Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

"No wonder I heard some noise over there earlier. Turns out they've attacked Mount Ling!"

In the Heavenly Court, some immortals who had previously gone into seclusion emerged from their retreat, and upon hearing this news, they were immediately bewildered.

"What? Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva went too?"

"Holy crap? Someone's attacked Mount Ling? Who is it? Can't we find their true form? I need to go and pay my respects to this big shot!"

"That's amazing!!"

"Hahaha!"

Meanwhile, in the underworld, the Ten Kings of Hell were extremely busy.

Countless souls have run into trouble. Those fallen souls are really difficult to deal with. If you are not careful, it will affect the surrounding area and cause other intact souls to fall as well.

To stop all of this, the Ten Kings of Hell had no choice but to work overtime to salvage the situation.

Among them, the most unfortunate was King Qin Guang, one of the dozens of Yama Kings.

He was closest to the Buddha's temple in hell where Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva originally resided. After the outbreak there, King Qin Guang suffered the most severe damage and had to exert all his strength to purify those souls.

When King Qin Guang learned that many disciples from various temples had attacked Mount Ling and that Ksitigarbha had fallen into darkness, he was furious and his mouth twisted with rage!

"Damn it!! No wonder my soul suddenly fell apart, turns out something this big happened!"

"Go attack Mount Ling, but don't drag my Underworld into it, you bastard!"

"Why are you messing with my underworld?!"

But while King Qin Guang was furious, he was also shocked. What was going on? How could anyone dare to attack Mount Ling now?
"Haven't you found it yet?!"

"It's been so long!"

"They're only three Golden Immortals, how come we can't find them!"

The Buddha's light shimmered, and the sound of Zen echoed.

In the underworld, the Ten Kings of Hell were extremely busy dealing with souls and numerous other matters.

Meanwhile, on Mount Ling, the Arhat Subduing Tiger was clasping his hands together, angrily rebuking several Buddhist disciples.

“We can’t find him. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva… Ksitigarbha completely erased all traces and clues when he left. It’s impossible to search for him!” Several Buddhist disciples said hesitantly.

"I can't find it!" The Arhat Fuhu's face turned ashen, and he almost cursed out loud.

"Why would we come back if we couldn't find you?!"

"They're just three Golden Immortals. Even with the help of our Buddhist treasures, we can't find a trace of them?"

"Then what use are you all?!"

"Hurry up and find it!"

Several Buddhist disciples, terrified, hurriedly agreed, chanting Buddhist prayers, and headed down towards the foot of Mount Ling.

The Tiger-Taming Arhat's eyes were brimming with murderous intent and burning with rage!

The Arhat who subdued the dragon has fallen!
Of the eighteen Arhats, four have died!
Moreover, he was killed by three mere Golden Immortals on his own sacred mountain!
Furthermore, those three Golden Immortals actually managed to escape unscathed after attacking Mount Ling!
How could this Tiger-Taming Arhat possibly tolerate this?!

The Arhat Subduing Tiger exuded a violent killing intent and aura from head to toe!

"How is the Buddhist kingdom on Ksitigarbha's side?" he asked.

“Reporting to Arhat, it’s still the same. It cannot be dispelled,” a Buddhist disciple hurriedly replied.

The Arhat Subduing Tiger's expression grew increasingly grim!
Dark Forbidden Land!

Since Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva "fell" before Mount Ling and fell into darkness, the Buddhist kingdom he controlled has undergone earth-shattering changes!

A thick black fog, never to dissipate!
Trees, grass, mountains, rivers, and all living things perished in an instant, becoming the source of darkness!
The original followers of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva have all shed their flesh and blood, turning into skeleton monks who wander in the dark Buddhist kingdom!

The light radiated outwards, connecting directly to hell!

Now, inside is a dark and terrifying forbidden place!

It's so hard to purify!

Resentment, demonic energy, monster energy, murderous intent, ghostly energy.
Numerous auras intertwine within it, never dissipating since time immemorial!
In addition, the aura emanating from hell surges like ocean waves, making it extremely difficult to purify even in the Buddha-filled continent of West Niuhe!
Even Maitreya Buddha himself was helpless against it when he went there in person!

In the end, we had no choice but to use measures to seal it off from all sides and prevent it from spreading further!
However, the fact that the attack on Mount Ling caused distress to the many Buddhas there was not just due to these issues.

There was another matter that made the faces of the Buddhas of Mount Ling turn ashen.

"The fortune displayed on the Jade Disc of Creation".

"It's gone down again."

In the Great Thunder Temple, thousands of Buddhist statues stand side by side.

They all had gloomy expressions.

Ahead, flames swirled, receiving a corner of the Creation Jade Disc's fortune from the heavens.

The fortunes of Buddhism have undoubtedly plummeted once again.

The scale of the attack was even more terrifying than the previous Wuzhishan incident!
"what on earth is it?"

"Isn't it ordained by Heaven that Buddhism will flourish?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva gazed at the Jade Disc of Creation, her hand gripping the Jade Bottle trembling with rage, veins bulging.

The Buddha's rule is destined for prosperity!

Journey to the West!

To make up for the losses suffered by Buddhism in the last great calamity!

Now that the journey to the West has indeed begun, will it help Buddhism rise or fall?

Since the start of Journey to the West, the fortunes of Buddhism have not only failed to advance but have actually declined, plummeting to their lowest point in nearly ten million years!
"Does anyone know?" Guanyin Bodhisattva asked, taking a deep breath and looking around. Golden flames surged between her eyes.

"What exactly went wrong?"

"Who exactly is the mastermind behind this?"

"The three Golden Immortals have still not been captured."

"You can't even find a trace of it. You are truly Buddha's good disciples."

Wherever Guanyin Bodhisattva's gaze swept, all the Buddhas lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes.

"Tell me, what are you going to do next?"

In the entire Buddhist hall, no one dared to answer; none of them knew how to respond.

There was absolute silence, an oppressive atmosphere, with only the sound of breathing echoing through the air.

Like seawater, it gradually washed over everyone's feet, chest, abdomen, and shoulders, almost suffocating them.
In the sacred mountain, many Buddhist disciples were at a loss, and Guanyin Bodhisattva, who could not find the three main disciples, was getting angry.

On the other hand, the situation in the Heavenly Court was completely different.

Above the Lingxiao Palace, a beam of golden light descended from the sky.

On the Heavenly Court side, they were also receiving a corner of the Creation Jade Disc to observe fortune.

A burst of mist erupted, celestial fire swirled, and the ancient treasure mirror was engraved with magnificent patterns.

A glimpse of the scene on the Jade Disc of Creation is reflected within it.

Many gods craned their necks to look.

A pale golden light swayed back and forth on the Jade Disc of Creation. With each sway, a bit of the golden light dissipated, and the disc was constantly shrinking.

This is the fortune of Buddhism.

"Hmm, it looks pretty good." Venus stroked his beard, his face beaming with joy.

"It's dropped again." Yang Jian chuckled. "Yes, hehehe, it's dropped again." Li Jing nodded with a smile.

"Look at our Heavenly Court."

With a twist of his wrist, another ball of pale golden light floated quietly on the Jade Disc of Creation.

Unmoved in all directions.

As stable as Mount Tai.

This is the destiny of the Heavenly Court.

It was not affected in the slightest.

Not only that, it even saw a slight increase!
"Hahahaha!"

Upon seeing this scene, the many celestial beings in the Lingxiao Palace finally couldn't help but burst into laughter!

This is truly gratifying!
I wish you prosperity in Buddhism, I wish you prosperity in Journey to the West!
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is awesome!
The mastermind behind this is awesome!
The Heavenly Court's fortunes are as stable as Mount Tai, with stability in all directions! ...

In contrast, the fortunes of Buddhism have plummeted!
On the Lingxiao Palace, all the immortals who witnessed this scene felt as refreshed as if they had tasted an ice-cold watermelon on a hot summer day. The joy was indescribable!

Inside the main hall, clouds and mist gently swayed, and celestial light shone brightly.

The immortals wore smiles, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

If the person behind this incident weren't someone they didn't associate with, they would have loved to raise a glass in celebration!
They could almost imagine the expressions on the faces of the Buddhist sect members at Lingshan when they saw this scene!
"His face must have looked worse than if he'd eaten a dead rat!" Yang Jian chuckled and said.

“Indeed, should we go and offer our congratulations? This is certainly something to celebrate,” Nezha chimed in, though he didn’t have much affection for Buddhism either.

"Hahaha, you two are too cunning! This time, I, the old Taoist priest, have to be the first to go and offer my congratulations!" Lü Dongbin interjected with a grin.

The Buddhist world's fortunes declined, while the Heavenly Court's fortunes remained stable, leading to widespread jubilation within the Heavenly Court.

Finally, the Jade Emperor, seated on his high throne, spoke, smiling softly as he said:

"The battle at Lingshan is indeed worth celebrating, but now is not the time."

"Today, I have summoned all the immortals here not only to view the Jade Disc of Creation, but also to discuss another matter."

"That is, to discuss the mastermind behind this battle at Mount Ling."

The mastermind?

Upon hearing this, many immortals were slightly taken aback, and then their eyes gradually sharpened.

The mastermind?
We really need to discuss this carefully...

Upon seeing this, the Jade Emperor nodded slightly: "I suppose you immortals have already realized that this mastermind is no ordinary person, without me having to say anything?"

All the immortals nodded in agreement.

With a flick of his wrist, the images in the Jade Disc of Creation vanished.

Above the Lingxiao Palace, the celestial clouds still swirled, but the atmosphere gradually became solemn.

The immortals, who had been laughing and joking, gradually stopped smiling.

In fact, at first, the immortals and the Buddhists all believed that the so-called mastermind did not exist.

Even if it exists, it would probably be a minor, insignificant figure, at most a remnant of ancient times, only capable of petty tricks and disrupting Buddhism.

But after the battle at Lingshan, they gradually realized that something was wrong.

Chaos erupted in Xiniu Hezhou. The three joined forces to attack Lingshan, where they killed three Arhats in the core area and destroyed the Demon Suppression Hall.

Even more astonishing is that they, with their peak Golden Immortal cultivation, actually withstood three Bodhisattvas at the peak of Taiyi Golden Immortal without being defeated!
This is incredible!
A golden spear in the hand of the blond figure!
An ancient stone platform beneath the feet of the black shadow!
The pottery jar in the woman's red dress!
Each one was a treasure they had never heard of or seen before, and its power was astonishing!
Later, they carefully watched the recorded images and discovered that those magical artifacts actually contained the energy of merit!

These magical artifacts were actually passed down from ancient times?
Why have we never seen it?

Especially when they saw Ksitigarbha appear, obeyed the mastermind's orders, rescued the three people, and attacked Mount Ling together.

Even after dying and falling into depravity in front of everyone, they took the opportunity to ascend the Heavenly Ladder and advance to the Great Luo realm in one fell swoop, and they all realized the seriousness of the situation!
In the blink of an eye, one may refrain from killing in life, but in death, the vast Buddhist kingdom is reduced to withered bones, resembling a hellish realm!

When they saw Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva fighting against Maitreya Buddha, and even using his vajra to cut through the Buddha's palm and escape successfully, they became even more convinced that they were completely wrong!
The mastermind behind this!
This is absolutely extraordinary!

It may have been lurking for countless years!
It's definitely not an ordinary ancient being; it might be one of the oldest and most powerful beings ever!
Faced with such a mastermind...

All the immortals narrowed their eyes, and a thought simultaneously arose in their minds.

"I wonder what His Majesty the Jade Emperor's intentions are in summoning us here..." Yang Jian asked, squinting his eyes.

The Jade Emperor made no attempt to hide anything; his eyes gleamed, and his entire body was enveloped in celestial light.

Said directly:

"I would like to ask all the immortals to join me in finding the mastermind behind this!"

Find the mastermind behind this?

Upon hearing this, many immortals' expressions immediately changed!
"Your Majesty the Jade Emperor!"

"Absolutely not!"

Among the immortals, one person suddenly looked up, extremely anxious!
The figure was dressed in a moon-white, star-moon-patterned fairy robe, wearing a purple-gold crown. He was handsome, anxious, and tall.

This immortal being is none other than Wenqu Xingjun, one of the seven stars of the Big Dipper in Heaven!
"The mastermind behind this clearly knows that destiny has decreed that Buddhism will rise, which is why he targeted Buddhism!"

Why should we get involved?

"If we rashly launch a search, we might anger the mastermind behind it all!"

"The God of Literature said loudly, his voice filled with anxiety."

Upon hearing Wenqu Xingjun's words, all the immortals nodded in agreement.

If we hadn't known how powerful the mastermind was, it would have been fine to target and search for them.

But now, the mastermind behind this is clearly not easy to deal with!
It is highly likely that it is a giant left over from ancient times, which cannot be judged by common sense. If we are not careful, we may suffer a great loss!

Searching for him could very likely lead to unnecessary trouble!
"No!"

"It can be searched."

"Now is the perfect time!"

At this critical moment, a voice suddenly rang out.

That was the voice of Venus.

The old immortal, with his white hair and beard, stepped forward, gently stroked his beard with one hand, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if stars were shining and flowing in them.

"The mastermind behind this is indeed exceptionally powerful."

"But our Heavenly Court is by no means easily defeated!"

"Our Heavenly Court has stood firm in the Three Realms for many years, and is the legitimate authority in the Three Realms. With true immortals as numerous as clouds, what is there to fear?"

Venus gazed intently at the hesitant immortals below and said slowly, "Faced with this mysterious mastermind, we do need to proceed with caution before we ascertain their identity."

"But there's no need to be overly afraid!"

"Our Heavenly Court is the representative of the Xuanmen (mystical sect), the orthodox authority of the Three Realms, and was personally established by the sages of the Investiture of the Gods era, and it governs the Three Realms!"

"Behind us stands the legendary saint!"

When Venus spoke, his eyes seemed to blaze with endless flames and majesty!

"Although the sages have now gone into hiding and wandered far into chaos, why should my Heavenly Court fear the mastermind behind it all!"

"With careful observation, we can definitely find the mastermind behind this!"

"This is the time when Buddhism is at its weakest, and only now is the best opportunity to find the mastermind behind it all!"

No sooner had Venus finished speaking than Wenqu Xingjun asked another question. (End of Chapter)