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

Mount Sumeru.

The Buddha watched as the merits transformed into strands of golden light and flew to various parts of the primordial world, and sighed helplessly.

"The great revival of Buddhism is difficult to achieve..."

If Buddhism wants to flourish, it needs to build a large number of Buddhist temples in various places throughout the land, and it needs a huge number of Buddhist believers to provide sufficient incense and prayers for Buddhism.

However, since the divine path appeared in the world earlier than Buddhism, and Yang Xuan had been cultivating it for many years, temples had appeared in various parts of the prehistoric world, and it had a huge number of believers.

Even though Buddhism is a sect of saints, it was already in a bad environment for spreading its teachings because it missed the opportunity to do so.

Now Yang Xuan proclaims the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man, establishes three hundred and sixty Heavenly Laws, and proposes the method of condensing the golden body through incense offerings, as well as the matter of the second primordial spirit.

Anyone with eyes can see that in the coming period, a large number of beings will join the path of gods, build temples in various parts of the prehistoric world, and compete for incense offerings and vows, making it even more difficult for Buddhism to spread its teachings.

Especially now that the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man have responded to Yang Xuan's declaration and bestowed immeasurable merits, this is tantamount to an endorsement of the divine path. The great prosperity of the divine path is the mandate of Heaven.

Furthermore, one-third of these merits fall into the realm of divine fortune, which is used to strengthen the divine fortune.

Another third fell into the temples throughout the primordial world, gathering into the divine halo behind the heads of these incense-burning golden statues.

Although these merits are distributed among each deity, only a very small portion is actually received.

However, the arrival of these merits signifies the recognition of the primordial world and acknowledges the orthodox position of the divine path, which is the most important point.

The divine way is the orthodox tradition recognized by heaven and earth, so it is only natural for them to develop believers and spread their faith.

Even if their opponent is Buddhism, a sect of saints, or a sect that is also destined for great prosperity, they will not show mercy, much less back down.

We are all orthodox lineage members, why should I retreat?

If it's a normal competition for incense offerings, with 360 divine laws in place, the gods and deities naturally have an advantage, so what is there to fear?

They are not afraid if the other party tries to use underhanded tactics.

Just because you can use dirty tricks doesn't mean I can't.
They are equally unafraid if the other party tries to intimidate them with force.

Buddhism has Great Immortals and Quasi-Saints, so why don't we in the divine realm have them too?

If the Buddhist community dares to break the rules, we dare to call in people.

In terms of Great Luo Golden Immortals, there are many Xuanmen immortals in the Heavenly Court, many Wu tribesmen who have cultivated for many years in the Underworld, and many Great Luo Golden Immortals from other races and forces.

Neither in quantity nor in quality can Buddhism compare!
In terms of quasi-saints, the Heavenly Court has Haotian, the Queen Mother, the White Emperor, and Yu the Great, the Water Official Emperor, while the Underworld has Zhen Yuanzi and Styx, two quasi-saints who have been famous for many years.

Especially Styx, who has already severed his own corpse and is the only Quasi-Saint with three corpses in the Primordial World. Who would dare to cause him trouble?
As long as no sage appears, in terms of martial prowess, the divine path will absolutely crush the Buddhist path; there will be no exceptions.

As for a sage intervening to suppress it, that's basically impossible.

If the Lord of the Divine Path were another Quasi-Saint, or even a Sub-Saint, given the style of the Two Western Saints, they might very well take action to suppress Buddhism in order to promote its prosperity.

However, since the master of the divine path is Yang Xuan, that's a different story.

Back when Yang Xuan faced the two Western Saints in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, Houtu did not hesitate to support him.

If the two Western Saints were to attack the divine path, the Earth Goddess Houtu would probably slap them down.

Moreover, thanks to the Jie Sect's own propaganda, who doesn't know that the Jie Sect has been able to preserve so much vitality thanks to Yang Xuan's planning?

If the two Western Saints were to actually do something like bullying the weak, the Tongtian Sect Leader probably wouldn't stand idly by.

Even the Supreme Saint and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable wouldn't just stand by and watch, after all, there's a significant karmic connection between the divine path and the mystical sect.

Many deities can be considered immortals of the Xuanmen sect, and many of them are simply disciples of the Xuanmen sect.

Furthermore, the emergence of the divine path will slow down the rise of Buddhism, giving the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) more time, which is something the Three Pure Ones are happy to see.

If the two Western saints don't intervene, then so be it; this is just a normal clash between Buddhism and Taoism.

Once Yang Xuan takes action, even if he sees a bad relationship with the Chan Sect, Yuanshi Tianzun will not stand idly by.

Therefore, unless they are completely deluded, Buddhists would never be able to summon a saint to intervene. They can only compete fairly with the divine path, which is their wisest and only option.

"I never imagined that my dignified Buddhist sect, founded by sages and destined by Heaven, would be forced to this point by you!"

Looking up at Yang Xuan, who was bathed in immeasurable merit and gradually disappeared from sight, Tathagata had a complex expression and was filled with emotion.

Who would have thought that a rogue cultivator, who never formally became a disciple of a sage, could have reached this point and had significant karmic connections with so many sages?

Two Corpse Quasi-Saints, Lord of the Divine Path, Heavenly Emperor, Underworld Ghost Emperor, Great Sage of the Human Race—who could connect these identities with a being who was born a rogue cultivator and had only cultivated for ten eons?
"Alright, alright, let's just proceed step by step..."

Buddha sighed helplessly. Although there was still no news from the two Western Saints, he knew that the Buddhist sect had no choice but to follow the rules set by Yang Xuan.

This is an open strategy, and also an inevitable trend that Buddhism cannot refuse!
If Buddhism does not follow the rules, it will not only face more severe repercussions from the divine path, but will also be resisted by the primordial beings due to the divine laws of the divine path.

Originally, after Yang Xuan established the 360 ​​divine laws, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in Buddhism were thinking that this was an opportunity for Buddhism to transform from gods to Buddhas.

Unexpectedly, Yang Xuan countered with an upgraded version of the Incense Golden Body Condensation Method, resolving this hidden problem.

If the gods have no complaints and can devote more energy to influencing believers, then the faith of believers in these gods will naturally become deeper.

Compared to the lofty Buddha and Bodhisattvas, how do you choose between a deity who is willing to do practical things for believers? Is it that difficult?
Even if the Buddha's position is different, he knows that the advantages of the divine path far exceed those of Buddhist doctrine.

If nothing unexpected happens, Buddhism will be changing its doctrines again.

However, this decision cannot be made by Buddha alone; it must be confirmed by the two Western Saints.

If the Buddha could understand something, there's no reason why the two Western Saints wouldn't know it.

Despite their reluctance, the two Western saints ultimately had no choice but to accept it and change their doctrines once again.

Based on the original Buddhist doctrines, it was modified according to the divine laws of the Shinto, and a supernatural power was transmitted.

Although the Buddha and Bodhisattvas remain high above, a new doctrine has been added to relieve the worries of believers.

For any Buddhist believer, as long as they recite Buddhist scriptures, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas will respond and resolve their troubles.

After death, one can be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, learn Buddhist supernatural powers, and if one achieves something, one can obtain a prestigious position in Buddhism and even have the hope of becoming a Buddha.

As for how Buddhism responds to believers, the principle is similar to the method of invoking deities in Taoism.

Or, to put it another way, this is the Western Saints' modification of Yang Xuan's method of inviting gods to possess their bodies, which they called "inviting Buddha."

As long as believers have sufficient faith in the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, and Great Beings, they can recite the corresponding mantras and consume enough incense to perform the supernatural power of invoking the Buddha, thereby inviting the corresponding Buddha's power to descend and bless them. Perhaps some people will think that this is just copying Yang Xuan's supernatural powers.

That's not the case. How can the deeds of sages be called plagiarism? It's called learning from others, but only borrowing 80 or 90% of the principles. It's not entirely plagiarism!

Besides, there was no concept of copyright in the prehistoric world, and the technique of summoning gods to possess bodies had already spread throughout the prehistoric world.

With the cultivation levels of the two Western Saints, they could naturally see through its true nature at a glance, and repackaging it would be a piece of cake.

Since Yang Xuan himself didn't say it, and the two Western Saints didn't hear it, it means Yang Xuan agreed.

In conclusion, the two Western Saints did not plagiarize; this is their view, and so do all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in Buddhism.

Yang Xuan...

That's what I think too!
Ten thousand years later, when Buddhism changed its doctrines again and invoked the Buddha's supernatural powers to spread throughout the prehistoric world, while many gods angrily cursed Buddhism for being shameless, Yang Xuan revealed a meaningful smile on his lips.

In the eyes of all living beings in the primordial world, Yang Xuan's plan to become the master of the divine path must have been very important to him, and it is very likely the foundation of the Great Dao.

The righteous gods of Heaven, the ghosts and spirits of the underworld, and the deities of the divine path—these were either Yang Xuan's direct subordinates or his allies. Naturally, they were furious to see the Buddhist sect do this.

If it weren't for the fact that Buddhism has a sage as its backer, many of them would have thought of going to Mount Sumeru to block the gates and challenge Buddhism to a duel.

Even so, many deities still spontaneously resist Buddhism.

In reality, they were overthinking it. While the divine path was indeed significant to Yang Xuan, his fundamental principle was the way of commerce, not the way of the divine.

For Yang Xuan, the greatest use of the divine path was to spread the way of commerce, allowing it to spread throughout the prehistoric world and help him attain sainthood!

All that Yang Xuan has done over the years is to prepare for the great development of commerce, including the practice of invoking gods to possess him.

The essence of business lies in transactions, and the essence of invoking deities is also transactions.

To perform the invocation of a deity, one needs to consume enough incense to invite the power of the deity to bless oneself.

In this process, incense is equivalent to currency, used to purchase the descent of the gods; this is a complete transaction.

If we want the Way of Commerce to become the fundamental way of the Three Realms and to grow into a great path sufficient to prove the Way, then the Way of Commerce must be integrated into all things in the Three Realms.

From the very beginning, when Yang Xuan first joined the Heavenly Court and established the exchange system, he was trying to establish a commercial order.

Later, Yang Xuan established the Tiande Money Shop and the Dide Money Shop, which was also aimed at further improving the order of trade routes.
This instills in the celestial beings, the underworld spirits, and even all living beings of the primordial world the concept that only through giving can one receive.

This is also a form of transaction: the celestial gods and the underworld gods perform their duties, generate value, and exchange it for currency.

Later, as the religion flourished, temples were built throughout the prehistoric world. Yang Xuan created the method of invoking the gods, also in order to establish order in the trade routes.
The concept of business ethics was spread from the heavens and the underworld to all parts of the prehistoric world through religious beliefs.

The stronger the influence of the divine way in the prehistoric world, the better it will be in establishing a business order.

Therefore, the essence of the ritual of invoking the gods is to establish a commercial order and influence more areas of the prehistoric world.

Shintoism can achieve this goal by using the method of invoking deities, so why can't Buddhism achieve the same goal by using the same method?

Regardless of the circumstances, Buddhism is a sect of saints. With the help of Buddhism, Yang Xuan should have said thank you. How could he possibly be angry?

As for the fact that Buddhism is doing this, it will take away some of the incense offerings that originally belonged to the divine path, and it will help Buddhism flourish, but so what?
From beginning to end, Yang Xuan never intended to monopolize all the incense offerings and vows of the prehistoric world, nor did he have the ability to do so.

Greed will inevitably lead to disaster!
His plan for the divine path has always been to occupy more than half of the incense offerings and make 70% of the beings in the primordial world believe in the gods, which would already be considered an achievement of his goal.

He's eaten the meat himself, so he should at least leave some soup for these Buddhist forces.

Moreover, the rise of Buddhism is the will of Heaven. Yang Xuan can find ways to prolong this period, but he cannot stop the rise of Buddhism.

If we were to actually do that, it would be going against the will of Heaven, and even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun might not be able to stand by and watch.

After all, the West is thriving, and there's still the promise from the Dao Ancestor Hongjun here!

Now that the Shinto sect has gained the upper hand, it has no problem monopolizing half of the incense offerings, and it also has a chance to win 70%.

Moreover, Buddhism has changed its doctrines and no longer engages in short-sighted practices. It has even borrowed from the method of invoking deities to create the supernatural power of invoking Buddha, which helped Yang Xuan establish a business order.

From both a public and private perspective, Yang Xuan had no reason to be angry, let alone to stop it.

However, he himself had no reason to stop it, but he had to stop it, otherwise it would cause doubts in Buddhism and among all living beings in the primordial world.

Yang Xuan was a man who dared to face a sage without backing down. How could he not react at all after suffering such a great loss?
To prevent the Buddhist sect from discovering anything amiss, Yang Xuan immediately issued a divine decree to all the deities, ordering them to resist the spread of Buddhist beliefs and providing a series of ingenious solutions.

As a time traveler, my ability to control public opinion is absolutely superior to that of the simple and honest creatures of the prehistoric world.

Back when Yu the Great was in power, during the calamity that struck the Nine Provinces, Yang Xuan used this very tactic to control public opinion, expose the Black Lotus's plans to the public, and embellish them, which allowed the human race to win so easily.

However, Yang Xuan didn't exert much of his strength back then, so there's no comparison to this time.

For example:
[Shocking! Maitreya Buddha, deceiving the heavens, has infiltrated the underworld. That night, countless female demons wailed and wept. Is this a sign of moral decay or the distortion of humanity?]

[The untold story of Dipankara Buddha and the Vulture Peak Demon of the West!]

What is the purpose of Guanyin Bodhisattva's visit to the Heavenly Mysterious True God?

……

Such examples are countless!
In a short time, under the shaping influence of Buddhism, those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who were once high and mighty were pulled down from their pedestals and became topics of conversation among the common people of the primordial world.

The Buddhist community had never seen such insidious methods before, and they were both furious and at a loss for what to do.

But soon, they came up with a solution: to fight fire with fire.

Public opinion? Anyone can do that!

They just couldn't think of this method, it doesn't mean they can't learn it!

For a long time afterward, both the Taoist and Buddhist sects were trying to smear and slander the religion.

Unbeknownst to many, the atmosphere of the primordial world seemed to have undergone some subtle changes.

But this is not a bad thing; on the contrary, it is beneficial to the evolution of the primordial world.

These changes made the prehistoric world more lively and diverse.

Humanity and all living beings in the primordial world are closely related. As the primordial world becomes more diverse, the authority of humanity has been slowly and steadily increasing without anyone realizing it.

As the instigator of all this, Yang Xuan's luck is also gradually increasing, and his fortune is becoming more and more abundant! (End of this chapter)