Guanyin's words were astonishing, and the entire Great Thunderclap Temple fell silent.
"What the Venerable Guanyin said is absolutely right."
After a long silence, Bodhisattva Manjushri spoke in a deep voice, "This child has become a major threat and must not be treated as an ordinary calamity. The most urgent task is to eliminate this fiend to prevent future troubles! Otherwise, the entire sect's plans may be ruined by a mere minor immortal!"
"Indeed!" Bodhisattva Samantabhadra nodded in agreement. "However, Xu Xiao is cunning, burdened with the strange Great Dao of Cause and Effect, secretly protected by the Great Emperor Zhenwu, and bearing the title of 'Guardian of the Dao' of the Heavenly Court. If he were to act openly, it might give others grounds for criticism and provoke a strong backlash from Heavenly Court and even the Daoist Sect, which would be even more detrimental to the overall situation of the Journey to the West."
The two bodhisattvas' agreement essentially confirmed the Buddhist Sect's thoughts; the Tathagata the Buddha, high above all, did not express his opinion was the greatest form of support.
Guanyin nodded in satisfaction, then continued to guide, "What the two Bodhisattvas say is very true. Therefore, this humble monk proposes that the next trial, and even the subsequent trials, should be conducted with a strategy of 'openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass'!"
"On the surface, they follow the Heavenly Dao, setting up tribulations to test the Pilgrim, but in reality... they conceal a deadly trap within these tribulations! Under the guise of 'responding to the tribulations,' they are actually carrying out 'exorcising demons'! Target— Xu Xiao!"
"Mobilize sufficient forces and set up a deadly trap. Either lure out extraterrestrial demons, or use an ancient, aged monster, or even use the pretext of a trial to launch an attack! Make sure it's a thunderous, decisive blow! Even if you can't kill him on the spot, severely damage his Great Dao and cripple his strange ' Power of Variables '! Make him unable to interfere with the Journey to the West!"
"This plan is feasible!" Manjushri and Guangxian exchanged glances and both nodded.
"Calamities are inevitable disasters in a great calamity. As a protector of the Dao, it is understandable that he might lose his own life if his ability to protect the Dao falters."
"I can also order my Green Lion, the Azure Lion, to contact the former demon kings and set up an ambush from all sides!" Bodhisattva Manjushri remained outwardly solemn, but his words were filled with murderous intent.
"The Yellow Wind Monster of Yellow Wind Ridge is a weasel that attained enlightenment at the foot of Spirit Mountain. Its supernatural power, ' Samadhi Divine Wind,' is used to destroy people's magical treasures and primordial spirits. We can control it as a vanguard to create chaos and restrain that demon monkey Sun Wukong. Then, the Green Lion can lead the elite demon army to surround and kill Xu Xiao!" Lingji Bodhisattva also offered his advice.
" The White Elephant beneath this humble monk possesses immense strength, capable of suppressing mountains and rivers, and also sealing off space to prevent it from escaping using its strange escape techniques," added Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.
" Amitabha Buddha."
" The Venerable Golden-Winged Peng is unparalleled in Douzhan; having him restrain him would surely allow us to coordinate the group and catch him off guard."
"And those demon kings of the four continents, the demon race is already suppressed by the Heavenly Court. We only need to promise them great rewards afterward, and we can definitely make them our pawns."
"The journey to the Journey to the West is fraught with demons. It is only natural that those who were meant to protect the pilgrims failed in their duty and died at the hands of demons."
"Yes, yes. After that, we just need to perform a ritual to release these troublesome demons, and at worst, they can have to relive their journey to the Journey to the West!"
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas offered their strategies, their killing intent chilling. Under the all-encompassing Buddhist light of the Great Thunderclap Temple, a net of heaven and earth was rapidly being woven around Xu Xiao.
All the proposals revolve around the same core: using the "legitimate" framework of the next difficulty to disguise the deadly trap as a natural calamity, concentrate superior forces, and eliminate Xu Xiao, the biggest variable, with lightning speed!
Finally, all eyes were drawn to the Tathagata Buddha's golden body, which remained expressionless, devoid of joy or sorrow.
The Tathagata Buddha's eyes were slightly closed, and the prayer beads between his fingers were slowly turned, as if he had not heard of the sordid things happening beneath him.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of compassion seeming to cross them, but ultimately his expression turned indifferent.
"That's good."
The Tathagata Buddha spoke, his voice majestic and calm, yet carrying an undeniable resolve. " Xu Xiao possesses heretical teachings, repeatedly disrupting Buddhist connections, stealing merits, and shaking the order of calamities, thus committing boundless karmic transgressions. The concerns of Venerable Guanyin are profound, and the words of Manjushri and Samantabhadra are also reasonable."
"For the sake of this great calamity, even the compassionate Buddha must ruthlessly prevent the disaster from spiraling into the unknown; it is fitting to employ thunderous measures."
His gaze swept over the Bodhisattvas and Arhat below, finally settling on Manjushri and Samantabhadra: "The next tribulation will take place at Yellow Wind Ridge. Manjushri and Samantabhadra, you two are fully responsible for arranging this calamity. On the surface, follow the Heavenly Dao path, luring the Pilgrim into your trap to test their resolve. In secret..."
The Tathagata's voice suddenly turned cold:
"... In the name of 'responding to calamity,' a plan to 'slay demons' is laid out!"
"We must strike with overwhelming force and annihilate this scoundrel Xu Xiao! The Green Lion White Elephant can serve as the vanguard, the Yellow Wind Monster as bait, and the Golden-Winged Peng will also intervene to restrain him. I will use Buddhist teachings to obscure the secrets of heaven and conceal the karma of Spirit Mountain. In this battle, victory is the only option!"
"We will obey the Buddha's decree!" Guanyin, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Lingji and other Bodhisattvas Arhat answered in unison, their eyes blazing with Buddhist light and their killing intent solidified into a tangible form.
Guanyin Bodhisattva clasped her hands and bowed her head, finally finding an outlet for the pent-up anger in her heart. A chilling killing intent intertwined with a hint of vengeful pleasure. Xu Xiao... the next ordeal will be your burial ground!
The Tathagata Buddha's gaze turned out of the hall, as if piercing through endless time and space, and he saw the group of people walking on the journey to the Journey to the West.
He slowly added, "Remember, Xuanzang is the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, a matter of fundamental importance, and his life must not be harmed. The demon monkey Sun Wukong is a born being, a matter of our sect's destiny and plans. If he can be subdued, his life will be spared, and he will serve as a protector; if he remains stubborn... then we will proceed with sealing and suppressing him."
"The journey to the Journey to the West can be postponed for another lifetime, but we must not allow any further complications or unforeseen changes to occur."
"Yes!" The bodhisattvas understood immediately.
"Go." The Tathagata Buddha closed his eyes again, and the magnificent chanting once more rose up, drowning out the chilling murderous intent in the hall, as if the life-or-death plot had never happened.
Manjushri and Samantabhadra exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unwavering resolve. A flash of Buddhist light enveloped them, and they vanished without a trace.
The calamity of the Journey to the Journey to the West, stirred up by the anomaly Xu Xiao, is sliding into an abyss full of variables that even the All Buddhas cannot fully control.
At the edge of the abyss, a deadly massacre, known as "calamity," has already begun, casting a deadly net.