Chapter 974: Huangmei Fozi and Zhenhong Fozi

Three more days passed, and he still hadn't given up.

He sat upright on a stone, closed his eyes to nurture his spirit, seemingly cultivating.

Soon after, another figure descended beside him, clad in a yellow kasaya, wild and unrestrained, its whole body leaning forward—very strange.

Its elongated head was not human, but resembled some kind of demon beast.

He saw the figure on the stone, sitting before him, and said, "Zhenhong junior brother, you truly have come to this place as well."

Zhenhong Fozi on the stone opened his eyes, squinting, and stared at the man before him.

"Huangmei senior brother, I didn't expect you to come as well; it seems you have also sensed that aura."

Huangmei Fozi laughed heartily, "Indeed, the aura of Great Compassion. I didn't expect anyone besides Zhenhong junior brother to be able to begin cultivating Great Compassion. Such a person must come here; otherwise, senior brother, I cannot eat or sleep in peace."

Both had the same purpose: they came for the Ten Thousand Poison Demon King.

Zhenhong Fozi said lightly, "You have arrived, but why hasn't senior elder brother come? That's not his character."

"Senior elder brother has been too busy lately; he's at a breakthrough stage and won't appear," Huangmei Fozi whispered, his gaze fixed on the figure before him, as if searching for the Ten Thousand Poison Demon King's presence.

After searching around without success, Huangmei Fozi, who had come two days ago and searched for two days to no avail, finally chose to lay his cards on the table.

Zhenhong Fozi naturally understood, without it being stated outright.

The two stared at each other, then smiled at each other.

"Junior brother, how about we join forces? Senior elder brother is hard to deal with; this time there's a high chance he'll breakthrough. When that happens, neither of us will be his match, and we'll become his thorn in the side. Senior elder brother has long wanted to eliminate us; why not, at this moment, the two of us team up and take down senior elder brother?"

Huangmei Fozi spoke calmly, as if discussing something inconsequential.

Killing, in his eyes, is so commonplace.

He would kill his own senior elder brother, not anyone else.

Zhenhong Fozi glanced at him and said, "Huangmei senior brother, you are still the same; why must you keep staring at senior elder brother?"

"Our conflict with him is a clash of will, a clash of Buddha Dharma, not a clash of life and death."

"Our philosophies differ; there's no need to fight to the death."

Huangmei Fozi heard this and laughed aloud to the heavens, "Hahaha."

"Junior brother, you are still so naive, just like before; even after several setbacks you remain the same. Do you think I, senior brother, don't want to get along with him? It's he who insists on putting me in a deadly position; if I don't die, senior elder brother will be uneasy."

"He wants to kill me, I want to kill him, yet you, junior brother, condemn senior brother; that's not right, is it?"

Zhenhong Fozi sighed, "Huangmei senior brother, the junior brother is not condemning you but urging you not to oppose senior elder brother; senior elder brother is different from us."

"Senior elder brother embodies compassion, aligning perfectly with the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple's doctrine; the next Buddha Patriarch of Ten Thousand Buddha Temple will be him. You and I are merely his backdrop."

"Each follows his own path, each understands; why must we vie with him for these empty titles?"

"Only now do we realize that Buddha Dharma is fundamental, and strength is fundamental."

"The struggle for power is merely a game, a Strong One's game; you and I have both stepped out of it, so why return?"

A clash of ideals?

In reality, it's just a feud inherited from the previous generation.

The conflict within Ten Thousand Buddha Temple is more severe than that outside.

He.

Huangmei senior brother.

And senior elder brother.

All are entangled, unable to extricate themselves; even if they wish no conflict, in the end it will be so.

Zhenhong Fozi felt helpless; the two senior brothers' opposing philosophies naturally lead to… problems.

Once they meet, they argue, each unwilling to concede.

The clash of the Dao cannot be compromised.

"Junior brother, don't you understand? Between me and senior elder brother, only one can live."

"Either he dies, or I perish."

"And you, my good junior brother, after senior brother dies, do you think senior elder brother will spare you?"

"Hehe, he cannot even accommodate me; you are even less likely."

Huangmei Fozi lifted his head, his eyes flashing with malice.

His Buddha light blossomed, illuminating the surroundings.

Zhenhong Fozi sighed, "Alas."

"My Buddha is compassionate, Huangmei senior brother, you are still so quick to anger; after all these years, you have not changed at all."

"Junior brother, I cannot join you against senior elder brother; Huangmei senior brother, give up that murderous intent."

Huangmei Fozi's mouth curved upward, and he smiled.

He laughed loudly.

"Hahaha."

"Junior brother, you will regret this."

"That day is not far off; when it comes, you will understand how absurdly wrong you were."

"Your senior elder brother is not as charitable as you think."

"All people are evil, born evil."

"At the beginning of man, nature is inherently evil; this is human nature."

"Junior brother, see to yourself."

Huangmei Fozi stood up, turned, and vanished.

As the Buddha light faded, the spot where he had sat still held a faint glow.

Zhenhong Fozi's gaze grew dim and complex.

Finally, he sighed to himself.

"Ah, senior brother, has your conflict come to this?"

"Huangmei senior brother, you have made preparations; the disaster of my Ten Thousand Buddha Temple is coming."

He lowered his head, looking at this place.

Zhenhong Buddhist Son casually pointed, and the Buddha light sank into the earth.

He sat there, and nothing happened.

After doing this, he raised his head and looked into the distance.

"Huangmei senior brother, you ultimately don't trust me, do you?"

"And eldest senior brother, you are the same."

"Why must it be so?"

He stood up, shook his head, and left.

This mountain peak returned to tranquility.

Half an hour later.

Huangmei Buddhist Son returned again, looking at that stone.

He walked over, reached out to touch the stone; at the moment of contact, Huangmei Buddhist Son's body retreated several steps, his gaze complexly fixed on that stone, upon which remained the power of Zhenhong Buddhist Son and also a seal.

"Indeed, my junior brother, you still found it; you deliberately sat on that stone just to guard against me. These days, you have been setting up seals to guard against me, senior brother. Your junior brother has truly gone to great trouble."

"Senior brother, I have ultimately underestimated you, my junior brother, you..."

"This is best; none of it is simple, we each have our own ideas; the eldest senior brother wanting to act against us is not that easy."

"Since this is what the junior brother has planned, senior brother, I will no longer interfere."

Having said that, he left.

After walking a moment, Zhenhong Buddhist Son's figure reappeared, watching the retreating figure of Huangmei Buddhist Son.

He shook his head.

"Huangmei senior brother, after all, it was still discovered."

"This person has affinity with me; we cannot let the eldest senior brother discover his existence."

"Never mind; since we've met, I'll help you a bit more."

He waved his hand, concealing karma.

He also concealed his existence.