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

Laozi's eyes were like torches as he stared intently at the changing scene in the round mirror. His brows furrowed instantly, and his face showed an expression of extreme surprise and confusion!

Lin Zhu, standing to the side, also craned her neck, peering out curiously.

He had expected to see the Buddha sneaking into the Tushita Palace or directing his subordinates to commit murder in the mirror, but... nothing happened!
Everything shown in the mirror indicates that at that crucial moment, the Buddha was either handling official business on Mount Ling or meditating in seclusion. The cause-and-effect relationship was crystal clear, and he never left the Western Paradise. Furthermore, he had absolutely no connection with the destruction of the Tushita Palace!
"Huh? It really wasn't him?"

Lin Zhu was stunned, subconsciously touching his chin and muttering to himself.

"Did I guess wrong?
Although this old Buddha is cunning, he really didn't do it this time.
He's not as despicable and shameless as I imagined, is he? Does he dare to do something but not admit it?

Seeing this, Lin Zhu suddenly felt somewhat bored. After all that, the main culprit hadn't been caught; watching this spectacle was a bit of a waste.

Forget it, this is no place to linger. If I stay any longer, those two old guys might feel they've lost face and take their anger out on me, which would be bad. Time to get out of here!

Thinking of this, Lin Zhu quietly stood up, ready to slip away.

He even took the time to gently scatter the handful of sunflower seeds he hadn't finished cracking, along with the shells, towards the Buddha and Laozi, as a parting "gift" for them.

However, just as he turned around, his foot had just lifted, and he hadn't even had a chance to take a step—

"boom!!"

With a loud bang, Laozi suddenly slapped the horn of the green ox he was riding, his hair and beard bristling as he stood up angrily!

He pointed at the expressionless Buddha, his voice trembling with extreme anger.

"Excellent! Excellent Buddha! Excellent purity!!"

The scene in the round mirror does show that Buddha did not personally intervene, but Laozi obviously does not believe it, or rather, the "truth" he believes is not like that!
"Do you think you can deceive the heavens by using secret methods, entrusting others, or even utilizing some supreme treasure that shields heavenly secrets?!"

Laozi was furious, and his voice boomed like thunder.

"I don't care what methods you used!"
What was stolen from the Tushita Palace, besides the Taiji Pill, included countless innate materials and many rare spiritual roots that I had painstakingly collected!

These things must be inextricably linked to your Western Paradise!

He stared intently at Buddha, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if issuing an ultimatum.

"If you're unwilling to admit it today, fine! But you must return to me everything you took from the Tushita Palace, except for the Taiji Pill and the Wuji Pill! Otherwise..."

A sharp, cold glint flashed in Laozi's eyes, and his voice was icy and chilling.

"Otherwise, even if I have to give up this good corpse, I will report to the Venerable One and expose what you have done today to the world! Let's see how you, a World Honored One who has betrayed your master and ancestors and stolen other people's things, still have the face to rule Mount Ling! I will make you lose your position as the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Buddhas!"

These words were utterly blatant, tearing away all pretense of civility, with no attempt to conceal the threat! Before three thousand Buddhas, the World-Honored One so angrily confronted them, demanding the return of the "stolen goods," or else he would ruin their reputation and strip them of their venerable position!
This is like taking a dump on the head of the Western Paradise and then having to ask them for toilet paper!

Upon hearing this, the three thousand Buddhas all showed expressions of indignation and resentment. Although they dared not openly oppose Laozi, they all thought the same thing.

This place is my Western Spirit Mountain, the Great Thunderclap Temple! Even if you, Laozi, are a sage and benevolent being, to be so aggressive and to openly rebuke my World Honored One is to show utter disrespect for my Western Paradise! Sages should not interfere too much in the affairs of the Three Realms; your actions have already overstepped the bounds!
However, despite their thoughts, the three thousand Buddhas, sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Laozi, which resembled the prelude to a volcanic eruption, and recognizing the deeper level of power struggles this matter might involve, each harbored their own secrets, and none dared to utter a word in defense of their Buddha!
The only sounds in the entire Great Thunderclap Temple were Laozi's heavy breathing and his suppressed rage.

Lin Zhu, who had just failed to escape, was startled by Laozi's sudden outburst and quickly retreated, inwardly cursing.

"Holy shit!
Why is Laozi even angrier than before? Didn't the test results show that there was no problem?
Why is he so certain it was Buddha who did it? Could it be... there's some hidden story I don't know about? Perhaps there was something he particularly valued among the missing materials? Or is this simply a pretext for him to suppress the Western Paradise?

His eyes darted around quickly; no matter what the truth was, the mud he had thrown out absolutely could not be wasted!

Seeing that Laozi seemed unable to produce any more direct evidence, and that Buddha Tathagata stood there with a terribly gloomy face, yet remained silent, it was as if he had tacitly agreed.

Lin Zhu felt that his chance to add fuel to the fire had come!
He immediately put on a compassionate and righteous expression, stood up abruptly, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Laozi, and said earnestly.

"Laojun! Please calm down! Please calm down!"

He strode between the two, acting as a peacemaker.

"Laojun, look at these test results. Doesn't it show that Buddha has no direct connection with the destruction of Tushita Palace? Perhaps... perhaps there is a misunderstanding? Or perhaps Buddha... has some unspeakable difficulties?"

As he spoke, he gave the Buddha a knowing look and continued.

“We are all prominent figures in the Three Realms. We must act based on evidence and in accordance with the law! Even if Buddha really has some… well, something wrong with him, we must still protect his privacy, right? We can’t just coerce him like this because of some unfounded suspicions!”

Then, he turned to Laozi and earnestly advised him.

"Laojun, you are an elder, a highly accomplished sage, and a civilized person! We gentlemen use words, not fists. Let's talk things out! Why escalate to the point of reporting to the sage and having your esteemed position revoked?"

This...this is so hurtful!

Lin Zhu's seemingly conciliatory remarks were actually fueling the fire with every word he uttered. He used terms like "difficulties," "privacy," "unfounded accusations," "coercion," and "damage to harmony" to his advantage, demonstrating his mastery of yin-yang tactics to the fullest!

When Laozi saw that Lin Zhu, this "troublemaker," not only did not help him, the "victim," but instead jumped out to "defend" Buddha, his anger was like being doused with a bucket of hot oil, and it rushed straight to his head!
He abruptly turned his head, casting his fiery gaze upon the Buddha once more, his voice hoarse with extreme disappointment and anger.

"Duobao! Listen to this! Look at this! Even now, there are still people speaking up for you! But what about you?! Is this how you repay my kindness in enlightening me back then?! Do you know that seeing you like this now is more heartbreaking and painful for me than when you were suppressed under Qilin Cliff during the Investiture of the Gods?!"

This question, like a cry of blood, carried the pain of being utterly betrayed, echoing in the empty hall.

Inside the Great Thunderclap Temple, there was a deathly silence. The thunderous rebukes and questions from Laozi seemed to fall upon the unchanging golden stone statue.

The Buddha kept his eyelids lowered and his eyes closed. His dignified face showed no emotion whatsoever, nor did it reveal any intention to defend himself or retaliate.

He stood there quietly, bearing everything, as if all the sounds from the outside world were irrelevant to him.

This silence, more so than any vehement rebuttal, made Laozi feel an invisible pressure and...disappointment.

After a long while, just when the oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating some of the less powerful Arhats, the Buddha finally slowly raised his head.

He opened his eyes, and those eyes that originally contained endless wisdom and compassion were now like two ancient wells, deep and indifferent, without a ripple.

He looked at the still-angry Laozi, his voice eerily calm, even carrying an almost mechanical submissive quality, and slowly began to speak.

"Laojun."

Just two words, and all the former affection is gone, leaving only a cold title.

"Since Laozi has concluded that the events at Tushita Palace were the work of my Buddha, then I... have nothing to say."

He paused, his tone flat and monotone, as if he were recounting a trivial matter unrelated to himself.

"I will stay for a while to return all the stolen treasures from Laozi's Palace in full, without missing a single one."

Upon hearing this, a slight commotion arose among the three thousand Buddhas below, but it quickly subsided, leaving everyone's hearts in their throats.

However, what the Buddha said next truly shocked everyone, even causing Lao Tzu's pupils to contract slightly.

“Furthermore,” the Buddha’s voice remained calm, yet carried a chilling resolve.

"To express my remorse, I am willing to... strip away my countless merits as an atonement."

May you accumulate countless merits!

This word struck like a heavy hammer, crashing down on the minds of every listener! What is merit?
That is a reward from Heaven, a foundation for cultivation, a protective talisman against all laws, and even more so, resources for breaking through to higher realms! For a Quasi-Saint peak being like Tathagata, tens of millions of merits are almost half of his wealth accumulated over countless years! Its preciousness far surpasses any innate spiritual treasure!

Stripped of countless merits, the pain and consequences are simply unimaginable!
This is a hundred times more serious than cutting off the three flowers on the top of a Great Luo Golden Immortal's head and the five qi in his chest!
"Buddha! No!!"

"Absolutely not!!"

Several bodhisattvas couldn't help but gasp in surprise, their faces filled with fear and reluctance.

But the Buddha seemed not to hear.

As soon as he finished speaking, under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, he suddenly raised his right hand!
In an instant, his right hand transformed into pure gold, containing supreme Buddhist power. The next moment, without hesitation, he fiercely stabbed into his own chest—the source of Buddhist power and the place where merits converged!

"puff--!"

It wasn't the sound of flesh being torn apart, but a dull, teeth-grinding thud, as if the very source of the Great Dao was being forcibly severed!

The Buddha's face turned pale instantly, but he remained expressionless.

He suddenly pulled his hand outward from his chest, and a golden ball of light, indescribably brilliant and vast, was forcibly extracted from his body!

As soon as the ball of light appeared, the entire Great Thunderclap Temple was bathed in pure gold, and a vast, peaceful, and majestic aura of merit permeated the air, making all the Buddhas feel a sense of comfort and longing from the depths of their souls.

However, this aura carried a sense of detached, ownerless desolation.

This enormous ball of light, representing countless merits, slowly flew to the presence of Laozi under the control of the Buddha. It hovered quietly, its light flowing, as if silently proclaiming the "repentance" of its original owner.

As the ball of merit light left his body, the Buddha's enormous golden body visibly dimmed for a moment, and then he suddenly opened his mouth.

With a "whoosh," he spat out a mouthful of golden blood, and his aura rapidly declined like an avalanche! His originally flawless and powerful cultivation, which had been on the verge of reaching the threshold of the strongest in the Three Realms, suddenly plummeted like a deflated balloon, becoming unstable and precarious!
Everyone could clearly feel that after this ordeal, the Buddha was not only severely injured, but the foundation of his great path had also been damaged!

From then on, let alone breaking through to the supreme realm of the strongest, even maintaining his current peak Quasi-Saint cultivation level became extremely difficult. For a long time to come, he would probably need to soak in the precious Eight Treasures Merit Pool in the Western Paradise in order to barely stabilize his realm and prevent it from continuing to fall!
The pain and loss of a quasi-saint being forced to shed countless merits is far more unbearable than killing Him!

That was a kind of despair where the path was cut off and the future was shrouded in shadow!
However, after doing all this, the Buddha simply wiped the golden blood from the corner of his mouth, his face still expressionless, without joy or sorrow, as if the one who had just mutilated his own foundation and stripped away his merits was not himself at all.

He simply watched Laozi quietly, waiting for his reaction.

Laozi gazed at the vast and pure light of merit before him, then at the Buddha, whose aura had waned yet remained indifferent. His eyes flickered with complex emotions. Finally, he snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and absorbed the immense light of merit into his sleeve. Without giving the Buddha another glance, he turned to leave with Lin Zhu.

"Lin Yushen, let's go..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence. When he turned around, he found that Lin Zhu, who had been watching the commotion with great enthusiasm and even fanning the flames, was nowhere to be seen!

It turned out that after Lin Zhu saw that the Buddha actually took out millions of merits to "apologize," and that Laozi accepted them, he immediately realized that once this matter was settled, there was no point in staying any longer, and it might even bring trouble upon himself!
I've got everything, why not just run away? Am I supposed to stay and celebrate the New Year? Am I waiting for Buddha to settle scores later, or for Laozi to come looking for trouble? Time to get out of here!
Without hesitation, taking advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was drawn to that dazzling mass of merit, he used his unparalleled movement technique to slip out silently through the hole in the gate that Laozi had blown open. He was probably already thousands of miles away.

Laozi looked at the empty space behind him, his lips twitching slightly. Finally, he simply flicked his sleeve, transforming into a beam of light and leaving the Great Thunderclap Temple. Only a cold sentence remained in the air, echoing in the ears of all the Buddhas. (End of Chapter)