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

The Buddhas of Mount Ling in reality were all deathly pale, as if they had lost their parents.

"Buddha! What...what should we do?!"

"That Su Bai actually provoked Lady Pingxin to take action! She's a true Saint!"

"If Consort Pingxin intervenes, wouldn't the rise of our Western powers be abruptly cut in half?"

In an instant, cries of despair rose and fell within the Western Buddhist camp. The once solemn and dignified Bodhisattvas and Arhats now resembled grieving children who had lost their parents, their behavior utterly chaotic. They all turned their pleading gazes to the Buddha, who sat regally in the center of his lotus throne, hoping to glean a solution from the patriarch of all Buddhas, or even just a comforting "It's alright."

"Buddha, please make a decision! If Su Bai really joins forces with Lady Pingxin, what will become of the foundation of our Western Paradise in the Underworld..."

"Quickly investigate! What is the relationship between Su Bai and Lady Pingxin? Could it be that in his past life he was not only a disciple of the Jie Sect and an ancestor of the Dragon Clan, but also had a connection with the Witch Clan?"

Listening to the incessant chatter in his ears, even the Buddha's face, which always maintained a compassionate smile, couldn't help but twitch slightly, and his eyes twitched wildly.

He chuckled dryly, but inside he was seething with rage, wishing he could get up and give each of his brainless subordinates a good beating.

Investigating? Spying?

"Who do you take me for? That's Pingxin! That's Houtu, who has been reincarnated in the Six Paths of Reincarnation!" Buddha roared madly in his heart. "In the Underworld, she is a Saint of the Earthly Path! Even in the Netherworld, her authority is more secure than that of a Saint of the Heavenly Path! How can I possibly see through her? With my head?!"

If they could see into the cause and effect of Lady Pingxin, would the West have been able to send Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to the edge of the underworld to slowly erode it for so many years?

Seeing that the Buddha remained silent, an ungrateful Arhat whispered, "Buddha, since Lady Pingxin has intervened, why not...why not send someone to mediate? After all, it's better to resolve enmity than to perpetuate it. The Underworld and my Western Paradise..."

"Shut up!"

Before the Buddha could speak, Guanyin Bodhisattva couldn't help but shout a stern rebuke, shattering the usual tranquility and peace.

Peace talks?

Isn't this the most ridiculous thing ever?!

Ever since Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made the great vow "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty," he has been stationed in the Yinshan Mountain in the underworld, driving a nail into the territory of the underworld, converting countless souls, and seizing the power and merit of the underworld. The relationship between the underworld and the Western Buddhist sect has become extremely strained, to the point that it is no exaggeration to say that they are like fire and water!

This is a blatant act of robbery, like a cuckoo taking over someone else's nest. Now that the rightful owner has woken up and slapped you in the face, you still want to go up and say, "Let's sit down and have a cup of tea and chat"?

Buddha took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the panic in his heart. Feigning composure, he surveyed his surroundings and said in a deep voice, "Please calm down, everyone. This... is merely one possibility for the future as deduced by Laozi. Although Lady Pingxin intervened in the scene, it did not happen in reality. Although the solution is not yet visible, there is always a way out. The great prosperity of the West is ordained by Heaven, and there will surely be a turning point."

These words sounded grand and dignified, but anyone with discerning eyes could tell that they lacked confidence.

Guanyin Bodhisattva holds a jade vase, her brows are furrowed, and her eyes reveal a deep sense of pessimism.

Her gaze swept over the reactions of the celestial beings in Heaven, then fell upon Su Bai's spirited figure in the scene, and an unprecedented chill rose in her heart.

"Buddha, I'm afraid the situation is worse than we imagined," Guanyin said in a low voice, her voice trembling slightly. "Judging from the current situation... it seems as if our West has been completely isolated."

The Buddha remained silent and offered no rebuttal.

Guanyin continued her analysis: "Look at the previous scene, who were the people supporting Su Bai in his attempt to force the Jade Emperor to abdicate? The Azure Phoenix of the Nuwa Palace represents the Goddess Nuwa; the White Crane Boy of Kunlun Mountain represents the Primordial Heavenly Lord; even Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals at Wuzhuang Temple, was secretly pushing things along. Now, add to that the Goddess Pingxin of the Underworld..."

"Nuwa, Yuanshi, Zhenyuanzi, Pingxin... which of these forces isn't a force that can shake the Three Realms with a stomp of its foot?"

"The rise of the West was originally a predetermined destiny tacitly accepted by the sages. But Su Bai's argument that 'occupying the West will lead to sainthood' completely shattered everyone's psychological defenses. This is a blatant conspiracy! A naked conspiracy!"

At this point, Guanyin gasped, her voice bitter: "Now Su Bai has become the 'game-changer,' the one who can lead everyone to share in the Western destiny's cake. And we, Mount Ling..."

She raised her head, gazing at the once magnificent but now crumbling Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling, and said with a bitter laugh, "We in the West are already on the verge of being roasted on a fire!"

The Buddha closed his eyes and gently tapped the lotus platform with his fingers, producing a dull sound.

This is a dead end.

Unless they can prove Su Bai's theory wrong, no one will stand on the West's side in the face of such enormous interests.

……

The scene shifts, and the deduction continues.

The Western Buddhist community was not given much time to breathe or think of countermeasures. The scene shifted from the gloomy and dark underworld to a place shrouded in mist and filled with auspicious energy.

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the Splendid Heaven, lies the Palace of Nuwa.

This is the sacred site of Nuwa, the Holy Mother of the Human Race and the Saint of the Demon Race. It is usually quiet and inactive, and rarely gets involved in the conflicts of the Three Realms.

But today, several uninvited guests arrived in front of the Nuwa Palace.

Leading the group was Yang Chan, who held the Lotus Lantern, dressed in a plain white palace gown, and whose brows exuded a resolute and murderous aura.

Behind her were the Golden Spirit Mother of the Jie Sect, and the Three Immortal Maidens of Sanxiao—Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao.

These women originally had an inextricable grudge and affection during the Investiture of the Gods, and could even be described as somewhat awkward rivals. But now, for the same goal—to help Su Bai become a saint—they have surprisingly joined forces.

"Disciples of the Jie Sect pay their respects to the Goddess Nuwa."

"Yang Chan greets Your Majesty."

The group bowed in unison outside the palace gates, their voices piercing through the clouds and reaching the main hall.

Yang Chan knelt upright, her eyes resolute. For Su Bai, she was willing to pay any price, even if it meant begging this sage who had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs.

"I beg Your Majesty for mercy, to grant me this opportunity to help Su Bai... to lend my husband a helping hand!" Yang Chan's voice was firm and powerful.

Yunxiao stepped forward and respectfully said, "Su Bai is bound by the karma of the Jie Sect and also possesses great merits of the human race. Now he wishes to do something against the heavens, just to gamble on a sliver of hope for survival. I beg Your Majesty to grant his request."

After a long while, the tightly closed gates of the Nuwa Palace slowly opened.

A path paved with multicolored light stretched out beneath their feet, and a faint yet majestic voice echoed: "Come in."

Inside the main hall, the goddess Nuwa sat regally on her cloud bed, her face veiled by holy light, making it impossible to discern her joy or anger.

Yang Chan and the others dared not delay and hurriedly went inside to pay their respects once again.

"I already know your purpose in coming here." Nuwa's voice was devoid of emotion, as if she were stating a trivial matter. "Su Bai wants to seize the Western destiny in order to prove his Dao. This path... is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Yang Chan raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, yet she stubbornly declared, "No matter how difficult it is, Yang Chan will try! Even if it means tearing a hole in the sky, I will fight for him! Those hypocritical Westerners have gone too far, not only scheming against my second brother and Monkey, but also trying to kill Su Bai. I will not rest until this grudge is avenged!"

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit also said in a deep voice, "Although the Jie Sect has been defeated, its spirit remains. Since Su Bai is my disciple, I will protect him even if it costs me my life."

Nuwa remained silent for a moment, seemingly deducing or perhaps recalling something.

After a long while, she gently raised her hand, and a wisp of spiritual light flew out from her sleeve and slowly landed in front of Yang Chan.

It was a fragment of a scroll that exuded an ancient and primordial aura.

"This is a fragment of the 'Map of Mountains and Rivers'," Nuwa said calmly. "Within the 'Map of Mountains and Rivers' lies the universe, nourishing all things and giving rise to life. The western lands are barren, lacking in vitality. If you wish to steal the western lands' vitality, you must first understand the direction of its veins and the texture of its mountains and rivers."

"With this fragment, Su Bai can deduce the western land veins and calculate the key to the flow of Qi."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chan, the Three Immortals, Jin Ling, and the others were overjoyed.

With this fragment of the "Map of Mountains and Rivers," it's like having a "strategic map" of the West. Su Bai's chances of success in his westward expansion will greatly increase!

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you for your great kindness and virtue!"

Yang Chan was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she kowtowed three times deeply. This was not only a treasure, but also a clear statement from the Goddess Nuwa—she stood on Su Bai's side!

This is a saint taking sides!

Yang Chan took the tattered scroll with trembling hands. Just as she was about to get up and take her leave, she subconsciously looked up, wanting to admire the emperor's face one last time to express her gratitude.

However, at that very moment, she froze.

As the holy light subsided, she, being the closest, was able to vaguely glimpse the true appearance of the Goddess Nuwa at that moment.

That face, so beautiful it could eclipse the heavens and earth, did not possess the indifference and aloofness one would expect from a saint.

At this very moment, Nuwa was looking through the void of the main hall, as if she were looking at someone in the far distance, or as if she were looking through the river of time at the spirited Su Bai in that scene.

That look in his eyes... was so complex.

It not only lacked the majesty of a saint, but also carried a hint of something indescribable.

Was it reminiscence? Was it regret? Was it a hint of reproach? Or even... a deeply hidden melancholy, as if seeing an old friend?

Yang Chan's heart skipped a beat.

My woman's intuition kicked in, and I frantically called the police in that instant.

She was all too familiar with that look in her eyes!

She looked at Su Bai with this kind of gaze back then at the foot of Mount Hua, the Golden Spirit Mother looked at Su Bai with this kind of gaze on Penglai Island, and even that little demon Princess Iron Fan looked at Su Bai with this kind of gaze!

But... this is the goddess Nuwa!

She is the Holy Mother of Humanity, a saint who is high above all!

How could she give Su Bai such a look... such a look, as if she were looking at a faithless man, or perhaps an old flame?!

"Impossible... absolutely impossible..." Yang Chan frantically denied it in her heart, cold sweat instantly soaking her back. "No matter how much trouble Su Bai caused, he was just a Jiao Demon King, and in his previous life, at most, he was an Yinglong... How could he possibly have such a relationship with the Goddess Nuwa?"

"I must be overthinking it... I must care too much about Su Bai, and see everyone else as a rival in love..."

Yang Chan lowered her head in a panic, not daring to look any longer, and hurriedly took her leave, but her heart could not calm down no matter what.