Tianpeng's lingering hatred, Tushita Palace appears

A moment ago, Yin Chang'an.

Lin Changle stepped onto the clouds, each step unleashing a vast Buddha Light —a wisp of Zhang Fusheng's will had descended upon her.

And so, she became Him.

"The World-Honored One bestowed upon me a wondrous name and enlightened me to become Guanyin Bodhisattva. Today, I have come to Chang'an to enlighten the pilgrims on their journey to the West."

A vast, resonant chant of Buddhist Brahma Chant echoed through Chang'an City as a wisp of Zhang Fusheng's will took over Lin Changle's body.

At this moment, Great Sun Halo shone behind his head, and the sounds of Brahma Chant and sutra recitation surrounded him. Coupled with auspicious clouds, he truly looked like a Bodhisattva.

"Stop!"

A shout rang out from the palace. Li Jing, along with the other twenty-four members of the Lingyan Pavilion, stepped forward. The former stared at the woman who resembled a true Bodhisattva and spoke in a deep voice:

"The Emperor is currently in seclusion, giving guidance to the pilgrims. We will discuss this later."

Lin Changle glanced lightly at Li Jing, understanding dawning on her— the Northern Emperor's entire focus was indeed on the Eight Sceneries Palace.

Even if they didn't, they might not dare to retract their thoughts at this moment—that would be an offense to 'Taiqing'.

Then,

Zhang Fusheng, controlling Lin Changle's body, spoke calmly:

"How can the Buddha's Imperial Decree be delayed? Heavenly King Li, do not jeopardize your own cause! Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!"

Three sounds faded away in succession, each one louder than the last.

Zhang Fusheng used his Great Lion's Roar, which actually forced everyone except Li Jing to retreat.

The clouds swirl and billow, creating a brief vacuum in this place!

Li Jing's expression remained unchanged as he coldly spoke:

"Even the real Guanyin Bodhisattva would bow to me, let alone you?"

He flipped his hand, creating a giant palm print that seemed to encompass heaven and earth. He dared not harm the woman before him, but merely intended to push her out of Chang'an.

However.

The thought of Zhang Fusheng arriving here crossed his mind, and he uttered only one sentence:

"Presumptuous."

The giant palm print vanished completely in an instant. Before Li Jing could react, he was shocked to find that a vast and boundless force was crushing down upon him!

Before He could even resist, He was crushed into the ground by the overwhelming force, stirring up a huge cloud of dust!

At this moment, Li Jing was merely a remnant of the true spirit of his incarnation. Although he still possessed the cultivation of a great being,

Zhang Fusheng, who transformed into Great Spirit within the entire universe, possessed a spiritual will so powerful that it transcended the limits of omnipotence.

Furthermore, with the blessing of the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, the Peach Tree of Immortality, and the Innate Willow located in the Ancestral Aperture between the eyebrows,

Even if it is just a wisp of will descending at this moment, under the command of that Great Universe, suppressing beings of the same realm is effortless.

Even after being crushed into the ground, Li Jing still tried to struggle, attempting to use some of his Secret Method and Divine Ability that were beyond this level.

But all they heard Dao Sound echo of the Dao in their ears.

"Having received the Buddha's Imperial Decree, I hereby convey a message—"

"Taiqing wants to see you."

Li Jing felt a shiver run through his body and froze on the spot as he saw a large token appear and crash straight into his mental world!

At the same time.

Zhang Fusheng manipulated Lin Changle's body, taking a step onto the edge of the palace.

Then her tongue blossomed like a lotus flower, Golden Mouth Jade Words:

"The pilgrim seeking the scriptures, why haven't you come to see me yet?"

The realm of great power already possesses some rudiments of the ability to make one's words law. Although it is not as great as that of those with Great Divine Ability User, whose words can become the law of the world, it is still quite remarkable.

The moment the chanting of Brahma Chant began.

Li Xiuyuan floated out of the palace involuntarily. Before he could speak, 'Lin Changle' reached out and bestowed upon him Nine-Ringed Zen Staff and Brocade Cassock.

The upheaval of heavenly secrets, the Destiny Event that the Beginning of the Journey to the West, is drawing to a close.

Zhang Fusheng did not immediately withdraw his will. Instead, with a thought, he lowered a great barrier, enveloping himself and Li Xiuyuan within it, isolating them from the outside world.

Then.

"Li Xiuyuan".

Li Xiuyuan saw this woman who had secretly taken over—no, who had received the heavenly position of Guanyin —and spoke softly:

"On behalf of the World Honored One, I have only three questions for you."

Li Xiuyuan looked pale and lowered his eyes.

"I'm all ears."

The female immortal surrounded by Buddha Light's halo remained unperturbed and spoke calmly:

"First question: After your journey to the West, did you, the pilgrim, suffer any calamities?"

Li Xiuyuan raised his head and stared at the 'female bodhisattva' in front of him:

"Could the World-Honored One not know?"

The female bodhisattva calmly said:

"The World-Honored One naturally knows everything, but what needs to be asked must still be asked. Only after asking can the World-Honored One know. Before asking, even if the World-Honored One knows, he should pretend not to know."

After a moment of silence, a ferocious look appeared on Li Xiuyuan's face:

"A calamity. Is it merely a calamity?"

"After obtaining the scriptures, they entered Mount Ling, thinking they would become Buddhas and patriarchs, but what happened?"

He gave a bitter laugh and closed his eyes:

"In the end, it was just treated as a main dish, a main dish for all the immortals and Buddhas!"

"My master was nailed to a bronze and iron pillar. Every time a piece of his flesh was cut off, another piece of flesh would grow back. He cut 100,000 catties of raw flesh every day."

"They call this 'merit meat,' saying that the Sandlewood Merit Buddha has great compassion and saves all beings with his own body!"

Li Xiuyuan's face grew even more ashen, and his teeth clenched so tightly they made a grinding sound.

"The Eldest Senior Brother's cultivation was extraordinary, so he was forcibly converted and made a disciple, then imprisoned in Mount Emei, unable to leave the mountain."

"Brother Sha was sent to the Heavenly Court, where he was steamed day and night to extract his precious blood, without stopping for a moment."

"The Little White Dragon was nailed into the earth, transforming into Dragon Vein, which is consumed day and night by the earth deities and underworld spirits."

Hearing Li Xiuyuan's words, Zhang Fusheng's heart sank to an extreme. He manipulated Lin Changle's body and spoke softly:

"And you? Altar Cleanser Envoy, Marshal Tianpeng."

Li Xiuyuan's lips trembled, and he closed his eyes in pain:

"Like my master, nailed to a bronze pillar, he extracted 100,000 catties of raw meat every day."

Lin Changle spoke again:

"Second question: Why do immortals and Buddhas act this way?"

Li Xiuyuan a deep breath, seemingly calming his emotions, and closed his eyes:

"It's all for the immense merit of that westward journey!"

His voice became steady, and he began in a low voice:

"We who are on our pilgrimage to the West have gained immense merit, which is stored in our essence, energy, and spirit. By consuming our flesh, we gain this merit."

"And with such abundant merit, we... won't die."

Zhang Fusheng fell silent, recalling the stewed meat he had devoured earlier, which contained extremely rich Merit Purple Qi that had transformed him into Innate Being!

But how much suffering must these pilgrims endure?

They are subjected to slow slicing and boiling day and night, devoured by countless earth spirits and Underworld God, accumulating merit and becoming unable to die even if they wish for it.

Merit, merit.

"The third question."

The female bodhisattva asked one last question:

"The World-Honored One wants you to be the vanguard, and the merit gained from the journey to the West will not be taken from you in the slightest; after the journey, you will not be harmed in the slightest."

"I grant you the right to be a god or a saint, to follow your own heart."

"I grant you permission to defy the immortals and Buddhas to avenge old grudges."

So, are you willing or not?

Li Xiuyuan suddenly looked up, stared at the female bodhisattva before him, remained silent for a long time, and then spoke in a dry voice:

How can I believe it?

The female bodhisattva calmly said:

"The World-Honored One does not seek merit."

Li Xiuyuan was lost in thought, then suddenly smiled:

"Where in the world is there anyone who doesn't seek merit, but I'll trust you this once."

Zhang Fusheng didn't know whether Marshal Tianpeng truly believed him or not, but it didn't matter; everything would be clear in the future.

"Let's go, let's go."

The female bodhisattva clasped her hands together, praised the World-Honored One World-Honored Tathagata, and turned to leave.

As she left, she said calmly:

"The Five Finger Mountain has appeared in the world. In three days, you should set off to leave the Other Shore World —at that time, the events that the Beginning of the Journey to the West will be completely over."

"Go, go."

The Bodhisattva vanished from Yin Chang'an, leaving only the lingering echoes of his Brahma Chant.

"The Arctic, I have come for a pilgrimage."

"I beg the Great Heavenly Venerable to forgive all that has happened in the past."

The Northern Emperor clasped his hands, bowed, and paid homage.

But.

Eight Sceneries Palace, at the end of the white jade steps.

Li Jing, using the High Heaven Token given to him by the female bodhisattva, ascended to this place, and this was the first scene he witnessed.

"It's the Emperor."

He trembled slightly as he gazed at the Emperor's figure shrouded in darkness, then looked at the three large characters on the Dao Palace plaque.

Eight Sceneries Palace.

The summons from the Supreme Purity was indeed a summons from the Supreme Purity!

Li Jing's breathing became rapid.

And at this very moment.

Inside the Eight Sceneries Palace.

A faint smile flashed across Zhang Fusheng's face as he slowly spoke:

"Such a great gift, how can I accept it? Northern Emperor Daoist Beidi, please rise."

The Northern Emperor remained bowed, motionless—although, it must be said, the Supreme Purity should not have appeared in the world at this time.

But He dared not gamble.

Even if it's just a wisp of Taiqing's projection, if it were to truly target me, my path to enlightenment would be completely severed.

Now, He can only hope for the 'understanding' of this fellow Daoist Taiqing, and for the other party's non-action nature.

The Supreme Being practices non-action, thus almost never interfering in the affairs of the world. He possesses only an incarnation seated in the Tushita Palace, while his true form Eight Sceneries Palace?

After being deified, he never appeared before the common people again.

Time passed slowly, All Seats was filled with trepidation. The Northern Emperor was drenched in sweat, and Li Jing, who was watching from afar, had completely lost his voice and was feeling dizzy.

I don't know how much time has passed.

The Great Celestial Venerable joined his two fingers together and tapped them lightly three times in the void.

Accompanied by three resounding "du" sounds echoing in all directions,

Zhang Fusheng maintained a calm tone and began to speak:

"Northern Emperor Beidi, please come inside."

Great Emperor Ziwei felt relieved, solemnly performed the rites, and seeing that the hazy chaotic light before his eyes had dissipated, he then tried to take a step and quietly entered the Eight Sceneries Palace.

He did not look around—He had been here many times—nor did he look up to try to discern or gaze at the figure in the mist.

That was a truly disrespectful act.

Things are different now than before; all the Supreme Beings have vanished and cannot illuminate this era.

This means that no one can check or balance the Taiqing.

These supreme beings, the Daluo, survived only by relying on the mutual struggle and checks and balances among the supreme beings, existing in the cracks.

At the same time, Li Jing, standing at the end of the white jade steps, also entered the Eight Sceneries Palace with trepidation.

All Seats looked towards Him, as for the Celestial Venerable in the Mist?

But he said no more.

As for Li Jing, he did not reveal his true name— the Supreme Dao Ancestor summoned him. Combined with the scene of the Emperor paying homage just now, it seems to have already explained a lot.

"I've been chosen to be a chess player??"

This thought flashed through Li Jing's mind, and far from being angry, he was pleasantly surprised!

Not everyone is qualified to become a pawn of the Supreme Beings.

A deathly silence reigned.

"Cough cough."

The True Person standing beside the chaotic mist coughed twice and calmly spoke:

"The Sixth Seat and Ninth Seat seats have been lost and no longer exist. Alright, according to custom, let the All Seats discuss among themselves first."

The Eight Sceneries Palace fell silent once more.

Sixth Seat and Ninth Seat. That's it?

A sense of disorientation arose in the hearts of All Seats, a feeling of unreality. Kong Shentong stood silently in the corner, observing everything.

He wondered, was this so-called 'Northern Emperor' truly an extraordinary being from the past?

This person did not display any great power; everything was only revealed in the conversation between this person and that great celestial being.

This so-called great celestial being did not punish him.

This suggests that the other party may not have been aware of their actions, and it also suggests that the Great Celestial Venerable may not be as powerful as they seem.

Kong Shentong's mind was in turmoil, and he became increasingly skeptical of this so-called Above High Heaven.

Meanwhile, aside from Him, the Northern Emperor, and Li Jing, the All Seats had already begun to discuss the matter animatedly.

They were all discussing some unusual news recently; Chen Nuanyu and Fozi both pointed out that there might be a special Supreme Treasure in the capital.

Huang Qiuxian remained silent, not recounting what he had seen and heard in Yin Chang'an —after all, the person involved was right before his eyes.

Shi Zhengyuan and Du Mingsheng were nothing special, and Shen Baobao simply gave a brief account of the excavation process of the Starry Sky Ruins.

For some reason, All Seats seemed a bit down.

It's probably because of the news of the fall of the Sixth Seat and Ninth Seat.

Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, the True Person sighed softly and spoke calmly:

"Since there is nothing more to discuss, shall the two newlyweds take their seats?"

The Northern Emperor raised his eyelids and fell silent, while Li Jing couldn't help but swallow.

Both of them now knew what taking their seats meant, but...

Zhang Fusheng clearly sensed the Northern Emperor's hesitation.

What is He hesitating about?

Does it mean that once you take your seat, you belong to the Taiqing lineage?

After a moment of silence,

The shadowy figure that Li Jing had transformed into cautiously spoke:

"I would like to take my seat."

The True Person nodded:

"One contribution, one seat."

Li Jing hesitated for a moment—he really didn't know what to offer.

After all, what good is anything I possess to the [Taiqing]?

Perhaps

After a moment of contemplation, despite the distorted sound caused by the darkness,

He still deliberately kept his voice hoarse:

"I am willing to offer three parts of my own divinity to the heavens, seeking a great seat, so as to achieve balance between yin and yang, and equality for all things."

Three parts of divinity?

Zhang Fusheng was surprised. What was that thing?

He was aware of divinity, and he himself possessed divinity, which grew stronger and stronger in the depths of the true spirit, accompanying the worship of all living beings in the divine realm.

But what exactly is its use?

Zhang Fusheng didn't know.

Judging from Li Jing's pained expression beneath his somber face, it seemed... very precious?

Between a hundred turns of thought,

The True Person nodded, and with both hands outlined light and shadow, drawing the Great Contract.

"Just as you said."

"From now on, you will be the new Sixth Seat."

As Li Jing felt the thirty Becoming a God of his divinity being stripped away, he involuntarily let out a muffled groan.

But it was also at this moment.

The Northern Emperor took a deep breath and spoke in a deep voice:

"Your Excellency, I should not take the seat."

All Seats turned their heads in unison, first looking at the Northern Emperor, and then at the great figure in the mist.

The great figure seemed to raise its head once more.

The Northern Emperor quickly cupped his hands and said in a low voice:

"Fellow Daoist Taiqing, Non-Self unwilling, but after what happened back then, I have no face to see you again."

He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath:

"Although I will not be seated here, if Fellow Daoist Taiqing summons me, I will come immediately and perform three deeds for Fellow Daoist Taiqing to settle the karmic debts from that year."

What happened back then?

What cause and effect?

Through the hazy mist, Zhang Fusheng gazed at the now upright Northern Emperor, and suddenly smiled:

"Just as Northern Emperor Beidi said."

Three things, or rather, three times, drove the Northern Emperor.

This is much better than Him taking his seat.

So be it.

Zhang Fusheng lowered his head again, True Person stepped forward, saying meaningfully:

"If All Seats have requests outside of audience times, you may offer prayers to the Heavenly Venerable, and I will listen on behalf of the Heavenly Venerable."

"At this time, please all leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, the True Person bowed, while the Great Celestial Venerable in the mist waved his hand, and the people in the Dao Palace unconsciously flew out of the gate and fell back to the mortal world.

The Eight Sceneries Palace is empty again.

The illusory image of the True Person dissipated. Just as Zhang Fusheng was about to examine Li Jing's thirty Becoming a God and, incidentally, study his own current abilities,

Suddenly, the sound of prayer arose and was heard.

The three different prayers came from Chen Nuanyu, Fozi, and Shen Baobao, respectively.

"So urgent?"

Zhang Fusheng raised an eyebrow. It seemed that these three had also seen through the clues and understood his intention in using the True Person's words to say that "offerings can be made even when there is no audience."

The Above High Heaven are no longer the Above High Heaven once were.

They can no longer speak freely.

"But what is the reason for such urgency?"

Zhang Fusheng was puzzled, but chose to listen to Shen Baobao's prayer first.

The other person simply recounted one thing, something they hadn't explicitly stated earlier.

"True Person, I wish to request the Heavenly Venerable to grant me this request."

"During the excavation of the starry sky ruins, a Dao Palace was unearthed."

"The Dao Palace opened wide, and everything within seemed timeless. Outside the Dao Palace, I saw the title of the Heavenly Venerable—Taiqing."

"That Dao Palace is called 'Doushuai,' Dao Palace there is a furnace with roaring flames!"

Zhang Fusheng suddenly stood up from the prayer mat.

Tushita Palace

His eyes were bright.