At the western Great Spirit Mountain Temple, ten thousand Buddhas took refuge.
Supreme Buddha Light shrouded the Great Spirit Mountain Temple. Auspicious energy churned, Buddhist chants rang out, and a hundred beasts lay quietly, as though listening to the supreme, wondrous Dharma.
Yet amid this peaceful, tranquil atmosphere, there was a hint of urgency and killing intent.
Countless monks hurried toward the Great Spirit Mountain Temple's main hall, the Great Hero Hall.
Some monks wore anger on their faces, some wore fear, and some wore amusement.
Today, this temple that pursued the shedding of the seven emotions and six desires, the Ten Great Pure Rules, and the Eight Great Precepts instead displayed the myriad faces of living beings.
The Great Hero Hall could not possibly seat so many monks. More monks sat cross-legged in the square outside it.
They waited quietly for the sole object of the Great Spirit Mountain Temple's faith to make a decision concerning the temple's very survival!
Chanting rose across the square like surging tides, its rising and falling voices carrying into the magnificent Great Hero Hall.
Meanwhile, fierce arguments had broken out inside the Great Hero Hall:
"Our Buddha is merciful. Before we have even gone to deliver the Mortal World, those Lowly Gods and Wild Monsters have actually set their sights on our pure Buddhist sanctuary! They deserve death!"
"They have gone too far! Our Buddha, please issue your decree. We of the Three Thousand Buddha Kingdoms must settle who stands above whom with those gods of the Mortal World!"
"The Buddhist Dharma is boundless. According to that azure bird, the deities now number a million. We must find a sound approach!"
Every voice in the discussion carried anger, yet every one declared that the invading scoundrels must be slain before Buddhism's gates.