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

Chapter 186 Responding to Journey to the West: A Deliberate Scheme in the End of Dharma!
Yin Ziyu's voice echoed in the hall, clear and powerful like a bell, causing everyone who heard it to feel a chill.

The previously vague concepts gradually became clearer in my mind, and I understood the relationship between Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West.

"A calamity of the decline of Taoism and the rise of Buddhism?"

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, and they all stared at Yin Ziyu in astonishment.

Yin Ziyu nodded: "That's right. The Investiture of the Gods ended the previous cultivation mode, while Journey to the West opened a new cultivation mode. These two are the foundation of these two great calamities, so the two great calamities can be combined into one."

Yin Ziyu combined the Investiture of the Gods with Journey to the West, defining it as a calamity of the decline of Taoism and the rise of Buddhism.

This is Yin Ziyu's analysis based on the choices of several sages, the relationship between the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun, and the development of the general trend of the Heavenly Dao.

From the origins of the Investiture of the Gods to the outcome of Journey to the West, the ultimate result was the great decline of the Xuanmen (Taoist school), representing the decline of spiritual cultivation, and the immortals and gods of the Three Realms began to cultivate through faith.

The Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West cannot be viewed separately; rather, the Investiture of the Gods serves the purpose of Journey to the West.

At the time of the Investiture of the Gods, Yin Ziyu found a glimmer of hope, but he was not capable of changing the course of events.

Now, however, we have the fundamental means to truly change this trend.

The decline of the Dao signifies the end of the cultivation methods that have existed since the beginning of time, which led to the grand event of the Investiture of the Gods, paving the way for Journey to the West.

Yin Ziyu knew that if faith became the dominant force in this Journey to the West calamity, the inevitable result would be Ragnarok, countless eons later, which would be tantamount to the complete demise of this primordial world.

Yin Ziyu cannot use future events to negate the present calamity, but in any case, the two paths are already at odds.

If the grand scheme of Heaven is to succeed, it is imperative to eliminate Yin Ziyu and the people of the Jie Sect.

With a piercing gaze, the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit looked at Yin Ziyu and asked directly, "Ziyu, how exactly should we participate in this great calamity of the Journey to the West five hundred years from now?"

Yin Ziyu remained calm. Upon hearing the question, he pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "My strategy is called the End of Dharma. From now on, we must begin making arrangements. We will meticulously plan the numerous tribulations on the journey to the West. The journey to the West requires eighty-one tribulations to completely destroy its foundation!"

The Journey to the West and its eighty-one tribulations were already revealed in the heavenly secrets, and all the great gods were aware of them, so this is not a spoiler.

The Journey to the West is predetermined, as are the eighty-one tribulations; therefore, the method of operation lies in the eighty-one tribulations.

The greater the difficulty in physically blocking, the greater the merit. If Yin Ziyu were to block using physical methods, it would only benefit the other party and greatly increase the merit of the Journey to the West.

Therefore, to deal with these eighty-one tribulations, we need to consider other things and change the meaning of Journey to the West from its very core.

This is similar to Yin Ziyu's plan to confer the title of gods. Although Ji Fa's army still had a great momentum when it started, it lost a lot.

The empty title was gone; by then, he was a pure traitor.

Therefore, Yin Ziyu's scheme for the end of the Dharma is still more about abstract concepts than practical ones.

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, muttering repeatedly, "The end of Dharma?"

Yin Ziyu calmly explained, "If the Journey to the West succeeds, the path of faith will sweep across the Three Realms like a flood. In my estimation, it will inevitably lead to the erosion of the endless worldly energy, causing the world to fall into the state of Dharma decline. Since that's the case, the tribulations we arrange for the Journey to the West will mainly focus on creating the momentum of Dharma decline."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. Although they vaguely felt that the plan had profound meaning, they could not fully understand it for a while and felt completely confused.

In fact, this is the game of logging in in advance. When you are working hard to execute a project, what may happen to you after the project succeeds is yet to come.

To undermine the present with the future.

As for the plans for the end of Dharma, this is just Yin Ziyu's speculation about possible outcomes. It's normal for people to speculate about what the future will be like.

At this moment, Yang Chan and Bai Suzhen stood quietly to the side, listening.

The two had long heard of Yin Ziyu, who was famous throughout the Three Realms. However, witnessing him methodically arranging a grand plan concerning the direction of the Great Tribulation today, they truly felt his prowess and were deeply shocked.

Yin Ziyu turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Bai Suzhen.

Yin Ziyu knew that Bai Suzhen was arranged by Nuwa to take charge of the demon race and become the future demon emperor, who would rise to power during this great calamity.

It can be said that Bai Suzhen's fate was greatly influenced by Yin Ziyu. After the Investiture of the Gods, Nuwa made two more plans, which resulted in two minor tribulations.

One was Yang Chan's tribulation with the Lotus Lantern, and the other was Bai Suzhen's tribulation; both were ultimately destroyed by someone using the tribulation of love.

Bai Suzhen became a disciple of the Holy Mother Wudang, but before she even left the mountain, her fate with Xu Xian was thwarted by someone. Then, Guanyin protected her all the way and she became a Bodhisattva.

Now, with Yin Ziyu's influence, Bai Suzhen's fate has changed drastically.

"Bai Suzhen, the Goddess Nuwa has commanded you to unite the demon race and bestowed upon you the Demon-Summoning Banner. Take this treasure and go forth to contact the various forces within the demon race to prepare for the future Journey to the West!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Suzhen quickly and respectfully stood up, her voice clear and firm: "Bai Suzhen obeys!"

Yin Ziyu nodded slightly, a hint of expectation in his eyes, then turned his gaze to the crowd and continued, "This is a matter of great importance concerning our fate and even the future of the Three Realms. Everyone must do their utmost. Now, I will arrange the arrangements for the end of the Dharma."

After Sun Wukong was suppressed under the Five Fingers Mountain by the Buddha, incense smoke curled and chanting filled the air on Mount Ling.

The Buddha sat high on his lotus throne, his gaze both compassionate and majestic. He slowly swept over the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas below him and said, "Amitabha, this journey to the West is an opportunity for the great prosperity of our Buddhism. We must go through eighty-one tribulations to achieve perfect merit. This matter should be overseen by the Venerable Guanyin. Not only our Mahayana Buddhism, but also the Humanistic and Chan schools will fully cooperate."

Guanyin Bodhisattva clasped her hands together and said with utmost respect, "Your Majesty, how should these eighty-one tribulations be arranged? Please enlighten us, Your Majesty."

The Buddha closed his eyes slightly, as if in thought. After a moment, he slowly said, "The greater the difficulty of these eighty-one tribulations, the greater the merit gained after countless eons. Only by experiencing numerous hardships and dangers can we demonstrate the boundless power of our Buddha's Dharma and our determination to universally save all sentient beings."

Guanyin Bodhisattva looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Buddha, the matter of these eighty-one tribulations is already known throughout the Three Realms. Bi Gan and the Jie Sect have always been contrary to the principles of our Buddhism. I fear that they will interfere. In this case, I am afraid that I will not be able to make proper arrangements."

The Buddha nodded slightly, his expression calm, and said, “It’s alright. You should make the arrangements first, and we can decide whether to adopt them later. It’s not necessarily a bad thing if Bi Gan and the others participate. If they don’t participate, we will not be able to obtain perfect merit if the tribulations we arrange ourselves are not difficult enough; if the other side arranges them, then we will make corresponding adjustments according to their arrangements.”

At this moment, the Ancient Buddha Dipankara frowned slightly and said with a solemn expression, "If this Bigan really intends to set up a calamity, we must take it seriously. This person is exceptionally intelligent and unpredictable, so we must not be careless."

The Buddha nodded and sighed, "What the ancient Buddha said is quite true. This humble monk naturally knows about this matter. We have no idea how Bigan will plan anything, nor can we predict it. We can only make preparations in advance, observe the situation, and then deal with whatever he does. It would be best if he arranged calamities in advance to increase the difficulty of the Journey to the West. However, in this humble monk's opinion, Bigan would never do such a thing. In this matter concerning Wukong, Bigan even dared to plot against the statue of the Dao Ancestor. His audacity is astonishing. We can only wait for him to make his move before we can respond!"

After hearing this, Guanyin asked, "If that's the case, then seek out the Chan and Ren sects to make proper arrangements for the people traveling to the West!"

The Buddha nodded: "Good. In these five hundred years, make proper arrangements for the pilgrims and prepare for the eighty-one tribulations of the journey to the West. We will deal with them when the journey begins!"

"good"

After some discussion, everyone realized that they didn't know how Yin Ziyu would handle this trip to the West, so they could only wait for Yin Ziyu's arrangements and then deal with his moves accordingly.

As the saying goes, "A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow." Given the brilliance of Yin Ziyu's schemes, Tathagata was naturally extremely cautious and believed that if Yin Ziyu was indeed plotting something, it must be something extraordinary.

However, we cannot extrapolate this to the slightest extent now.

On Mount Ling, the Buddha's light shone brightly, and auspicious clouds filled the air. The Buddha sat serenely on the supreme lotus throne, his compassionate gaze looking down upon his thousands of disciples, and began to preach the Dharma.

Its sound is like a resounding bell, yet also like a gentle stream, containing endless profound Buddhist teachings, seemingly capable of washing away all the dust of the world.

The disciples listened attentively, but in the midst of this solemn atmosphere, the Buddha's keen gaze suddenly sharpened and fell upon Jin Chanzi.

At this moment, Jin Chanzi was lost in thought for some reason, his eyes wandering as he looked at a scorpion, his mind seemingly drifting elsewhere.

The Buddha frowned slightly, and the preaching of the Dharma came to an abrupt halt.

The entire Ling Mountain fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All the disciples noticed the unusual situation and turned their gazes toward Jin Chanzi.

A hint of disappointment and regret flashed in the eyes of the Buddha. He slowly said, "Jin Chanzi, as my prized disciple, you actually lost your mind during the sermon. With such a lack of sincerity, how can you comprehend the true essence of Buddhism?"

After speaking, the Buddha raised his hand and waved it, and a beam of Buddhist light shot out like a bolt of lightning, directly engulfing Jin Chanzi.

Jin Chanzi looked terrified, but before he could react, he was enveloped by the Buddha's light and headed towards the path of reincarnation.

The voice of the Buddha echoed on Mount Ling: "You shall enter the cycle of reincarnation and endure ten lifetimes of tribulations before you may return to Mount Ling. I hope that through this experience you may awaken to your true nature and attain enlightenment once more."

Meanwhile, Mount Prime Minister is shrouded in mist and filled with spiritual energy.

Grand Master Xuandu sat upright on the futon, his expression solemn.

Before long, Tianpeng, a disciple of Xuandu, rushed over and knelt respectfully before Grand Master Xuandu.

Grand Master Xuandu looked at Tianpeng and slowly said, "Tianpeng, I have a great task for you today. You must flirt with the fairy Chang'e and incur the wrath of the Jade Emperor, who will banish you to the mortal realm."

Upon hearing this, Tianpeng was astonished. He raised his head, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

Seeing this, Grand Master Xuandu sighed slightly and said, "This is in accordance with the will of Heaven, and it concerns a great opportunity. Do not ask any more questions, just do as I say. I will ensure that your cultivation reaches the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal within five hundred years!"

Although Tianpeng still had doubts, he always trusted his master's words without question, and nodded in agreement, "Disciple obeys."

Subsequently, Tianpeng did as he was told and flirted with Chang'e in the Heavenly Court.

This incident immediately caused a sensation in the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor was furious and immediately ordered Tianpeng to be banished to the mortal realm.

Meanwhile, in order to prepare for the Journey to the West, Xuandu began to improve Tianpeng's cultivation level over the next five hundred years. To prepare for the future Journey to the West, a Taiyi Golden Immortal was no longer sufficient; at least a Daluo level was required!

Within the Chan Sect, after discussing with his disciples, the sect leader, Yuanshi Tianzun, decided to arrange for General Juanlian to shatter the glass lamp.

This glass cup is a precious treasure of the Heavenly Court and has extraordinary significance.

At a grand celestial banquet, General Curtain-Roller deliberately slipped and shattered a glass goblet.

Upon seeing this, the Jade Emperor was furious, believing that the Curtain-Raising General's actions constituted a grave offense of disrespect.

At that moment, the Jade Emperor mercilessly ordered that General Curtain-Rolling be banished to the Flowing Sand River.

General Rolling Curtain had no choice but to obey the order, and with a heart full of resentment, he went to the Flowing Sand River to suffer.

In the heart of the Western Sea, amidst dazzling lights, a grand wedding is taking place.

Ao Lie, the third prince of the West Sea Dragon King, was dressed in a magnificent dragon robe, looking dashing and heroic. The bride beside him was also stunningly beautiful and graceful.

Dragons from all four seas and immortals from all directions came to offer their congratulations. In a short time, the West Sea Dragon Palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and was bustling with activity.

However, during his drunken wedding, Ao Lie's wife secretly met with the Nine-Headed Insect.

Upon seeing this scene, Ao Lie was instantly filled with rage, and an uncontrollable fire of anger ignited within him.

In his rage, Ao Lie lost his usual composure. He engaged in a fierce battle with the Nine-Headed Insect, and in the chaos, Ao Lie unintentionally shattered the luminous pearl bestowed upon him by the Jade Emperor.

The news quickly reached the Jade Emperor, who was furious.

The Jade Emperor immediately ordered Ao Lie to be imprisoned on the Dragon-Slaying Platform and executed on a chosen day.

Just when Ao Lie was in despair, Guanyin Bodhisattva descended in compassion.

“Ao Lie, although you have made a grave mistake, there is still a glimmer of hope. Now that the great journey to the West to obtain the scriptures is about to begin, you should go to Eagle Sorrow Gorge to wait for the pilgrims, transform into a white horse to escort them westward. If you can sincerely repent and make contributions, you can atone for your sins.”

Ao Lie immediately prostrated himself in gratitude: "Thank you for your compassion, Bodhisattva. I, Ao Lie, am willing to obey this command and will sincerely repent and escort the pilgrims on their journey to the West."

With the pilgrims now fully in place, they were ready to begin their journey to the West.

Although the Investiture of the Gods has undergone great changes, the characters in the Journey to the West are actually arranged internally by them and will not change much. The Buddhist sect will definitely have Jin Chanzi, the third generation of the Human Sect will have Tianpeng, and the Chan Sect will just need to arrange an NPC, and the Curtain-Raising General is also a possibility.

As for the white horse, since Mount Ling is in the west and the West Sea Dragon Clan is within its sphere of influence, its choice would inevitably be within the West Sea.

Yin Ziyu saw all these arrangements and began to devise his own plan for the end of the Dharma.

The so-called Dharma-ending Age is characterized by worldly desires, which are essentially a manifestation of the collective karma of mortals. Its polluting nature stems from the decline of faith and the rampant spread of desires.

If immortals and gods cannot transcend cause and effect, or if their Dao heart is not firm, they may have their divine status eroded and their path of cultivation distorted.

After several cycles of success in the Journey to the West, faith was tainted by materialism, greed, or blind obedience, evolving into utilitarian prayers. This mixed faith power, in essence, is an aggregation of the obsessions of all beings, leaving even the immortal with no choice but to shun the world.

Yin Ziyu's strategy in dealing with the Journey to the West involved arranging the calamity of the end times, destroying the foundation of faith, helping Hongjun control the Heavenly Dao, and consolidating his own power to complete his own path to primordial chaos.

Five hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. During these five hundred years, Yin Ziyu had made ample arrangements, and the Buddhist sect had also perfected its preparations. The Journey to the West had begun!

(End of this chapter)