At the Buddha Head Temple closest to Jinmen Temple, more than a dozen Insect Buddhas had already gathered, all of them at the Heavenly Aberration realm or above.
They were among the few Heavenly Aberration realm Buddhas currently in Small Buddha Heaven. Four of them had even been transferred from Great Buddha Heaven.
The leader was Bloodmark Bodhisattva, an Insect Buddha who held considerable status even in Great Buddha Heaven. His cultivation was already approaching the late stage of the Heavenly Aberration realm, and suppressing an Insect Buddha of the same realm was effortless for him.
"Venerable Bloodmark, the Buddhas sent to Jinmen Temple have already gone completely silent. To prevent any unforeseen incident, we should send more..."
"Shut up."
Bloodmark Bodhisattva glanced at the Arhat Buddha beside him, his expression mixed with impatience. From time to time, his eyes would turn toward Great Buddha Heaven overhead.
"No matter what, we'll head to Jinmen Temple tomorrow according to plan. We don't have time to deal with the so-called Mountain Buddha. Understood?"
The Arhat Buddha swallowed and nodded in astonishment.
Bloodmark Bodhisattva ignored him and stared at Great Buddha Heaven with a worried expression.
He knew just how destructive the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons were. When they first invaded Great Buddha Heaven, the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons had conflicts among themselves, so they had not united and had instead been suppressed by Buddhism.
But after the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons merged from scattered forces into a whole, they became like a stubborn disease embedded in the bones, incredibly difficult to shake off.
The Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons could affect the environment of Great Buddha Heaven and even transform monks into evil anomalies, endlessly eroding the territory in which Buddhism could survive.
Fude Tathagata remained firmly seated upon his lotus throne, showing no intention of taking action.
What shocked Bloodmark Bodhisattva the most was that Great Buddha Heaven itself seemed to be helping the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons.
Several times, an Extraterritorial Heavenly Demon had nearly been killed, only to escape for various reasons, as though some invisible force were secretly helping it.
He did not know that this was actually the True Immortal's subconscious attempt at self-preservation.
Bloodmark Bodhisattva instructed the Buddhas to make their preparations with all due haste. They donned magical artifacts refined from the flesh and blood of monks, which could rapidly replenish their exhausted Buddha Qi.
They only wanted to eliminate Fleshly Tathagata in one stroke, then turn their attention toward Great Buddha Heaven.
Amid the tense atmosphere, a day passed in the blink of an eye.
As soon as Fude Tathagata finished expounding the Buddhist teachings, they immediately set out for Jinmen Temple, causing the surrounding mountains to tremble.
Bloodmark Bodhisattva knew that they could not conceal their movements from Fleshly Tathagata. After all, Fleshly Tathagata had somehow converted hundreds of Buddhas, so they could only rely on speed and surprise.
After two or three hours, they could already see Jinmen Temple from afar.
But Bloodmark Bodhisattva was surprised. Jinmen Temple had returned to its former splendor. Its entire structure was like glazed crystal, without even a trace of moss.
"Amitabha."
"Fish Cicada Buddha, approach Jinmen Temple and investigate the situation. Notify me immediately if there is any danger."
Fish Cicada Buddha swallowed. He could only obediently comply, wrapping his entire body in Buddha Qi and shuffling toward Jinmen Temple in tiny, cautious steps.
He had assumed that a fierce battle was unavoidable, but unexpectedly, Jinmen Temple was completely deserted. There was not even the slightest trace of Buddha Qi.
Fish Cicada Buddha contacted Bloodmark Bodhisattva, who then led a large group of Buddhas over.
They looked at one another in confusion, as though they had thrown a punch into cotton. At the same time, they were deeply puzzled about where Fleshly Tathagata could possibly have gone.
Bloodmark Bodhisattva's expression was grim as he said in an unquestionable tone, "Find the Mountain Buddha as quickly as possible. Then contact Great Buddha Heaven."
Another possibility occurred to him. If Fleshly Tathagata was also an Extraterritorial Heavenly Demon, could this have been a ploy to lure them away from their base?
Bloodmark Bodhisattva immediately intended to return to Great Buddha Heaven, anxiety evident on his face.
At that moment, several explosions suddenly resounded through Great Buddha Heaven, accompanied by an indescribably terrifying aura.
It was obvious that the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons had caused a major disturbance.
Under such circumstances, Fude Tathagata finally took action. Surging Buddha Qi swept across Great Buddha Heaven, but there was thunder without much rain.
It seemed more like the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons were testing Fude Tathagata's methods. They clearly had another objective.
Bloodmark Bodhisattva could no longer concern himself with the chaos in Small Buddha Heaven. He hurried toward Great Buddha Heaven at full speed, afraid that the entire Buddhist realm would be completely lost because of this.
While Deeper Layer World was in complete chaos, Fleshly Tathagata was already at the edge of Jingzhou.
In a short period, the Restraint Officers' Hall had already constructed a magnificent complex of temples within Lingshan, no less impressive than the Buddhist temples of Deeper Layer World.
Ren Qing widened his eyes and stopped Fleshly Tathagata from leaving Jingzhou.
He noticed that when Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal took action, its abdomen protruded like that of someone ten months pregnant. Beneath its thin, translucent skin was a gigantic Gu worm that constantly writhed.
A trace of unwillingness appeared in Li Yaoyang's eyes.
The path to immortality was clearly right before him, but with his strength, reaching it was obviously unrealistic.
Although Ren Qing could not identify the Gu worm, he knew that it was probably related to an Immortal Position associated with insects.
How ironic.
Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal's Heavenly Dao Method had always focused on parasitizing others. It was difficult to imagine that it would itself become parasitized by a Gu worm. The mastermind had truly made a tremendous move.
The mastermind wanted to use Dipankara Tathagata to replace Dipankara Buddha. If successful, it could at least help Buddhism hold on for several thousand more years.
Dipankara Buddha was probably about to reach his limit. Once he became completely assimilated into the Heavenly Dao...
Ren Qing shook his head with a bitter smile. After those Buddhas could no longer transfer their Karmic Fire, they would surely all transform into Turbid Immortals. A great calamity was approaching.
He had no reason to stop the mastermind, but he felt that the other's plan was indeed unrealistic.
Could tens of thousands of Dipankara Buddha's disciples truly comprehend the Heavenly Dao and elevate Dipankara Buddha into the Heavenly Dao? Even thinking about it seemed somewhat unbelievable.
If nothing unexpected happened, the mastermind might itself be the current Dipankara Buddha. Its body and soul might already have merged into the Buddha Qi.
Ren Qing knew that Lady White Bone and the other Heavenly Aberration realm cultivators would likewise not stop the mastermind, because they also wished to make contact with the Heavenly Dao.
The more he thought about it, the colder his back became. The Immortals and Buddhas of this world were all a bunch of lunatics.
Yet these lunatics possessed destructive power. It left even Ren Qing walking on thin ice, afraid that this world would turn into a living hell.
Time to get out. In any case, Jingzhou already had enough informants planted throughout it. He could monitor everything remotely and avoid putting himself in danger.
As for the Heavenly Aberration realm cultivators he had originally intended to recruit, they could simply fend for themselves.
Ren Qing looked at the swampy desert that lay within arm's reach, then stored Fleshly Tathagata inside Stomach World to avoid attracting too much attention.
The cultivators of the Restraint Officers' Hall also withdrew into the Heavenly Palace.
After several months of offensive and defensive battles, they had all gained quite a bit. Their experience fighting Buddhism would certainly prove useful in the future.
Ren Qing settled his mind and slowly walked out of the turbulent and unpredictable Jingzhou.
What appeared before his eyes was not a desolate desert, but four or five floating cities, with tens of thousands of cultivators moving through them.
From time to time, city-type magical artifacts would burrow into Jingzhou's territory.
Ren Qing noticed the familiar faction belonging to Yellow-Robed Old Demon, as well as some cultivators with bizarre and grotesque appearances.
The method of reaching Inner Layer World had probably already spread among the various factions, precisely to encourage more cultivators to make the journey.
He had no idea how many factions had been attracted here by Jingzhou's opportunities.
In this era when the path to immortality had been severed, being able to come into contact with the Heavenly Dao was extraordinarily precious. Even if one could not become an Immortal, becoming an Earth Immortal was still extremely difficult.
Ren Qing sneered and casually released dozens of bacterial souls to spread the name of the Heavenly Court.
If he had not known that Jingzhou was about to undergo a drastic change, he probably would have stayed in the swamp to earn resources from the various factions. Unfortunately, the risk was simply too great.
Yellow-Robed Old Demon's city looked as though it had been casually piled together from rocks.
The tops of the city walls were filled with patrolling cultivators, who watched the surrounding factions with vigilant eyes. Their extremely belligerent nature was obvious.
When Ren Qing set foot in the swamp, some Hyena cultivators caught his scent and unconsciously looked toward the sand dune where he had been staying.
Ren Qing had no intention of concealing himself. He immediately cast Heavenly Demon Possession.
He vanished without a sound. In an instant, he had already arrived at Dragon Blood Sea Region. Even then, he still felt unsafe, so he dived tens of thousands of miles beneath the sea and burrowed into Matchmaking Immortal's body.
The mastermind had given Ren Qing a good lesson.
The facts proved that in this world, it was absolutely not only Nameless and Ren Qing who were secretly laying plans. Those ancient monsters left behind from antiquity certainly would not remain inactive either.
Ren Qing understood that some drastic change would definitely occur in Jingzhou. All he needed to do now was wait for time to ferment the situation while strengthening himself.
He began cultivating the Spirit Division meditation technique. Next, he would have the remaining two techniques ascend to the Heavenly Aberration realm. At that point, he would have no flaws whatsoever.
At the same time, Ren Qing transferred the Heavenly Dao transformation to Fleshly Tathagata in the Western Buddhist Realm, and the entire Lingshan immediately began burning fiercely.
The monks were all protected by their temples, so they could not feel the aftereffects of the Karmic Fire.
They assumed that this was a trial from the Tathagata and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to chanting scriptures. This truly helped Fleshly Tathagata suppress the Karmic Fire.
Ren Qing had the illusion that he only needed to seclude himself for a hundred years before he could successfully become an Immortal.
Whenever distracting thoughts arose in his mind, he would come to Xiangxiang and look toward Jingzhou. The disturbances that occasionally emerged from there clearly indicated that something unusual was happening.
Under these circumstances, several factions chose to abandon the opportunity.
But as the time approached for the Merit Monks to make contact with the Heavenly Dao, greed still defeated reason, and even drove them to become more reckless.
Blood Bat Matriarch could be considered one of the more level-headed Heavenly Aberration realm cultivators.
Ren Qing could tell that the Heavenly Dao insect people had gradually begun withdrawing from Jingzhou. However, Blood Bat Matriarch could not possibly abandon the Immortal Position of Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal.
The most miserable existence in Insect Nest was the human-insects. They were neither favored by their grandmother nor loved by their uncles.
Gu Immortal relied on Dream City to replenish resources and could barely maintain the current situation, but far too many new forces had poured in, leaving the situation precarious.
Ren Qing had guided Gu Immortal before, but hiding underground in Surface Layer World and barely surviving was actually already the best response.
He informed Gu Immortal of the location of Dragon Blood Sea Region.
Whether Gu Immortal could retreat unscathed from this situation would depend on his own fortune.
Ren Qing's Heavenly Dao Crack was already close to recovery. He would soon be able to ascend to the Heavenly Aberration realm, but for some reason, he felt inexplicably uneasy.
The divination signs on the surface of the tortoise shell had consistently indicated minor ill fortune.
But that did not mean Jingzhou would be safe. Any change in Deeper Layer World could potentially affect the next several thousand years.
Ren Qing could not guarantee what kind of consequences the mastermind's actions would have for the War of Enfeoffing Immortals.
He remained beneath the sea, watching Jingzhou until the Heavenly Dao Crack could finally withstand the consumption of his lifespan.
Just as Ren Qing was preparing to advance his techniques, something unexpected happened. Jingzhou suddenly split open with crack after crack, while the ground slowly began to rise, as though it were about to float into the sky.
If one looked carefully, it seemed that a gigantic spherical object was emerging from beneath it.