Chapter 831: Chapter 518: Supplication

Xu Yang bade farewell to Lady Yao and returned to the temple, only to find another person.

It was…

Clad in immaculate white, within the Guest Hall of Wuzhuang Temple’s Dharma Appearance Manor, Great Mercy knelt without a word, performing a profound obeisance.

Seeing this, Xu Yang was neither surprised nor did he offer assistance, but shook his head and said, “Bodhisattva, what is the meaning of this?”

“Amitabha, I have come to confess my failings to you, Taoist!”

Great Mercy’s expression remained unchanged, and she did not rise. Her legal body knelt on the ground, completely disregarding her status as the Venerable of the Eight Calamities.

As one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Buddhism, with Eight Calamity cultivation, she, even in the presence of the two venerables of Buddhism, Great Sun Tathagata and Ratnasambhava Buddha, would not perform such a profound obeisance.

But now, within Wuzhuang Temple, she disregarded her own status and knelt, her voice solemn: “I regret allowing that sinful creature to descend to the Lower Realm and wreak havoc upon the mortals. If not for the Taoist’s intervention, who knows what sins it would have committed. My heart bears this guilt, thus I have come to confess and seek punishment from the Taoist.”

“Why say such things, Bodhisattva?”

Xu Yang shook his head and then extended his hand to help her up: “The matter of the Golden-Furred Lion has been resolved, and the culprit has been punished. Even if there were faults on the part of the Bodhisattva, they are not limited to this. I will now retrieve the Purple-Gold Bell and return it to its rightful owner.”

“Taoist!”

Upon hearing this, Great Mercy was distressed: “Do you truly not forgive this sin?”

“…”

Xu Yang remained silent, and for a long time, he did not speak.

“The thoughts of the Taoist, I understand,” said Great Mercy with another heavy sigh: “The people of South Observance all believe that the Golden-Furred Lion was secretly allowed by me to descend to the Lower Realm for two purposes: to increase its power as a Demon Cultivator, and to plan the southward spread of Buddhism!”

“…”

Xu Yang remained silent upon hearing this.

When the Golden-Furred Lion descended to wreak havoc, it caused trouble for a thousand years.

For those thousand years, Buddhism turned a deaf ear, but the moment the Golden-Furred Lion was vanquished, they immediately sent two Arhats, Budai and Tottering, to retrieve the Purple-Gold Bell.

How could this not lead to speculation that this was all Buddhism’s scheme?

Therefore, the Great Mercy Bodhisattva now…

“Not hiding anything from you, Taoist, the matter with the Golden-Furred Lion was indeed instructed by me, as part of Buddhism’s arrangement!” The Great Mercy Bodhisattva, still kneeling, made a startling confession: “I have come here to personally confess this sin to the Taoist!”

“…”

Xu Yang regarded her in silence, and after a long while, he finally spoke: “Why do this, Bodhisattva?”

“For the sake of our Buddhism, and for all beings,” replied Great Mercy, her expression unchanged, her voice heavy: “For the southward spread of Buddhism, to amass karmic merit, only with this karmic merit can Buddhism prosper. Only with Buddhism’s prosperity can we find hope in the catastrophe faced by Earth Immortals and a turning point for the suffering of mortals, a chance for life in a hopeless situation.”

“Oh?”

Xu Yang’s brow raised as he inquired, “What are the catastrophe for Earth Immortals and the tribulations for mortals?”

“Heavenly Secret Realm!” Great Mercy spoke calmly, but her words could stun anyone hearing them: “This is the great catastrophe for Earth Immortals, the great tribulation for mortals!”

“…”

Xu Yang fell silent again, his expression shifting, before he finally asked, “What do you mean?”

Great Mercy let out a mournful sigh: “Do you know, Taoist, why the deities and Buddhas of Ancient Times vanished, leaving only the Heavenly Secret Realm?”

Xu Yang’s gaze sharpened: “Does the Bodhisattva know?”

“I don’t!”

Great Mercy shook her head, her voice somber: “But I can assert that behind this, there is bound to be a great karmic cause, a great terror!”

Xu Yang: “…”

“That is common knowledge,” Great Mercy looked up at Xu Yang: “But there is something that is known to few.”

“Hmm!?” Xu Yang’s gaze intensified as he probed, “What does the Bodhisattva mean…?”

“Are you aware of the Heavenly Venerate Taihuang?”

Meeting his gaze, Great Mercy dropped another bombshell.

“…”

Xu Yang fell silent, his brows furrowing more deeply: “The Emperor of Heavenly Court?”

“Correct!”

Great Mercy nodded, her voice grave: “Taihuang has been in secluded meditation for over sixty thousand years, with no sign of emerging to this day, nor has he re-entered the Heavenly Secret Realm. Do you know why that is, Taoist?”

Xu Yang’s brows drew together as he pressed, “Why is that?” His voice betrayed a hint of curiosity.

Taihuang, Emperor of Heavenly Court, master of the Tao Lineage, was the most outstanding among all Earth Immortals and the one closest to becoming an Immortal. However, that legend has been passed down for far too long, so long that many have forgotten the existence of this Emperor of Heavenly Court.

Sixty thousand years ago, Taihuang went into seclusion, intending to comprehend the Way of the Earth Immortal, but sixty thousand years have passed without any result.

Not only was there no result, but the person also disappeared, a silent retreat that has allowed the Heavenly Court to deteriorate to this point, weakening the Jade Emperor’s power with the four adjuncts carving their own domains, outwardly united but inwardly fragmented, and causing the realm to be on the verge of collapse.

So, what exactly is the reason that forced Taihuang into such prolonged seclusion, and what is his current state?

Xu Yang was very curious!

However…

“I don’t know!”

Great Mercy shook her head, voicing this response.

“…”

Xu Yang watched her in silence.

The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.

But fortunately, she quickly added, “But according to the two Buddha Ancestors, Taihuang’s seclusion is closely related to the Heavenly Secret Realm, and it’s feared that what awaits him is misfortune, not blessing!”

“Not only Taihuang, but all of us in the Earth Immortal Realm, any True Immortals who can enter the Heavenly Secret Realm, might face the same danger as Taihuang.”

“Behind this, there lies a great cause and effect, great terror, great disaster!”

“Therefore…”

Great Mercy took a deep breath, her voice resolute: “That is why our Buddhism has gone to such lengths, plotting the southward spread of Buddhism, both for the prosperity of our sect and our own transcendence, as well as to prepare for the calamity and fend off disaster before it strikes.”

“So, you’re telling me that the Earth Immortal Realm is about to face a calamity arising from the Heavenly Secret Realm, which will affect all mortals?”

Xu Yang looked at her, summarizing the conversation.

“Correct!”

Great Mercy nodded: “To face this calamity, we must make extraordinary efforts!”

Hearing her justification, Xu Yang neither agreed nor disagreed, but asked simply, “Then Bodhisattva, what brings you here? Do you want me to give up the Land of South Observance?”