Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Inside the Daoist Canon Hall, Zhang Zhiwei was consulting the classic texts on the Three Calamities and Nine Disasters.

The lightning disaster had passed, the wind disaster had not yet arrived, and the nine calamities were insignificant, so Zhang Zhiwei focused on the section about fire.

The descriptions of the fire in the Three Disasters vary in many ancient texts.

Because fires are not static.

People who have survived fires are different, and the forms of disaster they face are also different.

The classic texts divide it into three types: fire disasters of the three major calamities, fire disasters of the three minor calamities, and fire disasters of internal cultivation.

The description of the fire disaster among the three major calamities is recorded in the "Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Bookcase" and the "Jade Book of the Great Purity" as "True Fire of Bing and Ding," which belongs to the calamities of heaven and earth and is incomparable to ordinary fire in the world.

The "Scripture of Salvation" describes it as the phenomenon of "ten suns hanging in the sky," where heaven and earth are transformed into a furnace, extinguishing all life.

In the Book of Changes, the Li hexagram symbolizes the dependence of fire by saying "the center is empty," emphasizing that the fire of calamity causes the imbalance of heaven and earth, and also implies its destructive nature by saying "it comes suddenly, burns like fire, dies like fire, and is abandoned like fire."

As for small fires, the Taiping Jing points out that these fires originate from "excessive metal energy," which leads to the suppression of wood energy, an imbalance of fire energy, and ultimately causes disaster.

As for the third type of internal fire.

This is the foundation of fire prevention. Whether it is a major fire or a minor fire, it is all built upon the foundation of internal fire prevention.

However, some people will only experience the fire of internal cultivation, some will experience the fire of the minor three calamities, some will experience the fire of the major three calamities, and some will even experience both major and minor fires at the same time.

It is worth mentioning that the relationship between small fires and large fires is simply one of intensity, not a progressive one.

People who have experienced a major fire may not necessarily experience a minor fire.

The small fire was caused by an imbalance of the five elements due to an excess of metal energy.

If the five elements in the human body are in harmony and there is no imbalance among them, a small fire will not occur.

Zhang Zhiwei has already balanced the five elements in his body, so it can be said that he has avoided the small fire.

However, a great fire is a calamity of heaven and earth, which cannot be avoided by one's own cultivation.

Of course, there are ways to avoid it. The calamity of a great fire comes from heaven and earth. By isolating oneself from the interaction between heaven and earth, one can naturally avoid it.

The method of isolating oneself from the interaction between heaven and earth in the "Scripture of Salvation" is called "Talisman and Seal". As the saying goes, "When the Big Dipper falls, one dies; when the Southern Dipper rises, one ascends". One uses the Big Dipper Fire-Suppressing Talisman to suppress oneself, and combines it with the method of "fasting of mind and sitting in oblivion" to prevent the heavenly fire from descending.

In short, it involves using talismans to create a protective energy field that isolates you from celestial calamities. Staying within this energy field will prevent you from being targeted by a major fire.

If the five elements of the human body are also regulated, and small fires are avoided, then the only thing left to deal with is internal fire prevention.

The internal fire originates from within oneself and cannot be avoided; it is a challenge that all practitioners at this level must face.

However, compared to smaller and larger fires, interior fires are much less difficult to handle, and there are many ways to deal with them.

The "True Classic of Nanhua" emphasizes that "emptiness gives rise to light" by abandoning delusions and consolidating one's original mind, thus transforming the "fire of the three calamities" into an aid to cultivation.

The Book of Changes, Li Hexagram, also says, "The great man continues to illuminate the four directions," meaning he needs to temper himself with the fire of the three calamities and then harmonize himself with the essence of yin.

The *Huangting Jing* proposes the technique of "Jade Liquid Returning to the Elixir," which involves circulating vital energy to allow kidney water to rise and nourish heart fire, forming an internal cycle. This is the true meaning of "Guiding Fire Back to its Origin, Storing Yang, and Controlling Yin."

It is evident that the strategies for dealing with fire and lightning disasters are completely different among the three types of disasters.

When faced with lightning disasters, most ancient texts advise avoiding them or using various methods to weaken their power; they generally don't suggest confronting them head-on.

Because a lightning strike is when lightning comes and strikes you.

That's too direct and too crude.

Although facing lightning strikes and undergoing physical tempering through lightning has many benefits, high returns come with high risks, which most people simply cannot bear.

The ancient texts suggest that one should avoid both large and small fires, confront internal fires directly, and use the fire to temper oneself.

In other words, according to classical texts, the severity of internal fire disasters is less than that of lightning disasters.

"Based on the descriptions of fire in many ancient texts, the lightning disaster I experienced before should correspond to the major fire among the three types of fire, which is a calamity of heaven and earth."

"I now have two choices."

"First, we can use talismans to ward off the fire and then get through the internal fire, thus overcoming this hurdle."

"This method should be very safe and risk-free."

According to historical records, the intensity of internal fire is significantly lower than that of lightning strikes. This is why the records advise avoiding lightning strikes and instead tempering oneself by directly confronting internal fire.

"Since I was able to survive the great lightning disaster and even temper my life through it, I should be able to overcome the internal fire disaster with absolute certainty."

"As for the second option, it is not to avoid it, but to face this catastrophe-like fire directly and use the power of creation of heaven and earth to temper one's own life."

"As the saying goes, the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish. This choice offers high returns, but also high risks."

"The reason I was able to survive the great thunder calamity so safely is not only because of my own strong life cultivation, but also because I have practiced the Five Thunder Orthodox Method and have a high level of mastery, which gives me a strong resistance to heavenly thunder."

"But when facing a major fire, this advantage is lost; one can only rely on one's own life force and cultivation to withstand it. How should one choose?"

Zhang Zhiwei pondered that the intensity of the three calamities was increasing steadily, and even he dared not guarantee that he could withstand them.

Zhang Zhiwei is confident in everything he does, but he is not blindly arrogant. He does not speak recklessly about things he is unaware of.

"Whether to handle a major fire or an internal repair fire, we cannot act rashly; we must test the waters before making a decision."

With this thought in mind, Zhang Zhiwei walked out of the Daoist Hall, intending to make a shallow probe.

However, to avoid dying while trying, some preparations must be made before trying again, which is called "using talismans to ward off evil".

"Talismans and incantations" are methods to deal with the three major calamities, and in theory they should be extremely precious and a closely guarded secret.

However, the ancient books in the Daoist Canon Hall clearly record this, and everyone can consult them; it is not some secret.

Zhang Zhiwei walked to the entrance of the hall and registered with his Uncle Zhang Yi, who was in charge of managing the Daoist Canon Hall.

According to the rules, one must register with their senior uncle before entering the hall to consult the Taoist canon, and the same registration is required when leaving.

While registering, Zhang Zhiwei casually inquired about the reason from his senior apprentice.

The martial uncle chuckled, "There are only a handful of people in the entire world who can cultivate to this level. Who are you trying to impress by hiding it? Why not just openly display it?" He paused mid-sentence, his eyes fixed on Zhang Zhiwei. This kid had withstood the lightning calamity of the Three Calamities a few years ago… could it be…?

Thinking of this, he suppressed the turmoil in his heart, but his voice still trembled uncontrollably:

"You're asking me this because you want to get rid of the fire disaster among the three calamities?"

Zhang Zhiwei nodded calmly: "I do have that feeling!"

"Hiss..."

Although he had already guessed it, Zhang Yi still couldn't help but gasp when it was confirmed. How old is this kid? At the age of thirty, he has already reached such a level. Doesn't he have any bottlenecks? If he continues like this, won't he become an immortal in a few years?

Zhang Yi continued, "I remember that the five elements in your body have been harmonized, and you have passed the test of the small fire. So now you want to study how to avoid a large fire?"

Zhang Zhiwei didn't hide anything from his martial uncle, saying, "It's not that I want to hide, but rather that I want to give it a try!"

"Try it?" Zhang Yi asked. "What do you want to try?"

Zhang Zhiwei said, "Although I have a slight feeling about it now, it's not time to face it directly yet. I plan to scout out the intensity in advance so I can make a decision!"

"What decision are you going to make, to go through the great fire?" Zhang Yi looked at him strangely.

"Yes, that's right!" Zhang Zhiwei nodded.

"Oh right?! You're kidding me! Do you even know what you're facing? You're still saying 'right'?"

Zhang Yi angrily retorted, "The Three Calamities are so formidable that even legendary immortals fear them like tigers. How dare you, a mere brat, underestimate them?"

"Uncle-Master, you've wronged me!" Zhang Zhiwei said innocently, "I dared not underestimate it, that's why I wanted to try it first!"

Zhang Yi was speechless with anger: "Aren't you afraid of dying if you try?"

“That’s why we need talismans to suppress evil!” Zhang Zhiwei said.

Zhang Yi was speechless, unsure of what to say. The Three Calamities were so dangerous that who among cultivators didn't fear and revere them?

Even an internal fire is an insurmountable mountain; a slight misstep during the climb can lead to certain death. And a massive fire is an even more formidable barrier, almost impossible to cross.

How come Zhang Zhiwei doesn't seem to think it's a big deal? He thinks it's worth trying if you want to. He even considers the internal fire repair as something trivial and not worth mentioning, acting like he's got it all figured out.

He wanted to reprimand him, but after opening his mouth, he said nothing. Zhang Zhiwei's level of understanding was much higher than his, and he naturally had his reasons for doing so. He decided to leave it to his senior brother to say.

Zhang Yi said:

Zhang Yi said with a solemn expression, "Although I have never actually arranged for the talisman to suppress me, according to the classics, the steps are not difficult, but they are too cumbersome."

"This process cannot tolerate the slightest mistake. If there is the slightest error, the entire setup will be ruined, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

“It’s not that your uncle doesn’t trust your abilities, it’s just that you’re always so clumsy. To be on the safe side, let your master and I handle this job.”

"After you've finished setting everything up, check it carefully to make sure there are no problems before you begin your tribulation."

In terms of cultivation and understanding of practice, he couldn't compare to Zhang Zhiwei, but when it came to the arrangement of talismans and rituals, he felt he was still superior to Zhang Zhiwei.

"With the help of my uncle and master, there's no chance of anything going wrong!" Zhang Zhiwei exclaimed with delight.

"Enough with the nonsense, come on, let's go see your master first."

After saying this, Zhang Yi called his disciple to guard the Daoist Temple, and then dragged Zhang Zhiwei toward the Great Shangqing Palace.

As soon as you leave the Celestial Master's Mansion, you can see groups of Taoist priests practicing in the training ground at the gate.

When Zhang Zhiwei came out, everyone, young and old, came over to greet him. Zhang Zhiwei wanted to exchange a few pleasantries with his fellow disciples.

But Zhang Yi was not in the mood for this. He had never experienced the dangers of the Three Calamities; he had only read about them in ancient texts.

The ancient texts say that the most terrifying thing about the Three Calamities, besides their power, is their uncertainty. You may think it's still early, but little do you know that they may suddenly descend in the next second, catching you off guard.

He was afraid that if he delayed any longer, his precious nephew would suddenly spontaneously combust and vanish like some legendary figures.

However, Zhang Zhiwei had a sense of when the calamity would strike. Having survived the lightning disaster, he was constantly in a state of harmony with nature, able to perceive many unseen omens. Although he had a vague premonition, the actual fire was still a long way off.

Of course, he didn't intend to passively wait for the fire to strike. Once he discerned the truth and felt confident in his abilities, he would immediately communicate with the heavens and earth to bring down the fire, just like he had brought down the lightning disaster last time.

The two arrived at the Shangqing Palace and met Zhang Jingqing. Because they felt the matter was urgent, Zhang Yi spoke even faster than Zhang Zhiwei, who was known for his big mouth.

He looked at his disciple in surprise: "It hasn't been many years since the last tribulation of lightning. I thought you would have to face the fire for at least ten years. It's happened so quickly!"

"Zhang Zhiwei is destined for three calamities... a great fire... and the need for talismans to ward off evil..."

Zhang Jingqing gleaned a few keywords from Zhang Yi's slightly flustered narration and instantly understood the whole story.

He looked at his disciple in shock: "It's only been a few years since you last faced the tribulation of lightning? I thought you would have to wait at least another ten years to face the fire, how come it's so soon?!"

Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand and said, "Master, Uncle-Master, I haven't come down the mountain even once in the past few years. I've been focusing on my cultivation on the mountain. Isn't it normal for my progress to be a little faster?"

"Normal?! My cultivation is shallow, don't lie to me!" Zhang Yi said, then looked at Zhang Jingqing: Senior brother, do you think this is normal?

“Normally it’s not normal, but in the case of Zhang Zhiwei, it’s barely normal!” Zhang Jingqing said.

"Is this normal or not? You're making me so confused..." Zhang Yi thought to himself, then said, "I'm worried that this kid will be rash and make mistakes when he sets up the talisman. To avoid any trouble, how about we two old guys help him with the setup? What do you think?"

Zhang Jingqing nodded, "Okay, it's definitely more reliable and reassuring for the two of us to set it up!"

He looked at Zhang Zhiwei and continued, "Where do you plan to set up the talisman array?"

"A great fire is a calamity of heaven, a majestic and awe-inspiring force that cannot be challenged. If you even peek at it, you may provoke its wrath and cause it to descend prematurely."

"Once that happens, you can't leave the talisman array even for a moment, otherwise the heavenly tribulation will immediately come for you!"

"Therefore, it's best to find a suitable place for long-term seclusion to set up the equipment. Places with many people, like the manor, won't work. It would be bad if someone got hurt by accident. Do you have a preferred place?"

At this moment, Zhang Yi asked, "How is Tianmen Peak, where you usually stay?"

Zhang Zhiwei shook his head: "There's a crooked tree over there. I used some lightning magic, and it was so scared it almost burrowed into the ground. If a fire breaks out, even a tiny spark could burn it down. Let's go to the back mountain; it's spacious and quiet there!" (End of Chapter)