215: Chapter 215 The Immortal Realm, Spirit Mountain, Great Thunderclap Temple!

Above the Spirit Realm, Demon Realm, Monster Realm, Ghost Realm, Tianyuan Realm, and other worlds, lies the Immortal Realm.

The Immortal Realm is vast and boundless, with intricate and complex powers.

The western region is where the Buddhist forces reside.

Spirit Mountain stretches on, Sanskrit chanting never-ending; golden Buddha statues and pagodas can be seen everywhere.

Above the clouds, a majestic palace stands in the Void Realm, constructed entirely of glazed glass, with golden light flowing, solemn and magnificent.

Above the palace gates hangs a giant plaque with four large characters: Great Leiyin Temple.

This is the place where the Buddhist sect deliberates, the gathering spot for Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats.

Inside the hall.

Upon the main seat, a Buddha sits on a lotus platform, his stature ten thousand zhang tall, his head touching the heavens, each petal of the lotus platform beneath him like a small island.

Behind him, a golden wheel of Karma rotates slowly, radiating golden light; within the wheel, stars twinkle like a Universe in the palm of his hand.

This Buddha's title is Buddha of Great Universal Light, one of the five Buddhas of the Buddhist sect, ruling the Western Paradise, his cultivation profound and unfathomable.

Below him on both sides, various Bodhisattvas and Arhats sit in order.

The Bodhisattvas' statures range from several thousand zhang, while the Arhats range from several hundred to a thousand zhang.

Though far from being as tall as the Buddha, they still possess solemn appearances and majestic dignity.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall is heavy.

An Arhat kneels in the center of the hall, looking haggard and listless, muttering to himself.

This Arhat's dharma name is Monk; he is the Arhat who was sent by the Buddhist sect decades ago to the Nanming No. 73 Mortal Realm to teach the Buddhist Dharma and serve as the Buddha of that Mortal Realm.

Back then, the faith of that Mortal Realm was monopolized by a certain mysterious powerhouse; the Buddhist sect wanted a share of the spoils and thus sent Monk to negotiate, intending to ask that powerhouse for a favor, so everyone could develop their faith separately without being too extreme.

In the end, Monk not only failed to complete the mission but was also thrown back from that Mortal Realm.

When this news reached the Buddhist sect, there was an uproar.

A dignified Arhat thrown back to the Immortal Realm from a Mortal Realm—this wasn't just slapping Monk's face, but the face of the entire Buddhist sect.

Even worse, after Monk returned, he fell into a demonic obsession.

Decades have passed, and he has yet to wake.

He repeatedly mutters a single sentence:

“Great Unity under Heaven, equality for all living beings... no noble or lowly, no Buddha or demon... Great Unity under Heaven, equality for all living beings...”

Over and over, just these few lines.

At this time, a Bodhisattva spoke:

“My Buddha, the matter of Monk can no longer be delayed.”

“Regardless of which powerhouse is behind that Mortal Realm, to show such disregard for our Buddhist sect's face, injuring our Disciple and staining our reputation—if we do not punish them, how will the myriad worlds view our Buddha in the future?”

The speaker was named Guang Mu Zun Bodhisattva, with a square face and large ears, yet his brow held a hint of sharpness.

Within the Buddhist sect, the Bodhisattva fruit status is already an extremely high Realm, far surpassing ordinary Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas.

This Realm is equivalent to the cultivation of an Immortal King in the path of immortality, and they are few and far between even in the entire Spirit Mountain.

Buddhist cultivation is its own lineage, vaguely corresponding to the Realms of the path of immortality:

Those who first uphold the precepts and attain enlightenment are called Awakened Heart Monks, comparable to Human Immortals.

Those who progress in cultivation and attain minor fruits are called Vajra Monks, similar to Earth Immortals.

Those who sever delusions and realize the truth, escaping Reincarnation, are Arhats, corresponding to Heavenly Immortals.

Above Arhats, those who realize the Great Dao alone are Pratyekabuddhas, situated between True Immortals and Profound Immortals.

Above Pratyekabuddhas are Bodhisattvas, corresponding to Immortal Kings.

A Bodhisattva cultivates through the Ten Grounds, and only after reaching Perfection can they attain the status of a Buddha, comparable to an Immortal Emperor.

As Guang Mu Zun Bodhisattva finished speaking, several other Arhats stood up one after another to express their agreement.

“What Bodhisattva Guang Mu says is absolutely correct,” a golden-bodied Arhat said.

“That Mortal Realm has cut off all other faiths and only honors a single Venerable Datong; it is simply too overbearing.”

“In the myriad worlds and various Mortal Realms, the powerhouses of the Immortal Realm have a tacit understanding to let faiths develop separately without interfering with each other.”

“To act so arbitrarily and exclude others is unheard of.”

Another Arhat chimed in: “In truth, the faith of a mere Mortal Realm is but a drop in the bucket for our Buddhist sect.”

“But for the opponent to cause Senior Brother Monk to fall into a demonic obsession is an open provocation.”

“If not severely punished, other powerhouses might follow suit in the future. How then will our Buddhist sect deliver all living beings?”

For a time, the hall was filled with clamor.

Some called for battle, while others remained silent.

A few Bodhisattvas with great compassion tried to say a few fair words for that Mortal Realm, but they were drowned out by the more intense denunciations.

Buddha of Great Universal Light sat on the lotus platform, his brow slightly furrowed.

He looked at those indignant Bodhisattvas and Arhats and sighed softly in his heart.

Others did not know, but he saw it clearly.

Monk's fall into a demonic obsession was not due to an outsider's methods, but because an obsession had grown in his own heart, his mind had lost its guard, and the obsession had arisen from within.

Buddha of Great Universal Light also knew that the Bodhisattvas and Arhats clamoring for severe punishment were not truly blinded by anger, but were tainted by the tribulation qi of heaven and earth.

The Great Tribulation of heaven and earth was approaching.

That invisible tribulation qi was like mist or miasma, already permeating every corner of the Immortal Realm and beginning to affect the minds of many powerhouses.

It made them irritable, paranoid, and combative, losing their former peace and reason.

Matters that could have been discussed calmly were now met with slamming tables and rising in anger.

Bodhisattvas who could have been compassionate were now full of talk about severe punishment, establishing authority, and not letting the Buddhist sect's reputation fall.

Buddha of Great Universal Light looked around the hall and saw that on every familiar face, there was more or less a hint of hostility rarely seen in ordinary times.

He knew this was the result of fate, something that could not be stopped by human effort.

He also knew that today's debate, no matter what conclusion was reached, was but a small ripple before the arrival of the Great Tribulation.

Buddha of Great Universal Light remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

“This matter will be discussed later. Send Monk to the Medicine Buddha for treatment. Once his demonic obsession fades, we will ask for the reasons.”

“However, there is another matter I need to discuss with you all.”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Bodhisattvas and Arhats turned slightly solemn.

Buddha of Great Universal Light said, “Some time ago, the eastern Immortal Court sent an envoy to our Spirit Mountain, delivering a message from the Azure Emperor.”

“The Azure Emperor wishes to form an alliance with our Buddhist sect to jointly resist the Great Tribulation of heaven and earth.”

“The conditions he offered, I presume you all have already heard of.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall became heavy once again.

Guang Mu Zun Bodhisattva's brow furrowed slightly as he spoke first: “I have heard a little about the Azure Emperor's conditions.”

“He wishes to borrow our Buddhist sect's three great treasures—the three scrolls of scriptures: Past, Present, and Future—saying he wants to comprehend the path of Karma within them to deal with the tribulation.”

“In exchange, he is willing to cede seven Immortal Domains under the jurisdiction of the eastern Immortal Court to our Buddhist sect and promises never to encroach upon Buddhist holy sites.”

Another Bodhisattva chimed in: “Seven Immortal Domains is no small offer. But the three scrolls of scriptures are the Foundation of our Buddhist sect's teachings; how can they be easily lent to an outsider?”

An Arhat said, “The Azure Emperor's proactive gesture of goodwill might not be without other calculations.”

There were also Bodhisattvas inclined toward the alliance who said, “The Great Tribulation is approaching. If the paths of Immortals and Buddhas fight separately, it will be difficult to resist.”

“Since the Azure Emperor has shown sincerity, we might as well consider it carefully.”

“If we can take the seven Immortal Domains into our possession, our Buddhist sect's Foundation in the Immortal Realm will be greatly stabilized.”

The hall was filled with various discussions, each person holding their own view.