The world of Journey to the West,
Spirit Mountain,
After searching the entire Primordial World without finding Sect Leader Tongtian, Jieyin and Zhunti returned, burning with anger.
But as soon as they got home, they discovered that their house had been robbed.
Of the Buddhist Sect's eight Quasi-Saint peak-level Buddhas, all those who had originally come from the Western Teachings had been wiped out, except for Tathagata, Randeng, Vairocana Buddha, and Dinguanghuanxi Buddha, who had been converted from the Interception Sect and Chanjiao.
And they had been completely annihilated—not even a fragment of their souls remained!
"D-damn it!"
After listening to Buddha Tathagata's report, Daoist Jieyin suppressed the urge to slap him to death and gritted his teeth.
"Duobao, Randeng, all of you—do you have an explanation for me?"
"I..."
At his words, Buddha Tathagata's heart sank. He could no longer maintain his compassionate expression and stammered in panic,
"M-My lord, this was Tongtian's scheme. He—he did it on purpose!"
"That's right, that's right!"
Ancient Buddha Dipankara had no time to fight Tathagata for the position of Buddha Ancestor now. He nodded emphatically from the side.
"Sect Leader Tongtian deliberately spared us. He was waiting for you two to make a move, so he could go out and spread stories about your misdeeds, damaging the Buddhist Sect's prestige!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"My lord, don't fall for it!"
Dingguang Xian and Piluxian nodded repeatedly from the side, afraid Jieyin might impulsively slap them.
"Hmph!"
Hearing this, Daoist Jieyin snorted. He also thought they had a point, and could only change the subject, deeply unwilling.
"If that's the case, do any of you know where Sect Leader Tongtian is most likely to be?"
"Where?"
Buddha Tathagata hesitated. "Besides Biyou Palace and Golden Turtle Island, the place he visits most often should be Dao Ancestor's Zixiao Palace, right?"
"Zixiao Palace?!"
Daoist Jieyin nodded, suddenly understanding.
Indeed!
They had already searched the Primordial World and the Thirty-Three Heavens. The only place they hadn't searched was Zixiao Palace, where Dao Ancestor resided.
Should they go take a look?
With that thought,
Daoist Jieyin ignored Buddha Tathagata beside him and looked at Ancient Buddha Dipankara, who had also survived but came from Chanjiao.
"Randeng, we can't let the eastward transmission of Buddhist teachings stop. Pick someone to carry it out, and make sure nothing else goes wrong!"
"We shall obey the Saint's decree!"
Ancient Buddha Dipankara was delighted. He hurriedly bowed and agreed, then couldn't resist glancing at Buddha Tathagata beside him.
The meaning was clear: My time has come!
But before Randeng could decide whom to send on the mission to transmit Buddhist teachings eastward, a string of pleas for help arrived.
"Reporting to Buddha Ancestor: Jinshan Temple has been breached. Everyone below the abbot has perished!"
"Reporting to Buddha Ancestor: Daming Temple has been breached. Everyone below the abbot has perished!"
"Reporting to Buddha Ancestor..."
Dozens of pleas for help came in, all reporting Buddhist temples under attack. Randeng was left dumbfounded.
What did this mean?
Did they really think that the Buddhist Sect had become a rat everyone could kick—or, damn it, a soft persimmon anyone could squeeze?
Unforgivable!
The more Ancient Buddha Dipankara thought about it, the angrier he got. He was just about to send a few Bodhisattvas over to kill those who dared take advantage of the chaos, when he turned around and found no one behind him.
Hmm...
Could it be that the Buddhist Sect now had nothing but a few Buddhas like them, and everyone else was just a minor figure?
"Tathagata!"
Randeng looked over the few Buddhas behind him, then finally fixed his gaze on Tathagata, whose face had flushed red.
"Our Buddhist Sect is short-handed. Why don't you make the trip yourself?"
"...Amitabha!"
Buddha Tathagata raised a hand and chanted the Buddha's name. Suppressing the urge to fly into a rage, he silently nodded in agreement.
There was no helping it!
Jieyin and Zhunti were already displeased with him.
If he clashed with Randeng again, the first one they dealt with would probably be him, the traitor from the Interception Sect.
"Alas..."
Thinking of his days as Senior Brother of the Interception Sect, Buddha Tathagata—also known as Daoist Duobao—couldn't help but sigh.
What kind of spell had he been under back then?
Even taking refuge with his Chanjiao uncle would have been better than betraying the East and joining the Western Teachings, wouldn't it?
At the very least, his former master wouldn't have looked at him with such undisguised killing intent!
Recalling the way Sect Leader Tongtian had appeared earlier and slapped those unlucky fellows to death, Buddha Tathagata couldn't help shivering.
He knew it very well.
When his life ended was no longer up to him. It depended on when his own master decided he'd had enough of him.
"Oh? Isn't this Duobao?"
Just as Buddha Tathagata, full of unease, arrived at a temple under attack and prepared to act, a familiar voice rang in his ears.
He looked up.
There stood a group of Interception Sect disciples led by San Xiao. They looked at him strangely, then turned their heads toward someone beside them... someone beside them...
Huh?!
Buddha Tathagata's eyes went wide. What was he seeing? He actually saw "himself" standing in front of those Interception Sect disciples?
No, that wasn't right!
More precisely, it was his younger self from his days in the Interception Sect—the true Senior Brother of the sect, Daoist Duobao!
But how was that possible?!
Buddha Tathagata instinctively rubbed his eyes. When he looked again, his younger self had already walked up to him, his expression complicated.
"Why... why did you betray the sect?!"
"I..."
Buddha Tathagata opened his mouth at the question, about to say something, but suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Who are you? Why are you impersonating me? What have you come here for?!"
"Who am I?"
A flicker of confusion crossed Daoist Duobao's eyes. He wanted to know who he was, too.
Was he Daoist Duobao, the Senior Brother of the Interception Sect, who had held sway over the sect and was admired by his many senior and junior brothers and sisters?
Or was he the future Buddha Tathagata, who betrayed the Interception Sect, joined the Western Teachings, and became some damn Buddha Ancestor?
"Duobao, what do you have to say for yourself?!"
Bi Xiao popped out from behind and pointed at Buddha Tathagata, letting loose a barrage of accusations at Daoist Duobao.
"After all the trust Master placed in you, you actually dared to betray the Interception Sect? How could you face Master after all the effort he put into raising you? How could you face the trust your fellow disciples placed in you?"
"I..."
Daoist Duobao came back to his senses and opened his mouth. He wanted to say he knew nothing about this, that he hadn't done any of it.
But when he looked up—
Facing Buddha Tathagata's huge face, so much fatter than his own yet unmistakably his, Daoist Duobao immediately felt like he was about to break down.
"Bastard, did you hear that? How could you face Master after all the trust and care he gave you?!"
"Die!"
As he spoke, Daoist Duobao summoned his magic treasure and hurled it at Buddha Tathagata without a second thought, looking determined not to stop until he killed him. The Interception Sect disciples all stared, dumbfounded.
Bi Xiao: "Th-this... uh..."
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