Chapter 371: Chapter 239: Stepping Forward

Seeing the Various Buddhas return, all doubts vanished like smoke in the air.

Indeed, how could such a powerful Buddhist Sect encounter any trouble?

The only force that might threaten the Buddhist Sect would be the Heavenly Court, but given the unprecedented rebellion it had just experienced, with countless Immortals dead, it was already overwhelmed with its affairs, let alone concerning itself with what was happening in Dongsheng Shenzhou.

This was the current consensus on Mount Ling, and it was precisely this arrogance that led to continual dispatching of the Buddhist Sect’s disciples to the Eastern Land, all to open a new Buddha Kingdom for the Buddhist Sect.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, such a supposedly foolproof operation did indeed run into trouble, so much so that in the end, Various Buddhas went there together, simply to rescue those who were trapped in the Eastern Land.

Even so, it still took a long time before they awaited the Buddha’s return.

As long as they returned safely, the uneasy hearts of the people on Mount Ling would return to normal.

However, unlike the excitement of the masses below, the atmosphere atop Mount Ling had become somewhat oppressive.

The faces of the Various Buddhas no longer showed the previous compassion and amiability; instead, each one’s face was stern, and they remained silent, as if the very air around them had frozen.

This operation can be described as a complete failure; the face of the Buddhist Sect had been trampled and rubbed into the dirt, yet they could only watch helplessly.

"Humans vie for pride, the Buddha receives a stick of incense." How could the Buddhist Sect just let things be?

"Despicable people of the Eastern Land, disrespecting the Buddha, blaspheming divine spirits," a Buddha roared in anger.

His voice echoed over Mount Ling like thunder, shocking the believers at the foot of the mountain into hurriedly kneeling down, fervently knocking their heads on the ground in prayer, clueless as to why the Buddha was so enraged.

"This is a conspiracy, a conspiracy targeting us."

"We must retaliate, let these ignorant people realize that the Buddhist Sect also harbors a fierce spirit of wrath!"

The crowd tried their best to vent their anger, hoping to teach Dongsheng Shenzhou a painful lesson.

"Enough, stop speaking these meaningless words. We can’t afford the consequences of starting a war with two top powers," the Ancient Buddha said, frowning.

In his heart, however, he was eager for the Maitreya Buddha Ancestor to appear soon, for he feared he might not be able to suppress the situation any longer.

The timing of the opposing party’s disruption was calculated too perfectly, coinciding with the Maitreya Buddha Ancestor’s suppression of the Demon Head, leaving the Buddhist Sect at a loss.

"A bunch of mundanes, using who knows what methods—if it weren’t for that detestable power suppressing us, how could Dongsheng Shenzhou be a match for our grand Buddhist Sect?" a Buddha said with disdain.

He believed that the Eastern Land might have developed a peculiar power to suppress the Buddhist Sect with the help of the Heavenly Court. If they could only find the source of their vulnerability, the problem would be readily solved.

Many shared the same sentiment, desperately hoping to give the people of the Eastern Land a harsh lesson, to teach them the meaning of reverence.

For a while, the summit of Mount Ling felt chaotic. The Ancient Buddha quietly chanted the Buddha’s name, but inside he was extremely anxious. Dongsheng Shenzhou was far from the weak entity these people believed it to be. It was known that in ancient times, it was the center of the Human Clan. Although he had long resided in the Xiniu Continent, he had heard of numerous incredible tales that occurred on that land.

Only later, as time went by and those stories were deliberately concealed by certain individuals, did they gradually vanish into obscurity.

"Amitabha Buddha!" Just as the situation became uncontrollable, a chant of the Buddha’s name suddenly arose from the depths of Mount Ling, carrying endless mercy and dignity, ringing in the ears of everyone on Mount Ling.

Brilliant Buddha’s Light shone forth, filled with wisdom and the power of transcendence, instantly calming the chaotic Mount Ling.

This was the majesty of the Buddha, as the Future Buddha Ancestor, Maitreya, finally made his appearance.

"Amitabha Buddha, we greet the Future Buddha Ancestor!" All of the Buddhas pressed their palms together in salute and praised the Future Buddha Ancestor.

The Ancient Buddha also let out a slight sigh of relief, feeling fortunate that in the critical moment, the Future Buddha Ancestor came out of his retreat; it seemed the matter of suppressing the Demon Head was already settled.

"All Buddhas here are beings of perfect merit and virtue, who should not be blinded by the seven emotions and six desires. How did you all come to be in such a state?" Maitreya’s voice resounded in their ears, causing them all to shiver. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

They suddenly started to examine their own hearts and found that in this time, they had been unwittingly bewitched by greed, leading to many incomprehensible actions.

The ability to ’See the Mind and Understand the Nature’ of the Buddhist Sect seemed to vanish, instead, they were sinking into the abyss of desire.

These changes were subtle and gradual; without careful self-examination, they likely would have remained unnoticed. Now, having Maitreya lay bare the truth, they were shaken to sudden repentance.

"What is this?"

"Amitabha Buddha, a sin, a sin!"

Some Buddhas, with faces full of shame, felt ashamed of the desires they harbored during this time, but this also made them more certain that they had been influenced.

"Indeed, you all possess the roots of wisdom, to discover the clues so quickly," Maitreya said with a smile.

"May I ask the Buddha Ancestor, where does this power come from? We often self-reflect in our practice, but unknowingly, we fell into the midst of desire, making such grave mistakes."

"This power comes from the Demon King Mara. He once contested the path with the Tathagata Buddha, who suppressed him beneath Mount Ling. This time, he quietly broke the Seal, inciting the demonic thoughts within all living beings, hence wrapping everyone in desire, and leading them to a state of indecision."

"I noticed this issue and thus went into secluded cultivation to reinforce the Seal, unaware that such a crisis would arise."

Maitreya sighed softly, admitting he had neglected one thing in looking after another and had ultimately failed.

The Jade Emperor, truly worthy of having presided over the Three Realms for many years as the Master of Heaven and Earth, possessed masterful means. He forced Maitreya to swallow this defeat in silence; the Buddhist Sect’s meticulously planned strategy for years was ruined in an instant.

It was precisely at this moment that Mara chose to breach the Seal, making Maitreya suspect whether the Jade Emperor had struck some kind of agreement with him.

His gaze fixed to the East, his eyes deep and profound, yet in the end, he could only sigh.

Yet, Maitreya’s words set off a great uproar in Mount Ling; after all, Demon King Mara was no ordinary character, but the eternal adversary of the Buddhist Sect. Born concurrent with the Buddhist Sect, he embodied the malevolence of Heaven and Earth and had been entwined in karma with the Buddhist Sect from birth.

The Demon King Mara had even attempted to obstruct the path when Tathagata Buddha attained enlightenment, only to be suppressed in the end, defeated though he was formidable. He had sworn an oath to destroy the Buddhist Sect.

Such a being had, unbeknownst to them, undone part of the Seal. Now they understood why such a failure had occurred this time. With this demon, adept at bewildering the hearts of men, it was no wonder they all felt unsettled and indecisive.

Fortunately, the Buddha Ancestor had timely suppressed him, otherwise as time passed, they might have unwittingly become entwined with demonic obstructions and eventually become possessed by the Demon Head.