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

Lu Ya muttered to himself, "This woman carries the aura of Bai Li and Teng She; she's their daughter."

Lu Ya, the Buddha of Great Sun, was originally traveling through the prehistoric world in search of an opportunity to break through to the level of a quasi-saint. However, he encountered a sage's scheme, and Randeng tricked Lu Ya into the trap, causing him to kill Zhao Gongming and cut off his own escape route.

After the Investiture of the Gods ended, Lu Ya could no longer see Nuwa. Therefore, after Randeng became Buddha, he took Lu Ya to the Western Paradise and became Buddha himself.

Later, when Mahayana Buddhism was established, he was bestowed the title of Vairocana Buddha, which can be considered as taking advantage of the perfect opportunity of the Western fortune to advance to the level of Quasi-Saint.

However, Guanyin's visit this time, merely informing Lu Ya about the demon banner, already made Lu Ya restless.

Since the death of his father and uncle, this Demon Emperor has been the only one who is the Demon Emperor. However, Nuwa has now entrusted this woman with the Demon-Summoning Banner, which means that in this great calamity, Nuwa intends to cultivate this person as the future Demon Emperor.

If this is the case, then the demon race will have severed its own foundation, and the demon race will never be able to return. Its foundation will be completely broken, and if the demon race is reorganized in the future because of this person, then the status of the father and uncle in the demon race will also change.

Because this person is close to the Yin Shang people, if he were to take control of the demon race, he might very well overthrow his father and uncle's positions in the demon race in order to ease tensions with the human race.

Lu Ya understood that the decision to exterminate the human race in ancient times was made by his father and uncle, which Nuwa and Fuxi did not agree with. Now, Nuwa and Fuxi have been advocating to ease the cause and effect between the demon and human races, but the obstacle is himself.

Of the four emperors of the demon race, Di Jun and Tai Yi were radicals, while Fu Xi and Nuwa were moderates. Now that Di Jun and Tai Yi are dead, I am the only three-legged golden crow, representing the crown prince of the demon race in the three realms.

In the future, he could become the Demon Emperor if he followed the trend. He was already a Quasi-Saint, and if he left Buddhism, he could become the Demon Emperor. However, if he did so, he would need to meet Nuwa, which was something Lu Ya dared not do.

Because he is the crown prince of the demon race and the future demon emperor, he is naturally the bearer of his father and uncle's legacy, and the one who controls the interpretation of the demon race.

As for Bai Suzhen, Lu Ya had spent countless eons in Nuwa's Heaven, so he naturally sensed the aura of Bai Li Tengshe, Nuwa's left and right protectors, and knew that she was their daughter.

So this battle at Wuzhuang Temple is clearly a battle for this woman to establish her authority and fame. If she becomes famous here and takes control of the Demon-Summoning Banner, then the demon race will have a future leader. Once she becomes the Demon Emperor, she will surely abandon her past grievances with the human race and push all the cause and effect onto her father. The cause and effect has come to an end. What should she do?

For a moment, Lu Ya was filled with conflicting emotions and completely at a loss. Did he want to back down and ignore everything?
Can I back down? Is there any way out?

Now, facing this predicament, he must first make this difficult choice. If he ignores it, all parties in the Three Realms will recognize Bai Suzhen, and Lu Ya will automatically lose his qualification as the Demon Emperor.

Once Bai Suzhen ascends the throne as the new Demon Empress, she will inevitably seek to revive the demon race, integrate the demon race, and offer new interpretations. Then, because of Yin Ziyu, she will inevitably have to be close to the Yin Shang dynasty and make significant concessions and reforms.

How could I just stand by and watch all of this happen?
Theoretically speaking, the demon race is an integrated entity of all races in the primordial world, and the massacre of the human race was ordered by the demon emperor. Almost all the demons who were massacred in the past perished in the war between the witch and the demon.

Therefore, the great karmic cause and effect between humans and demons originated from Di Jun and Tai Yi. Because of Di Jun and Tai Yi's death, this karmic cause and effect was borne by Lu Ya. Although Kun Peng was a demon master, he did not bear the karmic cause and effect.

Because Kunpeng was forced to serve as an official in the Heavenly Court by Dijun and Taiyi, and took the Hetu Luoshu in the final battle, causing the great formation to disintegrate, Kunpeng does not bear the karmic consequences.

Lu Ya, on the other hand, bears the consequences of this situation and must inherit the will of his father and uncle.

Now that Yin Ziyu has caused Bai Suzhen to eat the Demon Banner and appear in Wuji Kingdom, the first cause and effect is Lu Ya's choice.

If he remained indifferent, his reputation and foundation would be destroyed. He would have no choice but to share the fate of Buddhism in the future. Lu Ya knew that Buddhism might not have the intention of using his identity to subdue the demon race.

If I endure this, will Buddhism continue to provide me with immense fortune?

If one loses their own bargaining chips first, then the supply of enjoyment will also be greatly reduced, because the Buddhist community knows that it has no other way out.

Over the years, Lu Ya has been practicing asceticism in Buddhism, not participating in anything, and only acting as a deterrent, yet he enjoys the great fortune of Buddhism. Now that Guanyin has come to see him, it is possible that she has such intentions.

Because she realized that if she didn't go, she would inevitably lose the demon race and could no longer become the crown prince of the demon race, the demon race of the three realms gradually turned their hearts to Bai Suzhen.

If we were to fight for it, there would be a risk of death due to the immense karma involved, and we would also incur karma with Yunxiao. The other party might use this opportunity to settle their karmic debt.

This dilemma filled Lu Ya with immense regret. Why had he been so careless during the Investiture of the Gods? Now he had lost all avenues of retreat.

If he could kill Bai Suzhen and obtain the Demon-Summoning Banner, he would not only be the true Demon Emperor, but the Buddhist sect would also fully support him, bringing him immense fortune. He could even take the opportunity to kill the evil corpse.

The Great Sun Tathagata Buddha, along with the Demon Summoning Banner, a supreme treasure of the demon race, possesses both bloodline and status, as well as cultivation. How will the Buddhist sect treat him?

If they tolerate this, how will Buddhism treat itself once it loses its right to inherit the Demon Emperor title?

The temptation is immense, infinitely great, and of course, the cost of failure is also infinitely great, with no way out.

"Could this be a dead end, a trap specifically set for this poor monk?"

Lu Ya was shocked when this thought suddenly popped into his head.

"If that's the case, this humble monk has no way out. This karma must eventually be resolved. If this karma is not resolved, this humble monk will never have the opportunity to improve!"

Guanyin and Sun Wukong watched silently as Lu Ya's expression changed again and again.

Finally, Lu Ya took a deep breath and took out a purple and white gourd. Sun Wukong exclaimed in surprise, "Another gourd! How come it looks a bit like that snake demon's gourd?"

Guanyin was shocked when she saw Lu Ya take out the purple and white gourd. She never expected that Lu Ya would actually bring out this treasure!

Guanyin quickly asked, "Does Buddha intend to use this treasure to settle this karmic debt?"

The Great Sun Buddha nodded: "This gourd and the Demon-Summoning Banner are treasures of the same origin. Let this cause and effect be resolved by treasures of the same origin. Wukong, take this treasure to save your master!"

Guanyin then said, "Buddha, it would be best to be cautious when letting Wukong take this treasure!"

The Great Sun Buddha nodded: "Bodhisattva, rest assured. This humble monk will refine this treasure and observe the situation from the shadows. The thirty-six layers of restrictions on this treasure have already been refined, and it is in harmony with my mind. There will be no problem."

Guanyin nodded after hearing this: "What the Buddha said is very true!"

Sun Wukong excitedly accepted the purple and white gourd, overwhelmed with emotion. He felt utterly powerless against Bai Suzhen's demon-summoning banner. Meanwhile, the Great Sun Buddha was preparing to send Sun Wukong to orchestrate a proxy war, lest the great calamity spill over onto him and cause his death on the list.

In fact, everyone in the Buddhist community, including Laozi and others, was watching everything that happened on the entire Journey to the West. Basically, they would use proxies instead of getting involved themselves.

When one side can completely overwhelm the other, they will directly bring in their most powerful figures. However, when the top leaders of both sides are roughly equal, they will generally choose to engage in a proxy war.

Otherwise, in a contest involving the vast interests of the three realms, getting involved would mean losing control and being unable to extricate oneself from the situation.

Defeat would result in enormous and unacceptable losses, including loss of reputation, collapse of power, and decline in fortune.

Both sides are now extremely cautious, especially towards Yin Ziyu.

The Great Sun Buddha handed the gourd to Sun Wukong and slowly said, "Wukong, this treasure is called the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife."

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up as he eagerly took the gourd, his face full of excitement, muttering, "The Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife, what a great name, what a treasure!"

Then Sun Wukong asked curiously, "Buddha, how exactly should this treasure be used?"

The Great Sun Buddha nodded slightly and began to instruct on how to use it: "Wukong, when facing an enemy, you must first remove the lid of this gourd. Recite the incantation to summon the treasure, and a beam of light will shoot into the sky. You will see something like a crescent moon, a white beam of light rising—that is the flying knife itself. Simply recite the incantation 'Treasure, please turn around,' and this flying knife will lock onto the opponent and unleash a fatal strike. No matter the opponent's cultivation level or location, once locked onto by this flying knife, escape will be extremely difficult. This flying knife is the number one offensive spiritual treasure in the Three Realms, capable of slaying immortals and killing gods. Once it is used, if one has no other spiritual treasure, it will surely take the enemy's head."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was utterly shocked. His eyes widened like copper bells, unable to believe that such a terrifying magical treasure existed in the world.

Sun Wukong examined the purple and white gourd in his hand repeatedly, his mind replaying the method of use taught by the Great Sun Buddha. He muttered to himself, "I never expected to have such a powerful treasure. Buddha, if I were to take this hit, would I surely die?"

The Great Sun Buddha nodded: "That's for sure!"

With the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife in his heart, Sun Wukong's emotions surged like a raging sea. He somersaulted on his cloud and sped towards Wuji Kingdom at lightning speed.

In the blink of an eye, they had arrived in Wuji Kingdom.

Sun Wukong stood before the palace and shouted, "Monster, come out at once! Your Grandpa Sun is back!"

Sun Wukong's voice boomed like thunder, and the rolling sound waves swept out, making the glazed tiles of the palace rattle.

No sooner had she finished speaking than a white figure appeared gracefully—it was Bai Suzhen herself.

Bai Suzhen looked at Sun Wukong with a cold expression and questioned, "Monkey, you have disturbed Wuji Kingdom time and time again. Just now, I did not use my killing move, yet you still dare to come back?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong chuckled and said, "You snake demon, you have bewitched and fooled the people, and committed countless evil deeds. How could I, Old Sun, easily forgive you? Today, I will make you reveal your true form and be brought to justice!"

Bai Suzhen frowned slightly, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes, and retorted, "Monkey, do you even know what happened in Wuji Kingdom before you accuse me of fooling the people? Your indiscriminate accusations make you seem quite unreasonable and domineering."

Sun Wukong snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain, and said, "You demon, you are evil by nature, you would never do anything good. How could I, Old Sun, with my fiery eyes, be wrong?"

Bai Suzhen's gaze flashed like lightning as she stared directly at Sun Wukong, her words sharp and cutting: "So, you, monkey, are indiscriminately condemning all demons to death? Back when you were carefree on Flower Fruit Mountain, you swore brotherhood with many powerful demons, sharing wine and laughter. I never imagined that now, embarking on this journey to the West, you would become a weapon in the hands of Buddhism, slaughtering your own kind. Such behavior is utterly despicable, but since you have spoken, I have no choice but to intervene."

Upon hearing Bai Suzhen's words, Sun Wukong was slightly taken aback: "You snake demon know so much about my past, you must be no ordinary demon. Furthermore, to possess such a powerful magical treasure, its origin must be quite mysterious."

Sun Wukong then snorted coldly and said, "You have a gourd, and I, Old Sun, also have a gourd!"

When Sun Wukong revealed the purple and white gourd, Bai Suzhen's heart tightened suddenly. A strong aura of death rushed towards her, making the hairs on her body stand on end.

This is the number one killing treasure in the Three Realms; taking it out is practically equivalent to being killed.

Sun Wukong immediately flicked open the gourd lid and shouted, "Please show your treasure!"

In an instant, a three-inch-long white beam of light shot into the sky, its almost tangible radiance locking onto Bai Suzhen.

"Please baby, turn around!"

The light transformed into a sharp blade, like a white lightning bolt, slashing towards Bai Suzhen with lightning speed.

Upon seeing this, Bai Suzhen's eyes widened in anger, and she shouted, "I spared you, you monkey, out of consideration for our past relationship, but I never expected you to be so heartless and determined to take my life!"

However, a crisp "pop" was heard, as if space had been cleaved open by a sharp blade, and a strange world had been cut open.

Taking advantage of this moment, Bai Suzhen successfully broke free of the lock and dashed forward.

Sun Wukong was not about to give up. A resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and he stamped his foot and gave chase.

At Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, the Buddha Tathagata was the first to notice the anomaly. He was slightly taken aback and muttered to himself, "This is... Ziyu's mental realm. I didn't expect him to set up his mental realm here and block this Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife."

Upon hearing this, the Ancient Buddha Dipankara frowned in thought and slowly said, "What exactly is Ziyu's intention in setting up his mental realm in Wuji Kingdom?"

At this moment, the entire Wuji Kingdom quietly completed a partial fusion with the Mind Realm.

Sun Wukong pursued relentlessly until he reached the realm of the mind.

But Bai Suzhen suddenly stopped and turned around.

Sun Wukong's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Monster, where do you think you're going! Please turn around, my precious!"

After reading it, Bai Suzhen said calmly, "Once I reach the Realm of the Heart, my heart is infinitely vast. What can the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife do? What I see is the bell, what I hear is the bell's sound. The Chaos Bell appears to defend me against enemies!"

Bai Suzhen, driven by her idealistic thoughts, instantly suffered a massive backlash. A gigantic white snake appeared in her mind's eye, a creature with a human head and a snake's body, towering tens of thousands of feet tall. However, the Xuanhuang Bell appeared above Bai Suzhen's head. (End of Chapter)