Chapter 290: The Great Vow of the Great Heavenly Venerable Xu

Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit guarded his original heart, unmoving and unshaken.

But now, the Body Gods of the entire body had all rebelled, nearly surrendering to Dragon Mother, especially the Dragon God who held the Quanshen of Original Yang; he said: "From now on, I am Fuxi, and you are Nüwa. We shall copulate as a pair, propagate ten thousand gods, and sit together in the seat of honor. These other gods have no need to exist."

Dragon Mother said in a soft, delicate voice: "This concubine is willing to obey Your Majesty. I pray Your Majesty take up the great treasure and ascend the throne in the Heavenly Palace!"

Having said this, the two began to copulate, forming a spiral shape.

This Dragon Mother intended to suck him dry, but felt an opposing suction force, which was instead sucking her.

Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit remained expressionless, but no longer practiced "governing by doing nothing." A strand of Sword Heart Sword Qi emerged from the center of his Primordial Spirit's brow; this was the Wisdom Sword of the Primordial Spirit.

Some time ago, Xu Jia had just attained enlightenment: to slay the gods, Buddhas, Immortals, and demons within the heart, and also to slay the gods, Buddhas, Immortals, and demons in the world.

For a time, all the demons and Body Gods launched a crusade together; except for the Taiyin in his eyes, not one of the others was willing to obey Xu Jia.

Yet, Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit was seen growing out of thin air, transforming to a height of eighteen feet.

That Buddha only had a sixteen-foot Golden Body; Xu Jia's eighteen-foot Primordial Spirit, sitting upright in the Purple Palace and Niwan, the Golden Palace of Lingxiao, was the greatest one of all.

Beneath his seat, a True Dragon was born out of thin air; this True Dragon was precisely the spinal Body God, connecting the Primordial Spirit in the Zi Fu above and responding to the four limbs and five viscera below.

In the legend of Pangu opening the heavens and splitting the earth, it belongs to the Sky Supporting Pillar, Mount Buzhou; in the visualization diagram of the Yellow Court Inner Landscape, it also belongs to the foundation of the Daochang. When a mortal cultivates, it is called climbing a mountain—the mountain they climb is this one, from the spine, to the cervical vertebrae, then to the brain stem, the cerebrum...

With the Great Dragon guarding, the Intent Spirit, Heart Spirit, Consciousness Spirit, and even the various Body Gods all lost control over their original organs.

That Dragon Mother not only failed to extract the Original Yang from Xu Jia, but instead used the original Yin substance to temper the Yang substance. At this moment, even if she sucked, licked, clamped, and gripped, she could not move the foundation in the slightest.

Instead, a Supreme Great Joy True Intent was revealed.

Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit asked: "I am not without desires or cravings, I only seek something greater. I have a Great Vow; if Dragon Mother can fill the chasm of my desires, what would it matter if I gifted this body of Dao karma to Dragon Mother?"

Dragon Mother was greatly alarmed and tried to flee, unwilling to let Xu Jia state his Great Vow, otherwise these Great Vows would suck her dry. Because as a Heavenly Demon, she had to satisfy Xu Jia's wishes to complete the transaction, which was Xu Jia's Dao karma.

Only by completing the transaction could she successfully obstruct the Dao, but if she could not complete it, she would become Xu Jia's slave until she protected Xu Jia in fulfilling his Great Vow.

Although she had the merit of a "Poxun"-like obstruction of the Dao, Poxun could still retreat unscathed; at the very least, Poxun did not trigger a Buddha's Great Vow.

Xu Jia opened his mouth and said: "This poor Daoist's Great Vow is for myself, and also for all living beings. I vow to attain the Great Luo Heavenly Immortal Dao fruit, complete the Lingbao Dao Lineage, and cultivate the foundation of the Great Vow Dao fruit."

"If I attain the Great Luo Heavenly Immortal Dao fruit, I vow to use supreme wisdom to resolve all sufferings, return the karma created, save all who suffer... deliver all from calamity, extinguish all disasters, douse the burning house, remove the thorns, and in billions of eons, deliver immeasurable sentient beings, responding to every call and feeling, and must do so in person..."

Xu Jia's Primordial Spirit wore a compassionate expression, vowing to save all sentient beings...

Dragon Mother could not escape, and for a moment was moved by the Great Vow...

Xu Jia had previously used the wishes of the ten thousand people to see the desires of the ten thousand people, and using this as a foundation, refined the Three Sovereigns Ten Thousand People Umbrella.

Now it was the same; I am both the Great Vow and the Great Desire. This desire is not merely for carnal desire or sensory desire, but the desire for survival, the desire for knowledge, and the desire for transcendence of the ten thousand sentient beings...

The joy within this surpasses the petty carnal desire of men and women copulating.

In other words: it has transcended low-level interests.

Just like Ksitigarbha: if I do not enter Hell, who will?

If I can satisfy the great desires of all living beings, what does it matter if I become a Heavenly Demon, or if I am refined by you?

Unfortunately, you cannot satisfy them.

Dragon Mother Bodhisattva's face was flushed, and she was finally enveloped by Xu Jia's Great Desire and Great Vow.

She was originally a Heavenly Demon with the appearance of a Bodhisattva, Buddha and Demon in one, and only after obtaining the appearance of a dragon body did she personally descend to the world for this Demon Examination.

As a result, she got herself caught up in it; she was seen shedding her Bodhisattva body, transforming into a Dragon Girl, and standing in attendance by Xu Jia's side.

All the rebellious Body Gods and Heart Generals were also shocked by this Great Vow and Great Desire.

Who can sacrifice themselves to benefit others? Only the Primordial Spirit can. The other Body Gods only thought of benefiting themselves at the expense of others.

One after another, they began to bow: "We nearly committed a grave error, we pray the Emperor punishes us!"

Especially the Heart General Xu Jidi, who knelt the fastest; the other Body Gods were all painstakingly refined by Xu Jia from the various acupoints of his five viscera and six entrails, but he was the soul of the original body... his status was awkward.

Xu Jia pardoned them one by one: "There is no need to mention this again. Each of you, attend to your own duties and govern your own selves. As the saying goes, 'in one's position, one plans one's policy.' If your own duties are performed without error, that is already the most supreme merit. If one day I attain the Dao fruit, you shall all sit upon Lotus Platforms."

The Body Gods, having received this promise, were all delighted: "The Great Heavenly Venerable is compassionate!"

Only Xu Jidi did not rise; he said: "I broke my oath and violated the agreement; I deserve punishment, otherwise it will be hard to sever my two-mindedness."

Xu Jia said: "A single heart making all decisions inevitably leads to mistakes. The Primordial Spirit loves purity and tranquility, and is not affected by sights, sounds, tastes, or touches, but you are able to enjoy them; it is I who have treated you unfairly. From now on, I will no longer forbid them. Whenever there is wine and food, let this flavor be offered to you first. The karmic obstacles of the living beings within it shall all belong to me; I will transcend them myself."

Xu Jidi was filled with shame.

Xu Jia kept him in his heart as before; the Primordial Spirit loves purity and tranquility, but the heart loves movement. Although it loves movement, it is a rhythmic movement; the blood nourishing the whole body is also the leader of intent and consciousness.

As for the newly cultivated Sea God of the bladder, the Yang-natured god (Spirit Root), and the Harmonious Two Immortals (testicles), they also each settled into their positions, forming a system of their own.

This caused Xu Jia to even "grow and develop" somewhat; from the appearance of a youth, he now had the appearance of a young man of twenty-three or twenty-four, and his posture was even more upright.

"Dragon Mother Bodhisattva, you were a Demon God obstructing the Dao, but now you have transformed into a Dragon Girl protecting the Dao. Today I shall give you a name, how about Longji? You may bow to me as your father, be recognized as my foster daughter, and together we shall save the suffering and resolve the calamities of all living beings?"

Dragon Mother Bodhisattva heard this, bowed her head, and performed a salute: "Longji pays respects to Father Emperor!"

Xu Jia nodded slightly. Recognizing a demon as a daughter—what does this signify? It signifies that demons can also be converted, and it is also a part of his own karma.

Xu Jia handed the Three Sovereigns Ten Thousand People Umbrella to him to hold. From then on, he and Ao Jin would attend to his side—one a dragon son, one a dragon mother.

However, the status of this Dragon Mother was unknown, and how she compared to Ao Jin's father, the Seventh Rank Water Virtue Dragon God who had descended to the world, was also unknown.

After rising, Ao Jin brought a new Hundred Patch Immortal Robe; the Hundred Patch Robe previously sewn by Xu Mu could no longer be mended.

Where did this Hundred Patch Immortal Robe come from? It was from the reconstruction of Laoye Temple, where they sculpted a statue of Xu Jia. The commoners sculpted the image of Xu Jia with his bare bottom, but still followed the style of the Hundred Patch Robe from that time; each family contributed a piece of cloth, and they sewed a new Immortal Robe for Xu Jia.

Ao Jin took this Immortal Robe and gave it to Xu Jia. After all, when Xu Jia sat on the Lotus Platform to cultivate, he was naked; as his secretary, he certainly had to make preparations in advance.

As for that temple, when the commoners saw the Immortal Robe was gone, they thought Xu Jia liked that authentic look, exposing his exploded bottom, so they didn't collect any more cloth.

They only said: "Heavenly Master Xu had already become an Immortal at that moment. Whatever he looked like at the moment of becoming an Immortal, that is what his Dharma image must be; it cannot be changed."

However, Xu Jia did not manage the Incense Fire of this new temple Daochang, nor would he be disturbed by it; it was all handled by the Heart General Xu Jidi. This was also his greatest use: acting as the "Legal Person."

Emerging from the Poyang Dragon Nest and entering the Water Mansion, Xu Jia asked: "Longji, how did you become a demon?"

"I don't know," Longji said. "Perhaps it was when I was cultivating on a high mountain, and a group of people offered me Blood Food as a sacrifice, or perhaps it was later when a great monk came to subdue me, or perhaps it was some other matter. These are all in the past; now Longji is merely Father Emperor's daughter."

Xu Jia said: "Then this Poyang Dragon Nest, how should it be handled? Do you have a way?"

"It can be used to refine a Water Clan Reincarnation Vessel," Long Mu said. "Whether Womb Birth, Egg Birth, Moisture Birth, Transformation Birth, Colored Birth, or Colorless Birth, these are the living beings of the Six Paths."

"All manner of fish and shrimp, or even mosquitoes and dragonflies, grow and multiply through Moisture Birth in the water. Since the dragon is the chief of the scaled, one should use this as a foundation to refine the Water Clan Reincarnation Vessel. However, one must obtain the corresponding Quanshen from Fengdu. It just so happens that the Sanshisan Zao Hua Long Qi corresponds to thirty-three types of water creatures that can transform into dragons, such as pig-dragons, fish-dragons, horse-dragons... and so on. The pagoda can be used as a Thirty-Three Heavens Dragon Transformation Wheel."

Xu Jia rubbed his chin: "Fengdu Quanshen? That won't be easy to get. But I can try to communicate with them. Still, what use is it to me to grasp the reincarnation Quanshen of the water clans of this realm?"

Long Mu said: "You can obtain Water Luck, harmonize with Water Virtue, and have no worries in the rivers, lakes, and seas. All the Water Mansions under Heaven are controlled by those of the dragon-kind of the water clans..."

Xu Jia nodded. Water Luck is also a great fortune, and Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun also uses the water in a water vessel to purify souls.

If he could now grasp the reincarnation Quanshen of the water clans, he could also learn from Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun and become a big shot in Fengdu in the future. He wouldn't ask for that Great Fengdu, but as long as he became a big shot in the Xiaodifu (the highest official being a Fifth Rank Fengdu Dadi) that controlled five hundred small worlds—the one he previously served in—that would be quite good; he would be the Great God of the Fengdu Water Cave. Or, the "Water Official Relieving Calamity" in the Three Official Mansions also corresponds to his own wishes, and he could recruit some Flood Dragons and the like to serve as subordinates, putting them to work. At the very least, it would pave the way for a Water Mansion Blessed Land, and then moistening the two banks would not be a bad thing.

"Then let's try it this way. I will find an opportunity to see if I can obtain the corresponding Quanshen. As for the preparatory work, I will leave it to you."

Longji nodded earnestly, adopting the style of a "strong woman."

Ao Jin pursed her lips; she did not have a good impression of this Longji.

How is it that I arrived first, and I haven't even acknowledged a foster father, yet you have already done so?

"The seal on Shunji still needs to be strengthened. Longji, how do you consider this aspect?"

"Since Shunji has already been suppressed, killing him would require breaking the seal. It is better to guide his Dragon Qi and relocate it to Meiling. By guiding the Dragon Vein of Meiling, one can enable the land of Nanchang to obtain the Qi of the southern dragon vein among the three main dragon veins, which is beneficial to the economy, wealth, and development."

Hearing that there was such a benefit, Xu Jia dismissed his intent to kill: "Raising him will eventually become a disaster. In the future, when he is no longer needed, he must be killed regardless. One must not learn from the Heavenly Master Xu Xun of those years and leave this trouble for future generations."

Immediately, Xu Jia summoned Jinchan Duobao and let Longji coordinate with him to develop the shipbuilding industry in Poyang, while simultaneously opening up water trade routes.

Only then did he return home.

He saw the house decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, with large red lanterns hanging high.

It turned out that he had been in seclusion for over a month, and Xu Zhiyuan had already returned home from Poyang, and the results of the provincial examination had been posted.

Xu Zhiyuan was actually the fourth place in the provincial examination.

Although it was not the top three, the top three were all predetermined in the officialdom. That Xu Zhiyuan could fight his way to fourth place did not mean he was inferior to the top three; he might even be more outstanding.

The good news had been announced for over two days now, and Xu Zhiyuan had also held a flowing banquet for three days; there was one at the Xu family's place, and one at Xu Jia Cun as well.

Now the village elders and clan leaders were all discussing erecting a monument, setting up a horse-hitching post, renovating and expanding the ancestral hall, and approving a hundred acres of land as clan land and sacrificial land, while also entrusting all the village fields under Xu Zhiyuan's name...

These things went without saying. After understanding the Jinchan model, Xu Zhiyuan did not hesitate. No matter how much land came, he annexed it, but he only annexed the land of those with the same surname and from the same hometown, and made corresponding decisions.

Among them, Scholar Lu alone sent one hundred sets of the Four Treasures of the Study, to be used for the Xu family to set up a clan school and revitalize the clan's fortune...

One can only say he knows how to conduct himself.

But Xu Zhiyuan, having experienced such a turn of events, had his original heart sublimated. He was no longer keen on these petty schemes, but he still refined his worldly wisdom to prepare for the future.

"Father, how is it? How does it feel to be a scholar?"

As soon as Xu Jia returned home, he teased loudly. Xu Mu was no longer in her previous plain appearance; she was dressed in gold and jade, looking noble, and having practiced Dharma, she was kind-eyed and pleasant, looking just like a Bodhisattva.

The two were in the room calculating the accounts of the gifts, with Xiao Hong reciting the gift list.

Seeing Xu Jia, she gave a look of feigned anger: "A scholar is just that. It's not as good as being a grandfather."

Xu Jia laughed and said: "How can someone who aspires to be a Great Worthy still value this matter?"

After saying this, he beckoned to Xu Jianlai: "Quickly call him Grandfather!"

He also beckoned Sheng Ying over: "You too!"

Xu Jianlai had only been at the Xu family for about a year, but a month counted as a year, and now he was like an eleven or twelve-year-old, very well-behaved: "Grandfather!"

After all, he was an Earth Immortal True Person, and it was not strange for him to cultivate again for a lifetime.

Sheng Ying was different; he had always been in the appearance of an infant, but he could walk, run, and even spit fire.

It was just that Xu Jia hadn't brought Longji back, or let Ao Jin appear, otherwise they could all have called him grandfather and grandmother.

Although it was a joke, after being called, the two still laughed happily.

"Do you want to go to the capital to take the exam again?" Xu Jia asked: "Next time it will be for the position of presented scholar."

"A presented scholar is a student of the Son of Heaven." Xu Zhiyuan looked at Xu Jia: "I see that you are not willing for me to become this student of the Son of Heaven."

Xu Jia thought it was true: "Then you should promote education; that is also a way out. I reckon that this Great Ning Dynasty won't last much longer..."

Xu Jia had beheaded so many small Flood Dragons, and their fortune would all be fed back to some grass-snake and python-dragon figures. Fortunately, Shunji was only suppressed, and only Anji was killed.

But although Anji was a black fish spirit, he also had the desire and tendency to transform into a dragon. In any case, the one who responded was also a rebel king, and it could not be said that she was not a heroine.

The stimulation of Qi numbers is fast when it is fast, and slow when it is slow. Moreover, there was the Longevity Sect in the south, which had been quiet during this period; they were definitely brewing something big.

(End of this chapter)