CULTIVATION: WHEN YOU TAKE THINGS TO THE EXTREME

Chapter 837: Chapter 521: The Human Heart

“Amitabha!”

The Buddhist light emerged as bright as the Great Sun, dazzling and impossible to gaze upon directly.

A Great Buddha, thousands of zhang tall, rose up as if embodying the Law of Heaven and Earth, abruptly cutting off the Demon Flow.

Behind the Great Buddha, golden lotuses covered the ground, each one a Bodhisattva or an Arhat, along with numerous decayed disciples of Buddhism arraying their formations, obstructing the tidal wave of the Demon Army.

It was indeed…

“The Great Sun Tathagata!?”

…

An angry shout erupted, and amidst the shock and fury, the Demon Army split apart, revealing a colossal demon, with a black body and flaming red hair, bearing the menacing appearance of an Evil Ghost and the overbearing might of an Evil Demon.

It was none other than the Great Honor of the Demon Abyss, a titan of the Nine Tribulations—Luo Cha!

“Amitabha!”

The Great Sun Tathagata manifested his Dharma Body, towering and magnificent, confronting the onslaught of the Demon Army, “War and carnage wreak havoc upon the living. Luo Cha, as a titan of the Nine Tribulations, how can you commit such massacre? Retreat!”

“Hmph, the path of demons is to destroy, to kill. As the Master of the Demon Path, of course, I should commit such slaughter!”

Luo Cha snorted disdainfully, indifferent but also showing a hint of wariness towards the Tathagata, “Why do you not seek the Heavenly Secret Realm, nor guard the West Bovine He Continent, but instead come forth in the Land of Nanzhan? What advantages did Li Liuxian offer you for you to pledge your life to him, forsaking the Heavenly Secret?”

“Amitabha!”

The expression of the Great Sun Tathagata remained unchanged, as he proclaimed the sacred name of the Buddha, his voice resonating like thunder, “In the name of the Buddha’s compassion, I must protect all beings and cannot permit demons to ravage and poison the Land of Nanzhan!”

“Hahahaha!”

Upon hearing this, Luo Cha burst into laughter, pointing out the crux of the matter, “What Buddhist compassion? It is clearly driven by self-interest. Li Liuxian must have promised you the fate of Nanzhan, perhaps to take advantage of this opportunity to further the South Dispatch of Buddhism and help that wise and virtuous one to Prove the Dao, indeed generous, hahaha!”

The words carried a mix of sarcasm and veiled accusation, aimed to damage their efforts and undermine their achievements.

However, the Great Sun Mahavairocana remained unmoved: “Disciples of Buddhism, follow me to eliminate the demon!”

“We follow your holy decree!”

Upon hearing this, the disciples of Buddhism acted decisively. Bodhisattvas and Arhats, novice monks and bhikkhus, all grasped their Magic Artifacts and coldly watched the horde of demons.

“Hmph, bald donkeys, I shall not let things go as you wish!”

However, the scene shifted as Luo Cha waved his hand: “Front army to the rear, rear army to the front, retreat!”

“This…”

“Yes!”

Seeing this, the demons first looked confused, but then quickly collected themselves and immediately changed their formation, retreating with a resounding rumble.

Yet the followers of Buddhism were not willing to let them go so easily. One after another, the Bodhisattvas and Arhats leaped forward, leading their forces towards the Demon’s camp, with the Great Sun Tathagata himself raising a hand to form a Buddhist seal, pressing down upon Luo Cha, the Demon Lord, fiercely.

“Hmph!”

Luo Cha snorted coldly and threw out an object which expanded into a large canopy to shield and protect, revealing itself to be a colossal Heaven-Shielding Sun-Blocking Umbrella.

The top quality Devil Artifact—the Heaven-Shielding Sun-Blocking Umbrella.

The gigantic umbrella covered the skies, obscuring the demon hoard and repelling the assault of the Buddhist forces. Then Luo Cha’s chilling voice could be heard again.

“I know very well, you, the Great Sun Tathagata, are the shining Dharma Body of Shakyamuni, the first in Divine Power and the first in Divine Abilities among the Earthly Buddhist Sect, unmatched in battle!

“But even so, it is but a pipe dream to think you can capture me.

“Your vigorous effort now is merely putting on a show to win over the hearts of the people and lay the foundations for Buddhism.”

“Hahahaha, the more you want it, the less I’ll let you have your way!”

Having said that, he looked up towards the nine heavens, “Li Liuxian, you plot well by bringing Buddhism to block disasters, but aren’t you afraid of inviting the wolf into your abode, risking your foundation being usurped in the future, to your later regret? Hmph!”

With a wave of his hand, the Heaven-Shielding Sun-Blocking Umbrella concealed the Buddhist light, shielding the Demon Army as they forcefully retreated.

Turning to the Buddhist camp, the Great Sun Mahavairocana maintained silence; the surrounding Buddhist light shone brilliant, rendering the shade of the umbrella ineffective. In an instant, cries of sorrow filled the air as countless demons were turned to ash beneath the Buddhist light.

“In a fit of pique!”

Luo Cha, however, remained unshaken, and his withdrawal did not change; this way, he resisted the Buddhist light of the Great Sun as he made his retreat.

This Great Sun Tathagata, a Hierarch of the Buddhist Sect, a contemporary of the Heavenly Court Taihuang, was one of the first few True Immortals in the Earth Immortal Realm to Prove the Dao following Ancient Times, acclaimed as the first in Buddhist Law, the first in Divine Power, the first in combat prowess.

Such titles were by no means given lightly—aside from the Taihuang who remained in secluded cultivation, it was unlikely anyone in the Earth Immortal Realm could surpass this Hierarch of the Buddhist Sect; even the leaders of the Monster Nation and the Demon Abyss were somewhat inferior.

A being of such strength had forsaken the Heavenly Secret and appeared in the Land of Nanzhan, bringing with him the Buddhist Army and the Eighteen Arhats as protectors. It seemed a long-considered strategy, bent on success. This direct intervention foiled the plan for the demons to attack Mount Nanzhan and slaughter Wuzhuang Temple.

Luo Cha was decisive in this regard, choosing an immediate retreat.

If you make things difficult for me, then I shall do the same for you!

The South Dispatch of Buddhism wasn’t merely about spreading Buddhist teachings; it also required implementing the virtues of enlightenment and governance, winning over the hearts of the people to secure fortune and prosperity for the lineage.

The Buddhist Sect put on such a grand display partly due to these considerations, hoping to claim the hearts of the people in the Land of Nanzhan by merit of their deliverance.

Unable to overcome the Great Sun Tathagata and break the situation, Luo Cha had no choice but to expose the matter plainly, to spite and vex the Buddhist Sect.

This led to…

“The demons have retreated?”

“Amitabha, Amitabha!”

“Indeed, our Buddha Tathagata is mighty!”

“He has saved Nanzhan, the merit is boundless, boundless indeed!”

“Great Immortal…”

“Having entered the Heavenly Secret Realm, you still considered our Land of Nanzhan so thoroughly?”

“Not hesitating to grant the fate of Nanzhan, you invited the assistance of Buddhism to protect the multitude!”

“Senior… truly is a righteous and compassionate True Immortal!”

“The Buddhist Sect came to save the world and indeed garnered merit, but how can they seize the foundation of others?”

“The Great Immortal entered the Heavenly Secret Realm for his own path, and for the tranquility and safety of the world. How could Buddhism leverage this situation to their advantage?”

“And what about the Heavenly Court? We, the Human Clan, maintain two major Tao Lineages. The Land of Nanzhan is also the land of the Human Clan. Now that demons have invaded, both the Heavenly Court’s and Buddhism’s duty is to protect, so why is it that only Buddhism was invited and came, and where is the Heavenly Court?”

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