Primordial Era: I am the chief disciple of the Three Pure Ones, the gatekeeper of the Great Dao.

Chapter 159 Internal Strife within the Western Religion: On the Eve of Calamity!

At the summit of Mount Sumeru, the sound of chanting lingers and echoes endlessly.

The Buddha and Bodhisattvas chanted Buddhist scriptures in unison, while millions of believers and monks clasped their hands together, displaying their devoutness.

Immersed in the profound mysteries of Buddhism, the soul is elevated in this sacred atmosphere.

At the highest point of the main hall, the ancient Buddha Dipankara slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas around him.

His face was filled with pain and struggle, and his aura became desolate and heavy, his former sharpness and majesty completely hidden at this moment.

"It is destiny, and ultimately unavoidable!"

"In the past, Wutian personally ended the life of the Tiger-Taming Arhat, and then disappeared into the heavens."

"Now, after much preparation, he has set his sights on my Mount Sumeru, and a catastrophe is about to begin."

The ancient Buddha Dipankara sighed softly.

After months of painstaking deduction, I have been unable to find a good solution to break the deadlock, and I am filled with anxiety and helplessness.

The two Western saints went into seclusion to cultivate themselves, leaving him alone to guard the foundation of the Western religion.

However, his cultivation level was far inferior to Wutian's, so how could he be willing to sit idly by and wait for death?

As a primordial deity, Dipankara Buddha had the privilege of listening to Hongjun Daozu preach in Zixiao Palace, and naturally disdained to commit the evil deeds of slaughtering all races and seeking personal gain.

Because of his revered position as Buddha, he could consume countless offerings of incense from the human world.

As the first person after the two Western Saints, he should have rectified the Western religion, but he chose to turn a blind eye and failed to truly care for the people.

Under the intertwining of cause and effect, even the ancient Buddha Dipankara could not escape the entanglement of karma.

Now, Wutian has regarded him as his primary enemy. Although he is on high alert, he still has little chance of survival.

"Venerable Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, do you have a solution?"

"To confront Wutian head-on is tantamount to suicide!"

"But can yielding a step forward truly bring about a brighter future?"

"Those who wantonly wreak havoc on the world will all suffer the retribution of the heavens."

"Even I, the Buddha, am powerless to protect myself, let alone you lot!"

"Are we really going to witness a scene of rivers of blood and corpses strewn across the fields?"

Seeing that everyone was bowing their heads and remaining silent, the Ancient Buddha of Dipankara felt a pang of heartache, and he beat his chest and stamped his feet in lament.

It is indeed difficult to turn the tide on one's own.

However, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and others all possess clear minds and great wisdom and fortune.

The ancient Buddha Dipankara naturally hoped that they could guide him through his confusion.

The atmosphere inside the hall was deathly still; time seemed to have frozen at that moment.

Guanyin Bodhisattva holds a jade vase, radiating an aura of unparalleled peace.

She spoke softly, her voice like a clear spring, saying, "Amitabha, Dipankara Buddha, this humble monk believes that the situation has not yet reached the point of mutual destruction."

"Since Wutian intends to eliminate the Western Religion, we will temporarily avoid his advance."

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded slightly and continued, "Indeed, most Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have not truly mastered the Buddhist path; they merely occupy high positions, enjoy the offerings of incense from the people, and perform the appearance of universal salvation. However, this sin is not punishable by death."

"Only those Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, believers, and monks who, like the Arhats who subdue tigers, harm all living beings, will fall into eternal damnation and be cast into the Avici Hell by the Avici Heaven."

"Therefore, this humble monk proposes a drastic measure: let the wrath of the Heavenly Demon rage for now, and then seek another opportunity."

As one of the twelve Golden Immortals in the primordial history, he was a powerful being who devised the eighty-one tribulations in the Journey to the West.

Guanyin Bodhisattva quickly discerned the will of Heaven.

Since we are powerless to resist, we shall temporarily submit.

She knew that if everyone sincerely repented and truly worked for the well-being of all people, they might be able to obtain the forgiveness of the heavens.

As for those deeply sinful members of the Western religion, they can only reluctantly abandon them.

After Guanyin Bodhisattva finished speaking, a great deal of discussion immediately broke out in the hall.

Many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas wailed incessantly, their bodies trembling, as if they had foreseen their own tragic end.

Most of the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, on the other hand, showed joy at surviving a calamity and breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha said righteously and solemnly, "The people of the Western Paradise should unite against this evil demon, Wutian."

"If we abandon our former fellow disciples, how are we any different from those shameless beasts?"

"Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot; the sea of ​​suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore!"

"This humble monk believes that it is absurd and contrary to the principles of Heaven to ask fellow disciples to atone for their sins with their deaths."

"Dilthanda Buddha, please consider this carefully and do not hurt the feelings of your fellow disciples."

As the head of the Western religion, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha knew he could not back down.

Otherwise, the foundation painstakingly built by Western religions and their prestige in the prehistoric world will surely be destroyed.

He and his disciples will also face criticism, become targets of public condemnation, and be ridiculed.

No matter how despicable the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, believers, and monks may be, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha cannot betray the Western religion.

He firmly believed that he had to stand with the Western religion.

"We are deeply grateful for our eldest brother's compassion!"

"Although Wutian is a heretic and evil, no matter how high his cultivation level is, he cannot destroy my entire Western Religion."

"Though we are gravely guilty, we still have backbone."

The Joyful Arhat is dressed in a crimson robe, with a solemn expression and a compassionate smile in his eyes.

Among the eighteen Arhats, his cultivation level was second only to the Dragon-Taming Arhat and the deceased Tiger-Subduing Arhat.

Although everyone knew that he appeared compassionate on the surface, he was actually licentious and unrestrained.

He was well-versed in the art of dual cultivation, often using the fusion of yin and yang to elevate his spiritual realm.

Since joining the Western Religion, he has secretly committed wicked deeds, and many female immortals and demons with high spiritual attainment have unfortunately become his furnaces, turning into tools for him to enhance his strength.

Upon hearing the righteous words of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, the Joyful Arhat, for the sake of self-preservation, naturally agreed with him wholeheartedly.

He was filled with anxiety, fearing that he would be punished by Wutian and ultimately suffer the terrible fate of being destroyed both body and soul.

"All of you, quiet down!"

On the futon, the ancient Buddha Dipankara roared angrily, unleashing a powerful aura of a quasi-saint in the early stage, which swept out like a surging tide.

The restless crowd was immediately suppressed by this aura and dared not utter a sound.

His eyes were filled with a sharp killing intent as he stared intently at the Joyful Arhat.

They feared that he would spread falsehoods and incite the Medicine Buddha, thus pushing the Western Sect into the abyss of destruction.

As the Buddha, he was absolutely unwilling to become a lone figure and lose the foundation and prestige of Western religion.

After careful consideration, the Ancient Buddha of the Burning Lamp repeatedly deliberated on various options.

Ultimately, he concluded that Guanyin Bodhisattva's idea was the safest and most feasible.

Dipankara Buddha gently waved his jade sleeve, his Daoist voice flowing, and calmly said, "Our struggle with Wutian is truly a struggle of doctrines and a struggle of the Great Dao."

"But then again, Mahayana Buddhism is incredibly profound, and even the Buddha himself and the two saints could not see through its essence."

"For the sake of the ultimate truths of Buddhism and Taoism, and the foundation of Western religion, we have no other choice."

"Medicine Buddha, please consider the greater good and do not make a mistake for yourself!"

The resounding chants of Buddhist hymns echoed throughout the hall, their solemn sound seemingly capable of penetrating the soul.

Once the ancient Buddha Dipankara spoke, he looked directly at the Medicine Buddha.

The latter, unable to stand alone, could only bow its head sadly like a frostbitten eggplant and close its eyes helplessly under the majestic gaze of the Dipankara Buddha.

Just then, a dark, demonic aura swept towards Mount Sumeru like a surging tide.

Wutian sat cross-legged on the twelfth-grade world-destroying black lotus, his posture upright and his expression cold and stern.

Around him, several figures exuded thick and pure demonic energy, their powerful aura chilling to the bone.

Clearly, Wutian came prepared this time, carrying an unstoppable momentum.

The day of calamity for Western religions has finally arrived.

(End of this chapter)