On the Dragon-Slaying Platform, I was executed and became Yang Jian's brother-in-law.

Lingshan, Daleiyin Temple.

A hundred years is a lifetime for mortals, a time of great change; but for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on this sacred mountain, it is merely the time it takes to take a nap.

However, these hundred years were an exceptionally long, even agonizing, experience for the Buddha, Dipankara, and Maitreya, the three great figures of Western Buddhism.

That pool of Eight Treasures Merit Water was like a bottomless pit. No matter how much they poured in, it swallowed it all up without even a ripple.

Now that the hundred-year period has ended, if Su Bai doesn't give an explanation, Buddha feels that his sixteen-foot golden body might shrink a bit.

On this day, the bell of Mount Ling rang out, eighty-one times, resounding throughout the Three Realms.

At the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, Su Bai slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, he was surrounded by Buddhist light, and a golden wheel of merit behind his head was dazzling. If it weren't for the occasional glint of cunning in his eyes, anyone who saw him would have exclaimed: What an enlightened monk!

"Amitabha."

As a Buddhist chant rang out, the Tathagata Buddha descended upon the Merit Pool, standing on a golden lotus. Behind him followed the Ancient Buddha Dipankara and the Maitreya Buddha. Although the three Buddhas still appeared solemn and dignified, a closer look revealed an undeniable pallor and weariness in their faces.

Su Bai stood up, clasped his hands together, and said calmly, "Greetings, World Honored One."

The Buddha stared intently at Su Bai, suppressing the urge to cry out in pain, and forced a compassionate smile: "Benefactor Su... no, you should now be called Venerable One. After a hundred years of quiet cultivation, it seems that Venerable One has achieved enlightenment."

Su Bai smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying: "I have indeed benefited greatly from cultivating in your esteemed place. The Buddhist teachings are profound, and I have gained some insights."

Some progress?

Dipankara Buddha's lips twitched as he listened. You call that a slight gain? You've squandered the entire wealth our Western Sect has accumulated over countless eons!

The Buddha took a deep breath and said bluntly, "Since you have gained something, it means you have a karmic connection. Now that the hundred-year period is over, the karmic bond between you and my Buddhist sect is deep. Today, I, on behalf of the Western Sect, formally invite you to join my Shramana."

At this point, Buddha paused, his voice becoming grand and majestic, resounding throughout the entire Vulture Peak: "Su Bai, receive your investiture!"

Su Bai raised an eyebrow but didn't move.

The Buddha was not embarrassed and continued, "Venerable One, you possess the Great Dao of Time and have attained enlightenment on my Vulture Peak for a hundred years, thus your Buddha-nature is naturally formed. I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Buddha of Time,' placing you after the Buddhas of the past, present, and future, to enjoy the immeasurable fortune of my Western Paradise and receive offerings for eternity!"

Time Buddha!

Upon hearing this, the Arhats and Bodhisattvas accompanying them were all deeply moved.

Within Buddhism, the attainment of Buddhahood is strictly regulated. Even ordinary Arhats and Bodhisattvas are rare, and becoming a Buddha is even more difficult.

Now, when the Tathagata speaks, he doesn't bestow upon an ordinary Buddhahood, but rather the title of "Buddha of Time." The Great Path of Time is a path that defies the heavens, and the prestige of this "Buddha of Time" is probably second only to the Buddhas of the Three Worlds, demonstrating its extraordinary status.

This is a huge investment!

Buddha looked at Su Bai with confidence in his eyes.

Having consumed so much merit from my Western Paradise and attained such a high position, you cannot escape the cause and effect, even if you were a reincarnated saint!

Hearing this impressive title, Su Bai couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Buddha of Time?

What a prestigious title! To put it nicely, it means enjoying boundless fortune; to put it bluntly, it means completely welding this "great god" to the Western war machine, making him their henchman, mascot, or even a tool to suppress fortune.

Do you really think he's some country bumpkin who's never seen the world?

Back in the Lich Wars, as the Ancestral Witch Zhu Jiuyin, he wielded immense power over time. How domineering was he? Did he really need a mere Western Religion like yours to bestow a title upon him?

However, the play must continue.

Su Bai hesitated for a moment, his brows furrowed, as if he were engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

"I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness," Su Bai sighed, "but..."

"But what?" Buddha's heart skipped a beat, fearing that this ancestor might abandon his post at this moment.

"It's just that my worldly ties are not yet severed, and there is still an obsession in my heart that I haven't resolved." Su Bai raised his head and looked at Tathagata with sincere eyes. "Buddhism emphasizes the purification of the six senses. If I were to become a Buddha with this obsession, I'm afraid it would ruin the purity of Mount Ling and tarnish the name of the 'Buddha of Time'."

The Buddha frowned and said in a deep voice, "What obsession do you have, Venerable One? The Buddha's teachings are boundless and can liberate all from suffering."

Su Bai shook his head: "This obsession concerns an old friend of mine. Her soul is damaged and needs something here as a catalyst to stabilize it. If I cannot save her, I will not be at peace, and I fear I will be unable to cultivate Buddhahood."

A sudden unease struck the Buddha, and an ominous premonition arose within him.

Why does this plot seem so familiar?

Do you want more?

But by then, the die was cast, and there was no turning back. The initial investment was enormous; it was the result of the entire Lingshan Mountain tightening its belt to save money!

If all our previous efforts are wasted because of a little stinginess at this point, then the Western Religion will truly lose everything.

This is a typical gambler's mentality. They've lost so much they're blinded by greed, and as long as there's any hope of turning things around, they'll never stop.

Suppressing his unease, the Buddha asked, "What does the Venerable One require?"

Su Bai's gaze fell on the lush, towering Bodhi tree not far away, and he slowly said, "What I need is the Bodhi fruit kernel that this Bodhi tree produces only once every ten thousand years..."

"What?!"

This time, not only Buddha, but even Maitreya Buddha, who was known for his smiling face, changed his expression.

The Bodhi tree is a sacred tree in Western religions, and is also the embodiment of the saint Zhunti (although there are different interpretations, it is set as a sacred tree here). It blossoms once every ten thousand years, bears fruit once every ten thousand years, and takes another ten thousand years to mature.

There were only thirty-six fruits on this tree.

Each one contains supreme wisdom and vitality, a peerless sacred object for enlightenment and healing.

Even Buddhas wouldn't normally use them, but Su Bai, he just asked for Bodhi fruit pits right away?

"No!" Dipankara Buddha resolutely refused. "The Bodhi fruit is a sacred object of our religion; how can it be given away so easily?"

Su Bai wasn't annoyed. He simply spread his hands, looking regretful, and said, "Since that's the case, then I can only disappoint the World Honored One. With worries in my heart, it's difficult to achieve enlightenment. Farewell!"

As he spoke, Su Bai made a move to get up and leave.

"Wait a minute!"

With a loud shout, Buddha called out to Su Bai.

His expression was uncertain; looking at Su Bai's retreating figure, he felt a burning hatred in his heart, yet he was helpless.

As I said before, the sunk costs are too high.

In the past hundred years, the consumption of the Eight Treasures Merit Pool has been enough to create ten Great Luo Golden Immortals! If Su Bai were to leave now, it would truly be a complete loss.

Isn't it just a Bodhi fruit?

Give!

Once he enters the Buddhist order and becomes the Buddha of Time, he will be from the West, the Great Dao of Time will be from the West, and even the things on his body will eventually be from the West!

This is called "the meat rots in the pot"!

The Buddha took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and a compassionate smile returned to his face: "Dipankara Buddha, please wait. Since you have such filial piety (to save your deceased friend), I, the Buddha, am merciful and will grant your wish."

As he spoke, Buddha flipped his palm, revealing three crystal-clear fruits that emitted a faint blue light.

It is indeed the Bodhi fruit!

"Venerable One, these are three Bodhi fruits." The Tathagata held the fruits in his palm, but did not immediately hand them over. Instead, he stared intently at Su Bai. "They ripen only once every ten thousand years, making them extremely precious. This old monk can give them to you, but on one condition."

Su Bai stopped and turned around to ask, "What are the conditions?"

"Three days from now, it will be the grand ceremony for bestowing Buddhahood upon me at Mount Ling," the Buddha said, enunciating each word clearly. "Your Excellency must, at the ceremony, before all beings of the Three Realms, receive the precepts and take refuge, and make a heavenly vow—to forever reside on Mount Ling and protect my Buddhist community!"

That's a ruthless move.

He publicly swore an oath to remain forever on Mount Ling. This was to completely bind Su Bai to his fate, eliminating any possibility of him going back on his word or running away.

If one breaks the oath of Heaven, the consequence will be death and the annihilation of one's soul, which even a saint cannot save.

Su Bai looked at the three Bodhi fruits, a hint of "struggle" flashing in his eyes.

He remained silent for a long time, as if weighing the pros and cons.

The Buddha did not urge him, but waited quietly. He believed that no one could resist such temptation, nor could anyone escape unscathed from such a situation.

Finally, Su Bai sighed deeply, as if resigned to his fate, and nodded.

"it is good."

Su Bai reached out and accepted the three heavy Bodhi fruits, his expression solemn: "Since I have received such a great favor from the World Honored One, how could I dare not obey? Three days later, at the grand ceremony, I will certainly give the World Honored One an explanation."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha finally felt relieved.

Become!

Although he paid a heavy price, was fleeced for a hundred years, and even lost three Bodhi fruits, it was all worth it as long as Su Bai was willing to make a vow!

"Excellent, excellent!" The Tathagata's face showed a long-lost genuine smile, though it seemed somewhat forced due to his weakness. "In that case, Venerable One, please return to your hermitage to rest. Three days from now will be the time for you to attain enlightenment."

The Buddha didn't think much about it, or rather, he dared not think much about it.

In his view, Su Bai was now in the main camp of Mount Ling, protected by a mountain-protecting array and guarded by the Buddhas. In addition, with his indelible Buddhist aura and the oath he was about to make, there was no way for him to escape.

This is already a sure thing!

Su Bai put away the Bodhi fruit, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, and turned back to the Bodhi Hermitage.

Watching Su Bai's departing figure, Maitreya Buddha said with some pain, "World Honored One, isn't this price... a bit too high?"

The Buddha snorted coldly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Great? As long as he becomes the Buddha of Time, our Western Sect will be invincible in the future Journey to the West calamity. At that time, this little investment will be recouped a thousandfold!"

……

into the night.

The night at Lingshan is tranquil and peaceful, with a faint scent of sandalwood in the air.

Inside the Bodhi Hermitage, Su Bai sat cross-legged, not meditating as usual.

He casually set up a time barrier, isolating himself from all outside prying eyes.

That face, which was originally dignified and full of compassion, now bears no resemblance whatsoever to a "high monk".

If Buddha were to see that cold smile on his lips, he would probably die of anger on the spot.

"The Buddha of Time? Forever residing on Mount Ling?"

Su Bai toyed with the three Bodhi fruits in his hand, which emitted an enticing fragrance, his eyes full of sarcasm: "Old Buddha, you're dreaming. This pie in the sky is more elaborate than Emperor Jun's back then."

He took out the Soul Jade that he had always kept close to his body from his pocket.

"Xuanming..."

Su Bai called out softly, her tone gentle.

For the past hundred years, he has seemingly been obediently accepting "conversion," but in reality, he has been using the Eight Treasures Merit Pool as cover to subtly manipulate the Great Dao of Time to gradually extract the purest and most fundamental power of merit contained in the pool.

The merits of Western religions, though somewhat varied, are abundant and satisfying.

These three Bodhi fruits are the final piece of the puzzle personally presented by the Buddha.

"Buddha, Buddha, if you weren't so greedy, you might only have lost some merit water. But you insisted on 'adding more'..." Su Bai's lips curled into a wicked smile, "You delivered this to my door yourself."

Without further hesitation, he formed a hand seal, and the laws of time began to run wildly in his palms.

"Refine!"

Su Bai gave a low shout.

Within his body, the vast amount of golden light of merit accumulated over the past century surged forth like a river bursting its banks, yet it was firmly suppressed within this small barrier.

At the same time, the three Bodhi fruits withered and disintegrated rapidly under the erosion of time, turning into three drops of vibrant green life essence.

Merit is the foundation, enlightenment is the heart, and time is the pulse!

Su Bai's expression was solemn, his hands moving like butterflies flitting among flowers as he carefully poured the three powers—powers that would make even a Quasi-Saint envious—into the Soul Jade.

This is not for improving cultivation, but for—resurrection!

Xuanming is the soul of ice and snow. Her essence was severely damaged in the great war between the Lich King and the Demon King, and her spirituality was further diminished during her reincarnation in the Frost Realm. To truly revive her and restore her true spirit, one must possess immense vitality and merit sufficient to reverse life and death.

The Western religion's "offerings" over the past century, coupled with the Bodhi fruits borne by these three sacred trees, are a rare and precious blessing in this world!

"Click..."

As the final mark was applied, the layer of stone skin on the Soul Jade, which had originally been somewhat dull, began to crack inch by inch.

An extremely cold yet vibrant aura slowly seeped out from the crack.

A hint of wild joy flashed in Su Bai's eyes.

Become!

All is ready except for the opportunity.

The ceremony is in three days?

Haha, that was indeed a big day.

However, that was not the day Su Bai converted to Buddhism, but the day he presented a "great gift" to Mount Ling!

Su Bai put away the Soul Jade, removed the barrier, and regained his dignified and solemn appearance.

He looked up at the brightly lit Great Thunderclap Temple outside the window and murmured to himself, "Buddha, thank you for your hospitality. I'm quite pleased with how I've fleeced this Western religion."