Chapter 695
Promise
"Bald monk! How dare you?! My Dragon Clan gave you face, temporarily quelling our wrath and listening to your plan! But you, from the Western Paradise, are two-faced, daring to insult our Dragon Clan's benefactor and evade our concerns! Do you really think my Dragon Clan is made of clay?!"
"Betrayal! Utter hypocrisy!"
The Platinum Dragon Emperor's icy voice was like the bone-scraping effect of ancient ice, and the aura of annihilation surrounding it surged once more.
"Just now you were saying 'it's our duty' and 'we'd give you whatever you wanted,' but now you want to use empty 'favors' to brush us off? Bald monk, are you mocking my dragon clan, or are you mocking this young friend who offered us hope?!"
The Mo Bai Dragon Emperor did not speak, but the chaotic aura in its ancient dragon eyes surged violently. A terrifying aura, a hundred times more terrifying than before, seemingly capable of reversing time and space and reducing all laws to nothingness, slowly emanated from its body!
It merely raised its dragon claws slightly, and the next moment, with the nine true dragons at its core, a terrifying dragon battle formation that covered half of the sky above Mount Ling, filled with the might of primordial dragons, and with runes flowing like the birth and death of stars—the Heaven-Sealing and Earth-Severing Ten Thousand Dragons Immortal-Slaying Formation—began to faintly emerge!
As soon as the formation appeared, the world lost its color, the sun and moon lost their light, and a terrifying aura of destruction locked onto the entire Western Heaven camp, especially Amitabha!
This time, the power unleashed by the dragons was several times stronger than during the previous fierce battle! Clearly, Lin Zhu's "turning away" and that cold laugh completely ignited their already extreme anger towards Amitabha!
In their eyes, Lin Zhu had just given them a glimmer of hope to revive Ao Lie, and was their "benefactor" and "hope." However, Xitian was so "outrageous" that they didn't even give their "benefactor" any face. This was simply the ultimate trampling on the dignity of the dragon race!
If Mount Ling is not completely wiped out, how will the Dragon Clan have the face to stand between heaven and earth in the future?
Feeling the terrifying killing pressure of the array that was about to wipe Mount Ling off the map, and the undisguised and even more resolute will to destroy the nine true dragons, Amitabha Buddha's golden face, which had always maintained a compassionate and peaceful expression, finally broke down and became extremely ugly in an instant! He didn't even have time to think about the meaning of Lin Zhu's sneer before he shouted urgently.
"Benefactor Lin! Wait a minute! Everything can be discussed!"
At this moment, Amitabha Buddha's state of mind has undergone a subtle yet dramatic change.
He never expected Lin Zhu to be so disrespectful! In his mind, how precious was the promise he made on behalf of the Sage of Guidance to "owe someone a favor"? Looking across the Three Realms, countless powerful beings would beg for such a thing!
Instead of being grateful, Lin Zhu revealed an extremely contemptuous sneer, as if his saintly favors were worthless! This blatant and undisguised contempt was even more insulting than the physical goods Lin Zhu had extorted!
The Buddha, who had been watching from the sidelines and even subtly fueling the flames, felt a dark pleasure almost overflowing in his heart when he saw Amitabha's extremely ugly expression and Lin Zhu's decisive and merciless "slap in the face"!
His face remained expressionless, but upon closer inspection, one could detect an almost imperceptible, extremely subtle, and even slightly perverse, smile at the corner of his mouth.
Normally, it was Lin Zhu who bullied, extorted, and robbed him, making him feel incredibly aggrieved. Today, seeing others suffer at Lin Zhu's hands and experiencing the feeling of being completely outmaneuvered and humiliated... although it was a bit unfair, it was damn satisfying!
Hearing the urgent call of Amitabha Buddha, Lin Zhu leisurely stopped and slowly turned around. The cold smile on her face had not completely faded, making her appear nonchalant.
He glanced at the ashen-faced Amitabha Buddha, then swept his gaze over the nine murderous, imminent dragons behind him, before slowly and deliberately speaking. His voice was calm, yet clearly reached the ears of every being.
"Discuss it? Sure. But I need to make two points clear first."
He held up two fingers, speaking casually as if discussing the weather.
"First, to save the White Dragon, according to my method, all materials must be provided according to my list. If any item is missing or any part is lacking, the matter will be dropped. The favors you have in the Western Paradise... ha, are worthless to me."
"Second," Lin Zhu paused, looking at Amitabha Buddha with a hint of amusement.
"Although I, Lin Zhu, am not a devil and am willing to help you in the Western Paradise quell this catastrophe, I am not running a charity."
Those materials are all scarce, and I would use them for great purposes, even at great risk, to search for and refine them. Therefore, what's happening today is essentially a transaction, a sale. I'm 'selling' you, the Western Paradise, an opportunity to quell the dragon's wrath and save the situation; you're 'buying' this chance to survive, and naturally, you must pay, pay the full amount. Understand?
Upon hearing this, Amitabha Buddha's face darkened even further.
He had initially thought that Lin Zhu's request for materials might be partly a "gift" or "loan," since it was all for the purpose of "saving" the White Dragon—a "good deed." He hadn't expected Lin Zhu to be so blunt—this was a business deal! Extortion! Protection money! Not some act of compassion!
"you……"
Amitabha Buddha was speechless for a moment, and the feeling of suffocation in his heart became even stronger.
Lin Zhu ignored his expression, a mocking smile playing on her lips. She muttered to herself, but her words were just loud enough for the top experts present to hear clearly.
"You thought I came here to beg for alms? How naive. Judging from your actions today, you're clearly here to collect protection money. If you don't pay up, you can expect your home to be destroyed by the dragons."
His words, though not loud, were like a knife, precisely piercing Amitabha Buddha's last bit of self-deceiving illusion.
"Bald monk! What are you dawdling for?!"
The Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor roared again, its impatience reaching its limit.
"I've been waiting for ages! If you keep trying to be cunning and make excuses, do you really think we wouldn't dare to destroy Buddhism?! The Western Paradise has broken its promise, that's a fact! Young friend Lin is willing to give you a chance, that's your good fortune! Don't think that my Dragon Clan is easy to talk to!"
The Platinum Dragon King interface produces a chilling, piercing sound.
"Materials? To give them or not? One word! The dragons have limited patience!"
Mo Bailonghuang's words were concise yet carried the implication of an ultimatum.
"The formation is complete. If there is no result within three breaths, then it will fall."
The three Dragon Emperors each uttered a sentence, which, combined with the ancient dragon formation that shrouded the sky and exuded a destructive aura, created an extremely terrifying atmosphere.
This isn't bargaining; this is clearly organized crime extorting money. They've brought thugs to block the door, threatening to smash up the shop if you don't pay!
The three thousand Buddhas, along with the Bodhisattvas and Arhats, had never seen such a spectacle before. They were all stunned and speechless, unable to process what was happening.
In their lives, they had experienced magical duels, debates, and intrigues, but had they ever witnessed someone so blatantly and confidently "robbed" with such terrifying "helpers"? The key point was that this "robbery" actually sounded... somewhat reasonable? At least the dragons thought it made sense!
An unprecedented, complex emotion, a mixture of absurdity, frustration, helplessness, and a hint of resignation, spread through the hearts of the surviving Buddhist followers in the Western Paradise.
They suddenly realized that compared to being tormented and extorted by Lin Zhu alone, who had come and gone seven times, the addition of the Dragon Clan had turned the "solo performance" into a "group performance." Although the intensity and momentum of the extortion were even more frightening, it didn't seem so unacceptable.
After all, the opponent has changed from "an unpredictable bastard" to "an unpredictable bastard plus nine truly deadly monsters." Although the threat level has skyrocketed, the nature of the threat seems to... remain unchanged?
Many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas subconsciously began to adjust their mindset, trying to convince themselves to accept this absurd reality—yes, the Western Paradise was being extorted, and the extortionists were extremely arrogant and justified; they had better cooperate obediently. Seeing the Dragon Clan's great array growing brighter and brighter, its destructive energy locking down Mount Ling, Amitabha Buddha knew that his excuse of "human relationships and face" had completely failed.
He wanted nothing more than to grind Lin Zhu to dust, but he had to force a "grateful" smile that looked worse than crying as he spoke in a dry voice.
“Amitabha… What Benefactor Lin said… is very true.”
He felt like every word he uttered was squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Your willingness to step forward and avert this monstrous calamity, sparing all living beings in the Three Realms from unrest, is truly a righteous act. On behalf of the Western Paradise, this humble monk thanks you for your noble act."
He himself felt nauseous at those words. Clearly, the root of the matter was Lin Zhu exposing the White Lotus Child, and it was Lin Zhu who had brought the Dragon Clan here. Now, he was actually supposed to thank this "culprit" for "pacifying the great war"? It felt like being forcibly fed a fly and having to smile and say that it tasted unique.
At this moment, he even felt a little "sympathy" for the Buddha—how did the Buddha manage to deal with this bamboo forest on a daily basis and still maintain his composure?
Suppressing the turmoil of frustration and nausea churning within him, he took a deep breath, tried to project an expression of "guilt" and "difficulty" onto his face, and began his final struggle—bargaining.
"However... Benefactor Lin, you are unaware of something."
Amitabha's voice was heavy, as if he were telling the sad story of his family's decline.
"Our Western Paradise may seem powerful and prosperous, but it is actually weak inside. After this battle, Mount Ling is ravaged, Buddhist disciples are few and far between, and the incense offerings and vows have been greatly reduced. Especially that Merit Pool..."
He paused, as if his heart was breaking.
"Accumulating them is difficult, but consuming them is enormous. Five hundred thousand merit points of divine water is simply... beyond my means. Even if I use all my current reserves, I'm afraid... I can only gather a maximum of three hundred thousand. I wonder... if there's any possibility of leniency?"
He thought his words were sincere and earnest, both expressing the difficulties and setting a "bottom line," waiting for Lin Zhu to bargain.
However, he had barely finished speaking, before Lin Zhu could even reply—
"Shh!"
Lin Zhu didn't even bother to say a word. The last trace of fake smile on his face vanished instantly. He turned around decisively again, picked up the White Lotus Boy, and strode away! His movements were fluid and without the slightest hesitation, as if staying even a second longer would be a waste of life!
"Roar!!! That bald monk has gone too far in bullying the dragon! Activate the formation! Destroy Buddhism!!!"
Almost at the same instant Lin Zhu turned around, the nine true dragons behind him seemed to have received the clearest signal, and roared in unison, shaking the heavens! The "Heaven-Sealing and Earth-Severing Ten Thousand Dragons Immortal-Slaying Formation," which was originally just a phantom, suddenly erupted with a dazzling light that seemed to be real. The destructive dragon power was like billions of stars falling, carrying the will to crush everything, and was about to smash down on Mount Ling!
This time, there was no intention of holding back or testing the waters; it was a final strike aimed at completely erasing Mount Ling from the map of the prehistoric world!
"Wait a minute!!!"
Amitabha Buddha was so frightened that his golden body swayed violently. He no longer cared about his Buddha demeanor, and his voice changed as he hurriedly called out to Lin Zhu again.
He was completely stunned, his mind a complete mess.
This... this Lin Zhu is completely unpredictable! Shouldn't bargaining involve several rounds of back-and-forth? Why did you just walk away without even saying "I'll think about it"? This is even harder to deal with than the Three Pure Ones! At least the Three Pure Ones have some dignity and maintain a certain magnanimity, but Lin Zhu is simply a stubborn mule, completely impervious to reason!
Seeing Amitabha Buddha's helpless and completely panicked state, the Buddha almost couldn't help but laugh out loud. He quickly lowered his eyes and concealed the wildly upward curve of his mouth.
He chuckled inwardly.
"Teacher, you are still too naive. When dealing with Lin Zhu, there is no room for bargaining. The Western Paradise has always been the one to take advantage of others by trickery and force. When have we ever been so openly extorted? You still lack experience!"
I bet Lin Zhu will get every penny he wants today, not a penny less, but more! 'Laughing, he suddenly felt a pang of sorrow—it was his own family who had been extorted so thoroughly! The bitterness was indescribable.'
Amitabha Buddha now fully understands that playing tricks, scheming, and haggling with Lin Zhu is simply asking for humiliation.
He suppressed an unprecedented rage and frustration that threatened to break free of the shackles of his Buddhist heart, took countless deep breaths, and his voice trembled slightly.
"Lin... Benefactor Lin! Please wait! This humble monk... is willing to talk! To have a proper talk!"
Lin Zhu stopped for the second time, turned half her body to the side, glanced at him, and spoke in a flat tone.
"Oh? You really want to talk this time? I'm the kind of person who likes to reason things out."
Seeing that he had finally stopped, Amitabha Buddha felt a little relieved and quickly said.
"Exactly! Exactly! Let's be reasonable! This humble monk was not careful enough just now; that 300,000 units of merit-based divine water is indeed..."
He meant to say, "It is indeed a bit too little; we can discuss the specific amount further," but the word "too little" had barely left his lips—
"Goodbye."
Lin Zhu uttered two words cleanly and crisply, turned around for the third time, and took a step!
"That bald monk is asking for death! Kill him!!!"
The dragons' roars and the thunder of the killing formation erupted simultaneously once again, even more violently than before. The terrifying dragon power had condensed into a tangible pillar of destructive light, about to pour down! This time, even the earth's veins on Mount Ling began to groan, and large sections of space collapsed!
"I'll give it! I'll give it! I'll give it as you said! Five hundred thousand! Right now!!!"
Amitabha Buddha could no longer hold back and practically roared out those words. (End of Chapter)