Chapter 278: Sentient Beings Saved from Suffering, Demoted to Livestock

Xu Jia smiled. Is it that I don't want those with excellent aptitude and good moral character? I have already taken in three disciples: one Xiaopangdun, one Cai Yu, and one Chen Gongming. I wanted to take a fourth, but ended up getting involved with your Lishan Sect...

Furthermore, these little demons crave progress and work very well for me; just give them a few resources and they are loyal and devoted... Why not recruit and use them?

During the early stages of Xu Jia's venture, it was a makeshift operation. I was just about to set up an altar to establish my sect and widely recruit disciples when you came scurrying over to angrily denounce me as a heterodox path...

Truly, you have said all the good words and all the bad words.

Holding onto your own self-righteousness, you completely disregard the life and death of others.

Xu Jia was too lazy to argue with her. No matter what was said, she would just seize upon a pretext to make an issue of it, pinning labels on him to cover up her own errors.

There are many such people, and they are not few in number; they are even people very close to one's side.

"Let me say a fair word."

"Let me say something you don't like to hear: is it possible that what he said is not without reason?"

"I also have my own difficulties... It's not easy for anyone, please be more understanding."

"It takes two to clap..."

To want to intervene and then do so, speaking these high-sounding words to cover up one's own ugly face, is truly disgusting.

How could Xu Jia be captivated by her few words? According to her logic, those with morality and excellent aptitude do not exist among common families; only the princes and nobles, who live in luxury and are well-versed in moral classics, possess such character.

Then, do all sentient beings have no qualification to hear the Dao?

Sun Simiao said in *Great Physician's Sincerity*: "First, develop a heart of great compassion and empathy, and vow to save all sentient beings from suffering."

This passage is not just about medicine; cultivating the Dao is the same.

What does "sentient beings" mean? Ten Thousand Things Have Spirits, and all are sentient beings. Plants have spirits, birds and beasts have spirits, and humans also have spirits.

Xu Jia's heart is full of compassion; it is a heart of mercy and universal salvation that cannot bear to see sentient beings with spirits suffer.

Within the Lingbao scriptures.

There is a "Lingbao Scripture of Limitless Salvation" (Buddhists can also teach this scripture, as its primary essence is to save people with compassion, regardless of the three teachings of Buddha, Dao, and Confucianism).

Although it differs from the traditions like the *Ancient Lingbao Scripture* associated with Xu Jia's Lingbao Register, it is indeed fitting for Xu Jia.

At the very least, Xu Jia can say he is willing to make the twelve great vows and act upon them together.

Although it is said that humans are the leaders of all spirits, the leaders of all spirits are also spirits; it does not mean they are gods. As for the other spirits, perhaps their starting point is not as high, but it is not to say they have no qualifications...

According to the *Journey to the West* alchemy manual, "All those with nine orifices can become Immortals."

But can those without nine orifices become Immortals? A stubborn stone can, and wood can too, as long as they have a "spirit."

Xu Jia teaches without discrimination; it is not that he wants anything dirty or foul, but rather that he gives them a path, a channel.

Perhaps in the future Xu Jia really will be mistaken and implicated by his so-called disciples, but can he stop teaching because of this? Can he strike down an entire category? According to her logic, foxes are even more suited to Daoist cultivation than humans.

Most foxes have decent aptitude; even the Wild Foxes, didn't they manage to create a branch of Wild Fox Zen? Hu Agui, through haphazardly piecing together cultivation methods, even cultivated into a Heavenly Human, attained intermediate-state liberation, and realized a phantom body.

Then, if one starts teaching a little fox from the moment it is in the womb, wouldn't it be the easiest to become an Immortal? *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* says: "How much can the deception of birds and beasts amount to? It only adds to the laughter."

Humans themselves are the existence most likely to break moral bottom lines. Birds and beasts are actually easier to guess and control.

In the end, for a demon to become a human, from the very beginning, it is learning from humans.

If it learns from a good person, it is a good demon.

If it learns from a bad person, it is a bad demon.

Only by learning from humans is it a treacherous and fierce demon.

It is not that Xu Jia is biased; the little foxes under his seat are a typical example. The new generation of little foxes, don't they diligently cultivate their vegetable plots, take them to the market to sell, earn a little money, and buy the things they like?

This is exactly what Hu Jinhua insists upon and believes in; it is a veneration based on the qualities of benevolence, righteousness, and morality. This kind of faith is even higher than the veneration of divine idols.

Why do common people worship Guan Yu? Because they believe he is the embodiment of loyalty and righteousness. Why do they weep bitterly before the shrine of Bao Gong? Because they believe he is the embodiment of justice.

Humans can become demons, and they can also cultivate into Immortals and gods.

Demons can also cultivate into humans, cultivate into Immortals, or fall into becoming demons.

All sentient beings are like this...

Before, when Xu Jia bestowed the Heavenly Master's Dharma Register, thousands of ghosts and demons came, wanting Xu Jia to teach them the Dharma Treasure. Why? Because after having the Dharma Treasure, they would not need ordinary nectar, Dharma food, or such alms. Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. Ghosts and demons all have a heart toward the Dao and all want to be liberated from the cycle of reincarnation... let alone all other living beings.

How could Xu Jia bear to let them remain ignorant and sinking, not knowing why they suffer or how to change... in the great crucible, generation after generation, suffering from scorching and torment.

Even the Immortals in heaven, once they have Desire Thoughts, find it hard to avoid coming here for a visit.

The moon is cold and the sun is warm, only wasting human life.

Ordinary people already face countless calamities and suffer all kinds of hardships, let alone those who practice cultivation. Since Xu Jia's Return to Soul, it can be said that he has encountered calamities everywhere and suffered at every step, comparable to Tang Seng. It is just that Tang Seng's true scripture is in the Western Heaven, while Xu Jia's true scripture has always been in his heart, in his hands, and in Zhixing Heiyi.

Therefore... Fenglei Daoren, or Lishan, or anyone holding such thoughts, traditions...

I, Xu Jia, have never needed your approval, nor do I care about being acknowledged by you, but if you want to pressure me or slander me... you are nothing more than demons of the path-blocking realm.

Xu Jia can break the thieves in his heart, behead the gods and Buddhas in his heart, and can also break the thieves in the mountains and behead the Immortals and Buddhas of the world.

In an instant, the Golden Flood Dragon Sword and the Silver Flood Dragon Sword began to tremble, as if they were experiencing pleasure.

Xu Jia's heart of compassion transformed into a Sword of Injustice.

When the thought moved, the sword spirit sensed it; when the sword spirit sensed it, the Dharma Realm trembled.

All spirits in the mountains and forests were moved by the heart of compassion, all ringing out as the Sword of Injustice.

The mountains shouted "long live," and the plants and trees bowed in submission.

All spirits mastered their will, willing to submit and bow to their god.

Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit also, at this moment, moved up to the Zi Fu, sitting in the spirit platform, looking like Dong Wanggong...

The terrifying momentum of the twin swords and the blessing of the entire Sanqing Mountain—even though Xu Jia only left the swords here and did not come in person.

It also made Fenglei Daoren sense the changes in heaven and earth; even the wind and thunder Qi, which represent the righteous energy of the Heavenly Stems, were unwilling to obey his orders and become enemies with Xu Jia.

Because the wind also has a spirit, and the thunder also has a spirit. They also belong to Ten Thousand Things Have Spirits.

"This poor Daoist has a mind to kill you."

Suddenly, Xu Jia's voice came.

Fenglei Daoren was highly tense; she had already sensed Xu Jia's terror. If a life-and-death struggle were to truly occur within the territory of Yushan, it was entirely a place where Xu Jia preached and governed. Now, his momentum was even greater, having received the blessing of all spirits. The wind would report to him, the grass and trees would tell him who had visited, and when he walked to the riverside, the fish would voluntarily turn into a fish bridge to ferry him across... She could not escape.

"But killing you all is too simple," Xu Jia said. "And I do not know what reaction your Lishan will have, whether there are experts in the God Immortal Realm, and whether they will come directly to fight me..."

"How about this, this poor Daoist will give you a choice, which cannot be considered an insult to you."

"If that doesn't work, then there is no other way."

The Golden Flood Dragon Sword and Silver Flood Dragon Sword transformed into two flood dragons, presenting a state of double-helix copulation, like a pair of shears, capable of cutting any enemy into two pieces, directly severing them at the waist.

Yilei and Ling Yun were only Human Immortals, so they trembled even more; these two immortal swords held the deepest malice toward them... After all, persimmons are picked when they are soft. They were refined by Xu Jia after he beheaded the three-headed flood dragon's golden flood dragon head and silver flood dragon head, thereby preserving a portion of the golden and silver flood dragons' evil, baleful spirits to increase their power.

"Is this fellow Daoist determined to become an enemy of my Lishan Sect?" Fenglei Daoren was still being stubborn.

She heard that although Xu Jia was not afraid of her, he was afraid of the Lishan Sect's sect leader in the God Immortal Realm, or other ancestors, coming to cause trouble.

But she was completely unaware that Xu Jia did not care about these things at all; he was simply lacking time to develop.

"Our sect leader dispatched this poor Daoist here actually to observe the Rites; the sect leader specifically instructed this poor Daoist to acknowledge the Lingbao Lineage's establishment of an altar and sect, and incidentally to discuss the marriage between Liu Ruyan and Chen Liuxian."

Xu Jia was surprised; your transition from arrogance to humility happened too quickly.

However, anyone facing the threat of being severed at the waist would probably be a bit cowardly too.

"This matter originally arose from a three-lifetime Love Tribulation, but this poor Daoist is curious: you keep calling her a monster, so why would you take this snake monster as a disciple?"

Fenglei Daoren said: "I was originally the wife of a snake catcher. The imperial court had an order to capture exotic spirit snakes, and it was apportioned to us. We took the initiative to go up the mountain to catch snakes, but ended up being attacked by a leopard and fell off a cliff. I was originally going to die, but she appeared voluntarily, led me to eat a Wind Thunder Date, and saved my life. I then entered the Dao to cultivate and joined Lishan, bringing her along. I did not expect that she would steal forbidden fruit, give birth to mortal desires, and provoke a three-lifetime Love Tribulation."

Xu Jia sneered upon hearing this: "So that's how it is. No wonder you point fingers at me but remain silent about your own affairs. It turns out that one can also grant favors and show mercy outside the law, but only for one's own favors and one's own feelings."

"Chen Liuxian does not understand the Love Tribulation, so he only has selfish, petty desires and cannot attain great love and true compassion; he cannot enter my sect. Since that is the case, Liu Ruyan also cannot enter this poor Daoist's eyes."

"The three of you, regardless of right or wrong, relied on the backing of the Lishan Sect and have frequently shown disrespect to my Lingbao altar. The two disciples are one thing, but there is one point: a disciple's incompetence and arrogance are the fault of the teacher. This poor Daoist will only hold you accountable."

Xu Jia chuckled: "Just guard the mountain gate for me for a period of time."

The next moment, Xu Jia appeared from the Dharma Realm with three Talismans in his hand, and he quickly pasted them onto the faces of the three, immediately causing a strange deformation.

Ling Yun and Yilei had no power to resist and turned into a sheep and a calf-sized frog.

Fenglei Daoren resisted fiercely and was about to break free from the skin's restraint... but Xu Jia directly threatened her with the Golden Flood Dragon Sword and Silver Flood Dragon Sword: if you don't transform, I will cut you into two pieces.

Fenglei Daoren succumbed to the brute force and had to transform, becoming an old hen as tall as a person.

Xu Jia had served in the underworld, so he also knew a little about the magic of the Animal Path. In addition, he had fought with some black witches in America before; they had a type of transformation spell that could turn people into rats or other creatures.

When Xu Jia said last time that he wanted to take dog skin to turn them into dog-people, he was truly holding a grudge and had secretly studied it carefully. He searched through relevant classics in his memory palace and realized that he had actually collected a portion of the Animal Path's lineage and had also obtained a witch's "transformation spell."

Thus, there was no need to work so hard to tan dog skin and then peel off human skin to stuff them inside... that was truly evil. Only then did he refine these three Talismans, borrowing the power of the Great Earth Mother, Houtu Niangniang.

This method was just right; demoting these three to the Animal Path to guard the mountain gate for a while would also vent his anger.

(End of this chapter)