The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 153 Peace and Tranquility Throughout the Land
Shanyin territory.

This is the gateway to Tiannan Prefecture. The north-south mountain range separates this corner of Tiannan from the other roads of the southern country, resembling an enclave.

From the east of Shanyin, cross that mountain range, pass Shanyang, traverse the plains, cross the three rivers, and then come to Qingping Prefecture, Wuxi Longzhou.

On one side of the road, shrouded in white mist and carried by a gentle breeze, a palanquin emerged from the hazy fog, indistinct and ethereal.

The shrouded in mist swept past the treetops of the firefly in the early morning, yet it did not disturb the morning dew that had condensed on them, as if it were an illusion.

This palanquin now has more than 440 restrictions. Even though it has been refined and upgraded twice, its essence is still modeled after the ancient treasure of Lingnan - the Rebirth Sedan Chair.

The treasure of rebirth has always been a link between the Yin and Yang worlds, and a means of traveling between the six heavens, involving the true meaning of the Great Escape of Yin and Yang in the void.

If Li Qing could access the Rebirth Carriage that Lady White Bone had already taken away, and understand its enchantments, perhaps this Primordial Royal Carriage could one day truly traverse Yin and Yang, and travel through the void…

Li Qing rolled up the beaded curtain on one side of the carriage and gazed at the surrounding road.

Villagers from nearby villages have already set out with sickles and hoes, and begun harvesting fresh grass, moistened with dew, on the mountainside.

In the southern regions, large clans raise blue oxen for taming, while villagers mostly raise yellow oxen for farming. But regardless of the type of animal, the grass dipped in morning dew is their favorite food.

An old ox, in farming, shoulders responsibilities no less than two adult children, and is an important member of every household!

Therefore, every morning, gathering hay is the first thing the villagers of Tiannan Township do.

Looking down, Li Qing saw villagers lingering on the mountainside, gathering fodder. To avoid disturbing them, he stopped his leisurely flight, drew upon his Xuan Yin Qi, parted the clouds, and silently fled into the distance with his carriage.

The thick fog came and went quickly, spreading for miles in the blink of an eye. The carriage went unnoticed, and the villagers who occasionally saw it thought it was just a morning mist blowing in the wind...

The land shapes its character, and the southern region, with its high mountains, low rivers, and rising clouds and mist, possesses a unique atmosphere of profound mystery and ever-changing light.

Upon exiting the southwest, Li Qing looked up again and saw that the clouds and fog had dispersed, the wind had subsided and the rain had stopped. Above, a golden sun hung in the sky, washing away the clouds. Below, the human spirit of the four seasons shone brightly and clearly. Not even a trace of gloom or ghostly aura could be seen in the surrounding mountains and fields.

It truly lives up to the name of Qingping Prefecture!

With its five streams and four rivers, crisscrossing waterways, low mountains, verdant vines and forests, calm waters, and craggy rocks, it is a rare livable place in the south.

It seemed that three or five faceless people carried a palanquin on their shoulders, their feet treading on the surface of the stream, surrounded by a spiritual and mysterious light, and went straight down the stream. Inside the palanquin, Li Qing picked up a wisp of primordial energy from his fingertips, which dissipated like smoke and interacted with the celestial and terrestrial energy in Qingping Prefecture.

In the past, I received the secret formula from my master, which only taught me to concentrate my mind and enter the energy center!

It captures the essence of the vast emptiness beyond the heavens, and burns away the primordial energy of the ten viscera, returning them to their desolate state.

Li Qing's Qi Sea surged, and he raised two strands of true fire light, which circled around the three hundred and sixty acupoints and forty-seven meridians, just like the rotation of the sun and moon, and the alternation of day and night, until he ascended into the Divine Palace and completed a cycle.

Before he entered the Dao, the world within his body had long been invaded by the mysterious Yin energy of the underworld. The eight extraordinary meridians, the twelve regular meridians, and even the "mysterious Yin meridians" belonging to the ghost spirits were all expelled in one breath, saving Li Qing a lot of hard work.

This is also why Li Qing has been able to refine primordial qi without any hindrance since he entered the Dao.

After refining Qi, one should use true water, true thunder, and true fire to refine the acupoints throughout the body, causing the primordial Qi to surge and manifest as Yin and Yang, exhibiting changes in brightness and darkness, sometimes slow and sometimes fast, sometimes condensing and sometimes gathering, like the ever-changing forces of wind and rain.

Thus, by combining the primordial energy with the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, relying on a single breath of primordial ancestral energy, raising the primordial spirit of the Great Essence, viewing the human body as a vast treasure trove, and the 365 major orifices as the stars and the universe, one can obtain infinite and immeasurable changes...

Having attained the infinite transformations of the ten directions of the womb, one can be considered a true immortal residing in this world!

However, people are born on earth and their fate depends on heaven; this land and sky also nurture its people.

Within a four-thousand-mile radius of Tiannan Prefecture, the earth's energy is somewhat deep and the weather is unpredictable, with light and darkness constantly shifting. In addition, the profound yin energy emanating from the Ghost Mother has long since refined every inch of his body and bones to the state of yin jade.

On the very day that the foundation of the Dao was forged, it condensed into the Netherworld Crimson God Purple Palace without any hindrance, thus forging the Dao foundation of the Profound Yin Qi.

"The five streams and four rivers form a peaceful and tranquil land, with mountains and rivers of balanced natural beauty and a thriving population..."

Li Qing extended his two fingertips from the carriage, carefully appreciating the unique Daoist rhythm of this world. The myriad changes of the universe are endless. Only by looking up at the high heavens and down at the earth, and by uniting with the Dao, can one capture the true meaning within.

By circulating the incantation, one can comfortably inhale and exhale the primordial energy of heaven and earth, while simultaneously drawing in the divine will of the Niwan Palace and the divine will of the Zifu Palace to refine the Jiangzhen Palace, thus completing the transformation of the primordial energy throughout the universe in one breath.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Qing exhaled a breath of turbid air, focused his mind and looked inward again. The progress of his Dao Foundation was indeed very different. The Crimson Divine Palace within his Dantian was pure in color, without any blemish or impurity, as smooth as fat, and it was like a candle in the boundless sea of ​​Qi, illuminating the entire universe.

A faint Daoist aura was faintly revealed within the Purple Mansion of the Zhou Tian. Perhaps, only when the foundation of the Purple Mansion is completely solidified, the Daoist aura is stable, and it takes on the appearance of a high altar and divine palace, can it be called the "Upper Foundation of the Purple Mansion".

At this moment, Li Qing withdrew the Yuan Qi from her fingertips and raised her head again, only to realize that she had already entered the Five Streams Main Meridian.

Shrimp soldiers and crab generals followed for miles in the water until the imperial carriage was about to reach the shore. Suddenly, the sky above changed dramatically, and a dark purple dragon ascended to the heavens, dancing with the wind and clouds before descending.

With four green scales and no forked horns, the dragon's body, over thirty feet long, billowed up water vapor and transformed into a robust young dragon prince, which then descended.

Although this person was in the form of a Daoist body, the dragon horns on his forehead could not be concealed, his face was covered with scales of an untamed color, his dragon tail swayed behind his thighs, his palms were dark and wavy, and he was covered in iron armor. He was clearly a dragon spirit!
"The land of five streams and four rivers, the Qingping Prefecture of Lingnan."

"Brother Daoist, please wait...?"

The invitation to the banquet at the Five Streams Dragon Palace has been sent out for five years. Early guests have been waiting in Qingping Prefecture for more than half a year in advance. Now, most of the Taoist priests from all over the country who come here are here for this banquet.

It is important to know that the Dragon Talisman and Phoenix Seal are a type of innate divine script, and even ordinary dragons and phoenixes may not be born with them.

It must be a fish or a dragon, capable of leaping over the Dragon Gate and undergoing nine transformations, or a snake or a dragon, capable of swimming in the flood and transforming into a dragon.

Only dragon kings and dragon lords who undergo nine transformations can receive a divine dragon talisman on the day they become dragons.

Although the Five Streams Dragon Lord's combat power is not among the top of the Yin Gods due to the inherent limitations of his water area, he is still a respected Yin God Dragon Lord.

It possesses a primordial dragon talisman that carries the great supernatural power of 'commanding the five thunders' and is given as the first prize of this banquet. This is a treasure that even the Yin God True Man is moved by.

The true cultivators of Tiannan Temple, the fox demons of Qingqiu Mountain, the true disciples of Baigu Dao and Liuling Mountain, the powerful figures of the two prefectures of the East Sea... whether they had old acquaintances with this Dragon Lord or had no dealings with him, they all came for this banquet!

Along the sides of the various waterways, dragon sons and jiao spirits stood waiting, inviting the guests to the banquet one by one to the Five Streams Dragon Palace. On one side, shrimp soldiers and crab generals carried sedan chairs, while on the other side, water beasts from the Dragon Palace pulled coiled boats. When they arrived at Five Streams Island, they saw that the rivers and lakes from all four directions converged, and the waterways from the five directions gathered, eventually forming a vast expanse of blue water.

A thousand small boats were moored on the Dragon Palace's waters, and scattered among them were numerous islands in the lake. Pavilions and palaces were connected, and clam maidens and river maidens were already coming and going to serve.

Above the swamp, various colored lights traveled through the air, and disciples of immortal sects came and went freely.

"Brother Dao, would you like to attend this banquet? My Dragon Lord has brought out an unparalleled divine power as the top prize, and there are also many Daoist techniques to be won!"

Two capybaras were towing the square pavilion raft, on which a dragon spirit sat cross-legged, urging Li Qing on the other side of the table.

This fiend is the forty-sixth son of Chu Longjun. Although he does not have the true blood of a water dragon, he is still a born evil dragon with the power to overturn rivers and seas. After cultivating for two hundred years, he entered the Purple Mansion and was appointed as the Water Lord of Shangcai Creek.

Today, while he was high above the water palace, his subordinate Crab General suddenly reported that a Daoist from the Purple Palace was coming in a palanquin, riding on the waves... This Water Lord of Shangcai inherited the bold and unrestrained nature of Lord Chulong, and immediately began to have his own ideas.

The cultivators of the Purple Mansion were high and mighty, and with a flash of light, they could fly away for hundreds of miles. It was rare to encounter such a carefree Taoist. The Water God of Shangxi personally greeted him in front of the water vein and wanted to send him into the Dragon Marsh.

Seeing that the Taoist priest spoke with extraordinary manners and possessed even more exquisite magical artifacts, the Taoist priest began to urge him on, saying that he had an invitation that would allow him to go directly to the Dragon Palace for a banquet.

Li Qing sat opposite the Water Spirit, unafraid of his fierce face. After pushing aside his wine cup, he flipped his right hand and took out the invitation he had received long ago.

Immediately, Uncle Cai nodded in understanding and burst into laughter.

"Miao miao miao!"

"I was wondering what kind of Taoist could so leisurely travel all the way by water? It turns out that you already had the invitation and were well prepared."

At the Five Streams Peaceful Banquet, there were many invitations, but the number of invitations that could actually get one to participate in the inner banquet competition was actually quite small. Only one hundred and sixty invitations were prepared in total, and many of them were not completely sent out and were still in the hands of the Dragon Palace.

Those who receive this invitation early on must be quite capable, even if they don't have a powerful background.

Wuxi Dragon Palace is not a charity, and the Qingping Banquet is not something that just anyone can attend!
"Hahaha, come, fellow Daoist, drink this cup to the brim!"

The Water God of Shangcai took a liking to this Taoist Li. He was a collateral branch of a dragon spirit, and was not well-liked not only in the Immortal Sect's Purple Mansion, but also among the dragon sons of the Dragon Palace.

The Taoist priest, hindered by the Water God, humbled himself and rode in the same boat with him, patiently listening to the Water God's boasting along the way.

Such respect wouldn't be appreciated by the old dragon, would it? This made him feel secretly ashamed, wondering if he had overstated the power of the Dragon Palace.

"In that case, may I share a piece of news with you, fellow Daoist? But please do not tell anyone else!"

Seeing that Li Qing was so gentle, the Water Lord feared that he might suffer a loss after attending the banquet, so he went further and spoke mysteriously.

"There should be around 150 heroes attending this banquet with invitations. The lowest level of cultivation is that of the current generation of true disciples of the Qi Refining stage in various immortal sects, or the inner disciples of the side sects who are cultivating at the upper level... while the highest level of cultivation is frightening."

"The Dragon-Raising Lord of the East Sea, renowned throughout the two seas and possessing the ultimate Purple Mansion; the contemporary leader of the Three Emperors Great Dao Sect of the North; Yang Jue, the patriarch of the Yang Clan, a great family in the East Sea; and the pure-blooded fox girl from Mount Qingqiu!"

These four individuals are widely recognized as top contenders for the prize.

Of course, the previous generations of true disciples from various immortal sects in Southwest Lingnan, as well as the mysterious Ghost Gentleman of Tiannan Temple, are also quite powerful, but compared to these four, they are inferior!

"Oh? The difference in skill level between those attending the banquet is so vast. What would happen if someone at the upper stage of Qi Refining encountered someone at the upper stage of the Purple Mansion realm?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qing raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

If that's the case, then wouldn't the Qingping Banquet become a battleground for those few Purple Mansion cultivators to compete for the top positions?

He roughly understood the meaning of that Dragon Lord Chu. This Dragon Lord had undergone nine transformations and metamorphosis since he was a serpent, and now he only had that one Dragon Talisman!
If a gift is to be given, it will naturally be given to someone that the Dragon Lord likes and is worth investing in. The Dragon Lord of the East Sea, the Traveler of the Three Emperors Dao Sect, the Sheep Clan Master of Linchuan Prefecture... these people are probably not the ones the Dragon Lord wants to befriend.

The East Sea Road is indeed far away and beyond our reach; the Three Emperors Great Dao Sect is often engaged in battles with the Northern Kingdom, and if things go wrong, the Dragon Lord might end up losing everything...

"Therefore, this Qingping Banquet will no longer be a rigid one-on-one sparring match, but a system of defending the title and capturing the flag."

The dragon's expression turned solemn, its golden vertical pupils widened, and it lowered its voice, saying:

"At that time, ten small islands will be divided in the middle of this great lake, and a dragon flag will be placed in the center of each island. There are no restrictions on this. Whoever holds the dragon flag for three days will be the winner."

"Brother Dao should prepare well. Whether it's elixirs or array weapons, the ultimate goal is to capture a dragon flag!"

This requires cooperation and a series of battles among the participants; it's not easy to defend a dragon flag.

In the final competition, these ten finalists will enter the arena simultaneously, with no restrictions on faction, number of participants, or winning method.

Only the ultimate victor will be granted the Dragon Talisman and bestowed with the seed of the Five Thunder Divine Power!
Uncle Cai Shui didn't think the Taoist in front of him could win the top prize, but if this gentle and handsome Taoist could get a spot among the top ten, he would receive a decent Taoist technique as a reward.

We should make the most of this serendipitous encounter!
"There's still some time before the banquet ends. Brother Dao, you should visit my fellow Daoists in the southwestern prefectures more often; perhaps we can all benefit from each other..."

The words of Uncle Cai Shui are almost explicit, so why doesn't Li Qing understand their meaning?
The Dragon Lord is holding a banquet to make friends with fellow practitioners and to contribute to the cause of fellow practitioners in the four southwestern prefectures. The innate dragon talisman and the great supernatural power to command the five thunderbolts are all beneficial to the Yin spirits.

In the southwest region, Chu Longjun has made his stance clear, but he won't refuse the participation of Taoist priests from other prefectures. The final outcome will depend on who proves superior in skill!

As Li Qing held the golden cup, a multitude of thoughts flashed through his mind as he recalled the magnanimous dragon king he had met years ago.

"Ten spots, an indiscriminate competition where the winner takes all? That does suit the Dragon Lord's nature."

He had no doubt that he could capture one of the dragon flags in the preliminary round. With the help of the Ghost Mother, the altar just completed, and the secret minor supernatural power at his disposal, capturing a dragon flag should not be a problem.

However, it seems we really need to plan ahead.

Yang Jue, a descendant of the Ghost Clan of the Netherworld of the Weak Water, also has the Taiyi Sect and Lady White Bone behind him, and is probably also protected by the Ghost Clan.
He single-handedly shattered the entire fleet of the Dragon-Raising Lord of the East Sea, which was at its peak under Wang Hou;

The Three Sovereigns Great Dao Sect, which summons all spirits, and the pure-blooded demonic cultivator of Qingqiu Mountain...

(End of this chapter)