Ji Du-Tai Sui and Jin Yao-Tai Bai, especially Tai Bai. Although the two were both members of the Five Luminaries under Ying Huo, their relationship had never been harmonious.

Especially before Chenxing was promoted to Yin God, he suffered a lot at the hands of Taibai.

Now that he has entered the Yin God True Realm and mastered all the forbidden puppet techniques, the red-haired youth named "Chenxing" is not stingy in returning the favor to this "senior"!
Seeing the various celestial bodies in the "Heavenly Palace" vying for supremacy, the Grand Duke of Tai Sui became even more interested, his gaze constantly shifting between the two.

This celestial palace is truly fascinating. The various celestial bodies come from diverse backgrounds and have varied social structures. They are not only at odds with each other, but also at odds with each other. None of them are easy to deal with.

'The leader...'

Taibai tightened his grip on the sword, and silently exhaled a long breath of frustration.

If no one comes to rescue him soon, he will truly perish in this Netherworld. The Netherworld is extinct in the world. Even if a Yin God True Realm cultivator falls into it, his magical power will gradually be worn away. If he had not once broken into the Underworld Medicine Garden and dug up the Netherworld Yin Gold, and changed to using the gold energy to control his sword, he would never have been able to survive to this day all alone.

Gazing at the arrogant Chenxing, Taibai was too lazy to argue with the little guy. He put away the sword pellet, picked up his sword, and followed.

Let's leave this place first and then talk about other things...

The Lord of the Heavenly Palace, Tianyi, issued an edict ordering Ketu and Chenxing to guide Taibai back. But given this coincidence, how could this "Ketu" not cause some trouble?
With a smile, Taibai greeted the unfamiliar Taibai, but Jidu Taisui pretended to be familiar with him and asked questions with a puzzled look.

"I've heard that Lord Taibai was fighting with the former Jidu and was thrown down to this vast and desolate heaven?"

"I am quite curious about what kind of abilities that person called Ghost Prince possesses to be able to reach the heavens in this Netherworld!"

Beneath the Tai Sui Celestial Venerable's puzzled smile lay a deep well of malice.

Clearly, he wasn't curious; he just wanted to stir up trouble.

"Hmph! He's the first person to be reduced to this state by a mere Purple Mansion cultivator while in the Yin God True Realm." Chen Xing clearly harbored considerable resentment towards Tai Bai, and after Ji Du Tai Sui started the conversation, he immediately sneered disdainfully.

One was deliberately stirring up trouble, while the other was full of sarcasm. Even if these two were acting on behalf of the organization to rescue someone, Taibai's expression could no longer remain normal.

With just a flick of his sword, an overwhelming killing intent instantly surged into the air. This sword intent, tainted with countless evil spirits of the underworld, was far more chilling and terrifying than before!
The sword intent, carrying the murderous aura of seven years of slaughtering countless Yin spirits in the Netherworld, hovered above the two of them, yet it already caused every inch of Jidu Tai Sui and Chen Xing's skin to feel a stinging pain.

But... the red-haired youth was not afraid at all. The arrogance that was on the surface vanished in an instant, replaced by a calm expression.

Watch as Chen Xing's ten fingers flew, his magical power instantly transforming into a mechanical thread, connecting with the joints of the two puppet generals falling from the left and right in the void, bringing them to life in the blink of an eye.

The two spirit puppets, one a silver-armored soldier and the other a golden-armored general, were both forged from rare wood and precious iron. They were manipulated by mechanisms and each wielded a weapon. Jin Yao-Tai Bai merely warned him with his sword intent, but instead, he faced the challenge head-on and took the lead in attacking.
The feud between the two had been brewing for a long time. In the past, Taibai was arrogant and Chenxing was spoiled. When they fought, they made the red-haired boy feel embarrassed quite a bit.

Today, both of them are Yin spirits, and they have learned that Tai Sui is deliberately stirring up trouble, so they should settle their old grudges.

"Is it a spirit? No wonder it dares to be so bold."

Taibai's stubble was messy, but his tired eyes held a newfound determination. After years of wandering in the You Shi, he had learned to see through the true nature of danger and was no longer as arrogant as he once was.

To be honest, he didn't have much malice towards the ghost man himself. He just felt that the Heavenly Palace was full of Yin spirits, so there was really no point in searching for a mere Purple Mansion.

At least, that's what he really thought at the time!

And this Chenxing was born with an extreme and impulsive youthful temperament.

The arrogant young man still wields a sharp blade; sooner or later, he will cause great disaster. Of course, we cannot tolerate his rampant tyranny!
"Ji Du? What are you planning to do?"

Taibai's eyes gleamed as he drew his sword, unleashing eight thousand strands of Taibai sword silk. He pressed the silk against the two golden and silver puppets, but instead of targeting the puppets, the thousands of sword silk aimed directly at the threads connecting Chenxing's ten fingers, intending to eliminate him at the root of the puppet's existence.

In the instant the sword light transformed into silk, he more keenly perceived the Ji Du Tai Sui who was sneering and stirring up trouble.

This person's aura is sinister; he's definitely not someone to be trifled with!
'Why does the leader always resort to such unorthodox methods to enter the Heavenly Palace?'

A look of confusion flashed across Taibai's eyes, but Chenxing was no longer the same as before, and was no longer someone he could manipulate at will.

Seeing the young man's magical power surging, his red hair fluttering, and his constant chanting, the strange image in his eyes, resembling twenty-eight rows of gears, began to rotate. The moment this gear-like pupil technique was unleashed, the two puppets, gold and silver, seemed to awaken as if they had suddenly gained consciousness. They broke free of their puppet strings, leaped a thousand feet, and slashed at Taibai with their blades.

At the same time, the dark blue luster on the pulling silk intensified, and the ten pulling silk threads seemed to instantly transform into ten giant pythons encircling the world, wildly dancing and colliding with the thousands of sword threads, trying to forcibly tear apart the sky full of sword threads with the most brutal means.

One of these two was Fengjianzi of Baqiu Jinshan, and the other was Chengshulang of Beidi Kuizong. Each of them possessed the true teachings of a particular lineage, and their methods were both extraordinary.

The golden and silver puppet generals possessed the strength to split mountains and cleave valleys. With a single swipe of their swords and spears, the remnants of land and reefs in the Netherworld were shattered inch by inch. With a movement of their arm armor, even the void itself seemed to be cracked open. On the other side, the Taibai sword light became increasingly restrained. Even though its aura was terrifying, it was merely concentrated into strands of platinum sword light, wandering around Taibai's side, blocking the attacks one by one...

Jidu Tai Sui silently observed the battle between the two, constantly making inferences and evaluations of them in his mind.

'Jin Yao-Tai Bai, having wandered the Netherworld for many years, it's only natural that his essence and energy are depleted, and his magical power is insufficient. But the control he displays with this sword light is truly remarkable. I wonder if I, this old man, can suppress him with demonic influence.'

"As for Chenxing, he relies on that old puppet that is dead but not yet dead..."

When one is spoiled in youth, one is at an age that even a dog would find distasteful. Ketu Tai Sui usually doesn't bother with this star either, only investigating the details of the various celestial bodies and making some calculations in his mind.

Just as the two were locked in fierce combat, a cold light suddenly appeared from nowhere. It turned out that Tai Bai had unleashed the Yin Metal Qi of Tai Geng, sweeping up all the darkness within a hundred miles and bringing it into the battlefield.

Sword energy transformed into light, forming a sword domain. The force behind it was pushed into the sword domain. On the other side, Chen Xing also curled his lips and threw a voodoo puppet covered in long needles from his sleeve at Ji Du Tai Sui, then delivered another poisonous blow.

Having cultivated to this point, they were no fools. No matter how much they disagreed, they could not tolerate the new evil thing causing trouble behind their backs. After fighting for dozens of rounds, the two turned around at the same time and used their supernatural powers to bombard Tai Sui as a target.

The Eleven Luminaries Palace, a hidden organization harboring great ambitions, has never been harmonious among its members.

With all the celestial bodies gathered, a world-shaking undertaking is about to begin. The "Heavenly Palace," with nearly two palms' worth of Yin gods, will be an unpredictable bomb!
(End of this chapter)