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

However, Lin Zhu narrowed his eyes slightly. Instead of relaxing because of the other party's politeness, he became even more wary.

A smile suddenly appeared on his face, seemingly casual, but deep in his eyes was an icy chill. Meeting Amitabha's compassionate gaze, he spoke slowly and clearly, his voice echoing in the oppressive atmosphere.

"Buddha, you are too kind. In truth... I did not wish to come."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the anxious-looking people in the Nine Heavens Prison, who stood guard nearby. His tone suddenly turned cold, carrying an unquestionable questioning tone.

"However... someone seems to be ignorant of the rules, having kidnapped my brother, forcing me to come here. Buddha, what do you say... how should this be settled?"

Just as Lin Zhu finished speaking, and the lingering echo of his sharp question still reverberated in the room—

[Ding! Special event "Dragon's Wrath, Buddhism in Calamity" detected, triggering hidden side quest "The Scales of Cause and Effect".]

[Mission Requirements. During this confrontation, the host must skillfully use words as a weapon to provoke the already tense conflict between the Western Paradise and the Dragon Clan, causing both sides to become uneasy and lose their composure. Different reward levels will be awarded based on the degree of provocation and the level of mental disarray on both sides.]

[Mission Rewards. Based on the final rating, you will be rewarded with 100000-50000 Merit Points and will also unlock the temporary "Causal Disruptor" status.]

[Note: Muddy waters are ideal for fishing; chaos reveals true skill. Host, please seize the opportunity to stir the waters even more murky.]

The system's cold, mechanical notification suddenly rang in Lin Zhu's mind, but its content stirred something within him. Stirring up conflict, unsettling his mind? That... suited him perfectly.

He was already extremely dissatisfied with Amitabha Buddha's "force first, then courtesy" approach, which was almost like kidnapping. Now, the system task was like handing him a knife to take advantage of the situation.

Almost instantly, a barely perceptible sharpness flashed deep in Lin Zhu's eyes. Although his aura had not changed drastically, it seemed to have gained a subtle and agile quality, as if he were ready to "stir up trouble" at any moment.

When he looked again at Amitabha Buddha's dignified, gentle, and calm appearance, his sneer in his heart intensified.

Faced with Lin Zhu's sharp accusation of "kidnapping his brother," Amitabha Buddha showed no anger on his face, as if the question that could pierce the skin of an ordinary person was just a gentle breeze.

He maintained his posture of clasped hands and bowed, his voice as calm as a deep well.

“You flatter me, God of Hell. In this urgent situation, we had no choice but to invite your family here because it concerns the very fate of our Western Paradise. I apologize for disturbing your peace.”

He straightened up slightly, looking at Lin Zhu with clear and earnest eyes, his tone so sincere that it was almost impossible to find a reason to argue.

"Once the truth is revealed and the facts are clear, no matter the outcome, this humble monk and the Western Paradise will sincerely apologize to the God of Hell and your family for this matter, without any attempt to shirk our responsibility."

At this moment, we hope that you will understand the bigger picture and remain calm.

His words were impeccable. He first admitted that his behavior was inappropriate, then brought up the serious issue of "the survival of the Western Paradise," then promised to apologize afterward, and finally asked the other party to "please calm down."

His attitude can be described as extremely submissive, putting aside his status as the leader of the Western religion, and displaying the demeanor of a virtuous elder who endures humiliation and compromises for the sake of the overall situation.

If it were someone else, they might have softened somewhat by this attitude, at least not wanting to continue being so aggressive. But Lin Zhu felt a chill run down her spine, realizing how troublesome this was.

This old monk, seemingly gentle and yielding, actually used softness to overcome hardness. With a seemingly humble posture, he firmly occupied the moral high ground of "considering the overall situation" and "enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens," which made Lin Zhu's anger over "his brother being kidnapped" seem somewhat "disregarding the overall situation" and "willful and impulsive."

Moreover, the more "reasonable" the other party is, the more he would seem unreasonable and irrational if he insisted on pursuing the "kidnapping" issue.

'Good heavens, indeed, he's not as easy to manipulate as the Buddha.' Lin Zhu's mind raced, but his face remained calm, though his eyes grew colder. He stopped dwelling on the matter, but he remembered this "courtesy."

At this moment, a delicate and tense standoff has formed between the three forces in the sky above the square in front of the Great Thunder Temple.

On one side were the people of the Nine-Story Heavenly Prison, led by Lin Zhu, with Nezha, the Golden Turtle of the Abyss, the Flood Dragon King, and others quickly gathering and forming an array, their faces wary; on the other side were the Western Paradise Buddhists, with Amitabha Buddha at the core, and Tathagata, Dipankara Buddha, and three thousand Buddhas standing solemnly, their Buddha light forming a continuous expanse.

The third party consists of nine true dragons high in the sky, resembling nine ancient, ferocious mountains, exuding boundless rage and terrifying dragon might. Their cold dragon eyes look down, bringing an unparalleled sense of oppression.

The once solemn and majestic Great Thunderclap Temple, symbolizing the core of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, is now a dilapidated structure with its roof in ruins and walls riddled with cracks, reduced to a mere backdrop and negotiating table for this earth-shattering negotiation. Lin Zhu and his nine-story prison guards are the "participants" forcibly "invited" to this negotiating table by Amitabha Buddha through his supreme supernatural powers.

Seeing that all the key figures had arrived, Amitabha Buddha spoke again, his voice gentle and peaceful, clearly reaching the ears of every living being present, as if carrying a power to calm people's hearts.

“Amitabha. This humble monk is Amitabha, who is in charge of the Western Paradise and is the leader of a sect. Our Buddhist sect is compassionate and takes it as its mission to save all sentient beings from the sea of ​​suffering. We do not engage in unnecessary killing or create unnecessary wars.”

He first stated his identity and basic stance, placing Buddhism on a moral high ground. Then, he subtly shifted his focus to reality.

"However, the war between Jambudvipa and the Buddhist kingdom of India has reignited, causing immense suffering and widespread resentment. This is something I, the humble monk, do not wish to see."

There is something else that pains this humble monk deeply—”

His gaze slowly swept over the pale-faced White Lotus Boy kneeling on the ground, his voice carrying a perfectly measured hint of sorrow and helplessness.

"My servant boy is Bai Lian. This boy's mind is not settled. He went down to the mortal world on his own and got involved in the war in Nanzhan. He was entangled in a fierce battle with the Heavenly Prison God. In the midst of the battle, he was careless and accidentally injured the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace, his nephew Ao Lie."

The word "accidental injury" was spoken lightly, yet it struck the hearts of the dragons like a heavy hammer. The address "nephew Ao Lie" sounded quite intimate, an attempt to build rapport.

Amitabha continued, his tone becoming increasingly earnest. "Nephew Ao Lie, your status is noble and this matter is of great importance. This incident has shaken the Three Realms and has even provoked the wrath of the Dragon Clan. The White Lotus Child's crimes are grave and he should be severely punished. However, there may be some unclear details regarding the cause and effect of this matter. A hasty conclusion might be biased, harming the innocent and damaging the harmony between the two sides."

Therefore, this humble monk has dared to use my supernatural powers to invite all fellow Daoists involved in this matter to gather at my Western Paradise, Mount Ling, to publicly clarify right and wrong, and to seek a just resolution and avert this calamity.

These words were spoken in a dignified and impartial manner. They acknowledged that the White Lotus Boy had killed the dragon, while attributing the blame to his "unauthorized descent to the mortal realm" and "momentary oversight," thus exonerating the entire Western Paradise. At the same time, they emphasized "distinguishing right from wrong" and "clarifying cause and effect," adopting the posture of a fair arbitrator and demonstrating their virtue and magnanimity.

However, those involved had different opinions when they heard it.

The White Lotus Boy knelt on the ground, his mind, which had been clouded by the dragon's might and fear, snapped back to reality the moment he heard the words "Ao Lie, the Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace," as if struck by lightning! The Third Prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace?!

That white-robed boy whom he considered an insignificant demon, whom he personally beheaded and whose primordial spirit he crushed… was actually the Dragon Prince?! And from the West Sea Dragon Palace?!
An even more terrifying association popped out of control.

Journey to the West! The pilgrim! It seems Guanyin Bodhisattva was previously selecting candidates... Could this Ao Lie be one of the chosen members of the pilgrimage team?! Is he a crucial link in the agreement between Buddhism and the Dragon Clan?!

"boom!"

Upon understanding this, the White Lotus Boy felt dizzy and overwhelmed by boundless regret and fear. He trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind, and his face turned deathly pale.

Only then did he realize the enormity and irreparable trouble he had caused! This was not merely killing a dragon; it was practically shattering the crucial pact between Buddhism and the dragon race, a pact concerning their future destiny that they had carefully maintained!

Among the three thousand Buddhas, many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who knew the inside story, upon hearing Amitabha Buddha's account and recalling the arrogant and domineering manner of the White Lotus Child on the battlefield, calling Ao Lie a "little earthworm," had faces so dark they were almost dripping with water, and they cursed wildly in their hearts.

'This idiot! Fool! Top-tier moron! He not only messed up the world himself, but also dragged the entire Western Paradise down with him!' If it weren't for the formidable enemy at hand and Amitabha Buddha speaking, they would have rushed up and given this good-for-nothing boy a few good whacks.

As Lin Zhu listened to Amitabha's excellent performance, the cold smile on his lips grew even more pronounced. After Amitabha finished speaking, there was a brief silence in the room. He immediately spoke, his voice clear but carrying a chilling coldness, instantly shattering the deliberately created "peaceful" atmosphere.

"What a flawless and impeccable argument! The Buddha is indeed highly respected, and his art of speech is truly admirable."

Lin Zhu first offered a word of "praise," but then his words were sharp and cutting, hitting the nail on the head.

"However, I have a few questions that I must ask, and I hope the Buddha can answer them."

He held up one finger.

"First, you said that this White Lotus Child descended to the mortal realm without permission? Heh, when he descended to the mortal realm, what he was holding seemed to be the Azure Lotus Treasure Banner, one of the Five Primordial Banners, right?"
Could it be that he was able to 'privately' take such a precious treasure out of the Sage's dojo? The Sage's wisdom extends throughout the three realms, and his attendant took the precious treasure away from the Chaos Dojo to participate in the war in the Southern Continent. Would the Sage not know this?
The word "privately" is probably just a way to fool the ignorant! In my opinion, this was clearly pre-arranged, a common tactic used by certain entities to "arrange tribulations and test the pilgrim"! It's just that this time they went too far, using a brainless idiot who directly killed the "actor"!

These words were incredibly sharp, directly tearing away the disguise of "descending to the mortal realm without permission," subtly pointing the finger at the scheming at the level of saints, implying that the whole thing was tacitly approved or even directed by the higher-ups of the Western Paradise, only that an accident occurred.

Before Amitabha Buddha could respond, Lin Zhu extended a second finger, his tone even colder.

"Secondly, 'accidental injury'? Buddha, your ability to distort the truth is what truly impresses me! Everyone here, if you have scanned the Southern Battlefield with your divine sense, who didn't see it? It was this White Lotus Child who personally used his knife to cut off Prince Ao Lie's head!"

Moreover, after Prince Ao's primordial spirit escaped, he publicly used the Glazed Buddha Light to meticulously crush and annihilate that spirit, bit by bit! The entire process was swift, decisive, and ruthless; there was not a trace of 'oversight' or 'accidental injury'. This was clearly a premeditated massacre, annihilating both body and soul!

His gaze was intense, fixed intently on Amitabha Buddha.

"Such behavior is described by the Buddha as a mere 'accidental injury'? Is this how the rules of the Western Paradise define 'accidental injury'? Or is it that, relying on the sacred site and immense power, one can so easily distort the truth and oppress the aggrieved party?"

Finally, Lin Zhu retracted his fingers, stood with his hands behind his back, and spoke with a strange sense of "cooperation".

"However, since the Buddha said to 'distinguish right from wrong' and 'clarify cause and effect,' I am willing to cooperate. Although what the Buddha said just now may have been a bit of a whitewash, it at least acknowledged the fact that the White Lotus Boy killed the dragon."

So, the next step of 'clarification' is very simple—we invite all the senior members of the Dragon Clan and the eminent monks of the Western Paradise to listen together to how the White Lotus Child 'made a momentary lapse in judgment' and what his mindset was when he committed that 'accidental injury'.

Lin happens to have some gadgets under his command that can record battlefield footage, which might help everyone to more clearly 'discern' the truth.

His words, seemingly supporting "clarifying the truth," actually instantly shifted the direction of "clarification" from the potentially complex causal entanglements to a condemnation of the White Lotus Child's personal crimes and the presentation of evidence!

He wanted to nail the White Lotus Boy to the pillar of shame for "cruelly killing the Dragon Prince," rendering all the explanations from the Western Paradise pale and powerless!

Sure enough, as soon as Lin Zhu finished speaking, the Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor, who was leading the Dragon Clan camp, could no longer contain his raging fury.

Lightning flashed in its enormous, star-like eyes, and its terrifying dragon might pressed down on Amitabha Buddha like a tsunami, unleashing a deafening roar.

"Enough! Amitabha! No matter how eloquent you are, you cannot cover up the fact that this bald monk killed my dragon descendant and severed the karmic connection of my bloodline! What 'descending to the mortal realm without permission' and what 'accidental injury' are all just sophistry!"
"I sensed it clearly; it was this bastard who did it! If you, the Western Paradise, dare to protect and defend him again, playing these pointless tricks and word games, today it won't be as simple as just destroying one of your Great Thunderclap Temple's peaks! I will risk sacrificing my own life force to ensure that half of your three thousand Buddhas on Mount Ling die on the spot, so they can taste the pain of their bloodlines being severed!"

"Roar--!!!"

The other eight true dragons echoed in unison, their roars shaking the heavens. Terrifying killing intent and dragon might surged forth. Their massive bodies adjusted slightly, their claws gleaming with cold light, and various destructive energies gathered in their mouths, as if they were about to launch a devastating attack and turn Mount Ling into ruins!

The sight of the nine true dragons simultaneously displaying their ferocity was enough to shatter the mind of any being below the Quasi-Saint level.

Amitabha Buddha sat serenely on his lotus throne. Faced with the blatant threat of death from the Golden Dragon Emperor and the terrifying power of the nine true dragons, a faint trace of solemnity finally flickered across his usually gentle and calm face. (End of Chapter)