People in Conferred Gods: Rising from humble beginnings, I am the God of Wealth

"I pay homage to the Tathagata of the West. This humble monk, Shakyamuni, greets Benefactor Kong."

Shakyamuni sat cross-legged on a golden lotus platform ten feet high, with his hands clasped in front of his chest, chanting the Buddha's name, and looking down at Confucius who was standing on the ground.

His face was compassionate, but his eyes were unusually indifferent, with a hint of cold glint in them.

He was the manifestation of the Buddha's benevolent body, named Shakyamuni, who came to spread Buddhist teachings.

The purpose of my visit today is to give Confucius a profound and clear lesson.

For tens of thousands of years, Confucius traveled throughout the nine provinces of China, expounding Buddhist teachings to the people of those provinces.

If the teachings of Buddhism are sound and beneficial to all living beings, then Buddhism would naturally be extremely grateful for Confucius's actions.

The problem is that the teachings of Buddhism are all about making Buddhism flourish, and they don't care about the believers or the living beings in the primordial world.

In other words, what they are doing is transforming everything of believers into the incense offerings and vows of Buddhism, thereby boosting the fortune of Buddhism.

Such behavior may accelerate the flourishing of Buddhism, but it will cause Buddhist believers to lose their ambition and spend all their time chanting Buddhist scriptures and praying for rebirth in the Pure Land.

If this continues, as the number of Buddhist believers increases, the areas influenced by Buddhist doctrines will become stagnant and devoid of any future.

The humans of Kyushu were not ignorant creatures. After learning about the harm of Buddhist teachings from Confucius, how could they possibly want to see Buddhism spread in Kyushu?

Even if some people remain stubbornly unrepentant, the number of Buddhist believers will decrease significantly. Over the years, the difficulty of spreading Buddhism in Kyushu has been increasing.

While it wasn't to the point of being completely unable to move an inch, it was far worse than the Buddhist community had anticipated.

The culprit behind all this is the contention of a hundred schools of thought, and... this Confucius right in front of us!

"The Buddha's teachings are boundless and universally save all sentient beings. Why do you, benefactor, obstruct the eastward spread of Buddhism?"

Shakyamuni spoke, and the chanting of Sanskrit rang out, the sound like a great bell, reverberating through the void.

Clearly, he had already used his supernatural powers from the very beginning.

Over the years, Confucius has proven through his actions that although his self-cultivation was not very good.

However, his understanding of his own path was no less than that of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal. He once defeated several Grand Luo Golden Immortals to perfect his own path.

The Buddha has come here today to teach Confucius a lesson.

This damaged his resolve, made him realize just how enormous Buddhism truly is, and made him dare not oppose Buddhism again!

Since that's the case, then naturally we should use force to suppress others.

Ultimately, Confucius was just a celestial being. To Shakyamuni, if Confucius hadn't possessed great merit, he could have crushed him with a single finger.

While it's not advisable to kill him directly, it wouldn't be a problem to use some underhanded tactics and tricks to make Confucius despair and leave a lasting shadow on him.

As for whether this action was somewhat against the rules, Shakyamuni did not care at all.

Rules? They've always been defined by the strong!

The Three Sovereigns were stronger than the creatures of the ancient East; they were able to establish the rule of a hundred schools of thought contending.

If Buddha was more powerful than Confucius, then he should be the one to set the rules here!

Shakyamuni was the manifestation of the benevolent body of the Buddha Tathagata. Although his cultivation was not as high as that of the original body, it was still stronger than that of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

In an instant, an overwhelming force, as if the entire sky had collapsed, pressed down upon them. Faced with this immense power, Confucius and his disciples were like ants, utterly vulnerable.

"Humph!"

Confucius groaned, his body cracking and popping as if he were about to collapse under the pressure.

The gap between the two sides was simply too great. Under the terrifying pressure of the Quasi-Saint Benevolent Corpse, even a Taiyi Golden Immortal could hardly stand up.

But Confucius gritted his teeth and refused to yield. With astonishing willpower and unwavering faith, he took a difficult step forward.

Behind him, his disciples, reciting the Spring and Autumn Annals, exuded a milky-white aura of righteous indignation, equally unwilling to yield and resisting with difficulty.

However, even if it only suffered a little residual power from Shakyamuni, who was at the quasi-saint level, it was still difficult to withstand.

Soon, the disciple who had just become a disciple of Confucius a few years ago and didn't even have the talent of a terrestrial immortal, knelt down with a thud under the pressure of this quasi-saint's will.

Their faces were pale, their expressions terrified, and they had lost their minds, driven by the instinct of living beings to survive, repeatedly begging for mercy:

"Buddha, spare me! Buddha, spare me!"

Those disciples with the lowest cultivation levels wept uncontrollably, crawling forward on their knees under the pressure of Shakyamuni's power, clutching Confucius's robes and crying out:
"Teacher, we were wrong. There is a true Buddha in the world. Reciting his name can lead to ultimate bliss. Don't be so deluded!"

Hearing his fellow disciples' cries, Zixia gritted his teeth. He knew this was the work of Shakyamuni, and angrily rebuked them:

"A person of noble character will not seek to live at the expense of righteousness, but will be willing to sacrifice his life to achieve righteousness!"

"Western Buddhism seeks to wreak havoc on the land; where is the true Buddha to speak of? They are all demons!"

After speaking, Shakyamuni, who had been looking at Confucius, spared a glance and indifferently looked at Zixia.

next moment,
Zixia felt a phantom image of a sacred mountain appear before him, carrying boundless pressure as it crushed towards him.

On this sacred mountain, countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas chanted Buddhist scriptures, attempting to convert him on the spot, bending his scholarly spine, and turning him into a Buddhist believer!

The chanting of Buddhist scriptures was unbearably noisy.

In just a short while, the sound of chanting Buddhist scriptures arose in Zixia's heart, and he developed an inexplicable fondness for Buddhism.

"It shouldn't be like this...it shouldn't be like this!"

Zixia's eyes widened in despair as he looked at Shakyamuni on the lotus throne.

Remembering his master's ideals and aspirations, and Master Yang's earnest teachings, his expression became even more ferocious. He immediately prepared to mobilize all his magical power to shatter his primordial spirit and sacrifice himself for righteousness.

Even if it meant death, he didn't want to go against his conscience and become a Buddhist!
But at that moment, Zixia suddenly noticed that the sunlight around him was becoming brighter, but not glaring, giving people a warm feeling.

What surprised Zixia even more was that the despairing pressure emanating from Shakyamuni Buddha melted away completely under the sunlight, like spring snow.

When he turned his head, he saw a familiar figure dressed in a bright red Taoist robe, who had appeared beside him at some point.

"Master Yang!"

Zixia recognized who it was at a glance, and excitedly shouted.

When Zigong, Yan Hui, and Zilu, who had studied at Confucius's school, saw Yang Xuan, they were immediately excited and their smiles were radiant.

"I told you before that if you were in danger, I would help you. Now you believe me, right?"

Yang Xuan smiled slightly and placed his hand on Confucius's shoulder, helping him recover from the pressure of Shakyamuni.

Confucius alone could withstand most of the pressure from Buddha. If it weren't for his unwavering faith, he would have become a Confucian sage.

Otherwise, any other Golden Immortal, or even a Taiyi Golden Immortal, would have already been forced to kneel.

"Mr. Yang, you are..."

Confucius looked at Yang Xuan beside him with a surprised expression.

These years of traveling around the prehistoric world not only made his Dao more perfect and complete, but also enriched his knowledge. He gained a clearer understanding of the strength of the Great Luo Golden Immortals, and he had also heard of Shakyamuni, knowing that he was the benevolent corpse of the Tathagata Buddha, whose strength was even greater than that of the Great Luo Golden Immortals.

Even the pressure from a Quasi-Saint is not something a Great Luo Golden Immortal can easily resist.

As soon as Yang Xuan arrived, the oppressive aura of Shakyamuni melted away, something that no ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortal could do.

Moreover, Confucius and his entourage were not within the territory of Qingzhou, or even within the territory of Jiuzhou, and were far away from Yang Xuan.

But just as they encountered danger, Yang Xuan came to their side, which was also something that a Great Luo Golden Immortal could not do.

"Could it be... that Mr. Yang..."

Confucius recalled a thought that arose when he had just passed through the Golden Immortal Tribulation and found that he could not see through Yang Xuan's cultivation level.

The idea had only flashed through his mind briefly at the time, but now he suddenly felt that it might not be impossible.

But before Confucius could even voice his question, he saw Shakyamuni Buddha before him, his expression solemn, asking in a deep voice:
"Yang Xuan, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to hinder the rise of the West? Have you forgotten your promise to the sages of my sect?!"

"Heh!" Yang Xuan chuckled coldly and took a step forward.

Five golden wheels of different colors—gold, red, purple, blue, and black—manifested, overlapping each other and hanging behind his head.

Above, the sun shines brightly, accompanied by the moon, and other stars twinkle.

A terrifying pressure erupted from Yang Xuan's body. He took a light step, but it was as if the earth was turning over, causing the ground to tremble violently, as if it could not withstand the weight of the step.

The Buddhist disciples in front of him all knelt down with a thud, their faces filled with horror.

But in the next moment, the horror on their faces vanished, replaced by expressions of repentance.

They voluntarily removed their robes, and long black hair grew back on their bald heads. They placed their hands on their abdomens, forming the meridian mudra, and chanted:

"Homage to the Great Emperor, the Ruler of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the Supreme Ruler of Heaven, the Law Master of Blessings and Destiny, who governs all calamities and controls all fates!"

"We are guilty, we beg Your Majesty for forgiveness!"

Conversion? That's just a heretical approach, making it seem like anyone can't do it!
Since your Buddhist community can convert believers, why can't I convert Buddhist disciples in return?
Yang Xuan's gaze swept over these people, landing on Shakyamuni, who was forced to fly up from the lotus platform because the palanquin bearers had knelt down, with a faint smile on his face.

Behind him, Confucius and his disciples watched this scene with immense joy and clarity of mind.

Disciples like Zixia, who were close to Yang Xuan, immediately praised him.

Even the most foolish person could guess Yang Xuan's identity.

Clearly, Yang Xuan is not just a coincidence of names, but the legendary great sage of the human race, the dual emperor of Heaven and Earth and the Underworld!

Shakyamuni Buddha, suspended in the air, looked down at the Buddhist disciples forced to return to secular life, his brow furrowed. He turned to Yang Xuan and questioned him again:
"Fellow Daoist Yang Xuan, what do you mean by this? Have you forgotten your promise to teach me the Sages and are trying to hinder the great rise of the West?!"

"Heh!" Yang Xuan chuckled coldly again, completely ignoring Shakyamuni's threat, and said calmly:

"The promise I made to the Dao Ancestor was that the Heavenly Court and the Underworld would not harm the interests of Buddhism in the West. When did I ever say that I could not hinder the great prosperity of the West?"

"Moreover, Confucius is a brilliant talent of the human race, while you are a quasi-sage, yet you have done something to oppress others with your power. As a great sage of the human race, how can I sit idly by and do nothing?"

Yang Xuan wasn't making this up. In Zixiao Palace, the two Western Saints had only asked Yang Xuan to guarantee that he wouldn't harm Buddhism's interests in the West.

From beginning to end, the two Western Saints never said that the Heavenly Court and the Underworld could not hinder the rise of the West; that was a deal they made with the Primordial Celestial Venerable.

What is his relationship with Yang Xuan of Heaven and Hell? He has absolutely no connection with Yang Xuan, the great sage of the human race!
The flourishing of Western Buddhism in the East is an inevitable trend of Heaven, and this is indeed true.

But as I said before, there has never been any clear indication from Heaven that Buddhism would flourish.

Since there is no revelation, it means that now is not the time for Buddhism to flourish. Even if Yang Xuan is really hindering the spread of Buddhism, he is not going against the will of Heaven.

Moreover, Yang Xuan wasn't actually obstructing the spread of Buddhism; he was simply using his status as a great sage of the human race to support Confucius, a member of the human race.

Confucius was his friend, and the Confucian spirit of righteousness could help him sever his shackles. For both public and private reasons, he had to stand up for Confucius and had ample reason to do so.

As he finished speaking, Yang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing on Shakyamuni, and his voice became even colder.

"Shakyamuni, you are the benevolent corpse of the Tathagata, possessing the cultivation of a quasi-saint, yet you attacked my human race's Golden Immortal, attempting to convert him."

"I haven't even come to you to demand an explanation, yet you expect me to give you one? How arrogant of you!"

As he spoke, a ruler appeared in Yang Xuan's hand, entirely purple with golden patterns, looking both real and illusory.

The next moment, behind him, stars appeared and ghostly energy emerged.

As if the stars in the heavens and the underworld had moved behind him, carrying boundless power of heaven and earth, pressing down on Shakyamuni in front of him.

Even if the Buddha himself were to come, he would have to exert all his strength to resist such tangible pressure, let alone Shakyamuni, the Buddha's benevolent self.

Under such immense pressure, Shakyamuni was unable to remain suspended in mid-air and landed on the ground with a thud, almost collapsing to his knees.

His expression was one of horror, and he was sweating profusely. Only at this moment did he realize that even among quasi-saints, there was an unimaginable gap between them.

Even if his true form came, he wouldn't be a match for Yang Xuan. If they really fought, he would be the one who loses face.

He just couldn't understand why, as he was originally the eldest disciple of the Jie Sect, and after becoming the Buddha of Buddhism, he received even more blessings from the Buddhist sect.

In terms of its solid foundation, it is not only unparalleled in the primordial world, but also among the best.

In contrast, Yang Xuan was merely a rogue cultivator who had not been accepted as a disciple of a sage, and his cultivation time was far less than Yang Xuan's.

Logically speaking, even if Yang Xuan could achieve the quasi-saint level, his strength would still be far inferior to that of the other.

But the result was that Yang Xuan's strength far surpassed his, and he didn't even have the strength to fight back.

Shakyamuni remained silent for a moment, finally calming his mind, and a compassionate smile appeared on his face:
“I am not here today to intimidate you, but it seems that Benefactor Kong has some misunderstandings about Buddhism. For tens of thousands of years, he has been hiding from Buddhism and misinterpreting its teachings.”

"Now that we've happened to be in this situation, we failed to restrain our oppressive aura in time, which led to what happened before."

"In fact, as the head of the Buddhist sect, I have come here today to discuss the Dao with Benefactor Kong and to explain the true doctrines of Buddhism to him."

Shakyamuni was the Buddha's good body, a quasi-saint. In contrast, Confucius was merely a Golden Immortal, even if he was not far from the Taiyi Golden Immortal, he was still a Golden Immortal.

The quasi-sage released his aura on Confucius, intending to convert him, but then turned around and said that all of this was unintentional, and that he wanted to discuss the Dao with Confucius.

Such behavior is something that the senior disciple of the Jie Sect would never have done, but it is very much in line with Western corporate culture.

From this, we can see that Tathagata is no longer Many Treasures, but only Buddha Tathagata.

Behind them, Confucius, listening to Shakyamuni's words, looked at Yang Xuan and asked:

"Mr. Yang, does the Buddhist discussion of the Dao include supernatural powers, magical battles, and the suppression of cultivation levels?"

Listening to Confucius's question, Yang Xuan had already guessed his plan. Only in this way could Confucius establish Confucianism, and only in this way could Confucianism stand out among the Hundred Schools of Thought.

Yang Xuan shook his head and chuckled softly:
"With me here, it will be a pure discussion of principles, and there will be no underhanded tactics."

"In that case..."

Confucius, upon hearing this, smiled confidently, took a step forward, stood before Yang Xuan, facing Shakyamuni directly, and said in a deep voice:

"Confucius, though unworthy, wishes to discuss the Way with the Buddha." (End of Chapter)