I am a fairy in Journey to the West

Above Mount Ling, only the sound of the wind could be heard; all eyes were focused on Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan, standing on auspicious clouds, spoke slowly and calmly: "I think no one has any objections to the matters discussed in the void just now, right?"

Mara said, “There is no doubt. This humble monk will follow the previous words and let the Buddha and others go east to Jambudvipa.”

Vishnu and Shiva made the same statement, and then the three returned to their respective followers.

At this moment, Amitabha Buddha stepped forward, respectfully bowed, and said, "Great Emperor Shenxiao, would you be so kind as to give us a little time?"

Zhuang Yan frowned and asked, "How long will it take?"

Amitabha Buddha said, "Three days, three days is enough."

Zhuang Yan then asked Mara, Vishnu, and Shiva, "They need three days. I wonder if you three fellow practitioners would be willing to make an exception?"

Upon hearing this, the people from both religions became noisy again, with many believing that Amitabha Buddha was trying to use Zhuang Yan's influence to delay the inevitable once more.

However, after Mara, Vishnu, and Shiva discussed the matter, Vishnu then said, "We will obey the decree of the Great Emperor of the Divine Firmament."

This meant letting Zhuang Yan make the decision. After pondering for a moment, Zhuang Yan immediately said, "How about this, give them three days. If they break their promise after three days, I will uphold justice for you."

Upon hearing Zhuang Yan's personal promise, the Brahma Sect and the Demonic Path naturally had nothing to say. On the contrary, they even somewhat hoped that Amitabha Buddha and the others would break their promise.

Therefore, the demonic path and the Buddhist sect lifted their siege of Mount Ling and set up camp at the foot of Mount Ling, waiting for Amitabha Buddha and the others to leave Mount Ling so they could move in directly.

Meanwhile, Amitabha Buddha, along with several bodhisattvas under his command, began to inventory and organize the various Buddhist scriptures and treasures within Mount Ling, intending to take them all to Jambudvipa (the southern continent).

At this very moment, in the camp of the demonic and Brahmanical sects at the foot of Mount Ling, inside a huge reed hut, Mara, Vishnu, and Shiva are sitting and discussing matters.

Although Brahma was suppressed, fortunately it was only for a hundred years, which was just a short rest for them.

The fact that Brahma was suppressed for a hundred years was not a big deal in itself; it was Zhuang Yan's act of suppressing Brahma that had a tremendous deterrent effect on them, and that was the most important thing.

Mara said, "Fellow Daoist Brahma has been suppressed, but he will be able to return in a hundred years. Now we must fulfill our previous agreement."

Vishnu and Shiva nodded, and then Shiva said, "The agreement between our two families was made long ago, and everyone has no objections."

Mara nodded and said, “Our two families will unite to destroy Buddhism, then Mount Ling and the five great Indias will belong to us, and all the remaining lands of West Niuhe Continent will belong to the Brahma religion. Our two families will each spread their religion and not interfere with each other.”

Vishnu and Shiva expressed their agreement. In the past, there might have been some disputes over a sacred mountain, but now that Zhuangyan has stepped in, Amitabha and the others will definitely empty the entire sacred mountain, so there is no need to argue about an empty mountain.

As for the Five Great Indian Regions, they only account for one-third of the Western Continent, while the other two-thirds belong to the Brahma religion. This was agreed upon long ago and will not change because Brahma was suppressed.

Three days later, Amitabha Buddha officially led the remaining Bodhisattvas and Arhats away from Mount Ling and traveled eastward to the territory of Jambudvipa.

Amitabha Buddha and Bodhi Patriarch rode on auspicious clouds, accompanied by Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Prabhutaratna Bodhisattva, Peacock King Bodhisattva, Skanda Bodhisattva, and the Eighteen Arhats, entering Jambudvipa.

At that very moment, boundless auspicious clouds suddenly appeared in the sky ahead, spreading across the sky and coming straight to the sight of Amitabha Buddha and the others.

Then, countless jeweled banners and canopies, prayer flags and dharma flags fluttered in the wind, and countless celestial beings, immortals, golden boys and jade maidens came riding on clouds.

Upon seeing this, Amitabha Buddha quickly straightened his robes, and the bodhisattvas and arhats behind him also hurriedly tidied their appearance.

The next moment, thousands of rays of Buddha light rose from the east, and then the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Vajras, and Sangharama of the Eastern Land, led by Maitreya Buddha, came to greet him.

Maitreya Buddha stood at the very front, followed closely by Chandana Nirvana Buddha, Ratnasambhava Buddha of the South, Victorious Fighting Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Vimalamitra Bodhisattva.

Following them were the Arhats, Vajras, Sangharama deities, and numerous holy monks and immortals from the Eastern Buddhist traditions. All the holy beings came forward, joined their palms in reverence to Amitabha Buddha and the others, and everything was understood without words.

Amitabha Buddha and others quickly stepped forward, bowed to Maitreya Buddha, and said, "Greetings, Buddha of the East."

Maitreya Buddha reached out and helped Amitabha Buddha up, then looked up at Amitabha Buddha and the bodhisattvas and arhats behind him and said: "We have already seen the efforts of all of you in Jambudvipa. The loss of Mount Sumeru is not your fault. It is because the fate of our Buddhist sect in Aparagodaniya has run out. It is the will of Heaven."

At this point, Maitreya Buddha held Amitabha Buddha's hand and said, "Fortunately, the Buddha of Merit came to the East to obtain the scriptures and spread our Mahayana Buddhism to the East. Now, we Buddhas should flourish in the East. The Buddha of Assistance should also rebuild the Pure Land in the East to fulfill the earnest expectations of Buddhist disciples in the Three Realms."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha of Amitabha immediately joined his palms in prayer and said, "I will humbly follow the teachings of my Buddha's Dharma."

This is equivalent to Amitabha Buddha acknowledging Maitreya Buddha's leading position in Buddhism in the East. Now that Tathagata Buddha has gone to the Great Luo Heaven and Buddhism has withdrawn from the Western Continent, it will naturally take Buddhism in the East as its foundation in the future.

Afterwards, everyone returned to Mount Sumeru in Jambudvipa, where Amitabha Buddha recreated the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss with the Twelve Divine Lights.

Because Mount Sumeru is divided into the Greater Mount Sumeru and the Lesser Mount Sumeru, when the Buddha divided Buddhism, he moved the Greater Mount Sumeru to Jambudvipa, so only the Lesser Mount Sumeru remained in Aparagodaniya.

In the previous battles when the demonic and Buddhist sects attacked Mount Sumeru, the Lesser Mount Sumeru collapsed under the immense power of many Great Awakened Golden Immortals, so it no longer lived up to its name.

The current center of Buddhism in the East, 'Wuliangbao Temple', is located on Mount Sumeru and is the Bodhimanda of Maitreya Buddha.

Just as Amitabha Buddha was rebuilding the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss on Mount Sumeru in Jambudvipa, Mara also led his demons to take over Mount Sumeru.

Because of the severe collapse of Mount Sumeru, Mara removed Mount Sumeru from the list of famous mountains and then formally established the 'Demon Sect' at the Great Thunder Temple on Mount Ling.

Mara, revered as the "Great Transformation True Demon, Vast Tathagata, Great Freedom Demon Ancestor," established the doctrine of the Demonic Sect: "Demons are evil spirits." Mara believed that all beings in the three realms harbor endless desires, and these desires are the "evil spirits of the heart." The sect's aim is to confront these desires directly, to confront the "evil spirits of the heart." Any act of suppressing or restraining desires is wrong. So how does one do this? By completely releasing, embracing, and enjoying desires. When one has exhausted all desires, a sense of aversion will naturally arise, and one will no longer be disturbed by any desires. Then one can "repel all desires externally and extinguish the evil spirits within," ultimately reaching a state of desirelessness and transcendence.

In short, the doctrine of the Mara cult can be summarized in one sentence: First, indulge in extravagance and desire to the fullest extent. After enjoying everything in the world that can arouse your desires to the extreme, you will eventually be free from desires.

He then bestowed titles upon his demon subordinates: the Venerable Jiyu was named "Guangfa Tianmo Zun" (Great Dharma Heavenly Demon Lord), Kasyapa was named "Shifa Tianmo Zun" (Dharma-Holding Heavenly Demon Lord), Bhaligu was named "Hufa Tianmo Zun" (Dharma-Protecting Heavenly Demon Lord), the Venerable Chili was named "Hujiao Tianmo Zun" (Dharma-Protecting Heavenly Demon Lord), the Yaksha King was named "Yaksha Tianmo Zun" (Yaksha Heavenly Demon Lord), and Bhaji was named "Ashura Tianmo Zun" (Asura Heavenly Demon Lord).

As for Rahu, he was previously appointed by the Buddha as the "Bodhisattva of Clean Toilets," and he guarded the latrines in Xiniu Hezhou for so many years.

Fortunately, the Buddhist sect's fate in Xiniu Hezhou has run out, so his status as a Bodhisattva who can settle down in the latrine has also been lost. Now, Mara has changed his title to 'Guiding Heavenly Demon Lord'.

The remaining middle and lower-ranking demons also received imperial decrees, and from then on, the Buddha and demons officially occupied the sacred mountain of Buddhism, beginning the history of their own great religion.

As for Brahma, it was finally able to emerge from the 'Great Brahma Realm' and establish its main altar on 'Mount Vairocana', bestowing titles upon a large number of immortals and those who had rendered meritorious service in the attack on Buddhism. Furthermore, Brahma designated the day the sacred mountain was breached as 'Holy Revelation Day' and began to celebrate it lavishly.

Regardless of how the Demonic Sect and the Brahma Sect celebrated in Xiniu Hezhou, Zhuang Yan still had many things to do.

Regarding the selection of the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain, Zhuang Yan consulted the Bodhi Patriarch.

Not long after, Bodhi Patriarch came from Jambudvipa to Buzhou Mountain to visit Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan took this opportunity to consult Bodhi Patriarch. When Zhuang Yan asked him about the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain, Bodhi Patriarch did not answer Zhuang Yan's questions as usual, but shook his head and said, "I don't really understand these things either."

At this point, Patriarch Bodhi explained to Zhuang Yan, "I used to cultivate in the boundless ocean and knew very little about those ancient human emperors. Although I had contact with them in the past, those were all things from ancient times."

"So if you ask me who among them is suitable to be the Great Emperor of the Western Peak, I'm afraid I can't give you a satisfactory answer," said Patriarch Bodhi.

Bodhi Patriarch spoke very directly. Although he first said that his understanding of those human emperors was incorrect, he then failed to give Zhuang Yan a satisfactory answer.

To put it bluntly, the decision of who becomes the Great Emperor of the Western Peak is not made by the emperors themselves, but by Zhuang Yan.

If Zhuang Yan thinks someone can do it and fully supports them, then that person can do it. If Zhuang Yan thinks someone can't do it and strongly opposes them, then that person can't do it no matter what.

Bodhi Patriarch continued, "In the end, the Jade Emperor will still have to take your opinion into account, especially since you fought against four Great Enlightened Golden Immortals all by yourself and even suppressed one of them. I think your opinion will carry more weight in the Heavenly Court than it has in the past."

Zhuang Yan asked in surprise, "Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"

Patriarch Bodhi stroked his long beard and laughed heartily, saying, "I have indeed never seen anyone as exaggerated as you. From ancient times to the present, do you know of any celestial being who fought against four Great Awakening Golden Immortals unscathed and even suppressed one of them in the end? Do you know what that means?"

Zhuang Yan pondered for a moment, then said, "Never before?"

Bodhi Patriarch thought for a moment and said, "During the ancient Kaihuang calamity, the Eastern Emperor Taiyi fought against three opponents, killing one and severely injuring two others."

"Then it seems he's still more capable," Zhuang Yan said.

Patriarch Bodhi nodded and said, "His magic weapon is indeed powerful, and he himself is a primordial being with extremely strong cultivation and magical power, otherwise he would not have become the ruler of the ancient Heavenly Court."

At this point, Bodhi Patriarch spoke up: "Although I cannot give you advice, I can give you a suggestion."

"Oh?" Zhuang Yan's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Fellow Daoist, please speak."

Bodhi Patriarch said, “In half a month, the Buddhist community will hold a Dharma banquet on Mount Sumeru to commemorate the ‘Eastern Arrival of Buddhism.’ All the renowned virtuous people and immortals in the Jambudvipa world have received invitations, and even the ancient human emperors will be attending. Why don’t you take this opportunity to attend the Dharma banquet and meet those human emperors beforehand?”

Bodhi Patriarch then said, "Isn't what you see with your own eyes much more real than what you hear with your ears?"

Zhuang Yan nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist is right, but the Buddhist sect did not invite me to this Dharma banquet. I can't just go uninvited, can I?"

Bodhi Patriarch laughed heartily, then took out a pure gold invitation from his sleeve and said, "I've come to deliver this invitation."

Zhuang Yan was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter and said, "So all those words before were a trap for me, just in case you were afraid I wouldn't go?"

“You are a very busy person, and I have been entrusted by the Buddhas to invite you to the banquet, so of course you must be prepared,” said Bodhi Patriarch with a smile.

Zhuang Yan reached out and took the invitation, glanced at it, and then smiled and said, "As long as you come, even if you only say a few words and I don't receive an invitation, I will still go."

“Eh,” said Patriarch Bodhi, “A banquet for the renowned Divine Emperor Shenxiao must be formal; how can it be done so casually?”

Zhuang Yan smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Okay, I will definitely be there on time."

Bodhi Patriarch smiled and nodded, then asked, "Where is your little disciple?"

Zhuang Yan was taken aback when he heard this, then shook his head and said, "I don't know, I haven't paid any attention to her."

The Bodhi Patriarch said helplessly, "Once you take on a disciple, you have to be responsible for him. You can't just let him roam around like a sheep and teach him like that."

Zhuang Yan said, "I really don't know how to teach apprentices."

Bodhi Patriarch said, "Alright, I'll take care of this for you, and I'll teach you from now on."

"Haha." Zhuang Yan laughed and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, fellow Daoist."

Bodhi Patriarch waved his hand and said, "There's no need for so much talk between us."

Afterwards, Bodhi Patriarch stayed at Buzhou Mountain for three days before returning to Nanzhanbuzhou. His purpose in coming here was twofold: to visit Zhuang Yan and to invite him to a banquet. Now that his mission was accomplished, he stayed for three more days before heading back.

Not long after Bodhi Patriarch departed, another Buddhist Arhat from Jambudvipa sent an invitation, this time to the Fire Spirit Immortal.

However, Huo Ling Zhenxian was somewhat surprised when he received the invitation. He found Zhuang Yan and said, "Your Majesty, the Buddhist sect has also sent an invitation to me."

Zhuang Yan wasn't surprised; he simply smiled and said, "Isn't this what should be done?"

Fire Spirit Immortal was somewhat puzzled and said, "I am only a fourth-rank official, and not some great immortal. Why would the Buddhist sect send me an invitation?"

Zhuang Yan said, "Then think carefully about what your current position is?"

Fire Spirit Immortal suddenly realized that she was indeed the Grand Master of Fate of the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm, Zhuang Yan's representative. In terms of power, she was even more powerful than the Five Sacred Mountains Emperor. However, she herself did not realize that she was already a great god in the Three Realms.

Looking at the invitation in her hand, Huo Ling Zhenxian's gaze became unfocused. She remembered how she was once an unknown fairy who went to debate with monks and compete for incense offerings at the temple because of a promise made to the Bodhisattva.

Although she had already shown extraordinary talent at that time, no deity truly cared about her. Even the Bodhisattva who had made a promise to her never appeared to see her again. Even when she tried to steal incense offerings from the temple, the Bodhisattva didn't care at all.

Only eight hundred years after he followed Zhuang Yan, he had already become a great figure whom even the Buddhist sect had to send an Arhat to deliver an invitation to.

It can be said that all the promises Zhuang Yan made to her when he subdued her have now been fulfilled. (End of Chapter)