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

"Issue an order to all prefectures and counties that the spiritual medicines and materials bestowed by the Chaos Storm should be prioritized for supplying the soldiers on the border. Furthermore, order the Ministry of Works to expedite the production of spirit-testing jades and distribute them to all prefectures and counties to select talented individuals from among the common people!"

"I'm waiting for the order!"

The civil and military officials responded in unison, their voices soaring to the heavens.

Just then, a dazzling light suddenly shone outside the hall.

Everyone hurriedly went out of the hall to look, and saw that a chaotic storm was slowly rotating above Chang'an City.

A seven-colored pillar of light descended from the eye of the storm, enveloping the entire imperial city.

Li Chunfeng suddenly knelt down on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Your Majesty, this storm... this storm has a spirit! It is specially nourishing every inch of our Great Tang land!"

On the seventh day at dusk, the Chaos Storm finally exhausted its last bit of chaotic energy.

The once vibrant, swirling storm vortex has now lost all its ethereal charm, leaving only pure, violent wind raging across the heavens and earth.

The storm, stretching for ten thousand miles, was like a giant beast stripped of its soul, its only remaining instinct for destruction roaring.

"Amitabha."

The Buddha sat serenely on his lotus throne, his eyes filled with an almost imperceptible sense of pleasure.

"Now that the chaotic energy has been exhausted, this storm has become pure divine punishment."

Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding a vase, stood beside the Tathagata and nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"Buddha, you are wise and discerning. The Tang Dynasty has disrespected our Buddha and deserves this calamity."

The storm's edge has already reached the borders of the Tang Dynasty.

The strong wind whipped up sand and stones, making the border walls creak and groan.

The soldiers defending the city stared pale-faced at the storm that blotted out the sky, their weapons trembling uncontrollably.

"Report!"

A celestial soldier rushed into the Lingxiao Palace in a panic.

"Your Majesty, a strange chaotic storm is sweeping towards the Tang Dynasty!"

The Jade Emperor frowned, his gaze sweeping over the immortals in the hall.

"My dear friends, do you have any good ideas?"

Lao Tzu lightly waved his whisk and sighed.

"This is the natural order of things; forcibly interfering may backfire. Besides..."

He gave a meaningful look to the west.

"The Buddhist community has long established this view."

Silence fell over the hall.

All the immortals knew perfectly well that the Buddha had already defined this storm as "divine punishment," and anyone who interfered would be making an enemy of the entire Buddhist sect.

Meanwhile, inside the Leiyin Temple on Mount Ling, the Buddha was preaching to three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, eight Vajras, and countless Bodhisattvas.

"In the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory, people revere Heaven and Earth, their hearts are open and their spirits are at peace; in the Northern Continent of Reed, though they kill, it is only for the sake of making a living."

The Buddha's voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the entire Mahavira Hall.

"Only in Jambudvipa, there is greed, lust, and strife, with much killing and fighting. It is truly a battlefield of words and a sea of ​​evil."

At one corner of the hall, several celestial officials sent by the Heavenly Court to observe the ceremony looked at each other in bewilderment.

One of them whispered.

"Isn't this turning black into white? Jambudvipa is clearly..."

"Be careful!"

His companions quickly stopped him.

"The Buddhist sect is powerful and should not be discussed lightly."

As if he had overheard the whispers, Buddha's gaze swept across them like lightning, and the celestial officials immediately fell silent.

"Guanyin (the Bodhisattva of Compassion)".

The Buddha suddenly called out.

"The disciple is here."

Guanyin Bodhisattva bowed in response.

“Go to Jambudvipa and tell those ignorant beings that this is the retribution for their many evil deeds. Only by taking refuge in the Buddha can they escape the sea of ​​suffering.”

Guanyin clasped her hands together in prayer.

"I will obey the Buddha's instructions."

Just as Guanyin was about to set off, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the hall.

"Report!"

A Vajra rushed in in a panic.

"Buddha, something terrible has happened! That storm, that storm!"

The Buddha frowned.

"What's the panic? Shouldn't the storm be sweeping across the Tang Dynasty?"

King Kong's face was deathly pale.

"Reporting to Buddha, the storm...the storm has broken through the border restrictions of our Indian Buddhist Kingdom and is...is landing on our Pure Land!"

"what?!"

The Buddha suddenly stood up from the lotus platform, and even the Buddha's light trembled.

"This is impossible!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva nearly dropped the vase in her hand and exclaimed in disbelief.

"The storm hadn't crossed the border in seven days, how could it suddenly happen?"

The Buddhas were in uproar. The Tathagata's expression was uncertain as he calculated with his fingers, only to find that the secrets of heaven were in complete chaos.

"Quick! Come with me to see!"

With a wave of his sleeve, the Buddha led all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on clouds straight to the border.

The border of the Buddhist kingdom of India is a chilling sight.

The hurricane that should have been blocked by the Buddha's light barrier was now moving in as if it were nothing, its violent winds tearing apart the golden Buddha's light at the border and rushing straight in.

"This this."

Guanyin Bodhisattva's face turned green.

"Buddha, our restrictions..."

The Buddha's face was ashen, and his body trembled slightly.

"Impossible unless..."

He suddenly realized something, and his expression changed drastically.

"Unless the chaotic energy is exhausted, the nature of the storm will completely change and it will no longer be subject to Buddhist restrictions!"

In the distance, the Buddhist believers were completely unaware of the impending disaster.

They cheered as they saw the storm approaching.

"Buddha's grace has descended!"

"Buddha has appeared!"

"Quickly kneel down to receive Buddha's grace!"

Thousands of believers spontaneously gathered along the storm's path, kneeling in devout worship.

Their eyes gleamed with fanaticism, completely unaware that death was approaching.

The sky over the Buddhist kingdom of India was stained blood-red.

"Buddha has appeared!"

An elderly believer with a wrinkled face knelt on the ground, his hands clasped together, his cloudy eyes filled with tears of ecstasy.

Behind him, thousands of believers prostrated themselves on the ground, chanting Buddhist mantras as they welcomed the chaotic storm that descended from the sky.

At the eye of the storm, a pitch-black vortex spun slowly, like a cold eye watching the ants below.

"boom"

When the first stream of chaotic energy fell, the believers were still immersed in ecstasy.

Until the old man kneeling in the front row suddenly swelled up, and it felt like countless worms were wriggling under his skin.
"Oh!"

The sound of flesh and blood exploding was like a signal. Then, the bodies of countless believers exploded under the erosion of the chaotic energy, and blood and bits of flesh rained down, staining the entire Buddhist holy land a scarlet red.

"This is not Buddha's grace."

A young monk stared blankly at his blood-stained hands, his pupils trembling violently.

This is a massacre.

On Mount Ling, the golden body of the Buddha swayed slightly.

He opened his eyes, his gaze filled with rare astonishment.

"Buddha, the Buddhist Kingdom of India"

Guanyin Bodhisattva arrived with a pale face, the willow branch in her vase having withered at some point.

"I already know."

The Buddha's voice was deep, and the golden wheel of merit behind him dimmed slightly.

"The Chaotic Storm. Even sages cannot deduce its origin."

Guanyin's lips trembled.

"Countless believers died or were injured; the survivors' faith collapsed."

After a long silence, the Buddha finally let out a long sigh.

“Go back to Mount Ling. A hundred years from now, they will forget the pain of today and return to Buddhism.”

Guanyin hesitated, then finally bowed deeply.

She knew that some wounds could not be healed by time. Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Star Palace, Lin Zhu sat cross-legged on a jade futon, with twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls floating in front of her, forming a profound array.

In the center of the formation, a tender green seedling slowly unfurled its leaves, each leaf exuding a chaotic aura.

"It's done!"

Lin Zhu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and a smile appeared on his lips.

[Ding! The Chaos Green Lotus has successfully entered the seedling stage]

[Current Effect: Tenfold increase in spiritual energy gathering, generates chaotic energy annually]

Uses of Chaotic Qi: 1. Cultivation (each wisp increases cultivation by a million years) 2. Weapon Refining (upgrades the grade of treasures) 3. Accelerating the growth of Green Lotus

[Warning: The Chaos Green Lotus is a treasure that heaven and earth cannot tolerate. When it matures, it will cause a cataclysmic change in the world. Please be careful, host.]

The system notification sounded in Lin Zhu's mind, and he suppressed his excitement.

"One year, five hundred years is 180,000 strands."

Lin Zhu calculated quickly, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

"Equivalent to eighteen million years of cultivation!"

He reached out and gently touched the seedling, a sharp pain shooting through his fingertips. It was the chaotic energy eroding his body.

But Lin Zhu was not surprised but delighted, because this showed that the Chaos Green Lotus was of extremely high quality.

"Great Golden Immortal."

Lin Zhu murmured to himself, his eyes burning with passion.

"No, even a quasi-saint."

He recalled the bewilderment he felt when he first arrived in this world.

An ordinary Earthling suddenly becomes a celestial star lord. If he hadn't awakened this "strongest cultivation system," he would probably have died in some unknown corner long ago.

"System, bring up my properties panel."

[Host: Lin Zhu]

[Cultivation Level: Perfected Taiyi Golden Immortal]

[Cultivation Technique: Zhou Tian Xing Chen Jue (Mastery)]

[Magic Treasures: Twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls, Star Sword, Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe]

[Current Task: Cultivating the Chaos Lotus (Completed)]

[New Quest: Advance to the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm (Not Yet Available)]

Lin Zhu nodded in satisfaction.

In just three hundred years since his transmigration, he has grown from a mortal with no cultivation to a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Such a speed is beyond the reach of even those born with divine powers.

"but."

Lin Zhu frowned slightly.

"The matter of the Chaos Green Lotus must absolutely not be revealed."

He got up and walked to the star-gazing platform of the Star Palace, looking down at the sea of ​​clouds.

There, the tragic state of the Buddhist kingdom of India can be vaguely seen.

Although they were thousands of miles apart, with his cultivation level, he could still feel the despair and pain that permeated that land.

"do not blame me."

Lin Zhu murmured to himself.

"The path of cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. The Buddha you worship cannot save you, but I can save myself."

He turned and went back into the hall, waving his hand to set up nine layers of restrictions.

The Star Palace was immediately isolated from the outside world, and even the Heavenly Dao's perception was temporarily blocked.

"Let's try the effects of the Chaos Qi first."

Lin Zhu carefully guided the chaotic energy that was wrapped around the tender lotus bud and introduced it into his body.

"boom!"

As if a star had exploded inside his body, Lin Zhu felt his meridians being stretched to their limits in an instant.

Wherever that chaotic energy passed, flesh and bones underwent qualitative changes, and magical power surged at a visible speed.

"what"

Even with Lin Zhu's strong willpower, he couldn't help but let out a cry of pain.

Blood seeped from every pore of his body, but his eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.

Because his cultivation bottleneck has loosened!

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Zhu finally finished digesting the chaotic energy.

He opened his eyes, and his gaze seemed to hold the movement of stars.

"As expected of the primordial energy."

Lin Zhu felt the surging power within her body.

"This alone is worth a hundred years of my arduous cultivation!"

He looked at the Chaos Green Lotus and noticed that the tender sprout seemed to have grown a little.

To his even greater surprise, new chaotic energy was forming.

"Automatically generated. This is the true treasure!"

Lin Zhu's fingers trembled slightly with excitement.

He suddenly understood why the system said this was a treasure "unacceptable to heaven and earth." Such a heaven-defying existence should indeed not appear in the world.

Just as Lin Zhu was immersed in joy, a sudden ripple came from outside the hall.

"Star Lord, the Jade Emperor requests your presence."

A clear, cool female voice pierced through the barrier.

Lin Zhu's expression changed, and he quickly put away the Chaos Green Lotus and removed the restriction. The palace door opened automatically, and a fairy dressed in a moon-white fairy dress floated in.

"Chang'e, the Moon Goddess".

Lin Zhu bowed respectfully, his expression having returned to calm.

"What important matter does the Jade Emperor wish to discuss with me?"

Chang'e's beautiful eyes were filled with doubt. She felt that the atmosphere in the Star Palace was a bit unusual, but she couldn't detect anything even after carefully sensing it.

"This concerns the Buddhist kingdom of India."

"Chang'e said softly."

"A chaotic storm suddenly descended, causing heavy losses to the Buddhist kingdom. The Jade Emperor summoned all the immortals to discuss the matter."

Lin Zhu's heart skipped a beat, but a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"Is this really true? I've been in seclusion for many days and I was completely unaware of the changes happening outside."

Chang'e nodded.

"There's no time to lose, Star Lord, please come with me to the Lingxiao Palace."

"The fairy goes ahead first; I'll tidy up a bit and then go."

After Chang'e left, Lin Zhu quickly checked the restrictions to make sure that the aura of the Chaos Green Lotus had not leaked out. Then he changed into a formal court dress and rode a cloud to the Lingxiao Palace.

Lin Zhu's mind raced the whole way.

The chaotic storm was caused by his secret manipulation of the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl, with the aim of collecting enough chaotic energy to awaken the Azure Lotus Seed.

Now that he has achieved his goal, he must be careful not to arouse suspicion.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, all the immortals had arrived. The Jade Emperor sat solemnly on his dragon throne.

"My beloved ministers, the Buddhist kingdom of Tianzhu has been suddenly struck by a chaotic storm, resulting in countless deaths and injuries."

The Jade Emperor said in a deep voice.

"The Buddha has led his followers back to Mount Sumeru. This matter is quite strange. Does anyone have any insights?"

Venus stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has observed the celestial phenomena. This chaotic storm came suddenly and without warning, and it is probably not formed naturally."

"Venus means..."

The Jade Emperor frowned slightly.

"This old minister suspects that someone is secretly manipulating things."

Venus made a startling statement.

There was an uproar in the hall.

Lin Zhu stood among the immortals, his expression unchanged, but his palms were already sweating.

"absurd!"

"Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, shouted loudly."

"The chaotic storm is the power of heaven and earth; how could it be caused by human power? Unless it is a sage who intervenes, but how could you sages do such a thing?"

The immortals all nodded in agreement.

Indeed, the ability to manipulate chaotic storms is beyond the scope of ordinary immortals and gods.

The Jade Emperor looked at Lin Zhu, who had remained silent.

"Minister Lin, you are in charge of the stars, have you made any discoveries?"

Lin Zhu stepped forward and said respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I have been in seclusion recently and have not paid attention to the changes in the celestial phenomena. However..."

He hesitated for a moment.

"Although chaotic storms are rare, they are not without precedent. Five hundred years ago, a similar storm occurred in Beiju Luzhou, also without any warning."

His words were half true and half false, both clearing himself of suspicion and guiding the immortals to think about natural phenomena.

As expected, the Jade Emperor nodded slightly upon hearing this. (End of Chapter)