Chapter 219: Internal Refining of Demon Gods

After Xu Jia broke through Fengdu, he indeed fished out some scattered souls, and the ownerless wandering ghosts from the surrounding ten directions also came to receive salvation.

This time it was not a Demon Examination; these wandering ghosts did not have so many troublesome questions or demands for Dharma Treasure, so he simply recited the Opening Mantra, transforming his Dharma Power and thoughts into Dharma food and sweet dew.

Having received the Dharma food and sweet dew, these wandering ghosts were quickly purified, and the resentment and obsessions on their bodies were dissolved all at once.

Only a small number remained unable to be liberated, as they carried heavy karmic debts and required judgment by reincarnation; Xu Jia sent them directly into reincarnation.

However, while gathering the souls, one soul was also reassembled—it was the Saintess of the White Bone Hall whom Xu Jia had beheaded. Her roots of sin were deep, her demonic nature had entered her soul, and she had made deals with Heavenly Demons, killing people to refine her arts. Now, she was being backlashed by the "Five Elements Sha", "Nine Sons Mother Sha", and "Chanu Sha" she had refined.

After her death, these Sha had no restraints and wandered the Dharma Realm; they had not dared to come out and harm people before, but now they swarmed out, intending to devour the soul of the White Bone Hall Saintess.

Xu Jia then asked these Sha: "Your resentment is heavy. Although not of your own volition, you have harmed many people along with this demoness. Now, I give you a chance to make amends: undergo Water-Fire Refining Degree, sign a covenant, and serve as soldiers and horses on the altar."

"If you are unwilling, this Daoist will have to scatter your Sha Qi, refine you with water and fire, and send you into reincarnation."

These Sha had their spirits deluded and did not listen to a word Xu Jia said. Being refined by dark arts, they were exceptionally fierce and malevolent; they looked down upon Xu Jia's sweet dew and Dharma food, nor did they remember Xu Jia's grace in breaking Fengdu, and they pounced on him like jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards.

Among them, the Five Elements Sha were adept at escaping through the Five Elements; every person they killed could become their ghost-servant, transforming into five routes of soldiers and horses. This was the reason Xu Jia had his eye on them. He had previously mentioned two ways of refining Chang soldiers: one was to combine one's own evil thoughts with Sha Qi to be used at will, and the other was to capture such Fierce Gods and evil Sha, which possessed a certain degree of autonomous thinking.

These Five Elements Sha could be refined into five routes of Chang soldiers, which, when coordinated with the Lushan Five Prisons Great Method, could set up the Wuyu Great Array. At the same time, they could also use the extremely practical "Five-Ghost Transportation Great Method"—small enough to transport the physical body of a master for teleportation, and large enough to transport mountains and rivers, which was not impossible.

Advanced training could even lead to the Five Elements Great Escape, which was the combination of the Five Elements and the Mysterious Gate Escape Technique, possessing incredible power.

After all, covenants with gods required Incense Fire offerings, whereas these were tools that could be used whenever needed.

As for the Nine Sons Mother Sha and Chanu Sha, although fierce, they were not as versatile as the Five Elements Sha.

As these evil Sha pounced, they saw a "Pure Land Barrier" appear within three feet of Xu Jia's feet, and they could not get close at all.

This was the blessing Xu Jia had set up in advance by chanting mantras; it was a temporary altar field.

The various ghosts devoured their former master's soul, their Sha Qi surging one by one. With no Leigong present, they were extremely arrogant.

Even the little demons beside Xu Jia began to worry.

"These Ghost Sha are so fierce!"

"They are merely unranked. The main culprit has already been killed; that they are still here is only because Master Xu has compassion and spared their lives. Being so stubborn and unyielding, they do not know what kind of opportunity they are refusing."

"Absorb!"

Xu Jia moved his palm, and a Register Text appeared upon it, possessing infinite suction. The next moment, these Sha ghosts were sucked into Xu Jia's body.

It turned out that the Great Yellow Court practiced the Inner Landscape, and the body was a small universe; physical objects could not be imprisoned, but such ghost spirits could be.

Xu Jia operated the Tiangang technique, his eyes transforming into the Sun Lord and Yuejun, while the Dharma image of the Tiangang Great Sage revealed itself within the kidney pivot. For a moment, he created a "Water Pool Fire Swamp", using his own Yin-Yang Qi—namely heart fire and kidney water—as Dharma water and Dharma fire to refine them.

The various Sha shouted to escape, their Sha Qi overflowing, which made Xu Jia feel somewhat uncomfortable, but he soon held his hands in a mudra and suppressed the riot of Sha Qi.

Ordinary Sha Qi entering the body could make a person lose their mind and sanity; Xu Jia, relying on the Register technique, had absorbed so many Sha ghosts in one breath, which was actually extremely risky.

Fortunately, having just received the Register and performed the ritual to the gods, although Xu Jia had not yet cultivated the three hundred and sixty-five Body Gods, they all had phantom shadows. They operated in unison, with the Primordial Spirit sitting in the palace, coordinating the primordial energy.

It was as if these Ghost Sha had arrived at Taishang Laojun's Zijin Red Gourd; the upper part was a sea of fire, the lower part was freezing cold, and they were lost in chaos without direction. There were Heavenly Gods and Sages secretly blowing wind or releasing thunder.

One breath felt like one day; after forty-nine breaths, these Sha ghosts had all become "Great Light". All their acquired traits had been refined away, leaving only a point of Primordial Spirit.

The next moment, Xu Jia opened his mouth, and these Great Light traveled from bottom to top, passing through the Vermilion Palace (heart), all the way up, past the throat, and were spat out from his mouth.

As for the washed-out Sha Qi, Xu Jia combined it with his own evil thoughts.

Xu Jia was not a Sage, so he naturally had evil thoughts and distracting thoughts. Of course, since he was cultivating, he mostly "held to the upright".

He did not highlight or amplify the evil in his heart, otherwise he would have become an Evil Master, just like that Dharma King who wanted to contract with Heavenly Demons.

The Sha Qi of these Five Elements Sha, Nine Sons Mother Sha, and Chanu Sha were combined by Xu Jia with his evil thoughts, turning into Demon Gods within his Body Gods.

This also corresponded to what Jizui Leigong said earlier about the City God and the gods of ghosts and people in You Ming not being True Gods, but Demon Gods. Because of this, Xu Jia also planned to try "Heavenly Demon Gods" in addition to cultivating the three hundred and sixty-five True Gods.

From now on, by universally saving all ghosts in the world, perhaps he could also achieve "If Hell is not empty, I vow not to become a Buddha."

Following the path of the Heavenly Venerable Saving from Suffering, these Sha ghosts were deluded by Sha Qi and could not be liberated, so they would take a turn in his belly, as if they had gone through a cycle of reincarnation, dissolving the Sha Qi and regaining their freedom.

However, it truly consumed Yin-Yang Qi and innate spirit.

The Demon Gods Xu Jia refined were still the Five Elements Demon God, Nine Sons Mother Demon God, and Chanu Demon God, only they had changed from external ghosts to Body Gods.

For instance, the Five Elements Demon God became the "Guardian Spirit Official" of the five viscera Body Gods.

The Nine Sons Mother Demon God was arranged by Xu Jia at the Essence Gate acupoint, serving as the guardian Demon God for the Essence Gate god, the "Golden Lock Great General", protecting Xu Jia from leaking his Essence Qi, although he could now condense the "Golden Lock Jade Barrier".

The Chanu Demon God was skilled at gathering and replenishing Essence Qi, so Xu Jia let her serve as a Protector Lingguan in the Spleen Palace, assisting the spleen in processing acquired energy.

The previous Chanu Sha had all been gatherers of men's Essence Qi.

This move by Heavenly Master Xu was truly "using evil methods for righteous purposes."

With the three Demon God protectors refined, Xu Jia immediately felt his cultivation speed increase significantly. However, Sha Qi was Sha Qi after all, and Demon Gods were essentially Yin in nature, requiring a "Yang Spirit" to correspond to them. The so-called Yang Spirit was the proper Body God.

Opening his eyes again, some commoners had already come out to investigate the situation.

Seeing Xu Jia meditating, surrounded by corpses and remains, as if he were practicing in Shitolin, they all felt it was terrifying.

Later, they discovered the dead Dharma King, the headless demoness, and the shattered temple statues.

Only then did they realize that the Evil Sect, and even the evil god that had been oppressing them for this period, might already be gone.

And this man, who looked handsome in appearance, might be the one who had solved it all.

During these days, the Dharma King would not let them produce, forcing them to kneel and pray day and night, occasionally selecting a virgin to assist his cultivation, and killing her as a sacrifice after the practice. How could the commoners not hate him to the bone?

Of course, there were also the deluded ones who had been completely brainwashed; yet, seeing this scene, they instead worshipped Xu Jia and kowtowed to him. Hu Jinhua, Huang Pipo, and the others were ignored by them because they had cast an Illusion Technique.

Although Xu Jia claimed his past life was like an evil cult leader who ran off to America, he personally hated this kind of personality cult and immediately shouted.

"Om!"

It was suddenly like Thunder Sound, like a Lion's Roar.

These commoners were immediately stunned, and the next moment, Xu Jia began his speech.

Of course, Xu Jia was not copying "I Have a Dream", nor was it "My Struggle", and certainly not a "Report on Such-and-Such Investigation".

"Fellow villagers! The Evil Sect has been driven away, and you are free!"

"This Daoist is Xu Jia from the neighboring Yushan County, not some outsider."

"These people are guilty of heinous crimes and should have been handed over to the government." Before Xu Jia could finish, he was interrupted...

"Report to the officials? We reported to the officials long ago!" An old man stood out, trembling: "I am a tribute student from the twenty-ninth year of Qianqing. The government is useless; they set up a Salt and Iron Bureau here, and I thought the commoners would have work to do and money to earn, but the eunuchs inside only know how to be greedy. The local corvée labor is extremely heavy, and we have to go to the mines to dig, which is no different from being slaves."

"The County Magistrate disappeared a month ago... then the Evil Sect took over... We waited for so long, but we still couldn't wait for the imperial court; we only waited for the Immortal Master... My granddaughter, she was only twelve... and she is gone!"

The surrounding commoners dodged their eyes, not daring to meet his gaze. Those who could survive until now all relied on sacrificing others. If that Dharma King wanted young girls for cultivation, they would inevitably start quarreling among themselves first, uniting to bully the powerless commoners, and even actively cooperate with the Evil Sect to gain power and profit.

But Xu Jia would not hold them accountable for this; he only thought to himself secretly: "It seems there is a reason why Nansheng is rotting. To be so inactive... could it be that the corrupt officials are all working for the Emperor?"

A strange thought arose in Xu Jia's mind.

He immediately pacified them, saying: "How about this poor Daoist takes over for you? If a good official comes to govern, I will let go."

"In this world, where are there any good officials? But how will the Immortal Master govern..."

Xu Jia considered himself to have no talent for governing a country, but he did have the talent to govern a county.

He immediately said: "Nothing else, first know the people, then use them well."

He immediately said: "How many people are still in the city now? Are there household registers? Can the previous Personnel Officials still be used?"

Who knew that these commoners would say one after another: "Absolutely do not use the Personnel Officials; they were in league with that evil demon before."

Xu Jia only sighed that he had not come to Dexing sooner, but even if he had come earlier, it would have been to deliver himself as a meal; he had to have the Celestial Master Register and methods complete. Only now did he have a little strength to be able to eradicate this Dharma King.

Dexing is a treasure land with a Five Metal Mineral Vein. The five metals are necessary for refining "flying swords," and the "Ten Thousand Blades" that Xu Jia mentioned once might be able to be refined here.

For the tips of ten thousand weapons, it is best if they have been on the battlefield and seen blood, taking their "metal and spear killing Qi" for use.

Of course, to level up "firearm" skills, gold and iron are also indispensable.

Among the Daoist Magic Tools that Xu Jia knows, there is a "Mawang Method." Those who believe in Lord Mawang have the "Three-Eyed Gun." They pour gunpowder and iron sand into the barrel, light the fuse, and spray out a large amount of iron sand.

This crude and primitive firearm also has a certain amount of power, and the difficulty of casting it is not high.

It is just that loading gunpowder is troublesome, unlike later firearms that can have bullets inserted; this type belongs to the "gun" category.

With guns, if these Evil Sects come to bewitch the commoners again, or if the chaotic times are truly coming, bandits and mountain robbers can also be beaten back and injured.

Xu Jia appointed this old tribute student as a village elder on the spot to pacify the commoners, then summoned Hu Jinhua and Huang Pipo to find Jinchan Duobao and have him send people here to provide disaster relief, distribute porridge, and organize reconstruction.

At the same time, Chen Gongming, the Martial Scholar, took action to be responsible for rectifying discipline. If there were troublemakers or wealthy landlords, he would directly confiscate their property and distribute it.

Now, after the disaster, what is most feared is the instability of people's hearts.

Xu Jia originally did not want to manage so many troublesome matters, but seeing the commoners cry like his own parents or children, and seeing the commoners suffer like he was suffering himself—although saying it this way is a bit exaggerated—this is the heart of compassion and empathy, the "four beginnings of the Sage."

Moreover, Xu Jia also intended to take that Earth Treasure, the Dragon Head Jade Ring. This treasure had been under Dexing for a long time and had been stained with destiny, so when that flood dragon moved, it caused turmoil, shaking the mountains and the earth.

If Xu Jia took it away, he would be no different from that evil flood dragon.

Therefore, Xu Jia took the initiative to propose that he would govern Yushan himself.

This is "winning the hearts of the people."

The second thing is to adjust the Feng Shui, using the "Town Dragon Well" as the center to re-plan this place, using it to replace the role of the Heavenly Emperor Relic Jade.

This is also where his "original heart" lies: not to take by force just because he needs it, nor to abandon taking it just because the object is very important to the local area.

If you want it, you want it; if you don't, you don't.

Do not do those empty and hypocritical things; between righteous and evil, the difference is just this set of principles.

Xu Jia could lead three thousand disciples; he still had a way to solve problems. Plus, with many immortals under his command, they also actively preached during this time, looking for the local shamans and witches of Dexing, and then through these shamans and witches, they publicized Xu Jia's Merit, and soon he became another "Great Worthy Teacher."

He had just said he hated personality cults, but now he was doing a personality cult himself.

Of course, Xu Jia still did practical things. For example, Jinchan Duobao suffered a heavy loss this time, but post-disaster reconstruction is actually a business; bleeding at the front means flowing with oil at the back. Jinchan Duobao secretly calculated an account and secretly smiled again.

What Xu Jia did was still the "Work-for-Relief" method. Because the weather was abnormal, even if the flood dragon was no longer doing evil, there was still a risk of flooding, so the first thing he did was to do a good job of guidance, digging ditches and clearing the sewers.

In this regard, Xu Jia was not an expert, but Qiu Jinsha was well-versed in water nature, so this matter was quickly carried out.

Xu Jia himself, in the temple that had been occupied by the Dharma King, practiced while dealing with some problems, giving specific solutions.

It was just that the rain continued incessantly, and the sky never cleared. Many commoners were asking why Xu Jia, having such abilities, did not pray for the sky to clear.

Xu Jia also had a way, which was to release the fire nature of the Saint Infant Hanba, but the price would be that after the flood, there would first be a plague, and then a great drought. If he took back the Hanba, it was very likely that it would continue to rain. This was not the "adding flour when there is too much water, and adding water when there is too much flour" way of muddling through.

It is a real, tangible celestial phenomenon.

(End of chapter)