Chapter 374: Hu Jinhua's Earth Immortal Tribulation

After dismissing them, the Miaoxiang Erxian returned to the camphor tree, then offered the entire camphor tree to Lord Xu. The local major landowners and major medicine merchants, as instructed, continued the Equal Field policy, while simultaneously establishing trade guilds and founding a medical school.

Xu Zhiyuan sent Niu Dafu to provide guidance. Niu Dafu was originally a medicine merchant himself and had now opened a "pharmaceutical factory" in Yushan County. Using several of Xu Jia's formulas, he produced pills that sold widely both internally and externally, especially the "Dizziness-Stopping Pill," which could cure seasickness and was the best-selling item. Next were the "Small Five Elements Pills" used for cultivation, which were very useful for those at the Human Immortal realm and the "Foundation Establishment" realm before it. Furthermore, he had opened a distillery in Lan Shi Huo, and the medicinal liquor was also quite famous.

To tell the truth, as long as they were willing to pay taxes, Xu Jia was quite tolerant of merchants, only forbidding the annexation of land, monopolizing industries, tax evasion, and collusion between officials and merchants...

Everything else was quite free. Nowadays, all merchant affairs were under the jurisdiction of Jinchan Duobao. Xu Jia had reprimanded him several times, making him afraid to act recklessly. By practicing virtuous wealth and bestowing virtuous deeds, things were now in a positive cycle and had been flourishing.

The medicine merchants of the camphor tree were also merchants and were naturally under this jurisdiction. However, the matter of planting medicinal herbs was linked to agricultural affairs; to achieve scale, land annexation was necessary. Now, it was just right to have them provide guidance to resolve this, striving to complete the matter without causing casualties. Of course, those who needed to be killed would still be killed; establishing authority was necessary.

As the guardian deities of the camphor tree, the Miaoxiang Erxian had already taken the lead in surrendering. If anyone still stubbornly resisted and refused to accept the Equal Field policy, they would be a complete reactionary element.

The official in charge of the camphor tree area also relied on the mountains for a living. Although he did not engage in the medicinal herb business himself, his relatives, friends, wife, and brothers-in-law did.

They had no backbone; they did not want to fight to the death, nor did they want to be cursed and leave their names in history. Thus, they transferred a portion of their assets north, left a portion behind to await their future fate, and directly offered a portion to Lord Xu.

These things have existed since ancient times; it is just the same meaning as not putting all your eggs in one basket.

It was just that there was no time to take over other places that were offering their submission. The next steps would still focus on developing the military; it was essential to fight a hard battle and win a victory.

Time passed in a hurry; several more months went by, and it was another Spring Festival.

Regardless of how other places were, the Jiangnan West Circuit indeed had a bit of an atmosphere for celebrating the New Year.

Xu Jia sat steadily on Qingya, surrounded by drifting snow. Although it had become a Cave Heaven, it still followed the laws of time and was not "spring-like all year round."

The snowy scenery was magnificent, with cold mist drifting and hanging on the trees, turning them into silver adornments.

Hu Jinhua had a coat of crimson fur, and her tail was the color of orange-yellow flames. It was not a single tail, but three, which indicated that she already possessed nearly five hundred years of Daoist Practice and had completed the atavism of her bloodline, and was currently cultivating the path of the "Heavenly Fox."

Three tails for an Earth Immortal, six tails for a God Immortal, and nine tails for the fruit of a Heavenly Immortal. Each tail was a tribulation, and nine tails meant nine tribulations, all of which were death tribulations, hence the saying "one tail, one life."

As the first veteran to defect to Xu Jia, Hu Jinhua had the grace of "Return to Soul and Nurturing Life" and had always been Xu Jia's core confidante, never having been treated poorly. However, in recent days, she had been unable to participate in many major events.

But the strategy had always been implemented. The ideology was for the various Immortal Halls, led by the Fox Immortal Hall, to integrate the Lingbao Faith and also resolve various Ghost God affairs, occasionally performing divination and treating illnesses with herbs.

Food was provided by the current canteens.

As for the main officials, they oversaw production and occasionally trained as militia to defend against bandits, local ruffians, and fierce beasts like wild boars, and even various evil spirits after nightfall.

This Dharma Realm energy also had a "convergence effect." Whenever a cultivator practiced, their physical body and Primordial Spirit would connect with the Dharma Realm, leading to various external demons and yin demons coming to obstruct their practice. With cultivation now flourishing in the Jiangnan West Circuit, the corresponding external demons would also flourish.

It was just like when Xu Jia had first started practicing and encountered villains like the evil Daoist, the Longevity Sect Dharma King, and the White Bone Hall saints.

Cultivation was precisely a place for experiencing tribulations. The demons of the realms were endless. Even after establishing a Daochang, one was not free from worry. One needed to pass through hundreds of thousands of tribulations to temper their heart and nature, see through small love, attain great love, escape suffering, and achieve the true fruit.

Hu Jinhua now had to pass the Five Hundred Year Earth Immortal Tribulation.

At this time, Chang Yu was by her side. He had transformed into the appearance of a Marshal; he was the Great Marshal of the Bingtian of the Three Primes Bingtian of the Lingbao Teaching Altar, and concurrently served as the Sanqing Mountain God and Yushan God.

Chang Yu said with great envy: "You have only known the Sect Leader for a few years; truly, one year of cultivation is worth a hundred. Last time I saw you, you had only just over three hundred years of cultivation. What kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures have you eaten?"

"Master Xu passed the Lingbao Dao Register to me, and with the blessing of the Daochang, my Fox Immortal Hall already has hundreds of branches. The foxes and wild cats from the surrounding villages have all entered my hall to work, and the Incense Fire is very broad. Added to that is the quota of Immortal Grade Lingzhi from Master Xu, and occasionally hearing the Dao, a flash of inspiration comes, and my cultivation rises. Great God Chang, didn't you also struggle with the Earth Immortal Tribulation before? Master Xu held the Taiyin Ritual to guide you back to your position, and only then did you find life through death."

Chang Yu still did not quite believe it: "My two wives, Chang Yuying and Chang Yu'e, originally had higher Daoist Practice than you, and they participated in the founding of Luzon, serving as Snake Spirit Protectors. With various tribes submitting and surrendering, their faith was no less than yours, yet they haven't touched the threshold of an Earth Immortal. If I had two Earth Immortal Daoist companions, through dual cultivation, I fear I would soon break through to the God Immortal realm. But now, according to the cultivation method of the Innate Divine Dao of the Shangjie, I fear it will take me several hundred years of cultivation to transform my foundation."

Xu Jia said: "Stop arguing. Hu Jinhua borrowed a wisp of Life Fire from me back then, so our life patterns are compatible. When I make progress, it naturally drives her forward. This is her greatest opportunity—an investment. You cannot envy this. Jinhua, can you sense what kind of tribulation the Five Hundred Year Earth Immortal Tribulation is?"

Hu Jinhua said respectfully: "Relying on Master Xu, I have already passed the Chicken and Dog Biting Tribulation and the Child Dropping Stone Tribulation. After cultivating the Zhurong Fire Qi Curse, I also passed the Fire Burning Tribulation. Now, there still remain the Plague Tribulation, the Hunter Skinning Tribulation, the Water Tribulation, the Love Tribulation, the Thunder and Lightning Tribulation... these tribulations."

"But there is no fixed tribulation. Now that I am cultivating the Immortal Hall, there are also the Self-Sacrifice and Saving Tribulation, the Temple-Smashing Tribulation, the Demon Examination and Heart-Questioning Tribulation..."

Xu Jia pinched his fingers to calculate: "Those tribulations are all Wild Fox tribulations and cannot be counted as Immortal Fox tribulations. Since you now have an official position, I will invite the Immortals from the Tai Shan Five Sacred Mountains Prefecture to come and give you a Demon Examination. It just so happens that I also have matters to inquire of the Taishan Daiyu Xiangu. Once you pass this tribulation and enter the Earth Immortal realm, you will be considered to be on the List of Immortals, which will also be beneficial in the future."

(End of chapter)