The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 258 The East China Sea recedes, a path unfolds in Lingnan
"Curved on the eaves and perched on the corners, languid and unhurried, it seems the candle is about to transform into a dragon."

"Fish and dragons need to travel through water to transform into dragons, thus creating vast marshes. However, yellow dragons, red dragons, and the like are dormant dragons, requiring spiritual materials to build their nests so they can lie dormant and molt..."

The two, Daoguanren and Li Qing, sat facing each other. Just by looking at the "candle" coiled in front of them, they immediately knew that it was currently in the stage of hibernating and transforming into a dragon.

This red dragon, which evolved from a dragon-like creature in the tomb, has forged an extraordinary foundation with the Dragon-Taming Jade, and is finally about to transform into a true dragon species at this time.

There are many types of dragons. The gu dragon has no feet but can fly, the chi dragon has no horns but treads on water and clouds, the mirage dragon is prone to deception, and the butterfly dragon is rare... but the only one that comes closest to the perfect form is the jiao dragon!

A true dragon is perfect, but it has extremely high requirements for one's innate bloodline and root. It takes hundreds of years for a pure-blooded true dragon to emerge. Even the Five Streams Dragon Lord is only a less-than-perfect "true dragon". Legend has it that there is a true dragon that circles the East China Sea, and it can make waves rise thousands of feet high with a single turn.

The fierce and powerful dragon, though not quite "real," already possesses all the characteristics of a dragon, exuding dragon might and imbued with dragon energy. Among the fierce dragons, it is worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with a true dragon!
"Understood……"

Turning her head to glance at the listless, red dragon-shaped pillar in the courtyard, Li Qing knew what to do. She turned the octagonal dragon pillar around and put the "candle" into the Beast Taming Pavilion. She immediately knew how to prepare for it next.

They retrieved fire-elemental spiritual materials from the Flying Waterfall Taoist Temple and forged a fire dragon nest for it, using the spiritual essence of the Flame Dao to allow it to hibernate and transform.

"I will keep Brother Guan's words in mind and will definitely get together again when I have time!"

He bowed to the two chivalrous Taoist priests, indicating that he was taking his leave for the time being.

The Tianchi Thunder-Drawing Dharma Lineage was established, and Li Qing, on behalf of the Tiannan Temple of Linyuan Mountain, rushed to the ceremony and brought many congratulatory gifts. The two gathered for a few days, which was enough to comfort their past friendship.

In the past few days, although people from various prefectures and sects such as Donghai Immortal City Market, Tai Xuan Sect, and Ruoshui Yang Clan have successively sent invitations to visit the mountain and wish to meet this Daoist Youhuang, Pei Jiu has sent people to lead them to another residence for a short rest, so that such utilitarian interests would not taint the friendship between these people who are bound by life and death.

As one of the most renowned heroes of the East Sea, Pei Jiu was always sincere and never thought of using Li Qing to achieve any political goals.

Li Qing was naturally happy with this, but before returning to the mountain gate, he had to go to Lingnan Road first. He had been thinking for a long time about going to Lingnan to replenish the "soul bottle" of the White Bone Road, but due to other matters, he was unable to go in the end.
Even though the Paper Spirit Manual in his possession is not complete, and Li Qing has entered the Dao of Chaos through the Paper Spirit and forged his own path, he should still seek out the complete version to read.

Furthermore, Li Qing was able to repay the debt owed by the Cold-Clothed Ghost Lord with materials and offerings from the Ghost Path of Lingnan.

With all these problems piling up, Li Qing had no choice but to make a trip to Lingnan as soon as possible...

Now that Pei Jiusheng has ascended to the Purple Mansion and established his foundation, the Thunder-Drawing Dharma lineage is quite popular. Those wandering knights, shamans, and old Taoist priests have also found a foothold in this Heavenly Pool Mountain. The ship warriors who used to make a living by crossing the sea have also had a good ending.

Li Qing was naturally happy for them, but he had already stayed there for many days. After drinking a few cups with Pei Jiu and Guan Yunzhong, he turned around to bid farewell to the two of them and spurred the sky boat to cross the sea of ​​clouds.

Along the path of cultivation, as one's spiritual attainment increases, worldly troubles and challenges in cultivation also arise one after another.

To travel to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening, to eat the wind and drink the dew and watch the stars and moon—this is certainly the carefree way of immortals, but in reality, one is often entangled in various mundane affairs.

Li Qing is considered one of the least materialistic people in the immortal sects, but she will still have her share of busy work that cannot be delayed!
They used the celestial boat to ride the wind, turned to the Southern Prefecture, and entered the Lingnan region.

Lingnan Road, formerly known as Baiyue, governs three prefectures: Jinping, Qingping, and Lingnan. It has three immortal sects, seven side sects, and hundreds of clan lineages, making it an ancient area with a history of tens of thousands of years.

Even through the successive iterations of eras, the local traditions of Lingnan have been preserved, such as ancient witchcraft, ancient incantations, the ghost and god clans of the Six Heavens era, and the metaphysical immortality that spans several eras...

The Taoist traditions are complex and numerous, and the spells are dazzling and varied. This is a major characteristic of the Lingnan Taoist tradition. This place is where the temples of ghosts and gods are best preserved. Even several immortal sects here have to show respect to all the clans.

The two prefectures of Qingping and Lingnan are located near the South China Sea, with thousands of islands and hundreds of cities. There are many folk lineages whose origins can no longer be traced. Jinling once bestowed titles upon these lineages on the islands, honoring them as the "Hundred Families of the South China Sea," and ordering them to monitor the South China Sea and suppress the merfolk.

In truth, Lingnan Dao is actually much more prosperous than Donghai Dao. However, the cultivation circle near the South China Sea is quite different and has little interaction with the prefectures and counties of the South China Sea, so it is not well-known among the prefectures and counties.

"In the Lingnan region, the north has clans that pray to their ancestors and spirits, and they establish ancestral temples. In the south, there are hundreds of different lineages and schools of thought, making the situation very complicated. The White Bone Sect and the Six Spirits Mountain have far less control over these areas than the immortal sects in other regions."

"Especially now that Lady White Bone has left the White Bone Path, the Lingnan region is rife with undercurrents..."

The old Taoist priest, holding a bamboo slip, stood on the celestial boat and reported the recent situation in Lingnan to Li Qing.

They did not go to the far south of Lingnan, and thus had little connection with the South China Sea. They only went to the Lingnan prefecture to seek some materials for the Soul Path. However, the various forces in Lingnan prefecture were quite complex. The White Bone Path and the Ghost Controlling Zhong Clan were the representatives of the Lingnan Immortal Sect and the side sect, respectively, while the Five Ghost Generals were the leaders of the local ghosts and gods.

Among the various clans, there are many day-roaming clans scattered throughout the prefectures and counties, known as the Twenty-One Surnames of Yinhuang Ghost Judge.

Under the influence of such a dense concentration of cultivation forces in Lingnan, there are far more folk Taoists who are skilled in magic than in other prefectures, and their quality varies greatly. The "reputation" of Lingnan ghost Taoists is quite high in the entire southern country.

"The turbulent situation in Lingnan is none of our business. We are just replenishing some spiritual materials, which is none of their concern."

"Besides, it's just a few days of visiting the clan; it's not enough to cause any trouble!"

The colorful butterfly followed Li Qing's gaze downwards, looking towards the continuous Nanling Mountains. Layer upon layer of cities and towns were situated amidst the undulations, and highways connected the prefectures and counties, forming a vast network across the tens of thousands of miles of Nanling.

Lingnan is mostly hilly, with many passes between prefectures and counties. Poisonous insects and tigers and leopards are rampant, and even the magistrate of Nanjing may not be able to convey messages to the villages.

In any given region, there will inevitably be a clan that lives in a shrine, where people are promoted based on their virtues and bound by rules, thus forming their own clan laws.

People in Lingnan do not believe in gods. During the three major festivals and four seasonal events, they only worship the spirits of their ancestors, saying: "If the gods do not protect us, our ancestors will protect us. If the weather is not good, the spirits of the local deities will come to regulate it..."

Therefore, the people of Lingnan have their ancestors to rely on, and their folk customs are quite fierce and brave. This place produces not only ancestral ghosts, but also many heroes!
Cai Die'er was not unaware of this Daoist Master's past experiences. If there were any difficulties for the sects in Lingnan, half of Lingnan would probably be overturned.

The only unpredictable thing is that mountain of white bones. The White Bone Sect, one of the Five Immortal Sects, has a deep-seated grudge against our own Daoist Master Li.

A hint of worry crept into the female Taoist priest's expression. Turning her head, she saw Li Qing with his hands behind his back at the bow of the celestial ship, his gaze already fixed on a cultivation market two thousand miles away.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Although there are many prefectures and counties in the South, none of them have ever disobeyed orders. Lingnan is inherited from the Baiyue people, and its ancient customs remain. It is not a poor and desolate place."

As Li Qing pointed towards Yunxia Ridge, the supreme celestial vessel immediately traversed the sea of ​​clouds on the ridge, riding the wind and leaping over the waves, heading towards the Nanling Market.

The celestial vessel, like a Kunpeng soaring through the sky, obscured the sun and clouds, dragging its enormous shadow across the southern mountains. In various prefectures and counties, ancestral halls and other places saw the wandering spirits of the underworld constantly raising their heads to gaze at the celestial vessel's shadow hanging through the clouds.

In this Lingnan region, folk magic lines are diverse, and cultivation markets are everywhere. Even ordinary people can often obtain talismans and magical artifacts. Flying boats are also quite common, but this enormous creature, resembling a giant beast in the clouds, is truly the first time I've ever seen one like this.

While the wandering underworld ghost judges behind the various clans were hiding in the void, exchanging thoughts and prayers, the great celestial ship had already landed in front of a market town on a high mountain.

Stone Dragon Cliff!
This is a large market town on the eastern route of Lingnan Prefecture. It was built more than a hundred years ago by a powerful clan in Lingnan and several unorthodox lineages. Originally, this market town was just a stone cave for wandering cultivators and direct descendants of clans to exchange spiritual materials. However, after the prosperity of the Southern Kingdom, over the course of a hundred years, this Stone Dragon Cliff transformed from an ordinary stone cave stall into a huge market town covering more than sixty miles.

The market town is built against the cliff, with ancient vines entwined among the mottled stone walls. The gray-spotted ancient rocks and the spiritual vines accompany the towering pavilions built against the cliff. Between the yellow tiles and green bricks, a protective barrier is formed, making it almost like a Taoist temple or city.

Beside the main cliff stands a massive mechanical barrier, forged using Mo family secret techniques and a magnetic barrier. It can transport heavy spiritual materials and goods from the bottom of the cliff to the main cliff market, which is six hundred feet high, in a matter of breaths. It can also be used for the movement of people and things in the market. All sorts of strange phenomena and laws are present, making it a prototype of a "celestial city".

The Yuanzun Dao Great Heavenly Boat landed on a huge platform behind the market. The large ancient boat stood alone among many small rafts, which made it look quite enormous.

On the boat, paper soldiers and horses waved flags and banners, their strange figures appearing and disappearing, yet their appearance remained unclear.

As soon as the celestial barrier dissipated and the sandstorm subsided, the young Taoist boys and servants waiting in front of the market immediately stepped forward, bowed, and called out:
"Immortal Master, Immortal Master, please wait."

"I am a guide boy in the market, dedicated to leading immortal masters who travel to Stone Dragon Cliff. Please follow me."

The enormous celestial vessel hovered there, but it only allowed the few young Taoist priests to glance at it with curiosity. They then immediately pointed out the changes inside and outside the market to Li Qing and her companion, Cai Die'er.

The market town was extremely clean, with buildings arranged in layers. In addition, there were Taoist boys holding lanterns to guide the way everywhere, which showed that the various tribes behind Stone Dragon Cliff had also put in a lot of effort.

“Alright, I need to go to the market to buy some spiritual herbs, so please lead the way, boy…”

(End of this chapter)