Chapter 383: A Senior Fellow Has Arrived

Jiang Qi and Shen Bao's performance in the esoteric arts and calculations was not ideal, but it was not that terrible either; at least the changes of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms and the sixty-year cycle of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches were always clear and understood.

Even if the muskets failed, the deterrent power of the cannons was sufficient; breaking an array was nothing more than pulling out the array flags, killing the Daoist soldiers deploying the array, or destroying the objects suppressing it.

It was just that, in the end, it was not as satisfying as the crushing victory they had achieved overseas against the island natives. Jiang Qi even thought to himself: "We were too reliant on advanced firearms before, but having the advantage of weapons alone is not enough; we also need tactics, and even individual combat capability. This Nine Rivers Array can restrain our firearms, and it was successfully drilled in only three days, which shows that the power of gathering the masses in an array is useful. Once we capture the array map in the future, we can practice it too."

On Xu Jian's side, watching the giant Jiujiang Water Emperor Dharma Image confront the Five Immortals, the Five Elements and four seasons of the great array changed, unexpectedly evoking the meaning that "though the Nine Rivers return to the abyss, they do not rest or cease, having no beginning and no end." There was a faint sense of a dragon roaming the world; nine dragons of Heavenly Qi connected the water currents of the Nine Rivers, resisting the Talisman Edict's power to bind spirits, and even attempting to refine Xu Jia's external divine image into the Nine Rivers Map.

He was not anxious, his eyes bright as he observed the changes in the array. He originally practiced the Genyue Qi Refining Art and was skilled in feng shui and dragon-vein observation; otherwise, he would not have found a feng shui treasure land for Corpse Severance, or even nurtured the "Spirit Root of Heaven and Earth," causing Lan Shi Huo to be filled with Earth Qi every year, the persimmon trees to have a bountiful harvest every year, and the rotten persimmons to become so numerous they turned into miasma, forming a natural protection.

Precisely because he had this foundation, he was particularly interested in arrays and saw the "imperfection" in the Nine Rivers Array. Between nine is eight; if eight Earth Immortals operated it, it would be complete. Although the Five Elements were operating now, it was difficult to be thorough; it was the Eight Trigrams versus the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, having the changes of three-three. If discussed in terms of the Five Elements, it was difficult to achieve complete change, as it was still missing one.

Just like that, he saw the weakest point of this array; it was nowhere else, but the "One Yang Birth" of the Winter Solstice.

Thus, he issued a talisman order to inform Jiang Qi and Shen Bao.

The two of them immediately had an idea, transforming the Two Forms Array into a Four Symbols Array, with one hundred and fifty people in each. Among them, the team representing the Lesser Yang Array was in the front, the Greater Yang in the back, the Lesser Yin on the left, and the Greater Yin on the right. Moving in this formation was like a giant windmill.

Marching along, Jiang Qi took sticky rice from the Raw Rice Bowl and scattered it as they went.

With every scatter, he recited a spell; what he recited was the Sacrificial Orphan Curse, a spell that every young Daoist must learn. For a time, the young Daoists in the army began to chant together.

In the waters of the Nine Rivers, there were countless lonely souls and hungry ghosts. The great array connected to the Dharma Realm and opened up Dharma nature, allowing these lonely souls and wild ghosts to wander within this array.

Suddenly, thousands of shimmering lights appeared in the air, and where the souls manifested, they were all just little fish. The fish gathered in groups, pointing out a path in the air.

The crowd marched as if walking on the bottom of a river, like the Yin soldiers borrowing the path.

There were experts in that array who, seeing this, snorted coldly: "Using such tricks to pretend to be gods and ghosts."

They immediately ordered the drums to be beaten. As the drum sounds rose, the schools of fish formed by the souls were startled and scattered.

However, it did not matter by this time; Xu Jian had already joined up with them.

He spread out a temporary Dharma Altar, purified the altar and the perimeter, and fired cannons with a roar.

"Perform the sacrificial ritual!"

The next moment, the entire Raw Rice Bowl formed a funnel, sacrificing to this Water Origin—endless and inexhaustible.

Of course, when released in the future, it would also be endless and inexhaustible.

Xun Taizi circled and whirled, his speed becoming faster and faster, to the point that he brought water with the wind; the wind rose and the water surged, turning into a giant water tornado.

This water tornado was like an endless funnel, merging with the Raw Rice Bowl. Suddenly, the Nine Rivers returned to the abyss. What is an abyss? Deep water is an abyss.

In an instant, the Lushan Five Immortals in the array cried out that it was bad, and the nine Qi dragons wailed.

The iron chains of the large ships were all bound together, and caught in this vortex, they also spun along with it.

The soldiers and horses on the ships were all jolted, finding it difficult even to stand steady.

The Lushan Five Immortals were just restraining the Jiujiang Shuidi when suddenly the nine dragons wailed, and the great array leaked a hole. The Nine Rivers Return to the Abyss became the Nine Rivers Return to the Ruins. Seeing that Raw Rice Bowl, they were dazed and bewildered: "One grain of rice enters, five pecks of rice exit; one bowl of water enters, ten thousand bowls of water exit. You are back-filling the waters of the Nine Rivers; are you not afraid of turning the Jiangnan West Circuit into a watery kingdom of floods?"

"That would require this bowl to have such Dharma Power," Xu Jia's will, attached to the Jiujiang Shuidi, said aloud.

"This bowl is linked to the Yellow Heaven Holy Venerable, who is the Primordial Boundless Great Luo Holy Venerable. Do you think he has this Dharma Power?"

The Lushan Five Immortals sneered: "You have already committed a great mistake; the mandate of heaven will surely be lost. We are not playing with you anymore!"

Having said this, they prepared to shift away.

But they saw the five people's skin bags shrivel up like balloons without air.

"Since you have entered the arena, how can you just walk away?"

Turning the hand brings clouds, covering the hand brings rain. Under this flipping, the palm of the Jiujiang Shuidi Dharma Image, formed from frost, clouds, and snow, fell heavily, just like the Five Finger Mountain of the Tathagata.

The Nine Rivers Array instead became like Xu Jia's water-phase Daochang. Shrimp soldiers and crab generals were pointed into existence. Although the Five Immortals had shed their skin bags, they were merely following the "Corpse Severance" path of the White Bone Spirit, wishing to use their Primordial Spirit to escape the Dharma Realm.

This is the cultivation technique of the ancient List of Immortals, close to the Divine Path, skilled in Possession, similar to "God Descent." After playing in the red dust, they return to the Dharma Realm until the next time their hearts are stirred, and they can "descend to play" again.

The fleshly bodies they pass through are nothing more than clothes to be put on or taken off.

At this time, they wanted to flee to the depths of the Dharma Realm, simply because they did not want to play with Xu Jia anymore. But although the Dharma Realm is vast and mysterious, it is not a place they can enter and exit at will.

Once they entered the Dharma Realm, a force of peerless sharpness slashed over, but it stopped before them, seemingly just a warning. But if they ignored it, they would inevitably be shredded by the sword light.

"You few, whatever your origins, this poor Daoist will not bother with; however, you can be considered talents. Why not come into my Three Sovereigns Ten Thousand People Umbrella for a chat?"

In an instant, the Three Yin and Three Yang, the Three Demons and Three Sages, and the three-three changes evolved into the Six Paths of reincarnation, sucking their five Primordial Spirits inside. Their mouths were sewn shut tightly, and not a single sound came out.

Just at this moment, a voice was heard: "Fellow Daoist, please wait."

An old man with a helpless expression walked out of the void. This old man wore hemp clothes, held a goosefoot staff, had a dark complexion, and stepped on the air with bare feet.

Xu Jia then asked with a smile: "Where does the Immortal come from?"

The old man said helplessly: "I come from Lushan Dongtian, though in ancient times it should have been called Lingshan Dongtian. This old man is a pre-Qin alchemist who obtained its inheritance; I accidentally gained some cleverness and have cultivated until now."

"Another old monster who has lived for a thousand years." Xu Jia narrowed his eyes. The upper limit of this world is not high; no matter how much one tosses and turns, it is just the Desire Realm. When it is time to ascend, one ascends. Once ascended, if one wants to come down, one can only rely on dream-sending and Incense Fire influence—the so-called 'heart-borrowing, incense-transmitting'."

These so-called thousand-year-old monsters are actually those who have not ascended and have flaws. This one should also be of this type; only his Primordial Spirit has lived long, not necessarily his fleshly body. It is like a hidden Living Buddha Reincarnation, who can "Possess and reincarnate" every so many years, the kind who wants to change their foundation.

But for such things, unless one completely discards memories—the Womb-Enigma—either it is "Legal Rebirth," or it is someone like Xu Jia who pulls strings and has a proper position. No matter how much others toss and turn, it is "illegal," carries karmic debt, or "Divine Ability cannot overcome destiny."

In short, having not ascended for a thousand years, besides Dharma Power, perhaps having increased a lot, their Daoist Practice may not be as high as Xu Jia, a direct descendant of the Numinous Treasure. Although this descendant does not know how many generations down, he is just a village cadre of the Desire Realm; but one cannot fail to treat a village cadre as an official. Punishing an old man with one punch can still exempt one from criminal responsibility.

"Do these few have any relation to you?"

"These few evil obstacles have no relation to this old man. It is just that this Nine Rivers Map is this old man's treasure for suppressing the cave. The land connects to Henglu and suppresses the waters of the Nine Rivers. Back then, Great Yu was controlling the floods and traveled to Lingshan, asking the witches of Lingshan for methods to control the water."

"Before this, his father Gun also came to ask what in the Five Elements could overcome water, leading to the theory of using Breath Soil to create land. Originally, the Shu region was a vast ocean, surrounded by mountains. Gonggong chiseled open the great sea in Shu, leading to the flood waters that destroyed the world. It was Gun who used Breath Soil to block it, raising the earth to become a plateau, and only later was it controlled by Great Yu, who drained the Shu Sea..."

Xu Jia: What kind of wild history is this? "Why don't you start from the creation of the world? So long-winded." He interrupted directly: "I have taken the people, and I want the map too. If you are not convinced, go to the Three Mountains and Five Peaks and summon your friends; that would be just right. I am not afraid; let's see how deep your water is."

"Why must the Fellow Daoist have such hot Qi? It is not easy to achieve the merit of a God Immortal now. Why not enter my cave, taste some immortal tea, enjoy the Cloud Sea, and chat about classics and discuss mysteries with the Immortal Truths who have descended from the Shangjie?"

"If I wanted to live in seclusion and be comfortable, I wouldn't have come out. Comfort is for the dead. You old man are the most hateful; you don't want to offend anyone, so how did you become the one to stick your neck out? I suppose you have lived a long time, fearing this and fearing that, but are you not afraid of me?"

"Oh my, oh my, don't be angry. You doing this work of reforming the world is nothing, but you must absolutely not perform the work of Conferring Gods. This involves the power struggle above; you and I are both chess pieces, so how can we be willing to throw our lives away for them? To tell the truth, you and I have Longevity; in our eyes, can those mortals even be considered human?"

"By the same token, in the eyes of those in the Shangjie, what kind of thing are you and I?"

"Fellow Daoist, just listen to my advice. Whether you act as a Daoist Monarch Emperor for a few comfortable years, just have your fun and then ascend. Do not carry out the work of Conferring Gods; the water here is very deep. The Human Dao, Immortal Dao, Divine Dao, and even the Demon Dao... The Yellow Heaven Great Luo Holy Venerable once thought that the universe was one heart, and in the Great Luo eternal and indestructible universe true spirit world, he made a big deal of this, and the Great Heng Dynasty was established because of it, but didn't it fail? The problem lies within."

"This old man knows you look down on our Leftist Path, but aren't you disciples of the Great Luo orthodox sect also acting as running dogs for others? If you want to rebel, why don't you dare to rebel against the Three Pure Ones and the Four Sovereigns?"

Before he finished speaking, his throat suddenly tightened. He was unexpectedly dumb, and when he opened his mouth, there was no sound. After a long while, he knelt on the ground, begging for mercy, not knowing how many times he had silently recited in his heart that he was wrong, but he only received a warning of "three years of silence."

Xu Jia sneered as he looked at him: "You old thing, you truly deserve to die; staying in this world is useless."

The old man's expression changed, sensing the killing intent, and he transformed into a ball of gray Qi to slip away.

Xu Jia then laughed out loud.

(End of this chapter)