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

The Buddha was so angry that he cursed and ordered Guanyin Bodhisattva to quickly instruct Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to take action and forcibly take away the soul.

"Guanyin, quickly order Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to send people to forcibly collect the soul! This time, it may cost a fortune!"

This time, it will likely be a huge loss, because forcibly taking away the soul of the King of Men, especially if the time is missed, will inevitably bring great karma and impact the fortune of the Western Religion.

Guanyin Bodhisattva dared not delay, and quickly crushed the spiritual jade in her hand to communicate with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, requesting that someone be sent to retrieve the soul.

The three monks nervously watched the palace, wary of Lin Zhu's sneak attack.

The three thousand Buddhas and the Tathagata Buddha also stared wide-eyed, waiting intently.

The Buddha spoke in a solemn voice.

"I have a feeling that with such a commotion, the Prison God Lin Zhu will definitely sense it! He will definitely appear!"

Three thousand Buddhas spoke in unison.

"Follow the law!"

Just then, the spiritual energy in the palace suddenly stopped, a black vortex appeared, and the Treasure Goddess slowly emerged from the vortex.

She is one of the six messengers of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a super strong person at the half-step quasi-saint level, who suppressed the aura of the entire palace as soon as she appeared.

Without saying a word, the Treasure Goddess directly took the soul of the sleeping Tang Emperor.

The Buddha widened his eyes and said in a solemn voice.

"We've arrived! This is a critical moment, so please be on high alert! Three thousand Buddhas, form an array with me and be ready to suppress Lin Zhu at any time. Three Great Bodhisattvas, you must be on high alert and ready to strike at any moment!"

The three thousand Buddhas present dared not be negligent and formed a battle formation with all their might.

The Buddha stared intently at the palace in his supernatural vision, his eyes bloodshot, afraid of missing any detail.

When a white shadow flashed across the screen, he almost instinctively screamed in alarm.

"It's him! He's definitely here, ready to make his move!"

The voice of the Buddha echoed in the Great Thunderclap Temple, and the three thousand Buddhas also tensed up, focusing their attention and preparing to form an array to suppress the Buddha at any time.

The Buddha was absolutely certain that it was a figure in white. Among all the ghosts and gods in the world, who else could appear so quickly and mysteriously above the palace, and who else could be dressed in white, but Lin Zhu, who was giving him a headache?
He roared from afar, his voice reaching the ears of the three great monks above the palace through his supernatural vision.

"Three great masters, act swiftly and suppress Lin Zhu!"

However, above the palace, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva stared at the sky with strange expressions, remaining motionless.

They neither unleashed their magical weapons nor formed a battle formation; they simply stood there, dumbfounded, looking at each other in bewilderment.

The Buddha stomped his foot in anger, his voice filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction.

"Why aren't you making a move? Hurry up and suppress him! Are you going to wait for him to come knocking on our door?!"

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva raised the white shadow in her hand, her face showing a hint of uncertainty, and asked cautiously.

"Good heavens, is the white shadow you spoke of this pigeon?"

In her hand was a snow-white pigeon with full plumage.

Inside the Great Thunderclap Temple, the tense atmosphere instantly turned into an extremely awkward one.

The three thousand Buddhas looked at each other, their expressions shifting from tension to astonishment, and then from astonishment to suppressed laughter.

Looking at the innocent dove in Guanyin Bodhisattva's hand in his supernatural vision, the Buddha blushed, coughed twice, and awkwardly explained.

"Ahem. Oh, it was just a pigeon. Oh, that's alright then, you can continue."

He instructed the three great masters to continue monitoring the treasure-hunting goddess and ensure there were no mistakes.

However, the Buddha always felt that the way the three thousand Buddhas looked at him was a bit strange, as if they were looking at a fool suffering from dementia.

He explained in a fit of exasperation.

"Supernatural Vision? Supernatural Vision isn't omnipotent! I... I focused intently for an entire night, it's normal to be tired. Mistaking a shadow, what's so strange about that?!"

Upon hearing this, the three thousand Buddhas nodded in agreement and offered words of comfort with loving expressions.

“What Buddha said is absolutely right. Buddha, you have worked hard. Buddha, you have worked hard.”

Their eyes, however, were still full of sympathy and understanding, as if to say...

"We understand, we all understand, there's no need for Buddha to say more."

When the Buddha saw that the three thousand Buddhas were still looking at him with those eyes, he was so angry that he shouted.

"What are you looking at me for?! Look at Supernatural Vision! Look at Supernatural Vision!"

He insisted that Lin Zhu would definitely appear, and even made a solemn vow.

"I'm telling you, Lin Zhu will definitely show up! He'll definitely cause trouble! If he doesn't show up tonight, I'll change my name!"

Although the three thousand Buddhas complained inwardly, they still went along with his wishes. After all, he was the boss, and whatever he said went.

Meanwhile, in the palace, the Treasure Goddess begins to bewitch the Tang Emperor.

Normally, a mortal's soul can be easily blown out by the yin wind, but the Treasure Goddess found that the Tang King's soul was unusually heavy and could not be blown out no matter what she did.

Manjushri Bodhisattva urged anxiously.

"Treasure Goddess, what are you dawdling for? Quickly draw out the soul of that Tang King!"

"The Treasure Goddess said helplessly."

"I...I can't blow it! How can the soul of a mortal be heavier than a stone? Manjushri Bodhisattva, would you like to help me blow it together?"

When Manjushri Bodhisattva heard this, he thought it was a bit absurd, but for the sake of the great cause of the Journey to the West, he couldn't care less about that.

He took a deep breath and joined the ranks of those blowing the soul.

However, even when the two blew together, it still had no effect.

The Tang emperor's soul seemed to have taken root, remaining completely still.

The Buddha, listening to their conversation in the Western Paradise, found it somewhat strange.

In all his years of life, this was the first time he had ever heard of a mortal's soul being unable to be blown away.

Guanyin Bodhisattva suddenly realized the problem and quickly sent a telepathic message to Treasure Goddess and Manjushri Bodhisattva.

"King Tang is a human king, blessed by the fortune of humanity, his soul is strong and he is no ordinary person. You cannot use the evil wind to blow away his soul!"

Both the Treasure Goddess and Manjushri Bodhisattva were completely dumbfounded upon hearing this.

They felt cheated; why weren't they told this crucial information sooner?

However, for the sake of the Journey to the West, they had no choice but to endure it.

The Treasure Goddess withdrew the Yin Wind and directly reached out to grab the Tang King's soul.

Her hand passed through the Tang King's body and directly hooked his soul.

However, the instant she drew out the soul of the Tang King, a golden sun rose over the entire palace, its yang energy soaring into the sky.

The Tang king suddenly opened his eyes, showing no sign of confusion. Instead, he glared angrily and questioned Manjushri Bodhisattva and the Treasure Goddess.

"Who are you? Why do you dare to steal my soul?!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva and the Goddess of Treasures exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to explain. This was not part of their plan!

The Buddha was furious watching from the Western Paradise. He knew that this soul-collecting operation was going to fail again.

Just as the scene became incredibly awkward and stiff, Guanyin Bodhisattva secretly sent something to Manjushri Bodhisattva.

After receiving it, Manjushri Bodhisattva breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took out the life-saving treasure given to him by Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.

Manjushri Bodhisattva raised the object in his hand and displayed it before the Tang Emperor.

It was a thick, black book with the three large characters "Book of Life and Death" written in ancient seal script on the cover, exuding an inexplicable sense of majesty.

Although Manjushri Bodhisattva knew that the Book of Life and Death was a manifestation of Guanyin Bodhisattva's power and not a true treasure of the underworld, the Tang Emperor was a mortal and naturally could not see the mystery within it.

The Book of Life and Death was opened, and there was clearly written the name of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, with a note next to it stating that today was his death day and his lifespan had come to an end.

The Tang Emperor's face suddenly turned ugly, and his eyes flashed with a cold light.

As the ruler of a country, holding the reins of power over the world, when has he ever been threatened like this?
Upon seeing this, Manjushri Bodhisattva quickly explained.

"Your Majesty, do not be angry. Life and death are preordained, and this is the will of Heaven, which is beyond our control. However, if Your Majesty can worship and respect the Buddha, you will be protected by the Buddhist community and your life will be extended. Tonight's events are a warning from Heaven, and we hope that Your Majesty can understand their profound meaning."

The implication was that the Tang emperor should comply with the Buddhist teachings and hold a grand Buddhist ceremony to deliver the souls of the wronged, in order to save his life.

Although the Tang Emperor was filled with rage, he also knew that these people in front of him were not people he could resist.

As an emperor, he was well aware of the principle of enduring humiliation and knew that a head-on confrontation at this moment would only bring disgrace upon himself.

The Tang king snorted coldly and decided to play along and see what tricks these Buddhist monks were up to.

he said coldly.

"Now that I am dead, my soul shall return to the netherworld. I want to see what kind of three-headed, six-armed being dares to take my soul in the Yama's Palace! Lead the way!"

The Treasure Goddess was overjoyed to see that the Tang King was cooperating. She used her supernatural powers to take the Tang King's wronged soul straight to the underworld.

In the Great Thunderclap Temple in the Western Paradise, all the Buddhas watched the scene unfolding in their supernatural vision with bated breath.

The Buddha stared intently, convinced that Lin Zhu would surely appear.

However, to everyone's surprise, the Treasure Goddess successfully led King Tang into the underworld without any unexpected incidents.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across the Buddha's face, but he quickly regained his composure and announced.

"Alright, the Tang King's soul has entered the underworld, and the plan is half successful. Everyone, please go and rest."

Although the three thousand Buddhas inwardly complained about the Buddha's overreaction, they outwardly chanted Buddhist scriptures to show their respect for the Buddha.

Even the Buddha was puzzled, wondering why Lin Zhu hadn't appeared.

He tried to calculate with his fingers, but because Lin Zhu had a Heaven-Covering Talisman, he couldn't calculate even a fraction of Lin Zhu's secrets.

He guessed that Lin Zhu might have changed his tune and was no longer interfering in the Journey to the West.

The Buddha sneered inwardly, thinking that Lin Zhu was sensible, so he turned off his supernatural vision and told everyone to go and rest.

However, he didn't know that the real show was just beginning.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhu remained in the royal palace in Chang'an, enjoying the service of palace maids and princesses.

He leaned lazily against the soft couch, sipping his wine while observing the movements outside.

He had long suspected that the Buddhas of the Western Paradise might use their supernatural powers to spy on him, so he deliberately did not appear.

What he wanted was to make the Buddha think that he had given up, and then, at the most crucial moment, deliver a fatal blow to the Buddhas of the Western Paradise.

Lin Zhu is waiting for someone, no, he's waiting for a ghost.

The next second, a hideous and terrifying black mist emerged from a corner of the palace.

As the black mist dissipated, a kind and honest-looking gardener appeared before Lin Zhu.

This person was none other than the Emperor of Fengdu, but his current attire left Lin Zhu feeling helpless.

"Emperor of Fengdu, what are you doing?"

Lin Zhu looked at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The Emperor of Fengdu chuckled, scratched his head, and said...

"I was afraid my terrifying ghostly aura would frighten the people of Chang'an, so I dressed up like this. What do you think? Doesn't this make me seem more approachable?"

Lin Zhu shook his head and said helplessly.

"Dressed like this, you'll only make those palace maids and princesses think you're a womanizer. Alright, stop fooling around and go back to your original appearance."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Fengdu transformed back into his tall and majestic form.

Lin Zhu examined him closely and found that his aura was even stronger than before, having reached the Great Luo Perfection realm.

Lin Zhu joked.

"Fengdu Emperor, it seems you're having a good time in the underworld; your cultivation has improved quite a bit."

The Emperor of Fengdu chuckled and said.

"Thanks to you, Lin Zhu. If you hadn't given me that plan for the underworld, how could I have made such rapid progress? But did you let me come up here to prepare for going to the underworld?"

Lin Zhu nodded and said.

"Go on, the show's about to begin. You go down first, pack your things, and we'll go down."

The Emperor of Fengdu nodded and took out a black jade slip containing the layout plan for the underworld.

Lin Zhu took the jade slip, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"Buddha, do you think you've won? Ha! How naive."

Meanwhile, the Treasure Goddess led the Tang King into the underworld, where the three great Bodhisattvas secretly protected him.

Guanyin Bodhisattva sneered inwardly, thinking that no matter how strong Tang King's yang energy was, he would be scared out of his wits in the ghostly underworld.

Then, with a little intimidation, wouldn't the Tang king obediently submit?

However, when the Tang Emperor and his entourage entered the underworld, the three Bodhisattvas were dumbfounded and roared in frustration.

Because the once terrifying and gloomy underworld has become completely different.

The Treasure Goddess led King Tang into the underworld, expecting the scene to be the same as before: eerie and blood-red, enough to terrify King Tang and make him submit.

However, the moment she stepped into the underworld, the scene before her completely overturned her understanding of the underworld.

What should have been a gloomy and terrifying gate to the underworld has now become a pink archway with a sign that reads "Welcome to the Underworld".

The road to the underworld was swept clean, even the blood-stained areas were stained pink and decorated with bright flowers. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, not the smell of blood.

The ox-headed and horse-faced demons were no longer the hideous and terrifying ghost messengers.

They wore quirky masks and tight black vests, revealing strong muscles, looking sunny and energetic, as if they weren't ghosts here to collect souls, but bodybuilding contestants.

Those female ghosts, who should have been tragically wretched, now had a completely different appearance, with disheveled hair. (End of Chapter)