The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 78 Fellow Immortals
He then sent a letter back to the manor outside the island, and Li Qing temporarily resided in the Suyi Taoist Temple as a Qi Refiner from the Southern Heaven.

The five immortal sects in the South, especially the upper sects of Jiangnan, Jiangbei, and Donghai, always cherish mutual affection, as does the Suyi Sect, which retreated from Taiyi Sect.

This Plain-Clad Daoist sect resides on the Yuanxin Island's earth veins. It has four Dao Foundation Establishment cultivators and eleven cultivators at the upper level of Qi Refining. The sect has a total of over a hundred people... Most of them are quite young, seemingly having only recently entered the Dao. It is a separate lineage established with about ten disciples from the Taiyi Daoist sect, Jiangzhen Peak, as its core.

Within this temple, there was no constraint of freedom. Li Qing only stayed for one day, yet he could already feel the anticipation that the Taoist disciples in plain clothes held for the Southern Immortal Sect.

This lineage of practitioners, dressed in plain clothes, is quite vibrant...

While staying at the Taoist temple, Li Qing held the jade talisman that recorded miscellaneous talks about the underworld and pondered for a long time.

Taiyi Lingxu, whose lineage and immortal peak had been seized, remained undeterred in his ambition, roaming freely and carefree overseas, laughing heartily.

Why?

Because he knew his true nature, his divine light shone as brightly as the Purple Star in the high sky, and with a flick of his finger, the ends of the earth were within reach, and stars could be moved and constellations changed.

When his lineage and immortal peak were taken away, did he truly not hate it? When he was forced to flee overseas, did he truly not hold a grudge?

But he has already reached the highest level of the Purple Mansion!
If he were to take just one more step forward, and become a half-spirit, then the Taiyi Dao, from which all rivers flow to the sea, would have a constant stream of Daoists personally coming to his door to apologize, reconcile, and invite him back to the sect.

If he were to attain true Yin Spirit overseas, then everything he had seized from Jiangzhen Peak, including his entire enemy family, would become his compensation and the most valuable resources in his hands!

Taoists themselves are the greatest value in the cultivation world.

This is the vast land of Tiandu, where all rules are determined by the power of perception, and are also destroyed by irresistible forces.

How could Li Qing not be shaken by this senior brother?

"Taiyiyi, Bu Lingxu!"

"At least I, Li, shouldn't be outshone by someone like that, right?"

Otherwise, he would truly be disgracing the Ghost Mother...

Sweeping away the frustration and confusion of the past few days, Li Qing now had her first goal to catch up with since entering the Dao.

Moreover, like that Taiyi Lingxu, who manipulates the laws of heaven and earth and can move mountains with a single hand, he should first become a Purple Mansion Upper Foundation.

Suppressing the kindness shown to him by the temple in plain clothes, Li Qing began to ponder the Penghai Yin Mansion.

That was the ancestral temple of the ancient Peng Kingdom from a previous dynasty or even earlier. According to the system, the emperor worshipped seven times, the feudal lords and kings worshipped five times, the high officials worshipped three times, and the scholars worshipped one time...

This Penghai Yinfu should be the ancestral temple of some ancient feudal lord, or it sank into the sea after the feudal state was destroyed, along with the changes of the sea and the mulberry fields!
It has been shown in the past, but no one has been able to enter the deep sea.

After the Su Yi Dao arrived in Pengguo, the Su Yi Dao Master, Bu Lingxu, personally entered the Penghai Sea and established the Water-Avoiding Heaven Barrier. Every three years, on the day the autumn tide recedes, the barrier opens, allowing many Daoists to enter the Penghai Yin Mansion for exploration.

Over the past decade or so, this underworld has become a topic of conversation in the seas of many countries!
The authority over the underworld held by the Peng Kingdom's Suyi Dao also made them a rising star among the various kingdoms.

Seeing this, Li Qing couldn't help but marvel at the methods of this Daoist Master in plain clothes!

This Penghai Yin Mansion has almost become a "blessed land" in the hands of the Suyi Daoist.

Taoist priests and spirits from all nations who wish to explore this underworld must first stay at the Plain Clothes Taoist Temple on Yuanxin Island and respectfully offer their gifts...

However, the Penghai Yin Mansion is different from the blessed lands possessed by the Five Directions Immortal Sect; it is a true Yin Mansion.

Ghosts and spirits, both day and night, are constantly roaming the underworld. Many ancient artifacts of the underworld are still enshrined there. If one is not careful, one will be tainted by curses and trigger calamities. There are even records of people falling from the foundation of the Purple Mansion!

"The five temples are divided into prefectures?"

The jade slip given by Bu Lingxu was very detailed, clearly marking the approximate location of the Underworld.

However, within the underworld, ghosts roam freely, and primitive demons abound, making it difficult to move an inch unless one has reached the pinnacle of Qi cultivation.

Li Qing rested her head on the windowsill and began to plan her trip to the underwater underworld two days later!

Then, Li Qing hung the Southern Dipper Life-Extending Jade Flower Lamp on the table, rolled up two pieces of corpse skin paper, drew his primordial energy like a golden needle, dipped it in the ghost blood of the jade cup, and engraved a memorial on the superior corpse skin paper as if carving a stupa.

The text begins with reverence for the mountain spirit, in accordance with the Way of Heaven, and invocation of nature. It concludes with the signature "Linglong" and the pseudonym "Changjun".

A single, arrogant document, inscribed with a superior memorial, issued a decree. The ghostly blood within resonated with its spirit, further unleashing its ferocity.

Li Qing compiled the two memorials into a book, took a strand of white thread, and hung it in a corner of the wall.

The pale white paper and the dark red ghostly script, illuminated by the cold white light, seemed to exude a mixture of yin and yang energy, as if ghostly blood might drip from between the characters at any moment.

This is a petition from a mountain spirit that can command the Linglong Changjun and the five Changbing soldiers in one go. The many ghostly characters in it are nothing other than to empower the six paper Changbings and to restrain their rules and choices.

If the Taoist priest who wrote the prayer is a spirit and the content is meticulous, then with the blessing of the prayer, that army can be almost indistinguishable from ghosts and gods, possessing all sorts of incredible powers.

This was the first time Li Qing had used the "Mountain Spirit's Hidden Ballads Law" to create such a Mountain Spirit script.

With these two chapters of ghost script petitions, he would have enough to use during his journey to the underworld.

He hung the two petitions beside the spirit lamp, lit the incense burner, and stroked the wisps of smoke over the petitions, silently reciting the method of communicating with the spirits, the incantation of the mountain spirit…

This paper army is Li Qing's first trump card. With mountain spirits stirring up clouds and rain, and ghostly gloom rising, this army is enough to withstand any opponent below the Purple Mansion level.

These past two days, various rituals have been performed. The temple is not large, but it is extremely quiet. No one disturbs cultivator Li Qing. The only sounds are the daily squabbles of phoenixes and the cries of spirit deer.
Until the third day.

Li Qing put the two scrolls of memorials to the mountain spirits into his pocket, closed the window, and opened the door.

Unlike the plain attire of the original Suyi Temple, the female Taoist priest, Yan Danling, had changed into a crimson robe, cinched at the waist. Instead of a crown, she tied her black hair back with a ribbon, leaving only two willow-leaf-shaped strands hanging down at her temples, looking extremely dashing!
But Li Qing immediately recognized it as a magical robe with numerous protective spells and restrictions, a true treasure for protection.

"Fellow Daoist Li, how have you been these past few days?"

"It seems we'll need to travel together on this trip!"

Yan Danling stood in front of the hanging flower gate, chuckled, and beckoned Li Qing to go out together.

The two chatted and laughed as they exited the temple gate, only to find that many unfamiliar faces had already gathered at the main hall.

These were cultivators from various kingdoms who presented six bushels of treasures, staying in simple clothes to observe the pilgrimage, hoping to plunder the Penghai Yin Palace.

"Senior Sister Yan, Brother Li!" Before the two had even left the front of the mountain, another young man rode up to them on a white peacock several meters long.

This is yet another Qi Refining Master of the Plain Clothes Path!
"Junior Brother Guan."

"This is Junior Brother Guan, Fellow Daoist Li. The three of us will be traveling together in the Qi Refining Realm of the temple on this trip!"

Looking at the Taoist who had jumped down from the white peacock, Yan Danling introduced him softly.

This Taoist priest surnamed Guan appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, but it was clear that he did not practice the Inner Vision Refinement, or rather, it was not a pure Inner Vision Refinement path.

This Taoist priest seems to be from the alchemical lineage of cultivation, supplemented by the method of refining the spirit, so that the five internal organs seem to have spirit, and the three treasures of essence, qi and spirit are all preserved, and the qi mechanism is vigorous.

Li Qing nodded slightly to the two, but before they could exchange more words, a magnificent divine light shot into the sky from the temple, instantly transforming into a brocade cloud that hovered above the mountain gate.

"Gentlemen, the time has come, let us set off!"

However, the Purple Palace within the temple rose into the clouds, taking with it all the Taoists within the temple who wished to go to the Penghai Underworld.

A cloud nearly a hundred feet in size stretched across the sky. Li Qing and his two companions, along with numerous Taoist priests from various countries, either channeled their inner energy, summoned magical artifacts, or leaped through the air to ascend the cloud.

When Li Qing stepped onto the seemingly real auspicious cloud, he saw eight or nine people scattered on it.

Two Daoist priests in purple robes stood there, along with six or seven others, all of whom were at the peak of Qi Refining.

The group was not large; a few people were lifted up by the brocade clouds, riding the wind and mist, and set off from Yuanxin Island, heading straight overseas.

At this moment, the autumn tide is receding, and the sea breeze is unpredictable. Looking down from the clouds, the Penghai Sea glistens with light, creating a unique scene...

Three hundred miles north of Yuanxin Island lies a calm sea, where several rock pillars stand out abruptly, seemingly forming a barrier.

The clouds and mist rose and headed north, directly entering this sea area.

On a rock pillar in the sea, azure clouds surrounded by brocade clouds drifted slowly down from the sky. The three or five Taoists sitting cross-legged on the rock pillar immediately looked in that direction.

"So, you esteemed gentlemen have arrived!"

An old man rode through the air, rising to the same level as the brocade clouds, and greeted the crowd with a hearty laugh.

As the brocade cloud gradually receded and transformed into a three-zhang-high cloud platform, the Taoists on and off the platform simultaneously saw their own reflections.

On the cloud platform, first were two Purple Mansion Refining Spirit Daoists. Bu Lingxu no longer looked down on such trivial matters, so his two junior brothers from the temple jointly controlled the barrier key of this underwater Yin Mansion. Behind the two Purple Mansion Daoists in plain clothes were seven Qi Refining Perfection cultivators.

Above the rock formation below, there were also four people in the Purple Mansion, along with a middle-aged man who had reached the peak of Qi Refining. They were presumably the leaders of the two paths.

The Guan and Li families from Pengguo each sent a Purple Mansion. It was the head of the Li family who was determined to venture into the Underworld. The old man of the Li family in Pengguo loved his grandson dearly, so he asked the Plain-Clothed Daoist Master for permission to invite Pei Jiu and the Daoist Master as external aid.

This underworld is extremely dangerous; even those from the Purple Mansion must proceed with extreme caution.

Pei Jiu, who had been hesitating and wandering around the Li family manor for many days, was holding a gourd in his hand when he suddenly saw Li Qing on the Jinse Cloud Platform and almost spat out his wine.

"Why is this kid so obsessed with saving face?"

He forced his way onto the black ship that smuggled the finest goods from overseas, and they even allowed him to board. How come the Su Yi Dao, which has become quite famous in recent years, also gave him face?
Pei Jiu was completely baffled. How come this kid had managed to do better than him all along?

"Ahem... I heard that the Suyi Dao is also from the Southern Kingdom."

The pipe man coughed lightly, reminding Pei Jiu of the connection.

The Li family of Pengguo used the underworld as bait to invite the two of them to travel together. Su Yidao also brought Li Qing from the Southern Immortal Sect along. This situation should not be too bad, right?

Unfortunately, the Taoist in brocade robes on the cloud platform did not give them a choice. With a wave of his token, he immediately activated the Water-Avoiding Heaven Barrier.

The next instant, a burst of spiritual light shot into the sky from beneath the water's surface. Based on the Nine-Sided Rock Bamboo Shoots, the seawater within a radius of a thousand feet was pushed aside by the power of the barrier. A hole resembling the giant mouth of a jellyfish suddenly appeared on the entire sea area, based on the Nine-Sided Fangs.

"Now that we're going to the underworld, the rules will no longer be repeated. You all must abide by one rule: when competing, whoever gets it first wins. You must accept your loss!"

The brocade-clad Taoist's gaze swept over the many Taoists on this journey like a sharp sword. The next moment, the barrier expanded again, transforming into a protective shield with a radius of more than ten miles, covering a huge area both underwater and in the sea. Only a small part of it was visible above the water.

Looking again, the people who were originally on the sea had already been teleported into the underworld...

When Li Qing realized the existence of the teleportation barrier and opened her eyes again, she found herself on a dark island.

The island appears extremely barren, with the ground still somewhat damp. However, upon closer inspection, one can find remnants of coral and starfish on the rocks and in the crevices of the mountains.

Looking up, all that could be seen was an endless expanse of darkness!

This is the bottom of the Penghai Sea, and the underworld is located on this sunken island.

Looking around, the Taoists who had been standing very close to him just moments before had vanished without a trace, and he had no idea where they had gone.

With a flick of his right hand, Li Qing lifted the Southern Dipper Life-Extending Spirit Lamp. The jade stem held the lamp, its radiant light seemingly capable of dispelling any darkness. The cold white light rose from the shadows, illuminating his path.

Before she had gone a few steps, Li Qing saw a cracked stele covered with brown moss in one corner of the rock. The ancient seal script on the stele had been corroded and blurred, but Li Qing could still sense its power to ward off evil.

This is a guardian stele, much like the two lion statues in front of the Netherworld Palace, serving the purpose of protecting the home.

The one who guards the monument should be the one who suppresses the eight directions of this underworld.
Yin energy permeated the spine, flowing through the meridians to the eyes. In the blink of an eye, Li Qing's eyes transformed into a pair of yin pupils, coldly surveying the dimly lit island in the water.

clatter! clatter!
In the quiet abyss, only Li Qing's footsteps echoed in all directions, as if there were no other living beings in the entire island abyss.

"The guardian stele should face all four directions. I came from the south, facing the stele, so the back of the stele must be the core of the underworld?"

Using the directions of the four seasons and having determined the direction of travel, Li Qing, enveloped in the Heavenly Mansion Profound Qi, slowly approached the center of the underwater island, facing the cold and desolate darkness.

Before they had gone far, Li Qing saw three or five red clothes hanging up beside the rocks!
Suddenly, Li Qing stopped in her tracks, but the faint sound of footsteps still echoed slowly from all directions.

"This seems to be the second time I've seen this? Am I repeating the actions I would have done before brewing a cup of tea?"

Upon seeing that cluster of blood-stained clothes for the second time, Li Qing immediately sensed the problem: he had been trapped in a ghost wall.

(End of this chapter)