The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 87 The Beginning of Rampant Paths

In the side hall of the ancestral temple, there are many protective objects, spirit beads, and even red candles and soul lamps, all of which are subject to various prohibitions and have their own special characteristics.

The hall contained ceremonial swords, axes, and halberds, which were ceremonial objects frequently used in rituals. Each of these objects was bound by more than a hundred laws and regulations. During the four seasons of prosperity, the three major festivals, and the year-end ceremony, the Kingdom of Ying would hold a grand sacrificial ceremony here.

There were soldiers guarding the country, their axes and spears clashing, performing solemn rituals; the officials and priests, holding swords, danced, offering three kinds of sacrificial animals, and presenting five kinds of grains and precious wines, to pray for protection.

"Left is a ritual object, right is a sword, together there are eight swords, one main and three side by side. Fellow Daoist Li, are you knowledgeable about swords?"

"Otherwise, these two sets of ceremonial swords will be ours, and the two sets of golden halberds and long axes will be yours, fellow Daoist. What do you say?"

The two senior and junior disciples, Yan and Guan, exchanged a glance, then turned around to discuss with Li Qing.

The Inner Realm Refining Spirit lineage is considered a noble immortal path in the Southern Kingdom. They are fond of ancient rituals and extravagance, and they contemplate the gods and worship the One Heaven. Naturally, they cannot do without rituals and sacrifices. As plain-robed Taoists, they naturally prefer swords. In addition, swords are much more particular about the restrictions on other magical artifacts. The two of them only wish to take a set of ritual swords each, and will no longer touch the axe and halberd ritual artifacts.

Li Qing was unperturbed; swords, axes, spears, and bows made no difference to him, so he pocketed both weapons in one go.

The two sets of ritual objects consist of twelve long axes and twelve battle halberds. The main objects are two golden halberds and a silver axe with a strength of three hundred and ten thousand, while the others have a strength of around one hundred and ten thousand. However, they are already quite good. If they were to return to the mountain in the future and place this batch of talismans in the outer courtyard of Lin Yuan, it would be enough to cause a great stir in the entire outer courtyard.

Thinking back to the fact that none of the magical artifacts he and other outer disciples had ever encountered were forbidden, Li Qing felt a mix of emotions.

The Southwest Linyuan Sect has been established for over two hundred years. Starting with Ancestor Yin, it took two cycles of sixty years to transition to the third generation of disciples. The Southwest itself has never had an ancient sect of immortals, and everything started from scratch. As it turns out, its foundation is still too shallow...

"Fellow Daoist is skilled in using the rampant army. You wouldn't give up the Netherworld Pearls left behind after the deaths of so many ghosts and gods, would you? After all, the raising of these rampant ghost army is inseparable from these pearls."

The Taoist priest surnamed Guan looked around at the spirit beads under the many spirit tablets and tentatively asked a question.

If the soul lamp and life-giving artifact were to be reforged, they might have some use; the jade screen hanging on the side of the hall, as well as the soul-suppressing incense, are all wonderful items that can be used to set up the altar; the bronze bells and ritual bells, which resemble a complete set of chimes from large to small, are even more remarkable.

These exquisite and translucent Netherworld Pearls are indeed precious, but they are not skilled in cultivating military skills, and their bodies and spirits are extremely Yang, so they cannot digest the Netherworld Pearls. This item is of little use to them. Perhaps Li Qing would like to take it into his possession.
However, these words gave Li Qing a jolt!
Yes, even the mad soldiers can consume bait and qi, so it's not necessary to rely entirely on paper-skin creatures to force their way through.

Unfortunately, he did not have the true art of military altars. The paper-based rampant soldiers were originally meant to be cultivated and used in one process, but Li Qing was only a half-baked Daoist master. He forcibly refined the paper rampant soldiers using the technique of "making paper into rampant soldiers" and used the "Mountain Ghost Law" to carry out the rampant soldiers' battles. In terms of cultivation and use, he only got the word "use".
"Oh? So the Plain-Clad Monastery also uses spirit pearls to raise rampant soldiers?"

Li Qing raised an eyebrow, as if she had just become somewhat interested.

In fact, he didn't know whether the inner court of the temple also had such a method of cultivation. Li Qing had never been apprenticed to a master, and he had to figure out many of the essentials of the Dao by trial and error. Even this battalion of soldiers was only cultivated by chance.

This question puzzled the two Daoists, Yan and Guan, who could not understand Li Qing's meaning.

Using leftover Netherworld Pearls to raise ghostly soldiers—isn't this something many Southern Immortal Sects do? The Southern Ghost and God Sect has a profound legacy; could it be that they truly kill and slaughter living beings to refine the Ghostly Path?
"The soldiers of the Southwest Circuit are mostly composed of spirits and monsters, with flying corpses as generals, mountain goblins as soldiers, and wolves, foxes, jackals, tigers, and spirits as their tamers. My humble army is one of the few that is used by others!"

Li Qing, however, did not show any fear. She stepped forward, looked up at the ancient bronze bells and slowly shook her head.

This large bell must have nearly six hundred restrictions, and it's a complete set of bells and tripods. Guan Daoren was itching to get his hands on it. He loved these kinds of strange magical artifacts the most. The Ruyi Ring in his hand was also only a hundred restrictions. At this moment, he looked pitifully at the female Taoist priest surnamed Yan. After receiving her acquiescence, he quickly stepped forward and approached Li Qing.

"Tiannan Qi Cultivation Path is indeed not good at altars and magic, and I have never heard of them setting up a mountain-guarding altar."

"But it's alright. I still have a ritual technique I obtained from the mountain gate that I've never used. I can give it to Brother Li!"

Master Guan approached and spoke with Li Qing with a smile.

At the same time, he took out a jade slip from his sleeve with his right hand, which contained a method for cultivating and refining the soldiers and horses that ascended to the altar.

He needed to resolve Li Qing's worries, then ask Yan and Li for favors in exchange for some benefits, and perhaps he could secure this Dharma Bell!
"This humble Taoist is skilled in using the bell and cauldron. If possible, I will take this set of bells and cauldrons, and the two of you may share the Netherworld Pearls, Soul Lamps, Red Candles, Jade Tokens, and so on in the hall. I will also offer you many Dao Coins and spiritual materials..."

This Taoist priest, Guan, is also from the Guan family of Pengguo. His family does have some spiritual materials and Taoist coins, which can make the old man of the family spend some money.

After discussing it this way, it became easier to divide the spoils!
That set of bells and ritual bells, consisting of twenty-one pieces, is quite ordinary when separated, but when combined as a set, it is absolutely impossible to separate them.

It's not impossible for the Taoist priest in plain clothes to take over with subsidies and provisions.

At least Li Qing, holding this altar jade slip in his hand, felt that there was nothing wrong with it!

Looking at the two Purple Mansions, one wonders what the Plain-Clad Daoist's attitude is towards the transmission of this magic jade slip.

"It's alright, you can discuss it on your own."

The Taoist Qingxu stroked his chin slightly, held a black jade tablet in his palm, and did not stop him too much.

He donated countless cultivation techniques, resources, array plates, and talismans from Taiyi Jiangzhen Peak in plain clothes. A single altar was nothing special; he considered it merely a gesture of goodwill.

After staying in the underworld for several more hours, all the Daoists gathered in a cloud platform, their brocade-like light swirling around them. They then left the underworld again at dawn the following day and returned to the sea.

At this moment, the tide has risen again in Penghai. The nine barrier ridges, which are like towering stone pillars, have been mostly submerged by the seawater. Penghai Yin Mansion has sunk several miles below the surface!

"Whatever treasures or spiritual materials you obtain during your journey to the Underworld, my path does not limit you."

"But the opportunities that lie beneath the sea are determined by fate. Those born beneath the sea will perish beneath the sea. Farewell, gentlemen!"

After issuing another warning to the group, the Taoist in brocade robes abandoned the four members of the Guan and Li clans, and rode away on a cloud towards the Plain Robe Temple. Only his words lingered in their ears…

As Jin Yunyun traveled south, he entered Suyi Temple. The mountain gate was still shrouded in purple smoke, and phoenixes landed on the green-tiled platform. In the courtyard, a deer with its round head and a peacock with its tail feathers spread looked at the group of people who had descended from the clouds with suspicion.

The two Purple Mansion Daoists descended from the cloud platform and went directly to the inner courtyard, leaving only Daoists Yan and Guan to lead the other Daoists to rest in the side courtyards of the temple.

The journey to the Underworld was originally an attempt by the Plain Clothes Path to transform the Penghai Underworld into a secret realm.

However, judging from the expressions of the various Daoists, they had clearly obtained something satisfactory!

Offering six bushels of precious treasures to a plain robe is sufficient if one is sincere. If one only takes a small amount of pearls, coral, and jade, and uses more spices and spiritual paper, the total amount would be no more than ten thousand zhu. However, the talismans that can be obtained from this often have hundreds of restrictions.

That's equivalent to multiplying dozens of times!

Since returning to the temple's quiet room after her trip to the underworld, even Li Qing found it difficult to control herself.

As soon as he entered the quiet room and closed the door, Li Qing flipped his right hand and took out the altar jade talisman that Guan Daoren had exchanged for, then crushed it close to his brow.

The magical seed in the jade slip transformed into spiritual light and entered the heavens. The "Outer Altar Edict Daoist Military Might Manifestation Refining Method" states that the soldiers and horses are assistants to the Dao and only obey the Daoist Master.

The training of soldiers and the cultivation of demons are paramount, with cultivation serving as a supplement. Spirits and monsters often act as spiritual soldiers, ghosts and spirits as yin soldiers, and evil spirits as demons, who carry out killing, disturbance, soul-collecting, ghost-catching, demon-destroying, and reporting of events, etc.

Various immortal sects cultivate and refine Yin soldiers and rampant soldiers, often offering them with Netherworld Pearls, crafting banners and flags, and issuing military commands...

"To cultivate and strengthen one's body is the key to mastering military strategy; so it is indeed so!"

As he comprehended the many methods of the "Outer Altar Imperial Edict Army" within his soul, Li Qing nodded involuntarily when he saw its wonders. After digesting the information, Li Qing remained silent for a long time, and then disappeared directly from the meditation room in the next instant.

Whether they are rampant soldiers or ghost soldiers, they are vastly different from spirit-raising beings!
The term "豢灵者" (huán líng zhě) means "to control" or "to tame beasts," or perhaps it leans more towards the art of beast taming.

The Rampant Path, however, is a branch of the Daoist army. It exists under the patronage of the Daoist Lord, starting with cultivation and taking nourishment as its foundation. Its troops are mobilized as if by divine command!
At this moment, the Paper Dao Soldiers are merely a simple spirit beast. What Li Qing needs to do is to incorporate them into his cultivation, just like a ruler and his ministers.

Having finally obtained the Daoist altar technique, Li Qing had a general idea of ​​the direction for his future cultivation of magic.

With her mind preoccupied, Li Qing pushed open the flower gate of the underworld, but just as she stepped onto the steps, she turned her head and suddenly met the gaze of the white skeleton in the opposite courtyard, giving the evil skeleton a cold glance.

He doesn't have time to deal with the ghosts in the underworld yet, otherwise he would definitely wipe them out completely, just like the Penghai Yin Mansion!

After closing the flower gate of the mansion, Li Qing frowned and quickly stepped into the courtyard. At this moment, the corpse of Old Li had already been affected by Linglong Chang's ghost magic, which took its skin and turned it into soft paper.

Li Qing casually flicked out two sparks from the stone, burning the corpse to ashes. He took two steps forward, sat on a flower stalk in the courtyard corridor, and spread a mustard seed pouch in his palm.

With a flick of his right hand, a multitude of miscellaneous items fell down at once. First to fall were a large pile of Southern Kingdom official Dao coins, numbering around 100,000. Then came numerous precious pearls and spiritual materials, rare medicines in jade boxes, and a few miscellaneous magical artifacts.

Ignoring the miscellaneous items, Li Qing immediately picked up two scrolls of spellbooks from the pile of clutter: "The Gale Treasure Book" and "Wind-Spitting Blades".

"Oh, is it the magic of the Li family of Peng Kingdom?"

This was the first time Li Qing had ever seized magic!

The spells and Taoist arts prepared by the Five Directions Immortal Sect for its disciples are all derived from a trace of the essence of the Dharma by a highly accomplished cultivator, which is then condensed into a seed of the spell. These spell jade slips can be used and learned immediately, just like an initiation, and are difficult to leak out.

However, these two wind spells were just wind spells and had no effect on him.

Li Qing sighed softly, put all the miscellaneous items back into the mustard seed bag, and threw them into the storage gourd at her waist.

"Now we have acquired quite a few magical artifacts, and the Mad Soldiers Altar Technique finally has a corresponding method."

"But how should we choose?"

The Southern Dipper Longevity Lamp is a ritual implement of this Daoist practice. The middle and lower volumes of the "Southern Dipper Longevity Scripture" also rely on it. However, this ritual implement still needs to be carefully refined and nurtured. Before the hundred prohibitions, there is no rush.

The Myriad Soul Banner, with its thousand magical restrictions, is Li Qing's main magical artifact at this moment. Now that he has reached the peak of Qi Refining, he can begin to use this magical artifact. After he establishes his foundation in the Purple Mansion, he is qualified to carry it with him.

Moreover, if one wants to cultivate a powerful and established heretical army, this Myriad Souls Banner can indeed replace the army's command flag and provide even more support to the army!

The paper palanquin has a good foundation. As a heavy instrument among ritual implements, the paper palanquin with seventy-two restrictions is no less difficult to consecrate than a minor ritual implement with three hundred restrictions. However, it is possible to dismantle and cleanse its restrictions and consecrate it again.

"I now have quite a bit of money in my pocket, much stronger than that Han Daotu. It's time to refine this paper sedan chair!"

The most important task is to elevate the rampaging soldiers to the altar, remove their ferocious and demonic nature, and cultivate them into true guardian warriors. This involves refining and weaving magical artifacts to suit their purpose.

In fact, during his journey to the Underworld, Li Qing was repeatedly breached by the old Taoist priest Li's defenses. If it weren't for the Heavenly Palace Profound Origin Qi, the number of spells he possessed would still be far too limited...

(End of this chapter)