Chapter 711
The Western Paradise's entire fortune was looted
A single piece, no bigger than the palm of your hand, is enough to transform a one-square-meter area into a blessed land, overflowing with spiritual energy! It is the core material for constructing top-tier immortal abodes and spirit-gathering arrays! The Eight Treasures Merit Pool in the Western Paradise is said to be paved with this kind of spiritual agate!
"The wealth accumulated by the Western Paradise, which they cherish as their own life and have spent countless generations to build up! They are so frugal with their own resources that it is said that only the most core Buddhas are qualified to receive a piece the size of a fingernail to aid their cultivation... Lin Yushen here... here he is actually throwing away 'tens of thousands of kilograms'?!"
"Has he...has he dug through the Merit Pool of the Western Paradise?! How many years must have passed to accumulate so much spiritual agate?!"
The onlookers were completely dumbfounded. Staring at the agate mountain that rapidly piled up into a small hill, radiating brilliant light and brimming with spiritual energy, their hearts pounded! This wasn't just "luxury"; it was downright wasteful! No, it was squandering someone else's fortune without a second thought!
Someone murmured in a trembling voice.
"Lin...Lin the Prison God, you...you wouldn't be thinking of using these spirit agates...as bricks to build that Hall of Law Enforcement, would you?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu turned her head and nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Yes, what else? This thing is sturdy, full of spiritual energy, keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer, and can automatically gather spiritual energy to improve the environment. Wouldn't it be perfect as a building material? Are we supposed to just keep it as a religious object?"
"Perfect?!"
"Enshrine it?!"
The immortals were collectively speechless, feeling their understanding had been completely overturned. Using the top-grade spiritual materials used to construct the Merit Pool as bricks? This idea... was too damn "Lin Zhu" (a derogatory term implying someone from a Chinese folktale known for their unconventional and sometimes outlandish nature)!
However, Lin Zhu's "flaunting wealth"... oh no.
The act of “displaying building materials” has only just begun.
Then he began taking things out of that "Buddha Kingdom in the Palm" one after another.
First, there were piles of crystal-clear, iridescent glass bricks—"These are for paving the floor, dug out from the 8,000-foot-long Vow Corridor, and they feel nice underfoot."
Next came the massive pillars, each requiring several people to encircle, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, crafted from starlight, purple gold, or millennia-old warm jade—"These are the main pillars, dismantled from the corridor; they are sturdy and durable."
Then there are some oddly shaped jade piers, lotus pedestals, broken railings, and incomplete statues—"These can be used as steps, railings, or decorations; it's a way to reuse waste."
There were even a few ancient glass bottles that exuded a faint sandalwood fragrance, some fragments of lampstands inlaid with pearls and gemstones, and a few pieces of wall murals depicting Buddha preaching...
As Lin Zhu tossed them out, he casually explained their origins, speaking as if he were dealing with a batch of ordinary renovation scraps.
However, the gods around them grew paler and paler, their eyes filled with increasing terror.
They recognized it! Those crystal tiles, those star-studded purple-gold beams, that whispering glass bottle, those fragments of murals... all of them were components of iconic buildings or decorations in various parts of the Western Paradise! Especially the eight-thousand-foot-long corridor of thanksgiving, that was a famous "vanity project" of the Western Paradise, luxurious to the extreme!
"Lin...Lin the Prison God..."
An old sage pointed shakily at the ever-growing pile of "building materials," his voice weak and unsteady.
"You...you didn't...you didn't...you demolish the entire Ling Mountain, did you?!"
This question revealed the shock in everyone's hearts. Judging from their demeanor, this didn't seem like an attempt at "law enforcement" or "negotiation" at all; it was clearly a trip for "demolition" and "looting of cultural relics"!
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu frowned, seemingly recalling the events seriously, then suddenly slapped his thigh, a look of regret on his face.
"Oh dear! Now that you mention it, I remember! I seem to have forgotten to remove a few sections of the ceiling from the Great Thunderclap Temple! The painted decorations and inlaid luminous pearls on them would have made for a magnificent interior dome! What a blunder!"
The crowd.
"..."
The scene fell into a deathly silence.
All the gods seemed to be petrified, staring blankly at Lin Zhu's "truly regretful" expression. Involuntarily, they imagined Lin Zhu standing in the dilapidated Great Thunderclap Temple, threatening the trembling Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to hand over the "ceiling material"... Although the actual situation was that Lin Zhu dismantled it himself while "treasure hunting," the imagery was too strong and the impact too great!
After a moment, Lin Zhu seemed to realize that his words might have caused a "misunderstanding." He cleared his throat, put on a "righteous" expression, and explained to the stunned immortals around him.
"Fellow Daoists, please do not misunderstand. My journey to the Western Paradise this time was in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, to mediate disputes, and to avert a catastrophe that could have engulfed the Three Realms. As for these materials..."
He pointed to the pile of "stolen goods"... oh no.
"Things that are destined to be found".
"These were some treasures I encountered by chance on Mount Ling... well, treasures that I have a connection with. Buddhism values fate, and this is ordained by heaven."
Seeing that they had a karmic connection with me, I graciously "converted" them, freeing them from that place of entanglement in karma and pervasive calamity, and bringing them to my Heavenly Court to play a new role and bring blessings to the Three Realms. Isn't that wonderful? This is a benevolent karmic connection, perfectly reasonable and justifiable.
His words were spoken in a grand and dignified manner, turning "stealing" and "robbery" into "conversion" and "forming a bond," displaying a shamelessness that made all the gods present feel ashamed.
However, just as Lin Zhu finished speaking, and while everyone was still admiring his "powerful logic," a sudden change occurred!
Among the pile of "building materials," a seemingly ordinary stone block, about the size of a millstone and entirely grayish-white, suddenly trembled violently, and then... it actually made a sound! The sound was sharp, full of grievance and accusation.
"Nonsense! You clearly dug me out of the corridor foundation! I was sleeping soundly, what did I do to deserve this?! And you even said I was destined to be saved! This is forced demolition! This is robbery! Waaaaah..."
This stone pillar has actually come to life?! And judging from its words, it's actually a "native" of the 8,000-foot-long Vow Corridor?
Everyone was stunned, their gazes turning to the talking stone, then to Lin Zhu with strange looks, as if to say something.
See, they got slapped in the face, didn't they? The victim has come forward to file a complaint!
Lin Zhu's "righteousness" froze instantly. He looked down at the stone pier that was "crying" and raised his eyebrows slightly.
The next moment, before anyone could react, Lin Zhu raised his foot, his movement as fast as lightning.
With a "smack," he stepped directly onto the spot where the stone block had been "speaking," stomping it hard into the ground and grinding it down. "Ahem," Lin Zhu withdrew his foot, his face regaining that gentle, harmless yet unsettling smile. He looked around and spoke in a relaxed tone.
"As you can see, how could a stone possibly talk? This is clearly illogical and defies common sense."
He paused, raised his voice slightly, and began to explain in a persuasive, almost "scientific" manner.
"We must believe in science, no, we must believe in the natural order and the principles of things, and we must look at problems dialectically. A stone is just a stone, a building material, used to pave roads and step on feet. How could it have thoughts or speak?"
This is clearly the work of some malicious beings, using illusions or lingering resentment to mislead everyone and disrupt the harmonious atmosphere of our efforts to build a beautiful new Heavenly Court!
As he spoke, he slightly increased the pressure on his feet, and an invisible force of destruction seeped down. Before the stone block could even let out another scream, it turned into a pile of real, lifeless stone dust with a "crack".
Lin Zhu clapped his hands, as if brushing off dust, and then smiled as he summarized the scene in the silence.
"Therefore, we must resolutely break this feudal superstitious thinking! We must believe that with our hard work and wisdom, these 'predestined things' from the Western Paradise will surely shine even brighter in their new positions! Don't you all agree?"
The scene was deathly silent for a good dozen breaths.
then……
"Slap! Slap slap slap..."
Scattered applause began, but soon it spread like wildfire, eventually turning into thunderous applause and cheers!
"Yes! Lin Yushen is right!"
"Break free from superstition! Science... uh, the natural way of health!"
"How can a stone talk? It must be an illusion!"
"We must look at this issue dialectically! These materials, once they arrive in Heaven, are reborn!"
"Lin Yushen is using his actions to dispel the false metaphysics of the Western Paradise!"
"Forced demolition... no, it's physical demolition! Lin Yushen has transcended simple extortion and deception, rising to a new level of using physical means to solve metaphysical problems!"
The gods seemed to have a new world opened up to them, their faces beaming with "sudden realization" and "extreme admiration." They all chimed in, expressing their firm support for Lin Zhu's "profound insights."
As for that crushed spirit stone pedestal? Who cares? That's definitely a "remnant of feudal superstition"!
Lin Zhu watched this scene with satisfaction and nodded. It seems everyone's awareness is quite high. Very good. Now, it's time for the real construction work—using these "destined" materials to build the magnificent Enforcement Hall belonging to the Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison!
As Nezha accepted the spatial artifact that Lin Zhu casually handed him—symbolizing the "Buddha Kingdom in the Palm" and the total spoils of this "demolition" in the Western Paradise—he felt a heavy weight in his small palm. It wasn't the weight itself, but the terrifying wealth it contained that would drive any force in the Three Realms mad with envy.
He looked up and saw that Lin Zhu's face showed no remorse or tension at all for "looting everything," but rather a satisfied smile... similar to that of an ordinary tourist giving the highest praise to the service of a tourist attraction.
"This trip to Lingshan was quite successful."
Lin Zhu even stroked his chin and commented in a serious manner.
"The facilities are complete, the scenery is unique, and the interactive features are strong. In particular, the variety of 'local specialties' is abundant, and the ways to obtain them... well, it's quite fun to explore. Overall, I would give it a five-star rating, and I will definitely visit again for a more in-depth tour if I have the opportunity next time."
Nezha.
"..."
His lips twitched slightly as he silently gripped the spatial artifact, utterly unable to reconcile the tragedy of "the collapse of Mount Ling and the loss of all Buddhist treasures" with "in-depth exploration." His boss's composure was truly as unwavering as Mount Buzhou.
However, when Nezha followed his instructions and began to retrieve materials from his magical artifacts to plan the construction of the Law Enforcement Hall, he truly understood what Lin Zhu meant by "five-star reviews" and "in-depth tour."
First, the spirit-source agates were piled up by Lin Zhu like ordinary stones on the foundation of the chosen palace site, quickly forming a small mountain that shimmered with a warm, lustrous light and was so rich in spiritual energy that it condensed into a tangible mist. Just standing nearby, one felt as if they were ingesting a elixir, and even their cultivation barriers showed signs of loosening.
Next came the seven-colored glazed crystal bricks, the starry purple-gold beams, the millennia-old warm jade pillars, fragments of a sandalwood jade Buddha, pieces of a Bodhisattva statue made of icy marrow, fragments of a lampstand inlaid with large pearls and gemstones, and the ruins of a mural depicting the Buddha preaching...
Each of these items, taken individually, would be a treasure to guard the home of any ordinary immortal abode. Yet, at this moment, they were piled together like ordinary building materials on a construction site, their precious light intertwined, their spiritual energy soaring into the sky, making this area more dazzling than any immortal palace in the Thirty-Three Heavens.
The original enforcers of the Nine-Story Heavenly Prison, as well as some "unofficial" activists who came to help or watch the excitement, all stood there dumbfounded.
At first, it was shock, an unparalleled shock.
They had never seen so many precious materials piled up like mountains. Breathing in the almost liquid spiritual energy, everyone felt as if they were floating on air.
But then, the shock quickly transformed into an indescribable feeling of... guilt and inferiority.
A senior law enforcement general, whose cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm, looked at the large, table-sized crystal brick that was about to be laid beneath his feet, its interior seemingly shimmering with iridescent light. He swallowed hard and whispered to his colleague beside him in a dry voice.
"Old Li... I... I'm a little hesitant to step on it. This brick... I feel like even if I saved up for 100,000 years, I couldn't afford just one scrap. To use it for paving the floor, am I... am I worthy?"
The heavenly general known as Old Li was also pale-faced. He was staring at a giant pillar that required several people to encircle, was made entirely of star-purple gold, and had natural star patterns on its surface, and he murmured to himself.
"It's not just that we dare not step on it... Look at those pillars, they're made of Starry Purple Gold! The main material for refining acquired spiritual treasures! Are we... are we going to stand in this forest of pillars from now on? Reporting to work? I... I'm afraid my voice will tremble, afraid my own turbidity will taint this precious light."
More and more people are falling into this strange state of self-doubt.
They gazed at the gradually taking shape of the "Hall of Law Enforcement," whose foundation and scattered materials alone were already breathtakingly luxurious, and then compared it to their own situation—
He was merely a mid-to-lower-level celestial official in a special law enforcement department of the Heavenly Court, and a rogue cultivator from the demon race. His cultivation level mostly hovered around True Immortal and Golden Immortal, with the occasional Taiyi Rogue Immortal serving as his backbone—a strong sense of embarrassment arose from his feeling of being "unworthy of his position" and "unworthy of his status".
Even a newly recruited law enforcer, with a sensitive nature and who had recently joined the force after passing rigorous examinations, felt a violent fluctuation in his Dao heart upon seeing the dazzling spectacle before him, and considering his meager cultivation and impoverished background. His face turned deathly pale, his breathing became disordered, and he trembled as he retreated to the side, hugging his knees and crouching down, his eyes vacant as he began to doubt himself. (End of Chapter)