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

Moreover, they all knew that Li Jing's actions were not genuinely for the sake of Buddhism, but rather an attempt to use Buddhism to eliminate Lin Zhu and avenge the grudge from years past.

Ignoring Li Jing's nonsense, the Buddha looked intently at Yu Yixian and asked.

"Yu Yixian, when you saved Yuan Shoucheng, did you offend Lin Zhu?"

Feathered Immortal confidently shook her head and answered.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I have always been cautious in my actions. At that time, I only slightly defeated a group of enforcers of the Three Realms led by Nezha. I did not kill anyone, nor did I engage in a direct confrontation with Lin Zhu."

However, when Buddha heard the name "Nezha", his expression changed drastically.

He stared at Yu Yixian in horror, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.

The Buddhas present also showed expressions of fear.

Only Yu Yixian was completely bewildered, not understanding why she had gotten herself into such big trouble.

Just as he was about to ask a question, a deafening roar suddenly came from outside Mount Ling, the sound like thunder that echoed through the sky.

"You audacious Lingshan, harboring criminals! I've come again to demand your punishment!"

Lin Zhu's booming, resonant voice echoed throughout the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling, causing the entire hall to vibrate. The faces of the Buddhist monks and nuns inside instantly darkened.

They all knew that the owner of that voice was none other than Lin Zhu, the nemesis who caused them so much trouble.

Upon hearing this voice, Yu Yixian was instantly terrified.

He couldn't believe that the arrogant prison god actually dared to break into the Great Thunder Temple of Mount Ling.

This is the Western Paradise, the center of Buddhism in the Three Realms, and its status is equivalent to the Lingxiao Palace in Heaven!
He stared in horror, his body trembling uncontrollably, feeling as if his worldview was collapsing.

The Buddha sat on a lotus throne, a look of despair and helplessness on his face.

He looked at Yu Yixian's terrified expression, sighed, and spoke.

“Yu Yixian, do you think he wouldn’t dare to come? This isn’t the first time he’s come to Mount Ling to demand an explanation.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Yixian's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open wide enough to fit two eggs.

He stared at the Buddha in disbelief, his mind blank.

The voice of the Buddha was filled with sorrow and memories.

“More than five hundred years ago, Maitreya Buddha was forced to lose an arm by him in order to survive. And all of this happened in this Great Thunderclap Temple, right in front of these three thousand Buddhas.”

Yu Yixian was completely dumbfounded.

He had always thought Lin Zhu was just an arrogant prison god, but he never expected him to be so terrifying.

Even Maitreya Buddha had suffered greatly at his hands, so how could I have dared to be so presumptuous in front of him before? It was simply courting death!

Ignoring Yu Yixian's shock, the Buddha felt Lin Zhu's aura getting closer and closer, and he was extremely anxious.

He knew that the journey to the West could not afford any mishaps. So he quickly gave instructions to Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

"Puxian, go quickly and slay a dragon king, seize his vengeful soul, force him into the Tang Emperor's dream, and proceed according to the original plan!"

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva accepted the order and quickly transformed into a beam of light, leaving the Great Thunderclap Temple.

The Buddha silently prayed that Samantabhadra Bodhisattva could successfully complete his mission and not be discovered by Lin Zhu.

The Buddha knew that many things about the journey to the West were already set in stone, and that any change in one thing would have far-reaching consequences.

If something goes wrong, it can easily lead to more unsolvable chaos, or even result in losses.

Now that the Dragon King of the Jing River has surrendered, no one will frighten the Tang Emperor in his dream. Guanyin Bodhisattva will be unable to help the Tang Emperor, and naturally, she will be unable to persuade the Tang Emperor to order Tang Sanzang to go to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures.

He could only ask Samantabhadra Bodhisattva to force the other dragon king, even though this would cause considerable losses, but there was nothing he could do.

This is the only way to salvage the situation right now.

The Buddha used his divine eye to see that after Samantabhadra Bodhisattva left, he did not encounter Lin Zhu, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

However, Li Jing, standing beside him, turned pale and trembled uncontrollably, feeling Lin Zhu's presence growing ever closer, filled with fear and unease.

He quickly stepped forward and said loudly.

"Your Majesty, I...I suddenly have a stomachache, and I'm afraid I must take my leave!"

The Buddha gave him a cold glance, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Lord Li, stay!"

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sneered inwardly, remaining neutral; they had long seen through Li Jing's intentions.

Yu Yixian mocked him mercilessly.

"King Li, didn't you want to capture Lin Zhu? Why are you hiding like a coward now? If you're so capable, go and face him!"

Li Jing's face turned pale and then red after being mocked by Yu Yixian.

He dared not fall out with Yu Yixian, so he could only force himself to continue.

"Who said I'm afraid of him? How could I, Li Jing, be afraid of a mere prison god?"

However, before he could finish speaking, the gate of the Great Thunder Temple was suddenly smashed open with a loud "bang".

Two figures flew in backwards and crashed heavily to the ground, spitting blood. They were the Angry Vajra and Mighty Vajra who guarded the gate.

Lin Zhu walked in from outside the door with an indifferent look in his eyes. With each step, it seemed as if he was stepping on everyone's hearts.

Although his aura was restrained, it still caused the surrounding Vajra Arhats and other monks to take a few steps back, their faces filled with fear.

Three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, and all the monks wore solemn expressions, ready for battle as if facing a formidable enemy.

No one dared to underestimate this young man, because the consequences of doing so were always dire.

Li Jing, like an ostrich, buried his head under the table, trembling, and didn't even have the courage to look at Lin Zhu.

Lin Zhu completely ignored Li Jing, his gaze passing through the crowd and coldly fixed on the Buddha on the lotus platform.

A mocking smile appeared on his lips, and his voice echoed in the hall.

"The Great Thunderclap Temple? It's nothing but a den of iniquity."

These words instantly ignited the anger of the three thousand Buddhist followers.

They all denounced Lin Zhu, shouting and cursing loudly. The entire Great Thunderclap Temple was filled with tension and murderous intent.

However, Lin Zhu remained calm and unconcerned. He simply stood there quietly, as if the whole world had nothing to do with him.

Lin Zhu's words, "a place that harbors filth and depravity," exploded like a bombshell within the Great Thunderclap Temple, igniting outrage among the Buddhists and Bodhisattvas present.

Many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who defected from the Jie and Chan sects to join the Western Sect felt they were being targeted and began to hurl insults, accusing Lin Zhu of being arrogant, domineering, and ignorant of his own limitations.

"Who do you think you are, daring to make such a presumptuous judgment about Mount Ling!"

"Ignorant mortal, how dare you act so presumptuously here!"

"This sacred Buddhist sanctuary is not a place for petty scoundrels like you to spout nonsense!"

However, despite everyone's anger, no one dared to confront Lin Zhu directly.

Quasi-Saint level experts, bound by the rules of the Heavenly Court, dare not bully the weak, lest the Heavenly Court seize upon this as a pretext to punish them; below the Quasi-Saint level, unless one is at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, no one dares to act rashly.

After all, Lin Zhu's strength is unfathomable, and no one knows how many more trump cards he has up his sleeve.

Thus, the scene turned into an awkward situation where everyone was angrily rebuking each other, but could only engage in a war of words.

Lin Zhu sneered, his gaze sweeping over the indignant Buddhist crowd, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"I only said it was a breeding ground for filth and corruption, don't you all relate to that?"

His words stunned everyone, and they became even more enraged.

Lin Zhu ignored their reactions and instead stated the purpose of his trip: "I am here to enforce the law, nothing else."

As he spoke, he pointed his finger at the trembling Yuan Shoucheng and shouted sternly.

"Yuan Shoucheng, you stole the imperial edict, revealed heavenly secrets, tricked the Jing River Dragon King into violating heavenly laws, and even instigated the Jing River Dragon King to harass the Tang Emperor in the mortal realm. If I hadn't happened to be strolling around Chang'an City and the Jing River Dragon King hadn't surrendered himself, you would have committed a grave mistake that is unforgivable!"

After saying that, Lin Zhu flipped his hand, and a long spear that was entirely black and exuded a terrifying killing intent appeared in his hand. It was the famous God-Slaying Spear!
He pointed at Yuan Shoucheng and coldly gave the order.

"Surrender and come with me to the prison to be executed!"

Seeing Lin Zhu pull out the God-Slaying Spear without saying a word, the three thousand Buddhist followers were instantly thrown into turmoil.

They were still terrified of this demonic spear. The last time the Heavenly Origin Demon Stone erupted, it was the power of this spear that caused the black sun to rise over Mount Ling, and the demonic energy almost destroyed the Western Paradise.

After that cleansing of demonic energy, the three thousand Buddhist monks were so exhausted that they could barely stand up straight, and they still feel lingering fear when they think about it.

The Buddha's face turned ashen. He gritted his teeth and looked at Lin Zhu, saying in a deep voice.

"Lin Zhu, let's talk this out. Put the gun down first!"

He didn't want to go through the pain of clearing away demonic energy again; he never wanted to experience that feeling again in his life.

Lin Zhu responded coldly, showing no intention of backing down.

"I am enforcing the law, please cooperate."

The Buddha took a deep breath, attempting to persuade Lin Zhu to let Yuan Shoucheng go, citing Buddhist rules as a pretext.

He said in a deep voice.

“Lin Zhu, Yuan Shoucheng is a member of our Buddhist sect. His mistakes will be dealt with by the Buddhist sect. We will give you an explanation.”

However, Lin Zhu didn't buy it at all.

He looked at the Buddha with a cold smile, his tone full of disdain.

"Confess? How will your Buddhist sect handle this? A slap on the wrist? Or will you let him off lightly and allow him to continue wreaking havoc on the world?"

Lin Zhu made the domineering announcement.

"I've got Yuan Shoucheng! Even if the Sage Zhunti came, he wouldn't be able to stop him!"

Upon hearing this, the three thousand Buddhist followers instantly flew into a rage.

They all accused Lin Zhu of being arrogant, and some even claimed that he should be sentenced to death.

"This guy is absolutely lawless!"

"Extremely arrogant and disrespectful to elders!"

"Venerable One, please sentence him to death!"

Even the Buddha was furious with Lin Zhu, and he warned Lin Zhu through gritted teeth.

"Lin Zhu, don't push your luck! This is Mount Ling, not the Heavenly Court! I really dare to kill you!"

However, Lin Zhu not only did not back down, but became even more provocative.

He actually spread his hands, put away the God-Slaying Spear, stretched out his neck, and looked like he was ready to be slaughtered, and said provocatively.

"Come on! Kill them all!"

This action drove the Buddhist followers present completely mad, and their murderous intent erupted instantly.

The Buddha was thoroughly enraged by Lin Zhu. His eyes widened, and he flew out in fury, his whole body radiating golden light as he transformed into a streak of light and shot towards Lin Zhu.

His palm, sharp as a blade, slashed towards Lin Zhu's neck, determined to kill this arrogant brat with a single blow.

Just when everyone thought that Buddha was about to kill Lin Zhu with a single palm strike, Buddha's palm stopped on Lin Zhu's neck.

The Buddha, his eyes wide with anger and breathing heavily, stared intently at Lin Zhu, uttering three words with difficulty through clenched teeth.

"You have the guts!"

Then, he abruptly turned over, returned to his original seat, and regained his composure, as if nothing had happened.

The Buddha's earth-shattering attack just now made everyone present think that he was really going to kill them.

After all, Lin Zhu's arrogance had already crossed the line of Buddhism.

However, in the blink of an eye, the Buddha's hand stopped in front of Lin Zhu's neck and finally withdrew.

The three thousand Buddhists present gritted their teeth inwardly, their hearts filled with resentment.

Just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more, and we could have eliminated this major threat to the Western Paradise.

Although they were puzzled as to why the Buddha did not take action, there must have been a great cause and effect behind it.

The crowd's guess was correct.

The Buddha sat on the stone platform, looking at Lin Zhu with eyes full of helplessness.

How could he not want to slap this arrogant brat to death? But his sage teacher had solemnly warned him that Lin Zhu was an anomaly in the Three Realms, and killing him would cause chaos in the heavenly secrets, a backlash of fortune, and the Western Paradise would fall into an abyss of eternal damnation.

For the sake of the greater good of the Western Paradise, Buddha had no choice but to swallow this insult.

Seeing that Tathagata had retreated, Lin Zhu curled up a mocking smile.

He pointed the God-Slaying Spear in his hand at Buddha and mocked him.

"Buddha, this was a rare opportunity, but you failed to seize it."

The Buddha was almost so angry that he exploded on the spot, but his face remained deathly still. He forcibly suppressed his anger, smiled with a flower in hand, and remained expressionless.

The faces of the three thousand Buddhist followers were increasingly grim, and the entire Lingshan Mountain seemed to have turned into a meeting of black people, with an atmosphere so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Lin Zhu ignored the group of people. He put away the God-Slaying Spear, pointed it directly at the trembling Yuan Shoucheng, and announced.

"Yuan Shoucheng, I'm taking him away. Anyone who dares to stop me, step forward!"

Seeing this, Manjushri Bodhisattva could no longer bear it and shouted angrily.

"Lin Zhu, don't be so hot-tempered!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu didn't waste any words. The God-Slaying Spear instantly appeared in front of Manjushri Bodhisattva, its tip pointing directly at her brow.

He said provocatively.

"Manjushri, since you can't stand it, then step forward and fight me one-on-one, a duel to the death!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva was speechless for a moment. She dared not look Lin Zhu in the eye, much less accept his challenge.

She was filled with shame and anger, but her body instinctively took a step back.

Lin Zhu sneered, ignoring Manjushri Bodhisattva, and continued walking towards Yuan Shoucheng.

With each step he took, it felt as if he were stepping on Yuan Shoucheng's heart, making him feel the approach of death.

"Yuan Shoucheng, your sins will be ended by me today."

Lin Zhu's voice was like a call from hell, cold and merciless.

Yuan Shoucheng was terrified. He retreated step by step, even falling to the ground and crawling backward on his hands and feet.

He originally thought he would be safe once he entered Mount Ling, since no one had ever been able to take anyone away from Mount Ling.

However, when he saw Lin Zhu approaching step by step, he was completely terrified.

The demonic energy emanating from Lin Zhu was terrifying, like a rainbow piercing the sun. He roared and announced.

"Yuan Shoucheng, you have stolen the imperial edict and revealed heavenly secrets; your crimes are heinous! Today, I will execute you right here and now! Anyone who dares to stop me will be killed!" (End of Chapter)