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

"Lin Zhu, the God of Hell! You cowardly coward, have you seen clearly?! This is the consequence of opposing my Western Paradise! Your fierce general has already been executed! Next, it will be your turn! Do you want to taste the flavor of my 'Purifying Lightning' and 'Soul-Devouring Jade Crystal Dagger'? Surrender now and convert to Buddhism, and you may still be allowed a trace of your true spirit to be reincarnated! Otherwise... Hmph!"

Faced with Di Shitian's murderous questioning, Lin Zhu's figure gradually became clearer under the cover of the Heaven-Covering Talisman. He still stood with his hands behind his back, his white robes fluttering slightly in the fierce battlefield wind. Facing Di Shitian's threat, his face showed no fear, but rather an almost candid calmness. He nodded, and his voice rang out clearly.

"Of course I'm afraid."

This unexpected answer startled Indra's Dharma Image slightly, but it then revealed an even more smug and disdainful expression, thinking that Lin Zhu had finally given in.

However, Lin Zhu's next words suddenly made the atmosphere on the battlefield strange.

He simply raised his hand and waved behind him.

The Golden Turtle of the Abyss, the Primordial Sky Eagle, and several core members of the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison exchanged glances, their faces displaying an expression that was a mixture of absurdity and solemnity.

They each reached into their storage artifacts and took out several ancient-looking, dark-colored suonas that gleamed with a cold metallic light!
Yes, it's the suona, a musical instrument commonly used in funerals in the mortal world!
These suonas are clearly no ordinary objects; they are engraved with simple amplification and concentration runes, and faint magical power flows through them.

The Golden Tortoise of the Abyss took a deep breath and pointed its enormous trumpet-like mouth towards the battlefield. The Ancient Eagle and the others also got into position.

Lin Zhu looked at Di Shitian's somewhat bewildered Dharma form, a faint, elusive smile curving his lips, and slowly spoke, his voice not loud, yet it carried far and wide.

"After all, Li Tianwang was once a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, holding a high position and great power. Today, he has fallen here. Regardless of his rights and wrongs in life, it is ultimately an end. My Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison will, for the sake of it, send him off on his journey."

A farewell party? With suona horns?

Indra was stunned, as were countless monks and cultivators in the Indian army, and even the White Lotus Child and others hidden deep within the Buddha's light.

What is this? Mourning? Provocation? Or some kind of ritual they can't understand?

Only in the silent Buddhist temple of Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, the ancient Buddha Dipankara, who saw this scene through the mirror of light, seemed to tremble slightly in his closed eyes. The Buddha Tathagata remained expressionless, but the fingers that had been calculating in his sleeves had stopped.

The three thousand Buddhas remained silent. They looked at the place where Li Jing's true spirit had vanished, and then at the few suonas that had suddenly appeared. In the end, they could only silently recite a Buddhist chant in their hearts, regarding all of this as an insignificant yet ironic predetermined ending in this grand calamity. They began to silently prepare the sutras for salvation that might never be received.

Before the snow-covered city, a biting wind howled, carrying with it the lingering stench of blood and burnt flesh. The Golden Turtle of the Abyss puffed out its cheeks, and a long, mournful, and penetrating suona melody, like a lament tearing apart the heavens, suddenly resounded above the battlefield where mountains of corpses and seas of blood were about to be born!

Woohoo!
The opening note, desolate to the bone, seemed to sound the first horn, destined to be disliked by any Buddha or Bodhisattva, for the vanished true spirit, for this irretrievable stalemate, and for the even greater storm to come.

Wow——!
The mournful and desolate sound of the suona was like an invisible whip, lashing fiercely at the solemn and frozen air in front of the snow-covered city, stirring up the stench of blood and acrid smells.

The Golden Tortoise of the Abyss puffed out its cheeks and blew with all its might, the suona's sound soaring high and piercing the clouds, tearing through the sky. Beside it, the Ancient Sky Eagle produced a broken gong and a leather drum from somewhere, matching the rhythm of the suona.

They started banging away, making a lot of noise, though it wasn't exactly a tune.

Several key members of the prison were banging and chanting in a strange, half-reciting tone.

"Oh dear, King Li, may you rest in peace!"

"The path to immortality is long and winding, the soul is adrift, there is no inn on the way to the underworld—"

"The rights and wrongs of life vanish in the end; today I send you to the wind!"

"With drums and gongs, we send you off on your journey; do not look back on the road to the Yellow Springs—do not look back!"

The scene was less a funeral procession and more an absurd farce. It was lively, but on this battlefield where the bodies were still warm and a major battle was about to break out, there was an eerie and chilling atmosphere that sent shivers down one's spine.

Lin Zhu stood quietly in front, looking at the mess of "remains" below. There was no smile on his face, nor even any sorrow, only a deep, calm.

This might be the last, almost cruel, "gentleness" he could offer to the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, who was once his enemy, briefly a "pawn," and ultimately met a tragic end—to bring him to an abrupt halt in this incongruous way, rather than leaving him to rot on the battlefield and be forgotten by both sides.

The enormous Dharma form of Indra hung in mid-air, his thunderous eyes fixed on this absurd scene. After the initial astonishment, what surged into his heart was a anger of being belittled and mocked, as well as a condescending mockery.

"Hahahahaha!"

Indra let out a deafening laugh, filled with disdain.

"Lin Zhu, the God of Hell! I thought you were someone important, but it turns out you're nothing but a cold-blooded and ruthless hypocrite!"

Your trusted and beloved generals have died tragically on the battlefield, and instead of seeking revenge, you're putting on this vulgar, foolish spectacle, 'sending them off'? It's utterly ridiculous! It seems you're nothing more than a blustering but cowardly, heartless scoundrel! Do any of your men show even a trace of grief?

His gaze swept over the group of people, including the Golden Turtle of the Abyss, who were banging drums, playing suonas, and singing lyrics. He then glanced at the expressionless Nezha and the other key members of the Heavenly Prison. Indeed, aside from the absurd ceremony, these people did not show much grief over the loss of their comrades. In fact… there was even a hint of relief after completing their mission?
Lin Zhu ignored Di Shitian's mockery. He raised his hand and gently silenced the "noise" behind him. The sounds of suona horns, gongs, drums, and chanting stopped abruptly, leaving only lingering echoes in the wind.

He glanced indifferently at Indra, then swept his gaze over the Indian army whose Buddha-light was faintly visible in the distance, his tone as calm as if he were talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him.

"Let's leave today's business here for now. All the brothers have been traveling for days and are exhausted. Let's go back to the city and rest first."

Having said that, he actually ignored the aggressive Di Shitian, turned around, and led Nezha, the Golden Turtle of the Abyss, and others, swaggering and seemingly without any precautions, slowly flying back towards the entrance of the Wind and Snow City's protective formation.

His demeanor was so relaxed that it didn't seem like he had just lost a "golden immortal's confidant," but rather like he was returning home from browsing the market.

The enormous form of Indra stood frozen in place, its lightning flashing slightly, revealing its inner doubt and uncertainty.

No! This is too abnormal! Logically speaking, after publicly torturing and killing an important enemy general in such a cruel way, the enemy should at least be filled with grief and indignation, and have a strong will to fight, if not immediately fight back! How could they retreat so easily? And even say they were "mentally and mentally exhausted"? It's utterly absurd!
He wanted to chase after him, but his steps faltered.

This Prison God Lin Zhu is notorious for his cunning and treacherous nature. Even a powerful figure like the White Lotus Child, wielding a saintly treasure, suffered greatly and nearly perished. Who knows if this seemingly easy retreat is yet another trap? Beneath this battlefield, both sides have hidden countless trump cards. Even the quasi-saint level White Lotus Child suffered physical damage. Although Di Shitian is confident in his strength and has recently acquired Buddhist supernatural powers, he dares not be careless and rashly venture into the enemy's formation or a possible ambush zone.

After watching Lin Zhu and the others disappear behind the walls of Wind and Snow City, Di Shitian snorted coldly and ultimately did not order a pursuit.

He suppressed the surging thunder and Buddhist light around him, and his hundred-foot-tall Dharma form slowly shrank, transforming into a majestic golden-armored figure. Riding a six-tusked white elephant, he turned around and flew back to his own camp under the awe-inspiring yet slightly fearful gazes of countless Indian Buddhist soldiers.

"A resounding victory in the first battle! Our glorious name shines in the Western Regions!"

A surge of pride welled up within Indra, and he cast aside any remaining doubts. In his eyes, he had just pledged allegiance to the Western Paradise, becoming a guardian deity under the Buddha Dipankara. His very first battle, on the battlefield, was to swiftly and decisively slice an enemy Golden Immortal general to pieces. His methods were ruthless and efficient, and the scene was awe-inspiring. This was undoubtedly a perfect act of establishing his authority!
This is enough to let those Buddhas, Arhats, and Vajra Kings who might secretly be dissatisfied witness the power and decisiveness of Indra!

He rode a white elephant, head held high, and flew straight into the core area of ​​the Indian army, where there was a magnificent golden tent, hastily erected yet still shrouded in Buddhist light. Inside the tent, the White Lotus Child sat in the main seat, with the Three Worlds Wisdom King and the Vajrayaksa Wisdom King on either side, and more than ten other Buddhas and Arhats also seated.

Indra strode into the tent, still carrying the lingering aura of thunder and a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of blood.

He tried to make his expression appear cold and indifferent, bowed slightly to the White Lotus Boy, and announced in a loud voice.

"Reporting to you, young servant, I have obeyed your orders and annihilated the vanguard general of the invading enemy on the spot! His body and soul were destroyed, and his true spirit was utterly destroyed!"

After saying that, he seemed to feel it wasn't enough, and with a hint of boastful pride, he added more details.

"That scoundrel calls himself the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, a Golden Immortal, but he's a pathetic piece of trash! Bound by my 'Purifying Lightning,' he can't move, and I then gave him a thorough beating with my 'Soul-Devouring Jade Crystal Dagger'... Tsk tsk, his screams, at first like a pig being slaughtered, later became somewhat... well, like the chirping of orioles and swallows, quite a unique experience. I imagine that Prison God Lin Zhu is now terrified!"

He talked on and on, feeling more and more that the battle was perfect, that he had made a great contribution, and that he would surely be rewarded and gain a foothold in the Western Paradise.

However, as he spoke, he noticed that something was off about the atmosphere inside the tent.

There was none of the expected praise, affirmation, or even a trace of awe. The white lotus boy in the main seat had a pale, childlike face as cold as ice, his eyes dark and unfocused. He didn't even glance at him, but stared at the empty space in front of him, lost in thought.

On the left, the three wrathful forms of the Vajrapani King all wore strange, indescribable expressions, a mixture of amusement and lamentation. On the right, the Vajrayaksha King's ferocious indigo face was stretched into an extremely forced, almost insincere smile, his eyes devoid of warmth.

The other Buddhas and Arhats also had shifty eyes; some lowered their heads and remained silent, while others exchanged glances. Not one of them uttered a word of agreement or congratulation.

Indra's heart sank, and the excitement and smugness he felt when he first entered the tent quickly cooled down.

He frowned, suppressing his displeasure, and looked at the seemingly more "amiable" King of the Three Worlds, and asked him.

"Your Majesty, has there been any unexpected developments ahead? When I carried out the execution, that Prison God Lin Zhu uttered a few incoherent words in an attempt to deceive me, but I easily saw through his deception!"

He brought this up intentionally to show his "brilliance".

Upon hearing this, the face in the middle representing "anger" of the three worldly kings turned slightly towards him, his voice low and emotionless.

"Oh? Nonsense? I wonder what that prison god said that would trouble you, Indra, to mention it?"

When Indra saw that someone had finally spoken, he perked up and sneered.

"It's nothing but clumsy lies! He actually said that Li Jing was a disciple of the ancient Buddha Dipankara, and that he was a special envoy sent by your Western Paradise to negotiate alone. He even brought up that Nezha was his son, trying to use the feelings of fellow disciples and the principles of human relations to confuse my mind and make me beg for mercy for Li Jing! It's utterly ridiculous!"
How could I be fooled by such childish words? I immediately intensified the force of the thunderbolts and the poisoned dagger, ensuring Li Jing's death was even more 'thorough'! Hmph, Lin Zhu, having exhausted all his tricks, could only fabricate such an easily exposed lie!

The more he talked, the more he felt he had handled the situation well and reacted quickly, and a hint of pride involuntarily appeared on his face.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the tent fell into a deathly silence. It was even more oppressive and eerie than before. The White Lotus Child's face seemed to have paled further, his lips pressed tightly together. The "smile" on Vajra Yaksha's face vanished completely, replaced by undisguised indifference.

The three-times-man-king silently looked at Indra, his gaze as if he were appraising a rare, living... fool. After several breaths, he slowly spoke, his voice flat, yet like a cold knife being slowly thrust out.

"Di Shitian, you just said... that you saw through Lin Zhu's lie, so you intensified the torture, leading to Li Jing's tragic death?"

"Exactly!"

Indra raised his head and answered, but then sensed that the King of Light's tone was off, and asked in return.

"Isn't that right? Isn't such a lie obvious at a glance?"

Instead of answering directly, the Third Buddha sighed softly, the sound of which was particularly clear in the silent tent.

"Perhaps... what Lin Zhu said was not entirely a lie."

"what?"

Indra was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

"Your Majesty is joking. If Li Jing were a disciple of the Ancient Buddha, how could I not know? I am the newly accepted protector of the Ancient Buddha. If I had a senior brother, would the Ancient Buddha not have informed me? Such a scheme to sow discord is childish and laughable!"

At this moment, Vajra Yaksha, who had been observing coldly, interrupted with a harsh, metallic voice.

"Lin Zhu, that scoundrel, is indeed despicable, but those few words he just said... I'm afraid not a single one of them is true."

Indra's smile froze on his face, his heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition, like a cold, venomous snake, instantly coiled around him.

He forced himself to remain calm, but his voice involuntarily rose a few decibels. (End of Chapter)