"Those from the Demon Clan?" Maitreya furrowed his brow.

These enlightened members of the Demon Clan had actually joined the Buddhist Sect under his leadership, considered a vibrant force, fierce and unafraid of death; hence, he highly valued them.

Now, to hand them over like this, he also felt somewhat reluctant.

But he was also clear that this was the foundation of mutual trust between both parties, and because of the previous chaos caused by Marx, he had realized that the Dharma of Conversion was too overbearing, causing many disciples of the Buddhist Sect to change their nature and be taken advantage of by the Demon Head during this catastrophe.

"So be it, since it is so, let these monsters be sent to Luzhou in the North then."

"I observe that Luzhou in the North is also not easily managed, with the Heavenly Army nearby, and both sides having already fallen into a stalemate in the war. With the foundation of the Demon Clan, I fear they won’t last long."

This was actually Maitreya’s concern; if the Demon Clan could not hold out, the Buddhist Sect would struggle to support itself alone, and at that point, they would probably have to rely on the will of the Heavenly Court to survive.

As the highest leader of the Buddhist Sect, he had to exhaust all his wits for the survival of this power.

"It’s also strange to say, I feel like the Demon Clan still has some cards they haven’t shown. The last time I went to the Demon Court, both the Demon Emperor and the Demon Master seemed very confident, as if they weren’t too worried about the war with the Heavenly Court." Guanyin also softly added.

Since her last visit to the Demon Court was about forming an alliance, she felt somewhat embarrassed to probe into the secrets of her allies, but the prosperity of the Demon Capital still exceeded her expectations.

To know that the previous Demon Capital had been completely destroyed in the ancient war, and the current Demon Capital was merely rebuilt on the ruins of the old one.

Logically, a city hastily rebuilt like this would require some time to regain prosperity.

However, the Demon Clan had defied all logic this time, almost immediately creating a prosperous scene in such a short amount of time, which was simply incredible.

Where did the Demon Clan get so many resources, so much manpower to accomplish so much in such a short time?

"After all, they are a race that has existed since ancient times, and the Demon Emperor was once one of the top experts in the Three Realms; it’s quite normal for them to have some unknown cards," Maitreya said with a light laugh.

However, Guanyin always felt that things were not so simple.

"This time, the Allied armies of the four seas went to Luzhou in the North with great momentum, only to suffer a huge defeat in front of the Flood Dragon Demon King, decimated to the point of disarray." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Maitreya was also quite astonished by this event; first, he did not expect that the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, with their temperament, would actually be convinced by the Heavenly Court to send troops to Luzhou in the North.

Secondly, he did not anticipate that the massive Allied armies of the four seas would be so thoroughly routed by the meager forces of the Flood Dragon Demon King, to the extent that now all the Three Realms were laughing at them.

"I initially thought that the Demon Clan would ask us for help, but it turned out that the Flood Dragon Demon King alone was enough to hold off the Allied armies of the four seas."

Guanyin then said, "I know a bit about the inside story; those old dragons are deeply cunning, how could they easily involve themselves in such a war? Therefore, initially, they were just paying lip service, and it was only because some among the Aquatic Races were eager to distinguish themselves that this campaign ended in failure."

"However, this has allowed some of the more belligerent young people of the Dragon Clan to rise to high positions, and it probably won’t be long before they launch an attack on the Demon Clan to wash away the shame of their defeat."

Maitreya, after hearing this, pondered for a moment and said, "We can’t let them attack the Demon Clan so easily. Once the Demon Clan falls, we alone can’t support it. We must find a way to slow their advance."

"Call forth the Buddhissatva of the Eight Divisions of Heavenly Dragons with Great Power!" After pondering for a moment, Maitreya suddenly spoke.

Soon, a young man dressed in a white robe ascended Mount Ling and respectfully saluted Maitreya, saying, "Ao Lie pays his respects to the Buddha!"

"Ao Lie, how many years has it been since you last returned to the Western Sea?" Maitreya asked.

Little Bailong was lost in his memories. Ever since he had set fire to the pearl atop the palace and was captured by the Heavenly Court, he had never returned to the Western Sea.

All the events of the past were still vivid in his mind, and that place had long become a source of heartache.

Therefore, after achieving the Bodhisattva Fruit Position, he had always chosen not to return to the azure sea that had nurtured him.

"The affairs of the world cannot escape the principle of cause and effect. The events of your past were the same. Now that you have completed your merits and achieved the Bodhisattva Fruit Position, you should be able to understand the past clearly. Go back and see, tell your father that Mount Ling welcomes him to visit," Maitreya earnestly said.

Ao Lie was silent for a moment. After ascending Mount Ling, he had understood the sequence of events. His capture and becoming a mount were actually an exchange of interests between the Dragon Clan and the Buddhist Sect.

His Bodhisattva Fruit Position, to put it plainly, was a position specially reserved by the Buddhist Sect to repay the karma of the Sea-Calming Divine Needle. Otherwise, with so many disciples in Mount Ling, all eagerly waiting for a position, why should it fall to someone rootless like him?

But understanding was one thing, and whether he could forgive was another. Back then, when everyone despised him and he was hung on the Dragon Slaying Platform, the feeling of waiting for death was something he could not forget to this day.

Now that Maitreya had spoken, he also had a reason to convince himself to visit the Western Sea again, though he wondered what that vast ocean looked like now.

"Ao Lie obeys the decree respectfully!" Little Bailong bowed deeply to Maitreya, then slowly withdrew.

Watching his retreating figure, Guanyin frowned and said, "Brother Ao Guang has always been prudent and reserved. There are many peculiarities in this matter, and I fear that the situation with the Dragon Clan has already spiraled beyond their control."

This was not because she had some confidential information, but rather, it was a hidden truth she perceived from the situation at hand.

"Undercurrents are stirring within the Dragon Clan, and though Ao Guang and his brethren hold the title of Dragon Kings, their control over the Dragon Clan isn’t very strong. Naturally, there are many who hold different views, but this time I intend to let them know that I will support their actions from behind. I believe that with their wisdom, they will be able to guess my intentions," Maitreya said with a smile.

Ao Lie bid farewell to Maitreya and returned to his place of cultivation without any delay, revealing his True Dragon form and letting out a roar towards the sky as he flew upwards.

His destination was the Northern Sea.

The Northern Sea is a great distance from Mount Ling, so Little Bailong pondered for a moment but changed direction midair, heading towards Huaguo Mountain in the East. There was something eerie about this matter, and he wanted to consult his eldest brother.

It was the height of summer, and Huaguo Mountain was lush with vegetation, various fruits ripened, and wildflowers bloomed in competition, making a beautiful sight.

The air was filled with the fragrance of fruits and wildflowers, blending together to form a light, pleasant scent.

Countless monkeys lived between these woods, and compared to monkeys elsewhere in the world, those of Huaguo Mountain were undoubtedly very fortunate. With the protection of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, they did not need to worry about hunters who occasionally came to the mountain, nor about starvation or various natural disasters.