Chapter 340: Mind-Clearing Cave, Realization Heaven

Xu Jian looked at Xu Mu helplessly: "Grandmother!"

Xu Mu sighed, her expression solemn: "That's right, you were not born to our Xu family; you were picked up."

A bolt from the blue, thunder on a dry land! Xu Jian's little head went completely blank.

From somewhere nearby, the sound of an erhu began to play.

Xu Jia interrupted the spellcasting: "In your past life, you were an Earth Immortal. Because you had the grace of teaching me Thunder Law, I have come again in this life to ferry you. Do you wish to fly through the heavens and burrow into the earth? To slay demons and eliminate devils!"

Xu Jian had been dejected a second ago, but now he felt as if he had received the protagonist's script. He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it, and then pinched himself—it hurt! He wasn't dreaming! "You must have also discovered that you grow exceptionally fast. In fact, this is the 'small year' used by those who cultivate the Dao. You grow one year older every sixty days; ten sets of sixty days make ten years. Eventually, there will be a Calamity. If you have not cultivated into an Earth Immortal before the age of thirty-six, your reincarnation will be a failure."

"Ah?"

The sudden rise and fall left Xu Jian somewhat unable to accept it; it was just like those melodramatic stories with infinite plot twists.

"Master!"

Xu Jian made up his mind and kowtowed to Xu Jia. Whether it was his biological father or his master, it was about the same. As the ancients said, a teacher for a day is a father for life; kowtowing was a win-win situation.

Xu Jia laughed heartily and directly imparted to him a Human Immortal Talisman Method: "Follow me up the mountain and enter Shanju Guan. You are their Ancestor; you are the most deserving of their offerings. Cultivating there, one day is worth a hundred days of practice. You can retrieve the fruits of your past life's Merit as soon as possible. Once you reach the Human Immortal Peak, you can recover your Earth Soul and return to the realm of an Earth Immortal, which is much easier than it is for ordinary people."

Xu Jia brought him up the mountain, and Xu Mu said: "I quite like this child. When he finishes his cultivation in the future, remember to find him a wife."

Xu Jia laughed aloud and did not answer directly.

Upon returning to the mountain, they were suddenly blocked by three animals. They were the "Three Demons" of the Lishan Sect. Because the three of them had offended Xu Jia and, at the time Xu Jia established his sect, had angrily denounced it as a heretical path, pointing fingers from a moral high ground, they were defeated by Xu Jia and transformed into these three demons.

An old hen demon, a sheep demon, and a large frog demon.

The three demons were teary-eyed and seemed to be begging. The sheep demon even stood upright, bowing and cupping its hooves in a gesture of obeisance.

Xu Jia had ignored them for a long time. Having been animals for so long, they had actually started to feel somewhat accustomed to it; they found the grass tasted fine, and the mosquitoes were quite delicious. If it weren't for the fact that Fenglei Daoren, who had turned into the old hen, possessed the Daoist Practice of an Earth Immortal, it would be difficult to change back once one truly accepted being livestock. After all, what Xu Jia had used back then leaned toward the "Animal Transformation" method.

In ancient times, there were often rumors of people being turned into pigs, sheep, or oxen and driven off to be sold for money, but they could not drink water; once they drank water, the secret would be revealed.

However, with this technique of Xu Jia's, no matter if they drank water or did anything else, no attempt could undo it; it was like a curse.

Xu Jia chuckled and said to Xu Jian: "These three fellows have a connection with you."

He then said to the three demons: "I possess a compassionate heart, but also thunderous means. Originally, my killing intent was hard to dispel these past few days, but my mother asked me to cultivate my heart, so I intend to give you a chance to be forgiven. Now, I shall open your speech orifices so you can speak human language. Any techniques, Divine Abilities, or cultivation secrets you have, you may reveal them. Use your hearts to find people to teach them to, and then make a vow of kindness. The day the vow of kindness is completed is the day you shall return to your human forms. Are you willing?"

Fenglei Daoren hesitated. The Wind and Thunder Technique of the Lishan Sect was peerless in the world, but his own cultivation was not refined, and he had encountered Xu Jia. If he truly leaked it, he feared the Ancestor would blame him. All Divine Abilities and techniques were secret transmissions; there was a saying that indiscriminate transmission would lead to a loss of efficacy and inevitably cause disaster. When they first entered the sect, they had even sworn solemn oaths.

But if he were to remain an old hen, a frog, or a sheep for the rest of his life...

He therefore lowered his head and agreed.

Xu Jia pointed at the three of them, and each spat out a lump of black mud. Their throats were cleared, and their original voices returned.

Fenglei Daoren saw that Xu Jia's Daoist Practice was now like an abyss and that he had already stepped into the realm of a Land Immortal. He dared not contradict him and only said: "After deep reflection, we have realized our errors. We beg you to raise your hand high and let us return to Lishan. We swear that we will never head south in the future, and if we encounter disciples of your sect, we will retreat three stages to show our respect."

"You still want to negotiate?" Xu Jia chuckled: "What I said before was already the most lenient. That snake demon is still pressed under the pagoda; I don't know if its Love Tribulation has passed. That ignorant boy, Chen Liuxian, has already settled down in Luzon and is cultivating overseas. You truly lack vision."

Fenglei Daoren was stunned: What does this have to do with vision? I have already knelt down to beg you, putting aside my arrogant Immortal status and dignity, why are you still so unreasonable? Just raise your hand and let me off! However, he could only think these words in his heart; he dared not speak them at all.

Xu Jia said to Xu Jian: "These three will be under your management from now on. The chicken must lay eggs, the sheep must produce milk, and the frog must secrete oil. If you eat eggs and drink sheep milk every day and apply frog oil to your body, you can cultivate the Human Immortal Achievement faster."

The three demons were shocked to hear this, feeling as if the sky had collapsed.

Xu Jia ignored them completely and led the three demons to Shanju Guan.

The Scripture Master of Shanju Guan had already reached the Human Immortal Peak many years ago, but he could not break through. Now that he had changed his cultivation method, he was only one step away from a breakthrough.

Seeing Xu Jia leading Xu Jian over, a flash of Spirit Machine occurred in his heart, and he asked: "Is this the Ancestor?"

Xu Jia nodded: "Now you can formally begin your cultivation, and you can also set aside your wishes." He then gave some pointers to the Scripture Master: "If you want to achieve the status of an Earth Immortal, you need to set aside worldly affairs and hand them over to the younger disciples. Your Merit is already sufficient; it is only a matter of temperament. Find a Gengshen day, take the initiative to set up an altar, sacrifice to the Three Officials, and pray for an early Demon Examination. Once you pass the examination, you will naturally ascend in rank."

"I am not at ease with them doing things."

"Give the young people more opportunities." Xu Jia saw that Shanju Guan had many more disciples now and was much more prosperous.

"Yes, we were young once too." The Scripture Master welcomed Xu Jian into the Guan and summoned all the disciples to let them recognize his face, telling them not to treat him as a newly arrived servant disciple.

Xu Jia did not want to keep a low profile either; cultivating immortality has always been a matter of wealth and status, and the early stages always require support.

In this day and age, one can also play the game of "letting the first to cultivate immortality lead the later ones," and "letting the first to ascend lead the later ones."

Xu Jia thought about it and decided against it. Carrying out a revolution in cultivation technology was the primary principle. After all, those who can transcend are in the minority, and a technological revolution would benefit countless common people. Even if it doesn't eliminate classes, at least it should eliminate absolute poverty and Famine. Compulsory education must also be expanded. Being a desperate, clear-headed person is still better than being an optimistic illiterate.

After placing Xu Jian in Shanju Guan to cultivate, Xu Jia made another trip to Sanqing Mountain. At this time, the palaces and temples were still under construction. Craftsmen were carving beams and painting pillars, and a Daochang atmosphere had faintly begun to take shape. The giant trees brought from overseas were erected too high and often attracted heavenly thunder, but this instead gave them inspiration, and they now planned to refine "Golden Bricks" and "Golden Tiles."

The porcelain-firing technology here was already mature. Red could be fired using iron, and blue required copper. It wasn't that they were building a Golden Summit out of pure copper, but firing Golden Bricks and Golden Tiles was much more expensive than casting them from brass.

The cliff-top stone where Xu Jia had previously practiced in seclusion now had a name: "Immortal Altar Cover."

Lei Dharma Silver of the Lei Family, who was in charge of the general construction, was also a person of cultivation. His family had built palaces and repaired tombs for emperors for generations. They were proficient in palace construction methods and were themselves extremely well-versed in Feng Shui, especially Yang Dwelling Feng Shui.

He personally felt that they shouldn't build the palace on the mountaintop, but rather in a place where the dragon vein arrives, with a mountain at the back and water in front, just like Shanju Guan.

But now he also felt that building the palace on the mountaintop possessed more of an Immortal quality.

When Lei Dharma Silver saw Xu Jia, he was truly excited. This was a living Immortal! The Lei Family Feng Shui Art was related to the Corpse Severance lineage, advocating that Feng Shui leads to immortality and that the Daochang assists in cultivation.

Feng Shui leading to immortality refers to Yinzhai—attaining Feathered Ascension after death, transforming from a Ghost Immortal to an Earth Immortal, and then to a God Immortal. Yang Dwelling assisting in cultivation is purely for the living. If one can cultivate into an Earth Immortal while alive, who would think of doing it after death? The risks are too high.

He took out a booklet to report his work to Xu Jia; from the foot of the mountain to the summit, each part had its own scenery.

"This path is called Penglai, this one is called Longevity, and this one is called Canopy... Among them, the Longevity Great Dao leads directly to the Golden Summit, Canopy leads to the highest peak, and Penglai is a route specifically for viewing the scenery."

"It's just that these scenic spots have not been fully named yet."

Xu Jia nodded and named the stream pool the Washing Medicine Pool, and the place with the ox-shaped stone the Ox-Tethering Spot, which was left behind when Laojun went west through Hangu Pass. Of course, how he reached Sanqing Mountain after going west through Hangu Pass could only be explained by saying that Jiangxi is also west. The Lord of the Three Pure Ones is a Concept Great Heavenly Venerable; anything with "west" in it can appear.

There were also the Dragon-Slaying Well, Merit Stele, Mirage Tower, Emperor Sacrifice Altar, Lone Leaning Cliff, Purple Cloud Ridge, Jade Gathering Cave, Cloud Weaving Pavilion, Line of Sky...

Xu Jia's aesthetic for naming his own scenic spots was still on point. The Dragon-Slaying Well was where he had slain a Flood Dragon in Dexing; the Qi of the Flood Dragon now gathered here, and the water had become supernatural. As the saying goes, a mountain need not be high, and water need not be deep.

The Merit Stele was a Wordless Stele, left for future generations to comment on.

The Mirage Tower was the essence left behind by the Mirage demon during that day's ritual for hungry ghosts. Occasionally, one could sense the lewd Qi of heaven and earth, and in the light and shadow of the water and moon, one could see the beautiful mirage of heavenly palaces here.

The Emperor Sacrifice Altar was the former site of the Yellow Heaven Sect, the place where the Yellow Heaven Emperor was worshipped.

Lone Leaning Cliff was a place where one could lean against the railing and overlook a thousand years of history; if one climbed over the railing, one would jump off the cliff...

Jade Gathering Cave truly had jade.

At the Cloud Weaving Pavilion, every morning, the Cloud Sea seemed to be right under one's feet, resembling Cotton and Silk, as if a fairy were gathering clouds to weave fabric, which coincided with the Golden Core theory of the Daoist "Cowherd and Weaving Maiden."

"These names are all very good, but as for the name of the Cave Heaven, what should it be?"

Xu Jia's Daochang is here, so it will naturally gestate a Cave Heaven Blessed Land; not only his own Cave Heaven Blessed Land, but even the ancient Yellow Heaven Sect Cave Heaven Blessed Land is also in the depths of the Dharma Realm.

Xu Jia's Inner Scene Blessed Land is "Yuyu," but this place is Sanqing Mountain; just one name might not be enough to suppress it, and calling it something too grand would seem ostentatious.

Xu Jia pondered for a moment and recited a verse: "A word or half a sentence is enough to understand the profound, why bother with thousands of pages of pill scriptures. If a person is not burdened by form, the Great Luo Heaven is right before their eyes."

"Not burdened by form, not pleased by things, not saddened by oneself; cultivating a single heart is a single Hunyuan Golden Pill, which is the Supreme Profound Understanding. Let it be named Mingxin Grotto-Heaven and Liaozhen Blessed Land."

(End of this chapter)