Chapter 184: Mountain of Knives and Sea of Fire

Wading through the sea of fire, then ascending the mountain of knives.

Xu Jia did not even use a Talisman before stepping barefoot onto the knife ladder.

While he climbed the knife ladder, the blacksmith began teaching Hui Zhuo how to forge iron flowers.

Following a shout, the shirtless blacksmith held two wooden sticks, one with a hollowed-out center, holding a ladle of molten iron heated to a high temperature.

He then swung the other wooden stick violently, striking the bottom to hurl the scorching molten iron into the sky with all his might.

In an instant, the night sky seemed to bloom with countless brilliant stars; the molten iron traced gorgeous arcs in mid-air, then with a soft "pop," it transformed into thousands of sparks, scattering like golden raindrops. It was both magnificent and possessed a touch of primitive wildness.

Amidst the flowering trees of fire and silver flowers, Xu Jia climbed toward the top layer of the knife ladder.

Heat waves rolled over one another, and the cheers of the people of Xu Jia Cun grew ever louder.

Within the Dharma Realm, the sense of brilliant light turned these fleeting flowering trees of fire and silver flowers into an instant of eternity.

Likewise, the scene of Hell was also conjured forth.

First was the Huohai Diyu, then the Mountain of Knives Hell, forming the "Mountain of Knives and Sea of Fire Hell."

The Huohai Diyu was a sea of magma where the evil ghosts of the sea of fire were repeatedly scorched, turning into charred remains, only to be resurrected; first their skin would fester, then their fat would be rendered out, and finally, they would become fragrant with char, curled, crispy, and carbonized.

The Mountain of Knives Hell was a mountain composed of countless blades; the evil ghosts had to climb incessantly, the knives slicing through their internal organs and severing their limbs, causing their blood to flow without end, only for them to die and be resurrected...

Now combined into the Mountain of Knives and Sea of Fire Hell, many evil ghosts climbed the mountain of knives, but the mountain was extremely steep, and a single misstep meant falling into the sea of fire. Then they would start all over again.

The many evil ghosts within this Mountain of Knives and Sea of Fire Hell, seeing Xu Jia "wading through the sea of fire" and "climbing the mountain of knives," all scrambled to grab onto Xu Jia.

The Lushan Five Prisons Great Method states that one who can experience the five prisons can reach the underworld, mark the death registry of the underworld, and become a "Corpse Severance Immortal."

But how difficult is it to pass through the five prisons? The punishments of the mountain of knives and sea of fire themselves are all manifested from "karmic force."

For instance, the Mountain of Knives Hell contains the sin of blaspheming the gods and the karma of taking up a knife to kill.

Therefore, in some Buddhist countries, they do not actively take up knives to kill, but instead fix the knife in place and drive the chickens, ducks, geese, and fish they wish to kill into the blade; in this way, it is "suicide" on their part, and the karmic sin is not considered to have passed through their own hands.

The Huohai Diyu, on the other hand, imprisons those who have enriched themselves at the public's expense, taken bribes, committed petty theft, or engaged in robbery and arson...

Because these people did not suffer "inner condemnation and torment" for their evil deeds while alive, their souls must suffer the torment of this sea of fire after death.

This can be called "questioning the heart"; as long as you believe you are innocent—for example, killing chickens and ducks to "protect life"—much like Ji Dian who said, "Meat and wine pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart," one can also safely pass through the five prisons.

Xu Jia is also an "old employee" of the underworld, and now holds the official position of "Master of the Mingchen Mansion of the Left Naifan, Sun-Generating Fire Official of the Dongkong Qingling Palace of the Mid-Yuan," and his name has long since been struck from the death registry; these karmic obstacles cannot harm Xu Jia at all.

It is only these evil ghosts who have committed karmic sins and been tortured by pain for who knows how many millennia or ten-thousands of years who harbor jealousy and hatred toward Xu Jia.

They climbed out of the sea of fire along the flowering trees of fire and silver flowers, and along the knife mountain ladder, intending to grab Xu Jia's ankles.

But the next moment, Xu Jia had already arrived atop the Thirteen-Layer Altar.

On the Thirteen-Layer Altar, the first nine layers each represent a heaven, and after the nine heavens, one ascends to the four-nine heavens.

Through layers of clouds, one could even see the "South Heavenly Gate" within the Dharma Realm. Layer upon layer of palaces and chambers, with the sun on the left and the moon on the right, and the Ziwei star nearby.

It seemed as if one could hear the Daoism of the Three Pure Ones from the mysterious Daluo Tiangong.

But these were merely "illusions of the Dharma Realm."

However, in reality, his own magical power had increased many times over.

On the Thirteen-Layer Altar, there were five-colored Command Flags; Xu Jia waved the flags, causing these mountain of knives ghosts and sea of fire ghosts to line up on both sides. The flowering trees of fire and silver flowers continued; this time, Xiaopangdun also joined in, forging iron flowers and waiting for the scattered sparks to fall on him, only to discover they were not as hot as he had imagined.

He wanted to try wading through the sea of fire Xu Jia had crossed, but as soon as he stepped in, he was burned and pulled his foot back.

As for the mountain of knives, he dared not even attempt it.

He only looked forward to when Xu Jia would pass this great method on to him, so he could show off in front of others.

"Raise the beam! Install the treasures and consecrate!"

Xu Jia shouted his orders from the high altar.

The great beam was hoisted high, and several men pulling the ropes shouted in unison: "Rise!"

Afterward, the beam was set in place, and Wan the Carpenter, guarding the beam, invited the clan elders to scatter copper coins everywhere, and the children all scrambled to grab them.

One even reached Xu Jia's altar and bumped into the altar table, yet the table remained as steady as if a great tree had taken root.

And that was indeed the case, for the Dharma Altar Shen had transformed into a camphor tree; viewed from the Dharma Realm, every table was wrapped and entangled by tree roots.

Hu Jinhua and Huang Pipo revealed their demonic forms, so fierce that the child cried and ran away in terror.

"Master Xu, is everything alright!"

"It is fine, you all guard the temple gate."

Xu Jia then held water and recited the incantations, which were the Cleansing Altar Divine Incantations, including Cleansing Heart, Cleansing Mouth, Cleansing Body, and Cleansing Heaven and Earth.

After reciting, he sprayed the water in all four directions, and up to the high places, to cleanse all the Earth Deity.

The temple keeper of the City God Temple was about to fill the treasures, but Xu Jia said: "Hui Zhuo, you do it!"

Hui Zhuo happily took the treasures from the temple keeper and placed them one by one into the chest and abdomen of the divine statue.

As he placed each item, Zhang Zhenji, standing nearby, recited incantations according to the ritual; he lit a handful of incense and first opened the Incense Burner.

"Within the Incense Burner, heaven and earth are hidden, the Five Elements are harmoniously combined, and the Eight Trigrams are generated. A point of spiritual light reaches the nine heavens, smoke and clouds swirl to convey mortal hearts. Pure and without filth, evil Qi cannot invade, and righteous Qi is full. Offered before the gods, the fragrance reaches the sages, god and man are united, and the response is unimpeded. May this Incense Burner be efficacious and fulfill all wishes. Jijiru Luling!"

After opening the Incense Burner, he poured in the incense ash, which had been taken from the City God Temple and the Xujia Citang.

Then he offered a stick of incense.

Immediately after, he prepared to consecrate the divine statue as if facing a formidable enemy.

He held incense in one hand and a cinnabar brush in the other, first drawing a Talisman with the incense, then tapping various parts of the divine statue.

"Opened the head light, the divine light of the crown shines in ten directions! Opened the eye light... nose light... mouth light... ear light... chest light... abdomen light... hand light... leg light flies, the Golden Body of the Earth Deity is consecrated, manifesting divinity and holiness in ten directions!"

As the consecration was underway, a gale immediately rose, and dark clouds obscured the moon.

Viewed from the Dharma Realm, countless evil ghosts and evil gods were stirring, all scrambling to squeeze into the temple and take possession of the divine statue.

These evil ghosts were either the local Earth Deity from a previous dynasty who had been deposed during the wars and re-established, or some general from a dynasty long ago, or evil gods who had long since fallen from their altars...

Of course, there were also "Outer Path" beings sent by the Chang Sheng Jiao Fawang from Dexing!

These things had greedy gazes, but their appearances were strange and grotesque, carrying Evil Qi, Resentment Qi, and karmic obstacles; as seen from the Dharma Realm, they were either scarlet red or exuding Black Qi.

(End of this chapter)