Primordial Era: I rule the great sect and command all immortals.

In the "Crescent Moon and Three Stars Cave", the Sandalwood Merit Buddha paid homage to the Bodhi Patriarch, wasting some time before leisurely returning to the "Great Thunderclap Temple" with twenty great supernatural beings.

Once again, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were summoned, and the Sandalwood Merit Buddha transmitted the Dharma decrees of the two saints.

The remaining Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Western religion could no longer sit still, and quickly gathered ten great supernatural beings, thus not giving the Sandalwood Merit Buddha a chance to delay.

Left with no other choice, the Buddhist leader had to take thirty powerful cultivators with him to the Heavenly Realm.

At this time, five days had passed since the message was sent by Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, and the thirty-one Buddhas of Sandalwood Merit had just arrived at the boundary between the heavenly realm and the demon realm, the Great Dark Rift Valley.

The Dark Rift Valley is guarded by various major forces, including the Human Sect, the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, the Demon Sect, the Witch Clan, and their Buddhist sect, each with a large army stationed there.

All sides have powerful figures stationed here. For example, the Jie Sect sent four quasi-saints—Yuan Hong, Liu Er Mi Hou, Sun Wukong, and Wu Zhi Qi—to ensure that whether they were going to enter the Demon Realm to provide support or to retreat, everything would be foolproof.

Not to mention the major sects, even the Asura Sect, the One True Sect, the God Worshipping Sect, the Five Directions Demon Sect, the Western Kunlun Sect, the Wuzhuang Temple, the Heavenly Court... many forces have also set up large formations around the passage.

This is the only passage from the Three Realms of the Primordial World to the Demon Realm, and all major sects attach great importance to it.

Upon seeing the arrival of thirty-one powerful Buddhists, the powerful figures from various sects all revealed amused expressions.

News of the Buddhist sect's defeat in the demon realm had already spread, and those of them guarding the outer perimeter of the Dark Rift Valley naturally knew it all too well.

Now that they've seen the arrival of the new head of Buddhism, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, everyone is naturally ready to watch the show.

The Buddhist monks guarding this place, led by the two Buddhas Vairocana and Vairocana, along with all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Vajras, Sangharama monks, and Bhikkhus, came out to greet them.

"Namo Chandana Merit Buddha! Buddha, you have finally come."

The Buddhas Vairocana and Vairocana wore expressions of joy as they looked behind the Buddha and saw thirty other Buddhas, many of whom they did not recognize.

The two immediately realized that these people were likely from the "Pure Land" and definitely not from the Saha World.

This indicates that the two sages had taken notice of the battle and were not entirely satisfied with it, thus intervening directly.

This is fantastic news!

"Vairocana Buddha, Vairocana Buddha, you may dispense with the formalities!"

The Sandalwood Merit Buddha led the group down from the clouds and followed the two Buddhas into the Buddhist formation.

"What's the situation in the Demon Realm now?"

After the two sides exchanged greetings and took their seats according to their respective positions, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha began to discuss the important matters.

Now that he was here, he naturally couldn't tolerate defeat. He couldn't understand the situation directly from the battle reports alone; he needed to talk to these two to get more information.

Let's delay a bit more...

The two Buddhas, Vairocana and Vairocana, exchanged a helpless glance. Vairocana then began to recount the war in the Western Continent, starting with Bhaisajyaguru Buddha leading his army into the Western Continent…

It turned out that the Medicine Buddha, seeing the other sects advancing with unstoppable momentum, was not to be outdone. He led the Buddhist army straight to the heart of the Western continent.

The western continent was ruled by three great demon beast kings: the Demon Dragon Emperor, the Heavenly Wolf Emperor, and the Devouring Heaven Emperor, who commanded countless races and billions of demon beasts.

In the early stages of the war, the three great demon emperors consolidated their power and gathered all their demon armies together. Along the way, the Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata Buddha easily occupied most of the western continent.

Countless rare and precious materials, spiritual veins, and spirit stone mines from the demon realm were easily seized. This made the Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Buddha extremely proud, even believing that the power of the demon race was insignificant and that they could only flee in the face of the Buddhist army of millions.

It turns out that those people in the Western religion had been suppressed by Shakyamuni Buddha in the "Saha World" and had no experience in large-scale warfare.

Each of them was ambitious and eager for quick success. In the end, even the twelve divine generals under the command of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha each led a large army to conquer in all directions, aiming for a complete victory.

Little did they know, this was the very opportunity the three great monsters had been waiting for!

The three split into three groups, each with an army of hundreds of millions of demonic beasts. In an instant, they simultaneously annihilated the three divine generals. Then, the army launched an attack, defeating them one by one. Soon, the twelve divine generals suffered heavy casualties, and the main force of the Buddhist army was also defeated, completely losing its offensive power.

At this point, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha should have gathered the defeated troops, reorganized the defenses, set up a grand formation, and awaited reinforcements.

However, fearing that defeat would shake his position in Buddhism, the leader of the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli made another foolish move, starting a war with the Demon Dragon Emperor before he could even establish himself.

The Medicine Buddha, also known as the Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata, possessed considerable cultivation and was a powerful figure within Buddhism; otherwise, he would not have dared to call himself the leader of a certain lineage.

However, the Demon Dragon Emperor, outnumbering the enemy, led a group of quasi-saints from the Demon Dragon Clan to attack. The Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata Buddha barely escaped with his life, but he was already seriously injured.

The Buddhist army retreated in disarray, almost withdrawing from the Demon Realm from the heart of the Western Continent. Of the tens of millions of troops, only a few hundred thousand remained.

As for the dozens of quasi-saint powerhouses who went on the expedition, they are now less than two slaps away, a loss that can be described as extremely heavy.

The two Buddhas, Vairocana and Vairocana, dared not be negligent. They separated a million-strong army from the Buddhist army in the Dark Rift Valley, led by three other Buddhas, and entered the Demon Realm.

Only after joining forces with the army of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha was the battle line stabilized, and with the help of the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor Formation", they barely managed to block the attack of the three great demonic beasts.

The two Buddhas, Vairocana and Vairocana, spoke for a full hour about this information from the front lines, leaving the thirty newly arrived great supernatural beings, including the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, looking at each other in bewilderment.

In their hearts, the evaluation of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha can be summed up in two words: "Useless!"

At this moment, the quasi-saint who had initially felt some sympathy for the elderly man from the Western Sect began to tip the scales of his heart toward the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha, and the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.

It turns out that those people in the Western religion are truly hopeless!

If Buddhism were to fall into the hands of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, wouldn't it be utterly doomed?

An army of tens of millions, dozens of Quasi-Saints, and thousands of Great Luo Golden Immortals—what an enormous force this is!

Is that all there is to it?

It should be understood that even though Buddhism is vast, it cannot send out armies of tens of millions of people indefinitely.

This is the essence of Buddhism!

The entire reed hut fell completely silent; no one knew what to say.

Vairocana Buddha and Vairocana Buddha wanted to say something, but they didn't know how to start. At this moment, these two Buddhas, who were biased towards Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, seemed to be wavering.

"Amitabha! This is a great loss to Buddhism."

After a long while, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha sighed. However, this Buddha was secretly pleased. Most of the elders of the Western Sect had died, and the prestige of the Medicine Buddha had also dropped considerably.

The situation in Buddhism can finally be stabilized. This time, even if Bhaisajyaguru Buddha doesn't die, he has neither the face nor the strength to compete with him for the position of the leader of Buddhism.

As for the return of Shakyamuni Buddha?

This is not an easy task.

Shakyamuni Buddha has reincarnated countless times, and has yet to awaken. Moreover, even if he did awaken, it would take time to regain his original spiritual attainment.

This is the opportunity for the Sandalwood Merit Buddha. If he takes over the western continent of the Demon Realm, he will solidify his position. If he can also rely on the power of the wishes of the countless beings on this continent, he may be able to advance to the peak of Quasi-Saint before Shakyamuni Buddha!

Humans are all ambitious. After cultivating for so many years, from Tang Sanzang and Jin Chanzi to the Sandalwood Merit Buddha he is today, he has gained so much.

The position of the head of Buddhism is so alluring that it is impossible to give up, whether in terms of power or cultivation. Even a pig sitting in the position of the head of Buddhism could sever its two corpses!

This is the benefit of a great sect's fortune!

If any cultivator still aspires to attain enlightenment, they would never willingly relinquish this position. Even if Shakyamuni Buddha were to return, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha would not abdicate. No matter who dares to contend with him, he will resist to the very end!

Moreover, he had the support of both Zen and Tantric Buddhism, so he could be said to have controlled most of the power in Buddhism. Even if Shakyamuni Buddha returned, he would not be able to shake his rule!

In just one hour, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha had clearly outlined the future direction of Buddhism and how to deal with internal struggles. No one would have imagined that the talkative Tang Sanzang of yesteryear had grown to this level.

"Buddha, what should we do? Are we going to enter the demon realm now?"

Vairocana Buddha and Vairocana Buddha looked longingly at Sandalwood Merit Buddha. Even though they no longer supported Medicine Buddha, it didn't mean they would watch their old friend die.

"Okay! We don't need to bring anyone else; thirty-one people are enough for us to go in."

After a moment's thought, and considering the number of experts remaining here, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha decided to preserve the strength here, leaving a safe path for Buddhism.

"Yes! I will obey the Buddha's teachings!"

Vairocana Buddha and Vairocana Buddha quickly led their disciples to rise and pay their respects, saying that it would be enough if Sandalwood Merit Buddha were willing to help rescue the army left in the demon realm.

Let's go!

The Sandalwood Merit Buddha, accompanied by thirty other Buddhas, flew out from the Buddhist formation and headed towards the passage.

The other forces watched coldly. This passage was a shared passage for all forces in the three realms, and all forces tacitly agreed that it could be used by all forces. No one was allowed to occupy this place or allow others to use it.

This is the bottom line!

That is why neither the Jie Sect, nor the Human Sect, nor the Chan Sect, nor the Demon Sect stepped forward to stop them. Everyone hoped that the demonic beasts of the Western Continent would lend a hand, and everyone was waiting to see the Buddhist sect make a fool of itself.

Ideally, the Buddhist sect would be defeated and unable to interfere in the demon realm, leaving the vast western continent vacant. Other forces could then divide it up, and everyone could get a piece of the pie.

At this time, some demonic cultivators even secretly used vicious secret methods to build altars, sacrifice living beings, and disrupt the fortune of Buddhism, hoping to cause the Sandalwood Merit Buddha and his followers to fail, thus leaving the Western Continent to the demonic side.

The Sandalwood Merit Buddha and the others were well aware of these malicious intentions, but unfortunately, now was not the time to settle scores. Their army of over a million men, along with more than a dozen Quasi-Saints, were still waiting for their rescue!

The Sandalwood Merit Buddha and the others pretended to be unaware, their faces grim as they rode auspicious clouds through the Dark Great Rift Valley and truly entered the Demon Realm.

Having discerned the direction, the thirty-one Buddhas released their full aura and headed west. When they reached the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Buddha" formation of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, golden light filled the sky, illuminating the void for hundreds of thousands of feet. Countless mandalas fell from the sky, and a fragrant aroma wafted over.

"The relics have appeared!"

Seeing that the Buddhist disciples in the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor" formation below seemed to lack spirit, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha frowned slightly and gave an order. Immediately, the thirty Buddhas who had followed him chanted "Amitabha" and revealed their own "relics".

In an instant, the golden light above the void intensified, resembling a golden Buddhist kingdom.

Above the heads of each Buddha, golden wheels of merit shone brightly. This scene indeed had an effect, and the Buddhist disciples below saw the Buddha leading all the Buddhas to come and rescue them personally.

"Namo Chandana Merit Buddha!"

One by one, Buddhist disciples couldn't help but chant the name of the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit. Millions of Buddhist disciples of divine and immortal level chanted the name of one person together, and their voices resounded throughout the entire demon realm.

At this moment, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha is the savior of these hundreds of thousands of Buddhist disciples. Everyone looks up to the Buddha with excitement and joy. At this time, the Buddhist community is united and everyone believes in the Sandalwood Merit Buddha.

"Damn it! This shameless scoundrel! He only came now to try and win people over! Shameless! Shameless! It is because of scoundrels like him that Buddhism has fallen to this state! This humble monk will never compromise!"

When Bhaisajyaguru Buddha saw this scene, his face was so dark it was almost dripping with water. In his heart, he roared madly, and at the same time, he hated Sandalwood Merit Buddha even more!

That damned disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha is just like his master—a parasite on Buddhism!

"Amitabha! Fellow Buddhist disciples, please dispense with the formalities! This time, I, this humble monk, will personally take action to avenge the blood feud of my fallen disciples!"

The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit looked compassionately at the countless corpses of Buddhist disciples on the battlefield, feeling deeply distressed.

"Namo Sandalwood Merit Buddha! May the Buddha have mercy!"

The disciples were deeply moved, their eyes filled with tears. At this critical moment, the Buddha had not forgotten them and had personally come to this perilous place to save them!

Only Buddha can bring them hope! (End of Chapter)