Chapter 37

"Don't waste your strength." Zhuang Yan spoke toward the mouth of the jar. "Once you enter my treasure, no matter how great your abilities, you can forget about escaping."

Moluo glared up furiously. "Who exactly are you? A mere Earth Immortal could never possess such abilities!"

Zhuang Yan chuckled. "There are plenty of abilities you've never seen." With a thought, he activated One Thought Capture. Golden light flashed at the horizon, and a treasure landed steadily in his hand.

He held the treasure over the mouth of the jar and said blandly, "Do you recognize this?"

Moluo stared at it, and his expression changed drastically. "The Primal Golden Body?! How could it be in your hands? Impossible! I clearly already..."

Zhuang Yan burst into laughter. "A mere illusion cast by Cundi Bodhisattva thought it could deceive me into handing over the Golden Body? I had already tampered with it. I was merely playing along with you. How could an evil creature like you have imagined my methods?"

He turned to Moluo, his tone teasing. "This is the Primal Golden Body of the Buddha Demon descended into the world, isn't it? And what Lian'er carries in her womb must be the 'Manifestation of Worldly Dharma'?"

Moluo looked numb, but Zhuang Yan continued on his own. "The Buddha Demon's Primal Golden Body and Manifestation of Worldly Dharma must be extraordinary. Your Buddha Demon truly is generous, descending to the lower realm just to deliver such a grand gift to me. In that case, I'll gladly accept it."

Before his words had faded, Zhuang Yan activated Instantaneous Refinement, refining Moluo's incarnation within the clay jar into a mass of pitch-black, viscous Demon Poison. This was the essence of demonic nature's utmost evil and venom. He removed the jar's seal and stored it within Infinite Space.

There was not much Demon Poison at present, but as long as he refined a few more Moluo incarnations, accumulated enough of it, and purified it, it would surely prove useful in the future. As for the clay jar sealing Lian'er, he stored it away together with the Golden Body.

With that done, Zhuang Yan leaped into the air and flew into the distance, continuing his search for the next target.

In the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the Great Amitabha Temple stood majestically atop Mount Sumeru.

This was Amitabha Buddha's sacred ground. The Buddha who guided all beings and illuminated the universe was seated upon a Lotus Throne atop Kama Cliff. His Buddhist light shone like a wheel, illuminating the three thousand worlds, while Bodhisattvas and Vidyarajas such as Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Zhunti stood solemnly below.

Cundi Bodhisattva was reporting her imprisonment by Moluo to Amitabha Buddha. By decree of Tathagata Buddha, Amitabha Buddha was currently presiding over the Buddhist sect during his hundred-year rotation.

"Had the Spirit Platform Prefecture Lord not come to my rescue, I fear I would have found it difficult to escape the demon's clutches." Cundi Bodhisattva pressed her palms together.

At those words, all the Bodhisattvas revealed expressions of surprise. Vajra Yaksha Vidyaraja could not help asking, "The Spirit Platform Prefecture Lord was far away on Spirit Platform Mountain. How could he have arrived in time to save you?"

"He concealed his whereabouts and tracked Moluo's incarnation into Tianren Temple. He first subdued Moluo, then broke the confinement and rescued me," Zhunti replied.

Achalanatha Vidyaraja said in astonishment, "Has this man's divine ability truly reached such a level?"

Mahamayuri Vidyaraja nodded slightly. "I met him once in the past. I knew his Dharma powers ran deep, but I truly underestimated him if he could so easily subdue a Moluo incarnation." After speaking, he turned to Amitabha Buddha. "World-Honored One, Moluo has appeared, and the Buddha Calamity has begun. How should it be resolved?"

Amitabha Buddha lowered his eyes. "Moluo's Manifestation of Worldly Dharma has not yet taken form. The calamity has only begun to reveal itself, and there is not yet any means of resolving it."

Suddenly, the Buddhist light behind his head trembled slightly. The Bodhisattvas looked up and saw a purple-black demonic shadow emerge within that dazzling halo.

Cundi Bodhisattva abruptly rose to her feet and cried out, "Moluo!" The expressions of the Bodhisattvas changed sharply, and they all rose to stare at the demonic shadow manifesting within the Buddhist light above Amitabha Buddha's head.

Amitabha Buddha calmly raised a hand. "Do not be alarmed, everyone." At his words, the Bodhisattvas stopped and stood where they were, watching Moluo within the Buddhist light.

Amitabha Buddha raised his head toward the Buddhist light, and the demonic shadow rapidly swelled as it rushed from afar. Purple-black demonic radiance devoured the golden Buddhist light in an instant, enveloping Amitabha Buddha in eerie demonic flames.

"World-Honored One!" the Bodhisattvas cried out.

Amitabha Buddha smiled and waved his hand. The demonic light around him fell to the ground at once. Moluo's true body appeared, and all the demonic radiance attached itself to him. Amitabha Buddha had now shed all signs of Buddhist light and holiness, looking like an ordinary bhikkhu.

"Guiding Buddha, how did you see through me?" Moluo demanded harshly.

Amitabha Buddha smiled. "I knew from the moment you first lurked within my Buddha Heart. Ten thousand demons arise from the heart, and the Buddha Heart sees every detail clearly."

Manjushri Bodhisattva suddenly understood. "When evil thoughts arise in the Buddha Heart, demonic obstacles naturally follow." The other Bodhisattvas were enlightened by his words and watched calmly.

Moluo sneered. "So what if you noticed? I have already broken your Buddhist Dharma. You are now nothing more than an ordinary monk. What right do you have to call yourself a Buddha?"

Amitabha Buddha answered calmly, "A Buddha is right enlightenment, not Dharma power. Dharma power may aid one in becoming a Buddha, but Dharma power itself is not Buddhahood." As he spoke, he sat in the lotus position, pressed his palms together, and closed his eyes.

In an instant, his Buddha body withered and decayed, turning into bones and dust. The Bodhisattvas joined their palms and chanted, "Namo Amitabha Buddha."

Moluo roared with laughter at the sight. His demonic flames surged as he lunged at the Bodhisattvas. When his demonic might bore down upon them, countless rays of Buddhist light erupted and formed a barrier. Amid a thunderous boom, Moluo was blasted back, losing thirty percent of his demonic power.

The Bodhisattvas remained without distraction and continued chanting the Buddha's name. Mount Sumeru shook, and boundless merit gathered from all directions upon Kama Cliff, illuminating the entire sacred mountain.

The radiant merit gradually condensed into a nine-colored halo. From the dust that had once been Amitabha Buddha's body, a Sarira suddenly rose, gleaming with golden light.

The Buddhist bone Sarira drifted slowly into the nine-colored halo and came to rest at its very center. Amitabha Buddha's primordial spirit appeared deep within the halo. The kind-faced Buddha pressed his palms together and chanted softly, "Moluo has appeared, and the Buddha Calamity has descended. The monastic community suffers, and all living beings are unsettled. Today, I shall use the Immeasurable Life Body to answer this calamity through nirvana, dissolve the disaster of Buddha and demon, and bestow boundless blessings upon all beings of the Three Realms."

As soon as his words ended, the Buddha's primordial spirit slowly merged into the Sarira. The nine-colored halo contracted with it, ultimately disappearing into the Sarira suffused with flowing golden radiance. The Sarira suddenly flew out of Mount Sumeru's sacred realm, streaked across the sky, and fell into the mortal world. Seeing the Buddha enter nirvana, the bhikkhus of the heavens wept in grief.

This Sarira, carrying the Buddha's vow-power, did not enter the cycle of reincarnation. Instead, it descended directly into the human world, quietly awaiting the chance to meet the reincarnated spirit child. At the very moment Amitabha Buddha passed into nirvana with his Immeasurable Life Body, Moluo's incarnation atop Kama Cliff let out an unwilling roar before vanishing into ash.

At the same time, Moluo's clones scattered across the Four Great Continents were all erased by that vast vow-power. Within the wombs of women carrying Demonic Fetuses, the savage Golden Bodies shattered one after another. Their evil aura dispersed, transforming them into ordinary fetuses that were further blessed by the Immeasurable Life Body. Even mortals who had died after their fortune had been devoured by Demonic Fetuses had their sins cleansed and their blessings and lifespans increased.

All living beings who had perished in the calamity of Buddha and demon were now delivered. Their past transgressions were wiped away, and in their next lives, they would surely possess both blessings and longevity. When the Bodhisattvas atop Kama Cliff in the Great Amitabha Temple opened their eyes, the Buddha was nowhere to be seen.

With solemn expressions, the Bodhisattvas deeply bowed toward the direction in which the Sarira had fallen. "Amitabha Buddha, your compassion is boundless." Only then did they understand that the Buddha had used his Immeasurable Life Body to answer the calamity through nirvana, voluntarily becoming the one to erase it. As the Buddha entered nirvana, the heavenly secrets gradually became clear, and the Bodhisattvas' divinations revealed that seventy percent of the Buddha Demon Calamity had been dissolved.

There was no longer any trace of Moluo within the Three Realms. Only thirty percent of the calamity remained, still hanging over destiny. "Why do thirty percent of the calamity remain unresolved?" Trailokyavijaya Vidyaraja asked. After a long silence, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva said slowly, "It must be Moluo's true body, which has yet to appear in the world."

Suddenly, solemn bells and chimes rang out from deep within Spirit Mountain. The Bodhisattvas grew serious at the sound. "This is the Dharma sound of the Great Thunderclap Temple." They immediately mounted auspicious clouds and rushed toward the sacred realm. In the blink of an eye, a towering temple appeared before them. Its golden summit reached Mount Sumeru, while auspicious mist enveloped India's holy land. Golden roof tiles shone under the sun, violet flames rose before agate steps, pagoda shadows swayed, and the fragrance of udumbara flowers filled the air. It was truly an eternal pure land untouched by worldly dust.

The Bodhisattvas entered the Great Thunderclap Temple in order and ascended to the grand hall. They saw the myriad Buddhas seated in their proper places, while Tathagata Buddha sat upon a Lotus Throne, his Dharma manifestation solemn and majestic.

The Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva were already seated upon their Lotus Thrones, their gazes clear and their compassion boundless.

After paying their respects to Tathagata Buddha, the Bodhisattvas took their seats upon their Lotus Thrones and sat solemnly.

Once all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had taken their places, Tathagata Buddha spoke. "Guiding Buddha's compassion was boundless. He answered the calamity and entered nirvana. The reincarnated spirit child will be born a hundred years from now. Since Moluo's Manifestation of Worldly Dharma has yet to manifest, this great calamity of Buddha and demon shall likewise be delayed for a hundred years."

The Bodhisattvas were all shocked. Akashagarbha Bodhisattva immediately asked, "May I ask, Buddha Ancestor, did Guiding Buddha's sacrifice merely postpone the great calamity of Buddha and demon by a hundred years?"

Tathagata nodded. "Indeed. The great calamity of Buddha and demon is a Dharma calamity of our Buddhist sect. It cannot be resolved by one person or one Buddha alone. Yet Guiding Buddha's sacrifice has laid down seventy percent of the greater momentum for the calamity a hundred years hence."

The Bodhisattvas looked at one another in silence. Tathagata swept his gaze across them and asked, "Do you know what gave rise to the great calamity of Buddha and demon?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva answered, "The World-Honored One once said that the Buddha Demon is Heavenly Demon King Bo Xun. His Dharma abides beyond the present world and is born alongside the Buddha. The great calamity of Buddha and demon is Bo Xun's incarnation descending into the world to destroy our Buddhist Dharma."

Tathagata nodded. "Well said, but you know only one side of it."

He said slowly, "Buddha and demon were originally one body. One thought makes a Buddha, and one thought becomes a demon. Since our Buddhist sect first spread the Dharma, we have passed through countless epochs. In the beginning, Buddha and demon were weak, and the might of the great calamity was not even comparable to a cultivator's own tribulations. Yet in recent years, the power of the calamity has grown ever stronger. Do you know why?"

The Bodhisattvas answered, "Could it be because our Buddhist sect finds it increasingly difficult to uphold the true Dharma, causing the Buddha to wane and demons to flourish?"

Tathagata praised them. "Precisely. Our Buddhist sect has spread the Buddhist Dharma far and wide, yet those who uphold the precepts and keep their hearts righteous grow fewer by the day. Not only mortal monks, but even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas often give rise to mortal desires. Thus the demonic path naturally flourishes while the Buddhist path declines."

"When the heart gives rise, demons arise. When the heart is extinguished, demons are extinguished."

"The true Dharma values a single-minded heart. Why does our Buddhist sect have the Great Calamity of the Latter Dharma? It is because the Buddha Heart transforms into demon. In the future, among our disciples, Buddha Hearts will be few while demon hearts abound. Then the Great Calamity of the Latter Dharma will naturally arrive."

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas fell silent upon hearing this. Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva asked, "The Great Calamity of the Latter Dharma has not yet arrived. Is there any way to resolve it?"

Tathagata smiled. "A tree grows naturally and must have twists and bends. Even if one uses outside force to straighten it, it will only possess the appearance of straightness."

Cundi Bodhisattva asked, "According to the World-Honored One, is the Great Calamity of the Latter Dharma irreversible?"

Tathagata shook his head. "Fixed fate is difficult to alter. When demons arise, Buddhas perish. When demons flourish, Buddhism declines."

"However..." Tathagata continued, "before fixed fate comes to pass, variables abound. If one can seize hold of those variables, perhaps one may find a thread of life amid the Great Calamity of the Latter Dharma."

The Bodhisattvas all fell into deep thought.

Zhuang Yan sensed that every Moluo incarnation had vanished, and even the Demonic Fetuses had returned to normal.

"Could something have gone wrong?" Zhuang Yan frowned slightly and immediately activated the heavenly secret investigation function, searching for clues regarding Moluo's incarnations.

A crucial piece of information leaped into view. After reading it, Zhuang Yan's vision went dark, and he held his forehead with a sigh. I only refined seven Moluo incarnations...

He then shook his head helplessly. Guiding Buddha was far too resolute. With me here, why did he need to answer the calamity with his own body?

Yet seeing Guiding Buddha use the blessings of Immeasurable Life to save all beings, Zhuang Yan still felt respect rise within him. Those who attained Buddhahood truly possessed extraordinary realms of understanding.

After closing the heavenly secret investigation, he took a Green Jade Gourd from Infinite Space.

Sealing light flowed over the gourd's surface, and within it was what he had obtained by refining Moluo.

"It should be enough." Zhuang Yan put away the gourd and muttered to himself.

Now that all Moluo within the Three Realms had been purified by Guiding Buddha's vow-power, he decided to return to Spirit Platform Mountain.

His body transformed into a streak of light that swept across the sky, and in an instant, he arrived within Guangci Prefecture.