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

Chapter 165 A Gamble with the Chan Sect! The Ownership of the Four Swords of Zhuxian

This Ullambana Festival plays an extremely important role in Buddhism.

Since Buddhism had just been established, it was necessary to announce it to the Three Realms, let them witness the power of Buddhism, and use this power to suppress the East, and then take advantage of the situation to arrange the Journey to the West.

Without the Ullambana Festival, wouldn't the Journey to the West be carried out in secret?

In other words, the signing of the Investiture of the Gods by the three religions defines the Investiture of the Gods, while the Ullambana Festival defines the Journey to the West.

In other words, Heaven initiated the Journey to the West project, which has both fortune and merit, and also determines the distribution of fortune for the next great calamity.

The rise and fall of various powers, or the ascension of a new leader, may all lead to the next great calamity.

This Ullambana Festival is a warm-up phase for the Journey to the West. When the gods were conferred, the Three Immortals and Kong Xuan were originally unknown, but they became famous throughout the Three Realms.

The Ghost Festival is now seen as an opportunity for all other forces to potentially become famous throughout the Three Realms.

For Tathagata, a new solution was needed to mitigate the adverse effects of Dingguang Xian's death.

This time, Tathagata originally intended to rely on his status and the friendship that all three thousand Buddhas were disciples of the Jie Sect to eliminate the only obstacle to the Journey to the West, the Jie Sect.

In the end, he was seen through and handed over the array diagram, and even Dingguang Xian died, making it all seem like a joke.

For such a vast Buddhist sect, this setback was completely unacceptable. It should be noted that this was the early days of Mahayana Buddhism, a time when it was powerful and influential throughout the Three Realms. Such a sudden and significant defeat would inevitably lead to it being looked down upon by the Three Realms.

When the Buddha announced the rules of the competition, everyone in the Three Realms was overjoyed.

Meanwhile, the Jie Sect and Yin Ziyu and others were discussing this matter.

The Golden Spirit Mother couldn't help but sigh, "Ziyu, if it's as expected, it truly is a competition outside of spiritual treasures. The sea of ​​clouds in these three thousand divine mountains must have been prepared in advance. Since it has been prepared in advance, the Buddhist sect must be confident of victory!"

Yin Ziyu then said, "If we were in the same position as the Buddhist sect and wanted to establish our authority in the Three Realms, we would not be able to rely solely on philosophical discussions. This is because there is no first place in literature, but there is no second place in martial arts. Only supernatural powers can demonstrate true strength and establish our prestige, thus subduing the immortals. Since we know that this battle concerns the fate of our sect, we should prepare a strategy that guarantees victory, even if it takes ten thousand years! In this light, the fact that Fairy Yunxiao defeated Kong Xuan and still made him remain true to his original intentions shows that she is still confident in her methods of victory!"

After all, when it comes to discussing principles, no one would say that their own principles are inferior to others; discussions about principles cannot determine who is superior or inferior.

Therefore, if the Ullambana Festival is to establish a great influence and exert its power in the East, it cannot be done through literary discourse, but only through martial arts.

The core logic of the entire Three Realms is always based on force. The avoidance of using magical treasures is to ensure fairness. Otherwise, in a one-on-one duel, Xuandu and Guangchengzi would inevitably win.

Luo Shen nodded in agreement: "What Ziyu said is quite right. However, the fact that Tathagata is so eager to start the competition suggests that he is already in a hurry and wants to regain his momentum as soon as possible?"

After listening, Yin Ziyu said calmly, "The Ullambana Festival has already weakened before it even started. The Tathagata must be extremely anxious. This is a grave mistake. Mahayana Buddhism was newly established, and the Quasi-Saints were the most powerful beings in the Three Realms, like tigers and wolves occupying the mountains, or eagles and falcons soaring in the sky. Their power was fierce and their influence was mighty. The Ullambana Festival was precisely the time to use this power to suppress the Three Realms and exert influence in the East. The face is the outward manifestation of Mahayana Buddhism's authority. If it shows signs of fatigue, it is a sign of weakness. If it loses face, its authority will decline and its subordinates will look down on it. If it shows signs of fatigue, treacherous officials will rise up and all sides will be eyeing it. Once it weakens, it will be like a flock of sheep without a shepherd, or fertile land in the wild, which will attract all kinds of beasts to surround and devour it. This situation is extremely urgent, and the Tathagata has no choice but to urgently establish his authority."

Yin Ziyu's explanation immediately drew gasps of admiration from everyone, who marveled at his incredible insight.

Upon hearing this, Yunxiao said, "Ziyu's words have a profound understanding of the essence of Mahayana Buddhism. In order to save face, Tathagata will surely have to do everything in his power!"

"In Mahayana Buddhism, appearances are the outward manifestation of power. The death of Dingguang Xian and the resulting fatigue are signs of the decay of power. Once power weakens, it is the beginning of destruction. Therefore, to skillfully manage power, one must be careful with appearances, cautious in one's actions, conceal one's weaknesses and promote one's strengths, and strengthen one's support base. The Tathagata naturally understands this principle, but at this moment, he has become somewhat unstable."

In fact, Yin Ziyu's deductions were based on the rise and fall of dynasties throughout the history of Blue Star. Although mortals and immortals are different, their paths are still the same.

After all, in the face of the Great Dao, there is no difference between mortals and Great Immortals.

Therefore, some of the problems that arise during dynastic changes can be applied here.

Yin Ziyu said this because Tathagata was following Fu Jian's script, not Qin Shi Huang's. If he lost face and his power declined, he would be attacked by the rogue cultivators outside like a pack of wolves, and the various factions inside would also split up.

Mahayana Buddhism was established, but its global base in the West was too small, so it had to move from one victory to another.

The Ullambana Festival was the first victory, which stabilized the foundation, established authority in the three realms, and laid the groundwork for the second victory.

It's dangerous when the first victory doesn't occur, and instead, the momentum weakens.

After all, Mahayana Buddhism did not have a supreme treasure to suppress its destiny. The original Buddhism had the Nine-Rank Golden Lotus, but it also did not have any strong opponents. The Journey to the West was naturally a success.

But this time it was different. The suppression of fortune was a twelve-petaled golden lotus, but the Eastern forces were so fierce that Tathagata was naturally anxious.

This is just like the Great Shang Dynasty of the past. Although Yin Ziyu knew that the Great Shang Dynasty still ruled the human race, he was surrounded by wolves, forcing him to jump around and look for a way out.

The Tathagata at this moment was in a situation similar to that of Yin Ziyu plotting the legitimacy of the Dharma.

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit then asked, "Ziyu, if that's the case, how should we respond and suppress Mahayana Buddhism in one fell swoop?"

Yin Ziyu pondered for a moment and said, “Don’t rush. The outcome is uncertain. You must know what we need, not just to suppress Mahayana Buddhism! With the current foundation of Buddhism, it cannot withstand more than three defeats, or even just one major defeat would be enough to cause it to collapse. The Chan Sect is different from the Human Sect. It has remained as stable as Mount Tai after many defeats. The Human Sect has a stronger foundation and is without any flaws. Why worry about Mahayana Buddhism? Such a foundation is just a pawn of the Heavenly Dao! Only they can continue to influence the overall situation.”

Everyone naturally agreed with Yin Ziyu's words.

If a force has too little foundation, it must keep causing trouble and succeeding. If it cannot withstand three major failures, then such a force, though seemingly powerful, is not actually a cause for great concern.

Only at this point did the profound heritage take on a concrete form.

The Investiture of the Gods, the destruction of Xiqi, the Hundred Schools of Thought defeating Confucianism, and the events in the East Sea—none of these events have shaken the foundation of the Chan Sect. Even though a few people have left, the remaining foundation has become even more stable.

Only at this point can the foundation truly be embodied.

The difference between having a solid foundation and not having one is immediately obvious.

Such a huge failure would be unbearable for Mahayana Buddhism.

What did Yin Ziyu seek? He sought true primordial unity and transcendence, not simply defeating Mahayana Buddhism.

That is, to use the momentum of its constant pursuit of victory to plan its own primordial unity and transcendence.

If it were the teachings of the Human School or the Chan School, they would naturally have the freedom to control their actions, but the Buddhist school does not have this right to control its actions.

"So, how should we deal with this?"

Yin Ziyu said calmly, "In my opinion, it's better to raise a thief for one's own benefit." "Raise a thief for one's own benefit?"

Yin Ziyu nodded: "Indeed, this is the grand trend of Heaven, and Mahayana Buddhism is the instigator. How can we not let this trend emerge? The Ullambana Festival is about the Tathagata initiating this trend, and we need to complete our own grand trend. If we suppress Mahayana Buddhism, we will inevitably become enemies of the whole world. What good will that do us? Therefore, we need to control the situation this time. Of course, fellow Daoists, you should also fight when necessary. This is indeed an opportunity to plan your own reputation! The disciples you have trained can also take the stage at this time!"

Everyone nodded in agreement with Yin Ziyu's words.

"good"

After a moment's thought, Yin Ziyu said, "Now that we have the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram, we must also devise a plan for the Four Swords of Immortal Slaughtering!"

Upon hearing this, the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit immediately said, "Ziyu, this humble Taoist has the same intention, but I do not know how to devise a plan?"

Yin Ziyu looked at the Chan Sect and said, "Since that's the case, let's have a duel with the Chan Sect. If the Chan Sect wins, they will hand over the Zhuxian Formation Diagram; if the Chan Sect loses, they will demand the Four Zhuxian Swords. If the other side does not fight, it means they are afraid to fight. If they are afraid to fight, the Chan Sect's prestige will inevitably be unstable! After all, we have been preparing for ten thousand years."

Upon hearing this, the members of the Jie Sect were stunned for a moment, and then they were all pleasantly surprised.

Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Mother immediately laughed and said, "Wonderful! In that case, the Chan Sect is in a dilemma, which is a great opportunity for the Jie Sect!"

The competition had already begun, and the entire sea of ​​clouds was ablaze with excitement.

He Fang's rogue disciples were the first to take the stage, starting with those at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, followed by those at the late Taiyi Golden Immortal level and the Daluo level.

In the beginning, it was all upstarts from the Three Realms vying for this opportunity to make a name for themselves. The human race of the Great Shang Dynasty naturally had many upstarts taking the stage, making it quite a spectacular event.

However, the Taiyi competition is a contest of potential and will not affect one's luck, thus giving rising stars a chance to shine.

Of course, the Taiyi Golden Immortal level is also very important. The victor gains prestige and fortune, which is crucial for advancing to the Daluo level.

Several years passed in the blink of an eye, and the contest between Taiyi Golden Immortals finally came to an end.

The battle for the title of Grand Golden Immortal has ended, and the competition for the title of Great Luo Golden Immortal has begun.

At the Great Luo Golden Immortal level, the Buddhist sect's foundation has been revealed, with some formidable new talents emerging, which has calmed the storm surrounding the death of Dingguang Immortal.

Of course, the death of Dingguangxian was not a big problem; it mainly made it seem like Buddhism had been played for a fool, rather than a real loss.

Reaching the level of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal is the true test of destiny, and there is a clear difference between a Grand Luo Golden Immortal and a Taiyi Golden Immortal. At this level, it is basically a battle of laws.

The strength of a Taiyi Golden Immortal's supernatural powers determines the outcome of a battle, while for a Daluo Golden Immortal, the extent of their mastery of the laws determines success or failure, and the interaction between the generating and restraining relationships of the laws also determines success or failure!

In the early stages of the Great Luo Golden Immortal battles, it was mostly disciples of independent cultivators who participated. At this early stage, the level of cultivators was quite diverse, with most being Great Luo third or fourth grade cultivators, and some even being first or second grade cultivators.

Basically, there was nothing outstanding about it, but even so, Da Luo competed for several years in the early stages.

At the early stages of Taiyi Golden Immortal and Daluo Golden Immortal, most cultivators are independent practitioners. However, by the middle stage of Daluo Golden Immortal, the number of independent practitioners decreases dramatically, and the competition among a few major powers begins.

This Ullambana Festival has invited all the renowned immortals from all corners of the Three Realms, but their fortune is limited. In small places, without great fortune, they are basically only at the middle stage.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the early and middle stages of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm are only at the same level; they contain an enormous amount of resources.

First of all, the Great Luo Golden Immortal eliminates almost all those who acquire their skills through later cultivation. Those who acquire their skills through later cultivation are basically unable to reach the Great Luo level; more than 99% of them cannot. The Taiyi Golden Immortal is the peak.

In the early stages, most of them were of the first to third grade, and the spiritual treasures were only low-grade innate spiritual treasures. How many laws did they master?

It can be said that if Taiyi eliminates all those who acquire their skills through training, it would eliminate almost 90% of rogue cultivators in the mid-stage.

Even someone like Zhen Yuanzi, who controls an entire immortal realm, has no disciples who are at the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

In reality, a powerful rogue cultivator inherently lacks sufficient fortune. Firstly, he himself needs to occupy a certain amount of space, so it is impossible for him to cultivate too many Great Luo Golden Immortals.

Those who are born with strong backgrounds will not go to places with low potential like independent cultivators.

A flower that can bloom to the fourth or fifth grade must have a good background and good qualities, so it would not stoop to such a small place.

This is the fundamental difference between independent cultivators and great sects of saints. Even if the sect leader is a top god in the primordial world, the disciples' cultivation levels are severely precipitous.

Basically, after the mid-stage, once the rogue cultivators were eliminated, the number of people decreased dramatically, and it became a competition between a few major forces.

The competition among rogue cultivators does not affect the overall situation of the Three Realms, but at this level, the struggle for the overall situation of the Three Realms has only just begun.

Just as the middle stage began, the Golden Spirit Mother immediately looked at the members of the Chan Sect and said, "Guang Chengzi, the Four Swords of Zhuxian, the treasures of our Jie Sect's destiny, have now fallen into the hands of your Chan Sect. Do you dare to gamble with our Jie Sect today?"

After speaking, the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit immediately issued a challenge, stating that if the Chan Sect were to back down in battle, it would damage the prestige of the great religion.

In an instant, everyone looked at Guang Chengzi, wondering if he would respond!

The words of the Holy Mother Jinling immediately sparked a great deal of discussion among all parties.

"This time, the Golden Spirit Mother obtained the array diagram, while the Four Swords of Zhuxian are in the hands of the Chan Sect. This has become an opportunity to take back the Four Swords of Zhuxian. If we do not fight, the Chan Sect will suffer a loss of prestige. If we do fight, the array diagram may be restored to its original state, which can be considered a major hidden danger for the future of the Journey to the West!"

"."

Upon hearing this, Guang Chengzi frowned and asked seriously, "How shall we wager?"

The Holy Mother Jinling said in a deep voice, "A best-of-three match. I wager the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram of the Jie Sect. If you lose, you must return the Four Swords of Immortal Slaughtering to me. If my Jie Sect is defeated, I will give you the formation diagram!"

After the Golden Spirit Mother finished speaking, it immediately caused gasps of surprise from all sides.

The Buddha's expression turned solemn.

This is undoubtedly a huge adventure for the future of Journey to the West.

All eyes turned to Guang Chengzi, to see if he dared to respond. If he did not dare to respond, he would lose momentum before the battle even began, and it would also damage the fortune of the past few centuries!
(End of this chapter)