The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 173 Removing the Hairpin and Reciting the Truth, the Tathagata Subdues the Demon (4k)

The familiar voice rang out again, and that towering figure reappeared before our eyes.

This time, however, the surrounding sky was no longer dark and gloomy, allowing Du Yuan to clearly see its true form.

His gaze fell upon Du Yuan, and he sincerely praised her:
"You're really something, truly amazing!"

The Buddha's image was majestic, a full twenty feet tall, with three heads on its shoulders: one head had only one eye, another head had only one mouth, and only the head in the center was no different from that of an ordinary person.

"During the long years of hiding in the temple and avoiding divine punishment and calamity, I have always wondered if there is a way to give me an extra life to endure this calamity?"

"I initially thought it was nonsense. But then one of my subordinates presented me with an ancient book. Unexpectedly, I discovered this 'method of illusion'!"

"Speaking of which, this method has some connection with your Taoist school. If I'm not mistaken, this method is derived from your Taoist supreme method—'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones'!"

He came barefoot, and wherever he went, the earth shook and mountains trembled.

Those who have survived the calamities and survived to this day are all deeply ingrained with the word "caution".

He was the best at it all, so much so that he even managed to complete the incomplete and illusory method!
"I shattered all the subordinate golden bodies, refining them all into my own illusions. Combined with the geographical advantage of the Southwest, where humanity is in chaos and the world is in darkness, even the imperial law has been deceived by me several times!"

"I thought this carefully crafted illusion would help me go further, but before I could even unleash its power, it was completely destroyed by you today!"

As previously stated, He came today fully prepared!

Even if all his methods fail, he still holds a trump card!
As he spoke, he looked at Du Yuan with a mixture of praise and mockery, saying:
"So, what are your thoughts now? You are on your last legs, while I am completely unharmed!"

Before the words were finished, the image of the Buddha carrying three heads on his shoulders suddenly underwent a strange change!
"Do you know that I can observe the qi with my left eye and lock in the spiritual energy of the entire body?"

The head in the center slowly opened its mouth, its voice rising as if from the deepest hell.

As soon as the words were spoken, the head on the left, with only one eye, suddenly opened its eye, and its pupils, as deep as water, instantly locked onto Du Yuan.

This caused the golden light protecting Du Yuan to momentarily freeze, and then vanish completely. Du Yuan herself also felt a certain sense of obscurity.

In the past, after He posthumously conferred the title of Anqin Mountain, He used the mountain's accumulated resources to refine this divine power. It possesses the ability to isolate cultivators from the connection between heaven and earth.

"Do you know that I can swallow my voice with my right mouth and condense the void in all directions?"

The head in the center issued another decree, its tone indifferent, as if pronouncing a verdict.

The head on the right, with its mouth wide open, moved in response! The enormous mouth suddenly opened, unleashing an incredibly deep and obscure sound that drowned out all other sounds around it.

This not only amplified the sense of obscurity and mystery that Du Yuan felt, but also completely disabled his ability to manipulate objects. As soon as the sound rang out, Du Yuan tried to control distant objects to shoot at it, but to no avail.

Even raising my hand felt like being in deep water, full of resistance.

The majestic figure surveyed this scene, feeling immense satisfaction. This was precisely the power He had forged using the mighty force of the Eastern Pole when He bestowed upon Mount Dongji the title "Lord of the Three Mountains," following precedent!
The divine powers of the two heads on the left and right complemented each other, and since this place was under their jurisdiction, their power was greatly amplified! Not only did it isolate cultivators from the interaction between heaven and earth, it also completely sealed off the possibility of the deity mobilizing divine powers!

He remembered that in the past, even outside his own territory, these two methods were enough to sweep away all obstacles and achieve victory in all directions!
Now, He reigns supreme over His own domain, His divine power amplified! His opponents are utterly exhausted, like candles flickering in the wind!

This is a certain death situation!

He thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of controlling life and death, and was even more pleased to see this stubborn Taoist priest completely collapse in despair!
Du Yuan tried for a moment, but finally gave up. He slowly raised his head and looked at the world shrouded in the pressure of the gods, his eyes revealing a deep, almost sorrowful, sense of loss.

How did it still come to this?

"Hahahaha—!" The Three Mountains Lord's laughter was like a booming bell, filling the heavens and earth with his unrestrained, wild laughter. "Finally resigned to your fate? Realizing you have no way out? Good! Good! Good!"

The laughter echoed wildly, as if He had already won a great victory.

However, the laughter abruptly stopped.

Because He saw that after Du Yuan let out a long sigh, he did not show the slightest fear or madness, but instead calmly sat cross-legged beside the alchemy furnace.

This behavior is too abnormal! The Three Mountains Lord lowered his huge head, his single eye and huge mouth slightly retracted, revealing an extremely strong curiosity and scrutiny, like a god in the heavens looking down on the insignificant struggle of ants in the mortal world.

"Oh?" His voice held a hint of amusement and inquiry. "What does this mean?"

Du Yuan remained silent, but slowly took something out of her bosom—

A half-finished, tattered Buddhist scripture!
"Pfft, hahahahaha—!" Sanshan Jun was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter ten times more intense than before, the sound almost tearing everything around him apart. "Heavens! My heavens! Buddhist scriptures?! You, a dignified leader of the Taoist sect, actually pulled out half a scroll of a bald monk's scriptures at the moment of your death?! Hahahaha!!"

This utterly absurd scene made Him laugh so hard He almost fell over, causing His enormous Dharma form to tremble. He lowered His head, staring intently at Du Yuan, His mockery and pity almost overflowing:

"Tell me, you Taoist priest, what is your intention in presenting this half of a Buddhist scripture?" He deliberately dragged out his words, feigning sudden realization, his voice full of sarcasm. "Could it be that you're trying to curry favor with that Western Buddha at the last minute? What a pity, even the Buddha himself probably thinks you're too late!"

Du Yuan ignored the deafening laughter. He gently placed the half-scripture on the scorched earth in front of him, his movements so steady and undisturbed.

Having done all this, he finally raised his eyes, looked at the majestic deity, and calmly spoke:
"I finally understand why I found this half-scroll of scripture here."

Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and gently removed the white jade hairpin that held his hair in place.

In an instant!
Despite the fact that the surrounding spiritual energy was locked and the void remained unchanged, the majestic Three Mountain Lords suddenly felt as if an invisible giant hand was tightly gripping their hearts! They looked around in panic, thinking that some powerful cultivator had brazenly broken in!
But what we see remains unchanged.

It's him? !
Looking down again, he saw that the Taoist priest had lost his long hair and become a bald monk.

Looking at that half of the sutra, only the two characters "Tathagata" are clearly visible!

At that moment, an indescribable feeling of suffocation suddenly seized him!
The scripture was incomplete, with only half remaining, and Du Yuan recited it as well:

"The Bodhicitta is the cause, great compassion is the root, and skillful means are the ultimate goal."

Although no unusual movement was observed, the indescribable fear had completely shattered the Three Mountain Lords' defenses. He couldn't help but cry out:

"You're nothing but a last-minute Taoist priest trying to learn at the last minute, you—"

The words have not yet fallen.

"what--!!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the heavens and earth, and the head of the Three Mountain Lord, with only one eye open, exploded in an instant.

"How is this possible? How is this possible? You are clearly a Taoist priest! You are clearly a Taoist priest!" It wasn't that He couldn't see through how Du Yuan had broken His supernatural powers and Dharma forms, but precisely because He saw through it, He became even more terrified and confused—this mantra comes from the "Mahavairocana Sutra: Chapter on the Mind," which says that the source of all power does not come from the external world, but from the "Bodhi mind" and "great compassionate vow" sought within!
This method naturally shattered His supernatural powers, which were based on external appearances. But how could a Taoist priest possess such Buddhist cultivation?!

In a state of extreme fear and confusion, the Three Mountain Lord attempted to strike first, unleashing countless magical treasures from his body. He himself also fiercely slammed his fists down towards Du Yuan, who was sitting in front of the alchemy furnace.

They were determined to kill him with a single blow.

But as soon as the magic weapon was produced, boundless Buddhist light shone forth, accompanied by bursts of thunderous sounds.

As soon as the Buddha's light shone, countless magical treasures instantly scattered and fell. With a thunderous sound, the Three Mountain Lords, who had fiercely thrown a punch, were sent flying backward.

Du Yuan also turned to the next page and read aloud:
"The void has no form, yet it does not hinder the manifestation of all colors; the Dharma nature is boundless, yet it cannot impede the manifestation of all phenomena."

Upon hearing these true words, the Three Mountain Lords could no longer suppress their fear, for these words spoke of the true nature of Dharma, and that what they had solidified with their supernatural powers was nothing more than the emptiness of the "phenomenal world".

Such trivial methods cannot possibly grasp the 'emptiness' of the true nature of reality!
Sure enough, the moment the thought arose, his head, which had only one mouthful open, exploded in excruciating pain!

No, no, this guy isn't a Taoist priest!
Such Buddhist cultivation could absolutely not belong to a Taoist!
He, he, he is that great Bodhisattva of Qingzhou?!
Suddenly awakened, the Three Mountain Lords cried out in alarm:

"Little Western Paradise, Leiyin Temple?! You, you are that great Bodhisattva from Qingzhou?!"

Du Yuan did not answer, but continued to turn the page and continue reciting the mantra:

"I realize that I am originally unborn, beyond the realm of language, liberated from all faults, and free from causes and conditions; I know emptiness as vast as space itself."

As the mantra was uttered, the boundless Buddha light vanished without a trace. Yet, the oppressive power that subdued all demonic obstacles surged to its zenith!

Seeing that Du Yuan's eyes were no longer filled with any melancholy, but only with clear understanding, the Three Mountain Lord was completely overwhelmed by fear. He fell to the ground without any dignity and desperately tried to burrow into the earth's veins to escape.

But He is clearly the god of this mountain, still possessing divine powers and a high position. This place is even His own little world. No matter how He tries to burrow underground, the soil beneath Him is as hard as diamond and unbreakable.

He glanced at Du Yuan, who was slowly getting up, in a panic, let out a scream, and then crawled away on all fours.

Those fools all said that this great Bodhisattva had attained the Earthly Fruit, but now it seems that this is beyond what the Earthly Fruit can measure.
Amidst boundless terror, He remained rooted to the spot. Looking up, He saw the path to survival clearly before Him, yet no cause or effect could carry Him to the other side!
"Ah, ah, ah!" Rapid, labored breathing sounded like a leaky bellows.

Looking back, I saw that the Buddha was already walking towards me.

Holding a white jade hairpin, as if grasping a vajra!
After letting out a strange cry, He hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy:

"Grandpa Bodhisattva, no, no, Grandpa Buddha! You, with just one glance, already possess the supreme enlightenment, you must be a Buddha! You absolutely mustn't abandon your attainment and return to this world for the sake of someone as insignificant as me!"

"It's not worth it, it's really not worth it! Buddha, I beg you, please think of yourself!"

His heart was overflowing with absurdity and resentment. He felt that he had been careful and meticulous in his actions, yet he had ended up in a situation of defeat everywhere.

First, his deception was exposed at a glance; then, his meticulously planned military operation was averted; even the carefully crafted illusion was rendered useless. He had hoped to vent his anger at the last moment, but who could have foreseen this—

How did the Taoist priest become a Buddhist monk?!

I know you came here to save all sentient beings, but since you have already attained enlightenment and become a Buddha, why would you turn from Buddhism to Taoism? Is it just to distinguish between the two lineages, given that your Buddhist cultivation is only barely passable?
If you were to come here holding the position of the Buddha, I wouldn't dare to provoke you even if you gave me a hundred lives!

All the words were stuck in His heart.

Aside from being absurd and unbelievable, the only thing they had was the fear of death.

Looking at the Three Mountain Lords who were constantly kowtowing and begging for mercy, weeping bitterly, and who had lost all of their previous arrogance, he was astonished.

Du Yuan couldn't help but let out another long sigh.

Arrogant at first and respectful at the end, it makes people laugh when they think about it.

I was right from the start.

These guys only realize their mistakes when they're really about to die.

Hearing the Buddha's long sigh, if the Three Mountain Lords hadn't already become gods and attained a golden body, they probably would have wet their pants instantly.

He could only shout more anxiously:

"Grandpa Buddha, please think twice! Grandpa Buddha, please think twice! As the saying goes, 'Put down the butcher's knife and you'll become a Buddha on the spot.' If you release this humble god today, this humble god will surely repent and save you from suffering!"

Looking at Him like this, Du Yuan shook her head and said:
"All you know is that you're going to die."

Sanshanjun trembled upon hearing this, and then, as if grasping at the last straw, said:
"I am the mountain god, a properly appointed mountain god! According to the rules set by the Confucian lords, this place is neither the Thirty-Three Heavens nor the Western Paradise. As a Buddha, you are of incomparably noble status and cannot kill me at will! You must send me to the Confucian Temple for trial!"

Seeing that Du Yuan remained unmoved and did not stop, the Three Mountain Lords' voices changed, and they cried out mournfully towards the sky above:

"Where are the esteemed officials of the Confucian Temple? Where are the esteemed officials of the Confucian Temple?!"

"A monk from the Western Paradise has trespassed into the Confucian Temple grounds and is killing gods at will!!!"

These words made Du Yuan shake her head even more.

These people only realize how dangerous things are when they're actually in trouble themselves.

There was no response from the Confucian Temple, so the Three Mountains Lord assumed that the other party had isolated this small world, and turned to Du Yuan, wailing:
"Buddha! Even if you can deceive everyone now, the Confucian Temple will eventually find out about your presence! I am just an insignificant little god, nothing at all! I beg you, think of yourself!"

"You shouldn't abandon your Buddhahood for someone as filthy as me, and you certainly shouldn't incur karmic retribution with the Confucian Temple because of this!"

Du Yuan simply shook her head and said:
"I think it's totally worth it!"

Sanshanjun was completely stunned.

Du Yuan then raised her hand and pointed at Him, saying:
"Prajnaparamita!"

In an instant, the golden body shattered and the Dharma image was destroyed.

The Cold Pine Mountain, which had been drawn into this small world, returned to the world at this moment.

Everyone, both on and off the mountain, witnessed the magnificent fireworks soaring into the sky!
(End of this chapter)