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

He took a step forward. Although the radiant light emanating from his body was still bright, it seemed inexplicably weak and unstable, and his voice carried obvious resentment and dissatisfaction.

"Hmph! To protect the dignity of our Buddhist sect and to eradicate evil spirits, the Immovable King unfortunately sacrificed his life, a truly heroic act! But that Lin Zhu is hateful, acting without any rules, rampant and violent, killing and destroying spirits at will, truly a great scourge to the Three Realms!"

What's even more infuriating is that the Jade Emperor of Heaven, without distinguishing right from wrong, forcefully protected his own and interfered with my Buddhist sect's exorcism of demons! If it weren't for his obstruction, with the power of my Illusory Light of Lapis Lazuli, I would have already completely purified that demon. How could he have escaped and instead endangered the life of Immovable King?!

He attributed part of the responsibility for the death of Fudo Myo-o to Lin Zhu, who "did not follow the rules," and a larger part to the Jade Emperor, who "interfered to protect his own." He downplayed and made no mention of his own decision-making errors and rash actions that led to the complete deterioration of the situation and could even bring about greater disasters.

However, which of the Buddhas in the hall hadn't cultivated for countless years and possessed a clear mind? Hearing the Medicine Buddha's explanation, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

'Before setting off, who was it that confidently assured everyone that Lin Zhu would give them some face, and that the matter would be a piece of cake?'

Who disregarded Guanyin's advice and insisted on launching a sneak attack with the Crystal Illusionary Light, only to fail and thoroughly enrage the Jade Emperor?

'If Fudo Myoo hadn't gone with you, perhaps he wouldn't have perished! Now look what's happened—he's dead, the Heavenly Court is offended, the chances of retrieving Sun Wukong are even slimmer, and the Western Paradise has completely lost face! And you try to absolve yourself of all responsibility!'

These thoughts swirled in the minds of the Buddhas, but due to the Medicine Buddha's status and power, no one dared to refute him openly, and could only bury their dissatisfaction and contempt deep within. Even several Bodhisattvas who were usually on good terms with the Medicine Buddha had their eyes flicker and looked away at this moment.

Seeing that no one responded, the Medicine Buddha felt somewhat embarrassed and forced himself to speak again.

"This time it was merely that the God of Hell was spared death, and the Jade Emperor showed him favoritism! If I encounter him again next time, I will make him know what the boundless power of Buddhism is, and what karmic retribution is!"

“What the Medicine Buddha said is absolutely right.”

"That demon only managed to escape by luck, relying on the Jade Emperor's power."

"The Buddha is all-powerful; next time, he will surely capture it with ease."

The Buddhas echoed their words respectfully, but even the sweeper in the corner of the hall could hear the perfunctory tone and insincerity in their words.

Their resentment was even stronger.

"Next time? If we let you go again, you'd probably lose the entire Spirit Mountain! Stupid as an idiot!"

Everyone turned their attention back to the Buddha, who was still looking up at the sky, silent as a stone.

This mess, this dead end, ultimately needs to be decided by the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

Guanyin Bodhisattva opened her mouth, wanting to ask how to deal with the situation next: should she continue to try to rescue Jin Chanzi's physical body and Sun Wukong, or should she deal with the possible challenges from the Heavenly Court first?

But seeing the Buddha's seemingly soulless appearance, staring blankly at the dome, as if hoping that all of this was just an absurd nightmare and he would wake up soon, the words that were about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back, turning into a long and helpless sigh in his heart.

The first tribulation of the Journey to the West… this first tribulation is far too “difficult.” It’s so difficult that it has led to heavy losses, a collapsed plan, and a dilemma! Even the Medicine Buddha, a Buddha of great stature, couldn’t stop Lin Zhu. How can the journey to the West proceed in the future? Are all eighty-one tribulations going to involve such terrifying variables?
In this suffocating silence and despair, Medicine Buddha seemed to feel somewhat embarrassed. He cleared his throat, wanting to say something to ease the tension, or to reiterate his "difficult situation" and "determination."

However, it seemed that the Buddha had finally emerged from that state of "staring blankly at the sky".

He slowly, extremely slowly, lowered his head, his movements as stiff as a rusty mechanism.

He took a deep breath, the sound of which was exceptionally clear in the silent hall, as if he had used all his strength.

Then, all the Buddhas saw that the Buddha's eyes rapidly reddened at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a layer of crystal-clear water instantly filled them, swirling and trembling in those Buddha eyes that had seen all the vicissitudes of the three realms and understood the cycle of reincarnation of all beings, and it looked as if it was about to burst forth!

But just as the tears were about to fall, the Buddha blinked sharply, and an invisible, mysterious force acted on the tears that were about to spill.

The tear that had already slid to the corner of her eye seemed to reverse time, abruptly and illogically shrinking back little by little! It re-entered her eye socket, leaving only her increasingly red eye socket and slightly damp eyelashes, proving that the breathtaking "tears flowing back" was not an illusion.

The new era's tear retraction technology was used to its fullest extent by the Buddha at this moment, yet it was still difficult to suppress the overwhelming sadness, frustration, and helplessness in his heart.

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was a deep weariness and an empty resolve; his voice was as hoarse as sandpaper.

"Now that things have come to this... let's first... prepare a ritual for the deceased, Fudo Myoo."

All Buddhas.

"..."

A ritual for the deceased? Their true spirits have all vanished; what's the point of a ritual? A ritual for the air? It's nothing more than a formality, an explanation to the living, a last fig leaf for the Western Paradise. But at this moment, who dares to speak the truth?

"I will follow the Buddha's teachings."

All the Buddhas joined their palms together, their voices deep and resonant.

In the midst of this atmosphere of endless despondency and the sorrow of formalism, a figure suddenly jumped out from the corner—it was none other than Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, who had interrupted earlier! He was now filled with righteous indignation, waving the Vajra Pestle in his hand, which served as a substitute for a broom, and speaking in a loud voice, full of "a sense of crisis".

"Buddha! Venerable Ones! We cannot just sit here and wait to die! The Immovable King cannot die in vain! The great Journey to the West cannot be abandoned like this! In my opinion, we should immediately gather all the power of Mount Sumeru and put great pressure on the Heavenly Court!"
We must force them to hand over the demon monkey Sun Wukong! We must also make them produce the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill to heal Jin Chanzi! Even… we could use this opportunity to give the Heavenly Court a good talking-to, shake their foundations, and let them know who truly calls the shots in the Three Realms!

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his spittle almost spraying onto the faces of the Bodhisattvas in the front row, as if he could already see the wonderful scene of the Buddhist army pressing in, the Heavenly Court bowing down in submission, Sun Wukong being escorted back, and the golden elixir being obtained.

However, what he received in return was the gaze of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall, as if they were looking at a severely intellectually disabled person.

His eyes contained speechlessness, helplessness, disdain, and a hint of doubt: "How did this idiot get in here?"

Even the Buddha, who was immersed in grief and predicament, couldn't help but glance at Li Jing out of the corner of his eye, his gaze clearly conveying a meaning.

"Shut up and go back to cleaning your floor," Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed and said.

“King Li, please return to your position for now. This matter… requires careful consideration.”

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by the stares of the crowd, Li Jing muttered, "I'm doing this for the good of Buddhism," and reluctantly retreated to the corner to continue playing his invisible sweeping role.

The Buddha finally forced himself to calm down completely. He slowly sat up straight. Although he was still sitting on the hard blue stone platform, the heavy sense of majesty that belonged to the ancestor of all Buddhas began to return little by little.

His gaze swept over the various Buddhas below, each with a different expression, and he began to untangle the tangled mess that was causing him a splitting headache.

"Jin Chanzi's physical body requires the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill. This pill... in the Three Realms today, who knows where it still exists? As for the Supreme Lord Laozi... it is hopeless."

"Sun Wukong was taken to the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison by Lin Zhu, nominally 'imprisoned,' but in reality, it was for protection. The Medicine Buddha's sneak attack on Lin Zhu with the Illusionary Light of the Glazed Glass angered the Jade Emperor, and the Heavenly Court is now united against him. At this point, pressuring for his release would not only have little hope of success, but could also provoke a strong counterattack from the Heavenly Court, and even escalate the conflict..."

With each point he made, his brows furrowed more, and he felt a throbbing sensation in his temples, as if countless needles were pricking him.

This situation is a complete deadlock!
He took another deep breath, forcing himself to straighten his face and adopt the composed demeanor befitting a Buddha. Seeing this, the Buddhas below also quickly composed themselves, sitting upright and awaiting the Buddha's decision.

The Buddha's gaze was solemn as he slowly spoke, his voice regaining some of its former loudness, yet carrying an indescribable heaviness.

"What Heavenly King Li Jing just said, although... the wording is debatable, is not without reason."

The Buddhas were taken aback and looked at Tathagata with some confusion.

"The Journey to the West concerns the grand plan of Buddhism's eastward expansion and the workings of the Heavenly Dao, and we must not give up on it lightly. Jin Chanzi needs to be saved, and Sun Wukong... also needs to be guided back to the right path."

The Tathagata continued.

"However, given the current situation, if our Western Paradise were to directly intervene again, whether it's to ask for pills or to demand people, I'm afraid... not only would it be difficult to get what we want, but it would also give others a handle to use against us, allowing Lin Zhu and even the Heavenly Court to take the opportunity to extort and blackmail us with all sorts of harsh conditions."

He paused, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"The most urgent task is to find out who else in the Three Realms, besides Laozi, might possess the 'Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill'? Or... is there any alternative method?"

This question caused all the Buddhas in the hall to fall silent once again.

The Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill is one of the highest alchemical techniques in Taoism. Apart from Laozi, who is in charge of alchemy, who else can refine it? Even if someone could, how could they easily obtain it?
Looking at the bewildered expressions of the Buddhas, the Tathagata felt helpless.

His gaze fell upon the void, as if piercing through layers of time and space, and he saw the Daoist temple standing outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, deep within the chaos.

He knew that the only way to find the answer was perhaps to consult his teacher. But... the Journey to the West was entrusted to him by the two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti. The project had only just begun, and they hadn't even overcome the first trial, yet they had already suffered heavy losses, destroyed key items, and had crucial figures kidnapped. Now, he had to ask his teacher for help just for a single elixir...

How could he possibly utter such words? He feared that the very first word would incur the sage's thunderous wrath and utter disappointment!

Just as the Buddha was torn between his inner conflict and the atmosphere in the hall became tense once again—

Outside the Great Thunderclap Temple, the endless auspicious clouds and vast Buddhist light that shrouded Mount Ling suddenly and without warning, as if parted by an invisible hand, slowly dispersed to both sides.

A mysterious, clear light, not particularly dazzling, yet seemingly imbued with the supreme laws of heaven, inspiring awe in all things, descended silently from beyond the nine heavens, ignoring all spatial barriers and Buddhist restrictions.

Within that clear light, a figure appeared and disappeared, its face indistinct, yet it naturally exuded an unparalleled majesty that transcended all living beings and was detached from worldly affairs.

All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall, including the Tathagata Buddha sitting on the blue stone platform, were shaken to their core at this moment. They hurriedly put away all distracting thoughts and dejected state, quickly straightened their clothes, straightened their bodies, and faced the direction from which the clear light descended, assuming the most solemn and respectful posture.

Because of the extraordinary status of the visitor.

Inside the Great Thunderclap Temple, the silent, mysterious light descended like a drop of pure water falling into a golden ocean. Seemingly weak, it instantly cleansed away all the impure Buddhist light and dejected atmosphere, plunging the entire hall into a deeper and more unsettling silence.

Without the slightest hesitation, and without even having time to ponder why this figure had descended at this moment, the reverence and discipline ingrained deep within their souls drove them to bow and join their palms in unison, their magnificent chanting resounding throughout the hall.

"We have come to pay our respects to the White Lotus Child!"

His voice was extremely respectful, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

The clear light slowly receded, revealing the figure within.

The newcomer was a boy who looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old. He had red lips and white teeth, a face as fair as jade, and wore a spotless moon-white Taoist robe with a blue silk sash tied around his waist. His hair was styled in two cute buns, and he had an innocent, harmless, and kind smile on his face.

If it weren't for the profound Daoist aura that emanated naturally from him, so different from yet subtly surpassing the Buddhist light of Mount Ling, and the chilling indifference that occasionally flashed deep within his clear eyes, anyone would have thought he was an innocent celestial child under the tutelage of some great being.

However, none of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall, including the Tathagata Buddha, dared to show the slightest disrespect because of his appearance; on the contrary, their fear reached its peak.

White Lotus Boy!

This was no ordinary child, but the personal attendant of the Lord of the Western Paradise, who resided high above the Thirty-Three Heavens, and was the guide to the saint! His status was so high that it was extremely special within the Western religion; to some extent, he represented part of the will and face of the guide to the saint.

What's even more chilling is that this seemingly kind-hearted child had a notorious reputation for evil in the ancient times!
During the Investiture of the Gods, he served as the sharpest yet most inconspicuous "slaughtering knife" in the hands of the guiding saint.

The most famous incident was when he "carelessly" released the ferocious and invincible Mosquito Daoist, who sucked the blood and essence of the Turtle Spirit Mother, one of the four direct disciples of the Jie Sect and a cultivator with ten thousand years of cultivation, and even her primordial spirit could not escape, and she perished completely!
Although there was a sage's scheme behind this, the ruthlessness and cruelty of the methods used, and the decisiveness and mercilessness of the execution, have already drawn the attention of the great powers of the Three Realms.

Since the West was converted to Buddhism and the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss stabilized, although the White Lotus Child rarely appeared, rumors of him "overseeing" the Western Paradise and handling matters "inconvenient for the Holy One to personally intervene" on behalf of the Guide Saints never ceased. (End of Chapter)