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

After Yin Ziyu finished explaining the various problems that might arise from faith cultivation, it naturally sparked a lot of discussion in the Three Realms.

After Yin Ziyu explained the many problems that might arise from faith and spiritual practice at Wuzhuang Temple, a heated discussion immediately broke out among people from all walks of life in the Three Realms.

In the Kunlun Wonderland, the Queen Mother of the West sat quietly in her majestic palace, her expression solemn as she fell into deep thought: "Perhaps the path of faith will indeed evolve as Yin Ziyu said in the future."

His eldest disciple, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, stood to the side, her face filled with worry, and asked softly, "Master, has the situation in the Three Realms truly become so dire that change is absolutely necessary?"

The Queen Mother of the West sighed softly, gazing into the distance: "Although I possess the spiritual veins of the immortal mountain and still have innate spiritual energy for cultivation, how long can this innate spiritual energy last? In the end, it is nothing more than waiting for death. We have long resided in the spiritual veins of the immortal mountain and have never intervened in the changes of the Three Realms, but now the spiritual energy of the Three Realms has begun to merge with the malevolent energy and resentment of all living beings, making it truly difficult to support traditional cultivation methods. Indeed, it is time for change."

As a great god who emerged from the primordial era, he naturally had a clear understanding of the immense changes in the Three Realms.

Those with strong innate spiritual energy can easily reach the level of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal, while those with acquired spiritual energy have a much lower limit, with the Golden Immortal being the absolute limit.

It can be said that without the innate spiritual energy of such blessed mountains and territories, it would be virtually impossible to cultivate to a higher level.

However, since the human race was deified, mortals have become the mainstream, and the enormous resentment and evil energy born from these mortals are also polluting the spiritual energy.

Only in places far from people can one find pure spiritual energy suitable for cultivation, but even so, the upper limit is not very high.

The goddess of the Nine Heavens Mystic Goddess looked somber and murmured to herself, "We can live in peace within this spiritual vein, but what about the common people of the world? Perhaps this faith and cultivation is truly a temporary solution."

The Queen Mother of the West nodded slightly and said solemnly, "The debate between Ziyu and Guanyin has touched upon the greatest problem facing the Three Realms today. I hope that Ziyu can offer a brilliant solution and find a good way to resolve this issue. Otherwise, I cannot ask sentient beings for the sake of faith."

Meanwhile, deep within the Demon Master's Mansion in the Northern Underworld, Demon Master Kunpeng, his face grim, coldly snorted and said, "This path of faith is utterly absurd! To expect me to be like those nameless minor gods, begging mortals for faith, is simply outrageous!"

In the Asura Realm, the Styx Ancestor sighed slightly: "Although I possess the Asura Realm and am not lacking in faith, how can this be a long-term solution? However, this person's trip to Wuzhuang Temple is an attempt to fundamentally negate Journey to the West and go against the tide of history!"

Kunpeng is naturally arrogant and would never lower himself, while the Styx is the ruler of a realm. The Asura realm is naturally the most devout in worshipping the Styx, which is a pure faith.

Each of the three realms has its own sacred mountains and spiritual veins, making it difficult for this crisis to spread to them. However, they are not without their worries. Some, like the Styx River, are born with pure faith and are able to remain safe and sound.

Pure faith is offering from the heart without seeking anything in return; this is the kind of pure faith that is not afraid of being corrupted. But such faith is too rare.

The great gods of the Three Realms each had different opinions on the debate at Wuzhuang Temple, based on their own advantages and disadvantages, but they were all watching how the great eon debate at Wuzhuang Temple would end.

However, everyone understood that Yin Ziyu was trying to fundamentally deny Journey to the West and the prevailing trend.

Inside the solemn and majestic Mahavira Hall on Mount Ling, the Buddha Tathagata, with a deep and solemn expression, was intently watching the scene of the debate at Wuzhuang Temple.

Then, turning to the Ancient Buddha Dipankara beside him, he asked solemnly, "Ancient Buddha, have you noticed anything amiss with this person's scheme at Wuzhuang Temple this time?"

Dipankara Buddha had fought against Yin Ziyu many times and was quite familiar with his methods and thoughts.

The Buddha also saw many things, but he needed to verify them with Dipankara.

At that moment, Randeng clasped his hands together and slowly said, “Amitabha, Buddha. This humble monk has indeed seen a few things. Since the Great Tribulation of the Lich King, the innate spiritual energy has begun to decline, and the acquired spiritual energy has also been polluted, making it difficult to support normal cultivation. This trend has already begun to emerge. The sages followed this trend of Heaven, which is why they held the Investiture of the Gods. The birth of the Shang Dynasty was merely a matter of time, becoming a passerby in triggering the trend of the Investiture of the Gods. As the inheritors of ancient cultivation, the descent of the Xuan Bird from Heaven to give birth to the Shang Dynasty was a pawn of Heaven that led the Jie Sect into the game. The end of the Investiture of the Gods should also lead to their demise. That Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods was actually paving the way for the future promotion of faith and cultivation in the Journey to the West. However, the trend of Heaven is not inevitable. There is always a glimmer of hope under the Great Dao. This person’s discussion at Wuzhuang Temple is to argue for the correctness of the existence of the Shang Dynasty and the Jie Sect by denying the trend of faith and cultivation. His intention is to show that they are the glimmer of hope for saving the Three Realms.”

After listening, the Buddha nodded slightly and exclaimed, "The ancient Buddha's profound words are truly admirable."

Ran Deng's words hit the nail on the head, revealing the essence of the Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West, and also clarifying the legitimacy of Yin Ziyu's desire to seize the existence of the Yin Shang dynasty.

The logic is that the Investiture of the Gods was to pave the way for Journey to the West, the destruction of the Shang Dynasty was an inevitable trend, and Yin Ziyu's belief that the Shang Dynasty had not perished would negate the trend of Journey to the West, thus legitimizing the existence of the Shang Dynasty.

If the journey to the West succeeds, all beings in the Three Realms will cultivate the path of faith, and the Shang Dynasty will be abandoned and forgotten by all beings.

At the same time, the Yin-Shang dynasty and the Jie-jiao sect thus became the conservative faction that defended ancient cultivation practices, while the reformist faction supported faith and cultivation.

In other words, at this point, the Journey to the West had become a struggle between conservatives and reformers.

The current debate is that conservatives are doomed, while Yin Ziyu argues that your reforms are also a dead end.

Dipankara Buddha also clasped his hands together and humbly said, "Amitabha, Buddha, you flatter me. Now that they have become the great enemy of the Journey to the West, they will naturally want to prove the error of faith and cultivation at Wuzhuang Temple, and thus deny the correctness of the Investiture of the Gods. If the Journey to the West succeeds, then Buddha will be the one who has saved the destiny of countless eons for the survival of the Three Realms and attained enlightenment. Conversely, if the other side successfully denies faith and cultivation, they will be competing with Buddha for this destiny of enlightenment!"

Upon hearing what Dipankara Buddha said, the Buddha's expression grew even more solemn, deeply aware of the gravity of the situation.

The Buddha uttered the words "Amitabha!"

Then, looking at Dipankara Buddha, he solemnly said, "Buddha, this journey to the West is an unprecedented opportunity for our Western Sect, concerning its future rise and fall, honor and disgrace. It must not be missed. Guanyin Bodhisattva is now finding it increasingly difficult to continue her debate with Bigan. I urge you, Buddha, to immediately go to Wuzhuang Temple and continue your debate with Bigan. With your profound understanding, you are certainly no less than him!"

The Buddha firmly believed that, based on Dipankara Buddha's experience in fighting Yin Ziyu many times, he would be able to handle the debate with ease and confidence.

Dipankara Buddha, with his hands clasped in prayer and a solemn expression, replied, "Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk obeys. For the sake of my great journey to the West, and for the well-being of all sentient beings in the Three Realms, this humble monk will depart now!"

The Dipankara Buddha radiated light, illuminating the entire Lingshan Mountain.

Soon, several Buddhas with profound cultivation appeared, each surrounded by auspicious light and possessing a solemn and dignified appearance.

The group transformed into several dazzling beams of Buddhist light, tearing through the void as they headed straight for Wuzhuang Temple.

At this moment, facing Yin Ziyu's five rebuttals, Guanyin Bodhisattva immediately retorted solemnly: "The situation in the Three Realms has become so dire that change is imperative! What you just said were merely possibilities that have not yet occurred. If problems truly arise in the future path of faith and cultivation, Buddhism will naturally make corrections accordingly. How can you assert, as you do, that it will inevitably develop into such a terrible situation? Furthermore, the cultivation methods passed down from ancient times are no longer sustainable due to the changes in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Now that this new path of faith and cultivation exists, it should naturally be vigorously promoted. Even if hidden dangers may arise in the future, adjustments and corrections can be made at any time. How can we abandon the practice altogether out of fear of unknown risks?"

It must be said that Guanyin Bodhisattva's debating skills are indeed formidable. Zhen Yuanzi was slightly taken aback after hearing this, and then nodded in agreement.

Indeed, Yin Ziyu's deductions were quite accurate; these were all potential hidden dangers related to faith and cultivation, but they had not yet materialized.

It hasn't happened yet, and there are several saints backing Buddhism, so it's not impossible to correct it once it does happen.

Upon hearing this, Yin Ziyu clapped his hands lightly and nodded slightly, saying, "What Guanyin Bodhisattva said does make some sense. However, the limitations of this method are also very obvious. Through faith cultivation, the highest one can reach is the Golden Immortal realm, which is already the peak. Under such circumstances, the decline of the Three Realms is probably irreversible. If this continues, how far are we from that terrifying immeasurable calamity? In my opinion, this method of faith cultivation is nothing more than a paperhanger, merely maintaining a superficial stability."

Inside the Wuzhuang Temple, the atmosphere that had been filled with discussions about faith, practice, and the Tao suddenly became more solemn as several brilliant rays of Buddhist light appeared in the sky.

In the western sky, the ancient Buddha Dipankara radiated boundless light, like a blazing sun, its radiance exuding endless peace. He descended before the Wuzhuang Temple, accompanied by several other Buddhas of similar solemn appearance and radiant light.

As the master of Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi greeted him with the courtesy due to a host.

Zhen Yuanzi smiled wryly, never expecting that the conflict between the two factions would actually begin from his own Wuzhuang Temple. Zhen Yuanzi's expression was calm, yet there was a hint of caution in his eyes, as he led the group of Dipankara Buddha and his party into the main hall of Wuzhuang Temple.

Sun Wukong was naturally curious, and when he saw this group of imposing Buddhas arrive, he was so surprised that his fiery eyes widened, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang immediately bowed and knelt down with a devout expression, chanting incantations, showing his utmost respect for the Buddhas.

Sun Wukong scratched his head and couldn't help but ask loudly, "Who are all these Buddhas?"

Fearing that Sun Wukong's words might offend the Buddhas, Guanyin Bodhisattva quickly and gently reprimanded him, "Wukong, you must not be rude! This is the ancient Buddha Dipankara of Mount Ling."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's curiosity intensified, and he asked in surprise, "Dipankara Buddha? Is he even more powerful than the current Tathagata Buddha?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva frowned slightly and hurriedly explained, "Since he is a Buddha of the past, he is the Buddha who once ruled Mount Ling."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's mouth gaped open, his face filled with astonishment.

Sun Wukong hurriedly stepped forward, bowed deeply to Dipankara Buddha, and loudly proclaimed, "I, Old Sun, pay my respects to Dipankara Buddha!"

In Wukong's eyes, since this was the Buddha who once lived on Mount Ling, he must be more powerful than the Buddha Tathagata.

The Buddha Dipankara, with a benevolent expression, nodded slightly and said in a calm voice, "Wukong, there's no need for such formalities."

Yin Ziyu looked at Dipankara Buddha and said, "Dipankara Buddha, we meet again!"

Ran Deng looked at his opponent, with whom he had been vying for supremacy since the Investiture of the Gods, who had orchestrated countless schemes that had forced him, as the strategist of Xiqi, into a precarious situation.

Of course, Ran Deng was full of admiration, and immediately put his hands together in prayer: "The great priest's name is renowned throughout the three realms, and even I, a humble monk, am filled with awe upon seeing him!"

Seeing the great courtesy that Dipankara Buddha showed to Yin Ziyu, Sun Wukong's curiosity grew wildly like weeds.

Zhen Yuanzi, who is as powerful as the Buddha, is respectful to Yin Ziyu. Even the Bodhisattva is respectful to this person. Now, the Buddha of the past is the same.

What is this person's identity?
Suddenly, a flood of doubts filled Sun Wukong's mind.

Sun Wukong could no longer contain himself and hurriedly approached Guanyin Bodhisattva, lowering his voice and asking with a curious expression, "Bodhisattva, who exactly is this high priest? Why are you all so cautious about him? Could it be that this person is extremely powerful, even more so than Buddha and you, Bodhisattva?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva paused slightly, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "This person's cultivation is actually no higher than that of this humble monk, nor even as high as that of the Buddha. However, his strength lies in his wisdom, which can be called the best in the Three Realms."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was taken aback at first, then exclaimed in realization, "The most intelligent person in the Three Realms? So he's a master of scheming!"

Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva couldn't help but smile wryly and said helplessly, "What Wukong said is also true."

Sun Wukong scratched his head, looking puzzled, and asked, "Bodhisattva, what were you and this person talking about? I listened intently, but I didn't understand a single word!"

"Wukong, don't cause trouble. Why don't you go and get some rest?"

Sun Wukong refused to leave, insisting on watching from there. Guanyin knew the monkey's nature; the more she tried to shoo him away, the less he would leave. Eventually, the monkey would leave when he could no longer understand. After Dipankara Buddha took his seat, Zhen Yuanzi immediately ordered someone to bring ginseng fruit and present it to him.

The discussion at Wuzhuang Temple cost Zhen Yuanzi a lot of money, and the ginseng fruit had just ripened when these people had almost eaten it all.

However, Zhen Yuanzi didn't care about that. At this level, these fruits were already useless.

A top-grade innate spiritual root is equivalent to a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. Its greatest use is to comprehend the laws of nature, and it can also be used for self-defense, while the fruit is merely an accessory.

The arrival of Ran Deng at this moment instantly brought the beginning of this Journey to the West to a crucial point, and it can be said that the Five Villages Discussion on Taoism became the start of the Journey to the West.

Seeing so many Buddhists arrive, and with the Three Realms witnessing it all, Yin Ziyu had some things he wanted to finalize here.

Upon seeing the arrival of Randeng and the others, Mi Fei asked anxiously, "Ziyu, so many people from the Buddhist sect have come; they must have come prepared! We must be cautious!"

After hearing this, Yin Ziyu said calmly, "It's alright, it's good that you've come. We are now in a period of change in the Three Realms. Who is the savior of the world, who is the destroyer of the world, and who destroys the world in the name of saving the world, will be proven today!"

Yin Ziyu has now completely linked the cause and effect of the Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West together.

Today is the time to prove the correctness of each of us adhering to our own path.

At this moment, the Ancient Buddha of the Burning Lamp stared intently at Yin Ziyu with piercing eyes and slowly spoke: "Could it be that you, fellow Daoist, intend to defy the heavens?"

Yin Ziyu remained calm and composed, looking back at the Dipankara Buddha with indifference, and asked in return, "What is defying Heaven? What is obeying Heaven?"

Dipankara Buddha's expression was solemn as he explained, "The Journey to the West replaces the ancient methods of cultivation with faith and practice. With your level of cultivation, you should know that this is the general trend of Heaven. Only by following this trend can one be said to be in accordance with Heaven!"

Burning Lamp's words were resounding, not only addressed to Yin Ziyu but also to the Three Realms. He attempted to persuade Yin Ziyu to accept the legitimacy of faith and cultivation by explaining the general trend of Heaven, while treating all opponents as those who defied Heaven.

After hearing this, Yin Ziyu smiled calmly and asked in return, "Could it be that the destruction of the ancient West was also an inevitable trend? If so, then the ancient West was truly abandoned by the Heavenly Dao, which is why the Western spiritual veins were severed?"

Ran Deng snorted coldly: "The ancient times were a demonic sect, while now Buddhism is in charge of the West. How can they be confused!"

Yin Ziyu said with a half-smile, "Buddha and demon are one family, nothing more than two sides of yin and yang."

Upon hearing this, Ran Deng immediately rebuked, "Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps trying to condemn Buddhism as demonic?"

Yin Ziyu shook his head: "Look, fellow Daoist is anxious again. Could it be that with your cultivation level, you can't see through it? In terms of the Heavenly Dao, demons are neither evil nor Buddhas are neither good. Such questioning only drags you down to the level of ordinary mortals."

Upon hearing this, Randeng was speechless. No matter how evil the Buddha described the demons, this was all propaganda for mortals and even minor immortals. At the level of great immortals, the evaluation was completely different. The concepts of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path, justice and kindness, were all considered righteousness by the lowest ants.

Just then, the ancient Buddha Kuru Sun, who was behind the ancient Buddha Dipankara, stepped forward and said, "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to use words. It is precisely because the Western faith is the only way to save the world that we embarked on the journey to the West."

Kuru Sangharama attempted to steer the conversation back to the idea that faith and spiritual practice are the true path to salvation.

Yin Ziyu's gaze was like lightning as he looked at the ancient Buddha Julusun and slowly said, "If there is no destruction of the world, there is no need to save it. If Mount Buzhou does not fall, there is also no need to save it. In this sense, the collapse of Mount Buzhou has actually benefited the West!"

Upon hearing this, Juliusun Gufo's expression changed drastically. He snorted angrily, "Hmph, everyone knows that the Wu Clan knocked down Buzhou Mountain. Fellow Daoist, you are truly making trouble out of nothing."

The Great Tribulation is not an isolated event, but rather a massive causal connection encompassing the Dragon-Han, Witch-Demon, Investiture of the Gods, and Journey to the West.

Just like the story of Sun Wukong, it was precisely because Buddhism chose to destroy Wukong's original nature that they had to break his leg and send him a crutch as a gesture of goodwill. This inevitably led to ignorance, and because of this ignorance, the Taoist temple was demolished, becoming a huge burden. In the future, they would have to use bigger lies to cover up the previous lies step by step.

The primordial eons of change are just like this. Now that the eons have arrived, let's uncover the hidden causes and effects on this journey to the West.

If we truly want to rectify the origins and return this chaotic world to the peaceful years of antiquity, we must first clarify the hidden and enormous cause and effect, and ultimately resolve this enormous cause and effect.

The cause of the end of the primordial world is that spiritual energy is the skin and karma is the bone. If the root is not touched, even if one obtains a huge amount of innate spiritual energy, it will be useless.

The act of provoking the buried, enormous causal thread is also Yin Ziyu's path to enlightenment, because from the Dragon Han Dynasty to the Journey to the West, Yin Ziyu has already stood on the enormous causal thread caused by the great calamity of the Three Realms.

This is the path to enlightenment, a path of no return, a path to tear open the secrets of the primordial world; the only way forward is to keep moving forward.

To achieve great success, one must bear great karmic consequences. Yin Ziyu has refined his heart through countless tribulations and has reached this point. There are no saints left in the Three Realms, and it is time to break some ancient karma.

Yin Ziyu is going to walk the Hunyuan Path, which requires extremely demanding conditions in terms of timing, location, people, courage, boldness, and cause and effect.

Although Yin Ziyu is currently discussing Buzhou Mountain in a confrontational manner, there is a significant cause and effect behind it.

Today, the Shang Dynasty inherited the legal system of the ancient human race. After the war between the witches and demons and the collapse of Mount Buzhou, the era of the sage order began. However, the sage order could not tolerate the Shang Dynasty, and at the same time, it was covering up the ancient human race. There are too many causal entanglements involved in this.

Yin Ziyu remained calm and said indifferently, "Just because everyone knows it doesn't mean it's true. What a joke! A group of Primordial Golden Immortals collided with Mount Buzhou during their battle!"

These words sound like a joke, but they're not funny at all. A fight between a group of Primordial Golden Immortals shattered the spine of a Great Dao Saint. This in itself is miraculous, but since the Primordial Era, after the Age of Saintly Order began, no one has talked about this matter.

Yin Ziyu immediately exposed the truth about the matter.

At this moment, Bodhisattva Lingji stepped forward and said with sharp eyes, "Fellow Daoist, there's no need for such rambling. If that's the case, then the shattering of the Primordial World has nothing to do with you? The Dao Ancestor said that the shattering of the Primordial World was the inevitable trend of Heaven, so the destruction of Mount Buzhou is no exception!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Ziyu remained expressionless and calmly replied, "What you say, fellow Daoist, is an inevitable trend, and therefore destined to succeed? Is that correct?"

Upon hearing this, Bodhisattva Lingji replied without hesitation, "That's for sure!"

Yin Ziyu's lips curled into a meaningful smile as he slowly said, "If that's the case, why is there such a great trend of the West being destroyed? Why is there such a great trend of Mount Buzhou collapsing? Why is there such a great trend of the primordial world being shattered? Why has the world gradually come to this state? If this is the trend of the Heavenly Dao, do you perhaps believe that all of this is the deliberate doing of the Heavenly Dao?"

This barrage of questions came like a machine gun, leaving Lingji Bodhisattva speechless and embarrassed.

Seeing this, the Bodhisattva of Sunlight quickly stepped forward and said, "Fellow Daoist, please do not speak of irrelevant matters. The Three Realms are now filled with acquired spiritual energy, which is mixed and impure. Only the path of faith can nourish heaven and earth. Even if it is insufficient, it is better than letting the spiritual energy wither and the immortals decay."

After hearing this, Yin Ziyu looked at the Bodhisattva of Sunlight and asked, "Fellow Daoist, this faith has not even begun, yet you have already asserted that only this path can nourish heaven and earth. Isn't that a joke?"

The Bodhisattva of Sunlight's expression hardened, and he retorted, "Since you also know that it hasn't started yet, how can you say that these things will definitely happen?"

The words of the Bodhisattva Sunlight instantly put Yin Ziyu in a difficult position, attempting to shut him up by arguing that it was impossible to say for sure what had not yet happened.

However, Yin Ziyu remained calm and composed, saying, "Since you and I are both arguing about something that has not happened, how can you be so sure that the path of faith is necessarily the only good way to save the Three Realms?"

Yin Ziyu's gaze swept over the assembled Buddhas, his aura suddenly surging: "I can assure you, faith and cultivation will surely bring about what I have said, without a single word changing. Do you Buddhas dare to keep your promise here, that the Three Realms will not decline as a result?"

If the Primordial Dragon Han Tribulation and the subsequent series of tribulations from Journey to the West are all in a state of decline and decay, then there must be something wrong with this trend. If this is the original intention of the trend, then all attempts to save the world are going against the trend!

Therefore, under this logic, putting aside the foresight of the time travelers, just considering the general trend, the path of faith is bound to decline and become a poison.

After Yin Ziyu finished his debate, the various factions in the Three Realms couldn't help but discuss it. The determination and conviction contained in Yin Ziyu's words were like rolling thunder, instantly exploding in the hall and shocking all the Buddhas into awe.

Looking at the imposing Yin Ziyu before them, a wave of shock washed over them.

Yin Ziyu continued, "If you are all willing, let's make another bet. I bet that these problems will inevitably occur, causing the Three Realms to fall into chaos. Are you all willing to bet that these problems won't occur, and that the Three Realms will prosper as a result?"

Yin Ziyu knew that making the Three Realms prosperous was a paradox in itself, like a reform that would affect the distribution of interests of many people, and it was absolutely impossible to do.

The complexity of this Journey to the West is actually similar to an alternative method of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields, or drinking poison to quench thirst. How could it possibly achieve what they claim?

Yin Ziyu then mentioned gambling, which immediately stunned the Buddhist monks, who were at a loss for what to do. The Three Realms were also astonished, wondering if they should gamble so big.

Sun Wukong was dumbfounded. He really didn't understand the intricacies of the situation. He watched in shock as Yin Ziyu argued fiercely with so many Buddhas. The atmosphere between the two sides was so tense that it seemed like they were about to explode. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are you arguing like this? Can you tell me in detail and let me be the peacemaker!"

Yin Ziyu's expression softened slightly, and he said to Sun Wukong, "Great Sage, there is no need for mediation. There is no actual conflict; it is merely a dispute between our respective paths."

Sun Wukong nodded as if he understood, scratched his head and said, "Oh, I see. Since we are discussing the Dao, and we are all friends of the Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi, let's not argue until we're red in the face."

No one in the Buddhist community was certain whether what Yin Ziyu had said would happen, and no one dared to make a definitive statement.

For a moment, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

However, if this lull continues, it will undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to the overall popularity of Journey to the West.

At this moment, Randeng frowned deeply, because he understood that this was a common tactic used by his opponent. Either he could win the argument, or once his momentum waned, it would inevitably affect the overall situation.

Having been vying with Yin Ziyu for so long, Ran Deng naturally knew that Yin Ziyu had magnified a matter to the point of connecting it with the fate of a major sect and even the overall trend. Retreating would hinder the overall trend, and arguing with him would only lead to getting caught up in his trap.

Looking at the situation before him, Yin Ziyu found the Buddhist community speechless. After discussing the Dao to this point, Yin Ziyu was certain that the five problems would inevitably arise, but no one in the Buddhist community dared to be certain that they wouldn't.

Yin Ziyu looked at the Buddhist monks and asked, "Well, are you willing to take a gamble for me?"

The group led by Ran Deng were now cornered by Yin Ziyu, and all sides of the Three Realms were watching. If they lost momentum, it would mean that the righteousness of the Journey to the West was insufficient, which would be a sign of their guilty conscience.

Ran Deng immediately asked, "How do you want to bet? Just tell me!" (End of Chapter)