Chapter 675
The Dignified Dragon Prince
Without hesitation, he flashed and rushed towards the battlefield outside the city, not even bothering to answer the Demon King's question about the "Six-Eared Macaque"! His urgency and worry were genuine!
Immediately afterwards, the footage quickly showed what happened from Lin Zhu's perspective and partly from God's perspective.
Lin Zhu rushed to the edge of the battlefield and saw that Ao Lie had been easily captured by Di Shitian. He immediately stepped forward to negotiate, trying to get Di Shitian to release him. Di Shitian made arrogant threats, and the White Lotus Boy suddenly attacked and snatched Ao Lie away...
Then comes the most crucial part!
The footage clearly records how Lin Zhu "sincerely" and repeatedly dissuaded the White Lotus Boy from taking Ao Lie away and threatening him with a knife, even using phrases like "this is the last chance for the Western Paradise."
And how the White Lotus Child laughed arrogantly, how he insulted the dragons as "long worms", how he claimed that his "vision was beyond the Three Realms", how he rudely interrupted the advice of Vajra Yaksha King and others, and finally... how he decisively cut off Ao Lie's head with one stroke, and how he grinned maliciously in public and used the Glazed Buddha Light to crush and annihilate Ao Lie's struggling primordial spirit bit by bit!
Throughout the entire process, the White Lotus Child's cruelty, arrogance, stupidity, and extreme disregard for life were vividly displayed! Lin Zhu, from beginning to end, aside from his initial dissuasion and final sigh, did not give any "instructions," "coercion," or even "hints" to Ao Lie to fight! On the contrary, he consistently tried to save Ao Lie!
The image in the Haotian Mirror slowly came to a stop here, and the clear light subsided.
The entire Great Thunder Temple Square fell into a deathly silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
"No—!! This...how is this possible?!"
The Buddha was the first to let out a low growl of disbelief. His eyes widened as he stared intently at the now-calm illusory image of the Haotian Mirror, as if trying to bring that image back to life.
What did he see? That brat Ao Lie actually volunteered, even begged, to join Lin Zhu's camp to fight? And his reason was... to atone for the people slaughtered by the Buddhist Kingdom of Tianzhu?!
This is completely different from the "coercion" and "bewitching" scenario he had envisioned! Has this little white dragon lost his mind?! Why is he looking for atonement?! And of all things, he had to run into that killer, the White Lotus Child!
A tremendous sense of absurdity and the panic of things being completely out of control instantly seized the Buddha's heart.
The Jade Emperor was the first to react. He turned his head sharply and glared at Amitabha Buddha and Tathagata, his voice becoming deep and terrifying due to extreme anger.
"Good! What a wonderful Western Paradise! What an unjust war! The slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent lives in Nanzhan has angered the heavens and the people. Even the Dragon Prince could not stand by and watch! He volunteered to step forward and seek justice for the wronged souls!"
And you, Western Paradise, not only show no remorse, but instead send such cruel and wicked children to torture and kill righteous men, destroying their bodies and souls! Afterwards, you even dare to turn around and falsely accuse my loyal ministers and generals! Amitabha! Tathagata! What...do you have to say?!
The Jade Emperor's question was like thunder from the heavens, striking the hearts of all the Buddhas in the Western Paradise.
Lin Zhu added a timely remark, her tone low and brooding, yet sharp and piercing.
"Now it seems that things are clearer. The Western Heaven launched an unjust war, slaughtered living beings, and committed heinous crimes. Crown Prince Ao Lie was filled with righteous indignation and volunteered to fight to seek justice."
Meanwhile, the Western Paradise sent out the White Lotus Boy... well, perhaps not intentionally, but he certainly seemed quite suited to 'handling' this kind of unexpected situation—a rather simpleton?
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced, trembling White Lotus Child, then looked at Amitabha Buddha, and said meaningfully.
"Then, Prince Ao Lie 'coincidentally' died at the hands of the White Lotus Boy. Then, the Western Paradise couldn't wait to pin the blame on me, the 'outsider' who had been trying to save people and repeatedly dissuading them, for 'instructing Ao Lie to die' and 'sowing discord between the Dragon Clan and the Western Paradise'."
"Tsk tsk, this scheme... one step after another. If it weren't for the Haotian Mirror as evidence, I, Lin, would be in deep trouble today, even jumping into the Milky Way wouldn't clear my name. The Western Heaven... they planned this all along. If Crown Prince Ao Lie gets into trouble, they'll use me, Lin, as a scapegoat, both to appease the Dragon Clan's anger and to get rid of me, a thorn in their side?"
Lin Zhu's words directly labeled Xitian's actions as a "conspiracy theory"! Although it may not be entirely true, it is logically consistent and perfectly matches the current perception of many powerful figures present!
"Whoosh—!"
Everyone present was shocked! The three thousand Buddhas were instantly in an uproar! Many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas showed expressions of disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost! Their divine senses fluctuated violently, and they communicated frantically.
"That little white dragon... really went to war on his own? To atone for the sins of mortals?!"
"Is he out of his mind?! Why would a dignified dragon prince get involved in something like this?!"
"It's all over! This is completely inextricable! It's a fact that that idiot Bai Lian killed the dragon, and it's also a fact that we framed the Prison God before..."
"What kind of mess is this! They failed in their internal strife and ended up digging their own grave?!"
"I have a bad feeling that something terrible is about to happen! The dragons will never let this go!"
The Buddha was sweating profusely with anxiety. Seeing that the dragon clan's powerful figures were looking towards the Western Heaven with extremely dangerous eyes, he hurriedly tried to explain, his voice trembling.
"No! That's not how it is! Great Celestial Venerable, fellow Daoists of the Dragon Clan, do not listen to Lin Zhu's nonsense! The White Lotus Child descended to the mortal realm without permission and acted recklessly. His mind... his mind is simply not capable of plotting such a complex conspiracy!"
He's a reckless idiot! This was purely accidental! There was absolutely no intention to frame the God of Hell! Please investigate thoroughly! Investigate thoroughly!
His defense was tantamount to admitting that the White Lotus Boy had killed the dragon and framed Lin Zhu, but he denied the motive of "deliberately framing" him, attributing everything to the White Lotus Boy's "personal stupidity."
The White Lotus Child, whose primordial spirit had been scraped away and was in excruciating pain, heard Tathagata's words. Although his mind was still hazy, he vaguely felt that something was wrong. It seemed that... he had been scolded even more severely? But at this moment, he was barely able to protect himself and had almost no strength left to speak. He could only let out painful groans.
On the lotus platform, Amitabha Buddha's ever-present, compassionate, and peaceful smile finally froze and disappeared completely.
For the first time, a clear look of astonishment and a hint of...helplessness appeared in his deep eyes.
He had calculated everything, including Lin Zhu's extraordinary destiny, the Dragon Clan's shortcomings in tracing history, the possibility of using someone else to do his dirty work, and even the possibility of the Jade Emperor's intervention... but he hadn't anticipated that the little white dragon Ao Lie would be such a hot-blooded fool who had taken the initiative to fight because of an "unjust war"...
He never expected that the "knife" White Lotus Child he sent down would be such a fool who is indiscriminate, arrogant and domineering to the extreme!
A hothead meets a simpleton.
The result was... the Dragon Prince was annihilated, body and soul destroyed, and the Western Paradise was dragged into an abyss of no return. This... this death was truly not unjust.
A rare sense of powerlessness rose in Amitabha Buddha's heart. Faced with the ironclad visual evidence from the Haotian Mirror, the Jade Emperor's thunderous wrath, and Lin Zhu's piercing words, he was speechless for a moment.
"Roar--!!!"
Just then, the nine true dragons unleashed deafening roars filled with boundless fury! The terrifying dragon might erupted like a tangible tsunami, sweeping across the entire Mount Ling! The already dilapidated Great Thunderclap Temple trembled violently under the impact of this terrifying dragon might, with bricks and stones falling down as if it were about to collapse completely at any moment!
The enormous dragon body of the Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor trembled slightly with extreme rage. Its star-like dragon eyes were burning with fierce anger as it stared intently at Amitabha Buddha and Tathagata Buddha on the lotus platform. Its voice was hoarse and ferocious due to its rage.
"Good! What a Western Paradise! What a Buddhist holy land! So this is the truth! You launched an unjust war, slaughtered living beings, and committed heinous crimes!"
My children, driven by a sense of justice, sought to avenge the wrongfully killed, only to be brutally murdered by these cruel and foolish servants of yours, their bodies and souls utterly destroyed! Afterwards, instead of reflecting on your mistakes, you offered countless excuses, even distorting the truth and falsely accusing innocent people! If it weren't for the Haotian Mirror here, wouldn't the loyal and virtuous have been wronged, and the true culprit have gone unpunished?!
It suddenly turned its head to look at Lin Zhu, the anger in its dragon eyes subsided slightly, and even a hint of... appreciation and apology appeared? The Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor's voice boomed.
"Lin Zhu, the God of Hell! I was misled by a villain and wrongly suspected you! You possess righteousness and integrity, and moreover... well, you are handsome and distinguished. It is obvious at a glance that you are not the kind of wicked and vicious person I was looking down on!"
These compliments, especially the words "handsome and exceptionally handsome," caused Lin Zhu's lips to twitch almost imperceptibly.
The Dragon Emperor's angle for praising someone is truly unique.
"but!"
The Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor's voice suddenly turned fierce. With a mighty swing of its tail, carrying the terrifying power to shatter stars, it lashed out at Amitabha Buddha's lotus platform! "The Western Paradise falsely accused an innocent man and brutally murdered my clan's crown prince. This enmity is irreconcilable! Today, I will make the Western Paradise pay for this blood debt!!"
Almost simultaneously, the Platinum Dragon Emperor also let out a furious roar, its massive dragon claw tearing through the void, carrying a chilling light and the laws of destruction, as it fiercely grabbed at Amitabha Buddha! "White Lotus Child killed my dragon clan's offspring! Your Western Paradise has failed in its discipline, falsely accusing and framing him, your crimes are compounded! Quickly apologize! Otherwise, I will raze Mount Ling to the ground!"
The two Dragon Emperors unleashed their fury, their power shaking the heavens and the earth! Even before the terrifying dragon power had fully descended, the mere gale and pressure it generated caused the three thousand Buddhas to turn pale and tremble, as if they were in the midst of an apocalyptic storm! Their hearts were filled with fear and bewilderment.
"Why?! Why is it that the Dragon Clan is so civilized, reasonable, and patient with that Prison God Lin Zhu, even praising his good looks?! But when it comes to us in the Western Paradise, they just attack without hesitation?! This...this is such a double standard!"
As if hearing their thoughts, the Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor swung its tail and roared.
"What are you looking at?! Do I need to explain my actions to you? Lin Zhu is pleasing to the eye and acts uprightly, so naturally I find him pleasing! You bunch of bald monks, with your repulsive faces and filthy behavior, are disgusting to even look at! Who else should I beat if not you?!"
This reason, so blunt and direct, nearly made the three thousand Buddhas spit out a mouthful of blood. They could not refute it and could only look at Amitabha Buddha and Tathagata in great fear, hoping that the two Buddhas could block this terrifying attack.
The Buddha's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he was inwardly groaning.
The two Dragon Emperors unleashed their fury, their power enough to destroy the heavens and the earth! Even if Amitabha Buddha were here, it would be no easy task to withstand them! The Western Paradise is likely to face a great calamity today!
Amitabha Buddha sat on his lotus throne, facing the dragon's tail that could shatter stars and its claws that could tear apart the void. His face was devoid of any gentleness, only utter solemnity remained.
He clasped his hands together and chanted Sanskrit mantras. The immeasurable faith, vows, merits, and Buddha light accumulated throughout the Western Paradise converged wildly and poured into the thousand-petaled lotus platform beneath him and into himself! Layer upon layer of incredibly thick, crystal-clear Buddha light barriers, seemingly capable of isolating all laws and supporting the Pure Land, instantly unfolded before him!
He was prepared to withstand this attack head-on! If he could block it, perhaps he could make the dragons back down, or at least gain some room for negotiation!
As the earth-shattering attack was about to collide violently with Amitabha Buddha's defense, the entire Mount Ling groaned under this terrifying energy confrontation, and the atmosphere became extremely tense and oppressive...
At this critical moment!
A voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, a touch of naivety, yet seemingly brimming with endless scheming, suddenly rang out at an inopportune moment, shattering the silence that preceded this prelude to destruction.
"Wait! Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor, and the Great Celestial Venerable, everyone... please don't rush to attack!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Lin Zhu had taken another step forward. He had an almost "simple" smile on his face and clear eyes, as if he was really thinking about the big picture.
He pointed to the Haotian Mirror in the Jade Emperor's palm, whose clear light had not yet completely subsided, then looked at the two Dragon Emperors who were poised to attack and Amitabha Buddha who was defending with all his might, and said in a relaxed tone.
"This video... doesn't seem to be completely finished yet? Perhaps there are some details we don't know about later? What if... I mean, what if, the Western Paradise actually harbors a trace of 'mercy' or 'misunderstanding' towards the White Dragon Prince?"
If the White Dragon Prince were to die, what untold 'secrets' might lie behind it?
Lin Zhu blinked, her smile becoming even more "innocent" and harmless, even carrying a hint of encouragement.
“When we do things, we need to be based on evidence, and it needs to be complete. We can't wrongly accuse a… uh, a potentially ‘good person,’ right? So, why don't we… watch the rest of the footage first?”
His words sounded like he was "pleading" for the Western Paradise, but anyone who wasn't a fool could hear the strong, gloating, and "troublemaking" undertone in them!
Especially when paired with Lin Zhu's extremely innocent smile, it sends chills down your spine!
Amitabha Buddha paused almost imperceptibly in his gathering of power, causing the Buddha Tathagata's heart to skip a beat, and the three thousand Buddhas were filled with astonishment and a sense of foreboding.
What is this prison god planning now?!
The hearts of the three thousand Buddhas at this moment felt as if they had sunk into an icy abyss.
Many of them had witnessed firsthand, or learned through some means, the undisguised arrogance, cruelty, and contempt of the White Lotus Child when facing the White Dragon Ao Lie, which had previously appeared in Amitabha's halo mirror.
They knew all too well that, given the White Lotus Prince's arrogant and foolish nature, he would inevitably utter some outrageous and absurd words during the brutal slaughter of the White Dragon, words that would drag the Western Paradise into utter ruin! (End of Chapter)