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

Before long, three disheveled figures flew into the main hall; they were none other than Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, the three great bodhisattvas.

"Greetings to Buddha."

The three monks bowed, their faces extremely grim.

The Buddha frowned slightly.

"Why have only the three of you returned? Where are Dipankara Buddha and Venerable Kasyapa?"

The hall was completely silent, and all the Buddhas held their breath in anticipation.

Guanyin Bodhisattva lowered her brows and wept, her voice choked with emotion.

"Reporting to the Buddha, the attack on Dipankara Buddha and Venerable Kasyapa failed. They have passed away."

"what?!"

"How can this be!"

The hall erupted in uproar, and all the Buddhas were shocked.

Since the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, no Great Luo Golden Immortal has ever fallen, let alone two at once!
The Buddha's face was somber, and his light flickered, revealing his inner turmoil.

“Explain in detail.”

Manjushri Bodhisattva stepped forward and said in a deep voice.

"Lin Zhu must have gotten some kind of lucky break, his cultivation level has advanced by leaps and bounds, and he also has a strange black sword that even the Joyful Zen Light of the Buddha of Divine Light cannot withstand."

"Venerable Kasyapa's golden body was destroyed by his sword, and even his relics were not left behind."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva added, his eyes still showing fear.

The main hall was completely silent. The Buddhas looked at each other, each seeing the horror in the other's eyes.

"Lin Zhu, Remnants of the Jie Sect"

The Buddha spoke slowly, his voice carrying a rare hint of anger.

"good very good."

The Buddha's light suddenly surged, shaking the entire Pure Land.

The Buddhas were horrified; they had not seen the Buddha so angry in a long time.

"Buddha, please calm your anger."

Suddenly, the ancient Buddha Dipankara spoke.

"With the grand plan of the Journey to the West imminent, it is not advisable to create any unforeseen complications."

The Buddha closed his eyes for a long time, and the Buddha's light gradually subsided.

“What the ancient Buddha said is absolutely right. However, this child has already gained momentum. If we do not eliminate him, he may ruin our grand plan for the West.”

Guanyin Bodhisattva stepped forward and said.

"Buddha, that Lin Zhu is extremely arrogant, claiming that our Western Sect dares not take action again and will wait until after the Journey to the West."

"Arrogant young man!"

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva roared angrily.

"Please grant me permission, Buddha, I will go and take his life right now!"

The Buddha raised his hand to stop him.

"No. He must have something to rely on if he dares to say such a thing. Now that two Great Luo Immortals have fallen, the foundation of our sect has already been shaken. If another mishap occurs..."

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the Seven Treasures Lotus Pond in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and the Eight Merits Water moved automatically without wind.

When the three great Bodhisattvas landed in front of Leiyin Temple on auspicious clouds, Manjushri Bodhisattva's lion's golden mane stood on end, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's six-tusked white elephant's long trunk curled up, and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva's willow branch in the vase withered three leaves for no reason.

"Buddha."

Guanyin looked up at the ever-burning Buddha light atop Leiyin Temple and noticed that today's halo was mixed with a few streaks of blood.

Inside the main hall, three thousand Buddhas are chanting sutras.

The moment the three great Bodhisattvas stepped into the temple, the chanting of the eight hundred Arhats suddenly went out of tune—an unprecedented phenomenon since the establishment of the Pure Land.

The Buddha opened his wisdom eye, and his gaze lingered for three breaths behind the three great bodhisattvas, who stood empty.

The fleshy topknot on his head trembled slightly, and the water in the pool of merit beneath the nine-grade golden lotus suddenly boiled.

"The Buddha Dipankara and Venerable Kasyapa."

Just as Manjushri Bodhisattva was about to speak, the wisdom sword in his hand suddenly broke in two with a "clang".

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva caught the falling sword tip and said in a deep voice.

He has passed away.

"boom"

The lotus pedestals beneath the eight hundred Arhats simultaneously unfurled three petals.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the medicine bowl in the hands of the Medicine Buddha, the smile of Maitreya Buddha froze on his face, and even the glass lamps hanging on the top of the Sutra Pavilion dimmed for a moment.

Guanyin gently stroked the withered willow in the vase.

"Lin Zhu only used one sword strike."

The main hall fell into a deathly silence.

The palm-leaf manuscript in Ananda's hand tore apart with a "rip," the ink from Venerable Kasyapa's annotations from yesterday still wet.

"Amitabha."

Buddha finally spoke, his voice three degrees lower than usual.

Recite the Rebirth Mantra forty-nine times.

"Buddha!"

Vairocana Buddha suddenly stood up, and seven-colored flames ignited around his body.

The Vairocana crown on his head hummed and trembled; it was a magical treasure personally bestowed upon him by the Tongtian Sect Leader in Biyou Palace years ago.

"Fellow Daoist Dingguang and I were both among the Seven Immortal Attendants, and now..."

Before he could finish speaking, the bronze bell in the southeast corner of the main hall rang by itself.

This is the warning bell that was hung when the Sage Zhunti established his teachings; it will not ring except over countless eons.

The Buddha raised his hand to suppress the trembling bell.

"Nine days and nine nights, to deliver the souls of the dead."

"Boom!"

Venerable Ananda suddenly slammed his staff heavily on the ground.

Two of the nine rings on the staff head are broken. This was a birthday gift from Venerable Kasyapa last year.

"That Lin Zhu is nothing but a rogue cultivator, how dare he..."

"Silence!"

Suddenly, a golden light, sixteen feet long, shot from the Buddha's eyes, illuminating a Udumbara flower, about to bloom, eight hundred miles outside the palace. This flower appears only once every three thousand years, and when it blooms, an Arhat will surely perish.

Hayagriva suddenly manifested a form with three heads and six arms, and the vajra in his hand hummed.

"I am willing to lead the Eight Heavenly Dragons"

"sit down!"

With a roar like a lion, the Buddha caused three Mani jewels on the roof of the temple to fall down in a flurry.

A string of Bodhi seeds flew out from his sleeve, catching the falling jewel. This was the ritual implement used by the sage when he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

The prayer beads of three thousand Buddhas broke at the same time, and the glass beads rolled all over the ground.

Guanyin bent down to pick them up and found that the image of Lin Zhu's green bamboo sword was reflected in each bead.

"Buddha!"

The seven-jeweled robe of Vairocana Buddha moved without wind, revealing the tattered Jiejiao (Intercepting Teachings) talisman on the inner lining.

"When Fellow Daoist Dingguang converted to the Western Paradise, you personally made that promise."

The Buddha suddenly formed a strange hand seal, not the Buddhist Abhaya Mudra, but the Taoist Taiqing Mudra.

The pupils of the immortals who had participated in the Investiture of the Gods in the hall suddenly contracted; this was the opening gesture Lao Tzu used when he converted the barbarians into Buddha.

Amitabha Buddha said

The Buddha's voice suddenly echoed from beyond the thirty-three heavens.

"Put down the butcher knife."

Suddenly, seventeen of the eight hundred Arhats vomited blood. These were all disciples of the Jie Sect who were forced to shave their heads after the Investiture of the Gods.

On their Arhat Golden Body, fragmented Primordial Runes faintly appeared.

The Medicine Buddha's medicine bowl finally cracked completely, and the elixir of immortality inside turned into blue smoke and dissipated.

He stared at Lin Zhu's face emerging from the smoke and suddenly spoke.

"This boy's sword carries the aura of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword."

The main hall suddenly began to shake, just like the earthquake that occurred when the Tongtian Sect Leader set up the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation.

The lotus platforms of the three thousand Buddhas tilted three degrees at the same time, which is exactly the trajectory drawn by the Seven Treasures Tree when the Sage Zhunti broke the Immortal Slaughtering Formation.

"Salvation."

When the Buddha closed his eyes, the nine-tiered golden lotus suddenly reversed direction. This was a forbidden technique taught by the Sage of Guidance, which could forcibly suppress the dissent of the followers.

The Vairocana Buddha's crown cracked open with a "snap," revealing half of the broken tassel of the Qingping sword inside.

He reached out and pressed down on the crown, then suddenly burst into three loud laughs, the sound of which shattered the three Bodhi trees outside the hall.

"What a fine way to put down the butcher's knife!"

As he turned, the hem of his robe swept over seven eternal lamps. These were the life lamps symbolizing the destiny of the Western Paradise. The flames condensed in the air into the final image of the Buddha of Blissful Light, only to be quickly dispersed by the chanting.

Venerable Ananda chased after the monk to the temple gate, but was suddenly bounced back by the golden swastika symbol that appeared on the threshold.

When he looked down, he discovered that the golden talisman was written in the blood of Venerable Kasyapa. It was a protective measure that had been secretly set up when they parted the day before.

"Your Excellency foresaw this calamity."

Ananda collapsed to the ground, and the tattered palm-leaf manuscript in his hand suddenly burst into flames, revealing Kassapa's last verses in the fire.

Do not seek revenge.

Hayagriva's vajra suddenly changed direction and pressed against his own throat.

He was horrified to discover that the magical artifact was out of control; this was a restriction placed by Zhunti when he converted him years ago.

"It seems."

Guanyin gently stroked the newly sprouted fourth willow leaf in the vase.

"Both sages already know this."

Outside Leiyin Temple, the Udumbara flower finally bloomed.

Sitting in the flower's heart is a young novice monk, the very same cicada that was enlightened by Venerable Kasyapa a year ago.

At this moment, he clasped his hands together, and his body was surrounded by a blue light that shared the same origin as Lin Zhu's sword intent.

The Buddha's chanting suddenly stopped.

He gazed at the young novice monk amidst the flowers and envisioned a future where this boy would wield the Green Bamboo Sword and shatter the sacred mountain.

Golden blood seeped from the red birthmark between the Buddha's eyebrows, transforming into the character "劫" (calamity) before it hit the ground.

When Vairocana Buddha departed on a cloud, he deliberately flew over the Seven-Jeweled Lotus Pond.

His rage evaporated three acres of merit water, revealing half of the broken Six Soul Banner at the bottom of the pool. This was the precious treasure of the Jie Sect that Dingguang Huanxi Buddha had secretly hidden.

"I see."

Vairocana Buddha put away the tattered banner, and his gaze towards the Thirty-Three Heavens became profound.

He noticed that the Eight Virtues Water was flowing backwards, a sign of the sage's emotional fluctuations.

Inside the main hall, the chanting of the three thousand Buddhas grew increasingly unified.

However, through the Buddha's divine hearing, he could hear 720 voices hidden within the scriptures, including the "Huangting Jing" of the Jie Sect. These were all former members of the Investiture of the Gods.

"The Ninth Day"

The Buddha suddenly changed his mind and extended the time for the deliverance ceremony.

“Recite the Sutra of Salvation.”

The Medicine Buddha suddenly looked up. This was the scripture that the Tongtian Sect Leader hated the most.

The fragments of his medicine bowl suddenly floated to the surface, piecing together a broken character for "to kill".

Outside the hall, the Udumbara flowers began to wither.

The young novice's figure gradually faded away, finally turning into wisps of green smoke that soared straight to the Thirty-Three Heavens.

When passing by the Eight Virtues Pond, a bamboo leaf fell from the smoke and cut the remaining fragments of the Six Souls Banner at the bottom of the pond in half.

The Haotian Mirror floated in the center of the Lingxiao Palace, but the East Sea scene that should have been reflected on the mirror was now shrouded in a layer of chaotic mist.

The Jade Emperor's slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his throne, each crisp sound causing the celestial energy in the hall to momentarily stagnate.

"The reach of Western religions is getting longer and longer."

Emperor Ziwei snorted coldly, his purple imperial robes fluttering without wind, the phantom images of the stars in the sky swirling between the hem of his robes.

The Longevity Emperor stroked his long, snow-white beard and squinted at the mirror.

"To be able to simultaneously block the celestial senses of all five of us, at least three innate spiritual treasures must have been used."

Hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, and Venus, carrying a jade bottle, hurried over.

The old immortal still had beads of sweat on his forehead, clearly having used his teleportation technique to rush back.

"Your Majesty, on the shores of the East Sea..."

"Release them directly."

The Jade Emperor interrupted the report, flicking a golden light from his fingertip that entered the Haotian Mirror.

Ripples spread across the mirror-like surface, and a crack suddenly appeared in the hazy mist.

A wisp of blue light flew out of the bottle and transformed into a three-dimensional image in the center of the hall.

In the scene, thunderclouds were as dark as ink, and six golden figures formed a lotus array. In the center of the array, a white-robed youth held the Qingping Sword. The tip of the sword did not raise sword energy, but rather a rushing river of time.

"The river of time has been visualized?!"

Emperor Gouchen suddenly stood up, the Ten Thousand Demon Bell hanging from his waist jingling.

In the video, Lin Zhu unleashed a sword strike, causing the river of time to flow backward, tearing the protective golden light of the two Western Sect Grand Luo Golden Immortals to shreds like thin paper.

Their golden bodies began to age at a visible rate, and in the blink of an eye, they turned into two desiccated corpses and fell from the clouds.

The Qinghua Emperor suddenly made a hand seal, and the image froze at the moment Lin Zhu sheathed his sword.

"Please observe his sword technique."

He pointed to the subtle movement of the young man's wrist.

"The 'Reversal of Yin and Yang' technique, a secret of the Jie Sect, is a move that only disciples of the Tongtian Sect Master can learn."

The temperature in the hall dropped sharply.

Golden light surged in the Jade Emperor's eyes, and the phantoms of nine five-clawed golden dragons appeared behind him.

"Taibai, where is this person now?"

"Your Majesty, Lin Zhu disappeared in the East Sea after his tribulation, and the remaining four members of the Western Sect have retreated to Mount Ling."

Venus wiped his sweat.

"But on my way back, I received this."

He took out a jade slip from his sleeve, which was engraved with cloud patterns unique to the Jie Sect.

Emperor Ziwei suddenly laughed.

"Interesting. A remnant of the Jie Sect dares to show himself in the world at this time."

He turned to look at the Jade Emperor.

"Has Your Majesty forgotten how many true spirits of the Jie Sect disciples on the Investiture of the Gods have not yet perished?"

The whisk of the Longevity Emperor moved automatically without wind.

"This child is only three hundred years old, yet he has already touched the laws of time. I have lived for 129,600 years, and this is the first time I have ever seen such a monstrous talent."

"evildoer?"

Emperor Gouchen sneered.

"That old Kunpeng from Beiming attained the Great Luo realm in just three days after transforming into human form. Such talent is not uncommon among the exotic species of the primordial world."

The Jade Emperor suddenly raised his hand, and five golden rays shot towards the four emperors and his own brow.

"Gentlemen, please look at this memory."

His voice carried a peculiar rhythm, a sign that he was about to invoke the authority of the Heavenly Emperor.

The scene of Hongjun Daozu's last appearance appeared in everyone's minds.

The figure of the Dao Ancestor was shrouded in chaotic energy, with only his voice clearly audible.

"The Heavenly Court will decline after three kalpas and perish after five kalpas. However, the Heavenly Way is fifty, and its extension is forty-nine."

The memory stops abruptly.

Emperor Qinghua's expression changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, are you saying that this Lin Zhu might be the 'One' that has escaped?"

"The great calamity of the Journey to the West is approaching, and it is the will of Heaven that Buddhism will flourish."

The Jade Emperor rose, and the sun, moon, and stars on his nine-dragon imperial robe lit up simultaneously.

"But I do not believe that the Dao Ancestor would stand by and watch the Xuanmen lineage die out."

The bell at Emperor Gouchen's waist suddenly shook violently.

"Your Majesty wants to recruit members of the Jie Sect? Aren't you afraid of inviting a wolf into your house?"

"Jiaojiao?"

The Jade Emperor chuckled, but his laughter carried a chilling undertone.

"Tongtian was imprisoned in Zixiao Palace, Duobao became Tathagata, and Jinling became Doumu Yuanjun. The current Jie Sect is nothing but an empty name."

He waved his hand and cast a spell, causing the Haotian Mirror to suddenly tremble violently, and the image of Mount Ling appeared on its surface.

Above the Great Thunderclap Temple, the originally brilliant Buddhist light was now mixed with wisps of black mist.

"The Western religion concealed the secrets of heaven, not to deal with Lin Zhu."

The Jade Emperor spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The problem lies within their own ranks. Four of the Medicine Buddha's twelve Yaksha generals have already defected."

The four emperors changed color simultaneously.

Even the Ziwei Emperor, who was in charge of the celestial constellations, was unaware of this information.

The Emperor of Immortality suddenly did some calculations.

"I understand now! The time law that Lin Zhu displayed during his tribulation perfectly countered the Western Sect's causal supernatural powers. No wonder even the six Great Luo Immortals couldn't subdue him." (End of Chapter)