News soon reached Southern Jambudvipa, and every cultivator there who heard it wore a grave expression.
A mere Golden Immortal had held up a flower and smiled, yet altered heaven and earth through his state of mind alone. Such a Dao heart and will were terrifying.
They vaguely sensed that this Buddhist disciple traveling east upon a lotus was no ordinary figure.
And events unfolded just as they had expected.
Whenever Shakyamuni arrived somewhere and encountered a master of any school of thought, he would visit them to discuss the Dao.
He sat cross-legged, his expression serene and his words unhurried, yet often needed only a few sentences to expose the flaws at the very foundation of their teachings.
Countless renowned masters of various schools suffered defeat after discussing the Dao with Shakyamuni, their Dao hearts shattered.
Some even converted to Buddhism on the spot after losing, willingly becoming disciples before the Buddha.
The flourishing debates shook Southern Jambu Continent.
Disciples of the Confucian, Daoist, Mohist, Legalist, and yin-yang schools flocked to watch, hoping to glimpse the brilliance of this prodigy of Buddhism.
Shakyamuni turned no one away. He discussed the Dao with all sides, debated scriptures, and spread his teachings. His words were gold and jade; his heart was clear as crystal.
After hearing Shakyamuni preach, the human race quietly began to change its view of Buddhism.
Their former prejudice, which branded Buddhism as heresy, gradually dissolved through one debate after another and miracle after miracle.
As the miracles multiplied and the debates spread, Shakyamuni's fame traveled ever faster and farther across Southern Jambu Continent, sweeping in every direction like a prairie fire.
Everyone in Buddhism was overjoyed at this turn of events. They saw hope for Buddhism's spread to the east.
As long as they opened a path