I stole divine power in Daxia

Chapter 697 Bewitched
How can one prove their own innocence?
Even flesh and blood, soul, and tradition can be imitated, proving that all traces of one's past and present have lost all meaning.

So only the future!
My future is different from that of the fake Pigsy!
Thinking about this, the second senior brother suddenly had a moment of enlightenment.

This was something he had never experienced in his half-life of cultivation, and even the bottleneck of the second rank that had been holding him back seemed to have loosened.

The second senior brother suddenly understood why he couldn't cultivate to the second rank. He was able to become the third rank only because of the blessing of the pilgrimage lineage and the rare and precious materials.

But those at the third rank and above are seeking the Dao!

He believed that seeking Buddhist scriptures and Buddha was seeking the Way, but the Way was in one's own hands and never in the hands of others.

So the second senior brother smiled and said, "Instead of proving that I am real, it's better to eliminate all the fake ones. That way, what's left will naturally be real. They created a dozen or so fake ones to obtain Buddhist scriptures. If I were to go with them to obtain that damned true scripture, even if I am real, I would become fake!"

Hao Ren's expression turned serious as he looked at his second senior brother, "Then how do we eliminate all the fakes?"

The second senior brother calmed down for a moment or two, then said in a tone that even he himself could not believe, "Only by shattering the Buddhist kingdom can one see one's true self!"

"Okay, hahaha!"

Hao Ren did not answer, but a hearty laugh rang out from the hidden room of the study. Then the hidden room opened and several people walked out. The leader walked with a powerful stride, and a fierce aura condensed into a blood mist around him, which lingered for a long time.

The newcomer was none other than Zhou Tieyi's personal bodyguard, "Buddha's Enemy" A'da.

He laughed heartily and said to Hao Ren, "At first, I didn't believe that this lazy good-for-nothing had such awareness, but now it seems that there is a divine will at play. Young Master didn't make a mistake in choosing the team!"

When the second senior brother saw the "Buddha's enemy" Ah Da that had appeared, he instantly understood that the Heavenly Venerable must know the dangers of Buddhism. He had already made his move and created a "Buddha's enemy" first.

However, when everyone saw Ah Da as an enemy of Buddhism, they only thought it was a casual move. Especially after the Celestial Venerable agreed to the southward spread of Buddhism, Ah Da, this enemy of Buddhism, gradually disappeared from the eyes of the world. No one ever thought that he would eventually become a true enemy of Buddhism.

Hao Ren reached out and untied the soul-binding rope from his second senior brother's body, then said, "It's not easy to shatter the Buddhist kingdom. It's easy to shatter the Buddhist kingdom in Miaoshan City, but it's as difficult as climbing to heaven to shatter the Buddhist kingdom in people's hearts."

The second senior brother had already figured out his plan. Before his journey to the West, he was a military commander in the imperial court, and he was never short of tricks.

"It's naturally difficult to shatter the Buddhist kingdom in one's heart, but shattering Miaoshan City first is not a bad idea."

"Where are you going to start?"

Hao Ren nodded in agreement.

The second senior brother said cautiously, "Phoenix Ancestor has pledged allegiance to the Heavenly Venerable..."

He had only said the beginning when everyone understood what he meant.

Buddhism is an internal conflict within the human race, one that even the Celestial Venerable cannot easily resolve. Therefore, we should incite external forces to intervene and have the Phoenix Clan take action to destroy Buddhism. If their rescue efforts are delayed, there is a good chance of success.

Using external threats to solve internal problems has always been a foolish method, but it has been used by those in power throughout history.

However, some people succeeded, so the later writings describe defending against external enemies and resolving internal troubles.

Some people fail, so they write about brothers fighting and being unfilial!

However, as soon as the second senior brother began to speak, Ah Da chuckled disdainfully.

Hao Ren remained silent. The second senior brother looked at A Da and laughed, "I was foolish. Since someone is already willing to become a demon, inviting external aggression would be superfluous and would only give others an opportunity."

If we don't want to invite external attacks, then we need someone from within to sacrifice themselves. Killing Buddhists, especially killing millions of loyal Buddhists, is something that can never be cleansed, not even by a deity. Therefore, one of them needs to "go astray," because only when a demon kills someone is it justifiable.

Ah Da sneered, "Even if I don't become a demon, once Buddhism flourishes, I, an enemy of Buddhism, will become an unparalleled demon. Rather than letting them stab me in the back with their pens, I'd rather test the hardness of my blade or their bones!"

Murder may indeed be the ultimate solution to a problem, but there are nuances to how one should kill.

With Buddhism having developed to this point, simply preaching and expounding scriptures was not enough to defeat Maitreya, the leader of the Blood Sea.

We need to kill people, wipe out all the loyalists, but we can't let it spread to ordinary people!

Even murder should be done in a way that makes people feel it's justified.

For example, Ah Da, this "enemy of Buddha," betrayed the Heavenly Venerable and attempted to break through to the first-rank realm. Therefore, he stole the Heavenly Venerable's divine weapon, slaughtered all Buddhist disciples in the world, and became the first-rank demon king.

This transforms the internal conflict between good and evil within the human race into the problem of the desires of an unforgivable evil race and an ambitious individual.

Since everyone in the world likes to debate good and evil, then Ah Da will just tell everyone that he is wrong, and he will bear the infamy himself, regardless of anyone else.

If Ah Da is willing to become a demon, then things will be much easier.

The second senior brother continued, "We already have an external solution; now all that's missing is an internal solution and the follow-up cleanup."

Even the strongest fortress can be breached from within, and the same is true for Buddhism, which now seems invincible.

Although Buddhism strongly advocates the Western Paradise.

But Buddhism initially aimed to expand, so it established the Twenty-Four Heavenly Buddha Realms!
There are also contradictions between different Buddhist teachings.

Outsiders naturally cannot win debates with Buddhism, so they need to use Buddhism's own scriptures as a weapon!

The one who is most at odds with the Western Paradise right now is the Buddha of Killing!
The Buddha's path is to sever karmic debts, not to kill people!
As Maitreya Buddha's lineage grew stronger within Buddhism, he severed the seven emotions and six desires, transforming into a clay sculpture. Even though the Buddha of Killing had previously made great contributions to Buddhism, his lineage was now being marginalized by the Twenty-Four Heavenly Buddha Kingdoms.

Because everyone else is proclaiming love and peace, but you are the only one who proclaims killing to save the world, then no matter how well you do or how much you compromise internally, you are still an executioner and inferior to others!
The Buddha who kills can tolerate it, but can his subordinates tolerate it?
Those monks who wield the broken precept knife don't eat dirt, they eat meat!

If the Buddha who kills beings has a problem, then the Twenty-Four Devas have a problem, which can naturally be interpreted as a problem with the Dharma of Buddhism.

Buddhism likes to use the tactic of 'seeing the big picture from the small,' but in front of the Celestial Venerable, it is truly insignificant, since the Illusionary Realm and the Bright Moon System are still in the Celestial Venerable's hands.

The reason he didn't stop Buddhism from being widely promoted on the Taixu Forum was to see how many people couldn't resist jumping out to support it.

Since we want to destroy the foundation of the Paradise, we must first make them feel that they have won, otherwise why would they stand up?
"Amitabha."

Shenxiu chanted a Buddhist prayer softly, "This humble monk will go and persuade my grandmaster."

Shenxiu originated from Fahua Temple, as did the Buddha of Killing.

Shenxiu gradually came to understand the Dharma through practice and believed that Buddhist practice should "constantly wipe away the dust and not let it be stained," which is quite different from the current Buddhist practice of "reciting the Buddha's name and being reborn in the Pure Land."

Therefore, he was willing to go, even if it meant falling into demonic possession, to reshape Buddhism!

(End of this chapter)