Central Province, Great Thunderclap Temple.
The vast hall was utterly silent, yet an air of anxiety permeated it.
Over a dozen Buddhas sat in their respective places. The two clearly divided factions remained silent, but neither bothered to conceal the contempt and disdain in their eyes.
Ru Nan swept his gaze over them. He understood, but at this moment, he could say nothing.
"Venerable Buddha, Chu Xingchen has confirmed the invitation. You may visit the Heavenly Derivation Sect in two days."
Outside the Dharma gate, a Śrāmaṇera spoke in a ringing voice, breaking the tense, oppressive atmosphere.
As his words fell, the dozen or so Buddhas all turned their gazes toward Ru Nan.
The Karma Buddhas and Mundane Buddhas present all knew that the Great Buddha Dharma Assembly to which Ru Nan had specifically invited them today was no simple gathering for conversation, much less a discussion of Buddhist teachings.
They simply had not expected Ru Nan to possess such resolve.
Inviting Chu Xingchen at this moment was tantamount to exposing their most vulnerable side to him.
They must not forget that Guangming Buddha, too, had relied on Chu Xingchen's unspoken protection to continue preaching his so-called Mahayana Buddhism to this day, even drawing a Karma Buddha into defecting.
To extend an invitation now...
Whether they lived or died, whether anything was given or taken, would all depend on another's mercy.
Everyone watched Ru Nan, waiting to see just how he intended to enter this struggle.
Ru Nan's expression was solemn. Golden light constantly flowed through his eyes, and his fingers kept turning the Buddhist Sect's supreme treasure-the Nirvana Śarīra.
This was both a deterrent and a proclamation-that he, Ru Nan, represented the purest orthodoxy of the Buddhist Sect.
"Heavenly Demons run rampant, and a great calamity has befallen the