The Ancestor of All Demons

From the Buddhist perspective, Shi Feiyang's actions this time were of great benefit to Buddhism.

From the perspective of the Dharma transmission by Master Fen Tuo and Master You Tan, Shi Feiyang preserved the orthodox Buddhist lineage, delaying the arrival of Dharma Destruction. In a sense, he preserved the world's "Three Jewels" of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

From the viewpoint of ordinary Buddhists, it was he who ensured the survival of the righteous Buddhist teachings in this world, granting future Buddhist disciples the opportunity to enlighten and avoid eternal sinking.

If Shi Feiyang had not intervened, the countless sentient beings in this world would have had to wait countless years until Maitreya Bodhisattva descended to the human realm as Maitreya Buddha to have another chance to encounter Buddhism.

In the future, when Buddhist disciples are compiling books and passing on the teachings, they must give him the title of "Buddhist Great Protector," surpassing Emperor Wu of Liang and Wu Zetian, comparable to the Great Brahma.

"There was once an outsider Immortal who, due to a foolish thought, fell into the Beast Path and became the Dragon King... Later, by upholding the righteous Buddhist teachings, he ascended to the Heavenly Dao after several kalpas, known as 'Feiyang Heaven'."

Of course, Shi Feiyang didn't care about this, and might even consider it an insult. He was not interested in being a Buddhist protector; he merely wanted Buddhism to hand over the Conch Leaf Talisman.

Masters Fen Tuo and You Tan understood his intentions, but were unwilling to take on that responsibility.

Who has the right to abandon and hand over Shakyamuni's personally transmitted Buddhist treasure to outsiders?

This not only involves infinite karma but would also bear the infamy for millennia!

Without their support, Shi Feiyang didn't take action.

Xin Ru quickly realized this point, knowing that the discord between Buddha and Dao was her only chance to win today.

Thus, she informed Shi Feiyang: "I can give you the Conch Leaf Talisman and Seven Treasures Golden Banner, as long as you don't interfere in our matters! This is an internal Buddhist dispute, and after we resolve it, I will establish my Great Ru Pure Land, and you can ascend with your Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, and we will stay out of each other's affairs..."

Saying that, she charged towards the monks and nuns to the south.

Shi Feiyang indeed refrained from action, standing atop Jiuhua Mountain, watching with his disciples.

His relationship with Buddhism was also complex. Originally, as a Black Dragon residing peacefully in Dinghu Peak, he was disturbed by the two unruly, murderous individuals from Immortal City, causing much turmoil. Those two obtained the Seven Treasures Golden Banner and Conch Leaf Talisman, and their greatest enemy was him!

Moreover, at present, he had several enemies within Buddhism, with Ye Bin definitely being one of them, and Master Ren counted as half. The reason he counted as half was dependent on Xie Shan's future choice.

Xin Ru knew that the animosity between both sides was her only opportunity. She had to eliminate the relatively weaker Buddhism first in the shortest time, or else if both sides teamed up, she would surely be defeated!

Her true self and her six wrathful incarnations, along with Zhu Youmu and others, attacked the southern group of Buddhist masters. Both sides unleashed immense Buddha Light like tidal waves, bringing forth countless Golden Buddha Incarnations, enhancing each other, with various Buddhist chants echoing, creating chaos in the heavens and earth.

Very quickly, Buddhism was at a disadvantage; Xin Ru was just too fierce!

Above her true self's head appeared layers of pagodas, inside which were circles of Golden Buddhas, with four faces and eight arms, wielding eight types of treasures. Master Fen Tuo could not withstand it alone, and even with Master You Tan, it was challenging. Xin Ru directed Zhu Youmu and others to jointly handle Zen Master Kong Tuo and Zen Master Wu Ming, while using those six wrathful incarnations to combat the six disciples of Zen Master Wu Ming with her real Divine Skills transformations.

Zen Master Wu Ming's six great disciples, Tianchen, Xi Lai, Ou Fu, Wei Hai, Wu Ming, and Du E, were already capable of rebirth in the Western Paradise for a long time.

However, some karmic entanglements had delayed them.

The six were like Golden Arhats, from head to toe resembling statues cast from gold. The emitted Buddha Light was pure and dense, with countless Four Holy Truths Dharma Wheels flying and spinning, obliterating all evil demons and heretics in an instant!

Suddenly, behind each of them appeared a monster, which were Xin Ru's six wrathful incarnations.

The six were oblivious, and the six incarnations breathed in their Primordial Qi.

Buddhism does not emphasize refining the physical body, believing the body is a reporting body. To keep a healthy body, one should cultivate the mind and wisdom, as all techniques manifest through the mind; strong belief transforms the state, naturally enhancing the body; also, to cultivate virtue and bless the field, the body, as a reporting body, will naturally remain peaceful with good karma...

The so-called favorable forms of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are attained by dual cultivation of fortune and wisdom.

It is not like Daoism, which refines essence into Qi, Qi into spirit, and Returning Pill Refining Form to specifically enhance and refine the body.

They disdain such actions, considering them foolish, obstinate, and clinging to a dead body without cultivating wisdom and blessing, which will neither truly strengthen the body nor avoid hidden dangers like deformities or potential illnesses lurking, or unexpected injuries and destruction.

Xin Ru directly extracted their Primordial Qi and life force from the top of their heads, and in a moment, the six had their flesh and blood shriveled, pulling inward, becoming six zombies with skin and bones.

Next, these six incarnations each spewed a stream of blood light, in which things began to emerge.

The Heavenly Dao embodiment emitted Tianchen, now a heavenly being glowing with golden light; the Asura Path embodiment emitted Xi Lai, turning into an ugly and fierce Asura; the Human Path's Purple Robed Taoist disgorged Ou Fu, still a flesh-and-blood monk; the Beast Path embodiment emitted Wei Hai, transforming into a minotaur beast; the Hunger Ghost Path embodiment emitted Wu Ming, becoming a thin-necked, big-bellied hungry ghost; the Hell Path embodiment emitted a mass of flesh and blood, from which sprouted a blood-drenched Du E.

The six people instantly entered the Six Paths, each reincarnating into different new lives.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha!" Zen Master Wu Ming noticed his disciples encountering disaster and hurriedly cast spells to save them, but Zhu Youmu fiercely intercepted him, forcing him to send a Buddhist chant from afar.

Meanwhile, the six avatars also chanted: "Namo Xin Ru Buddha!"

The six chants merged with Zen Master Wu Ming's chant, transforming into "Namo Xin Ru Buddha" as it reached the ears of the six people.

After being reborn, the six were initially in a daze, but suddenly awakened as if electrified, and simultaneously chanted: "Namo Newly Entered Buddha"!

The six avatars smiled and applauded joyfully: "Very good! Very good! To come and to go!"

With a flash of golden light, the six disappeared and reappeared before Xin Ru himself, bowing in reverence.

Zen Master Wu Ming repeatedly questioned, trying to reach their hearts, but his Buddha Light couldn't touch them and was blocked. His Zen chants were interfered with, making them inaudible to the six.

Having converted to Xin Ru Buddha, Xin Ru reshaped them into Arhat Golden Bodies, recruiting them to attack Ye Bin and others.

Ye Bin watched the scene unfold, feeling a chill run down his spine, and loudly questioned why the six forsake the true Buddha to worship a demon.

The six retorted: "You speak of a true Buddha; who is the true Buddha? Xin Ru Buddha is the true Buddha! You've devoted your life to claiming that the Buddha has already attained Nirvana, that the Dharma Decline Era has come, and the Dharma will soon be destroyed, stubbornly seeking to worship Amitabha Buddha in the Western Paradise. There's no need; Xin Ru Buddha has emerged, and now this world is in the Righteous Dharma Era, with a Buddha! Xin Ru Buddha surpasses Amitabha in greatness; we should worship him directly. The Pure Land he will create in the future will be better than the Western Paradise..."

They called out to everyone: "Wrong! All of you are wrong! Xin Ru Buddha is the true Buddha; it's just that her divine skills and wisdom are too high and too strong for you, whose roots are poor and blessings thin, to temporarily comprehend. We can only grasp a fraction of her greatness, but she is the true Buddha. By diligently cultivating, accumulating blessings and wisdom, we can gradually break through ignorance and fully comprehend Xin Ru's True Word! This True Word is a supreme Buddhism, a Giant Mahayana, superior to all current Buddhist teachings..."

While proclaiming the vast wisdom of Xin Ru Buddha, they ruthlessly attacked Ye Bin and others, attempting to forcibly convert them under Xin Ru Buddha's banner.

Zen Master Wu Ming worried about his six disciples, and due to this "worry," Xin Ru's Six Paths avatars seized the moment to attack.

Because all beings experience great fear between life and death, Buddhist practitioners transcend life and death, deeply believe in cause and effect, and are fearless.

In other words, Zen Master Wu Ming should not worry.

Beings cling to the existence of a "self" within the universe, hence they live and die, endlessly rekindling, while reincarnation is extremely painful. Buddhist practitioners aim to prove "all phenomena have no self," breaking this attachment to self, preventing further birth, and completely severing reincarnation.

This means that even if one's soul scatters, beings will be reborn in another form, never entirely disappearing. To cease rebirth, one must at least reach the Arhat realm and enter Nirvana.

Thus, worrying about a person's complete death and feeling reluctance is seen as foolish inversion in Buddhism!

As for which path they enter and what avatar they receive, it is determined by previous cause and effect, shaped by their past good deeds and evils. Worrying about this is even more foolish!

Zen Master Wu Ming, possessing profound Buddhist wisdom, understood this principle, yet carried the habits of worldly people, subconsciously worrying about his disciples.

Thus, the six wrathful avatars found a weakness and seized the opportunity to attack.

Xin Ru once practiced creating avatars in numerous Buddha Pure Lands, directly learning from various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Later, she changed her mindset and ventured into demonic realms to refine avatars, exchanging experiences with the demons.

During this time, avatars continuously entered the Six Paths of reincarnation, experiencing "life."

Back then, Kuzhu Elder transmigrated his Primordial Spirit to reincarnate in Central Earth, while Xin Ru entered the Six Paths repeatedly, ultimately cultivating these six avatars!

Unless one, like Li Ning previously, remains permanently in the Arhat realm of Nirvana and never emerges, or one cultivates into a Buddha, at least reaching the status of a Bodhisattva awaiting Buddhahood.

A Bodhisattva awaiting Buddhahood can become a Buddha in another life, also called Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattva, while Buddha is called Miao Jue Bodhisattva. At least one must be an Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattva to completely withstand the joint attack of these six avatars, for they have essentially reached fruition, ceased creating new causes, and act in accordance with beings, leaving the six avatars powerless against them.

These six creatures simultaneously spewed Demon Light, bared their fangs and claws, interlinked to form the configuration of Six Paths of reincarnation, trapping Zen Master Wu Ming within.

"Little thing, either immediately enter annihilation in Nirvana, leaving your Physical Body Relics to us! Or we'll cast you into Six Paths of reincarnation, and let you be a beast for a hundred lives!"

Though Zen Master Wu Ming is a very old monk, he is the junior of Fen Tuo Master, and Xin Ru has cultivated far earlier than he, thus addressing him as "little thing."

Zen Master Wu Ming sat cross-legged within the Six Paths Array, holding a golden cymbal, and at this moment, he calmed down, realizing his worry for his disciples had given the demons an advantage.

Yet, though he understood, he was unable to break through.