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

"If...if such demonic artifacts are created...even quasi-saints will be in danger." This was the last terrifying thought of Bodhisattva Weituo before his consciousness completely sank into darkness.

In just a few breaths!

The once mighty Bodhisattva Weituo, a protector of Buddhism who had achieved physical sainthood, had his massive body withered and disintegrated like a weathered sand sculpture! It turned into countless tiny, lifeless golden dust particles, drifting in the raging sea wind!
The renowned innate spiritual treasure, the Demon-Subduing Pestle, in his hand, let out a mournful cry the moment it lost its master. It cracked inch by inch and finally shattered into specks of dark golden light, which were greedily absorbed into the body of the God-Slaying Spear like moths to a flame!

Buzz!

After devouring the essence of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal at the peak of his cultivation and a Primordial Spiritual Treasure, the God-Slaying Spear emitted a satisfied, deep, and ferocious hum! The originally simple and profound silver-red color on the spear suddenly became deep and restrained, flowing with a layer of dark radiance, as if it had just drunk its fill of divine and demonic blood! And at the inlay hole at the spear's end, a tiny crystal, as black as ink and radiating a pure aura of destruction and devouring, quietly condensed like a seed into a Heavenly Origin Demon Stone! Although small, it represented the entire life essence of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal at the peak of his cultivation!

Lin Zhu gripped the God-Slaying Spear tightly, which trembled slightly and transmitted waves of bloodlust and destructive impulses. He felt the terrifying power contained within it, which was far stronger than before, and his heart was filled with shock!

"Hiss! Is this the true power of a Heavenly Dao Killing Treasure? Devouring true spirits and plundering origins... How domineering! How terrifying!"

He secretly gasped.

In that instant, if it weren't for his unwavering Dao heart and the auspicious aura of the Thirteenth Grade Golden Lotus of Merit protecting him, he would have almost lost his reason due to the destructive and insane killing intent emanating from the gun!

"Such demonic artifacts possess earth-shattering power, but their backlash is also extremely dangerous! We must be extremely cautious when using them in the future!"

Lin Zhu's mind raced, and he quickly put away the God-Slaying Spear. Only then did the chillingly fierce aura slowly subside.

Having defeated the formidable foe, Lin Zhu's face showed little joy, instead veiled in frost. The Western Heaven, in its attempt to prevent Ni Chang's advancement and seize the God-Slaying Spear, dared to be so brazen, directly dispatching a top-tier Dharma Protector like Wei Tuo to assassinate him! This was practically tantamount to tearing off the mask of civility, completely disregarding the Heavenly Court's reputation and his status as the God of Hell!
"What a magnificent Mount Ling! What a magnificent Buddha! If I, Lin Zhu, do not avenge this wrong, I swear I shall not be human!"

A chilling rage rose within him.

However, just as Lin Zhu sheathed the God-Slaying Spear, his killing intent surging, and prepared to check on Fairy Ni Chang's tribulation progress...
"Splash!"

A huge column of water suddenly burst open from the sea below, which was churning with residual demonic energy!

A figure, shrouded in overwhelming demonic energy and exuding a fierce and violent aura, burst out of the water and instantly appeared in the air not far in front of Lin Zhu!

The newcomer was none other than the long-time demonic master, Gu Yang!

His scarlet demonic eyes scrutinized Lin Zhu with great interest, a strange smile on his face that mixed admiration, greed, and schadenfreude. He even raised his hands, which were covered with pitch-black demonic scales.

They clapped their hands loudly.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Gu Yang's voice was hoarse and magnetic, carrying the unique rhythm of an ancient monster.

"I have truly had my eyes opened today! I never expected that such a 'talent' would emerge from within Mount Ling! To murder a fellow Dharma Protector Bodhisattva and even steal the Tathagata's Golden Lotus of Merit. Tsk tsk tsk, what an audacious 'traitor to Buddhism'!"

Lin Zhu.

"???"

He had just gone through a life-or-death battle and his mind was not yet fully calmed when he was suddenly stopped by this demonic guy who bluntly called him a "traitor to Buddhism." He was stunned for a moment, his face filled with confusion and astonishment.

He subconsciously looked around, and after confirming that the other person was talking to him, he was even more bewildered, as if asking a question.

Are you talking about me? A traitor? From Buddhism?

It wasn't until Gu Yang's finger, carrying a mocking and pointing tone, clearly pointed at him, and the words "traitor to Buddhism" entered his ears clearly again, that Lin Zhu suddenly realized that this old devil seemed to have misunderstood something terrible.
Looking at Gu Yang, who exuded demonic aura and had an expression that said "I have seen through everything," Lin Zhu felt a sense of absurdity rush to the top of her head.

A traitor to Buddhism? Isn't this misunderstanding a bit too outrageous? He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to explain, or rather, whether it was worth explaining to this old devil who was obviously overthinking things.

However, the strange, bewildered, and even speechless expression on Lin Zhu's face for a moment was seen by Gu Yang as guilt and panic after his secret was exposed!
"Humph!"

Gu Yang let out a cold sneer, his scarlet demonic eyes flashing with an all-knowing light.

"Stop pretending in front of me! Drop your innocent act! I've already seen through your true colors!"

He stood with his hands behind his back, his demonic energy surging, making him appear even more unfathomable, and his tone was resolute.

"I heard clearly what that bald monk Weituo said before he died!"
He personally accused you of stealing the Buddha's Golden Lotus of Merit! This thirteen-petaled lotus throne—how could a junior like you possess it? If you hadn't betrayed Buddhism and committed that heinous act of theft, how could you have obtained it?!

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu's lips twitched slightly.

That's something he really can't deny.

He did indeed "get" the Thirteen-Grade Golden Lotus of Merit, although the process was full of twists and turns, the result was that the item was in his possession.

He touched his nose somewhat awkwardly and gave a vague reply.

"Uh... well... sort of."

"Hahahaha!"

Upon seeing Lin Zhu "admit" to it, Gu Yang burst into an even more triumphant and loud laugh, as if he had everything under control.

"As expected! I was absolutely right! You are a complete traitor to Buddhism!"

His gaze toward Lin Zhu was filled with the excitement of "I've caught you red-handed" and the knowing certainty of "I knew it," as he continued his confident reasoning.

"Not only that! I'm certain that you know some earth-shattering secret of Buddhism! Otherwise, why would a Dharma protector Bodhisattva like Wei Tuo, with such status and power, personally take action and risk everything to hunt you down to death? It must be a secret you know that is enough to shake the foundation of Buddhism, forcing them to kill you to silence you!" Gu Yang became more and more convinced of the logic of his words, and even began to revel in his own self-satisfaction.

He raised his hand and, with extreme narcissism, smoothed his long, flowing hair, which was stained with demonic energy and resembled black jade. His posture was elegant (in his own opinion), and his eyes were sharp (in his own opinion), as he continued to analyze the "traitor to Buddhism" in front of him.

"Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder... no wonder you, at such a young age, with only five hundred years of cultivation, were able to advance to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm and possess so many astonishing treasures! That ferocious demonic spear that can devour true spirits, this thirteenth-grade merit lotus, and... humph!"

Gu Yang's gaze was like lightning, as if it pierced through Lin Zhu's disguise.

"Your strange speed and movement technique clearly carried a trace of the Golden Crow Transformation! You must have stolen it from Buddhism, right? After all, there are quite a few in Buddhism who have deep ties with the Golden Crow clan!"

“Not to mention…” Gu Yang’s voice suddenly lowered, carrying a chilling, penetrating quality.

"You seemed to have used some kind of... aura of the Buddha's Kingdom in the Palm of Your Hand before! Although it was extremely subtle, I would never be wrong! That is the signature supernatural power of the old Buddha! If you were not a core disciple of Buddhism, or even a direct disciple of a Buddha, how could you have come into contact with and 'learned' these?!"

Gu Yang stared intently at Lin Zhu's face. When he saw the fleeting, undisguised astonishment in Lin Zhu's eyes (actually, he was shocked by the old devil's outrageous imagination), he sneered inwardly.

"Ha, young people are just young people, too shallow, they can't hide anything on their faces! Did I hit your sore spot with every word I said?"

Lin Zhu was both amused and exasperated, feeling as if she were watching a clumsy drama queen who was completely absorbed in his own script.

This old devil has such a vivid imagination! He forcibly attributes all his methods, whether reasonable or not, to "stealing Buddhist teachings" and being a "traitor to Buddhism." Fine, since the other party is so good at making up stories and has such a confident look of "I have the whole situation under control," Lin Zhu simply decided to play along and go along with his lead.

A fleeting, perfectly timed look of panic and embarrassment at being exposed crossed his face. He lowered his head, as if he dared not meet Gu Yang's sharp gaze.

Seeing Lin Zhu's guilty look, Gu Yang felt much more at ease, believing that he had completely grasped the weakness of this "traitor to Buddhism".

He took a step forward, his overwhelming demonic power pressing down on Lin Zhu as if it were a tangible force, his tone filled with threat and warning.

"Boy, you think you're all set just because you betrayed Buddhism, stole a few treasures, and learned some supernatural powers? How naive!"

Gu Yang's voice was like a cold wind from the deepest hell.

"The foundation and strength of Buddhism far exceed your imagination! The old man Tathagata is a genuine Quasi-Saint, capable of controlling all the heavens with a single thought! Moreover, the Buddhas of the past, present, and future are all at the Quasi-Saint level! Even if you have the Golden Crow Transformation Rainbow Technique and manage to escape for a while, can you escape the eyes and ears of Buddhism throughout the Three Realms and the deductions and pursuit of those Quasi-Saints?"

Lin Zhu's body trembled slightly in response, his face showing a look of "fear" and "disbelief," as if he were experiencing for the first time the terrifying power of Buddhism that made people despair.

Seeing Lin Zhu "frightened", Gu Yang became even more smug and sneered inwardly.

He really is a naive kid who's never seen the world!
He softened his tone slightly, but it carried an even stronger allure and pressure.

"Although Buddhism is powerful, it is not without enemies! My master is the one who has the power to overthrow Mount Sumeru!"
He is gathering his strength, awaiting the day he breaks the seal. At that time, he will surely wash away the blood of Mount Ling and cleanse all Buddhas!

Gu Yang's eyes gleamed with a fanatical light as he stared at Lin Zhu as if he were eyeing a precious prey.

"Boy, do you want to live? Do you want to escape the Buddhist sect's relentless pursuit? I can show you a way out!"

He paused, his voice filled with seductive allure.

"Either join us! Become a vanguard under our lord, and when our lord reigns supreme over the Three Realms, you will surely reap the rewards! Or..." Gu Yang's gaze turned icy.

"Tell me honestly all the core secrets of Buddhism that you know, especially... the secret that they went so far as to send Wei Tuo to kill you to silence you! Perhaps, if I'm in a good mood, I can give you a quick death, or... I might even spare your life!"

Lin Zhu chuckled inwardly, but on her face she tried her best to maintain that "timid" and "struggling" expression.

He seemed to have been cornered by Gu Yang's threats and temptations, and his voice trembled slightly as he stammered in his "defense."

"No...impossible! I...I may be...I am that...but I am utterly loyal to Buddhism! I would never betray Buddhism! Nor would I reveal any of Buddhism's secrets!"

As if to prove his "loyalty," he spoke faster but lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

"Especially...especially about the Journey to the West! And the fact that Jin Chanzi is carrying the merits of ten lifetimes to the West to obtain the scriptures—such a top secret concerning the rise and fall of Buddhism and the structure of the Three Realms! I am the most tight-lipped person in Buddhism! You...you can't get even a single piece of information out of me!"

His words of "pleasure" seemed to be an attempt to cover up something, but he "accidentally" revealed the key words "Journey to the West," "Golden Cicada," "Ten Lifetimes of Merit," and "Journey to the West to Obtain the Scriptures" with unmistakable clarity! After speaking, he covered his mouth in "annoyance" and looked at Gu Yang with "panic" eyes, as if regretting his "slip of the tongue."

However, the moment Gu Yang heard those keywords, his crimson demonic eyes suddenly erupted with an indescribable, dazzling light! That light was filled with ecstasy, greed, and an extreme excitement of "just as I thought!"

"Journey to the West... Jin Chanzi... Ten lifetimes of merit... Journey to the West to obtain scriptures..." Gu Yang repeatedly chewed on these words in his heart, as if he had obtained a priceless treasure!
He looked at the “panicked” and “speaking recklessly” “traitor to Buddhism” in front of him, and felt extremely smug!

"Hahaha! It worked! Just as I expected!"

Gu Yang laughed wildly in his heart.

"This kid has been completely terrified by me! In his panic to protect himself, he has carelessly revealed such a core secret! The Journey to the West, which the Buddhist sect painstakingly planned? The Golden Cicada, who has accumulated ten lifetimes of merit? The pilgrimage? Good! Very good! The value of this information is simply immeasurable!"

He felt he had completely controlled the situation. This Lin Zhu in front of him was nothing more than a plaything in his hands. With a casual scare, he had revealed a shocking secret that could shake the three realms! Everything was within his calculations!

Looking at Gu Yang's confident expression that seemed to say "everything is under control" and "I have seen through your soul," Lin Zhu felt a little uneasy.

he muttered to himself.

"Was I overacting? This old devil may have a vivid imagination, but he's lived for tens of thousands of years. What if he's actually playing a trick on me?"

He felt he might have underestimated Gu Yang's wisdom, and a chill even crept down his spine. (End of Chapter)