Chapter 222: The Clavicle Bodhisattva

That cloud dragon exhaled Qi to turn into frost, spat out Qi to become sleet and hail, and stirred the yin clouds and yang clouds to clash, immediately causing streaks of lightning to be generated from the friction.

Borrowing the lightning, streaks of fireball spheres exploded outward.

Wind, rain, thunder, and lightning seemed naturally to obey its commands.

The lightning flickered, aiming to strike down those Military Officials and repel Gongming, who was firing thunder-sound arrows.

But amidst the thunder and fire, those Military Officials became even more powerful; they were originally the troops of the Thunder Department's Tiangang Great Sage, and drumming thunder and striking lightning were their instincts. This cloud dragon's thunder was not the thunder of Thunder Law, but the thunder of natural lightning, a thunder without an owner; since the cloud dragon could drive it, they could drive it as well.

One could see these Military Officials each flashing with electric light, their bright silver armor radiating light as they arrayed themselves once more: "Tiangang Five-Thunder Formation"! It turned out the troops were holding Firearms, changing into five rows to fire in turns.

A poem says: Gun technique is also a technique, the trajectory of a bullet is also a Dao.

That rain of bullets met the frost, hail, and snow, immediately driving the clouds and maneuvering the mist to scatter them, opening a hole.

The cloud Qi on the cloud dragon's body was scattered quite a bit, revealing its wounds, and a stream of Qi was constantly leaking out.

Gongming saw the opportunity, straddled the tiger and stepped forward to mount the dragon, pinning down the dragon's head, grabbing a dragon horn with one hand and clamping the dragon's body with both legs, his hair bristling with rage, flames flaring three feet high, and a halo appearing behind his head.

With his other hand, he held a bow, using the bowstring to choke its neck, as if intending to strangle this cloud dragon to death.

He shouted aloud: "Wicked dragon, will you not submit to execution yet?"

The cloud dragon raged: "Submit to your mother's head!"

Gongming was also incensed, abandoning the bowstring to strangle the old dragon, and used his two large fists to smash fiercely against the old dragon's forehead.

Do not look at him as being formed by exhaled Qi; this Gongming was also a Primordial Spirit out of the body, and furthermore, Xu Jia had blessed him with Tiangang Thunder Law, so he could not be transformed or dispersed.

Nothing else, just one word: "Control." What is control? It is riding a horse. The dragon and horse share the same origin; once mounted on this dragon, it was like subduing a fierce steed.

The unprovoked cloud is an unprovoked nature; only after subduing it can it serve as a "mount."

The cloud dragon was punched a dozen times, and even though its brains were splattered, it had not yet lost its form, for its breath had not yet dispersed.

Only at the end did Gongming suddenly realize, drawing a blade from his waist and shouting: "The time has arrived! I, by the order of the Jade Mountain Administration's Lingbao Heavenly Master, am here to supervise the execution of the demon dragon!"

The dragon also suddenly became alarmed: "Something is wrong!"

It turned out that the Earthly Branch of the hour clashed with the day, and the wine Xu Jia had poured for Gongming during dinner meant that the third quarter of the Xu hour had now arrived.

Gongming spat out a mouthful of Wine Qi, which landed on the golden blade, and the next moment, he severed the dragon's head.

In an instant, a massive head fell from the clouds to the human world, but it began to turn ethereal in mid-air, and the body also collapsed into clouds and rain.

For a time, there was another gale and torrential rain!

It is true that this mouthful of Qi had dispersed, but the cloud Qi it had accumulated had no one to gather it, and coupled with the agitation of thunder and fire, it instantly poured down.

Some have only heard the name "pouring rain," but have never seen the reality of pouring rain.

Now, witnessing it, it was truly like the momentum of "the heavens collapsing," much like the line of poetry: "As if the Milky Way fell from the nine heavens."

The next moment, Xu Jia struck the copper gong, sounding the retreat.

Gongming was still in the sky wanting to show off his might, when suddenly his feet stepped on nothing, falling from ten thousand fathoms, and with a start, he woke up from his physical body with a carp-like leap.

It was just that the memories from a moment ago seemed clear, yet seemed blurred, and he needed to savor them well.

Xu Jia released Xun Taizi: "Go and absorb the licentious Qi of the wind and rain!"

Xun Taizi flapped his wings and soon flew away; arriving in the sky, he opened his mouth to swallow and spit, taking the Qi that had just been scattered into his belly to digest, and thus he also gathered some cloud Qi upon himself.

As for Xu Jia himself, the nine Jiuzun Shuidi Shenying slowly resonated with heaven and earth.

The upper Qi rose to the heavenly palace as innate gods, the middle Qi was introduced into the Heavenly Immortal, and the lower Qi sank into the Shanchuan Fudi Shuifu.

The Jiujiang Shuidi connected with the Water Qi, constructing a Water Mansion within the previously refined acupoints; the Water Mansion belonged to the jurisdiction of the Dongyuan, and the Dongyuan is the Great Yu, which is also the Water Official among the Three Officials.

Xu Jia's Inner Heaven and Earth sensed the Qi of the Outer Heaven and Earth, and attempting to manipulate the Water Qi, he was immediately noticed by the Three Officials' Mansion.

The Water Official governs the "spleen, lungs, and kidneys" among the five viscera, which are the three great water sources of the upper, middle, and lower; the lungs, though metal, are the upper water; the spleen, though earth, is the middle water; and the kidneys are water, which is the lower water.

The spleen, lungs, and kidneys also regulate the bladder and the blood of the whole body, and the blood is refined in the heart.

For a time, Xu Jia's breathing was extremely damp, and his lungs felt a faint sensation of drowning from accumulated water that he could not breathe through.

But this did not matter, because the fetal position within the womb also contains water; in his previous life, Xu Jia practiced by often meditating in water to sense "Fetal Breath."

Now, although he had the sensation of "drowning," he was not panicked, nor was he flustered; waking from his stillness, he instead slowly guided the energy.

After swallowing the saliva nine times, Xu Jia's breathing gradually approached nothingness, his body temperature slowly lowered, and his heartbeat became slow as if non-existent.

This is the achievement of "Turtle Breath Hibernation."

Outside the window, there was nothing but the sound of rain, and at the same time, anxious voices came, as if some disaster had occurred, which was extremely perilous.

The more hurried and chaotic it was, the more it highlighted the "purity" of Xu Jia here.

The next moment, light emanated from Xu Jia's body, and the entire room and Daochang became bright, as if many more candles had been lit.

This was not ordinary light, but "Zi Fu nature light," which is also the light of the Primordial Spirit, also known as "fetal light."

Xu Jia had "opened the aperture."

This aperture is the "Alaya-vijnana" in Buddhism.

This light is the light of "creating heaven and earth," the only "Ancestral Aperture" within the Inner Heaven and Earth, and also what is called the "Earth Spirit root."

For a moment, all the gods of the universe sang together, and dragons, tigers, and phoenixes all offered congratulations.

Xu Jia's "Spirit Embryo" was formed; this is an achievement that only an Earth Immortal True Person could possibly cultivate, though some Daoist traditions consider it a "God Immortal" achievement.

This embryo carried a bit of true yang and sat in the Zi Fu, which is the Ancestral Aperture between the eyebrows.

Xu Jia's Daoist Practice from his previous life and his cultivation in this life were connected at this moment.

This embryo closed its eyes, curled up, and floated in the Zi Fu, with only one umbilical cord containing two transport pipes, corresponding to Xu Jia's innate essence and innate Qi.

This is the "condition for Xu Jia's ascension."

Abandoning the physical body, nurturing the embryo, ascending to the Shangjie, and Refining Quality is only considered a "middle-grade" method of ascension.

That fetus knew nothing of external affairs, dark and obscure, when suddenly Xu Jia cut off his Fetal Breath, and the fetal light flickered a few times, becoming faint and invisible; it turned out that Xu Jia had detached from this realm.

Buddhism says "seeing one's nature to become a Buddha"; this fetal light embryo is something everyone has, but not everyone can necessarily maintain it, as there are countless ways to deplete it, but very few ways to strengthen it.

The path of the Inner Elixir is also this principle, which is "seeking from one's own inner nature."

Xu Jia saw this fetus; it could already be considered a transcendence of his previous life's realm, because in his previous life, when Xu Jia practiced internal observation, he had never seen this infant, only a vague sensation.

The Body Gods he cultivated were also purely in sympathetic resonance with external gods.

Now, however, it is "my spirit commanding the spirits of heaven and earth."

This infant is the "my spirit," and the spirits of heaven and earth are the Body Gods of the entire cycle, with the Body Gods further resonating with the natural innate deities conferred by the Taoism of the outside world.

This is "the Dao models itself upon heaven and earth, the Dao models itself upon nature."

When Xu Jia went out, the rain had already stopped, and the air carried the scent of damp soil, but few people were to be seen, so he inquired of Hu Jinhua from within his own thoughts.

Only then did he learn that the Xin River had breached its banks last night; fortunately, Xu Jia had arranged for people to monitor the hydrological changes in every river section daily, so they were notified in advance, and no commoners were harmed, though much farmland was washed away.

Although the levee had breached, the rain had passed and the sky had cleared, but the commoners were not very optimistic because the fields on both banks had been washed away. Xu Jia was greatly alarmed upon hearing this: "The silt at the bottom of the river contains filth from who knows how many years, and there are countless insects in the water; tell the commoners not to pick up things to eat, lest they breed an epidemic. As for the cattle and livestock that drowned, find a place to bury them on the spot, and all drinking water must be boiled before consumption. Do not drink from any of the wells for the time being; they must be treated with lime first."

Hu Jinhua replied: "All of this is being done, but there is one matter... that still requires you, Master Xu, to make the final decision."

Xu Jia heard that her tone was somewhat uneasy, so he tidied himself up slightly and went out. Along the way, he saw that the commoners were very well-organized; those clearing silt were clearing silt, those boiling rice porridge were boiling rice porridge, and even the children were not causing trouble, but instead holding baskets and picking up fish washed up by the flood.

Several shamans and witches were distributing Talisman Water; though called Talisman Water, it was actually just incense ash mixed with Mugwort.

The commoners believed in this very much and felt it was exceptionally efficacious; in truth, there is no such thing as efficacious or not, it is merely a psychological effect, and the focus is more on post-disaster reconstruction.

Do not think that ancient houses were all made of wood; wooden ones belonged to wealthy families, while ordinary families lived in mud-walled, thatched-roof huts, and even a three-room tiled house belonged to a rich household with money.

Of course, now, whether they were mud, tiled, or wooden, after such continuous rain and the added impact of the levee breach, they were all mostly destroyed.

Xu Jia soon saw Hu Jinhua, and beside her was a listless Gongming; he had not wiped away the Talisman markings and colors, fearing they might be needed later, and secondly, because he might be a bit "unconventional," feeling that they looked like tattoo patterns and were quite cool.

The two of them were directing the repair of the levee breach; the commoners were filling bamboo baskets with stones, straw, and mud-sand, mixing them together and stacking them to block some of the gaps, while in the water, Qiu Jinsha and Jingchi, the two "Dragon Kings," were working hard to divert the flow.

"What matter requires me to make the decision?"

"Master Xu, look there!"

He saw a simply constructed shed, shielded by bamboo around the perimeter, from which lewd sounds and chatter emerged.

"Hu Agui?"

Xu Jia was astonished: "Why has she returned to this trade?"

"This time she isn't charging money," Hu Jinhua said. "I wanted to drive her away, but..."

He looked at the men who were working; they were all exerting themselves, their upper bodies bare, many places on their skin chafed red and swollen, and their hands were covered in blisters and calluses...

"It is not just her; the local prostitutes of Dexing are also 'providing disaster relief' in this way."

Hu Jinhua said: "I cannot make up my mind; this is surely too... but last night Master Xu was engaged in a magical battle, with thunder and lightning, and this morning you have been sitting in meditation, so I did not dare to disturb you. But she has become increasingly brazen lately; before, she only did it secretly at night, but now she does it during the day as well..."

Xu Jia nodded: "You need not say more; I already understand."

He immediately strode forward and pushed open the shed.

He saw the man inside stripped bare and the woman exposed, sitting in an embrace, the man below and the woman above, sitting with waists locked, facing each other.

For a moment, they could not be separated; every time the man thrust, Hu Agui would recite a scripture mantra.

"Namo Pīnàyújiāshè!"

"Hēshìzhīmójiāshā!"

"Dázhítā!"

"Ǎn tuóyèhē tuóyèhē!"

"Pīnàyúhē! Pīnàyúhē!"

"Tuóluóyúhē, pòlǐtuóluóyúhē!"

"Shāngjiājiéshìzhī, shāngjiājiéshìduō!"

"Shànzhījiāluó!"

"Suōpóhē!"

She was offering her own Essence Qi to this man; not only was she not harvesting him, but she was helping him recover his vitality and attain supreme joy, yet her own state was becoming worse and worse.

Her complexion was visibly haggard, her hair withered, and her skin and flesh slack.

Xu Jia just watched quietly until Hu Agui pushed the man beneath her away; only then did the man regain his senses, his face instantly turning as red as a pig's liver, and he grabbed his clothes to cover his front and ran out.

"Does the True Person also enjoy watching a live spring palace?"

Xu Jia felt nothing toward such things; his face did not flush, his ears did not turn red, his heart did not move, his desires were not stirred, and he held his mind like a mirror, reflecting the bright moon within.

He only said: "You have already been harvested of over a hundred years of Daoist Practice by that Dharma King; if you continue like this, your cultivation of this lifetime will be ruined."

"Is the True Person concerned about me?"

"You are exhausting your True Yin; are you seeking death on purpose, or are you deliberately trying to attain the Great Nirvana that follows Great Joy?"

"Is the True Person discussing cultivation with me? Why not come down and try it yourself?"

Xu Jia saw that she was "stubborn and unyielding," so he stopped trying to persuade her, only saying: "Do not engage in lewdness during the day, and do not ruin the households of others."

That Hu Agui picked up an opium pipe, took a puff, and squinted her eyes: "Understood, True Person."

Only then did Xu Jia leave the shed, and from the side came the discussion: The Immortal is so fast? About the same as me!

The next moment, thunder erupted in their ears, stunning them; Xu Jia did not need to act, for within the jurisdiction of Yushan Dexing, in the realm of Sanqing Mountain, there are divine beings three feet above one's head.

Xu Jia said to Hu Jinhua: "Her days are numbered; she is not harvesting, she is dissipating her cultivation. Her entire cultivation is being scattered; perhaps she has attained Sudden Enlightenment, or perhaps she is seeking death."

Xu Jia could not understand why Hu Agui would do this; just a few days ago she was having fun at the Cuichun Pavilion, and even if she had been harvested by the Dharma King, it should not have caused such a drastic change in temperament.

Three days later, the streets of Dexing were much cleaner, and the rain had stopped completely; there was no plot of an old Dragon King coming from Poyang to take revenge and then battling Xu Jia.

Everything was calm and peaceful.

Until a report came: "Hu Agui is dead."

Only then did Xu Jia rise from his meditation and head to the shed; the shed had already been cordoned off, and the prostitutes from the original Cuichun Pavilion had come, only to see them crying in a heap, hugging each other and sobbing, their faces covered in tears and snot; among them were also a few little fox spirits, and one could hear them wailing.

After Xu Jia arrived, they dispersed, and one of them said: "Our mistress hoped to be cremated."

Xu Jia looked at the remains; they were completely in human form, and she had not turned into a fox after death.

Xu Jia stepped forward to probe it, and the flesh and skin collapsed limply like a deflated balloon.

"Ah?"

"How could it be like this?"

A chorus of exclamations erupted all around: "Could she be a painted skin?"

Yet a voice reached Xu Jia's ears: "True Person, I have already cultivated the Joyous Offering and attained the Transference of Consciousness Achievement; I have transcended the Desire Realm and am about to ascend to the Form Realm, just waiting for you to see me off."

"As I thought," Xu Jia said. "You studied the Bodhisattva of Locked Bones."

"Almsgiving after a disaster truly brings Merit." The fox spirit's voice drifted near and far, ethereal and hollow: "It is a pity I never shared Joyousness with you, True Person; it is truly a regret."

She no longer needed a skin or a physical body, having transformed into a higher-dimensional existence; even when Xu Jia observed the Dharma Realm with his naked eyes, he could only vaguely see a pink light gathering and dispersing, yet it faintly resembled the appearance of a Bodhisattva.

"That is quite unnecessary; I congratulate you here."

"I was only joking! True Person, you really cannot take a tease."

The next moment, a beam of guiding light shot out from the Western World, from atop Xu Mi Shan, within the Huan Xi Jin Gang Tancheng, and escorted her away to the Buddha Kingdom Pure Land to continue her cultivation.

(End of this chapter)