The Monkey would not relent and pursued fiercely, and the Demon Lord, seeing this, knew that the Monkey was confident without any fear. At this time, however, he had no good options, for the Monkey’s matter related to Transcendence.
All Saints and their own hopes for Transcendence rested upon him, and there could be no accidents.
Thus, he took the Plantain Fan from Nether River’s hand and, laughing, said, "You lout, why persist in chasing me? Take the fan and hurry over Flame Mountain, do not force me to take action."
Having said this, he threw the Plantain Fan over, and the Monkey, caught by surprise, hastily caught the precious fan. In that moment of hesitation, the Demon Lord had already left with Nether River.
The Monkey, annoyed, stamped his foot, while Maitreya beside him chuckled, "Great Saint, why fret? Without you today, I too would not have escaped the Demon Lord’s schemes."
Li Jing, however, expressed some disbelief, "What do you mean by this, Buddha Ancestor? With all the Saints present, the Demon Lord, though powerful, wouldn’t dare to act rashly."
"Benefactor is unaware, the All Saints have important matters to attend to recently and thus could not spare the effort. Last time, Empress Nuwa intervened at her limit, and the Demon Lord seized that moment to act against us, his clone fighting us while his real body has long obscured Heaven’s Secret."
"It’s only a pity that for reasons unknown, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven has attained the light of the Human Path, disrupting his malevolence towards humanity, resulting in near success turned to failure, allowing me to escape amidst this. The time to obscure Heaven’s Secret has come."
"To tangle with us now would mean to unnecessarily sacrifice that avatar, thus he was eager to leave this place. However, through this incident, Nether River has completely sided with the Demon Lord, and he has obtained part of the rules. Although not comprehensive, it has reinforced his foundation, and the next encounter will be even more difficult," Maitreya said with a heavy heart. Continue reading stories on freewebnovel
The current state of the three realms gave him the feeling that a storm was brewing, with all Saints on the brink of Transcendence, and those evil demons of the heterodox paths who were once suppressed by the Saints are now stirring.
And Buddhism, having offended many throughout the years due to their expansion, these individuals all lie hidden, monitoring every move of Buddhism, ready to swarm at the slightest sign of weakness.
As the future Buddha Ancestor, Maitreya felt immense pressure at this moment.
Having listened, Li Jing suddenly realized that Maitreya’s feelings right now were perhaps identical to those of the supreme being of the Heavenly Court.
With the fall of a single whale, a multitude of life forms thrive. The Heavenly Court and Buddhism at this moment were like that weakened whale, with countless beings surrounding it, baring their teeth and claws, awaiting its moment of weakness.
This would be their feast, as well as their nourishment for growth. Thinking of this, Li Jing shivered and looked around. He sensed that many with malicious intentions were hiding in the serene void, staring at him intently, waiting for him to show a moment of vulnerability.
At this time, he finally understood why that supreme being, well-versed in concealing his brilliance, had changed his usual strategy of enduring humiliation. He was striking out frequently, even at the cost of being branded shameless—all for the sake of paving the way for the future.
"Thank you, Buddha Ancestor, for clearing my confusion. If there is ever a need for Li Jing in the future, feel free to command me," Li Jing said with a smile to Maitreya.
Having understood the full picture, he also released his goodwill towards Maitreya.
In the future world, the weakened Heavenly Court and Buddhism must band together to maintain their current status. The group from Cut Teachings cannot be relied upon.
Maitreya nodded with a smile, understanding Li Jing’s thoughts, and the two reached a consensus within a few short exchanges.
"Now that this matter is concluded, I must also return to the Heavenly Court to report back. Until we meet again, gentlemen!" Li Jing was the first to bid his farewell.
During this brief period, he had experienced much and learned a formidable amount of information, urgently needing to return to the Heavenly Court to inform the Jade Emperor of the recent changes so as to ascertain the supreme one’s thoughts. After all, his ties with the Heavenly Court were deeply entrenched, and he could not remain detached from this whirlpool any longer.
Li Jing, taking Nezha and the remaining Heavenly Generals with him, made their way back to the Heavenly Court. Maitreya watched their retreating figures and heaved a silent sigh of relief.
Turning his head, he then said to the Precious Moonlight Buddha, "Isn’t it time to release the Bull Demon King and his wife? We promised Bodhisattva Guanyin to fulfill our promise!"
Upon hearing this, the Precious Moonlight Buddha hurriedly opened the Mantra Bag, and with a flash of radiant light, the bodies of the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan appeared before the gathered crowd.
However, although their breathing was normal, their souls were suppressed by the Nether River and they had fallen into a deep sleep, which left them in a vegetative state with no consciousness.
Maitreya slowly approached them and extended his palm, which bore a glowing swastika symbol.
After sweeping it gently over their heads, he uttered, "Awaken now!"
The Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan gradually opened their eyes, looking around bewilderedly for quite some time before asking with some disbelief, "Are we back to normal?"
Maitreya, standing to the side with a smile, said, "Indeed, congratulations to you both on being freed from your shackles and returned to normal."
Although they had been manipulated, the memory within their bodies remained, and soon the past events came flooding back to them.
Suddenly, the Bull Demon King knelt on the ground and said, "I, the old bull, thank the Buddha Ancestor for saving our lives. If the Buddha Ancestor does not find us objectionable, my wife and I are willing to convert to Buddhism."
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The old bull was no fool; he surmised the intentions of Buddhism from the words and behavior of Maitreya and the Precious Moonlight Buddha.
Having experienced these events, he had also come to realize the tribulations of being unaffiliated, which led to the current scene.
Upon hearing this, Maitreya’s plump cheeks were filled with smiles. He had witnessed the Bull Demon King’s strength and was very keen on it; Buddhism was in need of such fierce and capable leaders.
His round eyes almost squeezed shut from laughter as he helped the Bull Demon King to his feet, saying, "Having the support of the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven is a blessing for our Buddhism. The two patrons inherently possess the wisdom to be part of our fold. Moreover, your son is Sudhana, a disciple of Bodhisattva Guanyin, so our connection is profound. How could I possibly refuse!"
With just a few simple words, the master-disciple relationship was established, and thus Buddhism gained another powerful figure, while the Bull Demon King was thoroughly redeemed, renouncing his former identity as a Demon King, and attained enlightenment.
With this accomplishment, Maitreya was beaming with joy. Any displeasure from the Demon Lord’s schemes had instantly vanished, for, after all, the task had been successfully completed amidst great danger.
However, he was now curious about the identity of the Mysterious Figure who had disrupted the Nether River’s plans, and was also contemplating whether to find an opportunity to demonstrate his own strength.
Well aware of the human heart, he knew that only formidable strength could deter those hounds lurking in the shadows, making them realize that Buddhism, this colossal beast, was not yet so feeble as to fall prey to their bullying.
"Wukong, now that things here are settled, quickly take the fan and help your master cross the Flame Mountain!" he said with a smile.