Chapter 214: The Record of Heavenly Master Xu Subduing Demons

Xu Jia transformed into the Tiangang Great Sage, using thunder and fire to blast apart the Dharma King's aggressive momentum, but he did not stop there.

In the past, when the Ancestral Heavenly Master set up an altar at Qingcheng Mountain to subdue evil, the Shu Eight Great Demon Kings were all terrified; some were executed, some were sealed, and others fled from Shu westward to the cold, mountainous regions of Mizang Yu, not daring to cause chaos there. Now that the Ancestral Heavenly Master has long since ascended, these demon heads have staged a comeback.

This reminded Xu Jia of a line of poetry: "Now we cheer for Sun Dasheng, only because the demon mist has returned." Following this, Xu Jia thought of, "It is nothing but a single thought to save the common people." For a moment, something heavy inexplicably settled in his heart, so Xu Jia ascended the altar again and asked, "Who has a sword?"

He was imitating the actions of the Ancestral Heavenly Master from back then.

A young acolyte from Shanju Guan below said, "I have a sword!"

It was, however, a wooden sword.

Xu Jia nodded, picked up the wooden sword, and immediately entered meditation. In the Dharma Realm, Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit had already left his body; he saw his patchwork robe transform into the Lingbao Heavenly Immortal Cave Robe, and the wooden sword became the Lushan Evil-Slaying Sword.

Subsequently, a large centipede leaped out from the Dharma Altar. This centipede was transformed from the Spirit Machine of Yushan; although it was a centipede, it had dragon horns and no evil Qi, unlike before.

Xu Jia stepped onto the head of this centipede, instantly piercing through wind and clouds to shuttle through the Dharma Realm. The Dharma Realm was gloomy and gray, devoid of any vibrant colors; everything seemed to be separated by something. In the shadows and the fog, some creatures of the Dharma Realm were hiding.

The Dharma Realm is defined by the mind; if the mind harbors terror, the Dharma Realm will attract creatures that feed on fear, making it easy to encounter ghosts. This is also why "the good doesn't work, but the bad does." If you pray for wealth every day, you will likely not attract the Wealth God, but rather a Greed Demon, which will weave a scam by exploiting your desire to get rich.

However, these Dharma Realm creatures retreated three stages upon seeing Xu Jia, not daring to show their heads. The lingering resonance of the Tiangang Thunder and fire, the Dharma Altar gathering the Spirit Machine of Yushan, and his pact with Heaven and Earth and alliance with Ghost Gods meant Xu Jia's fortune had reached its peak since he arrived in this world via Jieshi Huanhun.

The Dharma King, however, was the exact opposite. Since occupying Dexing, his fortune had risen, polluting evil gods, bewitching the common people, and receiving offerings. When he tried to probe Xu Jia during the construction of the Earth Temple, he was rebuffed to his face, and his fortune had already stopped growing.

Starting from this turning point, Xu Jia's fortune grew rapidly.

This is the "Kala"; if you rise, I fall, and if I rise, you fall.

From the moment Xu Jia planned to step on the Longevity Sect to rise and establish his own sect, he became the nemesis of this cult.

In the Dexing temple, the White Hat Dharma King had already sensed Xu Jia coming to kill him single-handedly from the Dharma Realm.

Although he had just vomited blood because he had not guarded against Xu Jia using external thunder, it was not necessarily the case now. Her face was gloomy as she said to the Saintess of the White Bone Hall, "That Outer Path is the one the Emperor said would be my natural nemesis. He has just been initiated into the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master Register and has become a once-in-five-hundred-years heteronymous Heavenly Master. If you and I flee, we will only be executed by him. The only way now is to coerce the common people and use them to keep him in check."

The White Bone Hall Saintess was terrified, but she soon nodded: "Dharma King, I will go capture those children and young girls, cut them open to take their hearts, and use them to please the holy ones of our Longevity Sect's Upper Seat!"

Since the Longevity Sect is a sect, besides the sect leader calling himself the Chang Sheng Tian Wan Shou Di Jun, they also have their own pantheon of gods. However, even their lowest gods are called "So-and-so Emperor" or "So-and-so Buddha." Just like when the White Bone Hall Saintess corrupted the Yushan Mountain God last time, she called him the "Centipede Dragon Great Emperor," intending to bind him as the "Southern Plague God," uniting the five plagues to rebel and bring chaos to the world.

The holy ones they worship are divided into "three seat departments." The Upper Seat are all great evil gods, the Middle Seat all have names and titles, while the Lower Seat is a mix of fish and dragons.

The White Bone Hall Saintess wanting to slaughter the common people to please the Upper Seat spirits was her way of trying to leave a loose end.

But just as she finished speaking, the Dharma King's expression changed: "He really dares to come single-handedly!"

In the Dharma Realm, the demonic atmosphere of Dexing dispersed, and Xu Jia appeared out of thin air, stepping on the centipede dragon as if it were a skateboard, the Lushan Evil-Slaying Sword in his hand radiating an inexplicable chill.

The first sword strike was aimed at the White Bone Hall Saintess. Her hair stood on end as the Five Elements Sha Ghost and the Nine Sons Mother Ghost Demon appeared one after another to protect their master. However, with the help of the Dharma Altar, Xu Jia did not need to borrow his past life's Dharma Power to possess the abilities of an Earth Immortal, and having been initiated into the Lingbao Dao Origin Talisman gave Xu Jia even more means.

Who recognizes the enlightened one in the world? In his life, he understands the silver in the Dharma water. A staff supports heaven and earth, a three-foot Kunwu sword beheads ghosts and gods. Drunk, he sleeps in the Moon Cave; chanting loudly, he scorns the red dust. Since realizing the end of life, he has won the eternal spring of Peng Hu.

Three moon-white streaks of Sword Qi immediately sliced open the Five Elements Sha and the Nine Sons Mother Ghost Demon, as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

So much for the Five Elements Sha being able to restrain everything within the Five Elements, and the Nine Sons Mother Ghost Demon possessing immense Dharma power.

That was only because they hadn't encountered a regular army.

The White Bone Hall Saintess gritted her teeth, and a White Bone Dharma Image was born from the Dharma Realm. This was the "Canzang Crown Prince" worshipped by their lineage, an evil god and Ghost King of You Ming. It is rumored that he is a spirit formed from white bones on the "White Bone Mountain" of You Ming. Because the corpses were trapped in a pile of bones and received Incense Fire a few times a year, there is the saying of "Canzang" (Gathering Incense). Furthermore, he claims to be the adopted son of the Yama King, hence the title of Crown Prince.

But this Canzang Crown Prince formed from white bones was merely burial bones under the sword.

The Lushan Evil-Slaying Sword was the sword of Heavenly Master Xu back in the day. Xu Jia summoned it from the nine heavens, borrowing the form of a wooden sword and obtaining the spirit of the Dharma Realm. Holding this sword, Xu Jia was confident he could "behead ghosts and gods."

The Dharma King did not watch the White Bone Hall Saintess be executed. He pressed his palms together and pushed out another Great Handprint. His Vajravarahi true self revealed its spirit from the Dharma Realm again, but it no longer had the "indomitable" momentum; he was afraid.

So he said, "You may not have the cultivation of an Earth Immortal, relying only on the Dharma Altar. But I have the Intermediate Body Achievement, have broken the Three Poisons, and can gather or disperse at will. The physical body is but a skin raft. Are you determined to be an enemy of our sect?"

Xu Jia didn't waste words, just holding back a breath of Qi. To be honest, leaving the body to enter the Dharma Realm and having the Primordial Spirit perform Dharma is no less than Wei Zheng's technique of beheading a dragon in a dream.

The time he could sustain it was only a quarter of an hour. Once the time passed, Xu Jia's physical body would automatically call back the Primordial Spirit. Moreover, the initiation ceremony was already complete, and it was time to "send off the gods," which was another complication.

Xu Jia split the Great Handprint with one sword. This sword strike shattered the superstition regarding the evil Buddha.

Xu Jia's swordsmanship was not obtained out of thin air; he had practiced it in his past life, but no matter how well one practices the sword, it is not as good as taking someone down with a gun. Now, he finally had the chance to display it.

The Vajravarahi's Great Handprint was sliced open, and the next moment, another Great Handprint was issued, but this time accompanied by a mantra.

Liberation Great Handprint! Om Vajravarahi Hum Hum Phat Svaha! The Vajravarahi's form changed inexplicably, becoming a terrifying Demon God!

All the beautified exteriors reverted to their original appearance.

She held a Kapala Bowl in one hand, from which fresh blood continuously flowed, forming a river of blood that circled around. Male and female infants were born from the blood and flew toward Xu Jia; these were all infants she had used to refine her Dharma, through which she sought to realize "Bliss."

She held a Khatvanga Scepter in another hand, which had three heads on top: a skull, a withered human head, and a fresh head.

All three heads were chanting mantras, indicating that in the past, present, and future, she had already attained bliss and liberation.

In reality, they were merely living in the illusion of Heavenly Demons.

Because this Dharma King summoned Heavenly Demons to assist in his cultivation, he himself lacked the wisdom to realize Emptiness, Bliss, and the nature of Emptiness.

But an inexplicable atmosphere still enveloped Xu Jia, drawing him into the Mandala of Vajravarahi.

"Let me help you attain liberation!"

She wanted to trap Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit, isolate it from his physical body, and send Xu Jia to Corpse Severance! Xu Jia sneered. Even if his Primordial Spirit left his body and could not use the physical body to visualize Divine Transformation and become the Tiangang Great Sage, how could Master Xu, with two lifetimes of cultivation, not be able to break such ghostly tricks?

He saw that his Primordial Spirit had an eye open between his brows. This eye is what Taoists call the "Heavenly Eye" and what Buddhists call "Body Consciousness."

Everyone has a Heavenly Eye, but it is usually closed. If you want to test it, you can use a sharp knife, sword, or needle to point toward the space between your brows; if you feel a swelling pain or discomfort, that is the effect of this consciousness.

Therefore, some practitioners believe that three inches in front of the brow, which is the distance of a fist, is the Ancestral Aperture.

But in reality, it is not; that is just the range of perception of an ordinary person's Heavenly Eye. That is what is called "consciousness."

Cultivating consciousness is actually "inner observation," or "Inner Consciousness."

Not looking at others, but only observing oneself.

However, at this moment, Xu Jia opening his eye between his brows was not so simple.

A streak of Heavenly Gang Breaking Army Divine Intent flew out, piercing straight toward the Dharma King. In just this moment, the White Bone Hall Saintess had a chance to breathe. The pressure Xu Jia gave her was stronger than when he borrowed Dharma to behead the centipede dragon. Back then, it was the strength of Dharma Power; now, it was the strength of the "Spirit," carrying an invincible momentum—the "Heavenly Master's bearing." Without even fighting, one knew he was not to be trifled with.

She now had only one thought: to survive.

But she did not have the Intermediate Body Achievement, only the "Corpse Shedding Substitute Form Method." When she was struck, she left a skeleton behind and appeared three zhang away.

But even so, she could not escape. A single thought in the Dharma Realm can cross space, and in the Dharma Realm, it is not difficult to shuttle through time.

As for Xu Jia, the Heavenly Gang Breaking Army Divine Intent emerged from his Heavenly Eye, transforming into a streak of lightning, sharp and peerless, striking straight at her Primordial Spirit.

Having injured her Primordial Spirit, Xu Jia did not believe she could still successfully undergo the bardo transition for reincarnation, and at the same time, he broke the shackles that bound the altar grounds.

The Dharma King had nowhere to hide and took the blow head-on; instantly, fresh blood gushed from her nose, eyes, and ears.

She knew that if things continued this way, she would be killed sooner or later, so she said to the Inner Three Demons within her body: "Hurry and assist me! If I die, you will return to the Hehua Zizaitian world, and who knows when you will next have the chance to descend to the mortal realm and enjoy material desires."

"Only by letting me live can you continue to be carefree!"

The three demons inside her body were all from the lower-middle ranks of Hehua Zizaitian and could not compare to Demon Kings or Demon Gods; their lives were indeed bitter, and it was only after descending to the lower realm and receiving offerings of sensory pleasures that they became powerful.

These three old demons usually only exerted thirty percent of their strength, and when the Dharma King asked them to use their full power, they began to haggle.

The Greed Demon said: "I want one of your eyes. From now on, only I can see; what you see will be whatever I want you to see."

"Agreed!"

The Anger Demon said: "I want your lungs. From now on, whether you are angry or not will be up to me; I can blow them up with rage at any time!"

"Agreed!"

The Ignorance Demon said: "I want your seven souls; from now on, they shall be under my jurisdiction, and all your seven emotions and six desires shall obey my commands!"

At this moment, Xu Jia's second sword strike arrived, aimed directly at the Dharma King's brow; splitting it open here meant striking straight at the Niwan palace.

No matter what bardo achievement you have, it is already too late.

The Primordial Spirit was about to be split in two.

The Dharma King gritted her teeth: "Agreed!"

Having gained their benefits, the three demons immediately began to operate; one could see one of the Dharma King's eyes suddenly turn pitch black, forming a vortex that sucked in everything, including Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit.

Her lungs swelled, and two black lines emerged from her nose, transforming into ropes intended to bind Xu Jia.

Furthermore, seven-colored light appeared behind the head of the Vajravarahi; the seven souls were imbued with ignorance by the Ignorance Demon, and this physical body became as dull and foolish as an imbecile.

Everything was sacrificed to the Heavenly Demons, but the Dharma Power of the Vajravarahi was also greatly enhanced; her figure grew larger, and a corpse appeared beneath her feet—a closer look revealed it to be the Dharma King's own physical body—as a ritual axe swung down to meet Xu Jia's sword.

Her ritual axe was meant to sever ignorance, but Xu Jia's Evil-Slaying Sword was not ignorant; rather, it was a sword of wisdom, a sword of ideals.

With one sword strike, the Dharma Realm was split in two, even affecting the real world; a crack suddenly appeared on the newly sculpted statue of the Vajravarahi in the temple.

A gale blew in the sky, and suddenly there was thunder and lightning.

The Vajravarahi form of the Dharma King within the Dharma Realm shattered like porcelain.

In reality, the Dharma King's head also drooped, and she lost all signs of life.

The Great Liberation Mudra—the one being liberated was actually herself; her earlier appearance of preparing a grand technique and trading with the three demons was actually just to use the "Transference of Consciousness Achievement" to perform Possession.

Xu Jia sneered, having beheaded the Saintess of the White Bone Hall, and turned back with his sword.

The Saintess of the White Bone Hall was terrified in the temple; her corpse-shedding technique was ineffective, and having been struck in the Dharma Realm, only a moment passed in reality before a sword mark appeared on her neck, and the next moment, her head slid off and fresh blood sprayed out.

Xu Jia once again rode the centipede dragon as it soared into the air, drawing Vitality from the sky to calculate the Dharma King's heavenly secrets.

The momentum of fate lay with Xu Jia, not with the Dharma King.

Soon, Xu Jia calculated where the Dharma King had performed Possession.

A pigsty!

He saw that in a certain farmer's household, among several small black piglets suckling under an old sow, only one revealed a human expression.

This Dharma King wanted to use the Vajravarahi to perform her rites and could not directly possess a human, so she needed to transition through the path of beasts.

The three demons mocked her, but suddenly the Ignorance Demon shouted: "Not good, he has chased us here!"

The next moment, Xu Jia appeared from the Dharma Realm and struck with his sword, and the piglet lost its breath.

It revealed a pig-headed, human-bodied form, but it was the Dharma King's Primordial Spirit, which had three strange heads and the appearance of a demon.

The three strange heads were located on her eyes, chest, and abdomen, looking ferocious and terrifying.

They said: "You Daoist! Why must you be so relentless?"

But in reality, they were secretly channeling their Dharma Power, intending to achieve liberation once again.

Xu Jia did not give them the chance; he struck with his sword, and the demon head on the chest was severed and immediately collected into Xu Jia's sleeve.

With another sword strike, the demon head on the abdomen also fell, and with the final strike, the demon head on the eyes was also separated.

Immediately, the Dharma King's remaining Primordial Spirit collapsed, and a mass of Clumsy Fire burned from the inside out.

In the Dharma Realm, it left behind a seed of a Spirit Sarira.

This Dharma King was not yet dead; if anyone touched the Spirit Sarira, she would immediately possess them. If Xu Jia had not known this, he would have given her an opportunity.

It was just that the three demons had taken away her eyes, lungs, and seven souls; even if she possessed someone, she would lose a great deal.

Xu Jia looked at the Spirit Sarira burning with Clumsy Fire and struck it with his sword; the Sarira shattered into pieces and dissipated on the spot.

Only then did he leave this place.

(End of this chapter)