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

"We two monks are Buddhist disciples, and we cannot remain indifferent to the killing of other Buddhist disciples. Today, we have the relics of the Living Buddha Na Dorje, and we must protect them."

After some thought, the Cloth Bag Monk, the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha, directly stated his purpose without any pretense.

"Amitabha!"

The monk Ji Gong, standing to the side, chanted a Buddhist mantra with a solemn expression.

Master Ziyang felt relieved. Fortunately, he had encountered these two. If it had been a master from the Buddhist sect, he probably would have been easily turned to ashes.

He dared not contend with the two quasi-saints. Looking at the Arhat Subduing Dragon and Maitreya Buddha before him, he laughed and said, "Gentlemen, today you have come to rescue the Living Buddha Chana Dorje. I am no match for you and cannot stop you. This matter of cause and effect will naturally be settled by the eminent monks of my sect."

After uttering a few harsh words, Master Ziyang retreated and led the rest of the Jie Sect back to Lupeng.

Even if Master Ziyang were extremely confident, he wouldn't dare to fight against the Arhat Subduing Dragon or the Buddha Maitreya.

Even knowing that these two had not yet regained all their spiritual consciousness and completely returned to their true selves, the power of those quasi-saints was undeniable and far beyond what a Great Luo Golden Immortal like himself could handle.

Moreover, these two possess top-tier spiritual treasures, while I, a mere Grand Luo Golden Immortal of the Jie Sect, don't even have a single innate spiritual treasure. How could I possibly be their match?

Anyway, we made a profit this time. The physical body of the Living Buddha Nacharna Dorje has been destroyed, only the "relics" remain, so he can only be reincarnated and rebuilt.

Nowadays, the Buddhist sect no longer has the "Lotus Pure Land" in the Nine Netherworlds, and its power is severely restricted. Even if such a person is reincarnated and begins to cultivate again, he may not be able to cultivate to the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

After all, this is no longer the time to be protected by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. In the past, it was extremely easy for Buddhist disciples to regain the magical power they had in their previous lives.

Look at the losses Buddhism has suffered. Shakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha, the two successive reincarnations of the Buddha, have not yet returned.

Returning to peak condition is easier said than done.

It's hard to say whether it will reach its current level.

Watching Master Ziyang's departing figure, Monk Jigong said to the Laughing Buddha beside him, "Junior brother! We've both waded into this murky water, and we don't know if we can survive this ordeal."

The Laughing Buddha stood to the side, but only chuckled and said nothing.

Seeing the calm expression on the person guarding him, the monk Ji Gong chuckled and said, "Indeed, even saints cannot see what the future holds, so why should we worry? Let's just live one day at a time."

Then he released the relics of Chagna Dorje Rinpoche.

After the relics of the Living Buddha Chana Dorje were released, they formed a phantom image in the air, which bowed to the Arhat Subduing Dragon and the Maitreya Buddha with folded hands, saying, "Thank you, Buddha and Arhat Subduing Dragon, for saving me. I am deeply grateful."

The monk Ji Gong didn't take it to heart and waved his hand lightly, saying, "No need, no need. We are both members of the Buddhist community. How could we not help a fellow disciple in distress?"

Maitreya Buddha said, "Your situation is not good right now. Let the two of us escort you to the underworld for reincarnation!"

At this moment, Maitreya Buddha was no longer foolish. Master Ziyang clearly wanted to go back and ask for help. If the two of them didn't run away, were they just waiting to die?

At this point, the two were no longer the powerful leaders of their respective sects and the heads of the Eighteen Arhats. They had barely managed to raise their cultivation to the early stage of Quasi-Saint. With such limited cultivation, they would surely suffer if they encountered any great figures from the Jie Sect!

Do you really think that Maitreya Buddha would be foolish if he were attacked and his "relics" were damaged?

He has lost half of his magical power, but his intelligence remains. He just appears to be a bit dim-witted and silly on ordinary days.

Cha Na Dorje Rinpoche was overjoyed. He didn't know if he could even make it to the Netherworld in his current state, and besides, he didn't know anyone there and had no influence whatsoever.

The cycle of reincarnation might not necessarily make an exception for him.

Now things are much better. With Maitreya Buddha and Arhat Subduing Dragon stepping in, both of them are quasi-saints and great masters. Even if he has no connection in the Nine Netherworld, people will arrange a good place for him to be reincarnated because of the two powerful figures.

This makes it easier for them to be reincarnated and rebuild their lives in the future.

Think about it, if you were to be reincarnated in the "animal realm" forever, how could you possibly cultivate?

After being fattened up for several years, they were slaughtered and eaten. Just thinking about this terrible outcome made even a great immortal like Chagna Dorje Rinpoche shudder.

He clasped his hands together again, bowed to the two men, and said gratefully, "Thank you both for your help."

After saying this, fearing that Maitreya Buddha and Arhat Subduing Dragon would regret it, he immediately pretended to have no strength left, and his primordial spirit disappeared and returned to the "sarira".

"Tsk tsk..."

Seeing this, the monk Ji Gong laughed, rolled up his sleeves, put away the "relics" of the Living Buddha Chana Dorje, and then went to the Netherworld with Maitreya Buddha.

We won't go into how these two managed to escape using a pretext.

As soon as Master Ziyang returned to the reed hut, he began to discuss matters with his fellow disciples.

With quasi-saint level experts assisting them, the Buddhist community naturally needs to seek help from others.

"I'll go ask the teacher to intervene!"

Liu Chenxiang was eager to try, and his first thought was to invite Yuan Hong over.

As the fourth disciple of Chaos Dao Lord, Yuan Hong was the highest-ranking person above the three emperors of the human race.

The Three Sovereigns lived in seclusion in the "Fire Cloud Cave," which goes without saying, and they were completely unable to participate in the affairs of the Jie Sect.

Yuan Hong could even be regarded as the senior disciple.

As a guardian war god of the Jie Sect carefully selected by the Chaos Dao Lord, Yuan Hong's combat power is no weaker than that of Yang Jian of the Chan Sect.

When Liu Chenxiang mentioned his teacher, everyone's eyes lit up.

No one doubted Yuan Hong's fighting prowess!

Yuan Hong, the Six-Eared Macaque, Sun Wukong, and Wuzhiqi, the four Chaos Demon Apes, are definitely among the Quasi-Saints who are extremely skilled in combat!

With such a master stepping forward, dealing with the Arhat who has not yet returned to his peak, wouldn't Maitreya Buddha be a piece of cake?

"Alright! Nephew Chenxiang, quickly return to Wuyi Mountain and report what happened here so that the experts of your sect can handle it."

Master Ziyang was delighted; this troublesome matter was perfect to hand over to Liu Chenxiang.

This saves him from having to ask for favors and causing trouble.

With a great calamity looming, not everyone is willing to leave the mountains.

He understood this principle all too well, and he would not have been willing to get involved in this mess if his teacher, Luo Xuan, had not instructed him to.

When Liu Chenxiang returned to Wuyi Mountain, Liu Bowen suddenly sent a message saying that the monks Ji Gong and Budai had taken the relics of the Living Buddha Chana Dorje and were heading to the Netherworld.

The news immediately caused an uproar among the immortals of the Jie Sect.

Is the news true and reliable?

Master Ziyang quickly asked.

"Senior Brother Ziyang, the news is absolutely true! This information was passed on by our spies who infiltrated the Yuan Dynasty. They didn't return to the main camp at all; they left directly."

Liu Bowen quickly offered his assurance.

"This matter has great potential!"

Another disciple of the Jie Sect laughed.

Although he never said it outright, everyone understood his deeper meaning.

Among the Sakya sect members in the Yuan army, the strongest was the Living Buddha Chana Dorje, who was a Great Luo Golden Immortal. The others were all below the Great Luo Golden Immortal level.

At this moment, with a Great Immortal like Master Ziyang in their camp, taking down the opposing Tibetan monks would be a piece of cake.

If we don't attack them now, when will we?

Master Ziyang laughed and said, "Junior Brother Liu Ji, go and discuss sending troops with His Majesty! We'll handle the Sakya faction!"

"Yes, Senior Brother! Please wait a moment, I'll be right back!"

Liu Bowen was overjoyed. The two armies were currently locked in a stalemate along the river, and the losses were enormous, to the point that they could no longer continue. Now that a decisive battle had come, he, a high-ranking official of the Ming Dynasty, was naturally extremely happy.

Soon, Liu Bowen told Zhu Yuanzhang and others about this matter, and Zhu Yuanzhang and his generals immediately agreed.

The entire naval fleet was ready and waiting to launch an attack, defeat the Yuan Dynasty's navy, and transport the army to the other side of the Yangtze River.

"Waaaaah..."

The mournful sound of bugles echoed outwards, and thousands of sails raced across the river. The Ming Dynasty navy, with tens of thousands of ships of all sizes, filled the river and headed towards the opposite bank!

Above the void, the immortals of the Jie Sect also appeared.

Each of them was on high alert, ready to shield the army from magical attacks by the Sakya monks.

"Boom!"

Soon, the two sides began their battle in the void.

The Sakya sect could not stand idly by and watch the Ming navy attack. Their Yuan navy was mediocre and no match for the Ming. If they lost the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, wouldn't the Ming have occupied half of the country?

This result is unacceptable to both the Sakya school and its members.

It was precisely because of this that a grand Buddhist formation condensed in the void, and countless golden rays formed sharp blades that swept across everything within a hundred miles.

"Little Doyle!"

Master Ziyang sneered. With a wave of his hand, he and the other Jiejiao immortals set up a large formation, which was a simplified version of the "Ten Thousand Immortals Formation" called the "Group of Immortals Formation".

Dozens of immortals from the Jie Sect came together and used the principles of One Yuan, Two Forms, Three Powers, and Four Symbols to condense small formations. These small formations then combined to form the "Group of Immortals Formation".

Once the formation was complete, the power of these dozens of Jie Sect immortals immediately merged together.

Master Ziyang was already extremely powerful, and with the support of others, his strength was almost at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

"boom!"

His palm clenched, and a "Shangqing Divine Thunder" blasted out!

The Sakya sect's formation was immediately shattered into pieces, and many Tibetan monks were blown to pieces before they could even figure out the cause.

Above the void, the battle between immortals had barely begun before it came to an end.

Below, the Ming navy was overjoyed, their spirits soaring; conversely, the Yuan navy was demoralized, had lost all will to fight, and were already thinking about leaving a way out.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With their renowned cannons firing simultaneously, the Yuan army was routed and defeated. They either surrendered or fled, with less than one in ten surviving to resist.

After the Ming Dynasty navy defeated the Yuan Dynasty navy, it gained complete control of the waterways. Large armies were transported to the other side by ships, and after a short three-day rest, they marched north.

They marched on, conquering cities and fortresses, heading towards the heart of the Yuan Dynasty.

Without the divine intervention to hold them back, the main force of the Yuan army suffered repeated defeats.

They retreated for thousands of miles before finally managing to hold off the Ming army by taking advantage of the terrain.

In Dadu, Emperor Yuan and his high-ranking officials were shocked to learn of the defeat at the front. They hurriedly mobilized troops to prepare to aid the front. At the same time, the Tibetan monks in Sakya Monastery also spread the news.

Phagpa, Sakya Trizin, and others also learned of what had happened within the Yuan Dynasty.

The two dared not delay and immediately sought out Zen Master Wuchao to ask for his advice.

"This matter is of utmost importance! The two of you will go to Dayuan to take charge, not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes, and stabilizing the situation."

Zen Master Wuchao was startled. He tried to calculate with his fingers but found no clue. Thinking of the impending calamity, he was filled with fear. After a moment of thought, he decided to go and consult with the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit.

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

Phagpa and Sakya Trizin dared not be negligent. After leaving, they led their monks to the Yuan Dynasty to stabilize the situation.

Especially Phagpa, who was the Grand Preceptor of the Yuan Dynasty, held a high position and great power, and enjoyed the incense offerings from others. At this time, he had been put on the spot and had no choice but to save him.

On the other side, Zen Master Wuchao first found the Buddha Mahavairocana and discussed the matter with him. Then the two of them found the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit and the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

The three major figures of Buddhism gathered again to discuss whether to fight or retreat.

"We cannot back down! The situation of our Buddhist sect is dire. Half of Xiniu Hezhou has been occupied by other sects. Currently, only the Chan and Tantric schools are doing well, occupying some areas in Dongsheng Shenzhou and Nanzhanbuzhou. If we retreat, we will have to give up the entire Nanzhanbuzhou, and the survival pressure on our Buddhist sect will be even greater in the future."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was the first to speak out against retreating.

"That's right! That's what I think too. Now there's no turning back."

The Buddha Mahavairocana also said the same thing.

He was the biggest backer of the Tantric lineage, and he was the one who built it up. If the Tantric lineage collapsed, he would have no power left.

Moreover, Tantric Buddhism truly played its role in solidifying his position within Buddhism, and Vairocana Buddha naturally did not want it to decline.

"But with a great calamity looming, should we really fight for it?"

The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit hesitated. His original plan was to prioritize defeating the "Brahmanism," and even the "God Worshipping Society" and the "One True Society," so as to completely control the Western Continent.

The Eastern Continent and Southern Continent can develop better. If things go wrong, we can withdraw our power.

"Buddha! We must fight! Our Buddhist disciples are numerous. If we run out of resources, and the 'End of Dharma Calamity' breaks out in the future, are we just going to watch them all die of old age? Rather than that, we might as well fight. At worst, we can be listed on the 'Investiture of the Gods' and become a righteous god in the Heavenly Court!"

Having found his last escape route, the Great Sun Buddha's face turned ruthless. Since the Intercepting Sect could be resurrected, and their Buddhist sect had fallen, it would naturally rise again one day.

If that's the case, why not go all out and fight against the Jie Sect?

He truly didn't believe it; that the Jie Sect members were fearless, risking everything to wage a full-scale war against Buddhism before the great calamity even began! (End of Chapter)