As long as these ascetic monks have not been wiped out, the Buddhist Sect will never disappear.

And as for these individuals, the Jade Emperor had no effective method to deal with them, but now with Mara taking the brunt, it had nothing to do with the Heavenly Court.

After all, compared to others in the Buddhist Sect, these ascetic monks lacked such grand ambition, their days focused on how to comprehend Buddhist Law, and generally, they would not retaliate unless provoked.

"Let’s not bother with them anymore," the Jade Emperor set the tone, "let Mara handle them properly."

After this turn of events, the Buddhist Sect was greatly weakened, especially at the middle and lower tiers, suffering severe losses. It would not be easy for the Buddhist Sect to recover its vitality.

Moreover, with a Demon King like Mara watching hungrily from the sidelines, the pressure on the Heavenly Court was greatly reduced, freeing the Jade Emperor to deal with Luzhou in the North.

So, he said in a low voice, "Let the matter of the Buddhist Sect be for now, how is the situation in Luzhou in the North?"

The Divine Exorcist Great Sage, upon hearing this, showed a complex expression on his face and slowly began, "The Demon Emperor is still rebuilding the Demon Court, seemingly without any intention of making a move on us, and he has changed the usual style completely. The Demon Court has become well-ordered and impenetrable. Several attempts from our side to infiltrate have failed."

As the old rival of the Heavenly Court, no one would dare to claim a deeper knowledge of the Demon Court than these two present.

Yet, the actions of the Demon Clan had exceeded their projections, the characteristically explosive Demon Emperor not only hadn’t hurriedly launched an assault on the Heavenly Court, but instead calmly and collectedly set about organizing Luzhou in the North.

In a short span of time, he managed to make it appear well-managed, to the surprise of many.

"This doesn’t seem like him at all. I was prepared for her to attack the Heavenly Court, but I did not expect her to be able to keep her composure this time," said the Jade Emperor, puzzled.

The Jade Emperor understood Feng Jiu’s temperament very well; otherwise, he would not have prevailed in the previous conflict, so he had readied his countermeasures the moment the Demon Emperor was freed.

But he had not expected that this time Feng Jiu would act completely out of charater, doing things differently from the past.

"Could it be that the years of being sealed and facing death changed her temperament?" The Divine Exorcist Great Sage speculated.

But the temperament of Her Majesty the Demon Emperor was not so easily changed. As the saying goes, "It’s easier to move mountains than to change one’s nature," many in the Demon Court had tried in vain to change her character in the past.

And even if there were a change in temperament, it was unlikely that her actions and style would undergo such a radical transformation.

"If she could change her temperament, she wouldn’t be herself anymore. There must be someone advising her from behind," the Jade Emperor declared confidently.

"Could it be the Demon Master?"

"It doesn’t look like his style!" said the Divine Exorcist Great Sage, who had known the Demon Master for many years, was very familiar with this strategist of the Demon Court, and identified the current behavior of the Demon Court to be unlike that elder.

"We can’t let this continue. Order a probe into the Demon Court at the first opportunity to see what sort of scheme they are brewing!" the Jade Emperor stated gravely.

The feeling of something being out of his control was truly unpleasant.

The Divine Exorcist Great Sage left with his orders. With the matter of the Buddhist Sect concluded, he could now focus on dealing with the Demon Court.

However, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas atop Mount Ling had no intention of allowing the Heavenly Court to remain so comfortable. They were supremely intelligent individuals who had only been caught off guard by the Heavenly Court leading to their current predicament.

Now that the dust had settled, they naturally realized the role of the Heavenly Court in recent events and were filled with righteous indignation.

"What a Heavenly Court, so falsely claiming to be the Lord of the Three Realms, to stoop so low and conspire with the Demon Head."

"This is clearly shameless. We haven’t found any evidence, and I’m afraid that even if we do confront them, it’ll be useless. They will never admit to collaborating with Mara."

"Are we to endure this humiliation in silence? So many disciples of the Buddhist Sect have perished in this conspiracy."

For the people of Mount Ling, among those who had passed away were their friends and their mentors; it was a deep and personal loss. The thought of the mastermind behind this walking free filled them with such indignation that they all clamored for vengeance.

"Silence!" Manjushri subdued the noisy crowd with a single word.

"What is this disorderly behavior? This is Mount Ling, the holy land of the Buddhist Sect. Such clamor is not permitted here," Manjushri said with evident displeasure.

His eyes, stern and authoritative, swept over the faces of those who were most unruly, causing them to avert their gazes involuntarily.

"I cannot swallow this indignity. Our Buddhist Sect has always been kind to others, and our conflict with the Heavenly Court has always been restrained. But for this Supreme, to stoop to such vile acts and associate with evil demons is an insult to the name of the Heavenly Emperor," murmured a Buddha.

"Revenge is easier said than done. It’s not a matter of defeating a Demon King who claims a hill as his kingdom and capturing him; this is the Master of the Three Realms, the Supreme Heavenly Emperor. How can you oppose him without a good reason?"

"Furthermore, our Buddhist Sect has been greatly weakened by this battle. Where would we find the strength to fight the Heavenly Court now? Don’t forget, they are the most formidable force in the Three Realms."

Manjushri’s words dampened the spirit of the righteous and indignant high-ranking members of the Buddhist Sect. Though they were reluctant, they understood that their position was weaker and that retaliating against the Heavenly Court would only add to their miseries.

"We must not sever ties!" Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva stated succinctly.

As the foremost power of the Three Realms, should we truly break relations, the Buddhist Sect would face the vast armies of the Heavenly Court. Given the current situation, both sides could engage in scheming and undermining each other in secret, but it would not escalate to a full-blown war.

Therefore, everyone present understood that it was imperative not to break relations; they had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence.

"But we also can’t let the Heavenly Court be too comfortable."

"May Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva enlighten us."

"Opportunity lies in Luzhou in the North!" After making this statement, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva fell silent, but the crowd caught on to his implication.

Of all in the Three Realms who despised the Jade Emperor, none harbored more hatred than the Demon Emperor of the Demon Court. With no possibility of reconciliation between them, a great battle was inevitable, one that would determine the fate of the Three Realms.

Previously, everyone had been too fixated on immediate issues to consider the bigger picture of the Three Realms. Now, enlightened by Ksitigarbha’s hint, they had come to realize it.

"Luzhou in the North!"

"What are those monsters up to, why haven’t they attacked the Heavenly Court yet?" someone asked with puzzlement.

"It seems that the Jade Emperor acted hastily against us, probably because he was afraid we would reap the benefits as bystanders. Now that we have been greatly weakened, he should have his hands free to deal with the monsters of Luzhou in the North," sighed a Buddha.

That Supreme really has thought of everything, not allowing even the slightest possibility to occur.

"Hmph, he sure has played a fine game, confident that we wouldn’t dare break our truce."