The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 270 A Year in the Past
How did she know about the events in Qishan? Did she have spies in Tiandu who witnessed the battle at the natural barrier of Jiangbei, or...?

As Li Qing and the cold-clothed lord traveled through the underworld, many speculations lingered in her mind. "Fengdu Heaven" was a mysterious and enormous entity. Although the ghost lords seemed to rule the underworld from Fengdu, they actually had a close connection with Heaven long ago.

If Li Qing remembers correctly, besides the worship of the Sun Bird, the Kingdom of Baqiu also has two types of Yin temples: Fengdu Lord and Liulang Ghost.

Since the traces of the ghosts and gods of Fengdu are found throughout the underworld and the capital, it is not surprising that Li Qing's repeated actions in the capital suggest that he has some connection with the Cui family of Qishan in the Six Heavens.

"All six heavens have fallen, all prefectures have collapsed, and the ancestral temples and shrines of the underworld have been destroyed. Only through the protection of forbidden elements in Fengdu has a remnant state survived. What is the state of Qishan now?"

Han Yijun held up a dark light in his palm and led Li Qing through the void alone. After a long silence, he finally asked a question without any intention.

The Six Heavens Sect, ruled by ghosts, severed the ancient history of Tiandu for tens of thousands of years. Only six clans of Youdu emerged from them, their virtuous deeds continuing for thousands of generations. Even though the Ghost Lords had possessed the remnants of Fengdu for hundreds of years, they still had to hold those clans in awe.

Even a dead tiger retains its might, let alone the people still living in the Qishan region.

"Like many other underworld places, it is desolate and barren for thousands of miles." Li Qing said expressionlessly, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

The underworld is shattered, and the netherworld is desolate. It seems that Fengdu Remnant Prefecture used a forbidden protection to preserve this blessed land of the underworld, which is truly remarkable.

Seeing that Li Qing didn't seem to have much interest in this secluded world, Han Yijun changed her usual indifferent demeanor and raised her jade hand slightly to comfort Li Qing.

"When the six heavens collapsed, the ghosts and gods of the underworld who lived high in the heavens perished along with the era, and only then did people like you and me have a chance to rise up."

"Don't lose heart just because the underworld is desolate. Your immortal sects believe that a blessed land is the foundation for inheriting the Dao, and the same applies to the way of progenying lineages..."

"The spirits of the dead are not obscured; they will rise again in the next life. At first, they can only occupy an acre of white earth and three rooms of burial ground. They must be cleansed of their souls and their spiritual essence must be refined through all kinds of cultivation before they can build a realm of the underworld!"

Earthly deities and spirits, also known as the Lords of the Underworld or the Immortals of the Netherworld, are both human and ghost. They are born on the earth and buried on the earth. When they enter the Netherworld, they must also start from that piece of white land.

Like Li Qing, who took over a remnant of the underworld, his starting point was already a result that most ghosts and gods in the Netherworld would never dare to dream of in their entire lives. If it weren't for the overwhelming power of the Six Heavenly Crown Clan, there would be no shortage of those who harbored evil intentions.

Han Yijun assumed that Li Qing was ultimately a disciple of the immortal sect and feared that he would not take this underworld seriously, so he gave him another reminder.

"If you encounter any difficulties, just ask that fellow Fengdu for help..."

After all, as the only remaining territory from the past six days, she and her companions could certainly play a leading role.

In particular, the Ghost Lord of Fengdu is an absolute expert in developing the underworld. In just a few hundred years, Fengdu Prefecture has transformed from a dilapidated and ruined city into the "Fengdu Heaven" where the number of Yin gods, spirits, and evil spirits has reached two fingers, and the evil spirits under his command are as numerous as clouds and the calamities as rain. His contribution is indispensable.

This fiend also preached throughout the capital, appearing in dreams of people from all sides, claiming to be the spirits of their ancestors, and bewitching them to build temples in the underworld and collect offerings. He had truly cultivated an indestructible soul body, impervious to reason, and of course, he had offended many important figures in the capital.

For instance, even with the momentous event of the East Sea Dragon Lord's passing away as a Yang God, Lord Fengdu dared not show his face at sea, only sending one of the two Ghost Lords, Crimson Blood and Cold Robe, to attend. This shows the considerable trouble he had caused...

"Fengdu-kun?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qing simply bowed slightly, taking Han Yi Jun's misunderstanding as a well-intentioned act.

But Fengdu Jun... that guy who always wore a goddess mask and had a smile on his face, was someone he couldn't really see through, and he really didn't want to get involved with.

However, this Cold-Clothed Ghost Lord, who seems aloof, indifferent, and solitary, is perhaps the easiest to deal with and the least dangerous of the three Ghost Lords who govern the state.

After all, the other old ghosts had mysterious origins, appearing as bottomless abysses with no discernible depth. Only Han Yi Jun, who inherited the authority of the ancient Yin Si custom of the Cold Clothes and Food Festival, and attained enlightenment in accordance with the times, could be considered to have the purest origins.

"However, I do have a question, but I'm not sure if I should ask it?"

After glancing at Han Yijun, whose gaze had lost some of its aloofness, Li Qing hesitated again after a moment's thought.

After seeing the queen's lowered eyes in agreement, Li Qing continued:

"The inner cultivation of the Dao is like the refinement of the divine Dao; the outer cultivation of the Dao is like the Golden Elixir Dao. There is also the Blessed Land Method derived from the Golden Elixir Dao, which opens up an inner world, and uses it to circulate the Dao of Heaven to nourish the Great Dao."

"But the study of ghosts and spirits seems... not to be an external cultivation method. Why be so fixated on a place like the underworld? Devoting one's entire life to the mundane affairs of that blessed land will certainly provide ample resources, but it might also hinder one's cultivation, wouldn't it?"

This was a question that Li Qing had been wondering about for a long time. The six clans of the underworld each built their own ancestral temples and underworlds, which was just to provide a place for many ghosts and gods to stay. But to focus all their efforts on this blessed land of the underworld, wasn't that putting the cart before the horse?
Upon hearing this question, Han Yijun's expression immediately froze. Perhaps Li Qing's question was like asking why the Golden Core Dao spends so much precious medicinal herbs and a huge chain of cultivators to support it, and is still so persistent in refining the Golden Core. Wouldn't it be better to refine the Divine Realm instead?

"So... that's what you're thinking? That's why you're so indifferent, having been in Fengdu for years without ever contacting other Underworld Lords or considering expanding the Qishan Remnant Territory?"

Han Yijun turned his head in utter shock, his slightly dark eyelids very close to Li Qing's, staring at him repeatedly in disbelief.

This allowed Li Qing to see every single one of her eyelashes very clearly, and also made the Xuan Yin Qi swirling around Li Qing's body even more restless.

The female ruler raised an eyebrow and glanced at the tall shadow at Li Qing's feet, then subtly pursed her lips before continuing her story to this young "Qishan Lord" who had come from humble beginnings.

"It is said that there are eight hundred worlds in the Milky Way, and the Heavenly Capital Great Realm is special among them. Only the Heavenly Capital has two worlds, the light and the dark. There are three thousand Daos, and only the Soul Dao of the Heavenly Capital is fully manifested in the dark side of the Great Realm, and can even give birth to spirits and ghosts."

"The formless and shadowless is the soul; the unfettered by all paths is the soul. Aren't you surprised that your soul pressure is stronger than that of an old Taoist who has cultivated for hundreds of years? Have you always believed that this is your extraordinary talent?"

Li Qing hadn't cultivated any top-tier Soul Dao or Ghost Dao ancient scriptures! To put it bluntly, it was just the daily nurturing of that life soul's weight by the Qishan Will and the Netherworld Aura!
Could it be that he really is an unearthed genius in the path of soul cultivation, who became a master after just a few years of playing with the White Bone Soul Banner, having only seen a decent visualization technique?

This retort caused Li Qing's ears to turn slightly red. He had always believed that his talent was suited to the Soul Path!

So it turns out that the Lord of the Underworld, Yin Ke, is a master of refining the soul and spirit path. No wonder the fighting power of the ghosts and gods of the underworld is completely different from that of the lonely ghosts and wild spirits. There must be a precipitous difference in their soul power...

There are countless paths to enlightenment, each with its own unique characteristics. Different places can nurture different paths to enlightenment, and there are many principles and secrets that he needs to explore and learn step by step.

"So that's how it is." Li Qing suddenly realized, nodded again, and finally understood what the indescribable secret power on the Golden Book of the Underworld was.

There are three thousand Great Daos, and their laws and order are hidden beneath the world. Many cultivators must spend their entire lives exploring them in order to achieve even a minor success in one of them. However, the Soul Dao, whose laws are constantly manifested in the Netherworld, is the only shortcut to immortality.

Therefore, when the Six Heavenly Ghosts dwell high in the Netherworld, and the Yang Gods reside in the Milky Way, even the Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm cast their burning gazes upon them.

Perhaps because of Li Qing's identity as the "Lord of Qishan", the Cold-Clothed Ghost Lord gradually looked at him with more respect and spoke to him more often. The two exchanged questions from time to time, their bodies treading the void, and they made their way out of the Heavenly Capital.

As soon as the two stepped out of that deep place, they were greeted by a vast, boundless wilderness.

This place is north of Tiandu, on the border of the imperial dynasty. Of the six ancient heavens, Fengdu Heaven is located in the northwest beyond the heavens, connecting the Milky Way above and sheltering Guanzhong below. The two of them left the ruins of Fengdu and were directly teleported to this location.

However, as soon as the void rippled, the map of the Great Zhou Dynasty immediately reacted. Within the vast territory of the dynasty, spread out on the jade wall of the divine palace, a vortex suddenly appeared in the northern region of the map, which symbolized the imperial pass.

Unlike the Southern Kingdom, where immortal sects and academies each govern their own prefectures and districts, each minding their own business, the Imperial Dynasty's boundless territory is entirely under the control of the Divine Palace of the State. Every outside cultivator who dares to enter this realm is under the watchful eyes of the gods.

And the ghosts and spirits that emanated from the gloomy and dark aura were even more conspicuous.

Before Li Qing and his companion could even regain their footing, several beams of light shot up from the Thirty-Three Divine Palaces, tens of thousands of miles away. The dazzling beams of light pierced the high heavens and then, after only a few breaths, refracted out again from the sea of ​​clouds in the Northern Continent.

Li Qing landed half a body length below Han Yi, and saw that the surrounding void instantly darkened. When he looked up again, he saw that the precious light in the sea of ​​clouds had gathered and transformed into a giant hand that was ten thousand feet tall, descending from the sky, about to suppress the two of them with one palm.

"Anyone who trespasses unjustly on the imperial territory shall be executed!"

A majestic roar echoed through the heavens, accompanied by a colossal hand that seemed to blot out the sky and imprison the void as it descended, creating an indescribable sense of terror.

The cold-clothed ghost king in front was still wondering why the landing point of the Netherworld Passage was slightly off when the deity took action to drive her away. She was not afraid at all. With a wave of her jade hand, she produced a string of Nine-Skill Soul-Startling Bells.

[Jingle bells][Jingle bells]

A clear and melodious bell rang out, carrying an inexplicable rhythm. The secret power of the soul path was indescribable, vibrating a series of invisible sound waves. When it touched the sky-covering hand, the entire space froze. Mysterious true characters kept bursting out from the void gaps and then arranged in an orderly manner!
boom……

A series of devastating sounds erupted from all directions on the horizon. The terrifying, sky-covering giant hand crumbled under the sound of these bells, a truly astonishing sight.

"Just passing by, why be so rude?"

“This path through the void has existed since ancient times, and it is not something you have created.”

Han Yijun rolled up his sleeves and flicked them, hooking the Nine-Tricked Soul-Startling Bell between his five fingers, and let out a soft hum.

It's just that Fengdu Canzhou rarely uses the Tongyou Altar to travel across the Tiandu land so openly, and she rarely leaves Youtian either. There was only a "slight" deviation in her calculation of the landing point. This Great Zhou Dynasty is always like this, taking the world as its territory and treating it as its own private domain. It's really annoying.

But this explanation is really not convincing. The divine runes in the clouds and seas on the horizon are surging, and the next round of action by the gods in the Divine Palace of the State is about to begin. Two divine runes lit up in the tear trough under Han Yijun's eyes, and in the blink of an eye, they pierced through the void for thousands of miles.

In July, the heat of summer sets in; in September, clothes are distributed; and in October, the cold of winter arrives for the Ghost Festival. This authority over the winter clothes is also known as the "Ghost Festival," an extremely terrifying ritual.

With a single glance of coldness in his eyes, the cold-clothed lord caused cold blue ghost script to appear and be outlined between the divine runes in the sea of ​​clouds and at the nodes in the void. These scripts then transformed into clusters of ghostly sacrificial cold fire, melting away the order runes that were about to be activated in the void.

The authority of the cold clothes and the laws of the ghost sacrifice are the unique laws of the underworld that belong to her. They are also the forbidden power that enables her to suppress the evil spirits of the netherworld and become one of the three giants of Fengdu.

Before the deity of the Divine Palace even descended from the heavens, the support for the battle across the void was completely refined by her.

She didn't want to have any more grudges with the mountain gods and earth spirits of the Great Zhou Dynasty; it would be pointless!
"Ignore them, let's go."

Han Yijun slightly raised her hand, and an invisible, dark and mysterious power spread out, shattering the sea of ​​clouds and opening a wide vacuum passage. Regardless of whether the "Mysterious Yin" behind Youhuang was angry, she grabbed Li Qing's sleeve and fled overseas.

The imperial dynasty known as the Great Zhou Dynasty has deities from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks who are close to the level of Great True Persons. In particular, there is that old god who was left over from the Six Heavens Era. We must not stay here for long.

But then again, the descendants of the North Sea Demon Bloodline, the Ghost Lord of the Netherworld, and even special beings from certain secret realms all have to pass through the 'Great Zhou' that occupies most of the capital when traveling to the East Sea. Does that mean everyone has to take a detour, or perhaps obtain a pass from your imperial dynasty first?

Even if the dynasty is prosperous, it doesn't necessarily have to be so harsh!

Just like this mysterious ghost king, who broke the laws of the gods with a wave of his hand, and even started from the medium through which the gods descended, erasing all the divine inscriptions of the past, this is too incredible.

The deities with titles in the God of the Land and Grain Temple could not unleash their magic, and the local deities guarding the borders of various states clearly had no ability to stop this fiend.

"Where did this person come from? His abilities are truly unbelievable."

Huangshan's chief deity suddenly rose from his golden throne, pointed a finger at the northern border of the map of the land and grain, and frowned deeply as he gazed at the spiritual light that rippled in the distance.

The terrifying power that made him feel uneasy was like... like a bizarre law that could strip away what you could not lose at any moment. You only felt that you would lose your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, or eyeballs forever, or a part of your divine power.

It was an irreversible deprivation, stemming from the ancient ghost rituals of our ancestors!

"Where did it come from? Where else could it have come from?"

"Even from 60,000 miles away, I could smell that sinister aura. It must be that ghostly thing from the Six Heavens."

"The dregs of the old era, humph..."

Another deity ranked among the top five in the Divine Spirits and Earthly Deities Chart sneered. This Lord of Red Mountain made no attempt to hide his disgust for those ghosts and gods of the underworld, his words filled with disdain.

Upon hearing this, all the gods in the hall fell silent, each one looking down at their noses and their hearts, unable to imagine what the old god in the chief seat would do.

Isn't this insulting the most ancient 'god of the state' of the imperial dynasty as well?

"Alright, alright. No matter what, the Six Heavenly Gods and Demons are from another world, they are still the elders who protected Tiandu... We are also climbers who stepped on their corpses."

"Chishan, you've been too talkative!"

In the distance, a yellow-robed figure sat majestically on a phoenix carriage, his right finger lightly tapping the armrest. His words carried a warning to the Crimson Mountain God, and he instantly devised a countermeasure.

"If something changes in the East China Sea, the old fogies hiding in the shadows of Tiandu will surely make a move. There's no point in stopping them, and besides, how could my Great Zhou be one to close its borders?"

"Let the local deities of each state, when they encounter passing spirits, escort and guide them along the way within the imperial territory. It may be a little troublesome, but it won't cause any trouble."

"Also, that self-important fellow wants to reopen Youyoutian. Black Mountain, make sure to keep a close eye on him and the others!"

“When necessary, it is not unacceptable to usurp someone else’s place.”

"After all, if you don't take what Heaven offers, you'll only suffer the consequences..."

(End of this chapter)