Chapter 210: The Mandala is Formed

Although Sheng Ying has the body of a Drought Demon and the soul of a Fire Essence, he can still be considered an "innocent child." He previously nurtured his Buddha Nature within the Womb Realm of the Dharma Realm, and now he is excavating that Buddha Nature.

Changing day by day, it is instead a transformation of the "Heavenly Human Dao."

Of course, it might also have to do with his love for drinking oil; he drinks half a jar every day, falls into a deep sleep after finishing, and follows Xu Jia to learn Clumsy Fire meditation whenever he is awake.

He senses the internal fire burning and radiating outward, but since he was already full of internal fire to begin with, he is now just learning to control and utilize it, lest a child holding a sharp weapon end up hurting someone.

It was rare for Xu Jia to experience this new "father-son" time; Xun Taizi also likes this fellow very much, as the saying goes, the wind aids the fire's momentum.

Now, the Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind beneath his seat are finally complete.

Although Xu Jia does not cultivate the Four Elements of Buddhism, if he wants to borrow the Four Elements to open up a "Pure Land," it is possible. The so-called Pure Land is Mount Xu Mi; Mount Xu Mi is infinitely large, constructed from the Four Elements, and is often compared to a "mustard seed," which is to say, it is also infinitely small.

In terms of Taoism, it is a "Pot Heaven," or a "Re-creation of Heaven and Earth," though it is very difficult to realize in the reality of a Blessed Land; it can only be a space interspersed between reality and the Dharma Realm.

"Come, Sheng Ying, turn to a small fire!" After researching for several days, Xu Jia developed a type of gunpowder that incorporates "Chinese medicine" powders. Among Chinese medicines, there are many that are good at "subduing fire," so Xu Jia formulated a "Fire-Subduing Powder" to blend into the gunpowder, which can increase the ignition point and explosion point, much like the effect of "jade porcelain."

Now, he can even use Sheng Ying's hands to carefully configure it, filling several small porcelain bottles originally used for pills. The bottle mouths are sealed with wooden sieves; as long as they are thrown out, there is a small mechanism inside that will rapidly ignite the flammable and explosive parts, then expand to the entire bottle. Thus, it explodes, with porcelain shards flying everywhere, and the power is immense.

Furthermore, after being refined by the Tiangang Thunder Law, its power is even greater than what was produced by the rats under Kan Yinwu's command previously.

This is the benefit of personal, hands-on production and sensing; it is extremely precise. Refining gunpowder is the same as refining pills; at least in this world, gunpowder is also a medicine, and as long as it is a medicine, it contains the Five Elements and Yin-Yang balance of medicinal properties.

Xu Jia was previously afraid of blowing himself up, but in truth, it is not that easy to blow oneself up; at least now that he is slightly more proficient, he is already steady.

Xu Jia even thought about adding some arsenic to the gunpowder, or having the Fox Immortal Hall collect some phosphorus at the Luanzanggang.

It is just that this is too sinister and does not conform to "Righteous Qi," which would hinder the Thunder Law, and it might not necessarily increase the power that much.

It would be better to add other things to the fire oil to make fire oil bottles and have Sheng Ying throw them; that would make him a Level 10 dangerous arsonist. With a wave of his Hibiscus Flame Flag, a puff of air from Xun Taizi, and some flatulence from Huang Pipo, it would be enough for anyone to suffer.

"Good, maintain this feeling of a single stick of firewood burning slowly."

Xu Jia stirred the wooden stick in the pot and nodded slightly: "The heat is just about right."

"Extinguish the fire!"

Xu Jia lifted the clay pot and immediately told Xun Taizi to go up: "Blow wind, cool it down quickly!"

Xun Taizi then blew air with all his might, and soon this pot of medicine became more and more solidified like syrup.

Taking advantage of this moment, Xu Jia used his ruthless iron hands to roll it into pills, about the size of a finger.

This pot is called "Fire Dragon Pill," made of sulfur, cinnabar, saltpeter powder, iron filings, and sal ammoniac, then refined with honey.

After solidifying, it is a heavy pill; taking it internally causes sudden death, and using it externally also easily causes sudden death.

After Xu Jia finished one, he gave it to Sheng Ying.

Sheng Ying swallowed it, and only a "bang" was heard; smoke came out of his seven orifices, and fire snakes emerged from his nostrils.

"How does it taste?"

"Spicy, and there's a burst of Qi, so comfortable, I feel warm all over!" Sheng Ying said in a milky voice.

Only then did Xu Jia nod: "In that case, I have some beads here; can you hold them in your mouth and then spit them out using the explosive power of this Fire Dragon Pill?"

Xu Jia treated Sheng Ying as a "human-shaped Barrett."

He saw several iron lotus seeds taken out from the side; Sheng Ying played with them and put them all into his mouth. They turned red the moment they entered, obviously at an extremely high temperature. It is unknown whether the fire Qi of the Fire Dragon Pill was left in his body or if he was already a high-temperature furnace from eating so much fire oil.

Seeing him eat a Fire Dragon Pill like a peanut, there was another muffled sound, and these iron lotus seeds were all shot out. They were still extremely high-temperature red, hitting the wall and leaving a hole, hitting a tree and not only leaving a hole but also carbonizing it, smoking, and even producing small flames.

"Fun! Fun!" Sheng Ying clapped his hands and cheered, wanting to eat more Fire Dragon Pills. Xu Jia hurriedly put them away: "Don't play for now, you've eaten two today, hurry to the Buddha hall to meditate and refine the medicinal properties of the fire pill!"

Xun Taizi also came to join the fun, wanting to eat one; he also wanted to spit fire to play, but how could Xu Jia agree.

Putting away the alchemy tools, he felt that this was already an epoch-making strike, enough to deal with that so-called Dharma King. Even if he couldn't completely kill him and let his Yin Spirit continue to possess and resurrect elsewhere, it was enough to subdue Dexing and slay the three demon dragons.

This is not fighting a battle without certainty.

Another day passed, and Huang Pipo came to report: "Master Xu, the Shanju Guan has received guidance from Wang Faguan and has already set up the altar. They asked me to invite you, saying to choose an auspicious day to open the altar."

"What auspicious day is there to choose? This very moment is the auspicious day and hour. Call everyone from the halls who can move, go up to Sanqing Mountain, and this poor Daoist will rectify your names and request titles for you. By the way, call Hui Zhuo too, don't forget him."

Immediately, Xu Jia entered the Buddha hall again and said to Xu Mu: "Mother, now that your son is about to receive the Register, can you come up the mountain together to observe the ceremony?"

Xu Mu was surprised: "You want to become a monk and be a Taoist priest?"

"There is no need to become a monk for this, and there aren't many precepts."

Only then did Xu Mu nod: "No matter what you do, your mother will only support you!" She held Xu Jian, and together with the wet nurse Xiao Qing, the goddaughter Xiao Hong, and even the Fire Child Xu Sheng Ying, they followed Xu Jia out the door.

After Kui Qing buried his past life's body, he returned to Xianzhi Valley. At this time, Huang Pipo ran around spreading the news, so he came to the gate of Xu Fu himself: "Master, this little beast has come to be your footman."

After a while, Chen Xiongda, who had resigned from his official post, also came. Xu Jia gave him a Dharma name called "Gongming," the first human among the outer disciples; the others were all monsters and spirits.

After a while, Hu Jinhua arrived with Lame Fox, Single-Testicle Fox, and Touweiba. Soon after, Jingchi from the Di Gou Quan of Fanyin Valley arrived; he was a giant salamander who had attained the Dao and cultivated the Avatamsaka Dharma gate.

Next was Xiaopangdun's whole family, Niu Dafu, Niu Mu, and Xiaopangdun, who had been hiding from Xu Jia. However, he was no longer fat at this time; only his face had baby fat, and the rest of his body had slimmed down.

Xu Jia beckoned to Hui Zhuo: "I kicked you last time, did you take it to heart?"

"No, no, I have always firmly believed in you, Brother Xu. It's just that you don't really need me much now, and my cultivation is shallow and slow..."

"Fool! You are my first disciple to open the mountain; if I don't think of you, who would I think of?"

Xiaopangdun was speechless for a moment.

"After the Register is conferred, I will pass on my family's secret True Transmission of internal alchemy to you. Your Shamanic spirit-writing method can then be instantly transformed into the Earth Immortal Dao. Others refine the spirit, you refine the demon. From now on, you have the right to inquire about all matters of the halls; this is a broad and smooth road."

Xiaopangdun immediately became interested and returned to his original state: "I knew that Big Brother, oh no, Master, is the best to me."

Those who came later included Kan Yinwu, Jinchan Duobao carried by four big men, the Jinsha Creek deity Qiu Jinsha, and in the Dharma Realm, there were the Spirit General Luejue, Wood Charms, Condolence Guests, and all sorts of mountain-wandering and water-capturing spirits.

Until Huang Pipo returned to her position, she said: "The old sow Hai Sanniang has already gone to Yushan by herself to welcome Master Xu there."

Xu Jia looked around and asked Hu Jinhua: "Did you invite Hu Agui?"

"I invited him, but he said it depends on his mood!" Hu Jinhua said: "I didn't go personally; Du Xiu went." Du Xiu was the Single-Testicle Fox.

"Then don't worry about him."

Immediately, the group went on their way in a grand manner. Just as they were about to leave, they heard a voice: "What about me? What about me? Great Immortal, you didn't call my name!"

They saw the War Eagle swaying, grabbing Gui Linggao with its feet; he was tied with straw, poking his head out, and his four claws were swimming and swimming.

"You two living treasures!" Xu Jia scolded: "Come along together then!"

Xu Jia sat on the back of Kui Qing, one foot tucked under his buttocks, the other dangling down, holding the Ruyi Follow-Heart Staff in his hand.

Several beads were worn on his body, including the Wind-Fixing Bead, the Cooling Bead, and camphor balls (insect-repelling pills); these beads emitted light, which, when viewed from the Dharma Realm, appeared as layers of light rings.

A Golden Toad cleared the way in front; he was carried by others, sitting inside a Treasure Basin, and as he walked, he spat out "Yin money and underworld currency" into the Dharma Realm; this kind of money was different from Wish Power Dharma Coins, as one Wish Power Dharma Coin was worth ten thousand times ten thousand taels of this gold, and it was used to dismiss lonely ghosts and wild spirits.

Jingchi held a bowl containing pure water, sprinkling it with a willow branch as he walked; he looked like a monk, so it could only be called a "confluence of Buddhism and Daoism." Of course, it was not just a confluence of Buddhism and Daoism; there were also Martial Scholars, merchants, fox demons, and ghost gods, belonging to the "ox-ghosts and snake-gods" of the three teachings and nine schools, all gathered together.

At this time, the green seedlings in the farmland were just right, but viewed from the Dharma Realm, this area was a paradise for lonely ghosts and wild spirits; although the farmland had been plowed to remove all filth, the ridges, thickets of weeds, various mud holes, rat holes, and snake holes were places where various lonely ghosts, wild spirits, gods, monsters, and evil spirits loved to stay.

It was fine during the day, but if it were night, and a person were walking alone on the fields, they would certainly encounter evil spirits.

At this time, the nectar and Yin money scattered became a means to "clear the way," not only creating a path in reality but also revealing a Pure Land thoroughfare in the Dharma Realm, with fragrant clouds and purple smoke drifting and dispersing.

This group of people soon arrived at the foot of Yushan; here, Jinshan Temple had closed its mountain gates early, and the old nun led the other nuns in closed-door meditation, chanting scriptures and contemplating for a period of forty-nine days, with a cycle every seven days, repeated seven times, which was called "hitting the seven."

Lao Zhupo, Hai Sanniang, and Chang Yu's two wives, Chang Yuying and Chang Yu'e, were already waiting; Chang Yuying said: "Husband has already reached the summit, and by utilizing the authority of the Mountain God, he has gathered the Spirit Machine of Yushan to bless the Dharma Altar; the various Daoists are still chanting scriptures and mantras."

Xu Jia nodded: "Let's go up!"

The impact of these two large snakes on the others was self-evident, especially on Niu Dafu's family and Xu Mu.

Seeing them, Xu Mu asked: "Are you the Dragon Kind among the Eight Legions?" The dragons among the Eight Legions were actually poisonous snakes, and among the Eight Legions, the Garuda fed on them, eating five hundred big dragons and eight hundred small dragons every day.

However, these two demonesses were uncultured and did not know about the Eight Legions, but when they heard the word "dragon," their eyes lit up; for a moment, an incredible power occurred, similar to "sealing the righteous," so they nodded repeatedly.

Seeing them nod, Xu Mu sighed: "So the Buddhist scriptures do not speak in vain."

Xu Jia did not object or say much about this, but Xu Mu had already formed a Karmic Connection with these two Poison Dragons.

This Karmic Connection was a good connection, not an evil one; the Eight Legions were protectors of the Buddhist gate, and Xu Mu had cultivated until now, so she should have some protectors; these two Poison Dragons were not as promising as Chang Yu, who had already solved the establishment problem and achieved the status of Acting Mountain God, but achieving the status of Eight Legions was also a kind of good karma and retribution.

Continuing up the mountain, upon reaching the mountainside, one could faintly see the altar field and Mandala arranged on the mountain peak in the middle of the large Incense Burner; five-colored banners moved, and Chang Yu stood guard there, regulating the weather to prevent sudden rain in the mountains from wetting the altar field or ruining the ritual instruments.

Of the Daoists in the temple, only Zhang Zhenji was left here to receive guests, while the others had all gone to the altar field.

"True Person, I never expected that you could find Judge Wang from beside the Thirty-Sixth Generation Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain; Judge Wang is truly a man of great virtue in the Daoist gate, every move he makes has the air of an expert from beyond the world, and every word and action is full of deep meaning, conforming to the Daoism of nature and the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth."

Xu Jia:? Are we seeing the same person? Why is the one I saw a shameless old man who used chopsticks to poke a fox demon to ask how deep she was, and then was caught and made to wash menstrual cloths because he couldn't pay?

Xu Jia really wanted to put a question mark.

But he still maintained his image: "This Judge Wang is transmitting the Celestial Master Register to me on behalf of the Celestial Master Mansion of Longhu Mountain, so he came here to preside over the construction of the altar field; this is also because the Karmic Connection has arrived."

Zhang Zhenji's eyes shone with golden light: "The Celestial Master Register is the origin of all talismans in the world; I have heard that for register conferment and blessing, whether it is Shangqing Lingbao or Zhengyi, one must first add the Celestial Master Register before one can be transferred to the original register; Longhu Mountain practices both alchemy and talismans, refining talismans externally and cultivating the Golden Core internally, and its Daoism is the best in the world; I have never been there, and now that I know such a living God Immortal in the world, I will go to Longhu Mountain next time to study for a period of time, add the register, and receive a position."

Xu Jia said: "If I am conferred as a Celestial Master, this place will be the Zongtan, and I can also add the register and confer positions for you, so why look far away?"

"It's not quite the same." Zhang Zhenji said expectantly: "Even if the register is added here, I still want to see the Wanfa Zongtan of Longhu Mountain; I have heard that it is the place where all the gods in the world originate, where the True Gods of the whole sky bow and hang down, and except for heaven and earth, the Dragon Tiger Heavenly Master can summon and control any god."

"That is bragging; it's just mobilizing some incarnations." Xu Jia said: "In the billions of Yanfu worlds, there are only thirty-six heavens in total; we are only in the Desire Realm, and the Celestial Master is also a creature of the Desire Realm, so how can he mobilize the sacred beings in the Great Luo Heaven?"

"However, the Celestial Master Register was passed down by the Dao Ancestor, and it does have many mysteries; the gods do not respect the Celestial Master, they respect the Dao Ancestor; if you respect the Dao and the law, you are no different from the Celestial Master; that so-called impeachment of ghost gods is just something said for the Emperor to hear; you and I are practitioners, we should see through the outer appearance."

Zhang Zhenji was indeed an Earth Immortal Seed; he understood as soon as it was pointed out, broke through the "gods and Buddhas" in his heart, and soon got rid of his superstition about Longhu Mountain, realizing: "The True Person means that to forge iron, one must be strong oneself?"

"Then why does the True Person receive the Celestial Master Register?"

"This is another reason; if I want to inherit the Daoist lineage and open a sect, I must be from under the Three Pure Ones."

Xu Jia said: "The so-called righteous path is just a name. Although what I cultivate and do may not necessarily be the righteous path in the eyes of others, if the Sages of the Three Pure Ones can acknowledge it, then I will have blazed a correct path for many people on the Outer Path who are determined to cultivate, teaching them to cultivate sincerely and not fall into the Evil Path; although it is more difficult, there are achievements; for example, your Shanju Guan, with no register on your body, no Heavenly Immortal in your lineage, and the Ancestor being only an Earth Immortal, and Earth Immortals are called Earth Immortal Small Methods in the Daoist gate, which is the Evil Path."

"And the orthodox sect, only those under the Three Pure Ones, is called the Great Luo Orthodox Sect, with the Dharma lineage passed down from the Great Luo Heaven."

"As for the Taiyi Profound Gate, the ancestor is not a guest in the Great Luo Heaven, but there is also a proper God Immortal position register, and the inheritance is orderly."

Zhang Zhenji did not have many of these concepts, but he also knew the importance of tracing the origin of orthodoxy; getting the name means getting the "luck," and getting the favor of the Three Pure Ones Dao Ancestors.

Not getting it means being a "down-and-out local small method." With no master above and no disciples below.

Of course, since Xu Jia is so good at managing, he would certainly not fall into such a situation, otherwise, how could he have opened a sect in San Francisco in his previous life, and managed such a team in this life.

"The last time I opened the altar for sacrifice and worshipped the Three Pure Ones, the Lingbao Dao Ancestor had mysterious light descend, which is why I wanted to try; if it doesn't work this time, I will actually still open a sect here; if it doesn't become an orthodox sect, so be it; I have always been used to it."

Xu Jia's Dharma was also pieced together from many small methods at the beginning, but now that his wisdom has grown, what he previously thought could not be cultivated now seems extremely reasonable; even that inverted scripture for becoming an Immortal has been solved.

"Taishang Lingbao Jingming Daoyuan Verification Chapter."

Of course, there is another important purpose for opening the altar: through the Celestial Master Talisman Dharma, to borrow and mobilize the Dharma Power of the Golden Body from the previous life, and even to travel in the spirit to the world of the previous life, using the Daoist treasury of the previous life to assist in one's own cultivation.

Those gods and Bodhisattvas often have three thousand incarnations and three thousand worlds; Xu Jia has been dead for so many years now, and no matter what, he has a Golden Body Temple; basically everyone who knew him when he was alive is dead, and it is time for him to "manifest holiness."

Xu Jia was also a bit excited, not very calm, because in his previous life, Xu Jia did not receive a proper register either; it was a Lushan Small Method, and the register also belonged to a branch of private registers. It was basically two or three levels; he had once been to Longhu Mountain, but the register was not effective, which is why he later visited the Immortal at Qingcheng Mountain and obtained an internal cultivation Daoist method.

It was not until Taishan Daiyu explained that what Xu Jia encountered was "Shen Gong," a Great Immortal who attained the Dao as a white ape at Qingcheng Mountain.

Now that he is officially receiving the register, and it is the "Celestial Master Register" that Longhu Mountain rushed to send, it can be said to have made up for the shortcomings of his previous life's cultivation.

This is a foundational great cause, unlike anything else.

Walking along the way, Xu Jia sat on the back of the Kui Qing ox, surrounded by the small demons and monsters he had collected; influenced by the atmosphere of the Zongtan, they all broke their illusions and only retained their animal forms.

However, there were not many who could transform, just Kan Yinwu, Hu Jinhua, and Huang Pipo; they belonged to the class that was good at transformation, and each had their own way to transform their bodies; they were small in size but high in spirituality, and had been in contact with humans for a long time.

They were still very terrified for a moment, wanting to open their mouths to speak, but could only make fox cries.

Xu Jia comforted them: "This altar worships the three hundred and sixty-five True Gods of the whole sky; it is a solemn altar field, and it was designed by Wang Mintong, with Chang Yu introducing the Spirit Machine of the Yushan mountain range; your cultivation is not enough, and it is normal to temporarily disperse your transformation under the pressure of connecting heaven and earth; you can try to mobilize your Dharma Power."

The few small demons mobilized their Dharma Power, but it was very difficult and sour, as if an invisible force field was pressing on their bodies.

"Master Xu, it doesn't work; the more I use my Dharma Power, the more difficult it feels to walk, and it's hard to go on; it's better to maintain my original form!" Hu Jinhua had the deepest Karmic Connection with Xu Jia and could communicate mentally.

Xu Jia thought and said: "You are all of the mixed essence class, and your previous cultivation was not the righteous method, so you are deterred by the gods of heaven and earth; I will teach you a method: take dead branches as incense, bow to the heaven and earth in all directions, and see if you can restore your form."

Hu Jinhua and the others heard this and acted one after another; they stood up on their hind legs, holding dead tree branches as incense, and bowed to the heaven and earth in all directions; after completing the kowtows, the shackles indeed dissipated.

Hu Jinhua transformed into a beautiful young man again: "Master Xu, what is the principle of this?"

"The Longhu Mountain Cleansing Altar uses the Cleansing Heaven Mantra, but it is different from our mantra; they will form a barrier within a radius of a hundred miles; Wang Mintong is proficient in Daoist rituals, so he must have performed this kind of ceremony; it is just like when I opened the altar and cleansed the altar for the temple; you were not in the altar at that time, so you would be blocked; without an invitation, or bowing to heaven and earth, you cannot enter."

"So that's how it is, I've learned something again." Hu Jinhua looked like he had suddenly realized, and then continued to walk forward.

The mountain was steep, especially the three peaks, which seemed to have no path up at all, but now a narrow and very dangerous path had been opened.

Xu Jia was fine, but Xu Mu and Niu Dafu could not go up, so Xu Jia let Chang Yuying and Chang Yu'e take them to borrow the wind and fly to the top of the mountain, while he himself got off the ox's back, made a respectful gesture, and walked up step by step.

It was just like the so-called "martial officials dismount, civil officials leave their sedans"; this was Xu Jia's awe for his future Daoist path and his awe for the register conferment ceremony.

Xu Jia's footwork was not bad, and he soon reached the top of the mountain.

I saw that a Mandala had already been built on the mountaintop; the Mandala was actually made of bamboo, wood, cloth, and paper pasted together, and though it was called a "city," it was quite small, only the size of a house.

Many Daoists were busy setting it up, and a virtuous, high-ranking Daoist wearing a large purple Immortal robe was directing from the main altar. Xu Jia looked closely and realized it was truly Wang Mintong; he now possessed the bearing of an Immortal, with crane-white hair and a youthful face, and although there were no fluctuations of Dharma Power, he gave people the feeling of "returning to simplicity and truth" rather than "swindling and bluffing."

"This old man, he really does have something to him."

Xu Jia stepped forward, and the Scripture Master greeted him, smiling from ear to ear: "Meeting a True Person this year is truly a blessing cultivated over three lifetimes; otherwise, how could we have come to know such a virtuous person as Wang Faguan? Following Wang Faguan to set up the Mandala, we have benefited immensely. How to arrange it, what the requirements are, which scripture it originates from—he can recite it all backward. One cannot help but admire him, and when it comes to discussing cultivation, he is simply the best!" The Scripture Master gave a thumbs up: "Originally, after hearing the True Person explain the Five Elements technique last time, we had already gained a lot, but since the True Person does not practice this technique, we could only grope in the dark when encountering problems. But this Wang Faguan can resolve our doubts the moment he opens his mouth. Later, we learned that this Faguan is well-versed in the Daoist Canon, can recite the Three Grotto scriptures, and transcribe the ten thousand Registers. If he is not an Immortal figure, then who is? No wonder he could enter and exit the imperial palace to lecture on scriptures for the Emperor."

Wang Mintong lectured on scriptures for the previous Emperor, but the current Emperor supports Buddhism; perhaps Wang Mintong truly has some hidden bitterness and is sullying himself, who knows.

However, while he is a slovenly old beggar in front of Xu Jia, he is putting on airs in front of these Shanju Guan Daoists. Xu Jia really wants to ask, why don't you make a move against that Longevity Sect Dharma King, instead of waiting for me to do it?

But he still smiled and said: "This is also a Karmic Connection."

Xu Jia then came to Wang Mintong's side; the Mandala was divided into three levels. The first level was the outer altar, which was for enshrining the three hundred and sixty-five True Gods, and the second level was the inner altar, which was the place where Xu Jia was to enshrine the Body Gods.

The third level was the Register Conferment Dharma Altar, which was actually just a table, but it was used to enshrine the Three Pure Ones Dao Ancestors and the Sovereign Earth.

"Wang Faguan, you have really stood tall these days."

"There is no other way; they have high expectations of me and are very respectful, constantly speaking of their reverence for Longhu Mountain. If I don't keep up appearances, their image of Longhu Mountain will be shattered. Although it is tiring to be like this and I cannot be myself, there is no other way. Cruel life always ravages my freedom and my bottom line."

Xu Jia laughed: "How many people can truly be themselves? Besides, as for the 'self'—that is, me—how many can seek out the True Self?"

Taoism divides the "self" into the "Corpse Self," which is the body of this physical form; the "Attached Self," which is the thought that controls this physical form; and finally the "True Self," which is the so-called luminous nature, the Primordial Spirit, the self in the state of an infant.

The so-called "walking corpse" is when one's conscious self is lost, leaving only the Corpse Self, knowing only the instincts of eating, drinking, and excreting.

This old man wants to be himself, likely by dissecting his own nature and authenticity, constantly moving closer to being a "child." Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to do the thing of stabbing a fox spirit with chopsticks. Based on the Daoist Practice of Hu Agui, a slight bewitchment would have caused an eighty-year-old man to lose all his essence, yet this Wang Mintong, though only a seventy-year-old man, was able to resist the fox demon's bewitchment and simply wanted to study its structure. It is clear he conquered "lust," and the seven emotions and six desires are precisely part of the "Attached Self."

However, even if it is the "True Self," for an infant or child with intense curiosity to stab a fox demon with chopsticks is quite explosive.

"Could it be that you are about to cultivate a Yang Spirit infant?" Xu Jia found it somewhat incredible.

"That is not the case; I do not cultivate Dharma Power, I only cultivate the Dao," the old man said. "Of course, I do not cultivate virtue either, but virtue is an external thing, something imposed on ordinary people by Sages; it is of no use."

Xu Jia: That "Classic of Virtue and Dao" unearthed in a previous life had Virtue placed before Dao.

"I am wondering when I will achieve Didao. Of course, I do not cultivate the Dao with the goal of achieving Didao; I am just curious about what Didao is."

(End of chapter)