Chapter 155: The Valley of the Mysterious Female, the Immortal Grade of Lingzhi (Extra Chapter 3)

When Xu Jia arrived at Lan Shi Huo, the two giant python snakes, Chang Yuying and Chang Yu'e, were already waiting there.

Hu Jinhua was afraid that Xu Jia would be "trampled by wild boars" by that group of wild boars, so she had specifically invited a bodyguard.

As for Chang Yu, as the acting Mountain God, he could not leave Yushan for the time being.

The two large snakes crushed out a path, and Hu Jinhua conjured wind to dispel the foul odor.

Huang Pipo opened her mouth to inhale the Miasma Qi, storing it for later use.

Xu Jia performed the Qi-Observing Method: "Although Lan Shi Huo is a mountain valley, its Feng Shui is excellent; it has the appearance of a Treasure Basin. Furthermore, it has a mountain as a backing, and that backing clearly resembles a grandmaster's chair. It is just that it lacks good water—living water—which makes it fall short by quite a bit."

Hu Jinhua said: "There used to be water here, a small lake, but it was covered and accumulated by fallen leaves and rotting persimmons, so it looks like it's gone. Now it has likely turned into foul water."

"It will be quite difficult to manage, but the Earth Qi here is abundant, and there is no lack of Evil Qi. Jijuezi Mountain could only refine a hundred 'chang' spirits, but here, one could refine at least a thousand 'chang' soldiers."

"It's just that this place is not suitable for refining mountain-roaming 'chang' or water-wading 'chang'. The rotting persimmon Miasma Qi here is dense, making it suitable for refining the Fog-Spreading 'chang'. These 'chang' release fog to seal the mountains; they were originally used by ancient people for hunting. Once the fog and miasma sealed the mountain, they could drive the prey into one spot, while the mountain-roaming 'chang' were for searching for prey."

"Actually, there are also wood-chopping and path-opening 'chang', mountain-splitting and stone-crushing 'chang', disheveled-hair and blood-drinking 'chang', soul-capturing 'chang', shadow-nightmare-casting 'chang', rot-sore-inducing 'chang', big-belly-like-a-drum 'chang'... It's just that the time hasn't come to pass these 'chang' on, and you don't have the ability to control them; instead, you would easily be toyed with by them."

Xu Jia said: "Since Lao Zhupo can swallow and spit out clouds, mist, and miasma, let her refine this Fog-Spreading and Mountain-Sealing 'chang'."

As they were speaking, the group soon arrived beneath a giant rock in the depths of Lan Shi Huo, and Xu Jia saw this Lao Zhupo, Hai Sanniang.

This Lao Zhupo had a massive body covered in black fur, with pairs of shriveled teats under her belly. Her four limbs were stiff, and a rumbling sound like an engine came from her belly; with every breath, she blew up a large cloud of dust.

By the moonlight, one could see that her body was basically the size of an elephant, only her snout was short.

"This old one, Hai Sanniang, pays respects to True Person Xu. I hope the True Person will forgive this old one for being unable to stand up to offer salutations!"

Hai Sanniang's mouth opened and closed, but the voice sounded like an old woman with insufficient vital energy who had been bedridden for a long time.

Xu Jia listened to the sound and observed the Qi, then said: "Your bodily functions are indeed very aged. Apart from your lungs, which are still very strong—swallowing and spitting out Miasma Qi between breaths—your heart can no longer bear such a large mass. Your heart does not seem to have grown in proportion to your body size."

"Besides the problems with your belt meridian, your heart is also not optimistic. You eat many persimmons and have merged with the Earth Qi, which belongs to the flourishing of the Earth and Wood elements; with the wood withered and the earth stiff, it is no wonder you are paralyzed."

"This old one previously sent my offspring to catch bugs everywhere to eat, and I felt some improvement, but it was too little to be of any help. Unless I eat them for two or three years, I fear I will not be able to clear the blockages."

Xu Jia patted the golden toad: "Send out the Xiao Jinchan, enter her insides, and clear her out."

The golden toad was somewhat disgusted: "It's so dirty!"

Xu Jia said: "In the future, besides her helping you guard the Jin Chan Miao, who else will? If you cannot move and are caught by someone, wouldn't the Yin demons in the basin be released?"

The golden toad had no choice but to open its mouth, and one by one, the Xiao Jinchan jumped out, traveling all the way inside from the old sow's nose and mouth.

"These Metal Qi will help you cut down the withered wood and drain the Earth Qi. Hu Jinhua, use your Fox Fire to scorch her back!"

"Ah? Won't she be roasted?"

"What are you afraid of! Her skin is thick enough. Use the fire to scorch her to help dispel the cold and clear her meridians."

Hu Jinhua then flicked her tail, and a ball of Fox Fire descended, burning the old sow's back. This Fox Fire was no longer of the Yin fire variety; according to the Zhurong Fire Qi Curse, it had gathered stove fire, lamp fire, and Incense Fire—three types of Fire Qi—making it endless and carrying a sense of brightness and the fragrance of cooked food.

A smell of burnt flesh arose.

Xu Jia was only worried that the swamp gas from the rotting persimmons here might catch fire.

Just as he was speaking, a "whoosh" sound of burning erupted, and it really did ignite some dead branches and leaves.

However, the next moment, the old sow took a breath, swallowing the floating flames into her belly.

A "croak-croak" sound came from the old sow's belly, and at the same time, it jumped and twitched.

Just as they were thinking about it, Hu Jinhua suddenly screamed: "She's bleeding!"

It turned out that a lot of black, stagnant blood, both fishy and foul, was flowing from the old sow's lower body. Xu Jia nodded: "This means the blockages are cleared!"

Hai Sanniang's belly rumbled even more, and then she retched, spitting out a white calcified stone covered in hair and bones, smelling sour and foul.

Hai Sanniang spat out a streak of black light, striking the giant white stone, and the stone ball shattered, its unknown properties absorbed by the black light.

This black light was an demon pill refined by Hai Sanniang, but it was not an Inner Elixir for cultivation; it was more like a magical treasure, formed from a 'pig treasure'.

After spitting out this ball, the old sow's bloated belly began to constantly vent gas. Hu Jinhua directly used a ball of Fox Fire to ignite it, so as not to let the stench fill the air.

Sure enough, the old sow began to spray fire from her mouth and nose, and there was a ball of Fox Fire on her body; those who knew would know she was being treated, while those who didn't would think she was a charcoal-grilled old sow.

When the fire had burned enough, the big belly shriveled down; in fact, there wasn't much meat, just loose, sagging old flesh.

The old sow's two hind legs began to have sensation, and she kicked them involuntarily.

Xu Jia said: "You cultivate by absorbing Miasma Qi, and you only survived because you could resist the poison, but your blood has turned into stagnant blood, becoming very viscous. Coupled with a monotonous diet of only persimmons, you were poisoned by the astringent toxins in the persimmons, making the flow of Qi increasingly blocked. Plus, you have lesions left over from giving birth... It is a very difficult and complicated illness. Fortunately, I have a nest of golden toads here that can enter your belly to clear things out, but this is still only treating the symptoms, not the root cause."

The old sow pleaded: "I beg the Great Immortal for guidance!"

Hu Jinhua laughed: "Didn't you say before that you wouldn't beg anyone, that you were doing just fine staying here? Now you're begging?"

"Times change," the old sow said. "Since I have submitted to the Great Immortal's command, I must preserve a useful body to do things for the Great Immortal."

"That is not difficult. You need to pile the rotting persimmons of this mountain into a heap, burn them into charcoal, and then eat all that charcoal into your belly; that will actually resolve your condition."

Xu Jia actually had a way to cure her, as long as he adjusted a cultivation technique or two, but this old sow had been arrogant before and humble now, so Xu Jia wouldn't pass her the method so easily. He needed her to suffer a bit and, incidentally, clean up Lan Shi Huo.

Hai Sanniang heard this: "These rotting persimmons are piled at least three feet deep. To pile them all together, I fear I would have to build a 'Rotting Persimmon Mountain'..."

"Don't worry about that. Now that your hind legs have regained some sensation, you should move around properly. I will pass you a method for refining 'chang' spirits, which can allow you to spread mist and seal the mountain at will, helping you to conceal yourself."

At this time, the golden toad said: "Old sow, open your mouth, my children are coming out!"

Hai Sanniang had no choice but to open her big mouth, and one by one, the golden toads, having cleared the blockages inside, jumped out.

The golden toad was disgusted that they were dirty, so it said: "Good Fox Immortal, help me burn them. They have true golden bodies and are not afraid of fire. Burn off the dirty things before they come back into my mouth!"

Hu Jinhua had no choice but to turn her Fox Fire again, acting as a fire-boy tool.

After the golden toads were scorched clean by the fire, they jumped back into Qian Duobao's mouth.

Xu Jia said to Hai Sanniang: "I want to establish a Jin Chan Miao here for the golden toad. In the future, there will be believers coming up the mountain. You need to protect them and ensure they are not harmed by the miasma."

Hai Sanniang lowered her head in submission: "This little demon obeys."

Hu Jinhua chuckled: "Old sow, our Great Immortal has pills that can replenish your vital energy and repair this body of old, rotting flesh, making you young again. As long as you work hard, you won't be short of these. Lan Shi Huo is a treasure land, but you managed it into a giant cesspit. Now that our Great Immortal has come, it has become a Blessed Land and a treasure cave."

Xu Jia said: "This opening looks like a Mysterious Female Gate; it is indeed where the wonders of heaven and earth reside. It really shouldn't be so filthy, wasting the portal of the earth."

"What is a Mysterious Female Gate?"

Xu Jia said: "The Grain God never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female. The Mysterious Female Gate is the root of heaven and earth. It is continuous and seems to exist; use it, and it will never be exhausted."

"This is a place where the earth's Vitality leaks out. Look at these persimmons; I don't know how many years they have been growing, yet they are still laden with fruit. Because of this, not only can persimmons be grown here, but many types of spiritual herbs can also be planted. In other words, this entire area is spiritual farmland."

Xu Jia's farming instincts flared up: "Besides the rotten persimmons, there must be other spiritual herbs growing here!"

Lao Zhupo was silent for a moment, and after a long while, she said, "This place also produces lingzhi. I often consume lingzhi, which is the only reason I can lie here and linger on in a weary state."

(End of this chapter)