Chapter 68: Zhurong Fire Qi Incantation

He dismantled the Dharma Altar, stacking the nine tables in a one-three-five arrangement to form a three-tiered "mountain" shape, and placed it in the Daochang.

The eighteen wood-chopping knives of the Blade Mountain Ladder were also taken down one by one and placed together with the altar tables.

Xu Jia was calm and composed at this moment; having beheaded the Evil Master, the Cause and Effect of his original body was mostly resolved, as it was, after all, a feud of "Kill Body Refine Soul."

Thus, Xu Jia felt as light as if his shackles had been broken; his physical body and Primordial Spirit were further aligned—a convergence in "fate" and also a convergence in Cause and Effect.

Niu Congcong had already, according to Xu Jia's instructions, carved an ugly little figure; it had no facial features, no hands or feet, only a head and a body, yet one could vaguely tell it was a "person."

Xu Jia then immediately used this figure to perform a ritual, drawing the Yin Demon Body of the Evil Master into it, binding the top with a small grass rope, and securing the bottom. Finally, he sealed it with a talisman.

Hu Jinhua had already borrowed a gust of wind to reach the cave pointed out by Xu Jia, where she indeed saw the Evil Master's body, already severed in two, as well as the Dharma Altar.

The Evil Master's body remained standing where it was, dead but not fallen; the head lay on the ground, the face covered in black hair, looking hideous, with terror still visible in its eyes.

Hu Jinhua was startled by his ugliness and kicked his head away, but upon being kicked, the head absorbed a trace of Yang Qi, and the teeth began to clatter open and shut; the sound of the teeth knocking together was like a mouse gnawing on a table leg, creaking and clicking.

This matter was eerie, and Hu Jinhua secretly thought: "These wild men are even stranger than us wild foxes!"

Recalling some legends, such as those about headless zombies, she felt even more that this Evil Master's corpse likely had some tricks to it, so she flicked her tail, and a ball of ghostly green flame was tossed onto the Evil Master's head and body.

No fresh blood sprayed from where the neck had been severed; it turned out that the Evil Master had practiced sorcery and had refined his body into something like a "Yin Corpse," containing only thick, dark red "stagnant blood," and his body had been afflicted by a gu-poison curse from the Longevity Sect Saintess, which was a forbidden technique.

This ball of Fox Fire from Hu Jinhua was an innate fox-clan technique; it was a Yin Fire she had refined from phosphorus gathered in the Luanzanggang. Each use meant one less, but it was remarkably effective for burning corpses. As the forbidden technique was broken, the stagnant blood bubbled out.

The head was also burned into a fireball, and the exaggerated hair on it emitted a charred stench.

Only then did Hu Jinhua observe the altar with the Qi Observation Technique, grab a few useful items, and immediately run away, eager to leave this gloomy place.

Upon returning to the Fox Immortal Hall, she set down the items she had carried in her tail: "Master Xu, I have brought the items back!"

Xu Jia had just finished tidying up; seeing her return with the items, he asked: "Did anything strange happen?"

"That Daoist's corpse was still standing straight when this disciple arrived. I kicked the head, and it actually started moving, even though his soul had clearly been captured!"

Xu Jia was not surprised when he heard this: "His body had already been refined into a stiff corpse, so dying while standing is normal. You didn't realize it, but the Blade Mountain Method I used is top-tier in its ferocity and dominance."

"As for the head still being able to move, it might be due to a gu-poison. Evil Masters all like to hide gu under their tongues. When I performed the Thousand-Mile Courtyard Water-Moon Shadow-Casting Technique to observe his fight, he spat out a streak of black light from his mouth; I fear that thing was the culprit. How did you handle it?"

"I set a fire, thinking to burn it and be done with it!"

Xu Jia laughed: "That is the correct method, though ordinary fire likely wouldn't have burned it." "This disciple previously collected Ghost Fire in the Luanzanggang to refine techniques; I had three balls of Fox Fire, used one, and now only two remain."

Xu Jia had not expected Hu Jinhua to know "Fire Method."

Because animals have fur on their bodies, most are weak to fire; any monster capable of refining fire techniques possesses a very high level of Daoist Practice.

"This counts as a small merit for you." Xu Jia was always clear about rewards and punishments: "Your method of collecting Yin Fire from bones is not the orthodox path. I will teach you a Zhurong Incantation later. You shall collect stove fire, candle fire, and Incense Fire—three types of Fire Qi—to wash and refine your Yin Fire, refining it into a Fire Method Seed to be nurtured within your heart aperture. In this way, it will be inexhaustible, and you won't have one less every time you use it."

Hu Jinhua was very moved upon hearing this: "This disciple only ran an errand!"

"Then shall I not teach it?"

"Ah? No! I'll learn! I'll learn!"

Xu Jia immediately taught her the Zhurong Incantation. This incantation was not difficult to learn: "Flame Essence, Flame Essence, Vermilion Bird takes flight, connecting above to Bing and Ding, Goddess of Blazing Flames, holding the Imperial Bell in hand, Samadhi True Fire, descend quickly to the Vermilion Mound, the Three Platforms assist, the Envoy descends the spirit, within are three bodies, soaring and brilliant. Do not burn the True Gods, burn only the ghost thieves. Burn ghosts to ash, refine ghosts to juice. All evil spirits, hear my fire burn, turn to powder, obey the command of the Southern Fire Virtue True Monarch with the urgency of a law!"

Xu Jia also drew a "Fire Talisman" and told Hu Jinhua to visualize the Fire Qi according to the diagram to refine her technique.

He then began to check the spoils of war. It was a pity that this world had no "Universe Bags" or "Storage Rings," otherwise, this would be the looting segment of a power-fantasy novel—top-tier satisfaction.

There were three items Hu Jinhua brought back: a Dharma manual with a black cover titled "Longevity Dharma Collection," a black Yin Demon Command Flag with little ghosts painted on it, and a box—this box was a "Dharma Box," used to store materials needed for refining techniques.

Xu Jia first opened the manual to look. The first page contained the doctrines of the Longevity Sect, and the second page began with an image of a deity—a compassionate old mother sitting on a lotus throne, holding a pill in her hand; this was the so-called Longevity Old Mother.

From the third page on, it was all evil techniques, explaining how to set up an altar, how to refine Sha, refine corpses, refine Magic Tools, refine Corpse Pills...

A crooked path with an orderly lineage! Xu Jia looked through it and found no omissions or errors. If one did not follow the book's instructions to refine the "Yin Demon Body," one might just be a "servant" of some demonic art practiced by the Longevity Old Mother. It was likely the first choice for many entering the Dao.

After all, the orthodox Profound Sect emphasizes mental cultivation, while ordinary people mostly lack such mental fortitude.

What? You say these are evil ways? Do I not know whether they are evil ways? One can succeed without talent, there is no need to keep rules or precepts, and the power is great and quick to master...

No wonder Nansheng had tried to exterminate them several times, only for them to rise from the ashes... And this was just Xu Jia; how could an ordinary person resist when looking at this manual? This is a Demonic Obstacle!

After reading it, Xu Jia had a general understanding of the Longevity Sect's methods. They were strong, but only to a limited extent. As long as not the whole nest practiced this method, and they hadn't all refined the Five Elements Sha and Nine Sons Mother Sha to swarm him together, Xu Jia reckoned he shouldn't have to worry.

Then, the next step: march forward toward founding a sect and recruiting disciples. The more disciples, the more offerings. If an Evil Sect can develop so well, Xu Jia will specialize in suppressing this Evil Sect and step on its bones to rise to the top.

The first one will start with Niu Congcong! This Xiaopangdun is quite timid; as the first disciple to open the sect, he must be made to temper his courage! (End of chapter)