Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The universe was in chaos, and I knew not where I was.

In the vast void of stars, a slightly disheveled figure fell out of a spacetime rift, staggered a few steps, and then collapsed to the ground.

The figure's headdress had vanished, and his brocade robe was tattered. He sat slumped on the ground in silence for a long time before letting out a low laugh.

"hehe."

"Hehehehe."

As he laughed, he suddenly looked up and burst into loud laughter: "Hahahahahahaha!"

"Buddha of the Western Paradise! Buddha of the Western Paradise!"

Neither do you.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back, carefully looked around, and then let out a long sigh of relief.

Zizai Xuanjun recalled the Buddhist chains that had pierced through his limbs and bones, and the Sanskrit scriptures imprinted on his soul. He realized that he was almost forcibly converted by the last breath.

"Fortunately, fortunately, I had prepared a backup plan."

"Unfortunately, after this, we can no longer use that backup plan."

As he spoke, even the unrestrained and carefree Great Heavenly Demon Lord Zizai Xuanjun couldn't help but show a trace of heartache and regret, but he suppressed this regretful expression in an instant.

As long as you can live and be free, there's nothing to regret.

"That Buddha was truly willing to go to such lengths for me, actually creating another Dharma body."

"However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. As long as that Dharma body is there, even the one in the Heavenly Court can no longer force me to do anything."

After some thought, Zizai Xuanjun slowly got up, looked around at the void of stars, and then found a direction to tear open the void and walk in.

In the next instant, Zizai Xuanjun vanished without a trace.

Three breaths later, a golden lotus bloomed here. As time passed, the Supreme Venerable King Buddha walked out from the time-space passage. He only glanced at the void star sea here, and the next moment he found the trace of the Free and Unfettered Mystic Lord.

The Venerable King Buddha raised his hand and pointed, causing space and time to ripple and form a passage leading to an unknown area. The Venerable King Buddha walked into the passage and disappeared.

However, just five breaths after the Venerable King Buddha disappeared, a seed suddenly sprouted in this void of stars. A black lotus slowly grew and bloomed, and the Free and Easy Mystic Lord in his black crown and brocade robe calmly walked out from it. He straightened his clothes, glanced disdainfully in the direction where the Venerable King Buddha had left, and then disappeared without a trace.

The next instant, flames burned and formed a sun wheel, and the figure of the Venerable King Buddha once again emerged from the space-time tunnel.

With his hands clasped together, the Venerable King Buddha's expression was serene and peaceful. This Buddha, whose left thumb had transformed into the Buddha of the Way, softly chanted a Buddhist mantra before his figure vanished without a trace, just like the Free and Unfettered Lord.

Immediately afterwards, figures of the Free and Unfettered Mystic Lords suddenly emerged from this void of stars, each running in different directions of the chaotic universe. Also, figures of Venerable Kings and Buddhas manifested, chasing after the figures of the Free and Unfettered Mystic Lords.

In less than a quarter of an hour, it was as if thousands upon thousands of Free and Mysterious Lords appeared, along with thousands upon thousands of Venerable Kings and Buddhas.

The two powerful beings at the Dao-holding realm fought in this void of stars. Even though no demonic techniques or Buddhist supernatural powers were visible, their mysterious and unpredictable methods still made people tremble with fear.

The void star sea returned to calm, but beneath it, the hidden river of time was rippling with tides.

At various points in time and space, and in the past years, traces of the Free and Unfettered Mystic Lord appeared, along with the figure of the Venerable King Buddha.

At every point in time and space, in every past era, it was the Venerable King Buddha who suppressed the Free and Unfettered Lord, giving him no chance to escape.

As the scattered phantoms dissipated, it also meant that Zizai Xuanjun had simultaneously lost his means of escaping to these places.

Finally, at a certain point in time and space, the true form of Zizai Xuanjun was blocked by Zunwang Buddha.

Looking at the Venerable King Buddha sitting on the lotus platform in front of him, manifesting the Eight Treasures of Buddhism, Zizai Xuanjun sighed helplessly and powerlessly: "The Buddha's speed is really fast. He was able to find my existence even after all this."

The Venerable King Buddha said coldly, "You can transform into countless forms, but I, the Buddha, have the ability to project into countless worlds."

"What appears as a mirage or the moon's reflection in water is also real; the projection of reality can be realized in the blink of an eye."

As a pure Yang powerhouse at the Dao-holding realm, his various methods are incredibly powerful, and transforming himself into countless projections across myriad worlds is nothing more than a minor trick.

Those beings who have attained the Dao Realm, their differentiated projections, can instantly transform into their true forms, whether in the past, present, or future.

This is the supreme one who upholds the Way; this is the proof that lasts forever.

Every time the Venerable King Buddha suppressed the Free and Unfettered Lord in the past, it was a way of consolidating the Free and Unfettered Lord's energy and true spirit.

When the Venerable King Buddha has completely gathered all the past existences of the Free and Unfettered Lords, it means that the Free and Unfettered Lords will be completely unable to escape the Venerable King Buddha's palm. At that time, the only fate the Free and Unfettered Lords will face is suppression.

It can be said that from the moment the Golden Awakening Buddha removed his left thumb, giving birth to the Supreme Demon-Subduing Venerable King Buddha, the future of the Free and Mysterious Lord was destined.

That was the final destiny set for Zizai Xuanjun by the Buddha who sat in the Great Lingyin Temple in the Western Heaven of the Three Realms. Unless there was a being of the same level as the Master of the Dao who interfered with this cause and effect, and unless Zizai Xuanjun could elevate himself to the level of the Master of the Dao, he would never escape the ending set for him by the Golden Awakening Buddha.

It's just a matter of being arrested now or in the future.

Sensing that his fate and destiny had been sealed, Zizai Xuanjun showed no fear or dejection. Instead, he looked at Zunwang Buddha with great interest: "It seems that Buddha has this poor Daoist in his grasp."

"Does the Buddha know why this humble Taoist insisted on stopping at this point in time and space?"

Venerable King Buddha frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. Immediately afterwards, Venerable King Buddha raised his palm to suppress Zizai Xuanjun.

The sun rose high in the sky, and the dark golden Buddha's palm that suppressed evil spirits descended from the heavens. The entire space-time trembled under the vast Buddha's might, but Zizai Xuanjun remained remarkably calm and composed.

"To be honest, Demon Lord, this spacetime is a node belonging to the Mountain and River Realm."

"This point comes from the war between immortals and Buddhas that took place between the Mountain and River Realm and the Hengsha Realm ten thousand years ago. That war that lasted for ten thousand years was truly breathtaking. Whether it was the three sects of the Xuanmen in the Mountain and River Realm or the various Buddhist temples in the Hengsha Realm, they were all severely damaged."

Hearing Zizai Xuanjun's words, the ominous premonition in the heart of the Venerable King Buddha grew stronger. This Demon-Subduing Buddha had already stood up from the golden lotus, and with a wave of his hand, the treasure umbrella rose into the air and fluttered. As the treasure umbrella opened, the treasure umbrella engraved with various Sanskrit characters and Buddhist marks swayed and spun. The twelve golden beads and twenty-four silver bells hanging on the treasure umbrella made a series of crisp sounds, and the imprinted layers of Buddhist images were shrouded in a crystal-clear radiance.

In an instant, the precious umbrella covered Zizai Xuanjun's head, and layer upon layer of suppressing power fell, firmly suppressing Zizai Xuanjun in place, unable to move.

As the Buddhist teachings, which seemed to overturn chaos, descended, Zizai Xuanjun revealed a smile: "In the great war between the Mountain and River Realm and the Thousand Sands Realm in the past, Tianlong Temple and Jinchan Temple each lost a Pure Yang."

Hearing Zizai Xuanjun still speaking, Zunwang Fo's eyes flashed with anger: "Shut up!"

In an instant, the treasure umbrella burst forth with brilliant Buddhist light, and towering Buddhist fire descended. It was clear that the Venerable King Buddha did not intend to suppress the Free and Unfettered Mysterious Lord, but instead chose to annihilate him directly.

However, amidst the endless flames of Buddhist fire, Zizai Xuanjun calmly smiled and said, "An Arhat of the Vajra Path and a Great Bodhisattva of the Lapis Lazuli Path perished on the battlefield, or rather, perished in the hands of the Countless Realms."

"However, although the Arhat and the great Bodhisattva died, their remnant souls remained. They resented the countless worlds and the Buddha who killed them."

"Therefore, after the great battle, the remnant souls of that Arhat and that Bodhisattva merged into one under the final calamity."

At this moment, the Venerable King Buddha had transformed into an angry state, with endless Buddhist fire bursting from his body. The twelve Dharma forms manifested in succession, all of them unleashing deadly divine powers at the Free and Mysterious Lord in a state of wrath.

In an instant, one after another Buddha images appeared in the sky like the sun, and projections of Buddha treasures were projected over. The sky was filled with the light of crystal, the flames of gold, the vajra to suppress demons, and the parasol to cover the sky.
Even under the immeasurable power of Buddhist teachings and supreme treasures, the Free and Unfettered Lord still spoke to himself: "In the end, the two remnant souls merged to give birth to an unprecedented existence."

"That is the fusion of the Vajra Path and the Lapis Lazuli Path, and it is also the manifestation of the Bodhi Path."

"It can be said that if it weren't for the fusion of the remnant souls of that Arhat and that great Bodhisattva, there would be no Bodhi Path of Buddhism today, and no Buddha sitting in the Great Lingyin Temple in the Western Paradise today."

"Throughout the myriad realms and among all living beings, only the Buddha of the Western Paradise knows of the path to enlightenment. How could they possibly know that there was another being who embarked on this path even earlier than the Buddha of the Western Paradise?" "That being is none other than the Buddha Emperor!"

Buddha Emperor!

As Zizai Xuanjun uttered those two words, Zunwang Buddha suddenly froze on the spot.

For a moment, there was the chanting of Sanskrit.

For a time, a Pure Land appeared.

For a time, there was a ritual performed with crystal beads.

For a time, the Buddha's light shone upon the world.

Boundless Buddha light spread out, and amidst the rosy clouds and auspicious mists, a tall and majestic figure appeared.

He sits cross-legged on a nine-tiered golden lotus, with a fleshy protuberance on his head and a white hair between his eyebrows; he is born with kind eyes and a compassionate yet majestic appearance.

Wearing a crimson lotus crown adorned with ten thousand Buddhas and a brocade robe embroidered with countless treasures, he pointed one finger to the sky and the other to the earth.

It actually looks exactly like the Golden Awakening Buddha who sits on the twelve golden lotus platforms of the Great Lingyin Temple in the Western Paradise of the Three Realms!
However, to the left and right of this seemingly compassionate Buddha, there is another face: on the left is an angry Arhat, and on the right is a Bodhisattva with lowered eyebrows.

Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas—three faces on one head—don't appear strange; instead, they exude a sense of sacred majesty.

The Venerable King Buddha stared intently at the suddenly appearing figure, sensing the unmistakable aura of the Buddhist Bodhi Path, and his body trembled uncontrollably: Buddha Emperor! Enemy of Buddha!

However, when the Buddha Emperor faced the Venerable King Buddha, he only showed a compassionate smile: "Namo Zizai Bodhi True Buddha".

"Please tell that benefactor that the Three Buddhas are nothing but illusions. In the future, the one who will enter the Great Lingyin Temple and sit on the twelve golden lotus platforms as the patriarch is only this humble monk."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Buddha Emperor vanished without a trace, and the Free and Unfettered Mystic Lord also disappeared without a trace.

At this moment, the Venerable King Buddha stopped trembling, his expression returned to its majesty, and his face was indifferent.

Nine acres of auspicious clouds swirled above his head, and the Buddhist fortune soared into the sky like a pillar. Three layers of light appeared behind his head, and thirty-six Dharma forms manifested on the left and right. He stood on a lotus platform, as if sitting in the heavens looking down on the human world.

At this moment, the one controlling this body is no longer the Venerable King Buddha, but Namo Tathagata Ajatasatru Buddha, the master of the Great Lingyin Temple in the Western Heaven.

The Golden Buddha's expression was indifferent, devoid of joy or sorrow, as if the Free and Mysterious Lord and the Buddha Emperor were nothing more than ants in his eyes.

After a long silence, Buddha Jinjue slowly spoke: "You escaped quite quickly."

"The Three World-Honored Ones are nothing but illusions?"

"The past will eventually pass; the future will only exist in the future."

As the words of the Golden Buddha fell, the spacetime node here suddenly collapsed. The long river of time that flowed through the chaotic universe and stretched across all the heavens and myriad realms abruptly froze. A colossal golden Buddha, reaching to the heavens and the earth, was seen coiled above the river of time, one finger pointing to the sky and the other to the earth.

"Above and below heaven, I am the World Honored One, I alone am the Honored One."

The unusual movement in the River of Time could not escape the eyes of the other three Dao Masters.

On the Nine Provinces Realm, in that void, Qingyan Heavenly Venerable and Mingyang Heavenly Venerable glanced at each other and then withdrew their gazes.

Mingyang Tianzun asked, "What is your opinion of that Buddha Emperor, Senior Brother?"

Qingyan Tianzun laughed and said, "What do Buddhist matters have to do with my Taoist school?"

"Let's wait and see."

Upon hearing this, Mingyang Tianzun smiled and said, "However, that Buddha will probably have to put in a lot of effort."

In the chaotic Eastern Region, in the space-time of time, the Heavenly Emperor, seated on the Nine Dragon Golden Throne, gazed at the long river of time with a slight smile.

"Buddha Emperor?"

"Interesting, interesting."

"That Heavenly Demon really does bring me some amusement."

Clearly, both the Eastern Taoists and the Heavenly Court were happy to see this farce unfold in the Western Paradise.

Now that the two Celestial Venerables and the Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor are no longer in the Three Realms, who would want to see that Buddha of the Western Paradise truly act without restraint?

In the depths of chaos, there lies the Great Star of No Return.

Wearing a crimson crown adorned with ten thousand Buddhas and a robe draped in brocade, the Buddha Emperor slowly removed his crown and robe. The two faces that had been growing on either side of him faded away, revealing the face of the Free and Mysterious Lord.

Zizai Xuanjun breathed a long sigh of relief. Even as a Dao-holding being and a Chaos Demon born from the desires of all living beings, Zizai Xuanjun was still covered in a cold sweat.

This cold sweat wasn't just because of the perilous situation at the time, but also because of the Buddha statue on his body.

After a moment of silence, Zizai Xuanjun said in a low voice, "Why don't you take this opportunity to convert that King Buddha?"

A figure emerged from the shadow of the Free and Unfettered Mystic Lord, and sneered, "What do you take me for?"

"I am not the True Yang Master, how can I convert His Dharma Body?"

"If I truly had the potential to save people, why would I turn around and run away?"

"It's good enough if we can be intimidated. If we don't run away, He might have to come down and deal with us personally."

Zizai Xuanjun asked suspiciously, "This is a calamity for the Xuanmen. Both the two Heavenly Venerables of the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School and His Majesty of the Heavenly Court are watching closely. Does anyone really dare to personally intervene?"

The figure, or rather the Buddha Emperor, smiled: "Would you like to give it a try?"

Upon hearing this, Zizai Xuanjun chuckled softly, "Hehe...hehehehe."

The Buddha Emperor looked at the Free and Unfettered Lord and grinned. For a moment, the Great Star of No Return was filled with laughter.

The sound was rampant and distorted, it was frenzied and obscure, it was unrestrained and reckless.

As he laughed, Zizai Xuanjun let out a long sigh: "The changes in this calamity of the Xuanmen are becoming more and more numerous."

"This is a good thing for both of us."

The Buddha Emperor nodded in agreement: "The Xuanmen is facing a calamity, but it cannot be solely the Xuanmen that gets involved."

"If we could get those Buddhist sects involved, it would be even more beneficial for both of us."

"At least by then, He won't be keeping a close eye on you and me anymore."

"And you and I also have the opportunity to claim our share."

Zizai Xuanjun slowly nodded:

"Let me think about it, let me think about it." (End of Chapter)