Chapter 703
Respectfully Sending Off the Great Celestial Venerable
Immediately, Amitabha Buddha composed himself and turned his gaze to the Jade Emperor's retreating figure as he prepared to depart.
His face quickly broke into that signature compassionate and gentle smile, and his voice, though not loud, carried clearly.
"Respectfully seeing off the Great Heavenly Venerable. We are grateful to the Heavenly Court for mediating today's events. Our Western Heaven and the Heavenly Court are of one spirit and will always be good friends who work together to maintain the stability of the Three Realms. This misunderstanding has been resolved, and we will certainly work harder in the future to educate all living beings and live up to the trust placed in us by Heaven."
His words were spoken in a grand and dignified manner, as if the great battle that had nearly destroyed Mount Ling was merely a "misunderstanding," and that the Western Paradise had played the role of victim and ultimately "victor" who prioritized the greater good. Having said this, Amitabha Buddha did indeed secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
In any case, the worst-case scenario was averted, the White Lotus Prince was saved, the Golden Cicada was saved, and the Journey to the West didn't collapse... Although the price was so heavy it made his heart bleed, at least... they survived, didn't they? As long as the green hills remain, there's always hope. As for that scourge Lin Zhu... he'll deal with him slowly later!
As the Jade Emperor's carriage and the people from the Nine Heavens Prison departed, the Dragon Clan, including the Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor, also felt there was nothing worth staying there.
They cast a final, cold glance at the devastated Mount Ling and the Buddhas of the Western Paradise, and let out a dragon's roar that resounded throughout the heavens and earth, serving as a final warning.
Then, the massive bodies of the nine true dragons stirred up the wind and clouds, carrying the primordial spirit of the little white dragon Ao Lie, and transformed into nine astonishing rainbows, soaring into the sky towards the four seas. Only then did the overwhelming dragon might gradually dissipate between heaven and earth.
The formidable enemy finally retreated, and the huge weight that had been pressing on the hearts of all the Buddhist followers in the Western Paradise was suddenly lifted.
However, what followed was not the joy of surviving a disaster, but an overwhelming sense of heaviness and desolation in the face of the scene before him, which resembled an apocalyptic ruin.
The ancient Buddha Dipankara, who had stood silently and had hardly participated in the final negotiations, slowly raised his head at this moment.
His ancient and weathered face no longer held any of its usual inscrutable and indifferent air; only a deep, almost overflowing sorrow remained.
His cloudy gaze slowly swept over the sacred Ling Mountain scenic area—
The once magnificent palaces and pavilions, filled with the sounds of chanting, are now mostly ruins, with charred beams sticking out from among the rubble.
The pristine white jade steps and plaza were now soaked in dark red blood. The viscous blood plasma mixed with dust, emitting a nauseating stench.
One after another, the golden bodies of Buddha soldiers, Arhats, and even Bodhisattvas, some intact and some broken, lay scattered in pools of blood, beside broken lotus thrones, and among charred sacred herbs and flowers.
Some of them glared angrily, seemingly unwilling to accept their fate; others had peaceful faces, yet were devoid of any vitality.
The spirits of those devout believers who came with incense offerings, yearning for a blissful world free from disasters and suffering, were also annihilated in this calamity.
The air was thick with the smell of blood and burnt flesh, as well as a sense of desolation as if the power of merit and vows had been forcibly scattered.
Where is this blissful Pure Land? It is clearly a bloodbath battlefield that has just been ravaged! The eternal bliss and freedom from disasters described in Buddhist scriptures seem so pale and laughable at this moment.
"Amitabha……"
The ancient Buddha Dipankara let out a long and mournful Buddhist chant, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
He slowly clasped his hands together, lowered his head—a head that had witnessed countless changes of time—and two streams of turbid tears slid down his aged cheeks, dripping onto the blood-stained earth at his feet. "All beings suffer, and calamity is inescapable… May Buddha have mercy, forgive your disciple's incompetence, unable to protect this sacred land, unable to protect these countless Buddhist disciples…"
He said no more, but began to chant the scriptures for salvation in a low voice, his voice sorrowful yet firm, and his body radiated a gentle yet mournful Buddhist light, trying to guide the souls who had perished here to be reborn in the Pure Land, or to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.
At this moment, he no longer seemed like the aloof ancient Buddha, but simply an old man grieving for his disciples and for his broken home.
However, not all Buddhas were in the mood for sorrow at this moment. The Lapis Lazuli Medicine Buddha walked over the scorched earth, looking at the mess on the ground, especially the rare spiritual herbs and elixirs that had been completely crushed and lost all their spiritual energy by the aftershocks of the dragon's breath or the blast of battle, and his brows furrowed with heartache.
Hearing the chanting of the ancient Buddha Dipankara, he couldn't help but speak up.
“Dilthank Buddha, now is not the right time to perform a ritual of deliverance. Mount Ling is severely damaged, the earth's veins are in turmoil, and resentment and karma are intertwined, making the ritual of deliverance much less effective. It would be better to first collect these golden statues of Buddha soldiers and send them directly into the cycle of reincarnation. It will not be too late to perform a grand ritual of deliverance after Mount Ling has recovered.”
The most urgent task is to stabilize the earth's veins, clear the ruins, and restore the foundation of the sacred mountain! Look at these ancient medicinal herbs..."
He pointed to several medicinal herbs that had been completely charred, and was heartbroken.
Amitabha Buddha rubbed his temples wearily. The series of changes, negotiations, and extortions that day had left even this saintly incarnation feeling mentally and physically exhausted.
He waved his hand, interrupting the words of the Medicine Buddha, his voice filled with deep weariness.
"Very well, let us do as the Medicine Buddha says. All Buddhas, heed my command, immediately collect the golden bodies of your fellow disciples and send them into reincarnation. The rest of you, do your utmost to clear the ruins, repair the damaged temples, and stabilize the spiritual energy of the earth's veins. We must restore order to Mount Ling as quickly as possible."
"I will obey the decree."
The remaining three thousand Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, though filled with resentment and indignation, knew this was not the time to vent. They could only respond in unison and begin to work diligently on the blood-soaked ruins, enduring their pain and discomfort. Each face was etched with frustration, helplessness, and a hint of uncertainty about the future.
After giving my instructions to Amitabha Buddha, I felt utterly exhausted and urgently needed to meditate to recover.
He glanced at the ancient Buddha Dipankara, who was still immersed in chanting sutras in grief, shook his head slightly, said nothing more, turned and walked towards the Great Thunderclap Temple, which, although missing a large piece of its roof, still stood majestically. That was his place of practice, and at this moment, it was the most "complete" building on Mount Ling. He needed to go in to regulate his breathing and also to carefully consider the aftermath of today's events.
However, the moment he stepped over the broken threshold and into the Great Thunderclap Temple, his gaze swept over the scene inside the hall—
"This...this is?!"
An incredulous, almost out-of-control scream suddenly erupted from the mouth of this saintly figure who had just maintained a compassionate and peaceful demeanor! The scream was filled with shock, anger, and a heartache and frustration as if his entire existence had been emptied out! It even vaguely contained a few indistinct words of resentment that seemed to be Buddhist profanities!
This scream, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly shattered the somber atmosphere of the Ling Mountain ruins!
The three thousand Buddhas outside, some collecting corpses, some clearing rubble, and others sighing in despair, all trembled at the sound and looked up in horror towards the direction of the Great Thunderclap Temple. What was happening? Why was Amitabha Buddha so distraught? Could there be some greater upheaval inside?!
Out of worry, curiosity, or some ominous premonition, the Buddhas disregarded everything else, put down their work, transformed into streaks of light, and rushed into the Great Thunderclap Temple!
As they entered the magnificent yet dilapidated hall and saw the interior, everyone froze in place as if struck by a spell. Their expressions quickly shifted from initial surprise and doubt to extreme shock and bewilderment, and finally to burning anger and an unbelievable sense of absurdity!
The interior of the Great Thunder Temple, which should have been solemn and majestic, now bears no resemblance whatsoever to a supreme Buddhist holy site.
The ground was littered with rubble, jade fragments, metal shards, and broken wood! It looked as if ten thousand ferocious beasts had trampled and torn it apart!
Those lotus thrones and golden pedestals, which were originally arranged in order of rank and were exquisite and magnificent, symbolizing the attainment of Buddhahood, are now leaning to one side and most of them are broken!
Some had their bases kicked down, some had their carvings broken off, and some were even completely overturned, revealing empty hidden compartments or rough ground underneath! Especially the seats of the Buddhas and ancient Buddhas at the very front were severely damaged, and their original appearance was almost unrecognizable.
The exquisite murals on the walls were scratched, the inlaid gems and pearls were gone, and even many of the hanging glass lamps were pulled down and smashed to pieces.
The air was filled with dust, and a faint scent of something that had been released from the shattering of various precious materials, mixed with a heartbreaking atmosphere of decay.
This is hardly a sacred place! It's clearly a crime scene that has just been thoroughly and violently looted and demolished! It looks even "cleaner" and "more complete" than the areas outside affected by the dragon battle!
"My...my seat?!"
The Buddha was the second to react. He shoved aside the Buddha blocking his way and rushed to the deepest part of the hall, to the location of his original, magnificent Bodhi Heart Jade Throne.
However, now all that remains there are large and small pieces of jade, shimmering with a warm luster but broken into pieces!
All the treasures he had painstakingly collected and hidden under his seat—the Qiankun Bow, the Zhentian Arrow, the Eye-Piercing Pearl, the Throat-Sealing Needle, the Taiyin Tengshe Scissors, and the 100,000 merit points of divine water he had painstakingly accumulated—were gone! Even the stone platform where he usually preached and expounded his teachings seemed to have been affected, developing cracks!
"Aaaaaah!!! Who?! Which damned bastard did this?! How dare they dismantle my seat?! They stole my magic treasures! They stole my merit-enhancing water!! They didn't even leave me a single intact stone!!!"
The Buddha could no longer maintain his solemnity. He trembled with rage, his Buddha-light scattering wildly. Pointing at the mess on the ground, he roared and cursed like a wounded beast.
"Thief! Robber! Utterly shameless!! I curse you to be condemned to eternal damnation, never to be reborn!!!"
At this moment, he no longer possessed the demeanor of the ancestor of all Buddhas; he looked more like a nouveau riche whose property had been confiscated, heartbroken and furious.
The ancient Buddha Dipankara was also stunned by the scene before him, but being older, he suppressed his ominous premonition and stepped forward to advise Tathagata in a deep voice, seeing him so distraught.
"Buddha, calm down! As the Buddha, such wailing is unbecoming! It's just that your seat was destroyed and your magic weapon... huh?!"
He was halfway through his persuasion when his gaze unconsciously turned to his own dark gold lotus throne, which was located next to the Buddha and had an ancient shape like a huge old lamp—it was also empty!
Only some twisted, dark gold metal remnants and a broken base indicate what once stood there.
His most treasured artifact, besides his natal spirit lamp, was the acquired treasure—the Measuring Ruler—capable of measuring heaven and earth, weighing merit, and possessing infinite wonders! He clearly remembered cleverly concealing the ruler within the core of his throne, which was connected to the earth's veins, as a backup measure and a treasure to protect the throne…
Now, it's gone! The hidden compartment, along with everything else, was dug away! All that's left is a dark, gaping pit!
"My measuring rod!!!"
Dipankara Buddha felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. His vision went black, and he almost collapsed! He could no longer care about his elder demeanor or the dignity of an ancient Buddha. He was so anxious that he almost jumped up. His face turned deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he pointed at the empty pit, his voice sharp and trembling.
"The ruler...where is the ruler?! My measuring ruler! Who?! Who took my measuring ruler?! That was...that was the most precious treasure I ever used to traverse the Three Realms!!!"
He trembled with rage, feeling pain in his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys! Compared to the Buddha's "miscellaneous" possessions, this Measuring Ruler was one of his true lifelines! Losing this treasure would greatly diminish his combat power and supernatural abilities!
Just moments ago, the Buddha was furiously cursing, but now, seeing the Buddha Dipankara in an even more out-of-control state than himself, for some reason, the raging fire in his heart subsided slightly, and he even felt a twisted sense of "balance".
He gave a feigned sigh and retorted with the same words he had just used to persuade himself.
"Dipankara Buddha, calm down. As an ancient Buddha, to jump around like this... is unbecoming. It's just a ruler, an external thing, an external thing indeed!"
"you……!"
Dipankara Buddha was so choked up that he almost couldn't catch his breath. He pointed at Tathagata, his finger trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. All that remained was endless grief and heartache. His old face turned red and white in turns, clearly unable to recover from this enormous blow.
At this moment, the three thousand Buddhas who had poured into the Great Thunderclap Temple also discovered the miserable state of their "exclusive seats".
"How did my crystal throne shatter?! The elixirs inside..."
"Who kicked down my golden statue of the future?! Where's the seed bag?!"
"Ah! All the refining materials I hid under my prayer mat are gone!"
"Which heartless bastard even pried the decorative pearl off my seat armrest?!"
Exclamations of surprise, curses, and cries of sorrow rose and fell, instantly filling the entire Great Thunderclap Temple. Looking around, almost no seat for Buddhas or Bodhisattvas was intact!
Clearly, the "thief" was very "kind" and "fair." He didn't let go of some seats just because they might be a bit shabby. Instead, he adhered to the principle of "a thief never leaves empty-handed" and "everyone gets a share," so he "visited" every place in the hall that looked like a "seat" or a place where things might be hidden!
Although you might not find any top-tier treasures in most of the seats, the humiliation and anger of having your belongings ransacked and your "home" torn apart is very real!
Inside the Great Thunderclap Temple, utter chaos reigned. (End of Chapter)