CHAPTER 749: 624 SHI PI THE ELDER DOES NOT AGREE

Shi Sheng’s strength had surpassed Zhu Youmu’s prior estimates, but he still stayed by Chen Yan’s side, unmoving.

He knew that Shi Sheng’s target was Chen Yan; if he left, he would certainly fall into Shi Sheng’s trap.

All he had to do was guard Chen Yan closely, regardless of how Shi Sheng tried to manipulate the situation. He had not expected Shi Sheng to be able to suppress the mighty Seven Treasures Golden Banner, but even if he did, it didn’t matter, for there were even more formidable masters hidden in the dark. Neither Shi Pi the Elder nor Shi Sheng would be able to turn the tables today, and it was impossible to let these two escape or allow the Seven Treasures Golden Banner to be destroyed or taken away.

When Shi Pi the Elder initiated the Infinite Ruyi Yin Thunder, Zhu Youmu still did not move.

Indeed, just as the Yin Thunder was about to strike, a Buddha’s chant suddenly resounded in the air, followed by an eruption of extensive golden light, equal in power to the earlier Buddha’s Light Shines Everywhere.

It was as if all heavenly Buddhas were chanting in unison within the Buddha Light, and within a thousand miles, it seemed to have turned into a Buddhist paradise.

Then three Buddha figures appeared in the sky, beneath whom were three monks.

In the center sat Master Zun Sheng, with Bai Mei Zen Master on the left and Tian Meng Zen Master on the right.

In Buddhism, in every Great Thousand World and during each period, only one Buddha would manifest.

When a Buddha was alive and teaching the dharma, it was called the Righteous Dharma Era. After his Nirvana, his disciples would organize his teachings and continue studying and cultivating, followed by the Dharma Image Era five hundred years later when many Buddhist scriptures would be created, with a vast number of people gaining the authority to interpret them, leading to numerous derivative sects.

Then would come the Dharma Decline Era, where belief in Buddhism would dwindle, the environment for studying Buddha’s teachings would worsen, and those following the path could face ridicule or disdain...

The last era would be the Dharma Destruction Era when no one would speak of or discuss Buddha, the character ’Buddha’ would be nowhere seen, his name unheard, nor any theory of Buddha’s enlightenment would emerge.

After this cycle, the next Buddha would manifest, re-entering the Righteous Dharma Era.

Each Buddha’s appearance would be assisted by many helpers to propagate the teachings.

Shakyamuni Buddha was the Buddhist Sect Hierarch King of the Saha World; his two most important assistants were Manjusri Bodhisattva, the most knowledgeable, and Universal Virtue Bodhisattva, the foremost in cultivation practices.

Now, many years after Shakyamuni had entered Nirvana, this world was nearing the end of the Dharma Image Era, about to enter the Dharma Decline Era.

In the eastern region, there was a Glazed World with the Sect Hierarch being Pharmacist King Buddha, assisted by Sunshine Bodhisattva and Moonlight Bodhisattva. They too had a Pure Land tradition, which meant that Cultivators wanting to go there could choose to ascend to the Glazed World, primarily studying the "Pharmacist Buddha’s Original Vows Sutra."

In the Western region, there existed a Pure Land with the Sect Hierarch Amitabha Buddha, assisted by Guanyin Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. This tradition was the most widely spread and deeply connected with beings of many Heavenly Worlds, with Amitabha Buddha also known as the Guiding Buddha, an all-receptive leader much more accessible than the eastern counterpart. If one did not qualify for the eastern Pure Land, they could not go, might even be sent back or redirected by Sunshine and Moonlight Bodhisattvas, or transferred to the Western Pure Land.

Pharmacist King Buddha and Amitabha Buddha were both still living, not having yet entered Nirvana, thus their realms were in the Righteous Dharma Era; ascending there would allow direct interaction with the Buddha and Bodhisattva, learning the Buddhist teachings directly from them.

Usually, a Buddha is flanked by two Bodhisattvas, known as rib attendants, this being their usual formation.

Now, with the appearance of the three revered monks, this was exactly their formation.

Master Zun Sheng sat cross-legged in the center, with Bai Mei and Tian Meng standing on either side; their combined Buddha Light also illuminated a thousand miles, exuding a majesty no less than the Seven Treasures Golden Banner, yet imbued with a touch of compassionate integration.

At that moment, Shi Pi, in a rage, curled his entire body into a ball of Green Light, merging with the Thunder Pearls, shooting out like arrows. The ten Thunder Pearls, each linking to Shi Pi the Elder’s Three Souls and Seven Spirits, interacting with each other, were about to trigger boundless Evil Qi among the Heavens and erupt.

Just as the Demon Thunder had begun to explode, but not completely, in this critical instant, the three divine monks simultaneously made their move!

Tian Meng Zen Master and Bai Mei Zen Master combined their Supreme Powers, instantly severing all interactive links between the ten Thunder Pearls, inducing Infinite Thunder Fire Blood Flames from each Thunder Pearl. Before the flames even began scattering, they were enveloped in Buddha Light, with ten golden light wheels spontaneously appearing within the Buddha Light, trapping the Thunder Fire Blood Flames. Then, emitting intense Buddha Fire, they burnt them completely.

Together, they suppressed the already erupting super nuclear weapon Magical Treasure with their Supreme Power earned over thousands of years and eventually extinguished it.

Simultaneously, Master Zun Sheng forcefully stripped the Yin Demon from Shi Pi the Elder.

Shi Pi the Elder’s twelve Yang Demons, initially bestowed by his Master, who had been influenced by his own Master, chose not to ascend to the Demon Realm but remained in the Human World, transforming into a Yin Demon and attaching to Shi Pi the Elder for over a thousand years.

The Yin Demon typically treated Shi Pi the Elder well, only occasionally influencing his emotions and will during critical moments.

Shi Pi the Elder was fully aware of this; after all, it was his Master, who, despite affecting his temperament, never harmed him and had helped him through countless Heavenly Tribulations and Human Tribulations by controlling the twelve Yang Demons.

The conflict only arose when Shi Pi the Elder wished to abandon the Demon Path and return to Buddhism.

He constructed a Demon Prison and locked up the twelve Yang Demons; the Yin Demon often argued with him, secretly inciting resentment and urging him to rage.

Now, this Yin Demon was stripped away and taken by Master Zun Sheng, eradicated in the essence of Buddha Light. Shi Pi the Elder felt a lightness in his body, his Divine Sense clearer than ever, but he also felt a loss of Mana, a weakening of his Divine Skills, and an inexplicable sorrow...

As the Thunder Pearls had not fully exploded yet, he reassembled his Primordial Spirit back into his body, sitting back atop the Blood Lotus Calyx.

Master Zun Sheng said, "The Yin Demon that had possessed you for many years has been eliminated. We used Buddhist Law to resolve your evil retributions. Why do you still not convert to Buddhism? What are you waiting for?"

Shi Pi the Elder, filled with grief and anger, flung his horsetail whisk aside and shouted furiously, "Who wants to convert with you?"

When he first began sealing the Yang Demon years ago and started searching the Buddhist Scriptures for cultivation, he actually thought about finding a high Buddhist monk to convert to and take as his master.

The first person he thought of was Master Zun Sheng, but the monk had initially annoyed him by constantly reciting scriptures, so he had used the Asura Great Technique to seal him on a cliff. By the time he considered approaching him again, the old monk was nowhere to be found.

He then thought of a few others who could potentially be his masters, such as Tian Meng and Bai Mei, but it was merely a passing thought and he never actually sought them out.

Now that the three monks had come together, he no longer wanted to convert!

All he wanted to ask was: Why?

"Why should the Xie Family’s two despicable maids kill my disciple without facing any karmic consequences? What’s wrong with me seeking revenge? If I can’t defeat you, death is all there is! Your Buddhist powers are formidable, I willingly admit defeat, but you’ve annihilated my entire clan. Each one of you monks possesses immense powers, killing people as if they were mere ants, I admit defeat there too, go ahead and strike me down!"

Master Zun Sheng, Tian Meng, and Bai Mei exchanged looks, each seeing helplessness in the others’ eyes. Master Zun Sheng sighed deeply.

As the saying goes, Divine Skills cannot overcome karma; it is easy to subdue external demons, but hard to conquer the demons within one’s own heart.

In fact, the trap they had set today was specifically prepared for Shi Pi the Elder.

The three of them, for the sake of their own disciples, had already delayed for many years. Bai Mei Monk had been ready to depart over sixty years ago, but his disciples pleaded with him to stay in the world, so he stayed for twenty years, and then another twenty years after that... Tian Meng Zen Master had delayed for hundreds of years for the sake of Xie Shan... Master Zun Sheng was only left with Shi Pi the Elder now.

Buddhism stresses the importance of fate in converting others, and one must not force or coerce anyone into converting.

Master Zun Sheng, in his earlier years when he had not yet reached the highest levels of Buddhist cultivation, was somewhat forceful with Shi Pi the Elder.

At that time, as the head of the Asura Sect, Shi Pi the Elder was proud and unyielding, not yet having experienced the sufferings of the human world—why would he choose to cultivate Buddhism? He rattled on about Buddhist Law, which only provoked Shi Pi the Elder’s pride, resulting in him being imprisoned on a cliff with a harsh natural environment, where he suffered greatly.

He recited Buddhist scriptures daily, his voice penetrating mountains and stones, and no spell could seal it; even from thousands of miles away, it reached Shi Pi the Elder’s ears.

This only increased Shi Pi the Elder’s aversion to Buddhism.

Later, as Master Zun Sheng’s cultivation and realm progressed, he quietly left, stating that he would only return to save Shi Pi the Elder and convert him to Buddhism when he was at a dead end.

However, the events that were supposed to drive Shi Pi the Elder to a dead end, such as the growing power of the Emei Sect, did not transpire as expected, and instead, Shi Pi the Elder’s own powers had greatly increased. Decades ago, his powers had surged tremendously, making it even less likely for him to be at a dead end.

He could have continued waiting, but with the Dharma Decline Era fast approaching, followed by the Dharma Destruction Era,

he was a person from the Dharma Image Era, with vast divine abilities and boundless powers, yet in the Dharma Destruction Era, all powers would disappear, leaving only Buddhist wisdom to guide others.

He had to quickly go to the Western Paradise to learn from Amitabha Buddha, study well, and then return after the Dharma Destruction Era... to attain the role of a lifetime replacement Bodhisattva, then go to Maitreya Pure Land to wait for the next emergence of Maitreya Buddha and then return to the human world with Maitreya Buddha...

Seeing the state of Shi Pi the Elder’s karma today, it seemed unlikely that he would convert to Buddhism before the arrival of the Dharma Destruction Era, and this connection would never mature; he could no longer wait and had to hastily make a test.

Originally, their plan could have been successful, first by using Li Hong, the two women from the Xie Family, and others, leveraging the Seven Treasures Golden Banner to besiege Shi Pi the Elder, driving him to a dead end, then they would intervene.

But then a variable like Shi Sheng emerged, forcing Zhu Youmu to defend Chen Yan and unable to act, even using his own power to suppress the Seven Treasures Golden Banner.

This led to one conclusion: Shi Pi the Elder would not submit!

Originally, the three of them should not have intervened.

It was supposed to be purely Zhu Youmu, Atong, Li Ning, Xie Ying, Xie Lin, and Li Hong, using the power of the Seven Treasures Golden Banner, not only to drive Shi Pi the Elder to a dead end but to also cast together, resolving the last Universal Widely Used Ruyi Yin Thunder and the possessed Yin Demon.

If the Buddha Light of the Seven Treasures Golden Banner had remained on, even if Shi Pi the Elder fought desperately, the power of the Ruyi Yin Thunder explosion would have been limited, and with the combined force of the six, the final impact could be confined to a range of ten li in the sky, not harming any living creatures on the ground below.

But now everything was ruined; Shi Pi the Elder believed that if the three old men had not intervened, he would definitely have been able to kill Xie Ying and Xie Lin, avenging his disciple!

Shi Pi the Elder fell to the hands of six juniors, which still held a possibility for a peaceful resolution; the Demon Master, who was so proud and arrogant, could not defeat a few juniors, his pride was crushed, and he also witnessed the profound vastness of Buddhist Law. Master Zun Sheng and the others stepped in to remove all the side effects of the Demon Magic he practiced, cleared his future tribulations, and thoroughly led him to put down his butcher knife. Within just two or three years, he could ascend to Pure Land...

That would have been a perfect ending.

But now, having fallen at the hands of the three old men, it only increased the anger and resentment in his heart!

Shi Pi the Elder thought they were sly and cunning, setting him up, and it was not a fair fight but a group fight. Losing to Li Hong and the six juniors versus losing to the three old monks, the mindset was completely different!