The Ancestor of All Demons

The entire Jiuhua Mountain was filled with golden radiance, with Buddha's light shining everywhere and a strange fragrance permeating the air. Countless monks, nuns, and kindly deities from all directions achieved their golden bodies, sitting solemnly on their lotus thrones, truly an unparalleled spectacle.

Xie Lin was moved to tears, finally willing to let go of the illusory realm world.

Kneeling, she earnestly sought refuge and repentance with Xin Ru Buddha, hoping to enter the teachings of Xin Ru Buddhism.

Xin Ru Nun instructed A Ying to guide her, and with a wave of her hand, Xie Lin's hair disappeared, transforming her into a nun. A purple-gold lotus platform spontaneously appeared beneath her, golden light enveloped her body, and her skin seemed as if it were made of gold.

Nearby, Sleeping Nun Pan Du praised, "My Buddha is compassionate, capable of vast divine skills and boundless mana. This virtuous woman found enlightenment with just one refuge, instantly attaining the Arahant Fruit. We rejoice and praise."

Several million others joined their palms and chanted in unison, "Rejoice and praise!"

"From now on, you shall be called Ah Lin," Xin Ru Nun instructed Xie Lin to abandon her secular surname and stand beside A Ying on either side of the lotus platform.

"Xie Shan, have you still not achieved great enlightenment at this moment?" Xin Ru Nun questioned loudly.

Xie Shan saw that both daughters ignored him. A Ying, having been reincarnated once, already severed familial ties upon her previous visit, ignoring him was one thing. Xie Lin emerged from the illusory realm, not glancing at him once more, and serenely became a young nun.

Logically, he felt he should be happy for his daughters. They were originally part of the Buddhist community, as was he. Their refuge in the Buddhist orthodoxy was a good thing.

However, having spent so many years tirelessly, losing much vital energy, he had aged into a wrinkled old monk, and his daughters quickly severing ties caused him great discomfort.

With hands conjoined, he spoke, "Junior Brother is dull-witted. Although enlightened in understanding, he still carries worldly desires in practice. Seeing them take refuge under Junior Sister's guidance, with a bright future ahead, I am at peace."

He steeled his heart, wholly relinquishing attachment to his daughters, and turned to leave.

Xie Ying and Xie Lin were just children he picked up in the vast snow and red plums. Back then, he gave them names from his own surname. Now, as they leave him, the surname 'Xie' is abandoned as well.

Having arrived unattached, leaving unattached once more, he suddenly felt relaxed and liberated.

"Where are you going?" Xin Ru Nun inquired.

Xie Shan, unsure of a destination, simply replied, "I'm returning to Wuyi Mountain."

"Where is Wuyi Mountain?"

Knowing the other intended to engage in a dialectic exchange, Xie Shan hesitated momentarily on how to respond.

Xin Ru Nun said, "All your troubles over the years stem from your attachments. Your attachment exists because you have a Wuyi Mountain in your heart! Now that both your daughters see through it, can you not?"

Xie Shan sighed, "Where the heart resides, there Wuyi Mountain is."

Xin Ru Nun extended an invitation, "Why not take refuge in the Buddhist orthodoxy here, helping me build a Buddha Country Pure Land and save all beings?"

Xie Shan pondered, "In my early days of Buddhism, I vowed to be reborn into the Western Paradise."

Xin Ru Nun asked, "Do you think my Great Power True World is not magnificent enough? Hmph! I'll ask you—my world and the Nirvana, are they one world or two?"

Xie Shan, hesitating, replied, "One world."

"Since it's one world, coming here or going to Nirvana, what difference is there?"

Nearby, Zhu Youmu joined hands respectfully, "Namo Xin Ru Buddha! The vast void and the Dharma Realm were originally one truth, with no distinction. Worldly differentiation creates the Five Turbid Evil World. The essence remains pure despite the world's pollution, like sand and water—the water may be muddy, yet its essence remains clean, neither stained nor pure, neither increased nor decreased."

The millions of believers listened and all rejoiced together, chanting, "Namo Xin Ru Buddha!"

Xin Ru Nun's Zen challenge awakened Xie Shan, who immediately understood. He joined his palms in respect and knelt, "Namo Xin Ru Buddha! I have repeatedly sunk into the secular world these past years, occasionally achieving small awakenings but never great enlightenment. Today, thanks to Buddha's guidance, I finally broke through my confusion, as if waking from a deep dream..."

Xin Ru Nun smiled and nodded, with a wave of her hand, his graying hair shed instantly, and his wrinkled skin became full and radiant again.

"Bodhisattva, forever eighteen..."

Below him appeared a Seven Treasures Lotus Platform, upon which he sat cross-legged, still conjoined in prayer, now merging with a golden hue, achieving the "Arhat Golden Body."

Originally calling her Junior Sister, he now referred to her as Master, taking refuge before Xin Ru Nun.

The Venerable Relic Tian Meng Zen Master once took away was within Xie Shan's possession.

In doing so, Xin Ru now had eight relics in hand.

Her next target of choice is Xin Ru Nun.

Among the top-level experts in the Shushan World, Xin Ru Master is the weakest, considered a "gatekeeper," while Yi Xiu is the upper limit among the first-class experts a level below.

In the original story, the two once dueled for three days and nights without a clear outcome.

Xin Ru Master first unexpectedly captured Yi Xiu's Black Dragon Scissors. Given their personalities, Yi Xiu is certainly more eager for victory, while the old nun is more defensive, placing them in different tiers. However, in terms of overall strength comparison, Xin Ru Master is still quite inferior to the other high monks and divine nuns.

Xin Ru Nun's focus this time is on Xin Ru Master.

She said to everyone, "I am taking you to visit a Great Bodhisattva! With her joining us, the future Buddha Country Pure Land will be even more splendid!"

After speaking, Xin Ru Nun formed seals with both hands, the Seven Treasures Golden Banner behind her began to rotate, the Buddha Light growing stronger and stronger, then she held a Conch Leaf Talisman in her hand, the talisman's light exploded forth.

In the next second, she, along with millions of followers, were all directly transported to Xin Ru Master's Baihua Mountain!

Using her own divine power to transfer so many people over long distances was difficult, but with the help of the Seven Treasures Golden Banner, it was enough.

The reason for using the Conch Leaf Talisman was to twist the surrounding time and space, completely sealing Baihua Mountain, not just twisting space but also twisting time!

Xin Ru Master is a core strength among the remaining remnants of the Buddhist Orthodoxy. To move against her, not only would Fen Tuo Master, Kong Tuo Zen Master, and others interfere, but even Shi Feiyang might step in. Xin Ru Nun gave these outsiders no chance, directly sealing off time and space, completely isolating Baihua Mountain from the Great World, creating a self-contained time-space world, to prevent Xin Ru Nun from escaping and to prevent outsiders from intervening to rescue her.

After sealing off time and space, Xin Ru Nun waved her hand, causing golden radiance to fly around.

Her body was the largest, standing at a towering hundred feet, seated on a massive lotus throne, with an even taller Seven Treasures Golden Banner standing behind her.

The two "Great Bodhisattvas," Zhu Youmu and E Shengfan, were slightly smaller, about eighty feet tall.

The ten Arhats' bodies were slightly smaller, about sixty feet tall.

The remaining ordinary millions of followers mostly also had golden bodies, but most were ten-foot golden bodies, which is one point six feet.

Compared to them, Xin Ru was like a towering mountain, all these people sitting cross-legged on lotus platforms, below the platforms were layers of golden clouds, scattered and piled, east a pile, west a bunch, up and down several layers.

At this moment, she parted the golden clouds, revealing the entrance of Chao Yin Cave below, and spoke, her voice rolling like thunder, "Xin Ru Master Sister, are you still not coming out?"

Inside Chao Yin Cave, Qi Xia'er, seeing such a spectacle, felt her heart pound and returned to the inner cave to speak to Xin Ru Master on the seat, "Master, what should we do? That demon nun has locked down heaven and earth."

Sitting on the seat, Xin Ru Master opened her mouth, not speaking to Qi Xia'er, but sending her voice far into the distance, reaching outside, her voice neutral and peaceful, but spreading for thousands of miles, "Fellow Daoist Xin, have you come to visit me at Baihua Mountain today? My green mountains and ancient caves have nothing to host you with, except for a cup of fragrant tea. If you don't mind, please come in and have a taste."

After speaking, she asked Qi Xia'er to make tea, "Fetch that box of overseas Jade Dragon Ball I obtained yesterday."

Qi Xia'er was flustered, not expecting that even at this time, her master would invite the other party in for tea.

"Quickly go!" Xin Ru Master urged.

Qi Xia'er sensed her master was stricter than usual today, knowing that although her master appeared calm, she was under immense pressure, as the demon nun outside was truly formidable. Once a great figure in the Buddhist sect, she had fallen into the Demon Path. Her actions over time sent chills down one's spine.

Self-proclaiming as Buddha, attempting to establish a human world Buddha Country, claiming immediate conferring of the Arhat Fruit position upon conversion...

None of these are things a legitimate Buddhist disciple would do!

The demon nun is utterly insane!

Now the demon nun was spreading golden light over Baihua Mountain, bringing intense pressure. Qi Xia'er had already attained the ability to ascend to the Pure Land, but Buddhism focuses on cultivating nature, not fate, relying solely on a strong state of mind to reverse the universe, as they say, allowing conditions to change with the heart. Her achievements now are not comparable to the Pure Yang Heavenly Immortal, and she was dominated by Xin Ru Nun's strong will, feeling lost and disoriented.

Her only reliance now was her master. Hearing her master's command, she quickly went elsewhere to prepare the tea.

Xin Ru Master had already dismissed all disciples from the cave, leaving none behind, having asked Qi Xia'er to return to Emei Mountain or go to Yitian Cliff Dragon Elephant Temple by the Sichuan border, to either abandon Buddhism for Daoism, following Qi Shuming to cultivate Daoist Techniques. With her roots, comprehension, and the accumulated foundation of previous lives, she could achieve Heavenly Immortal before the Dharma Decline Era's arrival, or continue to diligently progress with Fen Tuo Master, eventually ascending to the Pure Land together.

Qi Xia'er sensed something was off and wanted to flee with her master to another place, but her master rebuked her a few times, so she stubbornly insisted on staying, willing to live and die with her master.

Now there were only her and her master in the cave, and the task of making tea fell solely to her.

Outside, Xin Ru Nun heard Xin Ru Master's invitation and hesitated slightly. True to form, a Daoist appeared in the golden light flashing at the entrance of Chao Yin Cave, dressed in a purple-red gauze garment, resembling the appearance of Xin Ruyu from a thousand years ago during her time as one of the Cosmic Six Strange in the unaffiliated sects.