Chapter 49: Lushan Five Hells Grand Method, Ascending the Heaven Altar

As the cyan-white radiance gradually faded, the infant spirits were all lifted up by lotus flowers and transcended; they grew fainter in mid-air until they vanished, and the "God Descent" of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, who hears cries and saves from suffering, had also concluded.

Xu Jia immediately stood up and saw that only nine ghost children remained; although their evil resentment was still deep, they had been somewhat influenced and now possessed a modicum of intelligence, making them capable of communication.

At this moment, these nine ghost children were no longer clinging to Xu Jia to gnaw on him, but were instead melancholy and gloomy, swaying back and forth, flickering between white and Black Qi.

Xu Jia spoke in a soft, gentle voice to soothe them: "Since you are unwilling to be reborn normally, yet cannot be considered evil ghosts, how about following me?"

Among the nine, the infant ghost who had reincarnated five times was the leader of the group; he hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Xu Jia then wrote a spirit tablet: "Tablet for the Ten Directions' Unclaimed Aborted Infants."

He offered a stick of Incense Fire, recited a mantra, and consecrated the paper tablet so it could temporarily house them; the nine ghost children then slipped into the tablet, which immediately became several taels heavier.

Xu Jia's Incense Fire was not that of an ordinary person, which most could not withstand; the blessing he bestowed upon these infant spirits was: "The Immortal Dao values life, the Ghost Dao values the end."

Seeing them settle down, Xu Jia handed the tablet to Hu Jinhua to hold.

He then said to Niu Congcong: "Later, write the names from the tablet onto the left and right bottom corners of the Immortal Lineage, then burn this paper tablet over the Incense Burner; they will then be able to transfer into the Lineage, enjoy the offerings of Incense Fire, and be driven by you."

"Raising a Ghost is inherently harmful to the harmony of heaven, but they are also among the pitiful; because their obsessions do not dissipate, they remain lost in sorrow, pain, and self-pity."

"Therefore, for offerings, you may appropriately use some sweets, or dairy products, or toys; the reading and literacy you taught the little foxes also applies to them. Once their obsessions dissipate, they will be the Protector Spirit Children under your seat."

"They can help you pass messages, investigate situations, and can even be cultivated into Nine-Sense Immortal Children, possessing the Heavenly Eye, the Wind-Listening Ear, the ability to know human hearts, and the ability to avoid disasters."

Niu Congcong noted it down repeatedly: "I understand!"

Hu Jinhua, however, was curious about Xu Jia's Divine Transformation into the likeness of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun and asked: "What kind of ritual technique was Master performing just now? It seemed quite different from the evil-cleansing rituals mentioned before. It was so beautiful, with flowers lifting those infant ghosts up."

Xu Jia dared not take the credit, saying only: "That was not me performing the ritual; a great, merciful Great God came to save from suffering and hardship. I merely used Divine Transformation to resonate and, borrowing His hand, earned a portion of external merit."

Xu Jia had originally intended to send all these infant ghosts to the underworld, planning to open a temporary Ghost Gate to communicate with the soul-snatching envoys, using them to exchange for Yin Merit and seek profit.

But when it came to actually handling them, he switched to this gentler method.

These nine ghost children with deep obsessions were indeed eligible to be taken away by the underworld soul-snatching envoys, to be imprisoned in the Blood Lake Hell and continue to sink and suffer.

But Xu Jia's heart softened; after all, the ones who committed the initial sins were the parents, and these infants became ghosts without anyone to educate them. Instead, evil people suppressed them, guided them to harm others, and forced them through repeated reincarnations only to be miscarried and die again...

Thus, he resonated with Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun and invited down merciful Dharma Power.

Hearing that it was a descent and resonance of a Great God, Hu Jinhua felt a longing: When will I be able to cultivate to such a realm?

Xu Jia walked up to Liu Wenpo and sprayed a mouthful of water, breaking the ghost child magic she had been afflicted with.

He saw her expression was dull and dazed, as she cried out: "Don't come to kill me! It wasn't me who wanted to kill you!" Clearly, her mind was already clouded by Evil Qi, and without a cure, she would remain insane.

He then uttered the syllable "ong," which was the "Om" mantra of the Buddhist school.

It did not come from the throat, but from the resonance of the cranial cavity, triggering the "Divine Soul" to sound in unison.

For a moment, it was like a "Lion's Roar," striking directly at the soul.

The Evil Qi clouding Liu Wenpo's mind was shaken away, and she began to regain her senses.

She then heard a reprimand: "Your deeds have been exposed!" She was so frightened that she wet herself.

Xu Jia endured the fishy stench and shouted: "I am a yamen official, here on a secret investigation of your harm-doing. Now that the evidence is ironclad, why don't you confess truthfully!"

Liu Wenpo had already been toyed with by the ghost children, then fell into an illusion, and before that, had been dazed for a whole day by a splash of Hu Jinhua's urine; how could she distinguish truth from falsehood?

She hurriedly knelt: "Have mercy, your honor! Have mercy, officer! This commoner did not harm anyone; it was they who forced me to do it! It was they who forced me to do it!"

Xu Jia asked: "Who forced you?"

"Daoist! It was a Daoist from the Shanju Guan. He initiated me into the sect and bought placentas from me with Flower Money, calling them River Vehicle, a medicinal ingredient. Later, he said the medicinal potency wasn't enough and that the placenta needed to contain an infant. This commoner didn't want to harm anyone, but he told me he wanted to build a tower. After the tower was built, more people came seeking children, but more were miscarried... I was afraid in my heart and wanted to tear it down, but he said it was filled with the children I had killed... If I tore it down, the first one would come to claim my life..."

Damn it!

Xu Jia couldn't help but curse; how was it this Daoist again!

And there was an Evil Sect... it was likely this Daoist was just a leader within the Evil Sect...

Xu Jia felt a headache coming on; it seemed that after returning to life and cultivating, the Demonic Obstacles were numerous, and one could not just close the door and cultivate with eyes shut. If he ignored this, the Demonic Obstacle in his heart would grow by one point! Damn it all!

Xu Jia had originally thought the evil Daoist only harmed him, but later discovered he was refining Five Elements Sha Ghosts, and now he discovered he was refining Nine-Child-Mother Ghosts.

If he were not eradicated, there was no telling how much more evil he would commit.

Killing him would be a greater Merit than transcending a hundred infant ghosts.

Xu Jia then asked about the situation in detail: "Can you contact him? I will give you a chance to redeem your crimes; lure him here, and you may be treated leniently!"

Liu Wenpo was terrified: "What should this commoner do?"

Xu Jia picked up a blade of grass, feigned chanting a few words, and with the help of Hu Jinhua's Obstruction of Sight Method, transformed it into a wriggling insect, threatening: "Eat my Gu insect, and you will be under my curse. Go to the Shanju Guan, find that Daoist, and lure him out! If you leak this, you will die by the curse."

He then forced her to swallow it.

Liu Wenpo ate the insect with a face full of fear, already firmly believing she was under a Gu curse, her face turning deathly pale.

Xu Jia then carefully asked about the situation of the Longevity Sect, what god they worshipped, who else she had seen besides this Daoist, and who had eaten these infant corpses.

After all, from what Hu Jinhua saw when entering the dream, this Liu Wenpo was also the cook responsible for "making people."

Liu Wenpo stammered and couldn't say much, only mentioning that the only thing worshipped was this "Longevity Sect Infant-Protecting and Child-Bestowing Holy Mother," and that one had to recite a mantra when making offerings.

As for making it into "soup," it wasn't the Longevity Sect members who ate it, but the couples seeking children; it acted as a "lure." The flesh and blood were eaten by them, which was the "cause," and the ghost infant used this to enter their bellies, which was the "effect"—and this effect was the "cause" of the miscarriage.

Xu Jia felt nauseated hearing this: "Then do they know what they are eating?"

"They know," Liu Wenpo cried.

"They all came to this commoner voluntarily. I never actively did evil; this is truly a great injustice, what kind of karma have I created? My lord, please see the truth!"

Liu Wenpo was terrified that Xu Jia would trigger the curse at a whim and kill her, so she wept and wailed, putting on a show.

Xu Jia had previously dispatched Lame Fox to follow the little Daoist to the Yushan Shanju Guan to investigate, but a Daochang had been set up there, and it was the Mountain God's Dharma Realm, so Lame Fox couldn't get in and returned to report to Xu Jia, only being able to terrify him in his dreams.

Xu Jia had no grudge against the little Daoist; the master behind him was the primary target.

Previously, the Sparrow Spirit Zhan Ying had said there was a person exactly like him; I fear this was also the work of this evil Daoist. What exactly does this evil Daoist want to do? Why has he delayed showing his face in person?

Keeping a lock of Liu Wenpo's hair and wrapping it in a Talisman as a means of leverage, Xu Jia, along with Hu Jinhua and Niu Congcong, returned to the Fox Immortal Hall Daochang.

Niu Congcong, as Xu Jia instructed, recorded the nine ghost children into the Lineage, and the ghosts slipped into the Dharma Realm, where they manifested various toys to amuse themselves.

Xu Jia questioned One-testicle Fox Hu Du Xiu and Bald-tail Fox Hu Delu on their studies: "How have you been reciting the Shurangama Mantra I taught you last time?"

"I've already memorized it all! Great Immortal!" Hu Du Xiu said, looking smug and starting to show off.

Xu Jia nodded in an encouraging, guiding manner: "You've been diligent enough. In that case, besides growing vegetables in the backyard, these few little ones will also be under your care; you are not to let them go into the mountains to play tricks on others."

The two foxes felt a headache coming on; these little ghosts were ten times more mischievous and troublesome than the children of ordinary families, and they had no sense of restraint. If their own Daoist Practice was too low to subdue them, they feared they would end up as their servants instead.

But they could not disobey Xu Jia's words, so they hung their heads in dismay.

Seeing they were not very happy, Xu Jia said: "If you are unwilling, then forget it. I originally intended to teach you how to refine a life-bound Spirit Child..."

"Great Immortal! We are willing! How could we be unwilling?" the two foxes said fawningly: "I am a thousand times willing, ten thousand times willing!"

Xu Jia had them right where he wanted them, and with a half-smile, he said: "Then take good care of them. Make them like you, dispel their depression, and let them become attached to you; it will happen naturally."

He was treating the foxes entirely as "companion therapy dogs."

"A magical duel may be coming soon, so I must practice a fast-acting Lushan Great Method here. Jinhua, you continue to subdue those shamans and witches, the faster the better. Hui Zhuo, go help me purchase eighteen wood-chopping knives to nail into a ladder, and nine square tables."

Upon hearing this request, Xiaopangdun was startled: "What kind of Great Method is this? Why does it require such things?"

"This is one of the Lushan Five Prisons Great Method. Within Lushan, there is a method for transcending tribulations to become an Immortal, which requires experiencing the Knife Mountain Hell, Fire Sea Hell, Weak Water Hell, Thorn Hell, and Millstone Hell. Only after passing through the five prisons can one achieve Corpse Severance Immortal."

"To practice the Knife Mountain Hell, one must perform Climbing the Mountain of Knives, stepping on sharpened wood-chopping knives step by step to ascend to heaven."

"As for the nine square tables, that is another means of Altar Opening called the Ascending to Heaven Arena Method, also known as the Lvshan Ascending to Heaven Great Method. The closer one is to the sky, the greater the magic. Sitting on a high platform to meditate is extremely dangerous; if one is the least bit careless, one will fall to their death. Each table represents one heaven, and after nine tables, one is in the Nine Heavens."

(End of chapter)