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

He gritted his teeth, his gums even bleeding, but finally... he slowly moved aside, making way. Seeing this, the Bodhisattvas Sunlight and Moonlight quickly followed suit, lowering their heads, not daring to meet Lin Zhu's gaze.

Seeing this, Lin Zhu chuckled and said nothing more, turning to Sun Wukong.

"Let's go, Great Sage. Go back to Heaven and go sit in your 'prison'."

Sun Wukong was thrilled and his admiration for Lin Zhu was boundless! With just a stone, a spear, and a few harsh words, he had frightened a Buddha into not daring to move and obediently making way! This was the true demeanor of a strongman! He quickly replied.

"Alright! Brother Prison God! Let's go!"

As he spoke, he deliberately made a face at the direction of the Medicine Buddha before happily following Lin Zhu.

Guanyin Bodhisattva observed all of this from beginning to end, without intervening and without being able to.

As she watched Lin Zhu's free and easy figure, dressed in flowing white robes, wielding a deadly gun, seemingly oblivious to the Buddha, a complex and absurd thought suddenly arose in her mind.

Centuries have passed... and this guy seems to have changed no more. He's still as willful and arrogant as ever, yet... he seems to have always adhered to some kind of "justice" or "reason" that he himself believes in.

Compared to those "Buddhas" in the Western Paradise who spout benevolence and morality but are secretly full of scheming, compromise, and even betrayal, his undisguised "truth" and his "arrogance" that disregards all rules seem...exceptionally unique.

A white-robed immortal lord, wielding a demonic spear, looking down upon all Buddhas... This scene possesses a strange yet awe-inspiring beauty.

But the thought only flashed through her mind for a moment before she immediately suppressed it deep within her heart. To admire the enemy when you're on opposing sides and have differing stances is a path to certain death.

She lowered her eyes and stopped looking.

However, things didn't end there.

Watching Lin Zhu and Sun Wukong ride away on the clouds, the humiliation and fear on the Medicine Buddha's face were gradually replaced by a more sinister and crazed expression! Today's humiliation was unprecedented! If Lin Zhu were to leave unscathed, he, the Medicine Buddha, would become a laughingstock in the Three Realms, finding it difficult to maintain his foothold in the Western Paradise, let alone compete for the second-in-command position!

"Lin Zhu...you forced me to do this!"

A resolute ruthlessness flashed in the Medicine Buddha's eyes as he hissed in a low voice.

He slowly raised his right hand, palm up, and a strange ball of light, shimmering with a dreamlike, crystalline luster, quietly appeared.

This ball of light, no bigger than an egg, exuded an extremely contradictory aura—it possessed both the purity and peace of Buddha's light, and faintly revealed a terrifying toxicity that could corrode all things and cause people to become addicted and intoxicated! It was the extremely poisonous divine power that he had condensed in reverse after cultivating for countless years and studying the way of "medicine" to the extreme, and it was also one of the five great Buddha lights—the Glazed Illusionary Light!
This light corresponds to the "desire for food" among the "five desires." It is a supremely poisonous Buddhist light, condensed from the supreme Buddhist teachings, the desire for "gluttony" and the poisonous principles of the decay and corruption of all things in the world!
This light, once unleashed, can rot stubborn rocks, wither lush forests, and leave thousands of miles of barren land! Those struck by it have no cure; their life force is severed, and even their souls and true spirits are completely corroded! It is virtually impossible for anyone without a cultivation level of at least Quasi-Saint to withstand it! It is the Medicine Buddha's trump card, a forbidden killing move he would only use as a last resort!
"Medicine Buddha! No!!"

Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was in the distance, recognized the light at a glance and was so frightened that she cried out in alarm, disregarding her injuries.

"This is the Glazed Illusionary Light! Once unleashed, within a thousand miles of the Two Realms Mountain, all living beings—humans, demons, beasts, even plants and insects—will be corroded as if by the most potent poisonous acid, suffering a agonizing and agonizing death, their life force extinguished! Even mountains and land will be transformed into a deadly swamp! This is a grave karmic act that violates the laws of nature and destroys all life!! Stop it now!!"

She knew all too well the terror of this light; it was not merely about killing enemies, but about indiscriminate regional annihilation! Once unleashed, the resulting carnage and karmic consequences would be unimaginably horrific!

However, the Medicine Buddha was blinded by anger and murderous intent, and could not listen to anything else. His face showed a twisted expression that was a mixture of madness and "justice" as he shouted.

"This monstrous creature, Lin Zhu, possesses the most evil and malevolent nature. It has murdered a Buddhist venerable one and disrupted the Journey to the West, making it the greatest scourge of the Three Realms! To eliminate this monstrous creature and protect the long-term peace of all beings in the Three Realms, sacrificing this mere thousand miles of land, a few mortal beings, and plants is worthwhile! It is a great merit! It is an act of justice!"

He completely positioned himself in a "tragic" position of "having to make painful sacrifices for the greater good," attempting to justify his impending act of extermination.

Seeing that Lin Zhu and Sun Wukong had already gone some distance away, with their backs to him and seemingly defenseless, a fierce glint flashed in the Medicine Buddha's eyes!
"Lin Zhu! Prepare to die! Justice will prevail!!!"

He suddenly unleashed the terrifying ball of light in his palm—a ball of shimmering, dreamlike light that contained the power to extinguish life—fiercely towards the direction Lin Zhu and Sun Wukong had fled! At the same time, to ensure a hit and to expand the area of ​​effect, he spared no expense in expending a large amount of his own energy to push the power of the ball of light to its limit, causing it to explode!
"Om-!"

After the ball of shimmering light left his hand, it didn't shoot directly, but suddenly expanded and spread! It transformed into a vast, dreamlike, yet deathly cold, shimmering light tide, centered on the remains of the Two Realms Mountain, sweeping outwards in all directions like a world-ending tsunami! Wherever the light tide passed, the space emitted a hissing sound, as if being corroded by strong acid!
The mountains and fields near Liangjie Mountain were the first to be affected!

As the light swept across, the mountains and forests, which were originally ravaged by the great battle but still had some remaining life, underwent a terrifying transformation in an instant!

The lush trees lost all moisture and vitality at a visible speed, their branches and leaves withered, their trunks rotted, turning into black rotten wood, and then turning into ashes inch by inch!

The lush grass and wildflowers, as if burned by an invisible flame, were instantly charred, withered, and turned to dust!
Wild deer, rabbits, birds, and even insects on the ground were swept away by the shimmering light. Before they could even scream, their bodies were as if they had been doused with concentrated acid. Instantly, white smoke billowed out, and their flesh and bones rapidly dissolved and rotted, turning into pools of foul-smelling pus, blood, and residue. Then, even the residue was completely annihilated by the light!
The rocks and soil also became dull and lifeless, as if they had lost all their vitality, and their surfaces were covered with a layer of glass-like, highly poisonous crystals!
That wasn't all! The tide of light continued to spread outwards at an incredible speed! Not far from Liangjie Mountain, in Liu Family Village, the Mountain Guardian Liu Boqin was supporting his still-shaken elderly mother, discussing the earth-shattering battle and deafening commotion with the villagers. Suddenly, a hazy, icy, glassy light, like a soft yet deadly veil, quietly enveloped the entire village.

"This light...it's so beautiful..."

A child curiously reached out.

The next moment, tragedy struck!

Liu Boqin felt a burning pain on his skin. Looking down, he saw that his hands were rapidly turning black, festering, and oozing pus! He looked up in horror and saw his mother, wife, and fellow villagers, young and old, men and women, all letting out shrill screams that were inhuman!

Their bodies melted and rotted rapidly, like wax figures under the scorching sun! Houses, livestock, crops—everything vanished and disappeared in that beautiful yet deadly radiance!
"Do not--!!!"

Liu Boqin let out a final, desperate roar, and then, along with the entire village, he transformed into a foul-smelling, lifeless, azure-colored swamp!
The tide of light continued to spread, sweeping towards some villages and towns near the border of West Jambudvipa, where many Buddhist believers lived; it also affected some hunters and farmers scattered in the mountains on the edge of Jambudvipa...

Regardless of human or animal, plant or tree, faith or belief, all were met with an instantaneous and painful death under the indiscriminate and irresistible annihilation strike of the shimmering, illusory light! A thousand miles of land were instantly transformed into a death zone! All life was extinguished, leaving only a terrifying scene of shimmering, corrosive light!
The instigator of all this, Medicine Buddha, hovered in mid-air at the origin of the light tide, looking down at the thousand-mile dead zone below where life was instantly extinguished and all things withered. His face showed not the slightest pity or guilt, but a twisted smile that mixed smugness, cruelty and "righteous indignation".

"Lin Zhu... no matter how strong you are, you have no chance of survival under such annihilating light! Although my actions have caused bloodshed, they have rid the Three Realms of a great scourge! My merit is immeasurable!"

He was certain that Lin Zhu and Sun Wukong had already been swept away by the core of that shimmering light and reduced to ashes, leaving no trace of their bodies!

The speed of the shimmering light unleashed by the Medicine Buddha far surpassed that of ordinary escape lights, even exceeding Lin Zhu's speed in his cloud-riding departure by several times! Moreover, its nature was unique, being a condensation of Buddhist light and ultimate poison. When activated, it was almost silent, with only a dreamlike and hazy shimmering light quietly spreading out, without revealing any killing intent, yet containing a terrifying power capable of annihilating everything!
As one of the five great Buddha lights of the Western Paradise, it specializes in corroding life force and annihilating all things. Below the level of Quasi-Saint, if one does not have a special treasure or heaven-defying supernatural power to protect them, touching it will surely lead to death, with no chance of survival!
Lin Zhu and Sun Wukong rode on clouds, heading towards the South Heavenly Gate beyond the Nine Heavens.

Perhaps because he had defeated the Medicine Buddha, or perhaps because he was about to return to his "home ground" in the Heavenly Court, Lin Zhu's mind was slightly relaxed. In addition, the speed of the Glazed Illusionary Light was too fast and too well concealed. It wasn't until the deadly sense of crisis, like the sharpest ice needle, pierced his back without warning and went straight to the depths of his soul that he suddenly became alert!
It was an extreme sense of crisis that he hadn't experienced in a long time, a sense that made even someone as powerful as him instantly feel his hair stand on end and as if he had fallen into an ice cellar!
"not good!!"

Alarm bells rang wildly in Lin Zhu's mind! He didn't even have time to turn around, let alone think about where the attack came from or what its nature was. All his fighting instincts and will to survive were pushed to their limits at this moment!
"Om-!!"

Almost instantly, the Thirteen-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit burst forth with unprecedentedly brilliant golden light from beneath his feet! The lotus petals unfolded layer by layer, transforming into the most solid barrier that enveloped him and Sun Wukong beside him!

At the same time, auspicious clouds rolled above his head, and an ancient and mysterious auspicious cloud lamp with a purple-gold flame suddenly rose up, casting down thousands of auspicious rays and clouds, which intertwined with the light of the merit lotus to form a second layer of protection!

These two items are his top defensive reliance, especially the Thirteen-Grade Merit Golden Lotus, which has a strong weakening effect on the attacks of the Western Sect!

However, the moment he activated his defense, the dreamlike yet deathly cold, glassy light surged silently and relentlessly, crashing against the auspicious light cast by the outermost layer of the auspicious cloud lanterns!

"laugh--!!!"

There was no earth-shattering crash, only a strange sound that made your teeth ache, like a red-hot iron being plunged into ice and snow, or like strong acid corroding metal!
The auspicious light and mist that the Qingyun Golden Lamp, which had protected Lin Zhu from countless calamities and was ranked among the innate spiritual treasures, were rapidly evaporating and dissipating like dewdrops under the sunlight under the wash of the shimmering light!
The lamp body trembled violently, emitting a mournful cry as if it could not bear the weight, and the lamp wall was instantly covered with fine, spiderweb-like cracks! The small purple-gold flame at the wick, which symbolized good fortune and vitality, flickered wildly a few times, and then, like a candle blown out by a gale, dimmed and went out completely!
“Crack…bang!”

In the blink of an eye! This precious innate defensive spiritual treasure couldn't even last two seconds before it shattered completely with a soft sound, turning into countless dull fragments, like ordinary iron that had lost all its spirituality, falling towards the sea of ​​clouds below!

"what?!"

Lin Zhu's pupils constricted sharply, his heart trembling violently! The defense of the Qingyun Golden Lamp was so easily breached?! What exactly was this incoming light?! Its power was terrifyingly immense?! If it were to strike him directly…

This thought instantly soaked his back with cold sweat! He dared not be negligent in the slightest and fully activated the thirteen-petaled golden lotus of merit beneath his feet!

After the shimmering light shattered the auspicious cloud lamp, its momentum remained undiminished, like a persistent ailment, and it immediately struck the solid and heavy golden lotus of merit light!
"Om-!!"

The Golden Lotus of Merit trembled violently, its body radiating brilliant light, attempting to purify and resist this extremely poisonous Buddha light with the power of its supreme merit.

Two forces, originating from the same source but with completely opposite natures, collided fiercely and eroded each other!
However, this time, even the top-level defensive treasure that had helped Lin Zhu withstand the attack of a half-step quasi-saint during his time as a Great Luo Golden Immortal seemed somewhat powerless!
The iridescent light seemed specifically designed to counter Buddhist defenses, possessing extremely strong corrosive properties. The radiance of the Golden Lotus of Merit flickered and dimmed rapidly at a visible speed! On the lotus petals, even tiny, insect-eaten spots began to appear!

"Medicine Buddha!! You shameless old thief! How dare you commit such a despicable sneak attack!!"

Lin Zhu finally realized the source and nature of the attack, and he cursed angrily! He was filled with remorse. He shouldn't have hesitated earlier. He should have used the God-Slaying Spear in combination with the Heavenly Origin Demon Stone to severely injure or even kill that old bastard. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in this danger!
He frantically channeled his inner power, pouring it into the Golden Lotus of Merit, attempting to stabilize his defenses. However, the corrosive and draining power of this illusory light far exceeded his expectations. He felt his immense power gushing out like a flood bursting its banks, yet he still couldn't stop the Golden Lotus's light from dimming rapidly!
"Hold on! Hold on for me!!"

Lin Zhu growled, veins bulging on his forehead. (End of Chapter)