The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 61 The Underworld is in Turmoil
"What's wrong with this guy?"

"You dare to..."

The weasel spirit had obviously received a lot of reverence and worship from the fox grandmothers of Qingqiu Mountain, or perhaps the demonic Taoist was indeed someone of great importance. Seeing that the Taoist in the hooded robe was indifferent, it shook its magic bell and was about to shout at him.

However, before the weasel spirit could finish speaking, a pair of cold, vertical pupils cast its gaze down upon it.

The enormous, coiled dragon body snaked down from the old banyan tree, and only then was its majestic appearance fully revealed.

Born from licking the Dragon-Raising Wall, it molted into a pure-blooded dragon in the outer courtyard of Lin Yuan, unlike the serpents that could not transform into dragons even after three or five molts.

In terms of bloodline, "Candle" is no less powerful than the pure-blooded fox demon of Qingqiu!
Although it cannot understand human speech, it can still tell the tone of voice, whether it is good or bad.

"Is this little thing aggressive towards us?"

"Candle" turned its head and glanced at the little thing with a puzzled look.

That one glance, clear yet bewildered, was clearly seen by the weasel spirit as a demon about to be devoured. The weasel spirit was so frightened that it choked on the rest of its sentence.

Li Qing, however, was too lazy to argue with them and hurriedly led the paper effigy away towards the outskirts of Western Mang.

Why is the demon mother having another episode?
Watching the departing figure, the strange young man in white robes and crane cloak was also puzzled. He exchanged a glance with the fox woman in the palanquin, then slowly approached the corpses on the ground.

"Oh? These are all walking corpses from the Corpse Cave, and they are all wandering corpses at the upper level of Qi Refining."

"There are traces of fire magic on the corpse, extremely violent fire magic."

"This one, this one... and that one too, five of them have their heads pierced by sharp weapons. The spiritual energy covering such huge holes is truly immense!"

"Why is this zombie so mangled and bloody..."

The eerie young man reached out and grabbed a tree branch, using it to gently poke at the corpse on the ground as he recounted what he had seen.

Is it possible to find a Taoist priest in this Southwest Corpse Cave who is this ferocious? He slew seven high-ranking wandering corpses in a row!

Are all Taoist priests in the Southwest at this level?
This left the sorcerer somewhat incredulous...

"No, it's Qi, the Qi of the Qi cultivation path."

The fox-woman leaped lightly from the palanquin. Her pale golden fox tail was about half a zhang long, but it was extremely smooth. With each step she swayed, she had a unique beauty.

The fox-woman's emerald pupils keenly detected those few wisps of residual true fire energy.

Oh, that makes sense. If it's someone from that Tiannan Taoist Temple, then it'll make sense!

The young man nodded slightly, accepting the reason.

If some random cultivator just pops up, followed by dragons, summoned by ghost maidens, possessing formidable combat power, and yet acts so indifferent...

He might feel a little frustrated!
"Manager Huang, you're being a bit too talkative."

The fox woman's emerald vertical pupils also swept over the weasel spirit holding the magic bell, and the old weasel spirit immediately frowned, cried out "Grandma!" and begged for mercy.

This lady is a true descendant of Qingqiu. Just now, if that old weasel had really angered the disciples of another sect...

She feared that a single glint of her demonic eyes would obliterate the old weasel's three souls.

"It's best to be careful what you say before you know the full story."

"This will never happen again!"

After giving the weasel spirit a good talking-to, the fox woman and the Taoist priest began to plan their next move.

He had received orders from the Third Ancestor of Qingqiu to come to this southwestern corpse cave to assist the Tiannan Governor's Office, but he couldn't just come to help for nothing; he had to get some benefits back with him.
These past few days, I've caught a glimpse of the Tiannan Imperial Expeditionary Force's attack on the mountain and the destruction of graves from afar. The overwhelming number of Taoist soldiers, corpse soldiers, and spirit beasts were utterly overwhelming, colliding with the tide of corpses on the main mountain.

Among them, the Purple Mansion cultivators even wanted to forcibly capture a Corpse General-level flying corpse that could fly and escape into the earth to become a Dao soldier!

The sorcerer Yan Hua also had the same idea; he also wanted to retrieve a flying corpse and bring it back to Qingqiu Mountain.

"Since some people have heard that other flying corpses have appeared in the mountains, there must be a chance."

"Let's go back to the northern camp and have the Lan clan's alligator warriors keep an eye out for you."

The fox-woman glanced at the evil Taoist priest, stopping him from continuing his nonsense.

Although both of them possessed considerable skill, venturing alone into a corpse-filled cave was far too dangerous. A wise person avoids dangerous situations; if other methods could be used to resolve the issue, why risk one's own life?
Besides, she didn't think Yan Hua could really achieve much in the art of spirit raising; it was just a passing fancy!

The procession was grand and imposing, with weasels leading the way, white snakes carrying the chariot, and noble families and venerable Daoists making their way. In the end, however, they all stopped their delusions and returned home.

This corpse pit is definitely not easy to traverse. Li Qing had just been besieged by a horde of corpses not long ago, and was chased by winged zombies for almost half of the pit. And this was only due to the corpse horde attracted by the aftershocks of the battle.

If they continued their grand and imposing trespass into the heart of the Corpse Cave, without a beast like the dragon capable of high-speed flight, they might very well perish there...

Li Qing turned and left Xi Mang, finding a valley where he had "Zhu" and "Linglong" guard the place. He then connected with the Netherworld Book and Ghost Scroll and stepped directly into the Netherworld.

Upon entering the underworld and pushing open the flower-patterned door, Li Qing saw the Ghost Mother already standing in the courtyard, looking directly at him.

Just now, if Li Qing hadn't stopped her, the scene in Liuhuangzhou would have played out again.

Li Qing can no longer bear the hatred from Qingqiu Mountain!

"Ugh, can't you just stop causing me so much trouble?"

With a flick of her finger, four wisps of fire from the stone ignited the paper lanterns in the four connecting corridors of the courtyard. Li Qing prepared to spend some time communicating with the Ghost Mother.

The two stood in the courtyard, staring at each other. Li Qing used strands of divine thought to persuade the Ghost Mother not to go out, but the Ghost Mother's response was intermittent, making communication difficult...

I don't understand what she's saying!
But the Ghost Mother still longed for the golden fox, which gave Li Qing a terrible headache. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he began to search for something in his mustard seed bag.

He took out the golden silk mustard seed pouch and poured it out. First, the ten-foot-tall Moon Shadow Stone fell out, and then the Soul Silk and the Resentment Bottle in the mustard seed pouch fell in front of the courtyard.

In reality, many items cannot survive in the Netherworld, only spiritual objects can remain uncorrupted.

Clearly, that Moonstone was not a spiritual object, or rather, not a complete spiritual object.

As soon as the Moonstone fell into the courtyard, it made a crackling sound, and many rhombuses began to scatter. However, unlike ordinary Yin Iron, it did not decay; it simply began to break apart and transform into palm-sized rhombus jade bricks...

Seeing that the Moonstone was so worthless and not at all like the spiritual ore he had imagined, Li Qing was slightly disappointed, but his mind was on another item at the moment.

An ancient text says: When a person dies, they become a ghost; when a ghost dies, it becomes a ling!
Legend has it that the Lingnan White Bone Path is skilled at refining soul threads from the precious materials left behind by ghosts and spirits after their demise. These soul threads are highly beneficial to spirits and even deities.

Li Qing raised her hand to collect the many soul bottles, leaving behind a white jade bottle about two inches tall. She then opened its lid and presented it to the Ghost Mother.

How about this?

Within the white jade bottle, wisps of pale blue smoke curled up like strands of sandalwood hanging upside down, neither light nor mist, neither air nor haze, possessing an extraordinary and mysterious quality.

Strands of soul energy rippled, like incense smoke drifting from beyond the Netherworld. Upon approaching the Ghost Mother, they transformed into wisps of green smoke, swirling around her and slowly merging into the profound Yin energy. These green soul threads from the Lingnan White Bone Path were indeed effective against her!
Even the aura emanating from the Ghost Mother had become much clearer.

The wisps of soul energy emanating from the bottle seemed to be endlessly emitting green smoke, which even tinged the dark courtyard of the Netherworld with color, making it no longer the usual gloomy place.

"What exactly is this 'Soul Silk of the Vengeful Bottle'?"

Seeing that the Ghost Mother had completely suppressed her malevolent aura, this was entirely beyond Li Qing's expectations.

Ghostly practices are thriving in Lingnan. Perhaps I should go and see Lingnan sometime in the future?
That ghostly Taoist left behind many soul threads, nearly sixty bottles in total, enough to last a long time!

Fortunately, the Ghost Mother's mind was already drawn to the jade bottle, and she no longer wanted to leave the mortal world to take the fox girl. Li Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the clicking sounds in the courtyard became increasingly frequent.

It was the giant moon-shadowed rock in the Corpse Cave Stream, its white jade-like fragments cracking and peeling away until the center of the courtyard was covered with a layer of rhomboid white crystals the size of blue bricks.

Only in the very center of the Moon Shadow Stone was a white jade flower, with a two-foot-tall jade stem and three jade leaves. Intricate Dao patterns spread from the tips of the leaves all the way up to the center of the lotus flower.

"Oh? It's actually a chalcedony flower?"

This truly brought Li Qing a pleasant surprise; the Jade Marrow Blooming with Flowers was a rare and precious spiritual treasure.

If Li Qing waits until the longevity lamp spell is complete and the ever-burning paper lamp can no longer overshadow the life candle's radiance, then perhaps she can use that jade-like Qionghua to refine a Southern Dipper longevity flower lamp!
Further incantations and spells, which may shorten lifespan and steal life, would be even more beneficial.

"No wonder this giant rock was occupied by that silver-armored corpse. It turns out that there was a jade vein spirit there, and the wisps of jade energy nourished the old corpse, which is why it turned into a silver-armored corpse?"

With a sigh, Li Qing carefully put the jade marrow flower into her storage gourd before looking to the side.

The Ghost Mother had already placed the soul bottle on the altar in the east wing. The soul bottle seemed to replace the incense burner, with wisps of green smoke spreading and permeating the surroundings.

The courtyard was filled with Moon Shadow Jade Edges. This item was not exactly a spiritual material, but it was not an ordinary object either. It was really useless to pile it up in the courtyard.

Li Qing wasn't in the mood to deal with these odds and ends at the moment.

With a flick of his right hand, a ten-thousand-soul banner, half a zhang tall, appeared in his hand!
The owner of that soul banner had been dead for a long time, and the soul imprint on this magical artifact had long since disappeared.

Li Qing grasped the Soul Banner, channeling his primordial energy into it. He found that the Soul Banner's magical restrictions were complete, with thousands of restrictions running continuously, seemingly possessing a unique set of meridians belonging to this magical artifact.

The amount of vital energy required to activate this soul banner was naturally much greater than that of ordinary magical artifacts, but the feeling of being able to control it as if it were an extension of one's own arm, with thousands of magical restrictions circulating in an orderly manner, truly amazed Li Qing!
With a wave of the Soul Banner, the dense black threads intertwine in one place. These are the Myriad Soul Threads, woven from countless ghosts and yin energy. When gathered, they can transform into dark clouds that blot out the sky; when scattered, they resemble a deluge of arrows, constantly changing their various forms.

"Are these the magical artifacts used by the Daoists of the Purple Mansion?"

Even though Li Qing didn't quite understand how to use this magical artifact in battle, the feeling of controlling it as easily as using his fingers and arms made him no longer want to forcefully use his true qi to manipulate the black coffin nails.

A hundred or so strands of soul-binding silk wove together, transforming into a long, black arrow that pierced down, instantly shattering the seven moon-shadow diamonds on the ground without harming the surface. After shattering the seven diamonds, just as the black line touched the bluestone floor, it suddenly turned and shot straight into the sky...

"What a top-tier magic banner! I haven't even specifically practiced how to create myriad soul threads or how to control them, yet it's truly effortless!"

Li Qing naturally wouldn't believe it was due to her unparalleled talent; it could only be due to the top-tier soul banner itself.

This top-tier magical artifact, refined by the Ghost Taoist over hundreds of years, has truly approached perfection; the next level up would be another artifact that would be passed down for tens of millions of years.

While the magical artifacts held by those at the Qi Refining stage are also called magical weapons, they are only just beginning to be infused with spiritual power, and some of these artifacts even have conflicting restrictions that the artifact owners are unaware of.

This is not even in the same league.

Li Qing held the Soul Banner with great affection, carefully refining it with Xuan Yin Qi, and then using many thoughts to inscribe a unique mark in the magic restriction, intending to make it her signature magic weapon!
Now that he had a sharp blade, his courage grew. Li Qing looked at the pieces of Moon Shadow Stone on the ground, but suddenly remembered that the four-way garden behind him had not been dealt with yet. There was a broken wall as tall as a person. Should he make the most of it and use the Moon Shadow Stone to block up the broken wall again?

If it's feasible, his underworld could be expanded by another courtyard.

With a thought, four pieces of paper fluttered from Li Qing's sleeve. In a short while, the paper figures filled the area and transformed into four faceless paper figures.

Li Qing then urged the four paper stalks to gather many jade pieces and explore the backyard.

The Heavenly Mansion Profound Qi immediately enveloped Li Qing, transforming into a dark blue protective shield, like the moon encircling him. This time, he held the Myriad Souls Banner in one hand and placed the other on the mechanism of the vermilion door, pulling the door open.

Four people, carrying piles of jade tablets, stepped into the garden.

Sure enough, this time, there was no further disturbance in the interconnected garden.

Perhaps there is only one vengeful ghost in a courtyard.

As long as no other vengeful ghosts roam around...

After tossing the piles of jade on the ground, Li Qingqie had the paper shovel test the other three courtyard gates to make sure they were still secure. Only after confirming that they were secure did he pick up the soul banner and step into the underworld garden.

The garden was about seven or eight zhang in all directions, with pavilions, waterside terraces, ponds, rockeries, and shady plants that were unique to the secluded sky, but it was still possible to see its entirety at a glance.

Compared to the vast mansion that spans 800 acres, the small courtyard where Li Qing is located should be considered a side residence. The size of the garden and the corridor in front is quite small!

He strode down the steps and onto the pebbly path. There were no birds or beasts in the courtyard, nor any insect chirping. Only in the pond that occupied a small part of the right side did a dark shadow suddenly leap out.

As soon as Li Qing heard the commotion, he immediately shook his Soul Banner, and hundreds of strands of souls intertwined and transformed into a three-foot-long hand that swept up the dark figure and held it in his palm.

It was a black-scaled fish! The black-scaled fish was completely transparent like crystal, and if you lifted it up slightly, you could even see its intestines, belly, and many internal organs, which looked like stars.

"There are actually living things in the Netherworld?"

No one could answer this question, but Li Qing thought to himself that it was true. With ghosts everywhere and plants of the underworld already in the garden, it was normal for there to be a black-scaled creature among them.

The soul banner hung down with several strands of black silk, probing the bottom of the pond. The water was only about a foot deep, just an ordinary pond with brick walls on all four sides. Apart from the dozen or so black fish, there was nothing unusual about it.

The black-scaled creature was thrown down into the water, causing a ripple. The black-scaled creature had just escaped the clutches of the demon and with a flick of its tail, it disappeared under the rocks!

After scanning the surroundings and confirming that there was nothing unusual about the garden, Li Qing arrived at the broken wall surrounded by four paper figures.

The good news is that the area of ​​the broken wall is not very large. There was already a cluster of intricately patterned blue bricks piled on the ground, and there was a bucket of viscous mortar that looked like wood glue under the collapsed entrance. It seems that the owner of this place had already prepared for repairs before the collapse of Youtian.

The bad news is that those things are on the other side of the wall!
"I'm afraid the key to stopping the wandering ghosts and spirits is the hundred ghost totems on those blue bricks. This pile of jade prisms is probably really useless!"

The underworld is divided into square sections, with courtyards separated by green bricks and yellow tiles, which effectively block the dangers from the outer reaches of the Netherworld.

But... there are vengeful ghosts wandering outside!
Looking out from the broken wall, Li Qing saw a horizontal corridor with two arched hanging flower doors on the left and right. Small clusters of black bamboo dotted the flower railings of the corridor. Only after observing the layout of the corridor could one see the real main hall.
Standing on tiptoe, Li Qing carefully observed the empty corridor. Seeing no ghosts or malicious wanderers, she hesitated for only a moment before an idea came to her. She threw the four paper talismans over the wall.

"You, you, bring in those blue bricks and mortar, and patch up this wall. Be careful!"

"You two, keep watch outside..."

The journey was uneventful. After tinkering for half an hour, the wall was finally resealed. Since there were no yellow tiles, two feet of jade tiles were built using the moon-shaped jade, thus incorporating the garden, which had been open to all four sides, into the territory...

In the ghost book in his Niwan Palace, there were two more characters in the ghost book that he could not recognize, one of which was the character "garden" that looked like a garden.

(End of this chapter)