Longevity Candle

Chapter 104 The Perfect Path Between Immortals and Mortals
"Heaven and earth are boundless, and the universe borrows its power... Master, why is it called borrowing power?"

Xiao Qingchen was practicing a new sword technique when she asked a question, puzzled.

"Because you haven't entered the path of immortality, you are naturally borrowing the power of heaven and earth."

The tabby cat said with a deep gaze, "The power of heaven and earth is vast and boundless, endless, and is called the limitless. Heaven and earth borrow power from heaven and earth."

"This method also has its advantages. It allows one to become familiar with the power of heaven and earth in advance, thereby tempering the body. Once the body has been tempered to a certain degree, one can naturally enter the path of immortality."

"Master, you are amazing." Xiao Qingchen bowed respectfully.

He no longer harbored any resentment towards the tabby cat, but instead developed respect for it.

"Master, I haven't lived these long years in vain. It's just that I haven't had the heart to think about the mortal world or the path of immortality." The tabby cat snorted, with an indescribable sense of pride and arrogance.

As a powerful spirit, the tabby cat has a deep understanding of the Dao of Immortality. It can grasp the essence of the Taiping Scripture with just a glance.

He lay on the recliner made by Xiao Qingchen, gazing at the stars in the sky, and said smugly, "Qingdeng spirit, compared to your master, you're nothing special."

"Then I'll talk to him when he gets back," Xiao Qingchen said with a smile.

The tabby cat glared at him: "Don't you care about your master anymore?"

“Of course I have a master. Master, how about we call this sword technique the Taiping Sword Scripture?” Xiao Qingchen said.

"Suit yourself," the tabby cat said irritably. "Focus on your cultivation, your troubles are coming soon."

"Trouble?" Xiao Qingchen asked in confusion, "What trouble do I have?"

"Your Taiping Dao created this trouble yourselves. The law itself is neither good nor evil, but those who practice it are."

A cold smile appeared on the tabby cat's lips: "I saw it myself, wandering spirits in the distance were consuming moonlight."

"That might be the Taiping Rebirth Path cultivating," Xiao Qingchen said.

"I'm going away for a while. Be prepared for some things." The tabby cat stood up.

"Where is Master going?" Xiao Qingchen asked. "If there is any trouble, I can help."

"I just went to take a look. There was a divine beast that had gained intelligence and entered the path of immortality." The tabby cat said, "A mortal beast that broke the boundary between immortals and mortals, spoke human language, and gathered the essence of the sun and moon."

"A mortal beast has entered the path of immortality?" Xiao Qingchen stared in disbelief. "Was it raised by the Taiping Dao?"

The tabby cat glanced at him, said nothing more, and left the Peach Blossom Inn.

The Peach Blossom Inn was peaceful and tranquil; the changes were too far away for them to notice.

However, the tabby cat, being a great spirit, could sense that the Sheng Kingdom was undergoing earth-shattering changes in secret.

Too many elves and immortals perished back then. Even just a trace of their blood would be an extraordinary blessing.

Wandering souls undergo transformation, mortal beasts break free of their shackles, and mortals glimpse the path to immortality.

The tabby cat can't be changed, so we can only observe and witness this transformation.

The blood of the immortals had been scattered throughout Yunmeng, in every mountain and river. Even he could not possibly retrieve it all.

In the past, without the existence of the Way of Peace, he would have been like Yue Wu back then, unable to break through the barrier between immortals and mortals, and could only dominate in the mortal world.

But now, the Taiping Dao has opened a door for mortals. As long as this method is leaked out, those who break through the barrier can easily become true Qi cultivators!
From that day on, Xiao Qingchen practiced swordsmanship even more diligently.

Ning Qinghan also began to deliberately inquire about strange and unusual stories from merchants who traveled all over the country.

Li Qingchen is twelve years old, and this year has been relatively peaceful.

When I was thirteen, a merchant from the north told me a strange story.

“In the north, there is a temple without any statues of gods. It is dilapidated. Some people rest there and wake up feeling weak and frail. When their relatives and friends ask them about it, they avoid answering.”

"And then what happened?" a guest asked upon hearing this.

"Later, the man grew weaker and weaker. In just seven days, he became emaciated, his face was sallow, and he was bedridden."

The merchant said with a solemn expression, "The doctor said he is like rotten wood, his body is withered and dry, and no amount of tonics can have any effect on him. It's as if he has disappeared, and there is no way to save him."

"This is so strange. Has the Taiping Dao intervened?" Ning Qinghan asked.

“A Qi Refiner from the Taiping Dao went there, saying that a wandering spirit was causing trouble and had completely drained his essence, but the wandering spirit has disappeared without a trace.”

They found the dilapidated temple, demolished it, but found nothing unusual about it.

The merchant said, "Later, someone passed by there and, just like that person, became bedridden within seven days. I always avoided that area to stay safe."

"Even the Way of Peace can't solve this?" the guests in the inn exclaimed in surprise.

"It can't be solved; we can't even find the wandering spirit." The merchant shook his head and said, "In short, when you're out and about, it's best to avoid temples or anything strange you encounter."

"What you said reminds me of something. A few years ago, when I was collecting herbs in a village at the foot of the mountain, some villagers said that there were fairies in the mountains, so I made a special trip there."

But after I went there, I didn't encounter anything. However, on my way back, I saw a woman in blue dancing on the mountaintop. Her face was blurry and indistinct. My mind was in a daze at the time, and for some reason, I wanted to go and see her. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach the mountain. I tripped over a rock and realized that I was standing on the edge of a cliff. There was no mountaintop or woman there..."

A middle-aged businessman recounted his experience, still feeling lingering fear as he recalled it.

If he hadn't tripped over that rock, he probably would have walked straight off the cliff and never been found.

"I also remembered something, but I've only heard about it..."

Soon, all sorts of strange stories, both good and bad, began to be told inside the inn.

Some people are just lucky; they fall into the river and not only survive, but they also find priceless gems and become rich as a result. These are all just hearsay.

Some people get lost, their minds are foggy, and even though it's a familiar road, they can't seem to reach the end. When they wake up, they find themselves going around in circles.

Listening to these people's stories, Ning Qinghan remained expressionless, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

In the past, supernatural beings avoided contact with mortals as much as possible.

But nowadays, supernatural phenomena seem to be everywhere, in every region.

Time flies, and Li Qingchen turned fourteen in the blink of an eye. The tabby cat finally returned from outside.

He looked at Li Qingchen and nodded slightly: "Not bad, in another year or two, you will be able to enter the path of immortality."

"That's right, don't you even know who your disciple is?" Li Qingchen proudly raised his head.

"Hey, you little rascal," the tabby cat chuckled. "Now, you have two paths in front of you."

“Master, please speak,” Li Qingchen said respectfully.

"First, do not enter the path of immortality. Continue on this path and cultivate your essence, energy, and spirit to perfection, reaching the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top realm of your ancestor. This is the end of the martial arts path."

The tabby cat said with a sigh, "Actually, it's not the end, because even if you enter the path of immortality through martial arts, you can still continue to cultivate."

"What about the second way?" Li Qingchen asked.

"Once you enter the path of immortality, any attempt to interfere in the mortal world will inevitably incur karmic consequences. Although you may be able to attract the dragon energy of the nation's destiny, it will shorten the nation's lifespan."

The tabby cat said, "Since you have entered the Way of Peace, I will not lie to you. The world is in chaos now. If you enter the path of immortality, it will be difficult to bring peace to the world."

"Is the world in chaos?" Li Qingchen frowned. "Is the Sheng Kingdom about to enter its final years?"

“Sheng Kingdom is at a turning point right now. Ning Kingdom faced a similar situation back then, but Li Wanyun intervened and managed to turn things around for Ning Kingdom,” the tabby cat sighed.

"Li Wanyun?" Li Qingchen looked puzzled, as he knew nothing about Li Wanyun.

"He is Li Qingxuan's third uncle. He infiltrated the Ningguo Imperial Hospital. Back then, the Ningguo emperor also wanted to seek immortality, but he was poisoned to death. After the new emperor took over, he stopped pursuing the path of immortality."

The raccoon cat said.

"Does the Sheng Kingdom also need to change its emperor?" Li Qingchen asked thoughtfully.

“The situation is different. Shengguo is far inferior to Ningguo. Although both have the Way of Peace, the influence of the Way of Peace is completely different.”

The tabby cat shook its head and said, "They both have the ambition to bring peace, but the people chosen by the Gu brothers are far inferior to those chosen by Li Yunhe back then."

Ning Qinghan walked over and asked, "Are you saying that the root cause lies with the founding emperor of the Sheng Kingdom?"

"Back then, Li Qingping and Li Yunhe had already determined the development path for Ningguo. As long as the Ningguo emperor did not seek immortality and followed the national policy, he could control the power in the court and there would be no major problems. Of course, this also required a wise ruler."

Even if a mediocre person has a future vision, if they cannot grasp power, they will still be unable to execute it.

"Xu Wenhe, the founding emperor of Sheng Kingdom, was a cowardly and greedy scoundrel. He was lucky to have given the people a way to survive, as there was no one else to choose at the time."

The tabby cat scoffed, "I don't know if he has formulated any national policies, but it seems that the current ruler of Sheng Kingdom is not a wise ruler."

The current Sheng Kingdom, whose national strength has not yet recovered to its peak, is already eager to seek immortality.

Once a nation exhausts its resources or incurs the karmic retribution of heaven and earth, its once prosperous state will rapidly decline and fall into ruin.

"Sigh." Ning Qinghan sighed.

Who can restrain the emperor?

Unless another Li Wanyun emerges.

The tabby cat seemed to see through her thoughts: "Sheng Kingdom can't produce a Li Wanyun, and even if it did, it wouldn't change anything." "Why?" Ning Qinghan asked.

“Now that the supernatural is everywhere, even if a new emperor is appointed, he will still come into contact with the supernatural and thus have different ideas.”

The tabby cat narrowed its eyes and said, "Do you know what a demon is?"

"Demon? What's that?" Ning Qinghan asked, puzzled.

"Beyond the Way of Peace, strange beasts, or perhaps humans, have broken down the barrier between immortals and mortals."

The tabby cat said, "This is the name given by the Way of Peace, and it is also based on my observations over the past few years."

"Are you observing this demon?" Li Qingchen and Ning Qinghan asked.

"The origin is Yunmengze in Shengguo. A pregnant woman who came into contact with the supernatural gave birth to a little girl. She was born ugly and possessed the power of fire, which burned her own mother to death, but her father still chose to raise her."

The villagers cursed her, wishing for her early death, and because she was a girl, they called her a demon.

"She was born with a close affinity for the wild animals of the mountains and forests and could walk in the miasma of Yunmeng. Her father was greedy and forced her to go into the mountains to collect herbs, but unexpectedly, she was contaminated with poison gas and poisoned her father to death."

The villagers all considered her a jinx and wanted to kill her, but she was saved by mountain beasts.

"This this……"

Li Qingchen opened his mouth, never expecting this to happen.

"Taipingdao, didn't they take her into custody immediately?" Ning Qinghan asked gravely.

"The Taiping Dao first sent martial artists, who were also poisoned to death. Later, Qi cultivators went, but the things in the mountains didn't want this demon to get into trouble."

The tabby cat said, "The Taiping Dao is currently offering a reward for her whereabouts."

“A pitiful person,” Ning Qinghan and Li Qingchen said in low voices.

Supernatural power is not something a little girl can control; her father was also despicable, and he has received his just deserts.

“She is protected by something from the mountains, and she should be able to embark on the path of immortality. Given what she has gone through, that village probably won’t survive,” the tabby cat said.

"Master, so you didn't make a move?" Li Qingchen asked anxiously.

"Why should I care?" The tabby cat rolled its eyes at him. "Whether humans are in chaos or not is none of my business."

“But I am also human, and a successor of the Way of Peace. I want to go to Yunmengze.” Li Qingchen hurriedly said, “If I guide her, she will also become a Qi Refiner.”

"Forget about it. I don't want to care, and I can't care anyway. That old bastard Yunmengze isn't injured. Even if you're a Green Lantern Spirit, you can't do anything about it," the tabby cat said through gritted teeth.

In that battle, the Taiyin Youming sect of Shuntiandao was wiped out, countless elves and immortal masters died, and almost all of his immortal masters perished.

But that Nine-Colored Deer fellow is someone who changes his stance depending on the wind and preserves his strength.

Seeing that Taiyin Youming couldn't be protected, he simply hid in Yunmengze and didn't show his face, so he didn't suffer any injuries.

"What about the fate of the nation?" Ning Qinghan asked.

“The nation’s fate can be controlled, but with the current fate of Shengguo, that old thing can’t be stopped, unless the fate of Qingdeng is combined with that of Ningguo,” said the tabby cat.

"That old thing from Yunmengze, is it that nine-colored deer from Shuntiandao?" Ning Qinghan frowned. "Isn't it on your side?"

"Following the Way of Heaven and the Way of Longevity are like-minded spirits and immortal masters, not in a superior-subordinate relationship."

Even if we're in a superior-subordinate relationship, that old man's magical power is still above mine.

The tabby cat rolled its eyes: "Her antiquity is comparable to that of the ancient dragon of the Southern Ridge."

"Does the Nine-Colored Deer want to help her, or is it using her?" Li Qingchen asked.

"I don't know, maybe both," the tabby cat said. "If it's used, once she enters the path of immortality, she'll be burdened with karma. When that karma enters her body, it will impact her mind and make her become extreme and insane."

"If we don't let her inherit karma, then we're nurturing her with care. The specifics will depend on the future."

"Besides demons, there are also mortal martial artists who cultivate their souls, and even people from the Taiping Rebirth Path," the tabby cat said.

"Are they nurturing their souls? Are they Qi cultivators of the Rebirth Path?" Ning Qinghan asked.

"I suppose so, but they don't cultivate on their own. Instead, they gather wandering souls to borrow their power or instruct them to harm people."

"I must say, you mortals are just as ruthless, using wandering souls to drain the essence of living beings for medicinal purposes and alchemy."

The tabby cat clicked its tongue.

Shuntiandao once absorbed wandering souls as nourishment for Xunmu, supporting the Taiyin Lesser Netherworld.

So, what he said was just as ruthless.

"Why is this happening? The ancestral path to rebirth wasn't like this." Li Qingchen's face was grim; this matter had greatly impacted him.

"Bringing the path of immortality into the mortal realm is inevitable. Do you really expect everyone to be like Li Qingping and Li Qingxuan?"

The tabby cat said disdainfully, "They're not even as good as the Gu brothers, Gu Pingsheng and Gu Pingsheng."

Li Qingchen remained silent, while Ning Qinghan's lips moved, unable to refute.

With tens of millions of people in the prosperous country, of all kinds, how could there be no evil people?
"Their ways of doing things are different now than in your ancestors' time. Qi cultivators are surrounded by several martial arts masters, who are called protectors."

The tabby cat continued, "Let the protectors handle worldly matters, and let them do the good deeds of the immortals."

Ning Qinghan's heart sank: "Then, should we find a protector for Qingchen?"

"Therefore, I suggested two paths. The first is not to enter the path of immortality, but to continue on the path of martial arts. As long as he does not borrow the power of heaven and earth, he should not have to worry about karma, because he is originally a mortal."

Of course, that's just a guess; after all, it's a new path, and I'm not entirely sure about it either.

"If you encounter an immortal, you can use the power of heaven and earth to fight back. There are ways to do so, so it's a win-win situation."

The tabby cat explained, "If you take the second path, you'll need to find a protector."

"Then what path do you think Qingchen should take?" Ning Qinghan asked respectfully.

The tabby cat shook its head: "You have to ask him yourself, I dare not specify."

He had to admit that after learning that Jiang Zhu had killed the alligator spirit, he dared not act recklessly anymore.

Jiang Zhu did not seek immortality, but he did take lives!

Li Qingchen pondered for a moment, looked up at the tabby cat, and said firmly, "I'll take the first path and see if it's the best of both worlds."

"Then continue to cultivate your essence, energy, and spirit; don't rush into the path of immortality," said the tabby cat.

"Thank you, Master." Li Qingchen bowed respectfully.

Ning Qinghan sighed softly, never expecting that even in this peaceful and prosperous era, chaos still existed, and that the Way of Peace had also become corrupt.

"Master, when can I enter the mortal world?" Li Qingchen asked.

"Anxious?"

"As a successor of the Way of Peace, of course I must defend peace," Li Qingchen said in a deep voice.

"Practice for another two years." The tabby cat waved its paw: "Your current cultivation level is only slightly higher than those of the gods."

"Okay." Li Qingchen nodded emphatically and practiced even harder.

The tabby cat lay leisurely on the recliner, glancing at Ning Qinghan: "Bring me a fish, and another jar of peach blossom wine."

"Didn't you say you wouldn't drink?" Ning Qinghan asked.

"Try it, I want to see why Jiang Zhu can drink it."

Ning Qinghan smiled, brought over a pot of peach blossom grove, and served two fish, one steamed and one braised.

The tabby cat took a sip of the peach blossom tea, smacked its lips, and said that apart from not being very helpful, it wasn't too bad to drink, and it didn't seem unacceptable either.

Looking at Li Qingchen, who was focused on his cultivation, he suddenly felt that life wasn't so bad now.

Then he shook his head vigorously, wondering how he could have such a thought.

The path to heaven and the road to immortality must not be forgotten!
The tabby cat left again after a short while. He wanted to keep an eye on the changes in the mortal world and find out who had leaked the news about the peaches of immortality to the Emperor of Sheng Kingdom.

By the way, also find some medicinal herbs for Li Qingchen to increase his cultivation level.

In the blink of an eye, Li Qingchen turned seventeen. With the help of the tabby cat and Taoling's Tao'er, his martial arts true essence had become vast and boundless.

The tabby cat hurriedly returned from outside and asked, "Master, can I enter the mortal world now?"

"You all moved here from Peach Blossom Island in the South China Sea, right?" The tabby cat's voice was somewhat heavy.

"Yes, Master, why did you suddenly bring up Peach Blossom Island?"

"The army of the Sheng Kingdom has found Peach Blossom Island."

"what?"

(End of this chapter)