Longevity Candle

Chapter 85 If you can't worship the Taiyin, then worship the green lamp.

The flowers are scarlet, as vivid as blood.

Li Qingxuan seemed dazed, as if she could see herself being born and growing up under the guidance of her parents.

Memories of the past flooded back, but Jiang Zhu was nowhere to be found.

The old crow's three eyes revealed a sense of bewilderment, and he instinctively let go.

He remembered many things, scenes flashing before his eyes, yet fearing he would forget, he preserved them with his magic and transmitted them to the space between Li Qingxuan and Gu Yunshen's eyebrows.

My memories are very chaotic and not scattered; they need time to sort them out.

"This is... a soul-summoning technique?"

Li Qingxuan was shocked, for she saw the complete Soul Guiding Technique in that memory.

Guiding the soul, guiding the soul, is to guide the wandering soul, and also to invite the soul!
No matter where the wandering spirit is, as long as its identity is known, it can be summoned.

Of course, this is on the premise that the wandering souls in the human world cannot be invited back once they have gone to their final resting place.

Unfortunately, the complete version of the Soul Summoning Spell requires magical power to support it, and the meager magical power she had accumulated was far from enough to cast it.

Gu Yun Shen also saw the soul-guiding technique and was quite pleasantly surprised. If only it would absorb less blood.

The old crow landed on his shoulder: "You'll be fine after a while. I remember now, you are the descendants of humans who stole the power of the Shadow."

"Stealing the power of Youying? What do we mean by 'we'?" Gu Yunshen asked, puzzled.

"Is it the one who proclaimed the divine right of kings?" Li Qingxuan asked.

The old crow nodded: "It is him. The power of the Ghostly Light will not remain on him forever. After he dies, it will transfer to find someone with dragon energy. This is why Yunmeng has always been Yunmeng."

"Can the power of the Ghostly Light find the dragon energy of the nation's destiny?" Li Qingxuan asked in surprise.

"Under normal circumstances, the power of the Ghostly Light would not pay attention to the dragon's energy, but since the power of the Ghostly Light has already enveloped this land, it will naturally affect the fate of the nation."

The old crow said, "If you can obtain the Taiyin Soul Refining Technique, and combine it with the Youying Power within his body, and ask Jiang Zhu to perform the Soul Ritual for me, borrowing the power of ten thousand souls to heal my injuries, there is a high chance that my injuries will recover."

“Then let’s go now,” Li Qingxuan said.

"I can only deal with the miasma. The Chang family in Qiuyue City has a method of controlling snakes. I want to sneak in and learn their snake-controlling skills, find a snake king, and intimidate the poisonous insects of Yunmeng Marsh."

Gu Yunshen said.

“I already have the Snake King, and I also have the Nether Crow Immortal. You just need to resolve the miasma, recover your health, and let the Nether Crow Immortal take a few more bites,” Li Qingxuan said.

Gu Yunshen's lips twitched slightly. Although he was willing to give it up, he couldn't keep using it as a blood pack forever.

"With me here, the mountain spirits cannot harm you, and the wild beasts dare not approach. The dangers you mentioned in Yunmeng Marsh are nothing. The real difficulty is the maze set up by the elves and immortal masters. Even if you find it, you will not be able to enter."

The old crow said.

"I'll go get some medicinal herbs to help you recover," Li Qingxuan said.

“Senior…” Gu Yun Shen’s face was pale and he looked wary. He wanted to leave with Li Qing Xuan, but he didn’t dare to speak.

He was terrified that the old crow would suck him dry.

"Don't worry, your blood will only provide temporary relief, it won't cure me. Draining you won't do me any good," the old crow said.

Li Qingxuan went back to the city to get medicine, and left Qingdeng at the tavern. She wouldn't take it to Yunmengze, in case it got lost, it would be troublesome.

She told her parents about going to Yunmengze.

Considering Li Qingxuan's current strength, and the protection of the elves and the snake king, they felt at ease letting her go.

And inside the peach grove.

The old crow with its three heads sized up Gu Yun Shen: "You kid, you've been hiding a lot of things."

"What do you mean, senior?" Gu Yunshen asked, puzzled.

"With such a cluttered mind, possessing the power of the Ghostly Light, having learned the Ritual Soul, and having perused the secret manuals of the Imperial Palace, it's impossible that he wouldn't know that Yunmeng is a prison."

The old crow, with its middle head raised, said coldly, "Li Qingxuan is naive and won't think too much. The old crow has sobered up and is remembering many things from the past."

Gu Yun Shen remained silent for a moment, then bowed and said, "I wish to emulate the Master of the Way of Peace and continue the cause of peace. I wonder if you, senior, could assist me?"

"This is not Ningguo, and you are not Li Qingping."

The old crow looked up at the sky, then looked down at him: "This sky is much more troublesome than the situation in Ningguo back then."

"The worst thing is death." Gu Yunshen said firmly, "If the Lord of Taiping Dao can sacrifice himself for that land, how can I allow Shuntian Dao to continue to poison the people of Yunmeng?"

"What do you plan to do?" the old crow asked.

"I haven't thought it through yet," Gu Yunshen said.

"I see you've thought it through. Fine, I won't ask any more questions, because what you want to do is also what I want to do."

The old crow sighed, "Li Qingping has set a precedent for ordinary people, but I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

“I think it’s a good thing,” Gu Yunshen said in a low voice. “Now that the emperor knows about the so-called face of immortals, he should be more vigilant and won’t be used to seek immortality anymore.”

"You're wrong. Time will heal all wounds. The elves and the immortals have plenty of time to erase all traces."

Your efforts will only create a small inconvenience for them in their long lives; besides, the allure of immortality is irresistible to any living being.

"The Lord of the Way of Peace has resisted, and I do not seek immortality. Or rather, I seek an alternative kind of immortality: to live in the mouths of the world. Isn't that also a form of immortality?"

“If the Master of the Taiping Dao had entered the path of immortality back then, perhaps he would have become just like those immortal masters and Daoists,” the old crow said.

Gu Yun Shen remained silent; speculating about something so impossible was pointless.

Not long after, Li Qingxuan returned with medicinal herbs and brewed a pot of nourishing soup for Gu Yunshen.

Gu Yunshen was drinking his medicine when Li Qingxuan explained the Peach Blossom Sword Technique: the vital energy of the five internal organs is transformed into true essence. She didn't know what happened after that, as Li Qingping hadn't passed it down.

However, she has already accumulated a great deal of merit, and coupled with her own talent, it won't be long before she can comprehend the path ahead.

After resting in the peach grove for half a month, Gu Yun Shen had almost fully recovered. He opened the sword box and took out two human skin masks.

"When traveling the world, one cannot use one's own identity."

Gu Yunshen smiled and said, "It would be best if they impersonated members of the clan."

“The Seven Star Sword Box is extremely conspicuous; surely no clan uses a sword box?” Li Qingxuan said, putting on a human skin mask.

"So what? As long as it's not your own identity, it's fine." Gu Yunshen said, "You are from the hidden lineage of Peach Blossom Spring. I don't want to drag you into the mortal world."

The two donned masks, slung the Seven Star Sword Box over their shoulders, and left Autumn Moon City. The old crow landed on Gu Yun Shen's shoulder and drifted off to sleep again.

Three-headed birds are considered strange creatures by ordinary people. They usually choose to travel in places with few people and move very fast, making them difficult for ordinary people to see.

The two of them sent away wandering spirits every day, accumulating merit.

Along the way, Li Qingxuan discovered that the area was sparsely populated, and occasionally women would go into the mountains to find wild fruits and vegetables for food.

"The war is still ongoing, with occasional truces for a year or two, and then the fighting continues."

Gu Yunshen said in a low voice, "In the north of Yunmeng, nine out of ten houses are empty, and there are no men for dozens of miles. There are only orphans and widows who can hardly survive."

"Sigh," Li Qingxuan sighed softly, "I hope the war will end soon."

"The war will only continue, it will not stop. This is a war of annihilation." Gu Yunshen said, "Now in Yunmeng, the power of clans in various places has expanded to an unprecedented level."

"Why? Many branches of the Chang family in Qiuyue City have joined the war," Li Qingxuan asked, frowning.

"Those are the neglected collateral branches, who have long lost their family ties and cannot rely on the clan. If they want wealth and status, they can only gamble."

In this war, too many people chose to join nearby clans to avoid conscription, and these clans took the opportunity to seize land and claim ownership of the mountains.

"Joining a clan means I won't have to serve in the army?"

“Yes, the Emperor of Yunmeng dares not force the clans to participate in the war now. Once the clans rise up in rebellion, the imperial power will be overthrown in an instant.” Gu Yunshen said mockingly, “Tell me, what’s the point of being an emperor if things get to this point?”

“Therefore, Ningguo chose to wage war against foreign powers,” Li Qingxuan said in a deep voice.

The clans of Yunmeng Kingdom are no different from the powerful and wealthy gentry of Ning Kingdom, and are even more extreme.

"He can only shift the domestic conflicts to Yunmeng. His methods are very clever," Gu Yunshen said calmly, without a trace of hatred in his voice.

Li Qingxuan hesitated and said, "The situation in Yunmeng is unfavorable now. Aren't you worried? You possess a trace of dragon energy and are a member of the royal family. Aren't you worried?"

"What's the use of worrying?" Gu Yun Shen smiled faintly, his young eyes concealing too many secrets.

Li Qingxuan remained silent, and the peach wood lamp sent away another wandering soul.

The two traveled through city after city. There were many young and strong men in the cities, but they had all changed into the clothes of the local clans, so the officials did not dare to make things difficult for them.

Wherever they went, the two would change into the clothes of the local clan, and their journey would be smooth.

Three months later, they finally arrived at Yunmengze.

The endless swamp was filled with miasma. Gu Yun Shen took out a porcelain bottle containing the antidote he had prepared.

"This was prepared by old hunters in the area. They live in miasma year-round and rely on this antidote," Gu Yunshen said.

Li Qingxuan took the pill and swallowed it, then summoned the Seven Star Sword and, with Gu Yunshen in tow, entered the multicolored miasma ahead.

The miasma is colorful, like colorful clouds in the sky, and the land is pristine, like a fairyland, but this fairyland is full of poison.

The golden serpent king emerged from the sleeve, flicking its tongue with delight; it loved this highly poisonous place.

After passing through the vast miasma, we arrived at a boundless swamp, where venomous snakes roamed everywhere and various poisonous insects searched for food around the swamp.

Gu Yunshen pointed out the direction. Giant pythons and alligators emerged from the mud, along with rats as tall as half a person. In the distance, black bears, tigers, and leopards sized up the strangers who had entered this primeval land.

Riding on their swords, they arrived in an instant, stopping on a desolate hill covered with rubble.

"No, this place should be a valley. Am I mistaken?" Gu Yunshen frowned.

"If the immortals are hiding their divine abilities, we will surely get a response if we test them with our magic power."

Li Qingxuan drew upon the sparse Yin energy, transforming it into a sword beam that slashed towards the small mountain.

Buzz

Ripples spread across the hillside, and the Taiyin Sword's light vanished in an instant.

"As expected, they used immortal techniques to conceal their intentions. I hope they didn't take what we wanted." Li Qingxuan looked at Gu Yunshen.

Gu Yunshen understood and raised his arm: "Netherworld Crow Immortal, you'd better be careful not to drain me dry."

Its sharp beak pierced through flesh and blood, sucking up fresh blood, and a bright red flower once again bloomed between its brows.

From that desolate hill, something seemed to be calling to him.

An ancient aura emanated from the old crow, and a clarity appeared in its murky eyes.

"Gah."

A loud and sharp cry rang out, and the void before them twisted and shattered like porcelain, revealing a desolate valley.

A chilling aura swept in, turning the entire valley into a freezing winter's day, so cold it seemed to freeze one's very soul.

The old crow unleashed its Yin energy, enveloping the two of them before swooping down into the valley.

The three heads scanned their surroundings, unleashing a surge of magical power: "How can we not find it? We clearly sensed it."

“I used to have a unique sense, but I don’t have it now.” Gu Yun Shen’s expression also turned grim.

"Could it have been taken?" Li Qingxuan frowned.

“No, if it were truly a remnant of the ancient Taiyin Youying, they couldn’t take it away. If they could take it, they wouldn’t have used such methods to conceal it,” the old crow said. “Try using the ritual of rites to appease the soul.”

"How can we perform rituals for the spirits in broad daylight?" Gu Yun Shen frowned. "Let's wait until tonight."

“We don’t have much time. If we break this technique, the one who cast the spell will surely sense it,” the old crow said solemnly.

"I'll give it a try, I hope it works." Li Qingxuan's expression was solemn as she took out a peach wood lamp, which emitted a ghostly glow.

There was no moon at the moment, but she was contemplating the green lamp while worshipping the moon. Although the green lamp was not by her side, the peach wood green lamp was made by Jiang Zhu, so it could serve as a substitute, right?

With a spirit of trying, a ray of silver light broke through the soil in the center of the valley.

"It really worked?" Old Crow and Gu Yunshen looked at Li Qingxuan strangely. "Worshiping his own peach wood lamp is enough?"

Without hesitation, the old crow quickly stepped forward, grabbed a silver stone containing a vast amount of Yin energy and a strange object.

"Let's go." The old crow tossed the Taiyin Stone to Li Qingxuan, grabbed them with its claws, and quickly left.

Li Qingxuan looked at the silver stone, slightly taken aback: "There's something inside, it seems to be a lamp?"

Before they could answer, nine-colored celestial light rose from the distant mountains, and a vast heavenly might swept in.

"Hold on tight, the Nine-Colored Deer is coming out..."

(End of this chapter)