The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 127 Difficult Task

The royal carriage returned through the air, and by the time it entered Huaxuan Ward, it was still not dawn.

The four men in the mansion also took advantage of this rare day of gathering and drank themselves into a stupor until dawn.

When the sun was high in the sky, the three Li Yong brothers woke up in their respective houses. As they asked their servants to bring them hangover soup, the events of the previous night still lingered in their minds.

Li Yong got up early and led a group of riders toward the governor's mansion.

At this moment, there was still no definite news from Yun Gui Mountain. He needed to report the situation to the important figures in the capital. This notification, delivered at a later time, was a remarkable act of friendship.

The governors and prefects might have already received the news, but if other high-ranking officers could use this intelligence to change their tune, they could potentially alter their fate...

Meanwhile, inside the Li residence.

The master and mistress had ordered their servants to prepare porridge and send it to Li Qing's courtyard early in the morning. The second son had just returned home and was naturally enjoying great honor.

After all, in any household, the youngest child is always the most pitied.

Li Qing was flattered and overwhelmed, but also afraid that the toad spirit would frighten the two elders. With a slap of his right palm, he sealed it into the scroll of "Shadow God Paper" and put it with many other immortals and demons.

They are currently struggling to cope with their elderly parents.

In the two small courtyards across the street, the two young masters and ladies, Li Huoliu and Li Yun, had just opened their eyes when they tightly clutched the fox-shaped pendants in their sleeves.

The fox, which had been lying prostrate outside the pavilion, immediately obeyed the order and, like a streak of yellow light, dashed into the room, nearly tearing the doors and walls of the Li residence down.

Two fox-like beasts, each the size of a blue ox, sat on one side of the bed, awaiting orders. Even though they were under a spell to summon souls and appeared harmless, the two men were still terrified.

"As expected, last night wasn't a dream. Brother Erlang really gave me a fox spirit?"

If the Li siblings can truly subdue these two fox spirits, they will surely make a name for themselves in this prefecture.

But at this moment, they probably need to deal with the doors and windows that the giant fox broke through, and the servants who rushed over to investigate...

After another farce unfolded in the Li family mansion, the master and mistress finally realized that their second son was no ordinary man.

That three-tailed fox, as big as a ferocious beast, would be considered a real monster in any prefecture or county!

The two elders, surrounded by many servants, watched their nephews and nieces perform the fox dance, sometimes marveling, sometimes worrying. They saw that the fox beast was indeed obedient, at least in front of the fox token.

By the time this farce ended, it was almost noon.

The two siblings from the branch family hadn't returned all night, so their uncles must be getting worried. The siblings from the two branches came to say goodbye to their second brother and went home.

Sister-in-law Li ordered the pharmacist in the manor to start preparing medicinal cuisine and to prepare the medicinal ingredients for the Hundred Sons Elixir. She had the servants lead the two elders into the main hall to test the medicine, but she slowed down and blocked Li Qing in the courtyard.

"The two elders' elixirs were refined by a pharmacist they invited from the city, and with my supervision, they must be of high quality."

"I wonder if Erlang is free today? This morning, Father sent a yellow bird with an invitation to invite Erlang to the Danshu Pavilion for a chat."

The sister-in-law first reported to Li Qing on the proper handling of the three Jiazi Elixirs, and then took out an invitation and handed it to him.

Father?

Li Qing raised an eyebrow and immediately realized what was going on.

It was Elder Yin of Guihua Prefecture! That Elder Yin, who had reached the pinnacle of the Purple Mansion, could generate seventy-two pill talismans with a single finger, and repel the Ghost Mother's Netherworld Book at that time.

He was also Li Qing's true savior.

"Since the old Prefect has invited me, of course I have time."

Li Qing smiled broadly, accepted the invitation, and readily agreed.

Such a carefree demeanor truly pleased the Yin family's daughter. It was no wonder that the old Prefect had protected her for so long; Erlang was indeed grateful.

"Are your brother and sister-in-law coming along too?"

"No, I just visited my family at the end of the year with my eldest son, so I won't go again. Besides, we have no say in the affairs of you immortal cultivators and mortals..." The woman from the Yin family shook her head slightly.

She was a member of the family and knew only her own affairs. When Elder Yin invited Li Qing to meet, the matters involved were definitely not something she and Li Yong could be involved in. Ultimately, it was a meeting between people from the Purple Mansion Daoist sect.

Since Prefect Yin did not summon the two of them, they naturally knew their place.

She only stayed in Li Qing's courtyard for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before quickly leaving...

Li Qing was left standing alone in the courtyard, lost in thought for a long time.

Sudden.

Suddenly, a surge of energy appeared within the academy. The seal on the scroll of "Shadow God Diagram" could no longer contain the numerous immortals, large and small. With a loud bang, the gentle breeze and vibrant energy within the academy were completely disrupted.

When the "Shadow God Diagram" broke, more than ten "immortals" of all sizes fell to the ground. The toad immortal was the most robust, about nine feet tall, and together with many lesser demons, they filled Li Qing's study.

The spirit paper used to activate the "Shadow Wall Divine Seal Technique" was just an ordinary hundred-eyed spirit paper. Due to its limited material, it could only seal a group of minor demons for a short time.

Sure enough, just as the toad immortal was absorbed into it, the spiritual paper could no longer withstand the pressure, and the magic method collapsed directly.

The "immortals" saw that the study had been turned into a mess by their own actions, while the owner of the study stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, staring intently at the scene.

"Ah! It's that Taoist priest."

Man Yuanxian's knees buckled, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

It's no wonder they're considered trash; that Taoist priest is just too terrifying. He casually crushed even the great immortals in the hall, and with a single spell, he could split mountains and shatter rocks.

What are they supposed to do?
"You bunch of blockheads, get out of here first, don't dirty the Immortal Elder's study!" While the two demons were still in a daze, the Toad Immortal behind them started cursing and kicked the golden toad and silver toad blocking the doorway in the buttocks, kicking the two blind demons out the door.

With the Old Toad Immortal giving orders, Li Qing didn't have to lift a finger. The demons, big and small, quickly helped up the overturned rose chair and gilded incense burner, and obediently came out of the courtyard, lined up in a row of oddly shaped monsters.

At the head of the group were the Golden Toad and Silver Toad monsters, flanked by an Eagle Demon and a Fox Woman, while a Wolf Spirit and a Pig Monster stood crookedly. It looked like a makeshift troupe, no wonder the Five Elements Hall had to rush things.

The immortals glanced furtively at the Taoist priest, and seeing that their own toad immortal could speak for them, they dared not run away and clung tightly to this chance to survive.

While he and the others were hiding and dodging, Li Qing was also observing this camp of "immortals".

These various demons, large and small, are so powerful that even a cultivator with some level of cultivation could easily wipe them out. But as for their insignificance, once released, they could wreak havoc on an entire county.

It's inconvenient to carry it around, so should we really just kill it, like Linglong Chang said?

Li Qing gently stroked her chin with her fingers, but hesitated.

Upon seeing the unfriendly gaze, the Toad Immortal immediately understood the reason. It was all because of these scoundrels who had been making a ruckus in the Immortal Master's study; they must have been quite an eyesore.

"Master Immortal!"

"Actually, the Five Immortals Hall also obtained a magic technique, which is practiced by the immortals of the North and is called the 'Spirit Release Technique'. It is used to cultivate the primordial spirit of demons, release the spirit to possess the body, and investigate the movement of grass and wind in various mountains. It is very useful."

“I, Old Toad, have a solution. Master, you can draw another scroll of that soul-collecting paper, lock these lazy fellows inside, and I, Old Toad, will hold it. Whenever you give the order, I, Old Toad, will immediately lead men to carry it out…”

The toad fairy racked his brains and immediately came up with a plan.

This remark reminded Li Qing that his senior brother from the Lin Yuan Imperial Academy also kept some mountain spirits and monsters to serve him, so it was not impossible for this mountain to have "immortals".

"rational!"

Li Qing nodded slightly, then with a wave of his hand, the Five Peaks Hand descended, activating the Soul-Summoning Talisman, and within a few breaths, it captured the primordial spirits of the large and small demons.

The chilling aura that sent shivers down their spines flowed from their primordial spirits straight into their soul sea, finally forming a miniature "Soul Summoning Talisman" within their soul sea.

After Li Qing retrieved the spirit jade and refined sixteen demon tokens, he finally managed to seize their weakness.

However, if anything goes wrong, once the soul tablet is activated, the summoning talismans in the soul seas of all the demons explode, instantly causing them to dissipate and their lives to vanish.

Immediately afterward, before these large and small demons could even utter a single word, the Netherworld Ghost Realm appeared out of thin air, its terrifying attraction drawing them in instantly.

When the little fairy regained her senses, she found herself in a dimly lit ancient courtyard.

The oppressive aura that permeated the void, and the desolate howls that occasionally echoed from the dark sky, sent chills down their spines.

"There is something I need you all to help me with right now. Old Toad, can you read?"

Li Qing stood leisurely in the center of the West Garden. To the north of the garden was a row of side rooms, and to the south, the imperial horse stables were no longer occupied by any horses.

There was a wide side gate at the far west end leading to the outer perimeter of Qishan, presumably for the horses of the West Garden to enter and exit, but it had long been blocked by two huge beams hung up by Li Qing.

The rest of the area was largely abandoned, with only patches of bare grass exposed...

"Yes, yes, Elder Immortal, please give your orders!"

Toad Immortal's throat tightened, as he had no idea where he was, but upon hearing Li Qing's request, he immediately agreed.

“Very good. This is the West Garden of Qishan Dongli Garden, my Yin Mansion Villa. Follow the notes on this bamboo slip and plant Yin and Cool spiritual herbs throughout this West Garden. The seeds are here…”

"This place is filled with yin energy, gloom, and the aura of death and decay. Ordinary living beings here will die suddenly within thirty days at most!"

"The six side rooms in the row to the north have been cleaned up and are available for you to stay in. However, you must wear paper clothes every day to avoid the gloomy atmosphere for six days. White paper lanterns are used to ward off evil spirits and should not be taken off unless necessary."

"Remember, there are Great Ghost Lords who have half entered the realm of Lord of the Underworld who come and go. The inner and outer gates of the West Garden must be locked. Unless I knock on the door and confirm it, never open the door for anyone else."

"Remember, do not cross the wall, and do not touch that side door. There are often wandering ghosts outside this underworld; lest you be taken away by them..."

Li Qing gave him the task of clearing land in the underworld, then piled several bundles of paper clothes in the side room and hung the twenty or so lanterns under the eaves of the side room.

This task is extremely arduous. To cultivate the wilderness of the Netherworld with flesh and blood, even just the inner garden, is an extremely challenging task.

These three consecutive admonitions were both baffling and extremely strange, filled with ghostly tales, which immediately terrified many of the spirit mediums, making their legs go weak.

"Elder Immortal, please don't scare me!"

Toad Fairy was in a state of utter confusion, but he hadn't even finished speaking.

With a creak, the gate to the West Garden was suddenly pushed open.

All the immortals looked up and saw a figure shrouded in mysterious, ghostly energy, which immediately made them gasp in fright.

They couldn't make out the appearance of the Ghost Mother; all they could see was a wisp of deadly yin energy moving about, like a walking black cloud.

My God, there really is a giant ghost!

"The West Garden is now in your hands. Remember, remember those three taboos..."

The immortal master Li and the figure peering out from outside the garden gate seemed to be old acquaintances. He turned back, gave a word of advice, and then quickened his pace to join them.

But the "immortals" in this camp were truly terrified. One after another, the little monsters rushed forward, draped the paper clothes over themselves, and lifted the life-extending paper lanterns, finally dispelling some of the chill.

The celestial beings, having been robbed, entered the Netherworld, clearing wasteland and excavating spirit soil. But, sir, you didn't even leave them a bite to eat...

(End of this chapter)