Chapter 673
Coercion
However, just as the Buddha finished speaking, and everyone thought Lin Zhu was in dire straits with no chance of recovery—
A majestic, grand voice, seemingly imbued with the supreme authority of the heavens yet carrying a subtle hint of admiration, resounded clearly and unhindered over the sacred mountain, filled with Buddhist light, dragon might, and righteous energy.
"Well said! My dear minister, you've said it...very well!"
The sound came suddenly and was incomparably majestic, like a thunderclap rolling down from the heavens, or like a heavy hammer striking the solid foundation of the laws of Mount Ling!
The supreme imperial aura contained in the voice was vast and undeniable, instantly breaking through the solemn field formed by the interweaving of Buddhist light, dragon might, and righteous energy, and clearly entering the ears and souls of every living being present!
Immediately afterward, under the utterly astonished and incredulous gazes of all beings—whether it be the Buddhas of the Western Paradise, the Nine True Dragons, or the people in the Nine Heavens Prison—the sky above the Great Thunderclap Temple, which had been diluted by the righteous energy, was suddenly torn apart by a more noble, more magnificent, and seemingly all-encompassing golden light!
Amidst the golden light, a figure slowly stepped out.
He wore a nine-chapter imperial robe, embroidered with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and the state. He wore a twelve-tasseled flat crown, with pearls and jade hanging down, obscuring his face, but unable to hide his eyes that seemed to see through the heavens and the earth, containing endless majesty and vicissitudes.
He did not deliberately exude a terrifying pressure, but with each step he took, it seemed to be in harmony with the rhythm of the Great Dao of the Three Realms. Boundless imperial fortune surged with him, and the vast imperial aura, like a river bursting its banks, surged and poured into the Buddhist holy land of the Great Thunderclap Temple!
Jade Emperor!
The supreme ruler of the Heavenly Court, who governs the Three Realms and controls the Six Paths, actually... visited the Western Paradise and set foot in the Great Thunderclap Temple!
This scene completely exceeded everyone's expectations! Whether it was the three thousand Buddhas, the nine true dragons, or the people in the nine-layered heavenly prison, they were all momentarily stunned and petrified!
Since the Investiture of the Gods, the relationship between the Heavenly Court and the Western Paradise has been delicate. Although they have not completely broken off relations, the secret rivalry, border frictions, and struggles for destiny have never stopped, and both sides are very wary of each other.
The two supreme rulers have never had a formal exchange of visits. The only similar "meeting" was the "Peaceful Heaven Assembly" convened by the Buddha in Heaven after he suppressed the demon monkey Sun Wukong on the orders of the sages, but that was in the Lingxiao Palace within the Thirty-Three Heavens, not in the Western Paradise!
Today, the Jade Emperor has personally set foot in the heart of the Western Paradise—the Great Thunderclap Temple—for Lin Zhu's sake! This is an unprecedented event since the creation of the world and the establishment of the Heavenly Court! Its significance and the determination of his attitude are truly awe-inspiring!
Even Amitabha Buddha, who always appeared dignified and wise, had his constant compassion and tranquility shattered the moment the golden light tore through the sky and the Jade Emperor's figure appeared, revealing an undisguised look of surprise and solemnity! Clearly, the Jade Emperor's personal descent was completely beyond his expectations.
Lin Zhu was equally surprised.
He had indeed previously sent a message to the Jade Emperor through special channels, seeking help and hoping the Jade Emperor could find a way to use the Haotian Mirror or provide other support to resolve the current predicament. But he never expected that the Jade Emperor would come in person! And at such a sensitive moment, stepping into the heart of the Western Paradise, a place like a dragon's den and a tiger's lair!
He looked up at the figure descending slowly from the golden light, exuding imperial aura. Through the twelve tassels of pearls and jade, he could clearly see the gaze cast from the Jade Emperor's deep eyes—firm, composed, and even carrying a hint of… barely perceptible concern.
With just a glance, Lin Zhu understood. The Jade Emperor's trip was not merely about the Haotian Mirror, but also about Lin Zhu himself! This supreme ruler of the Three Realms truly cared for him, his "subject," and was willing to risk his life to personally go to enemy territory to support and rescue him!
An indescribable surge of warmth quietly swept through Lin Zhu's heart.
He was not heartless. Although the Jade Emperor's actions may have been influenced by the interests of the Heavenly Court and imperial ambitions, his unwavering willingness to take risks and his steadfast support were enough to move him.
The Jade Emperor seemed oblivious to the various gazes around him, some filled with shock, some with horror, and some with complex emotions.
He descended the invisible steps one by one, his vast imperial aura like tangible waves, washing away the remaining Buddhist light of the Great Thunderclap Temple. Finally, he landed in the center of the arena, standing not far in front of Lin Zhu, facing Amitabha Buddha's lotus platform from afar.
He didn't look at Lin Zhu, nor did he pay attention to the Dragon Clan, nor did he care about the three thousand Buddhas who were silent as cicadas in fear. His eyes, which contained endless majesty, were directly locked onto Amitabha Buddha on the lotus platform!
"Amitabha."
The Jade Emperor spoke, his voice not particularly loud, but it carried an innate imperial majesty and an unquestionable sense of oppression, like a decree being proclaimed from the heavens.
"You have quite the air of authority."
The first sentence, though simple, carries immense weight.
"They bully the weak and oppress the strong, forcibly using their supernatural powers to kidnap the righteous gods of my Heavenly Court and the immortals belonging to the Nine Heavenly Prisons, detaining them in your Western Heavenly Spirit Mountain, setting up a private court, and arbitrarily judging them."
The Jade Emperor's voice gradually turned cold, like ancient ice colliding, each word carrying a chilling coldness and a questioning tone.
"What does this mean to my Heavenly Court? What does it mean to disregard the laws and regulations of Heaven? Your Western Paradise... are you declaring war on my Heavenly Court?!"
The moment the word "declare war" was uttered, coupled with the terrifying imperial killing intent that suddenly surged from the Jade Emperor's body like a raging sea, the temperature in the entire Great Thunderclap Temple seemed to instantly drop to freezing point!
The three thousand Buddhas felt a tremor originating from the depths of their souls. Many of those with weaker cultivation turned pale, their souls trembled, and they almost lost their balance!
The Jade Emperor's murderous aura was different from the dragons' savage rage, and also different from Lin Zhu's sharp and upright nature. It was the wrath of an emperor who ruled over the three realms and held the power of life and death! It was a terrifying power containing the fortune of the entire Heavenly Court and a portion of the Heavenly Dao's authority!
The mere aftershocks of this killing intent made all the Buddhas feel as insignificant and fearful as mortals facing the might of heaven!
The Buddha's face turned extremely ugly. He hadn't expected the Jade Emperor to descend in person, and he certainly hadn't expected the Jade Emperor to be so forceful from the start, directly labeling it a "declaration of war"! He hurriedly stepped forward, bowed to the Jade Emperor, and explained in a rushed tone.
"Great Heavenly Venerable, please forgive me! There is a reason for this! It is because the fellow Daoists of the Dragon Clan questioned me about the matter of Prince Ao Lie, and our Western Heaven is in grave danger. In this urgent situation, in order to clarify the cause and effect, I had no choice but to invite the relevant people to Mount Ling for a confrontation. In the rush, I did not have time to report to the Heavenly Court. It was not my intention to offend the majesty of the Heavenly Court! I beg the Great Heavenly Venerable to understand!"
He attempted to shift the blame to the dragon race, emphasizing the "crisis" and "rush" of the Western Paradise to downplay the nature of the "kidnapping."
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor's lips curled into a cold smile, a smile filled with mockery and disdain.
He didn't even glance at the Buddha; his gaze remained fixed on Amitabha Buddha, yet his voice clearly reached the ears of the Buddha and all the Buddhas.
"Oh? In dire straits? You haven't had time to report it?"
The Jade Emperor slowly turned his head and looked directly at Tathagata for the first time, his gaze as cold as a blade.
"Buddha, if one day extraterrestrial demons or primordial monsters attack your Mount Sumeru, causing your Western Paradise to be 'in imminent danger,' can I, without even having reported it, send heavenly soldiers and generals to your Great Thunderclap Temple to 'protect' this Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss for you? Or even... invite all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of your Buddhist sect to my Lingxiao Palace for 'tea'?"
The chilling intent and murderous aura in those words were almost undisguised! They directly exposed the absurdity and double standards of the Buddha's excuse! If you can kidnap my people just because your Western Paradise is in trouble, then can my Heavenly Court also use the same excuse to do whatever it wants to your Western Paradise?
"This... Great Heavenly Venerable, you're exaggerating! Absolutely not!" Tathagata's expression changed drastically, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead as he hurriedly tried to explain.
The three thousand Buddhas behind him felt a chill run down their spines. The Jade Emperor's words were practically a warning: if the Western Paradise dared to harm Lin Zhu and the others, the Heavenly Court would not hesitate to retaliate in kind! The consequences were chilling to even think about!
The nine true dragons of the Dragon Clan coldly observed the clash between the Jade Emperor and the Western Paradise, remaining silent. In their ancient and noble understanding, they held only a slight respect for the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the Three Realms appointed by the Dao Ancestor, based on his cultivation and status, but not much reverence. The Jade Emperor's appearance, though unexpected, did not change their fundamental purpose of investigating Ao Lie's death and seeking justice.
They wanted to see what explanation the Jade Emperor could come up with.
Faced with the Jade Emperor's blunt questioning and chilling killing intent, Amitabha Buddha on the lotus platform finally spoke again.
He clasped his hands together, bowed slightly to the Jade Emperor, his attitude still humble, yet still possessing the demeanor of a sect leader.
“Amitabha. The Great Heavenly Venerable has come in person, and this humble monk has failed to greet him properly. I am truly sorry. There were indeed some improprieties in this arrangement, which has disturbed the celestial beings of the Heavenly Court. Once this matter is settled, this humble monk will personally go to the Lingxiao Palace to apologize to the Great Heavenly Venerable.”
He first admitted his "inappropriateness" and expressed his willingness to apologize afterwards, adopting an extremely humble attitude. Immediately afterward, he changed the subject and shifted the focus back to the main issue.
"As for the arrival of Prison God Lin Zhu, it was summoned by the fellow Daoists of the Dragon Clan, who wished to make him confess his guilt and submit to execution for the death of Prince Ao Lie. This is the cause and effect between the Dragon Clan and Benefactor Lin Zhu. Our Western Heaven... merely provided the venue and mediated between us. We are unwilling and powerless to interfere. We hope that the Great Heavenly Venerable will understand."
In just a few words, the "kidnapping" was casually transformed into "providing a venue," completely absolving the Western Paradise of any responsibility and positioning Lin Zhu as a "confessed and executed" criminal, thus passing the buck to the Dragon Clan.
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor let out a cold laugh, the mockery in his laughter growing even stronger.
"Confess and accept punishment? What a fine 'confess and accept punishment'!"
He took a sudden step forward, his imperial aura roaring and rising like an angry dragon. His terrifying pressure, like a tangible mountain, pressed down fiercely in the direction of Amitabha Buddha. His voice suddenly rose, filled with undeniable domineering power and rage.
"Lin Zhu is the God of Law Enforcement and Prison of the Three Realms, personally appointed by me! The Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison is directly under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court! If he is guilty, the laws of Heaven will be followed, and I will be the judge! When did it become your place in the Western Paradise to overstep your bounds? When did it become the place for others to shout for his execution?!"
"If I hadn't arrived in time today, or had I been even a step later, my Three Realms Law Enforcement Gods and my Heavenly Court's enforcers would have suffered even the slightest damage in this so-called 'mediation' place in the Western Paradise..."
The Jade Emperor's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the three thousand Buddhas before finally settling on Amitabha Buddha's face. He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, each word seemingly carrying a bloody, murderous aura.
"I can tell you clearly, Amitabha, and your Western Paradise—the Heavenly Court—will fight you to the death, until one side is completely annihilated!"
"boom--!!!"
A terrifying killing intent and imperial oath, accompanied by the Jade Emperor's words, raged like the most violent hurricane across the entire Great Thunderclap Temple Square! The glazed tiles trembled, the ground cracked, and the Buddhist light flickered erratically!
Faced with this naked threat of war and the Jade Emperor's undisguised and overwhelming killing intent, the fear in the hearts of the three thousand Buddhas reached its peak! They had no doubt that the Jade Emperor was serious! This ruler of the Three Realms, who seemed to sit serenely in the Lingxiao Palace and rule with nothing to do, once truly enraged, his determination and courage were enough to make any force tremble!
"Great Heavenly Venerable, please calm your anger! Great Heavenly Venerable, please calm your anger!"
The Buddha was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and he hurriedly shouted loudly, his voice trembling.
"No one was injured! Prison God Lin Zhu and all the immortals of the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison are safe and sound! Absolutely no damage whatsoever! We implore the Great Heavenly Venerable to see the truth and not to unleash your wrath due to a misunderstanding!"
He was truly terrified. Under normal circumstances, the Western Paradise might not be afraid to go to war with the Heavenly Court, but now that the Dragon Clan was the greatest enemy, and the White Lotus Child had caused a terrible disaster within its own ranks, if it were to completely break ties with the Heavenly Court and fall into a situation of fighting on two fronts or even being attacked on three fronts, then the Western Paradise would truly be not far from destruction!
Amitabha Buddha was also intimidated by the Jade Emperor's undisguised threat of war and domineering attitude. His usually gentle and calm face became even more solemn.
He clasped his hands together again, his tone more sincere, even carrying a hint of "request".
"Great Heavenly Venerable, please have mercy on all living beings in the Three Realms and do not rashly start a war, lest you create endless bloodshed. The Western Heaven has absolutely no intention of being an enemy of the Heavenly Court, and dares not overstep its authority to deal with important officials of the Heavenly Court."
Today's events are truly a result of a series of misunderstandings and a complex web of cause and effect. This humble monk, in the name of the sect leader, guarantees that I will never again commit the slightest offense against the God of Hell or the celestial beings of the Heavenly Court. I humbly request the Great Heavenly Venerable… to prioritize the peace and tranquility of the Three Realms.”
He tried to persuade the Jade Emperor with the greater principles of "common people" and "peace," adopting an even more humble stance.
However, the Jade Emperor was not swayed by this at all.
He snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and his voice remained icy.
"Compassion for the common people? When you, the Western Heaven, bullied the weak and kidnapped my subjects, attempting to commit treason, did you ever think of compassion? When your attendants brutally murdered the Dragon Prince, destroying him body and soul, stirring up a raging storm, did you ever think of peace? And now you talk to me about the greater good of the common people?"
The Jade Emperor's gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Amitabha Buddha.
"Stop with the pleasantries! I'm here today for only one thing—immediately, right now, withdraw all your underhanded tactics and lift all restrictions and coercion against my beloved minister and his subordinates! Otherwise..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat in his unfinished words was more powerful than any roar. The Jade Emperor was truly enraged. Recently, under Lin Zhu's leadership, the Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison had repeatedly performed extraordinary feats in the Three Realms, sweeping away demons and monsters, restoring order to the Underworld, and even fiercely resisting the Buddhist Kingdom in the Southern Continent. This greatly boosted the Heavenly Court's waning prestige, giving the Jade Emperor hope of restoring its majesty. (End of Chapter)