Spirit Mountain fell silent. Tathagata steadied himself and gave an eerie smile. "Convey my decree: keep a close watch on Dongwang Gong's every move. Report everything, no matter how trivial, as a priority!"
"World-Honored One, the Heavenly Court is on the verge of reform. Every side is stirring, and now even Lu Ya has appeared. This is not a good sign!"
Tathagata said nothing. Of course he knew this was no laughing matter. Something major was about to happen.
"Let's not discuss what Dongwang Gong intends to do next. I'm more doubtful about whether Lu Ya will accept it," Manjushri said.
Samantabhadra felt the same. "Lu Ya is the son of Heavenly Emperor Dijun. Whether he succeeds the Solar Star Lord or even Dongwang Gong, it would be perfectly justified. But that is not how things have unfolded. After the Investiture of the Gods, he vanished without a trace. If he truly wanted the position, he could have taken it long ago. Why would he submit to another now?"
"No. Lu Ya is proud and thinks highly of himself. He is Heaven's favored son, the sole Golden Crow. Succeeding the Solar Star Lord would be no issue, but Dongwang Gong is another matter entirely." Dipamkara shook his head.
"Why?"
Tathagata smiled faintly. "Without the Eastern Emperor Bell's recognition, how could he accept Dongwang Gong's position? Lu Ya sees this very clearly."
Dipamkara nodded. "But at this moment, he has no choice but to act. Qin Fen has already become destiny; that cannot be changed. Nor can Lu Ya simply stand by. With the Eastern Emperor Bell involved as well, that proud Golden Crow will certainly come face-to-face with Qin Fen. One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers!"
"Wouldn't it be better for us to reap the benefits while they fight?" Manjushri