The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 63 Shocking Hearing of the Wandering Corpse Soldiers
Li Qing immediately noticed the changes in the ghost talisman on the book of the dead.

During the previous dynasty, the belief in the Six Heavens and the Gods was prevalent. Whenever a great virtuous person died, the Great Phoenix Emperor would issue an edict to the Lord of the Underworld.

The proclamation clearly indicates which underworld the deceased will go to, which deity leads this underworld, its coordinates, the extent of the underworld ruler's residence, the number of houses and estates, and the number of paper servants...

This book of the dead seems to be quite similar?
Li Qing was still unclear about the cultivation of the Ghost and God path, and did not know whether it would have any impact on the Ghost Mother.

After surveying the miniature pavilions and waterside terraces around the garden, Li Qing used a jade talisman to record the various flowers, plants, and spirit plants that he had never seen or heard of before into the image talisman.

Later, I should gather some information. I've heard that the ghosts and gods in the Southern Kingdom who have opened the Underworld Palace produce some extraordinary spiritual materials in the Underworld. If it's the same in his Underworld Palace...

This garden is quite valuable!
However, before Li Qing could think further, the shattered Netherworld changed once again.

In the dark sky, which was cracked in all directions, something seemed to fall through the gaps, making a rumbling sound that echoed for miles.

After they landed, Li Qing realized that they were actually icicles about a foot long, which were smashing all over the Underworld with a bang, scattering ice shards everywhere.

Li Qing witnessed firsthand how a purple fairy flower had just been cut down by the ice spike at the artificial hill by the pond, and was swallowed by a black-scaled creature as soon as it fell into the pond.

The scaled fish swallowed the fairy flower and within a few breaths it transformed from its original half-foot length into a two-foot length, instantly growing dragon whiskers, a phoenix tail, and pig fins—a truly wondrous sight.

"Oh? Is it really the essence of Yin?"

Li Qing glanced at the phoenix-tailed black scales in the pond and was secretly surprised. Had it completed its transformation so simply and crudely?

I don't know if that's just how the blackfish is, or if the herb really is that potent.

However, as ice spikes rained down from the Netherworld, their power was truly formidable. No wonder most of the celestial flowers and spiritual plants in this Four-Way Garden only existed beneath the pavilions and waterside terraces.

Perhaps other places originally had these things, but they were damaged by the celestial fire, ice spikes, wind blades, and so on that occasionally swirled down from the Netherworld?
Li Qing stepped onto the ebony wooden floor of the pavilion and headed towards the front yard, without any concern that the disaster in the Netherworld might destroy the spiritual materials in the garden.

After all, he had no way to stop the disaster in the Netherworld.

Moreover, countless such calamities have already occurred in this Netherworld.

Since many precious plants from the underworld still remain in that garden, they won't disappear completely because of this incident. Let nature take its course...

Following the pavilion and corridor, we entered the steps and returned to the front courtyard.

Li Qing hesitated for a moment, but still locked the vermilion gate that separated the front yard from the garden.

Before he fully understands the actual situation of this underworld, he should prioritize caution!

Back in the front yard, Li Qing saw the Ghost Mother still appraising the Soul Bottle in the east wing. She went straight into the west wing and sorted out the remaining spiritual paper after making four paper lanterns, sealing it in a drawer.

He doesn't have time right now.

When I have more free time in the future, I will refine a few more paper lanterns and paper figures to place in the underworld. At that time, these spiritual paper figures will come in handy.

With a casual gesture, Li Qing summoned the Myriad Souls Banner and stored it in his storage gourd. Only then did he finish the task, and with a thought, he activated the Book of the Underworld in his Niwan Palace, returning to the mortal world once more...

But by the time Li Qing returned to the present world, it was already night in Western Mang.

The Candle and the Exquisite Lord lingered on the Stone Ridge east of the Western Wilderness. The Crimson Dragon perched atop the mountain, but somehow it had ignited half of the ridge with its fiery flames.

The paper-wielding creature seemed to resist the raging fire, standing far away on a blue stone, keeping a considerable distance from the flames on the ridge!
However, a troop of soldiers had been stationed for a long time outside the ridge, gazing at the dragon from afar, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

"Captain, why have you been lingering for so long?"

"If we brothers join forces, what can we do even if it is Zhulong? How could he possibly be a match for us?"

"We can't advance, we can't retreat, what's the solution?"

Many of the Buddhist warriors, already clad in face shields and armed with sharp weapons, were about to pass through the front and head southeast to provide support.

They had been waiting here for several hours and were really losing patience.

"You know nothing!"

The scarred general at the head of the group turned around and slapped the iron bow raised by the warrior behind him down with one palm, cursing angrily.

"Can't you use your brain?"

"A crimson dragon, a spirit beast, and the wide-sleeved, rainbow-colored robe worn by the spirit beast is clearly in the style of my Tiannan gentry..."

Moreover, they witnessed the giant dragon coiling around the mountain burn the wandering corpses to charcoal with a single burst of crimson flame. This crimson dragon was not a wild monster from the Western Wilderness Mountains that feeds on rotting corpses.

It's highly likely that these are the spirits and soldiers that the Taoist priests of the Upper Temple lost to time?
Although he didn't know why the Taoist soldiers and spirit beasts from the Shangguan Imperial Guard were outside the Corpse Cave, he still sent scouts back to report and inquire among the Taoist priests about any lost beasts...

"Lieutenant Liu, sending a scout with a letter is enough. Why waste time going around below these mountains?"

"We can't possibly have to carry those two spirit beasts back to the front mountain with eight men on the bridge!"

A lightly armored man standing on the back of the alligator dragon, leaning against the railing of the battle platform, spoke.

An order was issued from the Governor's Office camp, ordering sixty men, including three groups of Tiger and Bear warriors and three groups of Crocodile and Dragon warriors, to be stationed in the southeast of Corpse Mountain to join the three groups of fierce warriors who had already entered the southeastern perimeter.

The warriors and the chief priest, a total of one hundred men, need to tear open a gap in the southeast of the corpse pit.

Once the Imperial Guards of the Front Mountain had entered the Back Mountain, they joined forces with the regular army on the west and southeast, completely dividing the Western Mang Mountain into several parts...

But the Lan family's dragon warriors really looked down on that Commandant Liu. He was just a Taoist priest with two spirit beasts. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths to guard them for him?
"That jerk is such a sycophant!"

"It's pointless for his grandfathers to suffer here for no reason."

Many members of the Lan family cultivate at Tiannan Temple, and since their ancestor is a Daoist of the Purple Mansion, even the disciples of the Upper Temple have to bow to Prefect Lan. They have long since lost any respect for the Upper Temple of Linyuan. Seeing Commandant Liu's behavior, they are truly utterly disdainful.

"Perhaps Commandant Liu can wait here alone, while the brothers and I go in first..."

Before the Lan family's "scholar" could finish speaking, he was immediately interrupted by an even louder shout.

"Captain, someone has emerged from that ridge!"

Among the vanguard, a fierce warrior, with his helmet tucked under his arm, pointed at the mountain ridge and exclaimed loudly.

Sure enough, with the warrior's pointing finger, a young man in a robe suddenly appeared on the barren mountain ridge, which had been burned by the fire, and seemed to be looking down as well.

In just a few breaths, the red dragon coiled and soared into the air, carrying the young man directly down towards the soldiers of the various prefectures.

As the Candle Dragon drew near, the warriors immediately felt its intense heat and fire. This dragon was truly terrifying!
"Gentlemen, this is..."

Standing atop the six-crowned dragon horns of the dragon, Li Qing looked down at the assembled Buddhist warriors below and asked with a frown.

It's unclear what this garrison's intentions were, but their confrontation with "Candle" and Linglong the Mad Lord at such close range suggests that if he hadn't given the paper madman instructions before leaving, she might have gone on a killing spree.

"Your Excellency misunderstands. We saw beasts and spirits wandering around here, and we thought that some Daoist's soldiers had gone missing, so we stayed here to look after them..."

"However, I wonder where you cultivate, Venerable Dao?"

When Commandant Liu saw that Li Qing did not appear to be from the Imperial Academy, nor was he dressed in the robes of the Tiannan Temple, he was slightly surprised. He bowed and asked for clarification about the Taoist's identity.

If a Taoist priest who can control dragons were a rogue cultivator, it would be a good thing or a bad thing!

"Tiannan Foreign Languages ​​School".

"I came down directly from the mountain and did not go to the Governor's Office to receive any orders..."

Li Qing glanced down at the robe. Ever since his blue robe was torn that day, he had been wearing the robe that Old Zhao had given him.

After thinking for a moment, I added a brief explanation.

"Oh?" Commandant Liu showed a slight look of surprise. So, he was also a disciple of the Upper Temple of Lin Yuan. A disciple from another temple?

"So that's how it is! We were just being overly suspicious."

"I wonder where you intend to go? We have been ordered to open another Southeast Camp in the southeast. If you need anything while you are at this mountain of corpses, you may exchange some funds at that Southeast Camp."

Commander Liu looked towards the direction behind him with bright eyes and enthusiastically informed the general about the establishment of the Southeast Camp.

That place happened to be where Li Qing and the "Dragon Banner Soldiers" had camped.

"Well……"

"I am merely exterminating corpse graves; I have no fixed destination!" Seeing the overly enthusiastic attitude of the military officer, Li Qing shook his head and turned to leave.

Unexpectedly, the scarred captain seized the opportunity and actually wanted to invite this Dragon-Riding Master to accompany him!
"Why doesn't that venerable Daoist stay with us in the southwest?"

"The Southeast Camp will be established soon, gathering over a hundred brave soldiers and warriors. In addition, there will be Dragon-Striped Wolf Riders as sentries to pursue the fleeing enemy, and six hundred armored soldiers as assistants. Together with all sides, we will attack the Corpse Cave and finish it off in one battle!"

"This camp truly lacks a decisive fighting force like yours, fellow Daoist. At that time, you can directly exchange your spoils for Golden Lingzhi and Bone Strengthening and Beast Taming Pills within the camp..."

"There are many other benefits, fellow Daoist, would you mind speaking to me privately?"

This Commandant Liu was no flatterer; he was responsible for establishing a camp in the southeast of the corpse cave, and immediately began to plot against the owner of the red dragon.

I had long planned to spend a lot of money to invite the Southeast Army to help me after the Taoist disciples from the Imperial Guard came looking for spirit-raising techniques!

The northern and western military camps, as well as the central army of Ximang Ancient County, were either composed of hundreds of fierce warriors or had Zishi and Zifu in command.

His men, numbering a hundred or so, each commanded their own troops, did not seem capable of accomplishing anything.

Since Commandant Liu had received this military order, he also wanted to compete for great merit. The four camps, in coordination with the Imperial Guard, were like five sharp knives piercing into the mountain of corpses at the same time.

If this battle is a great victory, he, the commander of the Southeast Camp, will rise to the top in one step, and with the name of the commander of the four camps, he will be able to enter the ranks of the Southern Generals.

If the strategy of encircling from all sides and striking with sharp blades fails, this corpse pit won't last much longer; it's only a matter of time!
Just yesterday, the head of the Imperial Academy, the Daoist Dingshan, successfully captured a flying corpse from the Corpse Cave King's Tomb and made it a Corpse General. He now commands seventy-two wandering corpses, and the wandering corpse Daoist army has become a powerful force.

He leaped into the Purple Mansion Upper Foundation in one fell swoop and will become the fourth number person in Tiannan Temple.

This also means that a new top-tier spell, "The Corpse-Wandering Art of War," will be established at the Tiannan Imperial Academy.

At that time, a portion of the dilapidated Western Mang Corpse Cave will even be preserved and become a back garden for the Imperial Guard!

As long as he can maintain the framework of the Southeast Command and successfully complete the encirclement, he will at least be guaranteed the title of Commander of the Central Army...

Oh? Dragon Banner Wolf Rider, Golden Lingzhi!

A strange light flickered in Li Qing's eyes. It seemed that Bai Du and the others were doing quite well on the battlefield of Western Mang. Dragon-Signed Wolf Riders, chasing the dead and pursuing the fleeing enemy.

And that golden lingzhi mushroom was actually distributed to a military camp and redeemed for cash?
It must be said that Captain Liu truly knows what to use to attract Taoist practitioners.

A tribute from Sichuan, the Golden Lingzhi enhances spiritual power and greatly benefits the flow of Qi!
Since that was the case, Li Qing also had the idea of ​​storing some golden lingzhi for future use.

Moreover, his paper army is still incomplete. If he wants to slaughter more old corpses, skin them, and shorten their lifespan, he really needs to borrow the help of the government troops.

The warriors of the South are also on par with mid-grade sorcerers in terms of combat strength. Once they form an army, even he would have to retreat far away!
(End of this chapter)