The moment those words were spoken, the monks below erupted into an uproar. This was an outright slander against the Buddha. If not for the old monk expounding the Dao from above, he would likely have already faced the verbal condemnation of the assembled monks.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the old monk realized he had misspoken. He hurriedly pressed his palms together and recited:
"Amitabha Buddha!"
Wu Tian nodded and smiled. "Your words make sense, Fellow Daoist. If the Buddha does not worship me, why should I worship the Buddha?"
Suppressing the terror in his heart, the old monk spoke with pity in his voice:
"Fellow Daoist, you are so arrogant and rebellious. If you do not study the scriptures and pay homage to the Buddha, you will never obtain the true scriptures, never become a Buddha, and never reach the Western Paradise of Rebirth!"
"Fellow Daoist, you are fixated on appearances. This humble monk is a Buddha, Fellow Daoist is a Buddha, and all living beings are Buddhas. All living beings can become Buddhas. At this very moment, Fellow Daoist is also a Buddha! Since we are Buddhas, wherever I am is paradise." Wu Tian smiled as he refuted him.
"This... this..."
The old monk was rendered speechless. How was he supposed to refute that? Did people not cultivate Buddhism precisely to become Buddhas? Someone said you were a Buddha, yet you were still dissatisfied—what else could be said?
In the end, the old monk lowered his head dejectedly, as though all his vitality had been drained away, and said:
"Great Monk, your Buddhadharma is profound. This humble monk... admits his inferiority!"
Wu Tian nodded, held one palm upright before his chest, and gave a slight bow. After sweeping his gaze around, he asked:
"Excellent,