Chapter 445: Subduing the Nine Fire Dragons

For ordinary fire dragons at the Yang Spirit realm, Xu Jia could just swing his sword and behead them.

After all, this was the orthodoxy of Heavenly Master Xu Xun, and Xu Jia had quite a bit of experience in beheading dragons.

But these nine dragons were left behind by Dutian Liehuo Zushi when he ascended to become a Heavenly Immortal; in other words, these were nine fire dragons with the essence of a Heavenly Immortal. Even if they were not Heavenly Immortals themselves, they belonged to the half-step Heavenly Immortal stage, having birthed Immortal Qi within their Yang Spirits.

Furthermore, fearing that his ten-thousand-year Dharma Power would be too overwhelming and that the Calamity would defy the heavens, the Ancestor had also poured one thousand years of his own Dharma Power into each of them.

These nine fire dragons had not been sleeping motionlessly all these years; they had cultivated Divine Abilities, magic, and primordial spirits, possessed intelligence, and practiced the Daoism of Dutian Liehuo Zushi. By day, they gathered sunlight to refine Sun True Fire, and by night, they gathered Earth Veins to refine Earth Fiend Poison Fire. Now, it had been over three hundred years; to be precise, each fire dragon had about fifteen hundred years of Dharma Power, approaching the quality of a Heavenly Immortal.

A single one would be difficult for an ordinary Yang Spirit True Person to fight, requiring a restraining magic treasure to subdue. These nine, added together, were comparable to Dutian Liehuo Zushi when he was alive.

Although Xu Jia had cultivated a Yang Spirit and obtained the Register, his years of cultivation were few. Even though his body gods interacted with the heavens and earth internally and externally, and he had issued great vows for all living beings, receiving infinite feedback, his accumulated Dharma Power only amounted to about eighteen hundred years, roughly the same as Bai Suzhen. He had not yet accumulated ten thousand years of Dharma Power.

Xu Jia employed the "Sitting in Fire" Divine Ability from the Earthly Fiend Seventy-Two Arts, and channeled the Sacred Fire—which had gathered Heavenly Fire Immortal Crystals—into the Samadhi True Fire he had cultivated from his own essence, energy, and spirit, using a method of controlling fire with fire.

At the same time, his Immortal Sword flew horizontally.

These nine fire dragons, sensing their impending release, knew that as long as they completed their old master's task and found a successor, they could regain their freedom. In truth, they were not fighting very seriously, but the more they fought, the more wrong it felt.

"This guy, why does he feel even more formidable than our old master?"

At the same time, these fire dragons were also very covetous of the Heavenly Fire.

This Heavenly Fire was the Sacred Fire stolen from the Heavenly Emperor in the West. It had been passed down for many years, and its origin was only found in the Immortal World; it was an Immortal Spirit divine treasure and a rare treasure of the Heavenly Mansion, which held infinite benefits for these nine fire dragons.

If other successors had entered, they would likely have just spat out a breath of fire to form a fire path, and if they could pass through safely, that would have counted as passing the test.

But now, Xu Jia was there with the intention of "subduing" them. Although he was not aiming for the nine dragons' ten-thousand-year Dharma Power, he was aiming for the "Nine Dragon Protectors."

Years ago, when Xu Jia read the novel "Yang Spirit," Meng Shenji in it had nine Pure Yang Great Fire Dragons, and he was very envious.

Once he cultivated the Spirit Treasure Great Method, he felt that it was ordinary; taking time to refine them specifically seemed like looking for trouble where there was none. If someone else had already refined them, it would be better to just catch them and use them.

More importantly, if these nine fire dragons did not submit, how could Xu Jia cosplay as Dutian Liehuo Zushi, pretend to be a resurrected ghost, take these disciples into his sect, reorganize the Huashan Sect, and pass down the Spirit Treasure orthodoxy in this world? The nine fire dragons were also miserable fighting Xu Jia. It was one thing that Xu Jia's Daoist Practice was high, but he also had Heavenly Fire on his person, so he was not afraid of the Dutian Fierce Fire. Not to mention he had that fierce sword, which contained the killing intent of the innate Three Talents; a graze meant death, a strike meant injury. With one sword strike, a dragon claw was broken, a dragon horn was snapped. If not for their bodies being refined by fire and quickly growing back, they would have become disabled by now.

But even if they grew back, their spirituality was damaged; the Weiji Immortal Sword did not just behead the physical body, it also beheaded the Primordial Spirit.

After being pushed to such desperation for a while, the nine dragons shrank back, hid themselves, and were unwilling to fight anymore, clearing a path for Xu Jia to pass through to the inside.

Xu Jia looked at a fire-red jade stone on the passageway, carved with "Nine Dragon Divine Fire Wall," and secretly said: "This is the hiding place for the primordial spirits of the nine fire dragons."

He immediately pried it off.

Upon this prying, the nine fire dragons came out again. They were not having it; you can go inside if you want, but why pry this off?

Thus, they began to fight desperately again, and for a time, fire dragons roared, and infinite fierce fire sprayed and swirled.

Outside, the entire Huashan Mountain could hear the commotion, and everyone became excited: "It is the Ancestor's Nine Dragon primordial spirits. They have awakened; the Cave Heaven inheritance must be about to open."

"It seems to be a few hours earlier than the usual decennial grand sacrifice!"

"It is normal for it to be early sometimes, and late other times!"

Immediately, several Huashan Sect Elders opened the altar together, spitting out True Fire in unison, guiding it toward the Cave Heaven.

Many others who wanted to obtain the inheritance also burned Incense Fire.

But when the Cave Heaven gate opened, they only saw clusters of fierce fire spraying out, and it was Pure Yang Fierce Fire of the God Immortal Realm; a single spark that emerged burned the mountain rocks to liquid.

Those few Huashan Sect Elders, although they had practiced the Fierce Fire Daoism, were caught off guard and burned squarely. They rolled in pain and channeled their True Qi to subdue it, but it would take a long time to refine.

Instead, experts from other sects saw the clues: "Your Ancestor's fire dragon primordial spirits seem to be fighting someone! How formidable, the nine fire dragons are being suppressed and beaten."

"Impossible, what does he look like?"

"I cannot see clearly, I only see layers of True Fire wrapping him, and a formidable Immortal Sword operating, beheading the nine fire dragons until they retreat step by step. He is also a master of Fire Method!"

"Impossible! In the current world, apart from Dutian Liehuo Zushi, there is no one else who is a master of Fire Method. Moreover, these nine fire dragons each have a thousand years of Daoist Practice and were refined by the Ancestor himself. Back then, the Fire Demons of the Western Da Mo who wanted to take advantage of the situation were all burned beyond recognition by the dragon breath, turning into ugly monsters."

"Could it be that Liehuo Zushi did not ascend?"

"Speaking of which, who spread the news of Liehuo Zushi's ascension? Has anyone actually seen him ascend?"

"Ascension is inherently a very secretive matter; one must be vigilant against people interrupting. Apart from Qihuizi of Louguantai during the Tang Dynasty, who held an Ascension Assembly, and Ancestor Xie Ziran, who ascended that day, where else has anyone ascended in front of others?"

"What if the guiding Immortal light was intercepted, or enemies caused trouble? Liehuo Zushi was in seclusion in the Cave Heaven when he ascended. It is rumored that the Fire Department Marshal issued the Ascension Edict, and he also requested the Thunder Department to look after the Ascension Calamity..."

"But ascension is ascension. The ancestors of all sects have said that Liehuo Zushi ascended. It is impossible for him to be a resurrected ghost, unless it was a Primordial Spirit ascension, leaving the physical body behind, turning into a monster like a Drought Demon. But that is also unlikely; ascensions are all clear and spiritual Immortal bodies. Any bit of Resentment Qi would make them extremely turbid and heavy, sinking into the Nine Netherworlds."

The group discussed, but no one dared to enter the Cave Heaven to participate in the battle. All sects were just bewildered, and those who thought of it sent flying sword transmissions to their own ancestors: "Ancestor, the situation has changed."

Xu Zhangshou of the Shushan Sect had taken over a dilapidated Shushan Sect from the previous sect leader.

There was no help for it; they had been suppressed since the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, they were just about to take off, but it was the world of Thunder Law, and the Shenxiao Thunder Law suddenly became the head of all methods.

They thought about it carefully; the titles of all sects were blown out of proportion. One by one, they said their ancestors were personally taught by Laojun, with Supreme teachings and primordial secret decrees.

But whether they were actually passed down, who knows? So, by some coincidence, Xu Zhangshou obtained a "Taiqing One Qi Divine Talisman." This talisman was originally ordinary and was almost worn away. Upon looking at it, it was an antique from the Tang Dynasty and might be the Taiqing Orthodoxy, so they worshipped it. Now they also claim to be the Tai-shang Orthodoxy, with Laojun passing down the teachings across generations, and their ancestor being Guanyinzi, who had ties to Louguantai.

After having an orthodoxy, the Shushan Sect was no longer obsessed with preaching and spreading the law in the Shu region, but they learned the shameless spirit of Shaolin, saying things like "All martial arts in the world come from Shaolin," and created "All sword immortals in the world come from Shushan."

They copied a few lines from the "Duren Sutra," "The heavens are vast and clear, my Dao flourishes day by day," and used it as their "corporate spirit."

Then they laid out plans everywhere. First, they annexed the Shu sword sect "Jian'ge Sect," then went up to Qingcheng Mountain to make Qingcheng Mountain their little brother. Then they united with Emei, letting the Buddhist sect grow large in Emei, annexed the Emei Taoist lineage, and built a Shushan branch, engaging in the fusion of Buddhism and Taoism, with monks refining Immortal swords and sword immortals practicing Dharma. After the Shu region was managed into an iron plate, they developed toward Western Sichuan. Western Sichuan was heavy with demons, and they developed toward the Tibetan region, where the demonic atmosphere was even heavier. The Hundred Thousand Mountains were places where no Incense Fire was seen, so they could only leave the mountains and go to the Central Plains.

This time, the Mud Bodhisattva said: "Huashan shall flourish," which made Xu Zhangshou anxious. What he wanted was "Shushan shall flourish, sword immortals shall flourish."

Not to mention how much effort he made so that everyone could refine Immortal swords and obtain the luck of sword immortals, just since the Tang Dynasty, several generations of sect leaders had been doing this, developing continuously.

Only now was there a "Great Age of Sword Immortals."

In the past, sword immortals were not common because Immortal swords were not easy to use. Although they could take a head from a thousand miles away, it required too high a level of Daoist Practice.

Shushan promoted the "Shushan Sword Control Technique" for free, allowing the use of flying swords for travel, which is why it became popularized.

Precisely because of the "Shushan Sword Control Technique," the world's martial arts developed toward sword techniques, evolving into all kinds of Sword Formulas.

But the Shushan Sword Control Technique was not an original creation of the Shushan Sect either; it was just an inheritance from predecessors dug up through archaeology. Erase the name, and it becomes my Shushan.

Plotting for the inheritance of Dutian Liehuo Zushi and supporting the pro-Shushan Huashan Sect was also one of the plans for Shushan's flourishing.

After Xu Zhangshou received the news, he basically started investigating the Heavenly Secrets at the first opportunity.

But after investigating back and forth, it was strange; he could not find anything.

But just because Xu Zhangshou could not find it did not mean Jiuhua Shan could not.

Jiuhua Shan was the Daochang of Dizang Wang Pusa. At this time, it still had the inheritance of Dizang Wang Pusa. The current abbot, borrowing the Diting divine beast under the Bodhisattva, investigated the words of the universe and immediately learned that there was a person named Xu Jia, a visitor from outside the heavens, who had seized the fate of Huanglian Daoren and was walking freely within the world.

Yet he remained silent for a moment: "That fellow is a fierce and stubborn one; if I don't speak, I'll just let him be, but if I reveal the heavenly secrets, it would be like parting the clouds to see the sun, and he would know it was I who leaked it and would inevitably come to cause me trouble."

"Besides, Diting said he has a background in the underworld, that he follows the path of the underworld, traveling through five hundred small worlds... but I don't know what his purpose is?"

Thus, the Abbot Arhat of Jiuhua Shan closed his eyes and said nothing, no longer concerning himself with heavenly secrets, only transmitting a message to the disciples heading to Huashan: "Let things take their natural course."

Xu Jia also felt heavenly secrets probing him frequently; that technique of hiding shadows and stealing lives was merely a heterodox Daoism and could not withstand too many probes, so he immediately snorted: "You few unruly things, if you do not surrender now, I shall use my real methods."

The Fire Dragon said: "We have been here for over three hundred years, just waiting to regain our freedom, roaming within the universe; how could we be willing to be your servants? Even if you use your real methods and take that killing sword to kill us all, we still will not submit!"

Xu Jia sneered and immediately activated the "Lushan Dragon Slaying Secret Record" to empower the Weiji Immortal Sword.

In an instant, all nine fire dragons felt a great terror descend, a danger of their spirits being extinguished.

"But then again," the fire dragon that had just been refusing to yield even in death immediately changed its attitude: "If you, sir, promise to forge physical bodies for us and turn us into living beings, we are willing to submit."

Xu Jia gave a chuckle: "I am not here to negotiate terms with you, Weiji!"

"Fine, fine, fine, Immortal, please withdraw your Divine Ability, we are afraid of you! We are willing to submit!"

Seeing Weiji mobilize the Heaven Earth Human Three Talents Killing Intent, and with the addition of such a dragon-slaying technique as the Lushan Dragon Slaying Secret Record, the nine fire dragons realized that not only could their own dragon lives be severed, but even if a Dragon God from the heavens came, he would likely have to drink the cup of regret.

Not to mention, through the Sword Qi, they vaguely sensed "dragon fate."

Xu Jia had severed quite a lot of dragon fate under his sword; he had wiped out the entire nest in Poyang, over three hundred dragon lives, and he had also killed a Mirage Dragon in Dongting.

These were all water dragons, at most with some gold flood dragons and silver flood dragons added, barely counting as Earth Vein metallic dragons.

He had never severed a fire dragon before.

If one spoke of the old dragon of Poyang, it was also at the God Immortal Realm, and there was also Black Fish Madam; individually, they were not inferior to any of these fire dragons, as they had physical bodies and temple worship, but their Dharma Power was not as pure as these nine fire dragons.

Seeing that their fire could not burn him, the fire dragons had already lost most of their power, and in the physical struggle, they were suppressed by the Immortal Sword, so they could only obediently submit.

Xu Jia immediately manifested his Heart Mansion True God, that is, the Supreme Saint of the Southern Palace of Nanchang, the Fire Mansion Zhu Ling of the heart; he had long since changed from the appearance of a young boy into a Great God of the Yang Spirit level.

Xu Jia gathered the Heavenly Fire Immortal Crystals of the Sacred Fire Sect precisely to nourish the Fire God.

This Fire Mansion True God unleashed his Divine Ability, instantly subduing the nine divine dragons, transforming them into a Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover, which then burrowed into Xu Jia's body.

For a time, Xu Jia found it difficult to balance water and fire, and his entire body ignited with flames; his eyebrows, hair, and eyes all turned crimson, and he could only wait until he found water treasures to harmonize the three treasures of water, fire, and wind before he could return to his original state.

The Nine Dragon Divine Fire Wall, having lost the nine fire dragons, was still a treasure, which Xu Jia put away before heading further inside.

At the same time, he pointed a finger, laying out a hundred-zhang fire path, from which chains grew, and he spoke: "This poor Daoist is the Dutian Liehuo Zushi descending to the altar to resume the Huashan Lineage; those who wish to obtain this poor Daoist's inheritance, walk across this chain!"

"He is the Liehuo Zushi descending to the altar?"

"I don't think so."

"Actually, that is not the case."

"Quite the contrary."

………

For a time, everyone fell into shock and discussion.

The heterodox practitioners of the Huashan Sect, however, did not think it was fake; they were not highly cultured and had shallow knowledge: "It really is the Ancestor, I knew it; apart from the Ancestor descending to the mortal world, who else could subdue these nine invincible divine fire dragons!"

"If it really is the Ancestor, why did the nine fire dragons attack the Ancestor just now?"

"Never mind that, we are just returning to the Huashan fold; having a backer is what matters."

(End of chapter)