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

"Times have changed! The Western Heaven is now in the wrong, having crossed the line and harmed the people, committing a grave mistake! Moreover, they have paid a heavy price for certain things (he alluded to Jin Chanzi), and now is the time for them to feel guilty and weak! Your humble servant is going here representing the majesty of the Heavenly Court and upholding the righteousness of the Three Realms! Your humble servant dares to guarantee with his own head that no one in the Western Heaven will dare to touch a single hair on your head!"

"The price? A heavy price?"

The Jade Emperor keenly grasped the key information in Lin Zhu's words, and his brows furrowed.

"What do you mean by that, my dear minister? The Haotian Mirror only shows them crossing the border and killing people, but it doesn't show what price the Western Paradise paid."

Seeing the Jade Emperor's puzzled expression, Lin Zhu curled his lips into a knowing smile and decided to drop the first bombshell.

"Does Your Majesty know where the Bodhisattva Weituo is now?"

Lin Zhu spoke in a calm tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

The Jade Emperor was stunned.

"Weituo? Wasn't he supposed to be attending to the Buddha who came from the East? He didn't go with the Tathagata during the Jiangzhou incident..."

"Because he can't go."

Lin Zhu answered casually.

“He… has already been… accidentally killed by this humble subject.”

"What?!!!"

The Jade Emperor gasped in shock, leaping abruptly from his throne! The shock on his face was ten times greater than when he had heard Lin Zhu's declaration of a solo expedition to Mount Ling! "You... what did you say? Wei Tuo... you... killed him? That Wei Tuo Bodhisattva who achieved physical sainthood and reached the pinnacle of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm during the Investiture of the Gods?!"

The Jade Emperor felt that his understanding had been completely overturned once again!
He knew Lin Zhu's strength; a late-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal was indeed formidable, but to say he could easily kill a Great Luo Perfection cultivator like Bodhisattva Wei Tuo, a veteran of countless battles? That was impossible! Wei Tuo was no pushover! He was a genuine top-tier Buddhist protector! Just how many trump cards was Lin Zhu hiding?!
Seeing the Jade Emperor's incredulous expression, Lin Zhu simply nodded calmly, without describing the process in detail, and also omitting the key details of the God-Slaying Spear and the abduction of Gu Yang.

"Indeed. In the brief conflict, I was fortunate enough to gain the upper hand by half a move."

The Jade Emperor took several deep breaths to barely suppress the turmoil in his heart. He sat back on his throne, and his gaze towards Lin Zhu was completely different now, filled with unprecedented respect and… a hint of apprehension. To be able to kill Wei Tuo, this boy's combat strength had probably already touched the threshold of Quasi-Saint!

Seeing that the groundwork had been laid, Lin Zhu dropped the second, and even more lethal, bombshell.

"As for the 'heavy price' paid by the Western Paradise..." Lin Zhu lowered his voice, tinged with coldness.

"Does Your Majesty know why the demon Gu Yang suddenly appeared at Jinshan Temple in Jiangzhou? And how was he able to accurately find the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi and successfully corrupt his true spirit with demonic energy?"

The Jade Emperor's heart sank, and an extremely bad premonition welled up in his mind.

"Could it be...?"

Lin Zhu nodded, her tone carrying a hint of innocence, as if saying, "It has nothing to do with me."

"That Gu Yang was... well, I was unintentionally led there when I was being chased by Bodhisattva Weituo. He seems to have... learned from some channels that Jin Chanzi's reincarnation is in Jinshan Temple. And the demonic energy that polluted Jin Chanzi originated from the depths of the South China Sea Demon Cave. It is extremely special and cannot be removed without the intervention of a sage or the long-term cleansing of the Eight Treasures Merit Pool. The journey to the West... is likely to encounter huge setbacks."

boom!
The Jade Emperor felt as if another thunderbolt had struck his mind! The details that the Haotian Mirror could not see were casually mentioned by Lin Zhu, yet they were like tearing open the most bloody scars of the Western Paradise!
So that's how it is! So the root cause of the Jinshan Temple tragedy and Jin Chanzi's corruption was here! It was Weituo who, on Maitreya's orders, went to deal with Lin Zhu, which led to Gu Yang's involvement, ultimately causing the core plan of the Western Paradise to suffer a severe blow!

The shock on the Jade Emperor's face eventually transformed into an extremely complex expression, a mixture of realization, pleasure, and deep emotion towards Lin Zhu, this "troublemaker" and "lucky charm."

Looking at the young man in front of him, who had a "righteous" look on his face and was shouting that he would go to the Western Paradise alone to ask for justice, he was at a loss for words.

The Jade Emperor frowned in deep thought. He was no fool; he knew the cycle of cause and effect and that retribution was inevitable.

Back then, the Three Pure Ones under the Dao Ancestor Hongjun jointly formulated the Heavenly Rules in order to maintain the order of the Three Realms, and there was an unspoken understanding among the sages.

The Bodhi Patriarch once warned that as long as the Western Paradise no longer provokes that person, the journey to the West will be safe and sound. This wise saying of the sage was also kept in mind by the Buddha.

However, at this critical moment, Bodhisattva Weituo defied the sage's decree and attempted to hunt down Lin Zhu while Fairy Ni Chang was undergoing her tribulation, hoping to solve the problem once and for all.

As a result, the cause and effect backfired, and great chaos suddenly ensued.

The demonic energy from the South China Sea Demon Cave was drawn to the human world, and Jin Chanzi's true spirit was thus tainted by the demonic energy, almost causing the Journey to the West to fail.

Looking at the scene of Jiangzhou City's people dying and being ravaged in the Haotian Mirror, the Jade Emperor's anger rose again.

"But Bodhisattva Weituo is already dead."

The Jade Emperor's voice was somewhat low, carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Even if we believe he committed the crime, he is already dead and gone. Buddha can easily deny it and say that there is no way to verify it. How can you hold him accountable then?"

Lin Zhu shook his head slightly, his face showing no sign of panic, but rather an air of calm that seemed to understand everything.

"Your Majesty, I have never met Bodhisattva Weituo before, nor have we had any grudges against him. Why would he risk violating the heavenly rules and even risk his life to kill me?"

Lin Zhu countered with a question, his gaze clear and firm as he looked directly at the Jade Emperor.

"He must have been instructed by someone to take action."

The Jade Emperor frowned, his thoughts racing. The Buddha? He wouldn't dare, would he? Lin Zhu had no direct conflict with the Buddha, and the Buddha had always been wary of Lin Zhu; he would never do something so self-destructive at such a crucial moment in the Journey to the West.

Then
"who is it?"

The Jade Emperor pressed for an answer.

Lin Zhu's voice was calm, yet it resounded like a thunderclap in the hall.

"It should be Maitreya, the Buddha who came from the East."

The name sent a jolt through the Jade Emperor's body, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

The Buddha who came from the East, Maitreya Buddha.

He will have a long time, 5.67 billion years, almost an entire kalpa, before he succeeds to the position of Buddha.

If he wanted to undermine Buddha's prestige and accelerate his own rise to power, then creating some setbacks on the journey to the West, or even taking the opportunity to eliminate the uncertain factor of Lin Zhu, would indeed be a good choice.

The Jade Emperor was well aware of the internal conflicts within the Western Paradise, and he knew that the relationship between Buddha and Maitreya was not monolithic.

Lin Zhu's guess now coincides with his judgment.

However, the Western Paradise is ultimately the lineage of sages. Without solid evidence, rashly launching an attack would only give the other side a handle to use against us, putting us at a disadvantage.

“There is no evidence,” the Jade Emperor pondered.

"We both know the inside story, but what should we do if Buddha tries to renege on his promise?"

Lin Zhu smiled slightly, a smile that carried an air of untamed confidence, as if all the rules of the world were insignificant in his presence.

"Your Majesty, do you think I'm the kind of person who needs evidence?" Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor was taken aback at first, then chuckled.

Yes, this Lin Zhu never plays by the rules. When has he ever needed evidence? What he wants to do is not to reason, but to crush the other party with his strength and force them to bow down.

Seeing that the Jade Emperor was somewhat interested, Lin Zhu continued to increase the stakes.

“Your Majesty, you need not worry about my safety. The Western Paradise is already in a state of chaos. The Buddha of the East has acted without authorization and recklessly disrupted karma, resulting in Tang Sanzang being possessed by demonic energy. This is a major event that has shaken the very foundation of the Western Paradise’s mission. They are too busy to deal with their own problems. If they were to harm me, it would only bring more trouble and do more harm than good.”

Lin Zhu's tone was full of confidence. He knew that at this moment, Xitian was like a hedgehog whose hornet's nest had been stirred up, covered in thorns, yet also a frightened bird.

And he was that thorn stuck in the heart of the Western Paradise.

He was betting that the Western Paradise wouldn't dare to risk the sage's wrath and attack him again, even though they knew they were in the wrong.

Of course, he was also fully prepared. When it came to a life-or-death situation, he had countless ways to save his life. Even if the Western Paradise surrounded and killed him with all its might, he was confident that he could escape unscathed.

After much deliberation, the Jade Emperor found Lin Zhu's analysis to be reasonable, and his confidence further stirred the Jade Emperor's heart.

Now, the conflict between Heaven and the Western Paradise is intensifying, and Lin Zhu, the young God of Hell, has become the key figure in breaking the deadlock.

"Lin Zhu," the Jade Emperor asked in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of determination.

Are you really willing to venture into that dangerous place alone?

Lin Zhu straightened his back, his eyes gleaming with an indomitable light. He gave a thumbs-up and said in a firm and powerful voice.

"For the tribe!"

When the Jade Emperor heard this bizarre slogan, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, but he was touched by Lin Zhu's heroic spirit.

“Very well, Lin Zhu,” the Jade Emperor’s voice was no longer hesitant, becoming firm and majestic.

"You have done me a great favor, and I will never let you be in danger. Rest assured, the Western Paradise would never dare to touch you!"

The Jade Emperor's words were not merely a promise to Lin Zhu, but also a silent declaration of war.

He had already made up his mind: if the Western Paradise dared to lay a finger on Lin Zhu, then the first thing they would have to bear was the raging fury of the Heavenly Court.

Lin Zhu bowed respectfully, turned gracefully, and rode away on a cloud.

The Jade Emperor sat atop his nine-dragon imperial carriage, watching Lin Zhu's departing figure, deeply moved.

He took a deep breath and gave the order to Venus behind him.

"Venus, I must personally travel to Jiangzhou in the mortal realm. Issue the order to mobilize 100,000 celestial soldiers to garrison outside Jiangzhou city, ready to provide support at any time!"

Meanwhile, at the Great Thunder Temple in the Western Paradise.

The once solemn and majestic Mahavira Hall is now shrouded in a gloomy and somber atmosphere.

The Buddha sat high on a lotus throne, his face ashen and his eyes slightly closed, as if he were trapped in endless suffering.

In his ears, the report from Guanyin Bodhisattva about Jin Chanzi's true spirit being infected by demonic energy echoed.

He couldn't understand why such a big mistake had occurred.

He had clearly tried his best to avoid a direct confrontation with Lin Zhu, and even outside Jiangzhou City, he only taught Gu Yang a lesson. Why was the final result so tragic? Jin Chanzi's true spirit was corrupted by demonic energy, and his Journey to the West plan was almost aborted, which filled him with regret.

He regretted not heeding the advice of Patriarch Bodhi and regretted not stopping himself rationally, repeatedly provoking Lin Zhu.

He even began to suspect that there might be disunity within the Western Paradise, deliberately creating trouble for him.
Just as the Buddha was feeling troubled, Guanyin Bodhisattva moved lightly with a strange expression and entered the main hall.

She originally intended to report the disappearance of the South China Sea and Bodhisattva Weituo, but upon seeing the Buddha's gloomy face, she immediately stopped in her tracks, swallowed the words she was about to say, and decided it was best not to speak.

When the Buddha opened his eyes and saw Guanyin Bodhisattva's hesitant expression, he felt even more annoyed. He waved his hand, signaling Guanyin to step back.

However, just as Guanyin Bodhisattva turned around, an Arhat rushed into the main hall in a panic, looking terrified and disregarding Buddhist etiquette.

"World Honored One!"

Luohan shouted, his voice trembling.

"Lin Zhu, the Heavenly Court's Law Enforcement God of the Three Realms, has come to demand an explanation!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Buddha and Guanyin froze instantly, and the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

A storm sweeping across the three realms has already begun.

Lin Zhu leisurely strolled around Lingshan Mountain. This was the first time in his two lifetimes that he had set foot on this land, which was known as a sacred Buddhist site.

Before coming here, he thought that Mount Ling was just a newly established major sect formed by powerful figures from various sects after the decline of the Chan Sect. It relied on absorbing rogue immortals, demons, and even some disciples of the Chan Sect to strengthen itself.

But now, experiencing it firsthand, he realized that the Western religion had a profound foundation, had long been a distinct lineage, and its doctrines were firmly established, far surpassing any emerging power.

Lingshan is wonderfully arranged, with cleverly placed peaks and strangely shaped rocks. Below the cliffs, rare herbs and flowers sway in the wind, and along the winding paths, fragrant mushrooms and orchids exude a delicate fragrance.

Immortal monkeys pluck immortal fruits from the trees, white cranes perch and call out on pine branches, and colorful phoenixes and blue luan birds circle in pairs among the mountains.

This scene was quite similar to what he had seen in his previous life at the old site of the Chan Sect on Kunlun Mountain, because there were indeed many former members of the Chan Sect among the high-ranking members of the Western Sect.

However, as Lin Zhu climbed step by step to the Great Thunder Temple, he felt a completely different atmosphere.

Above the Hall of Heavenly Kings, radiant light shone forth, golden brilliance shimmering; before the Hall of Dharma Protectors, purple flames surged, auspicious clouds swirled. The towering pagoda, reaching into the clouds, exuded an ancient and sacred aura.

The air was filled with the fragrance of a flower called Udumbara, which was delicate and elegant, and brought peace to the mind.

The entire Lingshan Mountain appears solemn and peaceful, like a pure land isolated from the world, without a trace of worldly noise and filth.

This is completely different from the solemnity and orderliness of the Heavenly Court.

The Great Thunder Temple is more like a dreamland for suffering beings.

As Lin Zhu walked on Mount Ling, he gained a deeper understanding of the power of Buddhism.

Buddhism is able to easily control countless believers and make them willingly give up their faith precisely because it depicts a beautiful Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss for the world.

Buddhist scriptures describe the beauty of the Pure Land countless times, saying that the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is a solemn and pure Buddha-land created by Amitabha Buddha based on the forty-eight great vows he made during his causal practice when he attained Buddhahood, where sentient beings are free from all suffering and only experience bliss. (End of this chapter)