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

Maitreya Buddha turned and left, a smile devoid of emotion on his face, like the laugh of a corpse.

Lin Zhu frowned, feeling that some kind of plot was about to be triggered.

Maitreya Buddha didn't seem to resent Lin Zhu. At least when their eyes met, Lin Zhu saw a stagnant gaze, but beneath that stagnant surface, undercurrents were surging.

Lin Zhu wished he could kill this brat who sent people to attack Fairy Ni Chang, but being exiled to the South China Sea is an acceptable outcome.

When the Buddha cut off Maitreya Buddha's hand, he was clearly negating himself on the scales, leaving Lin Zhu speechless.

The Buddha looked calmly at Lin Zhu and asked him if he had any further requests.

Before Lin Zhu could speak, the system's voice rang in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the side quest, "An Eye for an Eye!" Quest reward: Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation Diagram (Page 1)!]

Lin Zhu felt comfortable and thought that the feeling of being unrestrained in the Western Paradise was really great.

However, Lin Zhu stated from the beginning that he came for the sake of justice.

Maitreya Buddha is guilty of one sin, but so are the sins of others.

He looked calmly at the Buddha and mentioned the 11,320 lives that had been wiped out in Jiangzhou.

The Buddha's face was gloomy, and he coldly ordered Guanyin Bodhisattva to step forward to receive the punishment.

Guanyin Bodhisattva was completely innocent, but she could only obediently step forward and express her willingness to accept punishment.

With a single palm strike, the Buddha Tathagata caused Guanyin Bodhisattva to vomit blood in the courtroom, her aura rapidly declining, dropping from the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm to the early stage.

Guanyin Bodhisattva felt wronged, but she could only silently endure it.

Lin Zhu could only stop there, shrugging his shoulders, indicating that he would let them off the hook for the time being, but warned them that if they did anything despicable again in the future, he would not show them any mercy.

Under the wrathful gazes of three thousand Buddhas and countless Buddhist soldiers, he swaggered away.

He felt neither fear nor remorse.

On this trip, he really made sure those people were taken care of perfectly.

Back then, the Western Paradise army pressed in, but Lin Zhu turned the tables and caused heavy losses, even the Buddha himself had to cut off a finger and leave.

Now, the situation has completely reversed.

Lin Zhu, a lone warrior, stood proudly atop the Great Thunderclap Temple. Facing the condemnation of all the Buddhas in the sky, he not only held his own but also forced the Buddha to sacrifice a pawn to save the king, severing one of Maitreya Buddha's arms and exiling him to the South China Sea.

Clearly, Lin Zhu's abilities have exceeded everyone's expectations.

The three thousand Buddhas watched his departing figure, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

They knew that from this day forward, the name Lin Zhu would become an existence that the entire Three Realms could not ignore.

The Buddha sighed deeply, a look of melancholy on his face.

He waved his hand, telling everyone to go back and remember what they had seen and heard that day.

He mentioned that the sage's words could not be disobeyed, and that extraordinary events in the way of Heaven were unavoidable.

Fate is like a woven tapestry, and everyone is entangled in this great net. No one can escape the web of cause and effect, not even a saint.

Maitreya Buddha's disbelief in evil nearly cost him his life, which should serve as a lesson for everyone.

Guanyin Bodhisattva was sullen. Although she had received great benefits, she still felt wronged because she had been slapped in public by the Buddha.

When she was about to get up and take her leave, she was stopped by the Buddha.

"Guanyin, don't take what just happened to heart. Everything should be based on the overall situation of the Journey to the West."

Although Guanyin Bodhisattva was filled with helplessness, she appeared very open-minded and said that she did not take it to heart.

"World Honored One, your disciple understands. Everything should be done with the greater good of the Journey to the West in mind."

The Buddha smiled slightly and told her that the Western Paradise was fair in its rewards and punishments and would not let her suffer any losses.

"Although Maitreya Buddha's position as the future Buddha has been usurped, his merits cannot be wasted. I have decided to transfer all of Maitreya Buddha's merits to you. In addition, you will later go to the Eight Treasures Merit Pool to receive a reward."

Upon hearing this news, Guanyin Bodhisattva's eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on her face.

Merit is the most important thing in the Three Realms; even saints would fight tooth and nail for it.

The fact that the Buddha transferred all the merit that should have been given to Maitreya Buddha to her was an immense comfort to her.

She felt that being slapped by the Buddha was completely worth it.

When Maitreya Buddha left the Great Thunder Temple in the Western Paradise, his face was filled with a cold smile, a mocking smile, and a bitter smile, and he looked somewhat neurotic.

He was filled with resentment and vowed revenge.

He remembered that there seemed to be something strange in the South China Sea eye, so he decided to take it with him, thinking it might come in handy.

He led 100 million Buddhist soldiers to the South China Sea to report, secretly plotting his revenge.

Meanwhile, in the Lingxiao Palace of Heaven, the Jade Emperor slammed his fist on the table in admiration, staring wide-eyed at Lin Zhu, unable to believe that Maitreya Buddha had really been forced by him to cut off his own arm and obediently descend to the mortal realm to suppress demons in the South China Sea.

"Minister Lin! You...you really destroyed Maitreya Buddha?"

Lin Zhu was startled by the Jade Emperor's reaction and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He felt that exchanging a single Heavenly Origin Demon Stone for the polluted Spirit Mountain was already a huge profit, but he still felt a little sorry for the Heavenly Origin Demon Stone that was wasted.

The Jade Emperor was somewhat exasperated to see Lin Zhu looking so sullen.

He felt that Lin Zhu was completely unaware of the significance of a quasi-saint being cut off an arm and exiled to the South China Sea for 100 million years.

This is equivalent to the Western Paradise losing a Quasi-Saint in the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West. Quasi-Saints are extremely rare, and losing even one could tip the scales.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, the Jade Emperor spoke to Lin Zhu.

"Minister Lin, you have rendered a great service in this investigation and punishment, and I will reward you handsomely! Tell me what you want, and I will give you everything I have!"

However, Lin Zhu frowned, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Your Majesty, will you really give me whatever I want?"

The Jade Emperor patted his chest and assured him.

"Of course! My word is my bond, and I will never go back on my word!"

Lin Zhu then spoke, somewhat embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, I... I want to find a job where my beloved wife, Ni Chang, can slack off."

The Jade Emperor stood frozen in place, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

He never expected that Lin Zhu would make such a great contribution to the Western Paradise, go to such great lengths, and risk his life, only to receive such a simple reward in the end.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"

Lin Zhu thought the Jade Emperor had lost his mind, so he continued to explain.

“My wife, Fairy Ni Chang, recently broke through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. I want to find her a less demanding job.”

What he wanted was for Fairy Ni Chang to stay home and have a baby in peace, but he naturally wouldn't say such private things aloud.

The Jade Emperor didn't react for a moment and asked blankly.

"Minister Lin, am I hallucinating? What did you just say? Find a job to slack off?"

Lin Zhu repeated it helplessly, and the Jade Emperor was instantly dumbfounded.

He clearly remembered that when Fairy Ni Chang got married, she was only at the True Immortal realm, and she only achieved this level of cultivation thanks to Lin Zhu's elixirs. Now, Lin Zhu was saying that she had directly advanced from True Immortal to Great Luo Golden Immortal, and even said that she had made a "minor breakthrough".

The Jade Emperor was so angry he almost killed Lin Zhu!

He knew all too well how difficult such a breakthrough was.

With spiritual energy scarce and cultivation declining in the Three Realms, the birth of each Great Luo Golden Immortal has a tremendous impact on the power structure of the Three Realms.

The fact that Lin Zhu's wife could do it so easily was simply unbelievable! This made the Jade Emperor both envious and helpless, and he was deeply shocked by Lin Zhu.

The Jade Emperor quickly realized what was happening and asked Lin Zhu in a serious tone.

"Minister Lin, do you think it's better for a man to have more wives and concubines?"

Lin Zhu was startled by the Jade Emperor's sudden change of heart and quickly explained.

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? I will only ever love Fairy Ni Chang!"

The Jade Emperor became more and more serious as he spoke, mentioning his daughter, the Seven Fairy Maidens, his niece, the Third Holy Mother, and countless flower fairies.

"Minister Lin, you are now a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and your status and position are not what they used to be. Is your only daughter, Fairy Ni Chang? My seven daughters are all beautiful, gentle and virtuous. I wonder if you would be interested in any of them?"

"And there is my niece, the Third Holy Mother, who is beautiful and kind-hearted. Would you be willing to marry her?"

Lin Zhu was quite startled and quickly steered the conversation back on track, saying...

"Your Majesty, why don't you discuss Fairy Ni Chang's position first? She's still waiting for my news."

The Jade Emperor shook his head with a regretful expression and said...

"Oh dear, I had already figured out how Minister Lin and his 13,800 wives and concubines would be reincarnated. What a pity. However, since you insist, I shall get serious."

The Jade Emperor announced that Fairy Ni Chang's promotion to the Great Luo Golden Immortal was a great joy for the Heavenly Court, and decided to first grant her the title of a scattered immortal in the Three Realms.

However, because she was the wife of the God of Hell, the Jade Emperor decided to grant her the higher rank of Star and Moon True Lord, so that she could receive the eternal protection of the Star and Moon Flower.

As long as the stars and moon remain intact, the Fairy of Rainbow Robes will be unharmed for all eternity.

In addition, the Jade Emperor personally bestowed upon her a peach that was ten million years old, which could increase her cultivation by ten million years and solidify her position as a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Lin Zhu was deeply moved by the Jade Emperor's reward.

The Star Moon True Lord's position is even higher than that of the Moon Star Lord. Fairy Ni Chang can receive the protection of the Star Moon's power, and from then on, no one in the Heavenly Court can harm her.

The Jade Emperor's reward perfectly matched Lin Zhu's needs, clearly indicating that he had thought of these things long ago.

The Jade Emperor's attitude toward Lin Zhu was simple and straightforward.

We nurture them with all our might, protect them with unwavering devotion, and give them everything we have.

This deeply moved Lin Zhu, and he whispered his gratitude to the Jade Emperor for his divine grace.

The Jade Emperor said that Lin Zhu was exaggerating, and that the one who should truly be thanked was him.

He admitted that without Lin Zhu, the Heavenly Court would have fallen apart long ago.

Lin Zhu's appearance boosted the morale of the Heavenly Army, enabling them to repeatedly defeat the Western Paradise and save face for the Heavenly Court.

The Jade Emperor felt he couldn't do these things, so he was very grateful to Lin Zhu.

Finally, the Jade Emperor started playing matchmaker again, saying that his niece was very beautiful and even suggested that Lin Zhu and the Queen Mother of the West have a meal together.

Lin Zhu had a premonition and quickly slipped away.

The Jade Emperor sighed and shook his head, saying that young people still care too much about worldly concepts. They've all become immortals, why bother with those formalities?

Soon, the Jade Emperor summoned his ministers for a court assembly.

In the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor announced the news that Fairy Ni Chang had been promoted to a Great Luo Golden Immortal, which instantly silenced the originally noisy hall.

Immediately afterwards, the Jade Emperor bestowed upon her the title of True Lord of Stars and Moon, and at the same time publicly revealed that the power of the stars and moon was protecting Fairy Ni Chang.

This news caused an uproar among the court officials.

"A Great Luo Golden Immortal? How is that possible?!"

"How many years has it been since a Great Luo Golden Immortal appeared in Heaven?"

"Lin Yushen really has some amazing skills; he managed to get Madam promoted so quickly."

The way everyone looked at Lin Zhu was full of envy and teasing, as if implying that he had some kind of cheat code.

Emperor Zhaosheng even came to Lin Zhu and said in a coquettish voice that he didn't want to work hard anymore, but Lin Zhu coldly rejected him.

The people of Heaven realized that Lin Zhu's abilities were astonishing. He was able to elevate a True Immortal to a Great Luo Golden Immortal in a short period of time, which was almost a miracle in the Three Realms.

However, Lin Zhu took this for granted, because he still had two Nine-Turn Great Luo Golden Pills and ten high-grade Yellow Plums, which he could cultivate into Great Luo Golden Immortals at any time.

The Jade Emperor then announced that Fairy Ni Chang and Lin Zhu were a married couple and would live together in the Dou Niu Palace, jokingly telling them to have a child soon.

The ministers at the court assembly also started to jeer, and the Fairy of Rainbow Robes blushed with embarrassment and buried herself in Lin Zhu's arms.

Aside from announcing the promotion of Fairy Ni Chang and the honorary title of True Lord Xingyue, this court assembly did not mention the exile of Maitreya Buddha from the Western Paradise to the South Sea Eye, suggesting that the Jade Emperor had other plans.

Lin Zhu didn't care about that, as long as he could get the benefits.

After the court assembly, Lin Zhu and Fairy Ni Chang strolled among the clouds. This divine couple was the envy of the other immortals, and even the Queen Mother of the West secretly watched Lin Zhu from the Jade Pool.

However, Lin Zhu was unaware of these things.

Although he knew that Fairy Ni Chang was protected by the power of the stars and moon, he was still worried about her safety.

The Fairy of Rainbow Robes was forcibly promoted, so her combat power is limited, and she has no magic weapons or protective pets.

Lin Zhu didn't want Xiao Qiong to protect her because Xiao Qiong was reckless and impulsive, and the treasures on Lin Zhu's body were too lethal and unsuitable for Fairy Ni Chang.

This put Lin Zhu in a dilemma, because he might be going deeper into the Journey to the West next, and he didn't want anything to happen to Fairy Ni Chang.

Just then, the system notified Lin Zhu that there was a task.

Upon setting foot on Beiju Luzhou, one obtains the Nine Phoenix Egg, an ancient relic of a great shaman from the primordial era.

The reward was a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Golden Phoenix Hairpin. Although the system reminded him that this Nine Phoenix Egg was unrelated to the Nine Phoenixes of the Primordial Great Witch, Lin Zhu knew that even if it was unrelated, the birth of the Witch Clan would still cause a sensation throughout the Three Realms.

However, Lin Zhu decided to seize the Nine Phoenix Eggs, since the rewards offered by the system were too tempting.

Lin Zhu returned to his bedroom and told Fairy Ni Chang in detail about his plan to go to Beiju Luzhou.

Meanwhile, at the Great Thunderclap Temple in the Western Paradise, the Buddha suddenly opened his eyes and announced that a wild beast egg had been born in the Northern Continent, asking who was willing to offer it to the Western Paradise.

However, the court was deathly silent; no one was willing to go.

The Buddha Tathagata had long anticipated this, so he directly named King Ma Yuanzun and Prince Qita to go.

Although the two were unwilling, they had no choice but to respectfully agree in order to show their loyalty.

Beiju Luzhou is a mysterious and terrifying place.

The Buddha once mentioned that although the Northern Continent of Uttarakuru is prone to killing, it is only because of the need for survival. The creatures there are simple-minded and do not easily commit evil.

In fact, even Buddha dared not interfere with the ecosystem of Uttarakuru, because it was so powerful that it deterred people from venturing there.

Even the Western Paradise's philosophy of "persuading people to do good and not to kill" is completely useless here.

Beiju Luzhou is more like a prehistoric ruin, where the surviving creatures maintain a glimmer of hope, while the outside world remains unaware of their whereabouts. (End of Chapter)