The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 74, Section 72: Hearing the story of the woman in white.
The "Summoning the Soul" ritual is nothing more than the resuscitation of life force after death, the restarting of vital essence, and the summoning of the soul back to its source.

Those who die are like those who drown, those who are wounded by sharp blades, whose bodies decay and their lives dissipate... Many deaths that do not involve the fundamental essence of the Upper God Palace and the Lower Essence Field may also have a chance to be resurrected in a short period of time!
Although the things involved are not particularly profound.

This is a superficial and unorthodox method of stimulating the dantian, causing the essence to pulsate, the heart fire to reignite, and the blood and body to warm up. It is not considered a high-level technique.

The art of restoring life after death is in harmony with the internal circulation of Qi in the human body. It awakens the primordial Qi, and when the Qi of the circulation moves, life is born, and a person comes back to life. It sounds simple, but it is not easy to do at all.

Li Qing recalled the old man's detailed instructions and found them extremely strange.

Such exquisite techniques of qi cultivation were actually devised by a rogue cultivator who did not cultivate vital energy.

The technique of summoning the soul back combines two methods: Yin Eyes Can See the Delusion and Summoning the Soul to Guide the Way!

The art of summoning the soul is quite ordinary; it simply involves bringing back the deceased while their three souls and seven spirits are still intact after death.

However, the Yin Eyes are quite useful to Li Qing. With the Yin Eyes open, one can look up and down into the deep darkness, distinguish between the light and dark energies, and it is also a means of observing human souls.

Li Qing once replaced a ghost spine. The great dragon of the spine is the ancestral vein of life, which leads directly to the Dantian essence palace. Therefore, the yin energy in his own primordial qi has become more and more heavy.

This ghost spine was perhaps extracted from the body of a wandering corpse ghost. Its yin essence was quite strong, making Li Qing's cosmic qi even stronger, almost transforming into the profound yin qi that could only be refined by the Purple Mansion Dao Foundation Realm!
However, the regret it brought also made Li Qing's control over this body's primordial energy weaker.

Back then, Li Qing entered the Daoist path because of his superior speed of circulating Qi throughout the body. His Qi circulation efficiency was almost twice as fast as others, which is why he dared to go down the mountain and enter the world at will!
"The Yin Qi in the Dantian of life essence is abundant, and its gathering and dispersing must be done in moderation. It can be used in this Yin Eye."

For Li Qing, the process of dismantling a spell was the most interesting moment in his cultivation, as it meant he could gain more unknown benefits from it.

What initially seemed like an incredible technique to bring the dead back to life actually turned out to be quite ordinary after being broken down.

"This technique can save those who have just died violently, but ultimately it only works to repair their life force. Rather than bringing them back to life, it's more accurate to say it saves their lives!"

With a long sigh, Li Qing saw through the essence of this spell at a glance.

To turn the tide and be reborn—is it really that simple?
Southerners practice the Six Arts and cultivate their nature outside the secular world, yet their lifespan is no more than two hundred years!

When Heaven and Earth interact, the foundation of the Purple Palace is established, and one has a lifespan of four hundred years. Can this be considered longevity?
He comprehended the method during the practice, and the Daoist intent manifested. He emerged with his Yin spirit and lived for over eight hundred years. He sat and watched the rise and fall of past events. Could this be considered immortality?
Even such figures will one day return to dust.

Immortality is truly difficult to cultivate!
Li Qing sighed and summoned the faceless paper demon carrying the talisman, ordering it to watch over the room. He then took a step and went straight into the Netherworld.

Upon entering the Netherworld, Li Qing's Yin Eyes manifested. They were grayish-white pupils with a cold tinge. Although they were both Xuan Yin Eyes, when he looked at the Netherworld again, they were different from before!
In his vision, the dark sky was no longer a deep and gloomy expanse; the boundless darkness began to take on layers in his eyes.

The most vibrant warm red light emanated from the two red lanterns hanging in front of the mansion, which resembled the sun.

"No wonder the ghosts couldn't get close; in their eyes, these were two enormous furnaces!"

Besides the red lanterns, the two lion-shaped gate beasts on the left and right also had stacked golden light shimmering, and their levels were quite impressive.

Looking further out from this underworld, the sense of light and shadow becomes increasingly blurred, gradually descending into darkness.

Until, Li Qing suddenly froze.

About twenty feet away from this mansion is the backyard of another cluster of residences.

Li Qing only saw a sudden, gloomy aura there, and inside that dark house, there was a skull with a bluish-black head, lying inside the courtyard wall, staring greedily at Li Qing with its empty eye sockets.

Perhaps, ever since Li Qing first entered You Tian, ​​it has been secretly watching this stranger who comes and goes so often.

"Damn it, another Purple Mansion level ghost!"

Li Qing frowned, but fortunately, she was no longer as ignorant as when she first entered You Tian, ​​and she no longer made meaningless resistance.

He knew perfectly well that the vengeful ghost couldn't cross the courtyard wall either, let alone get past the two red lanterns!
Otherwise, it wouldn't just be clinging to that courtyard wall, intently spying on itself.

Seeing Li Qing's gaze lingering on it for so long, the skeletal evil spirit seemed to chuckle, as if it could no longer stand on its tiptoes.

With a snap, the old skull that was stuck to the courtyard wall fell back into the courtyard and disappeared from Li Qing's sight.

Li Qing ignored it and turned to push open the gates of the Underworld. But just as she entered the Underworld and the gates were about to close again...

Li Qing's heart suddenly tightened.

Through the crack in the door that was about to close, he saw the skull stick back onto the courtyard wall.

This time, the skeleton reappeared on the right side, and only its empty eye sockets rose above the courtyard wall, eerily spying on the closing gates of the underworld...

Again and again!

Li Qing felt an inexplicable anger rising within him; he knew it was fear, shame, and rage that were rising in his heart.

He was terrified of the ghostly creature that had been spying on him for who knows how long, and at the same time, he felt ashamed and annoyed by the repeated spying. "Damn it! Once the foundation of my Purple Mansion is completed, I will definitely kill those spying ghosts."

If he hadn't for the chance to awaken his Yin Eyes and deliberately entered the Netherworld to test their abilities, he would never have known that such a ghostly thing had been eyeing him all along.

Exhaling a long breath, Li Qing picked up the Southern Dipper Life-Extending Lamp and, with his left hand, picked up the lamp handle entwined with the spirit-patterned jade leaves, carefully examining it in the courtyard.

Today, when Li Qing returned, the Ghost Mother was neither in the courtyard nor in the east wing.

Huh? Where did she go?
A sudden doubt arose in Li Qing's heart. As her gaze swept around, she immediately spotted the courtyard gate that had already been opened!
"This……"

Surrounded by the Heavenly Mansion Profound Qi, forming a protective shield around her, Li Qing picked up the Southern Dipper Life-Extending Lamp in one hand and activated the Myriad Soul Banner in the other, heading towards the Four-Way Garden behind her without stopping.

Just as they approached the courtyard gate, they found the courtyard still peaceful, and the many rare plants and flowers in the underworld, as well as the black scales in the pond, all showed a purplish-red color that was both yin and yang.

The Ghost Mother sat alone on the waterside pavilion above the pond, staring blankly at Li Qing!

"Huh? How does the Ghost Mother know how to open doors? That vermilion door is clearly meant to ward off evil..."

"Oh, it's a book of the underworld!"

A sudden realization dawned on Li Qing's mind. On the Soul Contract, the Ghost Prince Li Qing and the Ghost Mother Cui Qu'er had sworn an oath to be bound together in the Underworld.

Originally, the two only had two side rooms on the east and west sides and a small courtyard. Last time, Li Qing brought the Sitong Garden under his control, so naturally a garden was added to the Ming Shu copper contract.

The Demon Mother can also freely come and go in this garden!
As Li Qing slowly ascended the waterside pavilion, she approached the Ghost Mother and suddenly realized that the Ghost Mother was holding half a oleander flower in her palm. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she was picking and consuming the rare flower from the garden.

"It seems that the expansion of the underworld has also had a great impact on her. Consuming food and breathing energy is the essence of life and is itself a form of cultivation!"

Can the Demon Mother also become stronger because of this?
As Li Qing became more familiar with the underworld, she felt that this netherworld was becoming more and more mysterious.

When the Ghost Mother saw Li Qing approaching, she didn't say much, but stood there blankly for a few breaths before raising her hand and sending the Nether Flower in her palm to Li Qing.

It seemed she wanted to give it to him to try!
But how could Li Qing dare to actually consume the Netherworld Flower like the Ghost Mother?

In the past, when his cultivation was not yet advanced, the mere appearance of the Ghost Mother could put him on the brink of life and death. As his cultivation became more profound, he was able to begin to have regular communication with the Ghost Mother, but he still dared not act rashly.

In Li Qing's vision, a more terrifying and dim scene appeared beside the Ghost Mother than the ghostly skeleton. Within the surrounding darkness, it seemed as if ancient, bluish-gray ghostly ropes hung down from the void, exuding a chilling aura of death…

Li Qing politely declined her gift, then looked up at the courtyard wall behind her. She saw that the repaired wall had disappeared without a trace, appearing as if it had never collapsed.

There was still a pile of unused totem-patterned bricks under the courtyard wall, and the remaining half bucket of mortar was covered again and leaned against the base of the wall.

Unfortunately, he doesn't dare to open the other courtyard gates yet; otherwise, there might be even more treasures in other places!
Seeing the Ghost Mother wandering around the waterside pavilion again, Li Qing turned and headed towards the front courtyard. These Yin Eyes allowed him to see many dangers he was unaware of in ordinary times, proving to be of great use.

He needed to write down the "soul-summoning" technique orally transmitted by the master now, and then carefully study it later...

However, it had not been long since he had vanished into the Netherworld.

On Yuanxin Island, a sudden commotion broke out in the manor outside the city, and someone knocked on Li Qing's room.

"Lord Li, Lord Li, are you there?"

Several wandering Taoist priests knocked on Li Qing's door, their tone somewhat urgent.

Still there, the door was quickly pulled open, and a young man in a robe stepped out, staring expressionlessly at the group in front of him: "What's wrong? Why the rush!"

No wonder Li Qing was so annoyed.

He had just finished writing down the initial structure and method of the Soul Summoning Technique, and had not yet further explored the scope of the abilities of Soul Summoning and Yin Eyes, when he was disturbed like this.

"It's the Taoist sect from Pengguo, the one called the Plain Robe Sect, that has come to our door."

"This path is listed as the foremost in Peng Kingdom, and is supported by various clans and nobles. Whenever a Daoist nun in plain clothes comes to the door, no matter who she is, she must take six bushels of offerings, which may be pearls and corals, or beautiful jade beads, or even gold and silver, spices, beans and rice..."

"Manager Zhao is having some trouble handling this; please come and assist him!"

Several wandering knights bowed and explained.

The Plain-Clad Taoist, whose robes are worth six bushels, travels among wealthy families. According to the laws of Peng Kingdom, regardless of social status, when the Plain-Clad Taoist arrives, he must be greeted with six bushels of offerings and then listen to the Plain-Clad Taoist preach.

Of course, in the path of those dressed in white, female Taoist priests often took the lead, traveling to various social classes and observing different families. They not only used their white robes to pray for the removal of disasters and difficulties, but also often showed compassion and preached the Tao through their own bodies...

Then Manager Zhao was starting to feel the strain!
(End of this chapter)