Chapter 464: Chapter 323: Movements of the Buddhist Sect

"Indeed, there were signs of a prosperous era, but the Heavenly Court did not give us a chance,"

"Yes! If they had given us fifty years, no, even just ten years, we were confident that we could have transformed Luzhou in the North completely." He gently sipped his tea and said with a sigh.

"Had they not seen this potential, why would the Heavenly Court choose this time to wage war against us? The Supreme, seated above the Nine Heavens, would never allow our Demon Clan to challenge his position again."

Both were students of the Bailu Academy, possessing exceptional insight and vision, able to discern the essence through simple matters.

Having witnessed past hardships, they cherished these peaceful and prosperous days all the more.

"However, with the defeat of the allied armies of the four seas, our pressure has greatly decreased in the short term, thwarting the Heavenly Court’s intent to rapidly annihilate our Demon Clan."

"The situation is still not very optimistic. The Heavenly Court has oppressed the Three Realms for many years and has accumulated substantial power. If we could have a few decades of peaceful development, we would not be afraid. But now, continuing this protracted struggle is not a viable solution."

In their words lay deep concern; they were not like the other ignorant monsters outside, blindly optimistic, but rather acutely aware of the current predicament of the Demon Clan.

In essence, this war of attrition was a battle of foundations, and in this respect, the burgeoning Demon Clan stood worlds apart from the Heavenly Court, which had commanded the Three Realms for many years.

Therefore, in the long run, it was the Demon Clan of Luzhou in the North that would inevitably falter.

"Now we must see what those in the West are thinking. If we gain their support, we may have a chance of victory."

The ’West’ referred to naturally was the Buddhist Sect, which had recovered its vitality after the turmoil of the Marx upheaval.

As the second most powerful force in the Three Realms, their relationship with the Heavenly Court had long been a facade of harmony, particularly as the shadows of the Heavenly Court were discernible in the recent Marx upheaval, further intensifying their conflicts.

Would they simply watch as the Heavenly Court annexed Luzhou in the North and then turn to deal with them?

This was the answer awaited by all discerning members of the Demon Clan.

Of course, it was also the answer awaited by many in Mount Ling.

At this moment, atop the peak of Mount Ling in the Xiniu Continent, all the Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and Arhats of the Buddhist Sect gathered. This was the first such assembly since Maitreya took over, featuring everyone present.

Even during the Marx upheaval that shook Mount Ling, several Bodhisattvas had been late, leading to an incomplete gathering.

"Buddha, we must teach the Heavenly Court a lesson. It is clear they were manipulating behind the scenes during Marx’s escape," declared one Buddha, filled with righteous indignation.

This upheaval had claimed the lives of several of his direct disciples, hence his deep hatred towards the Heavenly Court, suspected to be the mastermind behind the Marx upheaval.

Of course, many others in Mount Ling shared his sentiment, as many disciples of the Buddhist Sect had perished during the demonic disaster.

Hence, this Buddha’s speech represented the thoughts of many.

"Amitabha, please, everyone, calm your minds!" Maitreya said softly, his voice booming across Mount Ling and instantly subduing the angry clamor.

"Our Buddhist Sect and the Heavenly Court are, after all, allies. Even during the Marx upheaval, the Heavenly Court did not outright break relations with us, so it is not appropriate for us to declare them our enemy directly."

Maitreya’s words were actually the true situation of the Buddhist Sect at that time. After all, due to the relationship with the Three Pure Ones, throughout the long years, the Buddhist Sect and the Heavenly Court had always presented themselves as allies, hence no one wanted to bear the reputation of tearing face.

Thus, although there were constant small maneuvers between the two sides, they still maintained an appearance of harmony openly.

Even when the Heavenly Court secretly unleashed Marx, it didn’t give the Buddhist Sect any handle to exploit.

"Are we just supposed to endure this? The Heavenly Court is too oppressive, releasing Marx to wreak havoc in the Three Realms, and causing heavy casualties among our Buddhist disciples. How can we easily let them go?"

"Of course not, our Buddha has his Vajrapani, it’s just that the situation can’t be too blatant."

In essence, it’s about preserving one’s own reputation and not letting the war hat fit on one’s own head.

However, this approach made many actions constrained, after all, one couldn’t act under the flag of the Buddhist Sect, yet the cultivation techniques of the Buddhist Sect had an obvious style, making it easy for others to grasp a handle.

Many people showed expressions of sorrow and anger upon hearing this. Although the chaos caused by Marx was resolved, the consequences were extremely serious. The entire Xiniu Continent was devastated beyond recognition, with many lands contaminated by demonic energy, barren of any vegetation, requiring the Buddhist Sect to purify them bit by bit.

What’s worse, it greatly shook the believers’ faith in the Buddhist Sect because many disciples of the Buddhist Sect were demonized into terrifying demon heads, which also made many people doubt the Buddhist Sect.

The impact was terrifying and far-reaching. To speak gravely, it even shook the foundations of the Buddhist Sect, which had cultivated this land into an Earthly Buddhist Kingdom through countless years of hard work, yet a single chaos of Marx almost wasted all previous efforts.

As a result, even now, the Ascetic Monks within the Buddhist Sect hadn’t returned to Mount Ling; they were physically and diligently purifying the land and rebuilding faith.

"Rest assured, we have our plans, and we will certainly make the Heavenly Court pay a price!" Maitreya finally promised.

A meeting came to an end, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas returned to their dojos, and the people of Mount Ling began to clean up the damages to Mount Ling caused by Marx.

"The chaos at Mount Ling caused heavy losses to our Buddhist Sect, with almost wiping out the middle and lower-tier disciples, and the believers suffered even more. It is only natural for the Various Buddhas to feel furious," Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed softly.

The Buddhist Sect had never faced such a severe situation since its establishment; everyone’s face bore expressions of sorrow, and it seemed as if the entire Xiniu Continent was engulfed in sadness.

Even the most mild-tempered person would find it difficult to suppress the hatred in their hearts in such a situation.

"Amitabha Buddha, as the Lord of the Three Realms, one who does not govern with compassion, and for the sake of one’s own selfish desires, turns a blind eye to demons causing chaos, leading to lives being devastated, the Jade Emperor’s actions are hard to convince the masses." Maitreya spoke softly.

In his words, there was an evident dissatisfaction with the Jade Emperor. It was almost a joke that he, the newly appointed Buddha, almost got overthrown. If not for the fear of damaging his reputation, he would have liked to lead the people of Mount Ling to storm the Gate of the Southern Heavens.

"That’s also where the Supreme excels, using the Divine Exorcist Great Sage as the vanguard. Even if we find some traces, he can completely push it off, and at that time, he could just claim it was espionage from the Demon Clan."

"That’s really a clever calculation!"

"Master Guanyin, how are the negotiations with Luzhou in the North going?" Maitreya asked.

The affairs of Luzhou in the North had always been handled by Guanyin Bodhisattva. Maitreya had been stationed at Mount Ling during this time, so he was unaware of the specific details.

"The Demon Clan hopes that we return the enlightened demons to Luzhou in the North, as a form of payment for earlier."