Chapter 304: Lingshan in a Rage, Maitreya

Western Continent of Xiuniu, Lingshan.

Inside the Great Lei Yinsi, the Buddha light shone as usual, ten thousand golden lotuses floated in mid-air, and the low chanting of Sanskrit never ceased.

Upon a nine-grade lotus pedestal, Maitreya Buddha sat cross-legged, a smile on his face, appearing carefree and without worry.

Ever since he took charge of the Fomen, he had always presented himself with this smiling face. Everyone in Lingshan knew that this newly ascended World Honored One had a gentle temperament and never lost his temper.

At this moment, the temple doors swung wide open.

Two disheveled figures stumbled into the great hall.

Xianglong Luo Han's kasaya was stained with blood, his complexion ashen.

Fuhu Luo Han's robe was shredded on one side, revealing a clear palm print on his chest, the golden Buddha blood not yet dried.

The two of them knelt with a thud beneath the lotus pedestal.

"Disciples have failed in our duty; we beg the World Honored One to punish us," Xianglong Luo Han said, bowing his head.

The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Luo Hans, and Jin Gang in the hall all turned to look at the two.

These were, after all, Xianglong and Fuhu.

The two strongest in combat among the Eighteen Luo Hans of the Fomen, with cultivation bases at the peak of the Tai Yi Jin Xian Realm.

They had been sent with a decree to the Southern Continent of Nanjian Buzhou to find the reincarnation of the World Honored One, Tathagata. How could they have ended up in such a state?

"No rush. Speak slowly," Maitreya Buddha said, still smiling.

Xianglong Luo Han took a deep breath and reported everything that had happened in the Moyie Kingdom, point by point.

They had found the Crown Prince of the Moyie Kingdom, Qiao Ling, who was suspected to be the reincarnation of Tathagata.

Qiao Ling was born with golden light descending from the heavens, possessed deep roots in Buddhist Dharma, and all signs matched the World Honored One.

But Qiao Ling refused to return to Lingshan, claiming he had already taken a wandering Daoist priest as his master.

At this point, Xianglong Luo Han's voice faltered.

"That Daoist... called himself Wu Chen, and appeared to have only the cultivation of the Spirit Returns to Emptiness Realm. Disciple thought he was merely a lower-realm cultivator, so I took action, intending to welcome the reincarnation of the World Honored One back to Lingshan."

"And then?" Maitreya asked.

"Junior Brother Fuhu used the 'Drip of Wisdom' technique, hoping to awaken the World Honored One's past-life memories. That ray of Buddha light was flicked to pieces by that person with a single finger."

A faint commotion stirred in the hall.

Xianglong Luo Han continued: "Disciple was unwilling to give up and channeled my Golden Dragon Dharma Image to suppress him with all my might. That person did not use magic power, nor did he bring out any magic treasure; relying solely on the strength of his physical body, he shattered my Golden Dragon Dharma Image with one punch and extinguished Junior Brother Fuhu's Fierce Tiger Dharma Image with one palm."

When he finished this sentence, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

"Physical Body Great Luo," Xianglong Luo Han gritted his teeth as he spat out the four words. "Disciple can be certain that that person's physical body has entered the Great Luo Jinxian Realm."

Hundreds of Buddhist experts in the hall looked at one another.

Every one of them present understood the weight of a Physical Body Great Luo Jinxian.

Relying on the physical body alone to withstand acquired magic treasures, indestructible through ten thousand kalpas.

Looking across the Three Realms, those who could achieve this step could be counted on one's fingers.

A name never heard before, a Daoist of unknown origin, actually possessed such cultivation?

"What about the reincarnation of the World Honored One?" a Bodhisattva couldn't help but ask.

Xianglong Luo Han lowered his head.

"He was taken away by that person; his whereabouts are unknown."

As these words fell, the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.

The originally auspicious and warm golden Buddha light seemed to have turned cold.

The smile on Maitreya Buddha's face remained, but those familiar with him knew that the smile was now different from before.

"Retire and tend to your wounds," Maitreya Buddha said, his voice calm.

Xianglong and Fuhu, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly kowtowed and exited the hall.

Maitreya Buddha closed his eyes, his right hand forming a seal, and began to calculate.

The supreme divine ability of the Fomen was set in motion, and golden light gathered between his brows.

Following the memories of Xianglong and Fuhu, he locked onto the location of the Moyie Kingdom, attempting to trace the heavenly secrets of the Daoist named "Wu Chen."

Time passed, and a moment later, Maitreya Buddha opened his eyes.

At this time, the smile on his face had completely vanished.

The heavenly secrets were a chaotic mess.

That person seemed to have evaporated from the Three Realms out of thin air, and along with Qiao Ling, had disappeared from the calculations of heavenly secrets.

Maitreya Buddha was silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.

Decades ago, the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, Fa Neng, had been secretly guided in the mortal world, embarking on a path that went against the Fomen.

At that time, Tathagata Buddha was still present and had personally gone to Mount Wuzhi to ask the Saint Puti to calculate the person behind the scenes.

Saint Puti had personally taken action with the dignity of a Saint, yet had failed to calculate the origin of the person behind the scenes.

At that time, Saint Puti's original words were: "That person behind the scenes possesses a treasure capable of shielding heavenly secrets and confusing karma."

Maitreya Buddha's gaze sank.

First, guiding Jin Chanzi onto a crooked path.

Then, taking advantage of Tathagata being cast into reincarnation to find the reincarnation of Tathagata in advance and take him away.

Both matters involved crucial figures of the Fomen.

In both matters, the heavenly secrets of the person behind the scenes could not be calculated.

If it were done by the same person...

Maitreya Buddha's complexion gradually became solemn.

Then this person was not some loose cultivator, but an enemy who had been plotting for a long time, specifically targeting the Fomen.

"Buddha Ran Deng," Maitreya Buddha spoke.

To the side of the hall, the void rippled slightly.

The figure of the Ancient Buddha Ran Deng manifested from the golden light, holding a glazed lamp, his face as still as an ancient well.

"What are the World Honored One's instructions?"

"When the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi met with trouble back then, and this time when the reincarnation of the World Honored One Tathagata was taken away, do you think they were the work of the same person?"

The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng pondered for a moment and nodded slowly.

"This old monk has the same suspicion. Both incidents used the same methods—both approached the target in advance, both could perfectly shield heavenly secrets, and both targeted core figures of our Fomen. If not the same person, then it is the same faction."

He paused and sighed.

"The reincarnation of the World Honored One concerns the Great Plan of the Journey to the West. The candidate for the scripture seeker has already faced complications due to that Fa Neng incident, and now the reincarnation of the World Honored One Tathagata has been intercepted... If we cannot find him as soon as possible, the Journey to the West kalpa may face great changes."

Maitreya Buddha stood up.

The golden lotus petals on the nine-grade lotus pedestal trembled slightly.

This leader of the Fomen, who had always greeted others with a smile, now had a body full of biting Buddha light, his face cold and stern.

"Pass on my decree."

Maitreya Buddha's voice echoed throughout the entire Great Lei Yinsi.

"From this day forward, all disciples of Lingshan above the Golden Immortal Realm are to be dispatched to search for Qiao Ling's whereabouts. At the same time, thoroughly investigate all great beings within the Three Realms who specialize in the path of the physical body; anyone whose physical body has reached the Great Luo Jinxian Realm is to be investigated one by one!"

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall all stood up and pressed their palms together.

"We obey the decree!"

Maitreya Buddha had not finished speaking and added another sentence.

"Additionally, in my name, write a letter and send it to the Heavenly Court."

The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng raised his head, his gaze flickering.

"Ask the Heavenly Emperor to activate the Heavenly Mirror to patrol the Four Great Continents," Maitreya Buddha said, word by word. "Since that person appeared in the Southern Continent of Nanjian Buzhou, he must still be active within the Four Great Continents. The Heavenly Mirror can reflect all things in the Three Realms; in the heavens or on the earth, nothing can escape its sight. I want to see just how long he can hide."

The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng pressed his palms together and bowed slightly.

"The World Honored One's action will likely owe the Heavenly Court a favor."

Maitreya Buddha sat back down on the lotus pedestal, and that signature smile appeared on his face once more.

Only, there was a bit more chill in this smile.

"If I owe it, then I owe it," he said. "In the Journey to the West kalpa, the Heavenly Court was already going to take a share. Letting them put in some effort is not too much to ask."

He raised his head, his gaze passing through the dome of the Great Lei Yinsi, looking toward the east.

"Wu Chen..."

Maitreya Buddha recited the name, his tone flat.

"I look forward to the day I meet you."

Outside the Great Lei Yinsi, at the foot of Lingshan, thousands of Buddha soldiers began to mobilize.

Rays of Buddha light shot into the sky, scattering to all corners of the Three Realms. ===== CHAPTER 305 =====