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

Guanyin Bodhisattva's face turned green instantly.

She never expected Lin Zhu to say such a thing.

How could a Buddhist bodhisattva like her let others know about the mole on her leg?
"Also, Guanyin, do you prefer to wear white or red clothes? I think you look more like a young wife when you wear red."

Lin Zhu's words instantly turned Guanyin Bodhisattva's face into a liver color.

She was so angry that she trembled all over, but she was speechless.

Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva blushed deeply when they saw Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva being teased by Lin Zhu.

They knew that Lin Zhu was humiliating them, but they were powerless to do anything about it.

With just a few words, Lin Zhu completely suppressed the imposing aura of the Buddha and the three great bodhisattvas.

The Buddha took a deep breath; he knew he couldn't let Lin Zhu provoke him any further.

He decided to swallow his anger and try to negotiate with Lin Zhu in a calm manner.

“Lin Zhu,” the Buddha’s voice became calm.

"I ask you, why are you in the underworld? And why are you trying to stop us from saving the Tang Emperor? You harbor evil intentions and want to disrupt our grand plan of the Journey to the West. Do you know your crime?"

However, Lin Zhu suddenly interrupted him.

He looked at the Buddha and said calmly.

"Old monk, please don't speak yet."

The Buddha was taken aback; he never expected Lin Zhu to be so rude.

But he obediently kept his mouth shut, knowing that now was not the time to act impulsively.

Lin Zhu was somewhat lost in thought because he received a notification from the system.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the mission. You have prevented the Tang Emperor from being converted by the Western Paradise and successfully stopped the start of the Journey to the West. The host's cultivation level has been broken, and you have advanced to the perfect realm of the Great Luo Golden Immortal."

Lin Zhu was overjoyed. He hadn't expected the system to determine that the task was completed so quickly.

He checked his system information and found that his cultivation techniques, magical treasures, and magical abilities had all been significantly improved.

His cultivation level also advanced directly from the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm to the perfect Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Lin Zhu was a little puzzled. He had thought this was just an appetizer, but he didn't expect the system to have determined that the task was completed.

Upon closer reflection, he realized that perhaps the system had mistaken those earlier appetizers for part of the mission.

Lin Zhu felt a surge of secret joy. This was good, at least it saved her from having to reveal her true self.

He came to his senses and saw that the Buddha was still waiting beside him.

He smiled somewhat awkwardly and said to the Buddha.

"I'm sorry, old monk, I was lost in thought just now. I've kept you waiting."

The Buddha's face instantly darkened.

He never imagined that he, a dignified Buddha, would be left out in the cold by Lin Zhu.

He continued to angrily accuse Lin Zhu.

"Lin Zhu! You monster! You secretly killed the Tang King and lured his soul to the underworld, breaking your agreement with the Heavenly Court! Do you know your crime?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu retorted sarcastically.

“Old monk, you’re mistaken. I didn’t kill the Tang Emperor, nor did I stir up his soul. On the contrary, you, for the sake of the Journey to the West, actually went so far as to kill a mortal emperor without authorization. Isn’t that something a Buddhist should do?”

The Buddha was furious. He knew that Lin Zhu was using a fallacy to distort the truth.

He shouted loudly.

"Nonsense! It is only right and proper for us to convert the Tang Emperor! If you don't believe me, you can produce the Book of Life and Death to prove it!"

Just then, the Treasure Goddess, dressed as a magical dancer, rushed over.

She looked at the Buddha and shouted.

"Buddha! It's terrible! The Tang Emperor is about to return to life! But... but there's no Book of Life and Death!"

The argument between the Buddha and the Treasure Goddess plunged the entire underworld into an awkward silence.

Just then, Lin Zhu smiled slightly. He looked at the Buddha and the Treasure Goddess, gesturing for them to come and see a "big treasure".

All eyes immediately turned to Lin Zhu.

They all held their breath, staring nervously at Lin Zhu's trouser pocket.

The Buddha felt a chill run down his spine and immediately made preparations.

He planned that the moment Lin Zhu took out the Book of Life and Death, he would immediately make a move and snatch it away.

However, when Lin Zhu slowly pulled his hand out of his pocket, what he took out was not the Book of Life and Death, but his large, thick middle finger.

Lin Zhu looked at the Buddha with a wicked smile on his face and teased him.

"Old monk, look at my middle finger. What do you think? Do you like it? After all, your own finger is missing a piece. My middle finger is thick and long, which can make up for your regret."

Lin Zhu's words, like a sharp sword, once again struck the Buddha's sore spot.

His face instantly turned bright red, like a monkey's bottom.

He was so angry that he was trembling all over, but he couldn't retaliate.

He knew that Lin Zhu was humiliating him, but he had no words to respond.

He couldn't possibly admit in front of so many ghosts and spirits that he liked Lin Zhu's middle finger, could he?

The Buddha returned to his stone platform in a huff. He dared not look at Lin Zhu again, fearing that he might accidentally be angered by Lin Zhu to the point of vomiting blood on the spot.

Seeing this, Lin Zhu stopped trying to hide it.

He pulled out the Book of Life and Death from his robes and looked at the Buddha with a wicked grin.

"Old monk, look at this, what is it?"

The Book of Life and Death clearly shows the lifespan of the Tang Emperor, making it obviously genuine.

The Buddha and the others stared in shock at the Book of Life and Death. They never imagined that the Book of Life and Death would be in Lin Zhu's hands.

"This is impossible!"

The Treasure Goddess exclaimed in surprise.

"How did the Book of Life and Death end up in your hands?!"

Lin Zhu put away the Book of Life and Death and asked the Buddha in a low voice.

"Old monk, I'm asking you, do you know the rules?"

The Buddha took a deep breath; he knew that he was now in Lin Zhu's hands.

He was extremely unwilling, but he knew that he had to cooperate with Lin Zhu, otherwise the grand plan of the Journey to the West would be in vain.

"Lin Zhu, what exactly do you want?"

The Buddha's voice was filled with helplessness.

However, Lin Zhu interrupted him.

He pointed at the Buddha, his tone full of disdain.

“Old monk, look at you all! You lost the Book of Life and Death yourselves, yet you still insist on coming here. What do you think this place is? This is the underworld! My territory! Let me tell you, you are all my guests. Since you are guests, you should act like guests and know the rules!”

Lin Zhu paused for a moment, then continued.

"Old monk, you're a regular customer of mine, so you should cooperate a bit. Don't make things difficult for me, and don't make things difficult for yourself either."

The Buddha was rendered speechless by Lin Zhu's words.

He knew that Lin Zhu was humiliating him, but he was powerless to refute her.

The Buddha asked helplessly, "Lin Zhu, what do you want? As long as you hand over the Book of Life and Death, I... I can grant your request."

Lin Zhu grinned and immediately asked for a million merits.

“Old monk, I won’t make things difficult for you. Just give me one million merits. If you give me one million merits, I will return the Book of Life and Death to you and bring the Tang Emperor back to life.”

When the Buddha heard Lin Zhu's words, he was so angry that he jumped up and down.

He pointed at Lin Zhu and angrily rebuked him.

"Lin Zhu! Don't be delusional! How could a mortal's Book of Life and Death be worth a million merits?! You're just taking advantage of someone's misfortune!"

However, Lin Zhu didn't care at all.

He looked at the Buddha, his tone full of mockery.

“Old monk, you’re wrong about that.”

The Book of Life and Death of an ordinary person is certainly not worth a million merits.

But look at my current level, what level am I at?

Lin Zhu's words surprised the Buddha.

He subconsciously looked at Lin Zhu, only to find that Lin Zhu's aura was even stronger than before.

"You...you got promoted?!"

The Buddha exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Zhu said smugly.

"That's right! I've advanced! I'm now at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm! And I'm currently attempting to break through to the half-step Quasi-Saint realm!"

Upon hearing this, the Buddha and everyone else were shocked.

They couldn't believe that Lin Zhu's cultivation level had improved so quickly.

The Buddha was terrified. He realized that Lin Zhu's improved cultivation level posed a huge threat to them.

Lin Zhu's strength was already far superior to his, and now that Lin Zhu's realm has improved, his strength will only become more terrifying.

He fell into deep thought; the journey to the West was of great importance to them.

This is the key to their obtaining endless merit. If Lin Zhu wanted something else, the Buddha might have agreed, but Lin Zhu directly wanted merit, which put him in a dilemma.

Merit is an extremely precious thing.

Even saints would fight for it. If he bestowed merit upon Lin Zhu, Lin Zhu's strength would increase once again.

For him, this was tantamount to raising a tiger to cause trouble.

The Buddha looked up at Lin Zhu, meeting his sincere eyes.

Lin Zhu coldly reminded the Buddha.

"Old monk, let me tell you, if you don't give me merit, you will lose even more!"

The Buddha felt a sudden heart attack; he knew that Lin Zhu had him completely under her control.

He has no way out now.

The Buddha was extremely aggrieved by Lin Zhu's extortion. When had he, the supreme being of Buddhism, ever suffered such humiliation? He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that now was not the time to act impulsively.

He looked at Lin Zhu and said in a deep voice.

"Lin Zhu, don't even dream of a million merits! Merit is a gift from Heaven, and it is no small matter. The most I can give you is three hundred thousand. This is my limit, and it is also the limit of the Western Paradise!"

Lin Zhu scoffed at the Buddha's words.

He shook his head, looking like he had been taken advantage of.

"Old monk, 300,000? Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar? I've sacrificed my looks, my reputation, my heart and soul, and my feelings for your grand Journey to the West plan. Do you know how hard it was for me? You only give me 300,000? I'm losing out big time!"

The Buddha's eyes widened in anger. He pointed at Lin Zhu and rebuked him.

"Lin Zhu! You're utterly shameless! What did you sacrifice? All you sacrificed was your shamelessness and depravity! You still have the nerve to say you lost out? I think you gained a lot!"

Lin Zhu ignored the Buddha's angry rebuke and continued to speak in a "wronged" tone.

“Old monk, I’m so heartbroken by what you’re saying. I’ve put so much effort into your Journey to the West plan. My improvement in cultivation level is also to better serve your Journey to the West plan! How can I accept that you only give me 300,000? How about this, 700,000, 700,000 merit points, consider it my small contribution to your Journey to the West plan.”

"Seven hundred thousand?!"

The Buddha was so angry that he trembled all over. He never expected that Lin Zhu would be so shameless.

He glared at Lin Zhu and shouted loudly.

"Lin Zhu! Don't push your luck! I've said it before, the maximum is 300,000. Any more than that, I won't give it to you even if it costs me my life!"

Lin Zhu remained unmoved and continued to haggle.

"Old monk, 700,000 is too much? How about 600,000? 500,000? 500,000 should be fine, right? 500,000 in merit, for your grand Journey to the West plan, you've hit the jackpot!"

The Buddha resolutely refused to budge, knowing that if he did, Lin Zhu would become even more emboldened.

He looked at Lin Zhu and said in a deep voice.

"Lin Zhu, I'll say it one last time: 300,000! Any more than that, and I won't negotiate! Even if it means bearing endless karma, I will forcibly take the Tang King away! Do you believe me?"

Lin Zhu, however, put on a "pitiful" look, looking at the Buddha with his eyes full of grievance.

"Old monk, why must you do this? We are all working for the great Journey to the West, why make things so tense? If you forcibly take the Tang King away, you will bear endless karma, and I will also be punished by Heaven because the Tang King has not been resurrected. This is a lose-lose situation for both of us!"

Just when the two sides were deadlocked, the Treasure Goddess made a suggestion in the ear of the Buddha.

“Buddha, don’t forget that the Tang Emperor listens to Lin Zhu’s every word. Why don’t we have Lin Zhu propose to the Tang Emperor that we hold a grand Buddhist and Taoist assembly? If the Tang Emperor agrees, we can overcome our current predicament.”

Upon hearing this, the Buddha's eyes lit up.

He knew that the Treasure Goddess's suggestion was very clever.

The Water and Land Assembly is of great importance to the Journey to the West.

This marked the beginning of the grand Journey to the West and was crucial to the great prosperity of the Western Paradise.

If Lin Zhu could persuade the Tang Emperor to agree to convene the Water and Land Assembly, they could overcome their current predicament and get the Journey to the West project back on track.

Moreover, he had enough confidence that the journey to the West would proceed smoothly.

He believed that once the Journey to the West project began, Lin Zhu would no longer be able to interfere.

Therefore, he decided to accept Lin Zhu's terms.

He looked at Lin Zhu and said in a deep voice.

"Lin Zhu, I can give you 500,000 merits, but you must agree to one condition."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu revealed a playful smile.

"Old monk, I knew you wouldn't let me down. Tell me, what are your conditions?"

"You must propose to the Tang Emperor that he convene a grand water and land ceremony, and the Tang Emperor must agree."

Buddha Tathagata said.

The Buddha originally thought that Lin Zhu would refuse.

After all, Lin Zhu had been obstructing the Journey to the West plan, so how could he possibly agree to such a condition?

However, Lin Zhu agreed without hesitation.

"Alright! No problem! Old monk, I agree!"

Lin Zhu's voice was full of cheerfulness.

"As long as you give me merit, everything is negotiable!"

The Buddha was somewhat bewildered by Lin Zhu's sudden change. (End of Chapter)