Thunderous sounds echoed in the sky, and Zen chanting lingered endlessly. A brilliant heavenly light rose from the east, casting its glow upon the temple built of golden tiles and jade bricks, reflecting a vibrant, iridescent radiance.
Jiangxi, Great Thunderclap Temple.
In front of the temple gates where the heavenly light gathered, gusts of heavenly wind suddenly whipped up. Following that, a monk with a large, accommodating belly materialized from the wind and walked out.
This man was named [Rong E]. Not only was he broad and fat, but his facial features were exceptionally hideous, making anyone who looked at him involuntarily feel disgust. However, he did this intentionally. The Buddhist temple he established did not accept righteous believers; instead, it exclusively took in wicked evildoers. This was the very foundation of his Dharma.
At the same time, he was an outstanding figure among the Arhats of the Pure Land.
"Rong E has arrived!"
Seeing his arrival, an Arhat wearing a compassionate smile and manifesting the thirty-two marks of perfection hurried forward, chuckling. "We have been waiting for you for quite some time."
"Ah, it is Vimalakirti."
Arhat Rong E responded with a smile. Both were venerables within the Pure Land, having attained the three meanings of slaying the thieves of defilement, unborn, and worthy of offerings. Their stature was equivalent to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.
"Amitabha." Arhat Rong E first chanted a Buddhist proclamation before speaking in a deep voice. "I have been outside the temple for a long time and am unaware of the inside situation. May I ask why the Bodhisattvas have summoned us? Calculating the years and months, it shouldn't be time to hold a Dharma assembly yet, right? At the very least, we should wait until Bodhisattva Precious Vajra Victory returns to his position..."
"Sigh, Rong E, you do not know." Venerable Vimalakirti sighed upon hearing this and whispered, "Bodhisattva Precious Vajra Victory has completely passed into nirvana and can no longer return to his position. Very few know of this matter!"
"What!?" Arhat Rong E was instantly stunned, followed by a chill surging into his heart. "How is that possible? The outer heaven cultivator actually dared to kill..."
"Shh!" Venerable Vimalakirti hurriedly covered Arhat Rong E's mouth, then pointed upwards. "Have you forgotten? That person's title cannot be casually spoken!"
Arhat Rong E finally recalled the rumors he had heard previously. He subconsciously looked up at the sky. He saw that on the towering canopy of the Immortal Nexus, even in broad daylight, a bright star hung high, unhidden by the light of the great sun. It was precisely that Great World Realm known as the Mystic Spirit World Realm.
"Thank you for the reminder." A second later, Arhat Rong E let out a deep breath. "I've heard about it. That entity has the ability to sense thoughts at will, and happens to be quite petty-minded..."
"Alright, alright." Venerable Vimalakirti sighed and continued, "In short, I believe the reason the two Bodhisattvas summoned us is precisely to deal with that person."
"Huh? Us?" Arhat Rong E pointed at himself blankly, almost losing his composure. "Are you kidding me?!"
Who were they? Just a bunch of Foundation Establishment cultivators! In front of a supreme being who sat high above the sun and moon, they were worse than ants. What could they possibly do when gods and immortals fought?
"Of course it's not just us," Venerable Vimalakirti said in a low voice. "According to the Bodhisattvas, we are all Manifestation Bodies of the World Honored One. As long as there are enough of us, the World Honored One can descend to the mortal realm to vanquish demons!"
Arhat Rong E finally understood.
Oh, so it's still the same old routine. I thought I was being asked to go up and fight a Golden Core Perfected Lord. Scared my poor little heart into beating wildly.
The two walked together. Before long, they entered the Great Thunderclap Temple. What greeted their eyes was a dense cluster of lotus platforms, with a golden body sitting cross-legged on each one.
"Let's return to our positions." The two stopped chatting and each went to sit on their respective lotus platforms. At the same time, even more Arhats were arriving in streaks of light.
Finally, as the resonant toll of the thunder-sound mystic bell within the Great Thunderclap Temple ceased, the massive temple doors slammed shut, sealing completely. On the four Rank-9 lotus platforms positioned at the very top, three figures finally manifested. They were none other than Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer, Bodhisattva Precious Vase Water Moon, and Bodhisattva Coiled Dragon Shadow.
The next second, the Buddhist Cultivators chanted in unison: "Amitabha!"
Instantly, Buddhist light shot straight into the clouds, and the sound of thunder echoed throughout Jiangxi. This immediately stirred all the monks and disciples in Jiangxi, causing the believers to bow and kowtow in devout reverence.
Within the Buddhist light, sweet dew fell from the heavens and golden lotuses sprouted from the earth, presenting an endless array of wondrous phenomena.
Whether it was Vimalakirti, Rong E, or even the three Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land, everyone was bathed in the Buddhist light, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace.
At this moment, the Bodhisattvas could clearly sense the thoughts, ideas, and notions of the Arhats below them, and the Arhats could sense the moods of the monks further down. Layer upon layer, no one harbored deceit, no one held secrets. Everyone was open and honest, and everyone was equal.
The sacred Buddhist light connects us all!
However, a second later, a sudden sense of dissonance surfaced in the hearts of the Arhats, like spotting a blot of ink on a pristine sheet of white paper.
"Hm? This is..." At this moment, all the Buddhist Cultivators let out soft gasps of surprise, then looked toward the source of the ink blot. It was precisely Bodhisattva Coiled Dragon Shadow, sitting in the upper left corner with a hideous expression.
This Bodhisattva's face was twisted, seemingly struggling. The dark red Buddhist dot between his eyebrows suddenly turned pitch-black. Faintly, a sinister "Jie jie jie" laughter rang out. Originally confined only to Bodhisattva Coiled Dragon Shadow, this laughter instantly permeated the entire collective of Buddhist Cultivators!
"Ah!!!"
The first agonizing scream shattered the harmony of [One Mind]. It came from an Arhat situated at the outermost edge. His Buddhist light dimmed, and he actually tumbled off his lotus platform.
And within his body, a new inner demon was born.
The inner demon put on his kasaya, chanted his Dharma, held his artifact, and brazenly sat upon his lotus platform.
Immediately after, the inner demons continued to erupt. One Arhat after another fell from their lotus platforms.
The inner demon stemming from a Bodhisattva cascaded downwards from a high position. Even if Bodhisattva Coiled Dragon Shadow was merely of the Unorthodox Dao, it was not something mere Foundation Establishment Arhats could resist.
However, facing this scene, Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer and Bodhisattva Precious Vase Water Moon on the other side showed absolutely no intention of stopping it. Instead, they wore compassionate smiles. Through the connection of the Buddhist light, this state rapidly spread. All the Buddhist Cultivators also calmed their emotions and revealed identical smiles.
"Amitabha!"
Under the state of [One Mind], none of the Arhats fled. They allowed the inner demons to devour them. The terrifying demonic qi began to intensify fiercely beneath the vast Buddhist light.
This was not the end. After devouring the Arhats, the inner demons immediately plunged deeper through [One Mind], beginning to engulf Qi Refining disciples and even the uncultivated believers.
Just like that, the Buddhist light was fed to the demonic qi, bit by bit.
Feeding the demons with their own bodies!
In the end, only Bodhisattva Precious Lotus Hidden Subduer and Bodhisattva Precious Vase Water Moon remained conscious. Before them, the boundless demonic qi was gradually collapsing inward.
Before long, the demonic qi transformed into a black-robed young man standing within the Great Thunderclap Temple. He had handsome features and waist-length hair, a smile curving the corners of his lips. Yet, he did not appear evil; instead, he exuded an unnatural aura of holiness, causing anyone who laid eyes on him to instantly develop a strong sense of goodwill and trust out of thin air.
"Excellent, excellent." Only at this moment did the two Bodhisattvas slowly speak, chanting in unison: "Only today do we know that the [Deep Bliss Nirvana Dao] is not false, and we understand the World Honored One's true intent."
"Merits complete, all living beings extinguished."
"Joy and sorrow, the Three Poisons and Eight Sufferings."
"All Buddhas enter Nirvana, the True Demon emerges."
"Deep Bliss Pure Land, solely for the sake of Extinction."
The voices of the two Bodhisattvas echoed. They still offered no resistance to the erosion of the inner demons. Shortly after, the original thunderous sounds of Dharma teaching were reduced to nothing but lingering echoes.
The Pure Land was extinguished!
Only at this moment did the black-robed young man, formed from the convergence of demonic qi, finally speak. His voice, brimming with a strange charm, wasn't loud, yet it drifted out eerily:
"Fate is forged by the heart; Buddha and Demon are inherently one."
"To observe precepts and cultivate is merely attachment. Killing, stealing, lust, and falsehood are all emptiness. Wine, pleasure, sleep, and desire are the roots of humanity. The Heavenly Demon is sovereign within the Buddha's heart!"
"Ha! From this day forth, I am the Primordial Heavenly Demon!"
(End of Chapter)