The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 139 Resigning from the Mansion and Returning to Tiannan

The "Candle" was coiled in the inner courtyard of the Li residence. This lazy and gentle red dragon was truly delightful.

Dragons are rare and precious creatures in the world, mythical beasts in folk legends.

Upon learning that Erlang had raised a large dragon, the Li family patriarch and madam, and even Li Yong's wife and daughters, kept coming to feed the fire dragon, stuffing all sorts of ginseng and medicinal herbs into "Candle's" mouth. If it weren't for its strong physique, it would have been too weak to handle the nourishment...

"I know, the Chi dragon has no horns and the Qiu dragon has no feet, you must be a Qiu dragon!"

The six-year-old girl held a tender bamboo stick to "Candle's" lips, and "Candle's" vertical pupils were visibly filled with doubt.

You might actually be a little smart!

But I've never heard of a dragon eating bamboo.

"You little rascal, the ones that like to eat bamboo are the Mo, not the Qiu."

When Madam Yin from the eldest son's family saw that this little girl was quite bold, sneaking up to play with the red dragon, she was both annoyed and amused.

He snatched the bamboo from her hand, grabbed her with one hand, tucked her under his arm, pointed at her forehead, and gave her a good talking-to.

This amused everyone in the Li household, who burst into laughter once again.

Li Qing watched, but a bitter feeling lingered in her heart.

He said that at worst, he would set up a memorial tablet for the twenty-three members of the Li family to extend their lifespan in the afterlife.

In reality, he was truly unwilling for the treacherous schemes of his own cultivation world to implicate his family.

As the youngest son, he has always been pampered, and he already owes his parents and brothers enough!

But the reality of this great world is that no one will tell you about the principle of not harming ordinary people or about stopping short of causing harm.

Even those Taoists who claimed to be ruthless and merciless often suffered the fate of having their entire families wiped out after a calamity.

Therefore, Li Qing had no choice but to bare his teeth and claws in front of Yinghuo, Taibai, and even the mysterious "Heavenly Palace," at least to reveal a trace of the ghostly spells he possessed, so that they would be somewhat wary of him...

Li Qing and Li Yong stood side by side on a pavilion by the water, quietly watching the happy relatives of three generations in the inner courtyard.

"Brother, have you found a beast you like?"

"Hmm... there is a large, well-bred horse that I have raised to be quite robust, and it has a separate stable in the West Garden..."

The two brothers began to chat slowly.

"You already have a mount! How about I give you a dragon mount as well, brother?"

"I have two chivalrous friends in the East China Sea, one of whom is a dragon tamer from the East China Sea. I will have him select a dragon and send it to the Osmanthus Mansion."

Judging by the time, Pei Jiu and Guan Yunzhong should be arriving at the East Sea soon. Now that they have obtained the Flying Swallow Magic Boat, they can fly around freely and enjoy a carefree life.

A few days ago, Yin Zuyan said that he would return to the mountain to add the title of True Disciple to his family and hold a ceremony for Taoist priests. At that time, he would ask the Taoist priests to select a dragon cub for Li Yong, with the inscription of the head of Tiannan Academy.

It has to be a dragon with a special bloodline; otherwise, Li Yong, a cultivator of the Human Path, would have to retire and return to his hometown before the dragon beast matured.

"Then I thank you in advance, Erlang."

Li Yong did not refuse and clasped his hands in a joking manner.

However, Li Qing's actions were not yet finished. He took out a rather strange book from his sleeve.

The texture of this book is somewhat frightening, as soft as human skin. Although each sheet of paper is different, they all have a flesh-colored sheen, making it seem like a "hundred-sheet book".

"Tomorrow, I will return to Linyuan Mountain. The large celestial boat of Tiannan Temple has been waiting for me at the Danshu Pavilion for nearly ten days."

"Having been practicing for seven years, I have achieved some success in the art of talismans and curse books. Here I will take nineteen demon and ghost skins and make a scroll of talismans. It contains nineteen chapters of elixir talismans, namely, talismans for suppressing ghosts, summoning souls, greed for killing, fire talismans, and paper figures..."

"It can be activated by true qi and blood, which can resolve most crises below the Purple Mansion level, and can also be left to protect my elder brother."

This scroll of talismans had been giving Li Qing a headache for several days. His own cultivation of talismans began with "The Secret Essentials of Paper Spirits". Although he had now embarked on a path of paper spirits, making talismans was still a real challenge for him.

The nineteen talismans wasted countless spirit papers, exhausting all the paper he had saved. He even had to "borrow" from Linglong Chang's private stash before he finally succeeded.

Li Yong had entered the middle ranks of the prefecture, and he couldn't possibly be unaware that Erlang had encountered a "difficulty" in the cultivation world, especially after the perilous situation a few days ago.

Upon receiving the scroll of talismans, I felt that it was incredibly heavy!
"Erlang, go and cultivate in peace. Your father-in-law is here to look after you, and I am here with you. Everything will be fine."

The two brothers have reached the age of standing shoulder to shoulder, facing prying eyes and covetousness from other realms; competition from prefectures where one rises while the other falls; and obstacles on the path to immortality or promotion to the ninth rank.

These are all things that both of them need to grieve over and overcome.

After that, one of them entered the Daoist path at Linyuan Immortal Mountain, while the other served in the Jiangnan Prefecture, each pursuing their own path of cultivation...

Until the next day.

Hearing that her second uncle was about to take the big dragon away, the little girl from Li Yong's family was very unhappy. She hid behind her father, looking left and right, because she really wanted to play with the big dragon a little longer.

But her second uncle looked too cold, and she didn't dare to go up and speak to him!
The sky was a clear, blue expanse, without a single cloud of any color in sight.

Suddenly, a black dot fell from the sky. In just six or seven breaths, it grew brighter and brighter. When it was suspended in the upper left of Huaxuanfang, the Tiannan Great Dharma Boat, which was nearly a mile or two in size, finally revealed its appearance.

The colossal warship, which blotted out the sun, had the heads of seven ancient demons, defeated by Yin Zu, adorning its bow. The desolate and ancient aura it exuded immediately awed the entire capital.

Above the clouds, along the edge of the Dharma boat, a dozen or so Taoist priests in purple and red robes stood in formation, their gazes fixed on the sky. The gazes of these Qi Refining Taoist priests were like divine might, causing even the distant people of the capital to feel fear.

At this moment, an old man with a white beard descended from the clouds, his steps treading on the Big Dipper and his feet stepping on auspicious clouds. His purple and blue Taoist robe fluttered in the wind, and he held up a jade plate in his right palm. He truly looked like an immortal descending from the clouds.

"Li Qing!"

"The disciples in the temple will receive the true teachings and enter the Purple Palace. Their family traditions will also be protected by the sect. They should be given a squad of Taoist soldiers and two spirit mounts. The disciples will be stationed in the city to relay messages..."

“Since your home is far away in Jiangnan, I won’t wait for you to go through the ceremony; I’ll arrange it for you in advance.”

The chief of Bailong Courtyard bestowed two jade seals and a Dharma altar from the jade plate.

The soldiers of the Dao are created by tree spirits and wood spirits, transformed into human form, and live for over sixty years. They obey orders without question.

The two spirits are: one is a guardian boy, who protects the family and temple and ensures the peace and well-being of the clan; the other is a yellow bird, whose song echoes in the spring courtyard, warding off evil spirits.

If another disciple at the mid-level of Qi Refining or above regularly attends the classes, they can be considered to have entered the Purple Mansion Sect as a servant, protecting the bloodline of the Purple Mansion...

Tiannan Temple, one of the Five Immortal Sects, offers this privilege to every Purple Mansion True Person within its walls. While sects spanning an entire prefecture may vary in strength, those controlling such vast territory and resources naturally enjoy exceptional treatment and support.

Just consider the huge loss that the White Bone Path suffered at the hands of Yin Zu; haven't they been continuing to lord it over Lingnan for the past two years?
Li Yong, the eldest son of the Li family, subconsciously took the altar and jade seal from the old immortal. Just as he was about to raise his head to express his gratitude, he saw that the old Taoist and Li Qing had already taken off on a cloud and entered the celestial boat.

The white jade altar lit up, and five armored warriors clad in rattan armor and wielding pitchforks and wooden arrows came forward, bowing respectfully and saying:

“We are the spirits of the Wood Spirits, residing in the altar. We guard the ancestral home, opening at night and resting at dawn. Every night we patrol the mansion inside and out with nine wheels, ensuring no evil spirits are found… If you wish to use troops, sir, you may use the jade seal to mobilize them, or you may use a memorial to have it stamped!”

"Master, please remember to change the mugwort sachets on the offering table every twenty days, and keep the pine resin burning. If you can also regularly offer yellow buds and tender branches of various trees, that would be even better."

The first soldier of the Tengjia Dao presented the relevant calligraphy book "Tengzi Sacrifice" to Li Yong.

These are the true guardian soldiers of the immortal sects, capable of guarding mountains, protecting homes, warding off evil, and protecting the body, and they are worshipped in a complete ritual.

The half-human-sized ginseng boy beside them, and the seven-foot-tall yellow bird that could speak human language, also handed over two volumes of Buddhist scriptures detailing the offerings.

As its name suggests, the Ginseng Child is just like a child, entirely white like ginseng, with three cattail leaves on its head and a few ginseng whiskers growing under its chin. It is not good at fighting, but it can save people's lives at critical moments. It is enshrined in the ancestral temple for a long time, and naturally the whole family enjoys longevity.

The yellow bird has wingspans like a roc, and is a high-level Qi Refining demon spirit. It can gather wind and breathe fire, and is quite powerful in battle. A towering old tree must be moved into the house for it to build its nest, and food must be provided for it in the future...

Upon suddenly acquiring such a divine object, Li Yong was somewhat dizzy, but he quickly calmed himself down and bowed to thank the old Taoist priest from Lin Yuan Mountain.

Maintaining a noble lineage in the immortal path is not easy. For a small mortal clan like the Li family, just supporting these few Dao soldiers and spirit beasts is a considerable expense.

However, Li Yong was happy with it.

With such a family background, let alone the distant past, even if a young master from a prefecture or state recently became tainted by something unclean and wanted to obtain a feather shed by a yellow bird to wear close to his body for protection against evil.

Which family has a sickly child who, having heard that the Hua Xuanli family possesses a ginseng spirit, desires a drop of ginseng spirit dew...

This is the extraordinary beginning that started in the prefecture, a reputation that can be sung throughout the prefectures!

Li Qing followed the head of the academy onto the celestial vessel, exchanged glances with the academy master and the true disciples, and bowed before entering the central hall. However, among these people, Li Qing had only met a few once before, and had no recollection of the rest.

He entered the Daoist path at Lin Yuan Mountain in a very short time. So short that most of his fellow Daoist disciples were still struggling in the middle stage of Qi Refining, while he had already reached the Purple Mansion level.

"Have all the household affairs been arranged?"

"It's alright, Master."

"Have you returned to the mountain yet?"

"Of course you can!"

With two questions and two answers, the words had barely left their lips when the celestial vessel broke free of its protective barrier and, as if leaping, soared straight into the heavens, heading towards the Southern Heavenly Palace.

Tiannan Temple rarely has the opportunity to manifest its divine power outside the temple; this is the first time!
Yin Zu stood with his hands behind his back in front of the celestial boat, gazing at the outline of the city of Guihua Prefecture for a long time without saying a word. Guihua Prefecture, the capital of the Danshu-Yin clan, was also his hometown.

I fear this might be the last time I see it...

"All the talented disciples in the temple have their own teachers and receive their protection. You alone have been left out in the outer courtyard for years, ignored by everyone. Li Qing, have you ever complained?"

Yin Zu slowly turned around and immediately steered the conversation toward Li Qing.

Bai Qingye, the head of the outer courtyard who was blinking and about to speak with Li Qing, had no choice but to reluctantly withdraw his right hand and wait for the patriarch's instructions.

"no!"

He's quite stubborn, isn't he?

Li Qing's answer drew everyone's attention to him.

No matter how he answers, he is the sole protagonist on the celestial vessel today, because this celestial vessel was originally made for him!

“You are different from all other paths; the connection you have with the path originates from your own karmic affinity.”

"If you can overcome this calamity yourself, your path will be smooth from now on. But if you cannot handle it yourself, no matter how much others help you, it will only be a temporary solution."

Only Li Qing herself can untie the knot between the Ghost Mother and the Underworld Pact.

But what he chose wasn't to untie the knot, but rather to reshape it into his preferred form...

Li Qing now cultivates the Dao of One Primordial Qi, but has uniquely cultivated the Profound Yin Qi. The immortal path he walks is the path of ghostly supernatural powers.

Yin Zu has been guiding him to face and detach himself from the influence of the Ghost Mother.

Unfortunately, since the series of accidents, Li Qing has become more dependent on and reliant on the Ghost Mother, and has grown closer to her!

But this may not necessarily be a bad thing.

"Well, I have reconciled with the Underworld Pact, so there should be no worries about the future."

Li Qing looked at Yin Zu, and also announced this to the other Zi Fu Daoists in the temple.

"Yes, let's go back to the mountain!"

"Let Bai Long bestow upon you the title of True Transmission Master, and let Chen Jin bestow upon you the title of Daoist Master."

"You've fallen behind in your studies, so you spent a year in seclusion atop the abyss. I will now teach you!"

Yin Zu nodded slightly, confirming Li Qing's next steps in her cultivation.

He had considered it for a long time. If we were to teach according to aptitude, Chen Jin had already taken that step, achieving something through non-action. Therefore, he should take charge of Lin Yuan Immortal Peak.

Although the Taoist of Dingshan is of a lower generation, he is stubborn and patient enough to study diligently. Perhaps he can inherit the Dao Seed of the Heavenly Pot.

Li Qing is a very contradictory person. The pain of being haunted by a vengeful ghost in his youth has made him sometimes eccentric, sometimes cold-blooded, sometimes strong, and sometimes gloomy...

One should cultivate a flawless Daoist heart and master the impermanence of nature.

Let's temper his temperament a bit more and let him go out and explore!

Perhaps, this "One Yuan Venerable Dao Great Dharma Boat" could be bestowed upon him.

Li Qing's path to enlightenment, and the focus of the next thousand years of the Great Heavenly Capital, should all lie within the Netherworld that is about to be reshaped...

(End of this chapter)