Investiture of the Gods: I am Bigan, the Master of Conspiracy

Chapter 155 Dimensional Reduction Strike, Sweeping Across the Heavenly Dao and Literary Fortune!
The core meeting of Mahayana Buddhism, attended by all quasi-saints, decided on the grand plan for the future of Mahayana Buddhism.

Guanyin Bodhisattva's words immediately made everyone solemn.

The most egregious of these were the three most powerful officials.

"This humble monk merely lost a willow branch from the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation, yet it became a killing technique of this Bigan, forcing the four of us to flee to the West in panic. This man's scheming and plotting are truly unbelievable. Even though I am now a quasi-saint, I am still shocked. During the Investiture of the Gods, he even forced the saints to use their fortune to repair Xiqi multiple times. This man's schemes are no less than those of the saints. Buddha, you should be cautious!"

Everyone nodded in agreement at Guanyin's judgment.

Ran Deng then said, "Amitabha, Buddha, we must be extremely careful with this Bigan. This man is adept at manipulating people's hearts. During the Investiture of the Gods, the Chan Sect's plans for Xiqi were undeniably ingenious, yet they have ended up in such a state. We must be wary of Bigan using people's hearts to his advantage!"

After all, Ran Deng and the others had all been opponents of Yin Ziyu before, and they knew Yin Ziyu's methods best.

After all, the mainstay of Mahayana Buddhism today is indeed the Chan sect. This sect has the fewest members, but the highest level of cultivation, so its voice is naturally the most powerful!
Western indigenous peoples, on the other hand, have the least say.

After seeing that both Dipankara and Avalokiteshvara spoke of caution, Tathagata's expression also became solemn.

"Amitabha! The words of the ancient Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva are truly essential! I have never met Bi Gan, yet his ability to discern people's hearts rivals that of a sage. During the Investiture of the Gods calamity, he was able to find a glimmer of hope for the Shang Dynasty and the Jie Sect. How can we underestimate him? He cultivates his mind to attain enlightenment; his schemes are not those of a commoner, but rather grand plans for the Great Dao! Even if those who oppose him know his plans early on, they will find it difficult to escape his trap, for his schemes will inevitably trap people in a desperate situation, leaving them with no way to advance or retreat, like a fishbone stuck in their throat! His wisdom can penetrate people's hearts and illuminate the true nature of all things, separating truth from falsehood and striking at the heart of the matter. He does not seek petty gains, but only plots the root of countless eons. Such a talent cannot be underestimated! To deal with this man's schemes, only when all the Buddhas of our great sect are of one mind can we be invincible!"

Even though Tathagata had never met Yin Ziyu, he had long regarded Yin Ziyu as a first-rate opponent.

This calamity of the gods was inherently a dead end, but they actually managed to fight their way out of it. Their numerous schemes were all breathtaking.

Even Buddha had deduced Yin Ziyu's schemes multiple times, which shocked him because they were basically impossible to crack.

The Buddha had also carefully considered the recent Penglai Festival. He realized that once Nezha and Tuxingsun successfully delivered the joy upon arriving in Penglai, the plan was already unsolvable.

The Buddha had calculated that at this time, Guang Chengzi distrusted the Three Great Masters and also wanted to completely subdue them.

The three officials already harbored ulterior motives due to the unequal distribution of resources. Now that their scheme has been exposed, even though they know it's a divisive tactic, they still distrust Guang Chengzi and are filled with fear.

Taking advantage of the opportune moment and favorable location, the three officials were forced to take action.

At this moment, Tathagata realized that this scheme could not be resolved. The gap was so deep that it caused the Chan Sect, which was once so powerful and determined to unify the Three Realms, to fall apart in an instant!
This stratagem completely solidified Yin Ziyu's status as the number one strategist in the entire Three Realms.

Now that Tathagata has become the Buddha of Mahayana Buddhism, Amitabha Buddha has told Tathagata about the cause and effect of the Human Teachings and the Chan Teachings' full assistance during the Journey to the West.

So when his enemies were removed from the Renjiao and Chanjiao sects, he suddenly realized that his future opponent was Yin Ziyu, whom he would also have to face and fight.

For Tathagata, the task of Taishang was to divide the Western religions so that he could become the master of the West.

Originally, the opponent was the Western Sect. Now, the entire Western Sect has been integrated into the fold, and even the Amitabha Buddha has bestowed the twelve-petaled golden lotus to suppress the fortune. This has left the Buddha with many feelings, and he admires and respects the Amitabha Buddha and the Cundi Bodhisattva!
Now that he has become the ruler of the West, and all the Buddhas of Buddhism have placed their hopes on him, he is now in a position to achieve this.

At this moment, Buddha's gaze must have turned eastward.

However, the Human Sect and the Chan Sect are allies in the next great calamity, and their ultimate opponents are naturally their former master, the Jie Sect, and Yin Ziyu of the Yin Shang Dynasty.

At this point, there is no way to retreat. This is a struggle for the destiny of the three realms. Such a powerful force and so many people place their hopes on you. It is a matter of either advancing or retreating.

If someone is excluded from a faction, problems will inevitably arise within that faction.

Like Fu Jian of the Former Qin Dynasty, the entire court was a mess, cobbled together by many ethnic groups to form a seemingly powerful dynasty. If it could not destroy the Jin Dynasty in one fell swoop, it would face problems.

After the defeat, everything collapsed instantly, and several dynasties crumbled at once.

The tide cannot be turned by human will; at this point, it is necessary to become enemies with Yin Ziyu and the Jie Sect.

Immediately after the establishment of Mahayana Buddhism, Yin Ziyu said that the other side would definitely regard us as their hypothetical enemy.

Given the current situation, Yin Ziyu has effectively become a thorn in the side of Tathagata's plan to realize his great destiny in the next great eon.

The Tathagata of today has attained the Great Dao, possesses immense fortune and great merit, and his power is the greatest in the Three Realms during the period when there were no saints.

At this point, if this obstacle is removed in one fell swoop, allowing Buddhism to spread smoothly to the east, the opportunity to attain enlightenment and achieve primordial unity will come.

This opportunity, once lost, will never come again. Once this heaven-sent opportunity was lost, the Buddha understood that it would never come again in the future.

So, at this moment, Tathagata stood at the same point of choice that Di Jun and Taiyi had made before: should he take a chance?
If one succeeds, one is on the verge of achieving ultimate power; if one fails, one will die and one's path will perish. At this point, the course of events has already been set and cannot be changed by human will.

As for the Buddha, he had also carefully considered the strength of Yin Ziyu and the Jie Sect. Compared with Buddhism at present, the opponent's strength was far inferior.

Therefore, when the time comes to establish a religion, it is imperative to firmly establish one's own position in one fell swoop.

Although they far surpass them in strength, annihilation is definitely out of the question. Those rogue cultivators are now using the Jie Sect and the Yin Shang as front-line meat shields, so annihilation is absolutely impossible.

Therefore, the only option is to destroy their momentum first, and then plan other things.

When everyone saw that the Buddha had pointed out Yin Ziyu so incisively, they all nodded in agreement. It was clear that the Buddha was still very wary of Yin Ziyu.

"Amitabha! If the Buddha views this person in this way, what should we, the Buddha, do?"

The Buddha pondered for a moment, then looked at the crowd and said, “The Mahayana Buddhism has just been established. We should hold a grand ceremony to announce it to the Three Realms. The Journey to the West is an opportunity for our religion to flourish. We must make a name for ourselves in this endeavor. We can take this opportunity to invite the immortals and gods of the Three Realms to Mount Ling. We should hold a grand Ullambana Festival on Mount Ling, announce it to the Three Realms, spread the power of the Dharma, gather the Qi of all spirits, and awe the might of the universe.”

"Amitabha Buddha, should we invite the immortals of the Jie Sect and the high priest of the Yin Shang Dynasty?"

The Buddha nodded: "You may invite them, but do not regard them as enemies. Mahayana Buddhism is newly established, and I still have a connection with the Jie Sect. Do not let it be lost too quickly!"

This statement was made to give the immortals of the Jie Sect a little more hope, and a little more hope and affinity, so that they would not become hostile too early.

In other words, he used the relationship with the Holy Mother Jinling to plot against the Jie Sect and Yin Ziyu. Tathagata was like a lion hunting a rabbit, and he used all his strength.

Wherever there is a need, we should make the most of it.

After the matter was settled, the Buddha immediately instructed: "The Ullambana Festival is not for discussing the Dao, but rather for gathering fortune and laying the groundwork for the grand plan of the Journey to the West. When all the immortals of the Three Realms have gathered, this humble monk will expound the wondrous Dharma of Mahayana, demonstrate the path to Nirvana, so that the East may witness the flourishing of our teachings, and all living beings in the world may understand the path to conversion. I hereby convey my decree to invite the immortals and gods of the Three Realms to discuss the Dao at Mount Ling ten thousand years from now."

"Please obey my Buddhist teachings!"

Everyone bowed in unison, setting the tone for the Ghost Festival.

The Buddha did not reveal any details; the matter was carried out in secrecy. The details of the Ullambana Festival were extremely important in dealing with Yin Ziyu, and precautions had to be taken. Soon, the information about the Mahayana Buddhist Ullambana Festival reached all corners of the Three Realms. Upon learning of the Mahayana Buddhist Ullambana Festival, all corners of the Three Realms immediately understood that this was yet another grand event sweeping across the Three Realms, and who knew how many unpredictable events might unfold!
At this time, while Yin Ziyu was deducing supernatural powers, he did not neglect spreading the Dao.

"Mi Fei, with this auspicious literary fortune, the imperial examinations of the Great Shang Dynasty have finally come into their own after all these years. Shang Rong's compilation of the Book of Poetry is now complete and can be used to spread the teachings!"

Mi Fei was slightly taken aback: "The Book of Songs?"

Yin Ziyu nodded: "That's right, it is indeed the Book of Songs. This time, the Heavenly Dao's literary fortune can be used to enhance our literary fortune, so that we can all use this literary fortune to achieve great success in our cultivation techniques. Now that the spiritual mountain's momentum has been formed, we must also use this opportunity to gather great momentum! We must establish a resonance between the hearts and minds of all beings. All beings suffer, but only the heart can save them. When people try to understand the Dao, they will inevitably find it too profound and difficult to connect with. Only the Book of Songs can be widely sung and gather the hearts of all beings. With this plan, we can maximize the literary fortune this time!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Mi exclaimed in surprise, "So, Ziyu arranged the imperial examinations with the intention of scheming for this very purpose! This method is truly feasible!"

The opportunity to put Yin Ziyu's previous arrangements for the imperial examinations in Chaoge to use has finally arrived.

The Book of Songs is based on the true nature of the human heart, beginning with Yin Ziyu's "Guan Guan Jujiu, on the islet in the river. A fair maiden, a gentleman's good match."

Mi Fei then passed on the Book of Songs to believers of the Mind School, and it spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred. The Book of Songs, which is easy to recite and gathers the beauty of the heart, instantly began to sweep across the world.

The Book of Songs is different from the original Book of Songs. Also, due to the great changes in the Three Realms, this Book of Songs was something that Yin Ziyu had planned long ago.

During this period of intellectual ferment, the competition for followers was used for cultural dissemination, ideological infiltration, and the export of values. This subtle influence weakened the cultural identity of other schools of thought and was used to form values ​​and ideologies.

It doesn't need to be as profound as the Tao Te Ching.

Because the Tao Te Ching is too profound, it is too highbrow and has few followers; too few people understand it.

Only a method of preaching that is elegant and easy to recite can effectively absorb this vast literary fortune.

Yin Ziyu needs to make arrangements for the future grand competition as soon as possible, so that the Shang Dynasty can complete its preparations quickly. Otherwise, Mahayana Buddhism and the Humanist and Chan sects will have an overwhelming advantage over the Shang Dynasty and the Jie sect.

This is a rare opportunity; from now until the Journey to the West, this is the only chance to improve everyone's cultivation level.

Nowadays, whether it's Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism, or even the Yang family, they are all earnestly expounding their own doctrines, but the efficiency of such dissemination is too limited.

The transmission and singing of the Book of Songs was an overwhelming form of preaching, almost like a dimensional reduction attack.

The principles of the Book of Poetry align well with the original intentions of the Xin Jiao (a school of thought on Buddhism), which led to its rapid spread throughout the world.

The poem begins with the image of ospreys crying on the river islet, and a beautiful maiden sought after by a gentleman. This opens the minds of all beings, revealing a free and unrestrained spirit and showcasing the pure thoughts within.

As Yin Ziyu had planned in advance, the literary fortune of the Shang Dynasty brought about the widespread dissemination of the Book of Songs to all living beings.

After the great changes in the Three Realms, the Book of Songs should not have appeared, but Yin Ziyu still managed to bring it out.

Of course, the content has undergone tremendous changes.

This immediately caused the entire Xin Sect to spread far and wide.

This kind of spread resulted in an almost overwhelming and annihilating effect on the other schools of thought, as if the Great Shang Dynasty intended to use this method to regain control of the human race!

The spread of the Book of Songs made the Xin Sect the foremost sect for a time, and its immense fortune began to converge on Chaoge.

This was not Yin Ziyu's plan for his own fortune, but rather for the fortune of the Shang Dynasty, which is why he arranged the imperial examination so early.

The convergence of the Heavenly Way and the literary fortune in Chaoge naturally brings boundless assistance to those who rely on literature for divination and supernatural powers.

At this moment, Yin Ziyu and the others were deducing the supernatural powers of the outer worlds. Yin Ziyu provided the concepts, and then everyone worked together to perfect them with the laws.

Yin Ziyu's choice of the concept of the outer myriad realms was naturally based on his own considerations.

The supernatural powers of the primordial world are actually different from those of the outer realms.

This is a world where victory and defeat are determined by magical treasures, and there are no life-or-death struggles like raising poisonous insects. Few people put in the effort to deduce the supernatural powers used in the battles.

In the Primordial World, the Dao and the Law are valued, while techniques are not. This is because the worlds are different. In the Primordial World, the highest level is the Sage, and below the Sage, all are ants.

Therefore, it is impossible to defeat a sage by skill alone, nor is it possible to defeat a spiritual treasure by skill alone.

When you've deduced an extremely powerful divine ability and are ready to sweep across the primordial world, someone just uses the Heaven-Turning Seal to turn you to ashes. How are you supposed to fight then?
This meant that the development of supernatural powers in the prehistoric world was in its initial stage. The most widely circulated Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Techniques, and even flying sand and stones, were considered supernatural powers.

Of course, the top-tier supernatural powers that can change the world and manipulate creation are the most powerful, but the fighting supernatural powers that follow the Thirty-Six Methods seem a bit laughable.

It's not that the primordial world was weak, but rather that the order of a world determines its appearance.

In those worlds where one must use supernatural powers to fight for survival, supernatural powers are elevated to a certain level.

When a world has too many top-grade innate offensive and defensive magical treasures, supernatural powers will inevitably become useless.

There are also countless individuals with innate supernatural powers comparable to spiritual treasures; this is simply impossible to compete with.

Now that Buddhism has top-tier talents and supernatural powers like Vairocana Buddha and Peacock King, Yin Ziyu deduced that once the Ullambana Festival is held, how could the Buddha not take advantage of it?
Therefore, the only option is to plan ahead and respond using the concept of the myriad realms beyond.

Even though the worlds are different and the supernatural powers that have evolved are also different, reaching 50% is already very impressive!

At this time, the invitation from Mahayana Buddhism had also been delivered, and the Holy Mother Jinling was filled with emotion as she held the invitation.

"Everything is just as Ziyu predicted. Duobao really intends to use this grand event to consolidate his power!"

Yin Ziyu said calmly, "We must go this time. If we don't go, Duobao will gain power. If we go, we will inevitably become the ones Duobao establishes its authority over. Of course, the opportunity we have in successfully averted this crisis is also ruthless. Duobao will definitely treat us as enemies this time, but we will also have to treat Mahayana Buddhism as enemies!"

When the Journey to the West takes place in the future, and the Humanist and Chan schools become the ones that help the West advance eastward, then Mahayana Buddhism will inevitably become the rival of the Shang Dynasty and the Jie School. This is determined by the general trend.

Everyone understood the problem and nodded in agreement.

Yunxiao exclaimed, "Ziyu, this 'Transformation of Others' technique is truly remarkable. Based on the laws of time and space, it can transform into countless ages. If this is the case, each clone will possess the cultivation of the original body. Once the spiritual treasures are no longer used in the contest, the outcome can be decided in an extremely short time!"

Yin Ziyu pondered for a moment and said, "When the Investiture of the Gods took place, the fairy could avenge Lu Ya. By transforming into Wan Gu, she could transform into Gong Gong and fight him. The three great ministers are insignificant. Buddhism has people like Kong Xuan and Lu Ya who are born with great supernatural powers. This method is enough to deal with Lu Ya. If the Ullambana Festival is held to settle the karma, it will surely shake the Three Realms and resolve the momentum of Mahayana Buddhism!"

(End of this chapter)