Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

Not far away, several ragged beggars looked fearful. They had no money to buy incense to offer to Buddha. Could this be considered "insincere"?
Soon, the news spread throughout India.

The streets were deserted as all believers rushed outside the city, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the "Great Compassionate Storm."

Inside the Great Thunder Temple, the Buddha looked at the fervor of the believers reflected in the water mirror and smiled with satisfaction: "The time has come."

He stood up, his entire body radiating golden light: "All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, come with me to bless this 'Great Compassion'!"

Instantly, hundreds of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats responded in unison, riding auspicious clouds to the skies above India.

The Tathagata manifested a golden body of ten thousand feet tall, sitting solemnly before the chaotic storm, his appearance majestic and dignified.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha." The chanting of Buddhist hymns rang out, and the Buddha's light intertwined with the chaotic energy, actually coating the surface of the storm with a golden halo.

The believers on the ground, witnessing this scene, were nearly driven to madness with excitement: "Look! Buddha is blessing us with a storm!" "Buddha has manifested! It really is Buddha bestowing blessings!" "May Buddha have mercy! May Buddha have mercy!"

The Buddha looked down upon all beings, his voice booming like a great bell: "Good men and women, this is a great storm of compassion bestowed by me. Those who sincerely worship the Buddha will attain great liberation."

The believers knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces.

Some people even cut their fingers and wrote Buddhist scriptures in their blood to show their piety.

Just as this frenzied atmosphere reached its peak
"Huh?" Guanyin Bodhisattva suddenly frowned. "Buddha, the storm seems to be brewing."

The Buddha looked closely and his expression changed drastically.

The chaotic storm that should have swept across India actually stopped a hundred miles away from the Buddhist kingdom! Even more terrifying, it began to slowly turn and then accelerated its escape!

"This...this is impossible!" Buddha stood up in disarray, his golden light becoming somewhat disordered. He hurriedly tried to calculate with his fingers, but only obtained a chaotic state.

On the ground, the believers stared in disbelief as the "Buddha's blessing" figure ran further and further away. The piety on their faces gradually turned into confusion, and then panic: "Why...why did Buddha take back the blessing?" "Were we not devout enough?" "Has Buddha abandoned us?"

The Buddha sat serenely atop a nine-tiered golden lotus, his countenance solemn and his body radiating divine light.

The believers in the Buddhist kingdom of India knelt on the ground, devoutly chanting Buddhist mantras, waiting for the Buddha to bestow miracles.

"Today, I will unleash a storm of great compassion to save all sentient beings."

The voice of the Buddha was like a great bell, echoing between heaven and earth.

He slowly opened his palm, and a golden lotus flower bloomed in his hand, emitting a captivating fragrance.

The believers were moved to tears, bowing their heads repeatedly: "Buddha has mercy!" "Buddha has manifested His power!"

Just then, a chaotic storm suddenly swept across the horizon, as black as ink, yet adorned with seven-colored rays of light.

This is precisely what the Buddha called the "Great Compassionate Storm," containing supreme Buddhist power that can cleanse the sins of all beings.

The Buddha's lips curled slightly, and he was about to demonstrate a miracle to his believers when the chaotic storm suddenly stopped and then turned and ran away!

The Buddha's smile froze on his face: "This...this..."

The golden body of the Buddha trembled slightly, and the Buddha's light dimmed a bit.

In the Heavenly Court, the immortals and gods who witnessed this scene through the Haotian Mirror were immediately in an uproar.

"Hahaha!" Nezha, the Third Prince, was the first to burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach and rolled around on the cloud. "I'm dying of laughter! The Buddha's miracle actually ran away!"

Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, glared at his son, but his own lips were twitching.

Even more outrageous was the laughter of the Heavenly Consort Uma from the direction of the River Styx and the Sea of ​​Blood. It was as clear as a silver bell, yet it carried undisguised mockery: "Old Buddha, where did your Great Compassion Storm go? Could it be that the believers' offerings were not sincere enough?"

The laughter pierced through the three realms and reached the ears of every believer in the Buddhist kingdom of India.

The believers looked up blankly at the sky: "Buddha...where is Buddha's miracle?" "Wasn't it said that a great storm of compassion would descend?"

"Could it be that even Buddha would lie?"

These questions, like venomous snakes, began to gnaw at the devout hearts of the believers.

The Buddha's face changed from gold to blue, and then from blue to white.

He never expected that his carefully prepared publicity campaign would end in this way.

“Venerable Guanyin!” the Buddha exclaimed in a deep voice.

The white-robed Guanyin immediately appeared, holding a vase and looking worried: "Buddha."

"Go quickly and appease the believers, and say... say..." The Buddha was speechless for a moment, unable to find a suitable excuse.

The laughter of the Heavenly Princess Uma rang out again: "Buddha, why don't you explain yourself? Could it be that you, the Buddha, are also a fake?"

These words were like a sharp sword, piercing the hearts and minds of the believers in the Buddhist kingdom of India.

Some fanatical believers could not accept this reality and committed suicide on the spot, their blood staining the Buddhist holy land red.

"No!" The Buddha watched helplessly as the power of faith began to dissipate. Those fanatical believers who committed suicide, who were once the most devout followers, had now become the greatest irony.

Upon seeing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva immediately transformed into a thousand-armed, thousand-eyed form and sprinkled sweet dew in an attempt to appease the believers.

But once the seeds of doubt are sown, they are difficult to eradicate.

"Buddha."

Guanyin transmitted her voice into the secret realm.

"The believers are wavering too much; this cannot continue."

The Buddha suppressed his anger.

"By the decree of the Buddha, what happened today must not be recorded in any scriptures or books! Anyone who discusses it will be punished as a reincarnation of an Asura!"

Guanyin nodded and immediately conveyed the decree to monks throughout India through the Buddhist mind seal.

The Buddha then turned to the believers, his voice carrying an unprecedented severity.

"Your faith in the Buddha is not firm enough, which is why your affinity with the Buddha has dissipated! Today's misfortune is all due to your distracting thoughts! If you can sincerely repent, you will surely be blessed in the future!"

This kind of distorted and fabricated narrative has been repeatedly successful in the Buddhist kingdom of India.

Sure enough, some believers began to doubt themselves and knelt down, weeping bitterly.

"It is because we were not devout enough! Buddha, please forgive us!"

But many more people left the sacred Buddhist site silently, their eyes filled with doubt.

In the Heavenly Court, Nezha laughed so hard he almost fell over.

"Father, look at Buddha's old face, he's almost losing face!"

Li Jing frowned.

"Stop talking nonsense! The Buddha is, after all, the Buddha."

"What is it?"

Nezha pouted.

"If you can't even hold back a storm, what are you talking about saving all living beings?"

In the River Styx and the Sea of ​​Blood, the Heavenly Consort Umo leaned lazily on her throne and smiled at the maidservants beside her.

"Go, pass down the order, let all the Asuras know how utterly disgraced the old Buddha was today!"

The maid covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"Your Majesty is wise; Buddhism has lost face greatly this time."

The Buddha sensed the mockery of the Three Realms and was filled with rage, but he had to suppress it.

He transmitted his voice to the Bodhisattvas and Arhats of the Western faith.

"Hurry and gather the chaotic energy, don't waste any more time!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva asked in confusion.

"Buddha, the chaotic storm suddenly shifted direction; there seems to be something fishy about it."

Buddha shook his head.

"Even sages cannot predict the origin of this storm; it must be the will of Heaven, beyond human control."

He never dreamed that this humiliating turn of events was a carefully orchestrated scheme by someone.

Guanyin Bodhisattva acted swiftly, utilizing the strict monastic system of India to convey the Buddha's will layer by layer.

Soon, temples in various places began to preach the new doctrines.

"A connection with Buddhism is like the wind, coming and going without a trace."

"To be attached to appearances is to be attached to appearances."

"Today's setback is a test of your resolve."

This rhetoric has proven effective time and again in India, the land of Buddhas.

Although the impact cannot be completely eliminated in the short term, most believers will gradually forget about today's events or rationalize them over time.

Only the corpses of those fanatical believers who committed suicide silently testify to the price paid for this farce.

When the Buddha returned to Mount Ling, his face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water. All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas remained silent, none daring to provoke him.

"check!"

Buddha finally spoke, his voice icy cold.

"Find out exactly why the chaos storm suddenly changed direction!"

Guanyin said cautiously.

"Buddha, your disciple has already ordered people to calculate it, but the secrets of heaven are chaotic and we have no clue whatsoever."

"Keep checking!"

The Buddha shattered the jade table in front of him with a single palm strike.

"I do not believe this is a coincidence!"

Meanwhile, the chaotic storm swept across the three realms, eventually stopping at a certain unknown secret realm.

A figure emerged from the storm, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Old Buddha, are you satisfied with this great gift?"

He was toying with an ancient token in his hand, engraved with ancient runes that were the key to controlling the chaotic storm.

"Do you think that just because even sages couldn't predict it, it must be the will of Heaven?"

The man chuckled softly.

Little did you know, this was a trap I had prepared for you.

Low laughter echoed through the secret realm, while the Buddha on Mount Ling was still furious about the lost face and power of faith.

"Buddha."

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva hesitated.

"Both the Heavenly Court and the River Styx are watching us make a fool of ourselves. Should we..."

The Buddha raised his hand to stop him.

"Ignore them. They're just clowns. When Buddhism flourishes, they'll know the price of their laughter today!"

Even so, the Buddha knew in his heart that the damage to the prestige of Buddhism caused by today's events could not be repaired in a short time.

In particular, the mockery of the goddess Uma directly shook the foundation of the believers.

Above Chang'an, dark clouds rolled like raging waves, yet not a single drop of rain fell.

Seven-colored rays of light flashed through the clouds from time to time, as if a giant dragon was weaving through them.

The entire city was shrouded in a strange energy, and even the air became viscous.

"Your Majesty! Great joy!"

Minister of War Du Ruhui stumbled into the Taiji Hall, disregarding all etiquette.

"Urgent report from Luoyang: The chaotic storm lingered over Luoyang City for half an hour, and the defending soldiers have all achieved breakthroughs in their cultivation!"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, his dragon robe sleeves moving without any wind.

His eyes were like lightning, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"Tell me in detail!"

Du Ruhui.

"The three thousand soldiers of the Luoyang city defense force have all improved their cultivation by at least one minor realm, and all those above the centurion level have broken through to the next major realm! General Cheng Yaojin sent his personal guard with a battle report, saying that the strength of the Luoyang garrison has now at least doubled!"

There was an uproar in the hall.

The ivory tablet in Fang Xuanling's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and even this usually composed prime minister lost his composure.

"May Heaven bless the Great Tang!"

Li Shimin laughed loudly, his laughter shaking the palace beams.

"Immediately issue my decree, ordering Cheng Yaojin to immediately select elite troops and form the 'Chaos Iron Cavalry'!"

Before the words were finished, another messenger rushed into the hall.

"A urgent message to the Prefect of Yangzhou, delivered by express messenger over 800 li!"

Li Shimin waved his hand.

"Read!"

"The chaotic storm lingered in Yangzhou for an hour, and the yield of the spiritual fields in the city skyrocketed! Centuries-old ginseng is as plentiful as sweet potatoes, and lingzhi mushrooms have grown larger than millstones! The people are all picking up spiritual herbs in the fields, and now even beggars on the streets of Yangzhou are clutching ginseng as dry rations!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Li Shimin said "good" three times in a row, pacing back and forth in front of the dragon desk with great excitement.

"Issue an imperial decree to Yangzhou to immediately establish a 'Spiritual Medicine Bureau' to centrally purchase surplus spiritual medicines. Also allocate 30% of the existing stock to distribute to the impoverished people of each prefecture!"

Minister of Revenue Changsun Wuji hurriedly stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, with such a massive influx of medicinal herbs into the market, prices may plummet."

"Let it fall!"

Li Shimin was resolute.

"A true golden age is one where all the people of the world can enjoy the miraculous medicine! Issue my decree: anyone who dares to hoard or speculate on goods, or drive up prices, will have their entire family executed!"

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the hall.

Li Chunfeng, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, rushed in with disheveled hair and grass still stuck to his Taoist robe, clearly having run all the way.

"Your Majesty! I have observed an even more astonishing change!"

Li Chunfeng's voice was hoarse.

"Where the chaotic storm passed, the concentration of spiritual energy in the world increased more than a hundredfold. Newborn children in the mountains and fields saw their innate talent improve by at least two levels!"

Li Shimin's body trembled.

"Is this true?"

"Absolutely true!"

Li Chunfeng took out a crystal-clear spirit-testing jade from his sleeve.

"These are the data I measured in Zhongnan Mountain. Children from ordinary families can now be born at the third level of Qi Refining! In the past, this would have taken three years of arduous training!"

The hall erupted in commotion once again.

The military officers were eager to fight, while the civil officials whispered among themselves.

Li Shimin's eyes suddenly reddened. He thought of his princes and princesses who had died young, and wondered what would have happened if they had been in the same circumstances back then.
"His Majesty!"

Wei Zheng suddenly stepped forward, his voice booming.

"This is a golden opportunity. I suggest that the 'Complete Essentials of Martial Arts' be revised immediately, and free martial arts schools be established in various prefectures and counties so that commoners can also learn superior martial arts techniques!"

Li Shimin nodded emphatically.

"Granted! Allocate another 30% of the medicinal herbs from Yangzhou, specifically for pregnant women and children under ten. I want every member of my Tang Dynasty to be like a dragon!"

Just as the court discussion was in full swing, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the palace.

A weary border messenger dismounted and knelt before the palace gate.

"The Buddhist Kingdom of Tianzhu has sent an envoy to inquire why the chaotic storm reached its border seven times and then turned back!"

The hall fell silent instantly.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

"Oh? What did the Indian envoy say?"

The messenger swallowed hard.

"The Indian National Preceptor claims that our Great Tang Dynasty used sorcery to monopolize this divinely granted opportunity. They say they will unite with the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions to demand an explanation from our Great Tang Dynasty."

"Hahahaha!"

Li Shimin suddenly looked up and laughed loudly, his laughter so powerful that it shook the palace tiles.

"Tell them this is the will of Heaven! If they disagree, let them fight! I want to see whether their Indian Buddha is more powerful or the iron cavalry of my Great Tang is sharper!"

In the ranks of military officers, Yuchi Gong suddenly stomped his foot, causing the ground to tremble.

"Your Majesty is wise! Our soldiers' cultivation has greatly improved, and we were just looking for a place to test their skills!"

Li Shimin surveyed his ministers, his gaze sharp and piercing. (End of Chapter)