Chapter 674
Disguise
In his heart, the Nine Heavens Prison, especially Lin Zhu, had become his most valued and cherished direct force and future reliance!
Now, the Western Paradise dares to so openly target his "precious treasure," wanting to eliminate him as soon as possible. This is simply undermining the Jade Emperor and jeopardizing the future of his Heavenly Court! How could he not be furious? How could he not be anxious? Even when he ventured alone into the heart of the Western Paradise, facing three thousand Buddhas and nine true dragons, he did not back down and displayed an unprecedentedly tough stance!
The atmosphere in the arena became incredibly tense and fraught with danger once again due to the Jade Emperor's forceful intervention!
On one side was the Jade Emperor, who arrived alone yet exuded imperial power and murderous intent; on the other side were the three thousand Buddhas of the Western Paradise, who possessed geographical advantages and profound resources but were in the wrong and beset by internal and external troubles; and the nine True Dragons, who stood by coldly with ambiguous attitudes. The situation reached a stalemate for a time.
However, at this extremely tense moment, when it seemed as if a string was about to snap, a calm and even slightly relaxed voice broke the suffocating silence.
"His Majesty."
It is Lin Zhu.
He stepped forward, bowed slightly to the Jade Emperor's back, a gentle smile on his face, and spoke in a relaxed tone as if discussing the weather.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. There is no need to fly into a rage over such a trivial matter and harm your health."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the grim-faced Amitabha Buddha and Tathagata, then glancing at the nine true dragons, before finally returning to the Jade Emperor, and he smiled.
"We have come to the Western Paradise not to fight. We are civilized people, here to reason and distinguish right from wrong. Of course..."
Lin Zhu changed the subject, her smile becoming even more meaningful, even carrying a hint of mockery.
"I also came to collect some 'debts' while I was here. Your Majesty, did you bring the things I asked you to bring before?"
His sudden relaxed attitude and strange questions momentarily put an end to the tense atmosphere.
The three thousand Buddhas were initially taken aback, then doubt arose in their hearts. The Jade Emperor had come alone; although his imperial power was overwhelming, he was still only one person. How could he possibly "take away" Lin Zhu and so many of his subordinates in front of the Western Paradise, the three thousand Buddhas, and the nine true dragons?
Could he have other plans? Had he laid an ambush of billions of heavenly soldiers and generals outside? But the protective array of Mount Ling showed no violent fluctuations...
An ominous premonition quietly took root in the hearts of many Buddhas.
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor's icy anger subsided slightly. He looked at Lin Zhu, a hint of barely perceptible admiration and tacit understanding flashing in his eyes.
He didn't speak, but slowly raised his right hand.
The next moment, under the gaze of countless eyes, the void above the Jade Emperor's incomparably noble right palm slightly distorted, and a point of extremely restrained, yet seemingly containing the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, capable of illuminating the past and future, slowly emerged and condensed.
As the light grew brighter, it eventually transformed into a phantom image of a precious mirror, simple in style, neither copper nor iron, with patterns of celestial stars and mountains and rivers engraved on its edges.
The precious mirror floated quietly in the Jade Emperor's palm. Its surface was hazy, as if shrouded in the mist of countless ages and endless time and space. However, the faint yet supreme aura it emitted was enough to shake the minds of all those with profound cultivation present!
Haotian Mirror!
A primordial spiritual treasure used by the Heavenly Court to suppress destiny! An unparalleled divine artifact that monitors the Three Realms and illuminates fragments of the past and future! A supreme treasure that should hang high in the depths of the Lingxiao Palace, and cannot be moved lightly without the Jade Emperor's personal presence or decree!
The Jade Emperor actually... brought it out?! And judging from the appearance, it wasn't its true form, but rather an extremely condensed projection or clone containing a portion of its power! But that's enough! Enough to unleash its heaven-defying "seeing" ability!
The moment Lin Zhu saw the illusory image of the Haotian Mirror, the mocking smile on his lips instantly widened, almost reaching his ears, and his eyes gleamed with an excited light of "just as I thought" and "the show is about to begin."
He turned his head away from the Haotian Mirror and instead turned his gaze to the opposite side. First, his gaze swept over the Buddha Tathagata, whose face had suddenly darkened and whose eyes were filled with doubt and uncertainty. Finally, his gaze fell on the face of Amitabha Buddha on the lotus platform, who was trying to maintain his composure.
Lin Zhu's smile became incredibly bright, even carrying a hint of undisguised malice and provocation. He cleared his throat and spoke slowly in a voice that everyone present could hear.
"Alright, the main characters and tools are all here. Now... it's your turn to perform."
“Oh, no,” he added, tilting his head as if suddenly remembering something, his tone as casual as if they were discussing what to have for dinner.
"To be precise, it's my turn to... mess with your mentality."
He spoke the phrase "manipulate mentality" with exceptional clarity and savoring, his gaze fixed on Amitabha Buddha and the three thousand Buddhas, as if admiring their soon-to-change expressions.
Sure enough, as Lin Zhu uttered these words, and the illusory image of the Haotian Mirror in the Jade Emperor's palm solidified completely, Amitabha Buddha's face, which had always maintained a compassionate and calm demeanor, twitched almost imperceptibly!
Although the strangeness was fleeting, so quick that one might mistake it for an illusion, the gloom that flashed deep in his eyes and the hint of... something about to slip out of control could not be completely concealed.
All previous efforts... have been wasted?
Seeing that the Jade Emperor had actually brought out the illusory image of the Haotian Mirror, and Lin Zhu's confident look of "the show is about to begin" and "getting ready to test his mentality," the string of "reason" in the Buddha's heart finally snapped due to extreme anxiety, frustration, and fear of the truth being exposed!
His face was ashen, and bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes. He no longer cared about the demeanor of a Buddha. He suddenly pointed at Lin Zhu, and his voice was sharp and piercing due to his anger. He almost roared at the direction of the dragon clan's powerful members.
"Fellow members of the Dragon Clan! What are you waiting for?! The truth is clear! This Lin Zhu is the mastermind behind the death of Crown Prince Ao Lie! He is eloquent and deceitful, and now he is even using the Haotian Mirror to try to confuse the public!"
Are you perhaps afraid of the Jade Emperor's majesty and dare not punish the culprit?! Could it be that the Dragon Clan's formidable reputation would falter in the face of power and allow the true culprit to go unpunished?!
This provocation was blatant and urgent, an attempt to provoke the Dragon Clan into immediately attacking Lin Zhu, interrupting the use of the Haotian Mirror, and preventing the truth from being completely exposed.
However, these words were far too simplistic and blunt, even bordering on exasperation. Instead of arousing the dragons' shared hatred, they drew several undisguised sneers.
"Oh."
The Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor's enormous head swayed slightly, and two disdainful dragon breaths spewed from its nostrils, sounding like muffled thunder, carrying undisguised mockery.
"Buddha, you bald monk, have you lost your mind in your desperation, or do you take me for a three-year-old child? You dare to show off such clumsy attempts to sow discord in front of me?"
Its cold dragon eyes swept over Tathagata, then glanced at Amitabha Buddha, who sat steadily on the lotus throne with a slightly somber expression, before finally landing on Lin Zhu and the Jade Emperor, its tone carrying an ancient arrogance and straightforwardness.
“My dragon clan acts according to its own rules. We reason, distinguish right from wrong, and never hesitate to act when necessary, but we will not be used as pawns or become reckless brutes charging into battle! Especially not… driven by a bald monk like you with impure intentions.”
The Platinum Dragon Emperor spoke coldly, his voice like the clash of metal. "Right and wrong will be judged fairly. Now that the Haotian Mirror has appeared, let's see how it reflects the past. If Lin Zhu is truly the murderer, my Dragon Clan will make him pay for his crimes in blood. Not even the Great Celestial Venerable here, nor even the Dao Ancestor himself, could stop us!"
But if anyone tries to use my dragon clan to commit such despicable acts of framing… Hmph, the wrath of my dragon clan is not so easily tolerated!
Although the powerful dragons were enraged by Ao Lie's death and eager to find the true culprit, they were not mindless. They had witnessed Amitabha Buddha's previous schemes and Tathagata's current eager provocations, and they had their own judgment. Now that the Haotian Mirror was about to reveal the truth, they became even more composed, wanting to witness it firsthand before making a decision.
The Buddha's face flushed red and then paled as he was rebuffed by the Dragon Clan. His chest heaved violently, but he dared not argue any further. He could only glare hatefully at Lin Zhu and the Jade Emperor, especially at the hazy, illusory image of the Haotian Mirror in the Jade Emperor's palm.
"Your Majesty, now that the items have been brought, please begin."
Lin Zhu stopped watching Tathagata's clownish performance and turned to the Jade Emperor, urging him in a relaxed tone.
"The sooner the truth is revealed, the more those who attempt to distort the truth and frame loyal and honest people will give up completely."
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor's icy anger softened slightly, and his gaze toward Lin Zhu held a hint of trust and appreciation.
He nodded slightly and said in a clear voice.
"What you say is absolutely right, my dear minister. Right and wrong will be clear once examined. I am also very interested to see how this Western Paradise 'mediates' and how it... 'has irrefutable evidence' to frame my trusted minister!"
The Jade Emperor spoke those last few words with a profound meaning, his gaze sweeping over Amitabha Buddha and Tathagata once more, his sarcasm undisguised.
Having said that, the Jade Emperor did not delay any longer. He formed mysterious hand seals and chanted incantations, channeling strands of pure and vast imperial power, imbued with the authority of the Heavenly Dao, into the illusory image of the Haotian Mirror in his palm.
"Om-!"
The illusory image of the Haotian Mirror suddenly shone brightly! On the mirror's surface, the hazy mist began to churn and flow violently, as if countless fragments of time were floating and combining within it.
A profound and mysterious aura, seemingly capable of communicating with the past, present, and future, permeated the air, making all beings who witnessed this mirror feel that their own existence had become both clear and insignificant in the long river of time.
Seeing this, the Buddha knew he could no longer allow the Haotian Mirror to reflect the light smoothly. He suppressed his panic and spoke in a sinister voice.
"Great Celestial Venerable! Even with the Haotian Mirror, what can it do? What the mirror shows is nothing more than Ao Lie breaking out of the Snowstorm City guarded by the Prison God Lin Zhu! This is an undeniable fact!"
"Could this be fake? Would Crown Prince Ao Lie really, for no reason, risk a direct confrontation with our Western Heaven army for Lin Zhu's sake, for the sake of mere mortals? This is utterly illogical! Lin Zhu must have used some evil magic to bewitch him, or simply issued a forceful order!"
Before showing the specific details in the Haotian Mirror, he tried to instill a "preconceived notion" in everyone—that Ao Lie's participation in the battle must have been forced or instigated, and could never have been voluntary.
"That's right!"
"What the Buddha said is absolutely right!"
“That Third Prince of the Western Sea, Ao Lie, is arrogant and bloodthirsty by nature. In the past, he almost flooded an entire human city in a fit of rage. How could he be the kind of benevolent person who would stand up for mortal ants and have a sense of righteousness?”
"They must have been coerced or misled!"
Among the three thousand Buddhas, many voices echoed this sentiment, listing Ao Lie's past "misdeeds" in an attempt to reinforce the image of the Tathagata.
Upon hearing this, the powerful members of the dragon clan frowned slightly. They were naturally aware of some of Ao Lie's past behavior; the child was indeed somewhat impetuous and short-tempered.
But the fact that the Buddhas of the Western Paradise were so eager to label their descendants as "unjust" and "incapable of doing good" made them somewhat displeased. However, they did not utter a sound, but instead focused their gaze more intently on the Haotian Mirror, whose clear light was growing ever brighter.
The Haotian Mirror finally stabilized, its light as clear as water. A continuous image began to appear clearly within it, accompanied by the sounds and breaths of that time, making it feel as if one were actually there!
The scene begins above Snowstorm City, in front of the Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison camp.
Then, the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea, the Flood Dragon Demon King, led a young dragon, dressed in a plain white robe, with a handsome face but also showing deep weariness and a hint of determination—it was none other than the Little White Dragon Ao Lie—through the clouds and came to Lin Zhu.
In the video, the Flood Dragon King bowed deeply to Lin Zhu with a sincere attitude, earnestly requesting to join Lin Zhu's ranks and participate in the campaign against the unjust army of Tianzhu. The little white dragon Ao Lie followed closely behind. He raised his head, and his golden eyes, unique to the dragon race, were now devoid of any arrogance or violence, instead filled with genuine remorse and an almost burning desire for atonement.
He spoke clearly and deliberately to Lin Zhu, “…Lord Prison God, I, Ao Lie, committed a grave mistake in the past, and my sins are heavy. For five hundred years, I have been tormented by remorse every single day.”
"I have come here today not for any other reason than to follow you, my lord, and do my utmost for the sake of my Heavenly Court and the hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Jambudvipa who were slaughtered by the unjust army of India, to atone for my past sins! This is the will of my heart and the destiny of my soul! I humbly beg you, my lord, to grant my request!"
"This battle, whether I live or die, is my personal choice, and it has nothing to do with anyone else, much less involve you, my lord! If you agree, then this battle... will be my battle of atonement!"
His words were earnest and sincere! The determination and fervor in his eyes, the indignation at the unjust war, the pity for the innocent lives, and the yearning for redemption from his own sins in his words were all clearly conveyed to every powerful person present through the Haotian Mirror!
Especially the line, "This battle is my battle of atonement, Ao Lie's battle," struck the hearts of the dragon clan's powerful warriors like a heavy hammer! They could clearly feel the tremor of Ao Lie's soul and his pure will in that moment from the image! This was something that could not be faked by coercion or incitement!
The video continues to play.
In the scene, Lin Zhu seemed somewhat surprised by Ao Lie's sudden appearance and statement, and he was about to say something...
However, at that moment, the urgent report from the Golden Tortoise of the Abyss interrupted the conversation—Ao Lie had already left the city without permission and arrived at the front of the two armies, where he faced off against Di Shitian!
The video immediately switched to Lin Zhu's reaction.
His face showed obvious shock and anger, and he hissed, "What?!" (End of Chapter)