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Chapter 216 I will take action
From the western horizon, pure golden light, as clear as crystal, poured down, gentle yet carrying unparalleled majesty. The chanting seemed to rise from the depths of hell, instantly cleansing the battlefield of its smoke and blood.

The wind stopped, the battle cries froze, and even the air seemed to freeze. Everyone on the battlefield, from the True Martial Emperor to the lowest-ranking demon, involuntarily stopped what they were doing and looked up at the source of the light.

The western sky seemed to have been split open by an endless rift. Auspicious clouds, like brocade, supported a colossal golden lotus throne. On the throne, the majestic Buddha Vairocana stood, radiating divine light. Behind him stood Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, her hands clasped in prayer. On either side were layers upon layers of Arhats, Vajras, monks, and nuns. The Buddha's light shone everywhere, his power overwhelming the world. This was a grand scene of the entire Vulture Peak mobilizing, with the Buddha personally leading the campaign.

The True Martial Emperor gripped the True Martial Sword tightly, his black robes fluttering slightly. He stepped forward, his voice steady and resonant, piercing the silence.

"We are honored by the arrival of the Buddha from the West. We have come here on the orders of the Great Heavenly Venerable to quell the demonic influence at Lion Camel Ridge. Why are you obstructing our heavenly troops from carrying out our rituals?"

He specifically emphasized the "Great Heavenly Venerable's decree" and "the execution of the law," and respectfully addressed the other party as "Buddha Elder," making the meaning all too clear: You are one of the Five Elders of the Five Directions, and I am acting on the Jade Emperor's decree; you should not and cannot obstruct the Heavenly Court's enforcement of the law.

The Buddha's grand and gentle voice rang out, yet it carried an undeniable power.
"Your Majesty is too kind. This humble monk has also come to subdue demons and monsters. Demons and monsters run rampant in Lion Camel Ridge, poisoning living beings. How can this humble monk sit idly by?"

Before he finished speaking, the Buddha's enormous golden palm gently pressed down on the countless demons that roamed the Lion Camel Ridge.

There was no earth-shattering roar, no dazzling magical effects. Only silent dissolution.

Like snow and ice meeting the blazing sun in early spring, the ferocious and numerous lesser demons, who had been fighting or fleeing just moments before, instantly froze. The ferocity, terror, and bewilderment on their faces vanished as quickly as ashes scattered by the wind, leaving only emptiness.

Then, their bodies, along with the weapons in their hands, began to "melt" silently, like inferior clay figures. It wasn't bleeding; their entire forms were disintegrating, collapsing, and decomposing.

In just a few breaths, the bustling and crowded battlefield of Lion Camel Ridge became empty and eerie. All that remained were charred vegetation, shattered rocks, and... countless broken weapons of various shapes and sizes, their luster faded. Even the smell of blood had faded considerably, replaced by a deathly, dusty aura.

Tens of thousands of demon soldiers were annihilated, both in body and soul!
Nezha gasped, his hand holding the Fire-Tipped Spear trembling slightly.

The burly Huang Feng Monster subtly shrank back half a step behind the broken giant rock, his thick eyebrows furrowed. He looked at the suddenly empty mountain range, then at the golden Buddha sitting high on the lotus platform, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Although Red Boy was bold, he was so frightened by the terrifying and clean-cut annihilation that he hid behind Chen Guangrui, only peeking out with one eye, his little face pale.

Even the battle-hardened Zhenwu Emperor's gaze faltered slightly.

The Buddha seemed to have done something insignificant; his voice remained calm, carrying just the right amount of heaviness and apology.
"The evil deeds committed by the demons here are appalling. Our Western Paradise is originally based on compassion, spreading the Dharma to save the world and eliminating the karmic obstacles of all beings. Today's chaos is truly due to the inadequate supervision and teaching of our Buddhist sect, which has allowed this malignant tumor of the three realms to grow and harm the region. The sin lies with this humble monk."

His compassionate gaze finally fell on the three remaining people in the arena: the Green Lion Demon and the White Elephant Demon, who had been injured by Sun Wukong and were staring in horror at the Buddha, and the Golden-Winged Roc, whose clothes were torn and whose face was gloomy, standing between the Buddha and the two demons.

"These three demons," the Buddha's voice echoed clearly, "though their sins are grave, they still have a connection with Buddhism and their inherent nature remains. The blue lion is Manjushri's mount, the white elephant is Samantabhadra's vehicle, and the roc also has a deep connection with Mount Sumeru."

He did not explicitly state the identity of the Golden-Winged Roc as his maternal uncle, but revealing their "origin" at this moment was sufficient.

"Their calamities are their own fault, but it is also due to my failure to strictly restrain them. Today, having subdued these demons, I will personally lead them back to Mount Ling and discipline them strictly with the wondrous sounds of the Buddha's teachings. This malevolent spirit should be cleansed through endless years of chanting scriptures, worshipping the Buddha, performing good deeds, accumulating good karma, and washing away their sins, so that they may thoroughly understand their past mistakes and return to the Great Way."

Discipline!

This word, like a block of ice, pierced everyone's hearts, instantly freezing the shock they had felt from the Buddha's annihilation of the lesser demons. Take them back? Not a public execution? Not a death sentence? Just to be taken back to Mount Ling under the guise of "discipline" for chanting scriptures?

Doesn't that mean nothing happened?

Chen Guangrui narrowed his eyes slightly. "Kui Mulang descended to the mortal realm, and you killed him. Now, what these three have done is outrageous. And you just casually say you'll take him back to discipline him?"

No wonder Lao Tzu was angry.

Zhenwu Emperor subconsciously raised his head, his fingers twitching slightly beneath his black robe, but ultimately remained silent. Nezha could no longer contain himself; his chest heaved, and gripping his Fire-Tipped Spear, he was about to rush out and confront him.

But the moment he made a move, his body stiffened abruptly, an invisible force binding him. His mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. He could only glare angrily at the lotus platform, his eyes filled with resentment. The True Martial Emperor also noticed this scene, his gaze growing even deeper and more solemn.

Hiding behind a boulder, the Yellow Wind Monster slammed his steel fork into the ground and cursed under his breath, his voice thick with a rural accent.
"Discipline? My goodness! The corpses are piled higher than mountains, the human kingdom has been destroyed and turned into a den of demons, and this is how you discipline people and that's it? Back when I listened to Buddha preach in Lingshan, he didn't preach this. When did he become so compassionate? What about putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot? That's all just fooling us fools. The knife is still in our hands, and the people we killed are still lying on the ground!" His voice was full of disappointment and deep sarcasm, but in the end, he didn't dare to raise his voice.

Suspended in mid-air, Sun Wukong watched as the three demons he had once chased and fought now seemed to have a "backer." Hearing the Buddha's nonchalant word "discipline," his eyes flashed with golden light, a chilling smile twisting his lips. He forced out a voice, uttered only by himself, filled with overwhelming arrogance.
"What a fine discipline... Heh heh, what a strict discipline! Buddha, if I ever get the chance, I, Old Sun, will definitely storm your Mount Ling and see how you discipline these wicked beasts, and see how many silent bones are buried at the foot of your Mount Ling."

The Skull Mountain, covering the entire mountainside, seemed to be silently mocking the scene. The countless white bones, the mountains of weapons, and the lingering smell of burnt blood in the air all told the story of a horrific past.

Now, with the blood feud still unresolved, the culprit is about to be taken away for discipline. All the Heavenly Court and Water Tribe allied forces present felt as if a huge rock was pressing on their hearts, filled with an indescribable sense of frustration and absurdity.

Just then, from the highest heavens, three clear, long, and undeniably authoritative jade chimes rang out.

Zhenwu Emperor paused slightly, looked up at the sky again, and a complex light flashed in his eyes.

He understood that this was the will of the heavens. The Jade Emperor's decree had arrived. He took a deep breath, no longer looking at Tathagata, his gaze sweeping over his own forces, finally lingering briefly on Chen Guangrui's face.

"Withdraw the troops!" The True Martial Emperor's voice regained its majesty and calm, issuing the order decisively. He unfurled the black eagle banner and turned to leave.

The Turtle and Snake Generals and the Five Divine Dragons silently followed, while Zhenwu's subordinates, amidst auspicious clouds, swiftly withdrew from the battlefield. They arrived with overwhelming momentum, but departed with an indescribable somberness.

Seeing the Heavenly Court troops withdraw, Ao Run, the Dragon King of the West Sea, dared not delay any longer. He glanced at the Golden-Winged Roc, then looked with awe at the Buddha's shadow high in the sky, not daring to linger for a moment, and brandished his sword.

"Retreat!" The vast expanse of blue waves swept up the remaining aquatic warriors, disappearing swiftly behind the mountains on the other side of Lion Camel Ridge like the receding tide. The battlefield became completely empty.

Only Chen Guangrui and a few others remained at Lion Camel Ridge, along with the golden lotus platform suspended high in the air and the Buddha looking down indifferently from above.

Looking at the valley that had suddenly become empty, and then at the horrifying scorched earth and white bones around him, the Yellow Wind Monster felt his pent-up anger and frustration almost explode.

He walked over to Chen Guangrui, lowered his voice, and his tone was full of incomprehension and disappointment.

"Brother Chen, what's going on in Heaven? What does the Jade Emperor mean? That old Buddha is clearly covering it up. So many people have died, their bones piled up like mountains, and he just says he'll take them back and discipline them? My goodness! Is there no justice or law left?"

Nezha lifted the silencing, but remained silent. He glanced at the Golden-Winged Roc and Tathagata, his lips moved, but he ultimately just turned his head away sharply, saying nothing. Clearly, he also felt that Buddhism was in the wrong this time, but he was powerless to refute it.

Tang Sheng peeked out from beside Chen Guangrui, her small face still streaked with tears, but her eyes swept across the air with unusual brightness. She seemed to understand something, then shrank back behind Chen Guangrui without saying a word.

Chen Guangrui's gaze shifted from the enormous Buddha image in the sky to the pale white mountain of bones on the ground, which the Buddha had deliberately ignored, accumulated by countless people from the Lion Camel Kingdom. Finally, his gaze returned to the Green Lion, the White Elephant, and the arrogant Golden-Winged Roc. Although the latter three were in a sorry state, a hint of relaxation and smugness was clearly revealed in the depths of their eyes as they looked at the Buddha.

When the Buddha came, the blue sky appeared; when the Buddha came, they no longer had to die.

Chen Guangrui did not answer Huang Fengguai's question, but simply raised his hand and gently patted Huang Fengguai's strong and sturdy arm, the movement steady and powerful.

Then, under the gazes of all—whether pity, scrutiny, triumph, or anger—Chen Guangrui walked step by step to the center of the open space where the two sides were confronting each other.

The mountain breeze ruffled his slightly tattered robes.

He raised his head, his gaze calm and resolute, looking directly at the Buddha seated atop the nine-tiered lotus throne. His voice was not loud.
"In that case..."

He paused, then spoke each word with conviction.

"I'll take action."

(End of this chapter)