The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 150 The Five Poison Ancestor (Two Chapters Combined)

The Taoist priests stood in the courtyard, silently watching the Taoist priest from Youhuang who had arrived with the ancestral covenant.

Even within the Five Immortal Sects of the Southern Kingdom, where the laws and regulations apply, who knows what other shady dealings might be involved?

Didn't you almost get murdered and robbed by the elders of the White Bone Path back then?

Human desires are hard to control; they cannot be suppressed by any single law!

Several Taoist priests inwardly scoffed, feeling that this "Youhuang" Taoist priest was somewhat naive and ignorant of worldly affairs.

Although they also disliked the actions of the Five Poisons lineage, they had long served in their respective positions and knew how to compromise and advance further, as well as how to handle things step by step.

"This matter is not urgent; the Court of Law and Order will have its own follow-up measures."

"As for the true teachings of Youhuang, you'd better prepare yourself properly!"

Zhou Yuanzheng frowned slightly, but said no more. He changed the subject to avoid embarrassing the others, and told Li Qing to make some preparations before going with him to the founding ceremony.

However, the group had only been in the courtyard for less than the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn when footsteps sounded outside the door again.

However, after the two Gu disciples returned to their sect, they brought a purple-gold incense burner and incense, intending to bathe and scent Li Zhenchuan.

A gentle knock was made on the main gate of the courtyard, and the five Taoist priests in the courtyard all looked over.

"come in!"

Li Qing swept her sleeves and sat down at one side of the stone table in the courtyard, responding softly to the voice outside the door.

The two Gu practitioners, completely unaware of what lay inside, pushed open the door and met the third priestess of the Poison Gu Department, the Poisonous Enemy Woman—Lin Shuyi. They were immediately terrified and their bodies went limp. This was a beauty renowned in the South, on par with vipers and scorpions, a figure even several Purple Mansion priests feared.

The few law-enforcing Taoists on the side were as terrifying as judges of punishment and reward in the eyes of the disciples of the Five Poisons lineage. If they violated the major laws, they would inevitably be caught and have their upper body skin peeled off!

"This is a book of laws and regulations that I, Li, wrote last night. It is the basic law of the Southern Kingdom. I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Lin to pass it on to Master Qingchan."

"If your master asks, please explain that this was not at the request of Daoist Tiannan, but rather the suggestion of a scholar from Hongdou Academy."

Li Qing took the jade scroll out of her sleeve and pushed it onto the stone table. She raised her eyes and met Lin Shuyi's gaze.

Seeing her stubbornness and observing her words and actions, this female Taoist priest, born into a prominent family in Southwest China, finally realized the truth.

Was he born into a scholar family in Jiangnan? To be honest, his self-righteous air was arrogant to the core!
However, is this Tiannan Temple trying to use this as an excuse to suppress the Five Poisons Sect, or is this Li Zhenzhen really that noble and aloof?

The female Taoist priest didn't dwell on the reason. After giving Li Qing a deep look, she put away the jade slip and turned to leave the courtyard.

"Can!"

Lin Shu moved with a brisk and efficient gait, her steps accompanied by the wafting fragrance of her hair, the jade belt cinching her waist accentuating her graceful figure.

Since this Taoist priest from Tiannan has such a bold spirit, she might as well personally escort him.

As he stepped out of the courtyard, Lin Shu glanced at the two Gu-wielding girls with a stern look, his brows furrowing slightly, and gave them an order:
"Go, and properly bathe Daoist Youhuang in the Clouds and Rainbows!"

"If you act without error, come to me afterwards, and I will reward you with a task."

The Poison Gu Department is really getting more and more outrageous. If it were just the young disciples and servants, it would be somewhat understandable, but the disciples and Gu practitioners under their tutelage are not even human.

The female Taoist priest had a slightly cold expression, and with a flick of her sleeve, she left the courtyard.

The three Daoist priests landed on either side of the stone table in the courtyard, quietly watching the Gu disciple girl light the incense burner, refine the cloud soap, and use the incense to wash Li Qing's cloud robes and hands...

This is a custom in the southern region, meaning that by using fragrant and auspicious items, one can obtain the blessings of mountains and rivers, similar to the rituals of bathing, changing clothes, offering incense, and writing petitions in the southern regions.

Li Qing stretched out her hands, letting the two Gu practitioners use their meager spiritual power to barely draw out the purple smoke to cleanse her five fingers, and she really felt a little refreshed!
After a cup of tea, the incense-bathing ceremony was completed. The two girls hesitated for a moment, then took out more incense and looked at the three people, including Dean Zhou, with a somewhat submissive expression.

"No need, you may all leave!"

The purple-robed abbot had no time to deal with the two men. He casually flicked out two bushels of Daozhu from his sleeve and was about to order them to leave.

You have no sense of propriety! Go do what you're supposed to do.

He intended to dismiss the two, but seeing that the two bewildered Gu practitioners each held a bushel of Dao Zhu in their hands, they stood frozen in place, at a loss for what to do. Dean Zhou lowered his eyelids slightly and remained silent.

What a dull-witted girl!
Li Qing couldn't help but laugh. She waved her sleeve, pointed her finger, and presented two more pearls, stacking them on top of the two bushels of Dao Zhu.

"Academician Zhou takes pity on your ignorance and bestows upon you a predestined path. Thank him and leave. Do not come again!"

"This matter should not be shown to outsiders..."

The young Taoist priest appeared aloof and arrogant, not even bothering to glance at the two men. But as soon as he flicked his finger, the two bushels of precious Taoist coins were collected in two mustard seed pouches and fell into the sleeves of the two Gu practitioners.

One can vaguely discern the true nature of this Taoist priest.

A prophetic utterance seemed to be a revelation from the heavens, instantly making the two realize the danger of their actions being out of control and the loss of the precious coins they carried...

Once the prophecy ended, the two realized what had happened, bowed respectfully, and quickly withdrew.

At this moment, the four Taoist priests from Tiannan Temple gathered together once again.

After a long silence in the courtyard, Dean Zhou finally let out a long sigh of frustration. He now understood just how stubborn this third-ranked disciple of the temple truly was.

He was exactly like those young scholars from the Southern Academy, riding high on his success, taking it all for granted—truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers…

"Qingchan Daoist is second only to the abbot in Tiannan Prefecture. His cultivation is probably similar to that of the head of the academy. You should keep a close eye on Li Zhenchuan!"

Zhou Yuanzheng glared and said, "This Qingchan Daoist is no pushover."

"I understand!" Li Qing nodded, understanding the importance of the matter.

He was carefully considering what he needed to do at this inaugural ceremony, and in what capacity he should bestow the Dharma lineage and Daoist scriptures upon the Five Poisons Ancestor.

Within Tiannan Temple, they were ultimately one family. Several Taoist priests harbored concerns, but they still chose to believe in this True Transmission of Li!
Just as the sun was high in the sky, nearing the end of the 9-11 AM and approaching noon, the Taoist bell rang throughout Qingdu Mountain, and nearly a thousand guests from the temple gathered on the summit.

There were talismanic Taoists from the Ziyang Sect, beast-taming Taoists from the Six Spirits Mountain, demonic Taoists from the Qingqiu Mountain, officials from the three prefectural governorates, and prominent local families from various states...

At the very back are the powerful local figures and suitable young people who wish to follow the lineage!

Both sides of Qingdu Mountain are high peaks, with a vast peak basin naturally carved out in the middle. The sky-reaching steps built between the cliffs are truly eye-catching. The sky-reaching steps, made entirely of blue stone, stretch endlessly into the blue clouds.

As three elders of the Five Poisons Sect appeared, Gu cultivators lined up on both sides, and the Heavenly Bell and Cloud Drum began to vibrate rhythmically. On the long staircase that was the same color as the Azure Sky, a figure slowly appeared, ascending to the heavens.

【Tap Tap】

To the guests at the Taoist temple, first came a pair of blue cloud shoes, followed by an embroidered blue robe. When the Taoist revealed his full appearance, what first stung everyone's eyes were his pair of jade-like pupils and his long blue hair!

This Taoist priest, Qingchan, appeared to be middle-aged, with a face as smooth as jade and no beard. He casually raised his right hand and took a magic staff into his palm.

What shocked many Taoists was that the Green Toad Gu crawling on the back of his hand, seemingly harmless, revealed its aura like that of a wild and monstrous beast when touched with consciousness.

As the Green Toad Taoist lowered his staff step by step, the crisp sound of the staff tip tapping against each other mingled with the sound of his footsteps, making everyone's hearts tighten even more.

"The Poison Gu Clan, Master Qingchan!"

"There's definitely something to it."

At the very front of the viewing platform, the immortals from the three prefectures stood watching the Azure Toad Daoist slowly descend the azure steps.

However, before the Green Toad Ancestor could descend the steps and enter the arena, several Taoists with sensitive spiritual senses turned their heads and looked at the four figures surrounded by pure energy on the other side.

Behind the grand ceremony platform, several Qi Refiners walked around the hanging flower gate and stopped to the side.

If we were to name the main figure at the founding ceremony of the Five Poisons Sect, it would undoubtedly be Daoist Qingchan. However, if we were to ask what the goal of the Three Palaces Daoists was in participating in this ceremony, it would probably fall more on Daoist Tiannan.

How could the neighboring prefectures not know about the changes in Tiannan Prefecture in recent years? Within three to five years, they wiped out the four scourges of the southwest in one fell swoop, and even opened a blessed land and established an affiliated sect!
This has left the various immortal sects in the various prefectures somewhat puzzled. How much longer does Master Yin have left to live? Why is he making such a big fuss? It is rumored that the new abbot of Lin Yuan is already on the verge of becoming a Yin God. Has he actually succeeded?

During this founding ceremony, the Taoists inquired for a long time, but still failed to find any useful information.

It wasn't until this morning that I heard that the person from Tiannan Temple who came here to preside over the book-giving ceremony was a Taoist named "Youhuangzi" from the Purple Mansion!

"In the southwest, those standing at the forefront wearing crimson and purple Taoist robes are from the Ziyang Sect; those with brocade pouches are from the Six Spirits Mountain; behind them are the Qingqiu demon Taoists, and the various officials from the various prefectures..."

Zhou Yuanzheng stood beside Li Qing and slowly introduced the various forces involved in the ceremony to him.

"That young man in the cloak is the king of the Southern Frontier chieftaincy, a de facto king appointed by the imperial court!"

"He is granted the right to establish his own government, enjoys a fiefdom, and is equipped with a battalion of armored soldiers, fifty chariots, a royal seal, and all government offices within the government are well-equipped..."

As the Taoist priests pointed with their right hands, Li Qing looked to the right again.

Beneath the five-colored canopy, a very young man watched the opening ceremony with a solemn expression, surrounded by more than a dozen warriors and soldiers who guarded him in the center.

The chieftains of the Southern Frontier have never had a king, only village chiefs and sorcerers who use poison and witchcraft!

After Tiannan purged the Poison Gu Clan, the Southern Kingdom's court selected one person from among the most ordinary villagers to be its king.

"The Prince of Lijiang, Mu Lianzhen."

“Look at him, sitting there, his face stern and seemingly unsure of what to do. The villagers, dressed like monkeys in crowns, what kind of demeanor can they possibly have as kings?”

"I'm afraid there's no need for him to act as king; just having his name is enough to maintain the status quo in the south..."

The two Qi Refining disciples from the Law Enforcement Academy immediately began to add to the academy head's words, but judging from their words, they didn't seem to care much about this prince.
Li Qing raised an eyebrow and took another closer look at the prince from the southern lands.

The slight distraction from below did not affect the overall situation. With a tap of his staff, Qingchan Daoist quickly completed the journey up the three thousand steps of the Ascending Heaven Path.

As they descended the mountain gate, the two to three thousand Gu disciples and children of all ages from the Five Poisons Sect all paid homage to their ancestor.

"Respectfully welcoming the Five Immortal Ancestors, may their merits last for ten thousand generations, and their Taoist endeavors be forever accomplished..."

The shouts and cries from all over the mountain were as loud as thunder, echoing throughout the Green Poison Immortal Peak!

Even among the three semi-immortal sects in the surrounding prefectures, none could easily gather such a large group to hold such a ceremony.

The Five Poisons Sect, just for this one point alone, is truly extraordinary.

Master Qingchan looked around and pressed down with his right hand, immediately silencing the commotion in the arena.

“I was born in the southwest. I was orphaned and lived a hard life as a child. I made a living by making wooden clogs and selling raincoats. I survived for nineteen years. One day, I saw a roc spreading its wings in the vast sky. I immediately beat my chest and vowed to see the vastness of the world.”

"And so, armed only with that straw raincoat and a few pairs of wooden clogs, I set off, leaving my village and heading southwest. I was once captured by that demonic mountain and made a servant, and I also became a disciple of a wandering sorcerer, traveling alone for tens of thousands of miles across the world. And now, I have achieved the status of a true lineage..."

As he remarked, everyone's thoughts seemed to follow the Five Poisons Ancestor's narration, witnessing the rise of a rogue cultivator.

He achieved enlightenment through independent cultivation, founded his own sect, and is he not a legend in his own right?

"Today, the Five Poisons Lineage, a heterodox sect of immortality, is hereby established!"

“If any of you young men of the Southwest have a dream of peering at the sky like a mayfly, do not hesitate. Just bring a change of clothes and enter my mountain gate, and I will give you a chance.”

The Green Toad Ancestor chuckled lightly, and with just this one sentence, he instantly ignited the entire founding ceremony.

The cheers and applause that filled the mountains were all a testament to the charisma of the founder of the Five Poisons Sect.

During the grand ceremony, he did not participate in any of the affairs, leaving everything to the three disciples of the Purple Mansion seated below. His sharp and piercing eyes met with the Taoists of the three superior sects, and finally settled on the Taoist Tiannan on one side of the ceremony.

Tiannan Prefecture, this is the Tiannan Prefecture of Tiannan Temple.

The Five Poisons Sect is also known as the Five Poisons Sect of Tiannan.

He had dealt with the abbot, head of the academy, and head of the law enforcement office of Lin Yuan Mountain before, but the one who came today with the order made Qing Chan Dao Ren feel somewhat displeased.

No matter how bizarre Gui Langjun's methods are, he is still just a lower-level cultivator of the Purple Mansion realm, and moreover, he is merely the fifth-generation disciple of Tiannan's great-grandson.

"Go, invite the Ghost Gentleman of Tiannan, the peerless genius who once slaughtered tens of thousands of people in Liuhuangzhou with a wave of his hand, to enter the arena."

"I hereby swear a blood oath with this gentleman, to be bound together in the southwest!"

The Green Toad Ancestor's eyes were full of admiration, and he ordered his two disciples to personally greet him, showing him the utmost respect.

But if you, Ghostly Gentleman, want to preach the law, you should first think about what you've done yourself.

This seemingly complimentary yet subtly derogatory remark immediately darkened the faces of several Tiannan Daoists. This old poisoner's words were certainly not well-intentioned!
Lin Shuyi, standing beside Master Qingchan, also raised an eyebrow, somewhat taken aback.

She knew exactly why the teacher was angry!
Ancestor Qingchan didn't care about the laws and regulations; what he cared about was that the cultivators sent by Tiannan Temple to impart Daoist books and artifacts were all such juniors.

Even if we don't mention that Master Yin came down the mountain to personally bestow the title, he should at least be the head of the four academies, or even the abbot of Tiannan Temple, right?
With such behavior, isn't Tiannan Temple deliberately humiliating him?
Now that he has established his own sect, whether he is willing to be subordinate or controlled by others, he is unwilling to lose his title and seniority!
Li Qing stood in a corner outside the altar, hearing the Azure Toad Ancestor call his name. The two Purple Mansion officials who came to greet him remained expressionless, but their dark eyes, which were gradually turning ashen, became even more terrifying.

"Li Zhenchuan, no!"

Seeing that frost flowers had begun to condense in the void beside the Taoist priest, Zhou Yuanzheng became quite nervous.

That old poisoner just stirred up the emotions of everyone on the mountain with his empty words. You must not drag him into the underworld and kill him like the Second Elder of the White Bone Path!
You should know that Tiannan Temple and Li Qing still have the fate of the Prefect of Guihua Prefecture on their shoulders, and they don't know how the Prefect is doing now.

If something else happens, the infamous reputation of Lin Yuan Mountain will truly spread throughout the southern capital.

Li Qing ignored him, and with a stretch of her right hand, the sound of bells echoed in the misty mountains, as if a call from the land of the dead was being heard.

When everyone looked again, they saw a royal palanquin slowly appearing from the dark white mist that had obscured their spiritual senses and divine thoughts. The curtains inside the palanquin were faintly visible, and from the intermittent appearances, they could glimpse the spirit tablets hanging under the canopy, as well as the terrifying altar!

"Hehe, sir, here you go."

The royal carriage, carried by no one, suddenly and mysteriously teleported to the side of the many Tiannan Daoists.

Then, a burst of laughter rang out, and a stunningly beautiful lady lifted the curtain of the royal carriage, jumped down gracefully, and handed the golden book bestowed by Yin Zu to Li Qing.

At that very moment, one figure after another gathered as Linglong appeared. In the end, twelve monstrous gods stood to the side: the armored monstrous god clenched his fist, the flying monstrous god spread his wings, the three-headed wandering monstrous god disappeared into the mist, and six faceless, eerie gods turned their backs to the crowd...

Among these, there are four paths of daily energy flow alone!

"Li...the true successor!"

Zhou Yuanzheng exclaimed in shock, his voice cracking. This ghostly man, this Li Zhenchuan, is he going to openly destroy the Five Poisons Sect at the opening ceremony?

Gradually, the Taoist priests outside the temple and the folk sorcerers watching also realized that something was wrong.

Ghostly Gentleman, which Ghostly Gentleman? Who exactly is this person?
What is the purpose of summoning such guardian spirits?
Even the Azure Toad Ancestor couldn't help but shrink his pupils slightly, secretly thinking that this ghost cultivator was really extreme! There's a give and take, and you can't even tolerate a single word of complaint?
"Why is the head of the department in such a hurry?"

"I have almost never killed anyone."

Li Qing raised her head and looked silently at Zhou Yuanzheng behind her.

That was all due to the uncontrollable influence of the Ghost Mother back then; he himself hadn't actually committed any killing!
Why do you view me in this way?

Li Qing merely rolled her eyes at Zhou Yuanzheng, took the gold invitation from Linglong Changzhu, and strode into the vermilion corridor.

Such a contrasting action truly made Linglong cover her mouth and giggle, her charming and innocent appearance captivating all who heard it.

However, the twelve tyrannical gods that Li Zhenchuan relied on included four of the daytime wandering tyrannical gods, which truly did not inspire any desire to make fun of him.

This is the real show of force...

(End of this chapter)