My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

The Buddha of the Past, who had remained silent until now, slowly opened his eyes, which seemed to have seen through the vicissitudes of countless ages.

He slightly raised his hand and once again condensed a water mirror in the void.

This time, what was reflected in the water mirror was not the streets of Chang'an.

It is not a view of the entire Tang Dynasty's territory from the starry sky.

"Look carefully."

The voice of the Buddha in the past carried a subtle, almost imperceptible solemnity.

All the Buddhas looked up.

In the water mirror, one could see the vast star field above that belonged to the Great Tang Dynasty.

A colossal golden dragon, its length unknown and its size unknown, was coiling around it, its form obscuring the sky and the sun!

This giant dragon has nine claws on its belly, and each scale shimmers with brilliant humanitarian light.

It seemed to possess an independent life, its proud head held high, staring intently into the depths of the starry sky.

Those dragon eyes, as bright as the sun and moon, exuded a terrifying imperial aura that could kill gods and Buddhas alike!

I only glanced at it through the water mirror.

Many Bodhisattvas with weaker cultivation levels in the main hall felt a surge of blood and qi in their chests, and almost lost their balance on their lotus platforms.

"This is... the dynasty's destiny?!"

The white-browed Arhat gasped, his voice trembling.

"How could the fortune of a mortal realm be condensed to such a terrifying degree? This... this kind of pressure is no less than that of a supreme expert at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage!"

"This is precisely why I forbade you to send troops."

Now the Buddha explained in a somber tone.

"The Great Tang Dynasty is no longer an ordinary mortal kingdom. They have waged war year after year, annexing countless small worlds and forcibly condensing the beliefs of billions of people into this nine-clawed golden dragon of destiny."

"What's even more terrifying is..."

The Buddha paused, a deep sense of powerlessness flashing in his eyes.

"The incense offerings and vows of our Buddhist community are built upon the fear, suffering, and extravagant hopes of sentient beings for the afterlife. This is illusory, a castle in the air."

"The imperial fortune of the Tang Dynasty was built upon the foundation of its people's well-being—their food and clothing, and their genuine confidence and contentment! That was a truly humanitarian force!"

Upon hearing these words, all the Buddhas in the hall fell silent.

"If we were to forcibly mobilize a million Buddhist soldiers now and launch a frontal attack on the Tang Dynasty..."

The future Buddha took over the conversation, his voice icy.

"If you want to destroy the Tang Dynasty, you must first shatter that golden dragon of destiny."

"To shatter the Golden Dragon of Fortune means that we must slaughter billions of innocent lives, living in peace and prosperity in the Tang Dynasty, in an instant!"

"Those are billions of vibrant lives immersed in happiness!"

The voice of the future Buddha suddenly rose in pitch.

"If we actually do that, the terrifying karmic burden that will instantly arise will draw the strongest backlash from the will of Heaven!"

"Divine retribution will descend, and karmic flames will consume us. Even without the Tang Dynasty lifting a finger, our little Leiyin Temple will be utterly annihilated by the backlash of Heaven!"

"Even we Nascent Soul stage experts will instantly fall from our pedestals, our bodies and souls extinguished!"

silence.

A deathly silence.

All the warrior monks who had clamored to flatten the Tang Dynasty were now sweating profusely.

Only then did they realize that the seemingly mortal dynasty that could be crushed at will had unknowingly transformed into a terrifying hedgehog covered in sharp thorns.

You can't touch it, you can't budge it.

If you force yourself to bite down, you'll only break your own mouthful of steel teeth!

"Are we... just going to stand by and watch the Tang Dynasty humiliate us like this? Watch them extinguish the flames of Buddhism?!"

One of the Bodhisattvas clenched his fists in resentment, his nails digging deep into his flesh.

"Of course not."

Now, a deep and cold glint flashed in the Buddha's eyes.

He raised his head and looked into the deepest part of the Mahavira Hall of Xiaoleiyin Temple.

There, there is an ancient stone door that has been closed for tens of thousands of years.

The stone gate was covered with intricate celestial runes, faintly exuding a supreme aura that transcended mortal boundaries and was beyond the Five Elements.

"If we confront them head-on, we will suffer a backlash from the Heavenly Dao. This is because we are still within the rules of the Heavenly Dao."

Now the Buddha lowered his voice, his tone filled with a fanatical reverence.

"But don't forget."

"In our Buddhist kingdom, there is also a supreme being."

Upon hearing this, all the Arhats and Bodhisattvas in the hall simultaneously followed the Buddha's gaze and looked toward the stone door.

An uncontrollable surge of ecstasy and awe erupted in everyone's eyes.

The patriarch of Buddhism!

That legendary being who has lived in this world for 100,000 years and has long since reached the limit of the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage!

"Our ancestor has been in seclusion for ten thousand years."

Now the Buddha clasped his hands together and bowed his head with utmost reverence.

"He is attempting to reach that legendary realm—the Immortal Realm—a realm said to be powerful enough to break free from the constraints of this world and transcend the Heavenly Dao!"

Immortal Realm!

The moment those three words were uttered, it was as if a storm had swept through the entire Mahavira Hall.

"Once the Ancestor emerges from seclusion, he will achieve the body of a true immortal."

The Buddha sneered, "The backlash from a mere mortal dynasty's fortune is nothing more than a gentle breeze to immortals. At that time, destroying the Tang Dynasty will be as simple as turning one's hand!"

"The Buddha is truly wise and holy!"

The Buddhas shouted in unison, and the atmosphere of despair vanished.

"However, we really cannot start a direct war before our ancestor emerges from seclusion."

Now the Buddha changed the subject.

"However, since the Tang Dynasty likes to use those manipulative stories and operas to undermine our faith..."

"We should, of course, give them a taste of their own medicine."

If the hard approach doesn't work, then try the dirty one.

"What the Tang Dynasty was most proud of was the 'seven emotions and six desires' of its people."

Now the Buddha spoke in a deep voice.

"In that case, let's start from within, from their most prized possessions: their seven emotions and six desires. Let's find a suitable person to plant a nail in the heart of the Tang Dynasty."

Speaking of it.

Now the Buddha raises his right hand and gently grasps at the void.

"go."

"Go to the Netherworld Pagoda on the back mountain."

"Summon that monk named Bianji to me."

Upon hearing the name "Bianji," many Bodhisattvas' expressions changed.

He was an extremely special anomaly.

He was originally a vengeful spirit who died tragically due to entanglements within the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Because his soul contained a strange "evil Buddha nature," it was taken back by a powerful figure in the Buddhist kingdom, who then spent resources to reshape his physical body.

This monk Bianji neither cultivates the fierce and wrathful demeanor of Vajra nor the compassionate practice of helping others.

He specializes in a bizarre form of Buddhism that can arouse the seven emotions and six desires of ordinary people, and infinitely amplify the greed and desires in their hearts.

Now, he has mastered this skill.

"What the Buddha meant was..."

The white-browed Arhat seemed to have guessed something.

"The Tang Dynasty imperial family is as solid as a rock."

Now, a chilling smirk appeared on the Buddha's lips.

"But as long as you're human, you have weaknesses and desires."

"Send Bianji there. Use his persuasive skills to get in touch with the core members of the Tang Dynasty's royal family."

"If we can brainwash a princess or prince and turn them into a fanatical believer in our Buddhist kingdom, then the golden dragon of the Tang Dynasty's destiny will begin to rot from within!"

Inside the main hall, the sinister schemes of the Buddha echoed.

Meanwhile.

In this complex and treacherous scheme.

The monk Bianji, who was about to be selected as a high-ranking inside agent for the Buddhist Kingdom and would soon have a profound karmic connection with the Tang Dynasty's imperial family.

Slowly, from the darkness of the Netherworld Pagoda, she opened her pair of eerily beautiful peach blossom eyes.