Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 698 All Buddhas Gather at the Temple

"You have taken refuge in Mahayana Buddhism, and since you see all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, why don't you bow down!"

Yuan Tao shouted in a deep voice, his eyes fixed intently on the group of Buddhist monks before him.

Now his heart is filled with joy and passion, and a fearless spirit arises within him.

Both the imperial court and the Buddhist community believed that Yuan Tao dared to establish Mahayana Buddhism and suppress the Buddhist community because he was the crown prince and had the support of the emperor of the Great Wei.

Little did he know, his greatest reliance was none other than the countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the sky!

In the sacred land of the Sangharama, under the watchful eyes of the masses, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifested their divine power. Now, who would dare to say that Mahayana Buddhism should not be the orthodox form of Buddhism?

Upon seeing this, monks from various Buddhist sects bowed their heads respectfully and paid homage to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the heavens.

Some high-ranking monks were so excited that they knelt down to perform a grand ceremony to show their piety.

Some monks, however, were filled with shock and unease, sensing that something terrible was about to happen.

They had just heard what Yuan Tao said when he invited the Buddha.

They know their own situation best; they know exactly what kind of people they are.

Now, seeing the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest their divine power, I feel extremely humbled.

With a reverent expression, Yuan Tao said in a loud voice, "Nowadays, there are many villains causing trouble in the Buddhist community, using the name of the Buddhas to do rebellious things. I ask the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to cleanse the sect and rectify the Buddhist community."

The purpose of inviting Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to this grand assembly is not simply to make an appearance, but to truly target Buddhist sects and eliminate the corrupt elements within them.

The Buddhas are not so easy to invite, and if we miss this opportunity, it will not be so easy for the Wei government to deal with certain powerful figures in the future.

But then, the towering Buddha in the sky slowly raised his hand, and a golden Buddhist mark shone brightly in his palm.

A high-ranking monk, filled with dread, forcibly suppressed his inner fear and flew straight up, intending to use his great supernatural powers to escape this place.

However, this entire area was sealed off, directly restricting Buddhist teachings and supernatural powers.

As a Buddhist practitioner, the pressure he felt was even stronger.

The crowd saw the high monk's figure freeze in mid-air, his entire body frantically radiating Buddhist energy, like a deflated sack, his aura rapidly diminishing, and his cultivation level plummeting.

"No, please help me, or we will all..."

The high monk who had reached the Dao Inquiry Realm was shocked. He had never expected that a mere wisp of Buddha's will could cause him such great harm. With just a wave of his hand, Buddha was about to erase his Buddhist and Daoist realm, leaving him at a loss for how to resist.

The reason why a wisp of Buddhist intent can be so powerful is because this is a sacred Buddhist site, a place where incense has been burned for many years, a place where Buddhism and Taoism have flourished, and it can also benefit from the great power of heaven and earth.

This place is undoubtedly the domain of the ancient Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The power of these Buddhists comes from the Buddhist path, so how could they possibly resist?

After only a few breaths, the high monk in mid-air transformed into an extremely thin and weak old man, very old and on the verge of death.

In the blink of an eye, the old monk's breath vanished, his soul disappeared, and his body fell straight to the ground with a muffled thud.

Everyone was chilled to the bone. The Buddha's intention to exterminate eminent monks was something they had never heard of or seen before.

Such a scene had a powerful impact on many people, leaving their minds blank for a moment.

In the sky, the Buddha's expression was solemn, unlike the one Lu Zheng had seen before.

It lacked compassion and friendliness, and gained more seriousness and anger.

The Buddha raised his hand and flicked his finger, and a golden lotus petal appeared out of thin air.

The lotus petals instantly grew enormous, covering the entire Garan Mountain.

The next instant, a great light shone brightly.

In the blink of an eye, some people found themselves surrounded by a white expanse, no longer in the Garan Temple. There were other people around, but far fewer than before in the temple.

In the heavens, the towering forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas still float by.

Below, on the vast white earth, were people from Yuan Tao's side, as well as many people from other Buddhist sects. As for unrelated believers and other practitioners, they were not here.

Lu Zheng, Qing Wan, and Qing Yi also appeared in one of the spaces.

"Aha, there's going to be rivers of blood!"

Upon seeing this, Qingwan excitedly took out her weapon, knowing that Buddha had used his powers to bring these people here to prevent harm to the innocent.

If a fight were to break out among the hundreds of thousands of believers and guests on Mount Garan, it would inevitably affect too many people.

A monk knelt on the ground, terrified and repeatedly kowtowing, saying, "Buddha, have mercy, forgive this humble monk's sins..."

Some high-ranking monks looked around nervously, trying to figure out where they were and how to get out.

Suddenly, someone felt something strange in their body, with a bright red light floating around them.

Suddenly, numerous red lights flashed throughout the entire white space.

Upon seeing this scene, Yuan Tao suddenly remembered some lines that he hadn't quite understood before.

His eyes shone brightly, and he shouted, "Anyone whose body glows red is a rebel against Buddhism, whose sins are grave and unforgivable, and everyone has the right to kill them!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked and looked around warily.

Upon hearing this, one of the monks emitting a red glow cried out in terror, "No, I'm not, I didn't..."

As soon as Yuan Tao finished speaking, Hu Qing flew directly towards the nearest person, unleashing a powerful attack, determined to make a good impression on all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Yuan Tao also ordered his subordinates to take action.

"Let's go, let's go find the Tantric sect. I saw them, and sure enough, not a single one of them is a good person!"

Qingwan pulled Qingyi towards a place where a bright red light was shining.

It was a gathering place for a group of red-robed monks of the Tantric school.

The two, one big and one small, were full of aggressive force, attacking with all their might, rampaging through the crowd and leaving no one in their way.

In this area, these monks were greatly suppressed, their original strength reduced to less than one-tenth, and even their Buddhist magic felt sluggish and difficult to use.

Qingwan and her companion, on the other hand, had no such restrictions. They could use their skills at will, and because they were protected by Buddha, attacks from Buddhist forces had almost no effect.

Seeing that a fight had broken out and that they themselves had lost their red aura, some Buddhist sects thought about it and joined the battle.

After all, if we don't act proactively now, what if someone holds us accountable later?

The fact that all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the sky didn't intervene is probably because they were watching to see what the other side would do.

As a result, the space quickly descended into chaos, with fighting taking place everywhere.

If everyone's strength hadn't been suppressed, the battle between just two Dao-seeking experts would have caused a huge uproar.

In a corner, Yuan Zhong and several trusted confidants stared blankly at this scene.

Yuan Zhong never expected that he would be able to come to this mysterious space to witness something, and he kept praying softly.

Suddenly, Lu Zheng appeared in front of Yuan Zhong.

Yuan Zhong's eyes flashed, and he quickly said, "Oh my, young friend Lu is here too!"

The true scripture has brought down all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and now Yuan Zhong speaks to Lu Zheng with even greater politeness than before.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "If Your Highness is afraid of danger, would you like me to escort you out?" Yuan Zhong was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "You, you can escort me out of here? What kind of place is this?"

Lu Zheng shook his head and said, "I don't know. This is the Buddha's method. The Buddha said, 'One flower, one world...'"

Lu Zheng then said, "No matter where it is, I'll go talk to Buddha, and you should be able to leave first."

Tell me... Yuan Zhongxin asked, "Is the relationship between you and Buddha so good that you can talk to him whenever you want?"

Yuan Zhong waved his hand and said, "There's no need to trouble you, young friend. I'll just stay here and take a look. Ah, after living most of my life, I've really broadened my horizons."

It was both the manifestation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the infighting among eminent monks from various Buddhist sects—things he would never have dared to do in his wildest dreams, yet now they were all happening right before his eyes.

And the root of all this seems to lie with the young man beside him...

After all, the thoughts of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have been dormant for so many years, why are they only now thinking of establishing some orthodoxy?

If it weren't for Lu Zheng's involvement, Yuan Zhong would never have believed it.

Since he learned that Lu Zheng had annotated the true scripture, he had been studying Lu Zheng's intelligence data carefully and had come up with some guesses.

Although it sounds absurd, it's a reason that makes perfect sense.

The Buddha and these ancient Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have been waiting for a destined person, someone who shares the same aspirations as these ancient sages.

A person who is truly willing to dedicate himself to the people, inherit the teachings of the sages, and aspire to a peaceful and prosperous world.

Yuan Zhong was lost in thought, then said in a low voice, "Young friend, please go and take care of His Highness the Crown Prince. As long as he is alright, everything will be fine."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng said, "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Yuan Zhong felt relieved and asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you after this?"

Lu Zheng couldn't help but say, "You know the situation in Wei and Buddhism better than I do, and you also know better than me how to establish and promote Mahayana Buddhism. Once this matter is settled, we'll return to the Northern Regions; there are still many things to do there..."

"That's it."

Yuan nodded, but didn't say anything more.

He was thinking that when he had time, he would definitely go to the Northern Region to see for himself, and maybe he could learn a lot.

The flashing red light throughout the space is gradually decreasing.

Some eminent monks wanted to escape, but could not find any way out, and some even went directly to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the sky.

However, before they could even get close to the Buddhas, they were annihilated by the powerful Buddhist and Taoist forces.

Everyone was convinced that the Buddhas in the sky were not illusions, but the same Buddhas who had manifested themselves at the very beginning.

Suddenly, a red light flew swiftly toward the location where Lu Zheng and the others were.

Yuan Zhong felt a chill run down his spine, clearly sensing that the other party had come from him.

After all, as a prince of the Great Wei, his status was not low, so it was not incomprehensible that someone wanted to take him hostage.

Lu Zheng glanced to the side, raised his hand and waved it, sending out a section of bamboo staff that instantly struck the red light.

The red light suddenly flew backward, and the figure of an old Buddhist monk appeared.

"It's you! Aren't you a scholar? What are you doing here...?"

The monk's attention had been focused on Yuan Zhong, and he was only now facing Lu Zheng and seeing his appearance clearly, which surprised him.

This young Confucian and Taoist not only lived here, but he was also able to defeat him with a single blow.

Lu Zheng's expression was indifferent. The Su Wu Jie, suspended in mid-air, shone brightly and instantly transformed into a golden light, carrying several terrifying forces, heading towards the old monk.

The old monk suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and as his eyes widened in anger, two strands of black and gold energy emerged from his body.

A black Bodhisattva image appeared, bearing a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to the old monk.

However, Su Wujie's momentum did not diminish, and he directly attacked the illusory image of the Dharma.

The righteous energy of heaven and earth surged forth, and within it, Buddhist markings suddenly appeared, instantly engulfing the old monk and his Dharma image.

A few breaths later, Su Wujie appeared, and there was nothing else around him.

Yuan Zhong paused for a moment, then couldn't help but say, "I remember he was about to ask the question, right..."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Here, even if you ask the question, you can't escape it."

Yuan Zhong's expression was a little unnatural, and he asked curiously, "What I want to say is, just how powerful are you?"

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "It's hard to say. I haven't been in many fights lately, but my strength has been increasing. Dealing with him outside shouldn't be a big problem."

Yuan Zhong was astonished. How old was he? How could he be so powerful? But then he thought about how Lu Zheng had the means to invite all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and he understood.

Just then, Qingwan and Qingyi came over, all smiles.

Qingwan exclaimed excitedly, "We've taken care of all those bald-headed esoteric monks! That old monk who was leading them still wanted to fight us, but unfortunately, he's no match for me here..."

Qingwan scoffed inwardly. With the protection of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, that blind old monk thought he could control her, but he was directly annihilated by the very source of Buddhism and Taoism.

Yuan Zhong couldn't help but praise, "I never imagined that the two young ladies were so capable."

Qingwan smiled and said, "That's right! Let me tell you, I am the head of the Buddhist sect, appointed by the Buddha! How could they possibly deal with me? From now on, you must establish your teachings properly and abide by the Buddhist precepts, otherwise..."

Yuan Zhong was stunned. Seeing Qing Wan speaking so confidently in this place, he couldn't help but believe her.

Yuan Zhong asked in surprise, "Miss Qingwan has converted to Buddhism?"

"Hey?"

Qingwan immediately shook her head and said, "No, who says that the person in charge of a Buddhist sect has to be a member of the Buddhist sect?"

Yuan Zhong felt strange; why did these words sound so awkward?

Although it seems there really isn't such a rule...

Suddenly, a vast Buddhist chant resounded.

Everyone was startled by the sound and realized that those who had been emitting red light had all disappeared from the white space.

The remaining Buddhist monks from various sects exchanged glances, still shaken.

The abbot of Baima Temple bowed to the Buddhas, sighing inwardly that he never expected he would one day turn against his fellow practitioners; truly, life is unpredictable.

Yuan Tao's eyes gleamed. This could be seen as making an example of someone to scare others, and it also cleared away some obstacles.

However, he knew that this was only the beginning. Those who had died now were only representatives from some of the sects and temples. In the future, he would have to face their fellow disciples and kinsmen.

At that time, no more Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will appear to support him.

However, the current situation is already quite good, as these Buddhist monks have not all united in rebellion.

There is another group of people who have no ulterior motives, or at least not much ulterior motives, and are thus able to receive leniency from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Otherwise, if all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were to suppress and exterminate all the eminent Buddhist monks here, it would be even more difficult to establish the orthodox Buddhist order and regulate Buddhist sects.

It's still necessary to retain some Buddhist representatives to assist in the work. (End of Chapter)