Following his gaze, one could see a terrifying darkness lurking beneath Mount Ling, which was now ceaselessly churning. Terrible evil thoughts surged out as if to turn Mount Ling into a land of demons, and the surrounding area was filled with piercing screams, as if to awaken the deepest fears in people’s hearts.

"Amitabha Buddha," Maitreya let out a soft cry, and from him burst forth a dazzling Buddha’s Light, rushing toward the darkness below.

The originally tumultuous evil thoughts were instantly suppressed, and the omnipresent screams also disappeared without a trace.

Grand chanting sounds began to echo in this place.

The darkness under Mount Ling was thoroughly suppressed.

"Maitreya, I am not done with your Buddhist Sect," a hoarse voice came from the depths of the darkness, carrying endless evil thoughts and temptations.

That was the voice of Demon King Mara, and even just this short sentence had the power to lead people into corruption. One could only imagine the vast damage such a terrifying entity could inflict if it broke free from Mount Ling.

Maitreya frowned tightly, this Demon King, suppressed by Buddha, was indeed formidable; it took all his might to completely suppress him.

Moreover, he found that Mara’s power was particularly restraining against the Buddhist Sect, and for disciples practicing the Buddhist Law, they seemed to fall into the Demon Path more easily. No wonder Buddha chose to seal him back then.

In this world, opposites coexist; where there is light, there is darkness. If the Heavenly Court comes into being, naturally there would be a Demon Court to balance it. And if the Buddhist Sect opens the gates of convenience, it naturally goes against the heavens, and naturally, demon heads will come to block the way.

And Mara was just such a being, born in accordance with nature, a natural enemy to the Buddhist Sect. If he were eliminated, then without Yin, Yang cannot grow, and without Yang, Yin cannot last; either the Buddhist Sect would be destroyed or an even more terrifying demon head would be born in the Three Realms to oppose the Buddhist Sect anew.

Thus, Buddha chose to suppress him beneath Mount Ling, rather using his karma to make the Buddhist Sect thrive.

However, this had also made Mara’s power grow stronger, and Maitreya had a premonition that the time for the Demon King to break the seal was not far off.

"So without transcendence, we are merely ants in the end," Maitreya sighed deeply.

He finally understood why Buddha, knowing that breaking through at this time would leave the Buddhist Sect vulnerable, still went ahead without looking back—because if he didn’t break through now, there might not be a better opportunity in the future.

Once Mara broke through the seal and opposed the Buddhist Sect, any subsequent arrangements would be even more difficult.

Now, this problem was in front of Maitreya, but fortunately, he also had enough time to seek a breakthrough and to make arrangements.

"However, this Demon King is unfathomable, and he would not rage without cause. Could it be that he has sensed an opportunity to escape his bonds?" Maitreya speculated in his heart.

At their level of cultivation, ordinary divinations had long lost their effectiveness. After all, they were masters at divining the cosmic order, and would surely guard against such tactics.

This had led to a situation where they all clouded the cosmic order, making it impossible to return order to chaos and glimpse the true opportunity.

He could only rely on his own insight and wisdom to deduce the past and future.

With a thought, the affairs of Mount Ling were fully in his view; this was a capability he had achieved at the pinnacle of practicing the Heavenly Vision, observing the world as if it were patterns on his palm, with every detail clear.

Unfortunately, since Mara dared to act so boldly, he naturally believed Maitreya would not be able to unveil anything.

Maitreya, receiving nothing in return, resolved to raise his vigilance during this time and find the conspiracy.

On a mountain nearly a thousand miles from Mount Ling, a man in a black robe stood atop the peak, his black cloak fluttering in the Qingfeng, revealing a face full of fur.

It was none other than the Divine Exorcist Great Sage of the Demon Clan, who now served as the left arm and right hand of the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court.

This Great Saint, now holding high authority in the Heavenly Court, gazed toward the Western Ling Mountain with a smirk of self-satisfaction in his eyes.

"Mara has done well to infiltrate Mount Ling so swiftly. It seems I must also hasten my efforts here," he said.

Meanwhile, atop Mount Ling, the Various Buddhas summoned Juexing to learn the exact details of what had transpired in the Eastern Land.

Juexing, facing the myriad Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, showed no trace of fear and delicately recounted what they had experienced in the Eastern Land.

The Buddhas all furrowed their brows, finally understanding the tragedy that had occurred on that land.

It could be said that the Buddhist Sect’s years of arrangements in Dongsheng Shenzhou had been utterly destroyed, and the land of faith that they had conveniently acquired through the Journey to the West had completely vanished.

Moreover, for disciples of the Buddhist Sect from Xiniu Continent to enter the Eastern Land to preach had become even more difficult.

"Amitabha Buddha, we have sinned, we have sinned," a Buddha murmured to himself.

Just by hearing Juexing speak, he could imagine the suffering those disciples must have endured, and yet despite being called Buddhas, transcendent of the world, they were still helpless.

Knowing the cause, they were clear that the land had become forbidden territory, where anyone who entered would meet their death.

"We have acted too hastily, and it was also that person’s deliberate manipulation that led to this disaster," a Buddha pointed the finger directly at the Heavenly Court.

The crowd fell silent, knowing well that the turmoil had been a trap set by the Heavenly Emperor of the East, which they had blindly walked into. Even the rebellion in the Heavenly Court might have been orchestrated.

At this thought, many shuddered with fear. The Supreme had been deeply scheming and vicious in action, striking the Buddhist Sect a significant blow.

"Damn it, I really want to storm Lingxiao Hall to demand justice," someone said indignantly.

But everyone knew it was impossible. Charging at the Gate of the Southern Heavens now was tantamount to seeking death. If the Supreme chose to tear off the disguise, they might never return.

Nobody underestimated the foundations of the Heavenly Court, which was led by the Three Pure Ones and composed of countless powerful beings. Those Star Lords might appear indifferent to worldly affairs, but if they truly took action, none from their own ranks would be spared.

"Alas, the tactics of the Supreme are indeed formidable. I fear this is just the beginning. That person is not one to easily let things go," an Ancient Buddha sighed softly.

He had witnessed the clash between the Heavenly Court and the Demon Court. That sovereign would pursue relentlessly at any opportunity, refusing to allow any respite.

Yet for many years, he deliberately remained behind the scenes, leading many in the Three Realms to believe he was weak and vulnerable. Little did they know, the throne of the Supreme of the Three Realms was fought for and won by that sovereign, blade by blade, sword by sword.

The Lingxiao Treasured Palace was built upon the bones of enemies.

Therefore, he was worried that the Jade Emperor’s next move could come in quick succession, and given that action had already been taken, there would be no chance for the Buddhist Sect to recover and heal.

As expected, no sooner had he spoken than a tumultuous noise arose from the foot of Mount Ling.

"What has happened outside, and why this commotion?"