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

Time flies by, and before we know it, three thousand years have passed.

this day.

Mount Sumeru shone with great light, illuminating the entire western continent and turning it into a golden hue, while the golden lotus of merit bloomed on the mountaintop.

The flower has 108 petals, each one as glittering as gold.

In the center of the petals, above the lotus platform, sits a golden phantom of an ancient Buddha.

The Buddha's golden form, with kind eyes and gentle brows, exuded compassion. His lips moved, and the deep Buddhist chant echoed in the ears of all the great beings in the primordial world.

"By the decree of the Dao Ancestor, I hereby invite all fellow Daoists, seniors, and great beings of Heaven and Earth to come together to Mount Sumeru in the West three thousand years from now to discuss the eastward transmission of Buddhism."

As the words fell, the golden Buddha statue slowly disappeared, and Mount Sumeru returned to tranquility.

Above the ancient starry sky, beneath the primordial womb.

Yang Xuan sat cross-legged in the void, listening to what the Buddha said, stroked his chin, and revealed a smile.

"It seems that the two Western Saints have followed the example of Haotian and gone to Zixiao Palace to lodge a complaint, but we don't know what reason they gave for doing so..."

Yang Xuan shrugged, not thinking much of it, since it probably had nothing to do with him anyway.

Regardless of the circumstances, the two Western Saints were both saints, beings who stood at the pinnacle of the primordial world.

No matter how thick-skinned they are, they should be prepared to go to Zixiao Palace to complain.

Although Yang Xuan's actions over the years have consistently challenged the limits of the two Western Saints, causing them considerable grievances.

But if they were to use Yang Xuan as an excuse to tell the Dao Ancestor that they were forced into this situation by Yang Xuan and could not bear the injustice, that would be too shameful.

Moreover, if they actually did that, it's likely that Dao Ancestor Hongjun wouldn't agree to help.

From the perspective of the two Western saints, the best option is to use the saints as an excuse.

Strictly speaking, the Hundred Schools of Thought were initiated by the Sage Taiqing, and the Theravada Buddhism of Buddha also originated from the Sage Taiqing.

Compared to what Yang Xuan has done over the years, what the Sage of Taiqing has done seems insignificant, but it is more than enough to serve as an excuse.

This is not hard to guess. Even if other beings in the prehistoric world did not know about the Journey to the West calamity, they could more or less guess some of the truth and know the purpose of the Buddha calling them to Mount Sumeru.

For the immortals of the Xuanmen, Heavenly Court, Underworld, and Divine Path, they all sincerely did not want Buddhism to flourish.

Even if we want Buddhism to flourish, we have to follow Yang Xuan's advice.

But this is, after all, the Dao Ancestor's will. The two Western Saints may have already descended their projections to Mount Sumeru. If they don't go, it would be a great disrespect.

Even Yang Xuan, a true Buddha of the Buddhist realm and also the number one enemy of Buddhism,

Three thousand years later, he chose to create an avatar to continue observing the communication network of the three realms. He took a step forward and came to Mount Sumeru.

At the summit of Mount Sumeru.

Boundless golden lotuses support auspicious clouds, hanging high in the sky.

Qingyun is divided into three layers.

At the very bottom, there are hundreds of prayer cushions.

Sitting on these prayer cushions are powerful quasi-saints such as Zhen Yuanzi, Kunpeng, Tathagata, and Haotian.

On the second floor, there are four meditation cushions arranged according to the four cardinal directions.

On the prayer mat, Fuxi, Shennong, Xuanyuan, and Yang Xuan faced each other from a distance. This was the position of the Quasi-Sages, and only the four of them were qualified to sit here.

On the contrary, there are more futons at the top than at the bottom, a total of seven.

However, there is no one here now.

Only after everyone below had arrived did the projections of Jieyin and Zhunti appear on two of the prayer mats.

Immediately afterwards, projections of Taiqing, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu also appeared one after another.

At this point, the projections of all the saints in the primordial world, except for Hongjun, appeared on the summit of Mount Sumeru.

The Tathagata below saw that all the projections of the saints had arrived. He first bowed to the saints, then formed the Abhaya Mudra with his hands, and the resounding Buddhist chants spread throughout Mount Sumeru.

"Our Buddhist saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, went to Zixiao Palace thousands of years ago to discuss the future of the primordial world with the Dao Ancestor."

The Daoist patriarch once said, "Within ten cycles of time, a great calamity will descend upon the primordial world, called the Journey to the West. Buddhism should take advantage of this opportunity to greatly expand in the East!"

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned slightly, a look of confusion in their eyes.

How long has it been since the Investiture of the Gods calamity? How come another calamity is about to descend?
Moreover, why is there a great calamity this time?
The initial Investiture of the Gods was due to the karmic debt owed by the Xuanmen sect. The Dao Ancestor wanted to use this opportunity to settle this karmic debt, and also because the prehistoric world needed to be further improved and evolve into the Three Realms of the prehistoric world.

Now, the primordial world has only evolved into the Three Realms for a few years, and at most it has just stabilized and is still in its rising period, showing a thriving appearance. Why would it need a great calamity to evolve further?
"Could it be that this great calamity is different from the previous ones?"

Everyone present had the same thought, including Yang Xuan.

According to memories from my previous life, the purpose of the Investiture of the Gods calamity should have been to use the journey of the pilgrimage team to the west to guide the fortune of various places in the prehistoric world to the west.
Enhance the fortune of the West, elevate the power of the West's heaven and earth, repair the damaged ley lines of the West, and restore the primordial world to its original state.

However, during the primordial evolution of the Three Realms, the western earth veins were not further damaged.
In the West, mountain gods and land gods emerged, and with the agreement between Yang Xuan and the two Western saints, the influence of the True Buddhas of the Heavens on Buddhism increased.

Over the years, the Buddhist community has dedicated some of its resources to working with mountain gods and local deities to repair the western earth veins.

Although there is still a long way to go before the repairs are complete, at least there is hope.

Judging from the current situation, barring any unforeseen events, it's only a matter of time before the western ley lines are repaired and the primordial world is restored to its original state.

In this situation, it would be somewhat of a waste to specifically send down a great calamity and cause the primordial fortune to flow westward.

In Yang Xuan's view, the original Journey to the West calamity may have disappeared due to the events of the prehistoric era.
The reason why there is still the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West may just be something that Hongjun Daozu created himself, just to go through the motions and give the two Western Saints an explanation.

After all, the West's current state is partly due to him.
Moreover, he once said that the West would prosper greatly, and it was still very necessary to increase the West's fortune.

This speculation is reasonable, but for some reason, Yang Xuan also had a vague feeling that the original Journey to the West Calamity might have really disappeared, just as he thought.

However, the great calamity that descended upon the primordial world was not meant to bring calamity upon all living beings, but rather it was a necessary process in the evolution of the primordial world.

The Lich War was like this, and so was the Investiture of the Gods War.

Logically speaking, if the primordial world were to be further perfected, a great calamity would also descend.

If the Journey to the West calamity mentioned by Hongjun Daozu is similar to the Investiture of the Gods calamity, then the westward transfer of destiny is merely a facade, with a true purpose hidden behind it.
Therefore, this Journey to the West calamity may not just be a formality, but a true calamity that will sweep across the entire prehistoric world.

But the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods has only just ended, and the Primordial World is still in its developmental stage. So why is it necessary to bring down another Great Tribulation?

"Could it be that……"

Yang Xuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he had a guess in his mind.

There are at most ten Yuanhui (a unit of time) remaining until the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West. In the past, ten Yuanhui would not have been much; for the great beings present, it would have been a period of seclusion.

However, in the future, as long as Yang Xuan's plan succeeds, many things will happen in ten cycles, bringing many changes to the prehistoric world.

It may even make the primordial world more perfect and evolve further towards the Eternal True Realm!
No one knew what Yang Xuan was thinking.

The Buddha below swept his gaze over the crowd, then gently waved his sleeve, creating a water mirror.

Above the water curtain, the image flickers.

East China Sea, atop Flower and Fruit Mountain.

A five-colored divine stone, absorbing the essence of the great sun and breathing in the mountain breeze, appeared before a group of powerful beings.

"This divine stone is a major protagonist in this great calamity of the Journey to the West."

The Buddha pointed to the divine stone and slowly explained.

"what?"

At this moment, Nuwa, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly let out a soft sound, staring thoughtfully at the divine stone in the water curtain.

Five-colored stone? Could it be the one I left behind when I mended the sky?
He thought this matter was none of his business and that he was just going through the motions out of respect for the Dao Ancestor, but he never expected that it would be related to him.

However, before Buddha could finish speaking, and before the West could make its intentions clear, Nuwa did not rush to express her opinion and chose to observe the situation.

Unless the sage himself is unwilling, he cannot discover their actions. Therefore, the Buddha did not hear Nuwa's soft exclamation and continued speaking:

"The reason for inviting you seniors and fellow Daoists here today is to establish a plan before the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West arrives, so as to reduce the losses of all living beings in the prehistoric world during the Great Tribulation."

As soon as the Buddha finished speaking, on the highest cloud, Zhunti smiled and replied:

"This great calamity is for the great prosperity of the West, with Buddhism as the main body, and it should be presided over by the Buddha Tathagata!"

Upon hearing this, Haotian and Jinmu frowned, while Zhenyuanzi, Kunpeng, and others also showed their displeasure.

But Zhunti is a saint, and they really can't refute what he says.

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Houtu, and other sages remained expressionless and made no comment for the time being.

Since this matter had Hongjun's support, even if they wanted to object, they couldn't say it directly; they had to find a suitable reason.

Jieyin and Zhunti breathed a sigh of relief as they looked at the silent atmosphere on the field. Their thousands of years of lamenting in Zixiao Palace had not been in vain.

Just as Yang Xuan had expected, the two of them did not use Yang Xuan as an excuse.

Instead, they suggested that the Sage Taiqing was obstructing the rise of Buddhism, and that he and Houtu and others were secretly supporting Yang Xuan, allowing him to obstruct the spread of Buddhism.

Even today, Buddhism has not flourished, and even the opportunity for its great revival is disappearing.

After lamenting for thousands of years, listing numerous difficulties in the West and comparing it with other parts of the ancient world.

Whether Hongjun was tired of the nagging or had other plans, he eventually agreed to help and took the initiative to bring up the matter of the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West.

With the decree of the Dao Ancestor, the two Western Saints immediately gained confidence, and seeing the reactions of the people around them, they became even more confident.

Above the clouds, seeing that no one objected, the Buddha's smile grew even brighter. He glanced at Yang Xuan above out of the corner of his eye and slowly revealed the Buddhist sect's plan.

Just as the rumors followed, it was nothing more than the Monkey King going out to sea to find a master, causing havoc in the underworld, and making a scene in the Heavenly Palace.

The Heavenly Emperor, unable to subdue the monkey, went to the West to ask the Buddha to suppress it. The monkey, guided by Guanyin, then protected Xuanzang on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures...

Yang Xuan had anticipated these events, but none of the powerful figures present were hearing about them for the first time.

As they listened to the Buddha's description, the brows of everyone present furrowed deeper and deeper.

How could they not know that, besides wanting to bring the primordial energy eastward, Buddhism also intended to use this opportunity, with the underworld and the heavenly court as stepping stones, to spread its fame?

However, since the two Western Saints had received the permission of Hongjun Daozu, the other Saints could not directly object.

Haotian, Shennong, and the others, out of respect for Zhunti, also refrained from directly refuting him.

Zhunti said that this matter should be decided by the Buddha, and even if they wanted to object, they would have to find a suitable reason.

But after a moment of silence, no matter what reasons they gave, Zhunti dismissed them with a dismissive remark about prioritizing the overall situation.

This infuriated Haotian and the Queen Mother. They wanted to ask, "Why should the rise of Buddhism be achieved by using the Heavenly Court as a stepping stone?"
Did the Heavenly Court get to where it is today with great difficulty? Do you know how much effort Yang Xuan put in? In the end, just because your Buddhism wants to flourish, you have to step on the head of the Heavenly Court. This is truly outrageous!
Haotian grew angrier the more he thought about it, but finally gritted his teeth, his eyes hardened, and he made a decision.

If you can complain to the Dao Ancestor, why can't I?
Yang Xuan made the Heavenly Court what it is today. If I can't even protect the Heavenly Court as it is now, what's the point of sitting on the throne as the Heavenly Emperor?!

But at that moment, Yang Xuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly smiled slightly at him, then turned to look at Tathagata, shook his head, and said with a smile:

"Fellow Taoist, this is wrong."

"Oh? I wonder what Your Majesty's insightful opinion is?"

Buddha raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "They've come after all."

If Yang Xuan didn't cause trouble, he would find it impossible and feel uneasy.

Now that Yang Xuan had spoken, a weight had finally been lifted from his heart.

As for whether Yang Xuan could change the outcome and reject his proposal, he felt that was impossible.

This matter was approved by the Dao Ancestor. The Journey to the West Calamity was an inevitable event in the prehistoric world, and Zhunti also said that this matter should be led by him, Tathagata.

Even if Yang Xuan is a sage, he cannot change the fact that Buddhism dominates the Journey to the West calamity; at most, he can only make changes in some details.

However, he never expected that Yang Xuan would not give him any face at all.

"Since the Buddhist sect desires to guide the primordial fortune westward, the various forces in the primordial world should come up with a plan. How can the Buddhist sect possibly reap all the benefits?"

As soon as Yang Xuan opened his mouth, he pointed the finger at the dominant position of the Journey to the West Tribulation and officially pushed Buddhism to the opposite side of other forces in the prehistoric world.

With Yang Xuan taking the lead, the other powerful figures present did not speak, but their attitude was very clear: they were obviously supporting Yang Xuan.

Buddhism wants to spread its fortune westward, that's fine, but we can't let you have all the benefits. We must have the initiative, or at least we must have a portion of the initiative.

Among the powerful beings present, even the one with the lowest cultivation level was comparable to Tathagata, not to mention the three human emperors who were near-saints.

The silent support from these people immediately put immense pressure on Buddha, rendering him speechless.

It wasn't until Zhunti waved his hand that Tathagata felt the pressure ease, but he didn't know how to start the conversation.

However, Zhunti had no intention of letting Tathagata continue. In the current situation, Tathagata was not capable of handling it and needed to step in personally.

Fortunately, Yang Xuan leading the opposition was still within his expectations. (End of Chapter)