"Change Buddhism's leadership?"
Sun Wukong's eyes gleamed upon hearing this, while Guanyin Bodhisattva felt her scalp tingle.
Neither of them had expected Sha Chen to harbor such grand ambitions. He wanted not only the karmic consequences of the Journey to the West Calamity but also aimed to overturn the entire Buddhist sect.
Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Sha Chen, have you considered the consequences of this idea? Do you have the ability and the qualifications to subvert my Buddhist sect's Lingjiu Mountain?"
Sun Wukong also looked somewhat troubled. "Old Sha, although I, Old Sun, really support your idea, it's just a bit unrealistic."
"That Old Tathagata possesses immense strength, and now he has stepped into the Saint Realm. It won't be easy to seize the Buddhist sect from his hands."
Guanyin Bodhisattva added from the side, "It's not just 'not easy'; it's outright impossible. Our Buddhist sect already has three Saints. In all the heavens, only the still-united Daoist Sect could possibly contend with us."
"Now that the Daoist Three Pure Ones have split, each governs their own affairs, arrogant and self-important. Individually, none of them are a match for our Buddhist sect."
She scoffed, "Even Saints are powerless against us; even the Three Pure Ones can only sigh in resignation. What merits or abilities do you possess to even think of subverting my Buddhist sect's Lingjiu Mountain!"
Although Guanyin Bodhisattva's words were somewhat irreverent and unsettling, her crude words contained an undeniable truth.
Given the number of Saints currently in Lingjiu Mountain's Buddhist sect, truly no single power under the heavens could stand against it alone.
Even other Saints couldn't achieve such a feat, let alone Sha Chen. If he planned to single-handedly overthrow Lingjiu Mountain, it was almost a delusion.
Sha Chen laughed heartily. "Right now, I indeed can't do it. But when I can, I will surely make your jaws drop."
"There's nothing so grand about being a Saint. With my current strength, among the Six—no, now Seven Saints of the Heavens—who dares to claim they can definitively defeat me?"
Sha Chen's words were indeed quite arrogant, but Guanyin Bodhisattva, though wanting to refute them, found herself at a loss for words.
Sha Chen's strength was truly too formidable. Several Saints had come to Flowing Sand River and sparred with him, but in the end, they all had to depart with regret.
Tathagata Buddha himself once said that Sha Chen's strength was already not beneath Saint Nuwa's, and even that was Tathagata Buddha underestimating Sha Chen.
When Guanyin Bodhisattva faced Sha Chen, she had the illusion of facing Saint Zhunti. This implied that Sha Chen's strength might not merely be at Saint Nuwa's level.
Sha Chen's strength might very well have reached Saint Zhunti's level. However, even Guanyin Bodhisattva had misjudged; Sha Chen's current strength was far greater than Saint Zhunti's back then.
If Saint Zhunti had not absorbed and refined Ancestor Subhuti, he probably wouldn't have been Sha Chen's opponent.
Because the current Sha Chen had advanced further in his physical body and Mana cultivation, and his mastery of spatial power had reached Great Perfection.
His overall combat power had risen by a major realm. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he could stand a head taller than Saint Zhunti, even if he couldn't quite crush him underfoot.
Seeing that the two had fallen silent, Sha Chen continued, "With my current strength, naturally, I cannot look down upon the Saints, but it wouldn't be so easy for them to deal with me either."
"Changing the master of Lingjiu Mountain now is naturally not easy, but to say it's hopeless would be far too arbitrary."
Guanyin Bodhisattva remained silent, while Sun Wukong was brimming with excitement. "Old Sha, if we really change the leader of the Buddhist sect, what do you think about me?"
He looked eager to become the big boss of the Buddhist sect, gesticulating excitedly, his eyes shining.
Sha Chen, however, directly shook his head. "Not good."
Sun Wukong grew anxious. "If we're going to change the leader of the Buddhist sect, in all the world, who else but me, Old Sun, has the qualifications?"
Sha Chen said, "You don't count as a member of the Buddhist sect. Besides, if you really became the leader of the Buddhist sect, could you accept its disciplines and precepts?"
Sun Wukong said, "When I, Old Sun, become the leader, I can naturally change all these disciplines and precepts! Everyone can feast on meat and drink wine to their heart's content."
Upon hearing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva's expression changed drastically, her eyes filled with terror.
Sha Chen was speechless for a moment. "Every religion has its reason for existence, and Buddhism is no exception. The disciplines and precepts of Buddhism also have their rationale and logic. I don't intend to change the disciplines and precepts of Buddhism."
He chuckled. "Besides, I'm not joining the Buddhist sect, so these disciplines and precepts won't affect me. On the contrary, for those dedicated to cultivation, having some disciplines and precepts to restrain them, like reducing meat and alcohol consumption, will prevent them from causing trouble."
Guanyin Bodhisattva sighed in relief upon hearing Sha Chen's words.
Sun Wukong said, "If that's the case, then who else but me?"
Sha Chen replied, "I think Jin Chanzi is more suitable than you. He himself cultivates Buddhist Law, and I don't stop him from studying it. I just don't want him to be shackled by Tathagata Buddha's Buddhist Law."
Sun Wukong immediately objected, "That baldhead? He can't even beat me, Old Sun! How can he be the master of the Buddhist sect?"
Guanyin Bodhisattva fell silent. From Sha Chen's words, it seemed Monk Tang had already defected. Thinking back, the various actions of Monk Tang and Sun Wukong on this journey indeed seemed different from before. Wasn't this defection? It was just that the people of the Buddhist sect trusted Saint Zhunti too much, believing that since Saint Zhunti had personally acted to erase Tang Sanzang's memories and send him for reincarnation, it would be absolutely foolproof. They never imagined Tang Sanzang would still defect, nor did they know when he had become Sha Chen's man.
Sha Chen said, "Jin Chanzi's strength is not equal to yours, but his comprehension of Buddhist Law surpasses yours by countless times. I need the entire Buddhist sect to be completely refreshed, to have a new leader, not to turn the entire Buddhist sect into another religious order."
"If that were the case, I might as well just create a new religious order myself. In any case, the disciplines and precepts of Buddhism don't affect me, and who becomes the leader has a minimal impact on me."
"Since that's so, why can't my Disciple be the leader of the Buddhist sect? And I will be the boss of the Buddhist sect's boss."
Guanyin Bodhisattva drew a sharp breath, shocked. "When did Jin Chanzi become your Disciple?"
Sha Chen stated, "He has long been my Disciple. It's just that you didn't know."
Guanyin Bodhisattva finally understood why Monk Tang had changed so much. It turned out he had become Sha Chen's Disciple.
If Monk Tang truly became the head of the Buddhist sect, with Sha Chen controlling things from behind, she dared not imagine what the entire Buddhist sect would become.
Guanyin Bodhisattva stood up. "If you intend to subvert the Buddhist sect and transform it completely, then kill me."
"If you don't kill me, once I leave this place, I will definitely stop you. Otherwise, I will spread word of this, and the entire Buddhist sect will not spare you."
