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

Chapter 170 Overt Schemes: Militarism and the Liberators!
"Ziyu, what is the purpose of this quasi-saint level discussion by Tathagata?"

Luo Shen looked at Yin Ziyu and immediately asked.

Yin Ziyu smiled faintly: "I said before I came that this Ghost Festival was meant to be a show of force, but I still wanted to have some dignity. But now I've just abandoned all dignity!"

"what!"

Yin Ziyu snorted coldly: "Jin Chanzi just served tea to these rogue cultivators to keep them neutral. Now that we have plotted the Four Swords of Zhuxian and caused Buddhism to suffer a crushing defeat in the competition, we have failed to establish our authority. However, we have given Buddhism a real opportunity to use its power to suppress others."

"Namo Amitabha!"

The Buddha clasped his hands together, and his golden body suddenly expanded to a thousand feet. Beneath him sat twelve golden lotuses and three thousand celestial beings, and the Buddha's name resounded throughout the thirty-three heavens.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha!"

When the Buddha first uttered the Buddha's name, all the Buddhas on Mount Ling immediately followed suit and uttered "Namo Amitabha Buddha".

In an instant, ten thousand Buddhas of Mount Ling chanted in unison, their voices transforming into a golden tide that merged with the Buddha's light of the monks and quasi-saints, coalescing into a gigantic sun of ultimate bliss above the Saha world.

Wherever the Buddha's light passed, rivers stopped flowing and stars lost their color. Low-level cultivators felt their minds being pulled by a tremendous force, and involuntarily clasped their hands in prayer to the west. Even their primordial spirits were marked with the Buddha's light, as if they were about to convert to Buddhism.

"This is the Buddhist 'Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage' Formation, forcibly spreading the doctrine and converting people to Buddhism through the power of faith. If one cannot resist, one will develop a desire to convert, and thus inevitably reveal their ugly side at this Ullambana Festival!"

Zhen Yuanzi couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. The next moment, the entire Wuzhuang Temple sacred mountain was filled with the light of the Wutu Immortal. The Buddhist light swept over the Wuzhuang Temple sacred mountain like a tidal wave and rushed towards the other sacred mountains.

After all, this is a powerful figure that cannot be offended, so a slight show of skill is sufficient.

As the boundless Buddha light enveloped the area, the sacred mountain of the Human Sect suddenly erupted with a soaring celestial light. Grand Master Xuandu remained calm as the celestial light transformed into a yin-yang symbol and refracted the light of the Buddhist paradise sun.

Almost simultaneously, from the direction of Yuqing Divine Mountain, the Jade Purity Immortal Light of Guang Chengzi and the immortals also broke through the clouds, with thousands of Jade Void Proverbs rotating within the light.

The two beams of celestial light, one yin and one yang, one defensive and one offensive, actually fought to a draw with the Buddha's light in the void.

At this moment in the Saha world, the Buddhas in the Mahavira Hall, with the Tathagata at their core, formed a giant sun, whose light illuminated the entire Saha world, while the other sacred mountains appeared as planets.

This Buddha's light was like a solar wind sweeping across the land, while the immortal light of their respective lineages gathered on other sacred mountains, similar to a planetary magnetic field, blocking it out and preventing any interference.

Upon seeing this, the Golden Spirit Mother's phoenix eyes widened, and with a swift wave of her wrist, she uttered a soft yet thunderous shout: "Fellow disciples of the Intercepting Sect, follow me to protect our lineage! Rise, Supreme Clarity Immortal Light!"

As soon as the Golden Spirit Mother issued her decree, thousands of dark beams of light shot into the sky from the Jie Sect's sacred mountain, converging into a vast and mighty Shangqing Immortal Light, like a dark curtain that stretched out, completely enveloping the Jie Sect and the Great Shang Sacred Mountain.

As the celestial light flowed, it blocked the incoming Buddhist light.

This discussion appears to be a debate on the principles of Tao, with each party wielding their own authority.

However, at this moment, the boundless Buddhist light bypassed the rogue cultivators and gods, only slightly impacting the Human and Chan sects, and ultimately headed straight for the Jie sect and the Shang dynasty.

The Buddhist offensive at this time was far more intense than imagined.

Boundless Buddhist light transformed into a towering tsunami, surging forth with the chanting of ten thousand Buddhas.

The moment the Buddha's light and the celestial light of Shangqing came into contact, a deafening roar erupted. Where the two forces collided, dazzling sparks burst forth, and black and gold intertwined to form a violent energy vortex.

With her jade hands forming a series of hand seals, the four Quasi-Saints of the Jie Sect combined their power, instantly unleashing a myriad of rays of light.

But the waves of Buddha's light came one after another, each wave carrying an even stronger pressure.

"Ziyu, it seems the Buddhist sect is preparing to crush us in one fell swoop!"

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit immediately questioned Yin Ziyu.

Yin Ziyu looked at the entire Buddha-light-shining area and immediately said, "With the return of the Four Swords of Zhuxian, all parties have reached a consensus. Since that's the case, then let's hold them off, hold off the Eastern Xuanmen! Fellow fairies, don't be anxious, do your best to delay, show weakness to the enemy, and execute the original plan!"

Yin Ziyu was already at a disadvantage, so he naturally made some preparations before coming.

At this moment, the entire Saha world was illuminated by boundless Buddha light, which shone on the three thousand sacred mountains. The Buddha light in the entire Saha world was so dense that it almost liquefied, and countless scattered practitioners thus developed a desire to take refuge in it.

This Buddha's light is not aggressive in any way, but if one cannot withstand it, one will develop a desire to take refuge in it.

This formation is called "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor." At this moment, all the minor cultivators have already developed a sense of conversion, subtly changing their original intentions.

"As expected of the former chief disciple of the Jie Sect, the power of this Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor Formation is immense. The boundless Buddha light shines like the blazing sun over the three thousand sacred mountains. Those rogue cultivators with low cultivation levels are now like duckweed in a stormy sea, swept up in this overwhelming Buddha power."

Upon hearing Yin Ziyu's words, Luo Shen asked, "What should we do? Should we save them?"

Yin Ziyu shook his head and said, "They can't be saved, and there's no way to save them. In the primordial world, those with shallow cultivation who cannot gain power will inevitably be swept up. Just like the three races' war during the Dragon-Han Calamity, which swept up the scaled, beast, and bird races, and just like the Wu-Yao Calamity, where the demon race swept up all the races of the primordial world. This is the essence of the primordial calamities. How could they not be swept up? Only these great gods can act independently. At this time, the Buddhist sect has obviously lost power at the Ullambana Festival, which has allowed the Jie Sect to gain power. Only in this way can they establish their own prestige in one fell swoop!"

Bixiao looked at the other deities and exclaimed, "The Chan Sect and the Human Sect are clearly condoning this now!"

Yin Ziyu said calmly, "It doesn't matter. Right now, Buddhism is mainly targeting us and trying to get other rogue cultivators to convert and gain momentum. That's fine too. Let them decay for now!"

Yunxiao hurriedly asked, "Decay? Ziyu, do you have any other plans? I'm afraid we won't be able to stop it either!"

The current situation in this world is causing great anxiety among the members of the Jie Sect, who are at a loss for what to do!

Yin Zi then laughed and said, "I have brought the Human Race Sacred Flame. The fortune that was suppressed during the Wen Yun period will end this crisis. However, now we must let it decay and let many things come to light. This plan will not only allow Buddhism to smoothly move towards militarism, but also allow us to take advantage of the situation to achieve the highest moral standard!"

Golden Spirit Mother was taken aback at first, and immediately asked, "Ah, militarism? What is militarism?" Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, and curiously asked Yin Ziyu!

Yin Ziyu pondered for a moment and said, "So-called militarism is similar to the farming and warfare approach of the Chan Sect today, and also similar to Rahu's demonic crossing of the four directions during the Longhan Calamity. This time, Buddhism has been forced to take this path. Since that is the case, we can only show weakness and let it decay!"

While Jinling Shengmu and the others used their great magical power to support the Jade Purity Immortal Light, they asked, "Ziyu's words have caused Buddhism to lose its moral compass!"

Yin Ziyu stood with his hands behind his back atop the sacred mountain, gazing at the surging Buddhist light and calmly said, "Now that the Tathagata has used the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage Formation to suppress us with his power, we are like a tiger that is hard to dismount. The Buddhist sect has thousands of followers, and since we have failed to gain momentum this time, we can only take the path of losing our fellow practitioners and resorting to forceful suppression. Although such suppression can subdue us for a while, it is like carrying a thousand pounds on your back while walking on a single-plank bridge. If we advance, we will deplete our luck; if we retreat, we will lose all our prestige."

After hearing this, the Holy Mother Jinling said, "What Ziyu said is quite right. For now, we should temporarily conceal our strength. Since the Buddhist sect cannot spread its prestige eastward, we can only establish our authority through 'conquest'."

Yin Ziyu scoffed, "Do you think Buddhism doesn't want to uphold morality? If we were weak, Buddhism would surely portray itself as liberators. Now that we've seized power, we'll force them to act this way for their survival. Once they've lost all sense of morality, it will be our opportunity to act on behalf of Heaven. When the people have suffered under Buddhism for too long, they'll surely hope we can relieve their dire straits. At that time, by following the will of the people and gathering prestige from all over the world, we can achieve the power to attain enlightenment!"

Everyone was astonished by the depth of Yin Ziyu's strategy, which had created this situation through a series of maneuvers.

Yunxiao then asked, "If that's the case, how should we deal with today's situation?"

Yin Ziyu smiled faintly: "When the time comes, we can break free from this world and leave. At that time, our plan will be considered a success, and our power will be secured. However, for now, we should expose both the Manchu and Chan sects."

"."

At this moment, throughout the Three Thousand Divine Mountains, various forces and independent cultivators began to fall into many traps under the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage Formation.

Meanwhile, the Jie Sect gradually formed a balance of power, but fortunately, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage Formation covered the entire Saha World, with each side fighting its own battles, while the Shangqing Immortal Light instantly protected a patch of blue sky.

However, under the boundless light of Buddha and the homage of ten thousand Buddhas, one side became the weaker side.

The Holy Mother Jinling stood atop the sacred mountain of the Jie Sect, her Taoist robe billowing like a sail amidst the clashing of Buddhist and immortal light.

At this moment, the Holy Mother Jinling formed hand seals and, along with other disciples of the Jie Sect, did her best to support the crumbling Shangqing Immortal Light. Her expression was solemn yet dignified.

At this moment, after discussing with Yin Ziyu, the Holy Mother Jinling immediately did her best to support the Shangqing Immortal Light and resist the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor Formation.

At this moment, the Golden Spirit Mother's phoenix eyes were wide open, her feet were on the nine palaces and eight trigrams, and her hands were making hand seals like butterflies flitting among flowers. The Dragon Tiger Jade Ruyi floated above her head, breathing out thousands of rays of light, barely maintaining the crumbling Shangqing Immortal Light Barrier.

At this moment, the Buddha's Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage Formation became increasingly turbulent, and boundless Buddha light began to surge forth like a flood.

Each time a ray of Buddhist light struck the Shangqing Immortal Light, it caused the Golden Spirit Mother's figure to sway slightly, and her face to grow paler, as if her magical power was insufficient.

"Disciples of the Jie Sect, listen to my command! Hold the line!"

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit roared through gritted teeth, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

At this moment, Tathagata, Guangchengzi, Xuandu, and even the various independent cultivators all witnessed the Golden Spirit Mother's desperate efforts to support the cause.

The Buddha immediately said, "All Buddhas, heed my command! Empower the 'Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor' formation and swiftly destroy the Shangqing Immortal Light of the Jie Sect!"

As long as the Shangqing Immortal Light is destroyed and the disciples of the Jie Sect are bathed in Buddhist light, this debate will be considered a victory. As long as the Jie Sect shows signs of weakness, all the previous disadvantages will be resolved.

Although this was a risky undertaking, Buddhism had no other choice.

This Ullambana Festival, after ten thousand years of preparation, has turned out like this. This is Buddhism, which has just been established, and cannot afford such a great failure.

As the Golden Spirit Mother's shout fell, the Jie Sect's sacred mountain trembled, and thousands of dark beams of light shot into the sky, seemingly exhausting their potential to resist this boundless Buddhist light.

If the Buddha's light were to overwhelm the Shangqing Xuanguang, it would be a great disgrace for the Jie Sect, and all previous victories would be insignificant.

After a brief increase, the celestial light of Shangqing was suppressed by the boundless Buddhist light, which surged like a tsunami, causing ripples to spread across the dark light screen, as if it were about to shatter at any moment.

The Golden Spirit Mother looked towards Guang Chengzi, her voice booming like a bell, piercing through the countless Buddhist chants: "Guang Chengzi! The Buddhist sect, with its myriad Buddhas paying homage and its light surging like a tide, seeks to suppress the East with the might of ten thousand Buddhas. Countless rogue cultivators are now being swept away and converted. This act is an enemy of the Xuanmen! The conflict during the Investiture of the Gods was merely a dispute over the doctrines of the three religions. Now, the Western sects are powerful, attempting to use the name of compassion to annex us. Fellow Daoist, look at where this Buddhist light passes; rogue cultivators are forced to convert, and the fortunes of the land are flowing back to the West. Is this not destroying the foundation of my Xuanmen?"

The words of the Golden Spirit Mother resounded throughout the entire Saha World, and all the scattered cultivators looked towards Guang Chengzi to see his choice.

After hearing this, Guang Chengzi said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, why make such a show of force? This is merely a discussion of the Dao. Do you intend to incite a great war between the East and the West?"

Guang Chengzi spoke casually, but Jinling Shengmu immediately rebuked him: "The Chan Sect's Yuxu Palace claims to be acting on the mandate of Heaven. Now that the Xuanmen is in disgrace, it is time for you to put your doctrines into practice! If you sit idly by and watch the Buddhist sect succeed, what face will you have to stand before Zixiao Palace when the Xuanmen declines in the future?"

Guang Chengzi snorted coldly: "The rise and fall of the Xuanmen is not for you to decide!"

Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Mother suppressed her anger and immediately spat out a mouthful of blood from her heart, merging it with her celestial light. Instantly, the celestial light of the Upper Clarity shone brightly: "Today, this humble Daoist, on behalf of the Jie Sect, is willing to set aside past grievances. The three sects should unite sincerely. Guang Chengzi, if you still possess the spirit of a Xuanmen disciple, quickly join forces with the immortals of the Chan Sect to establish a three-sect joint defense formation! Do not wait until the Xuanmen is destroyed before you regret your actions!"

Upon seeing Jinling Shengmu's behavior, Guang Chengzi immediately snorted coldly: "Fellow Daoist, you recently settled your karmic debt with the Buddha, so naturally you are now an enemy of Buddhism. Yet you want to drag me into this mess. What kind of logic is this? Humph!"

Upon hearing this, the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit immediately questioned the Grand Master Xuandu.

"Xuan Du! The Buddhist light is like a raging inferno, already burning down to the very foundation of Xuanmen, yet you stand idly by? During the Investiture of the Gods, though the three religions had their differences, they all belonged to the same lineage of Xuanmen! Now, the Western Sect seeks to flatten the East with the 'Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage,' is this not our common enemy?"

Before the Golden Spirit Mother finished speaking, the Shangqing Immortal Light Barrier was distorted and deformed by the Buddha's light.

Upon hearing this, Grand Master Xuandu said, "Fellow Daoist Jinling, your Jie Sect has regained the Four Swords of Zhuxian and is now competing with the Buddhist sect at the Ullambana Festival. This is the result of the two sects' debate on the Dao."

Xuan Du's gaze swept over the crumbling barrier of immortal light, his tone calm and unperturbed: "The Human Sect is founded on non-action and has never been involved in strife. If you insist on portraying your personal grudges as enemies of the Xuanmen, aren't you forcibly dragging the Human Sect into this mess?"

When Guang Chengzi and Xuan Du saw how eager the Golden Spirit Mother was, a hint of smugness appeared on their lips.

(End of this chapter)