Chapter 306: The Fomen

Western Continent of Xiuniu, Wuzhuang Temple of Mount Wanshou.

Zhen Yuanzi was sitting under the Ginseng Fruit Tree contemplating the Great Dao when he suddenly opened his eyes.

"Has the Fomen gone mad?" Zhen Yuanzi frowned.

He pinched his fingers to calculate, but the heavenly secrets were a chaotic mess.

With the kalpa approaching, the heavenly secrets were already blurred, and with both the Fomen and Bai Ze taking action to conceal them, even Zhen Yuanzi, known as the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, could not calculate why the Fomen was making such a big fuss.

"What happened to make that smiling tiger Maitreya so furious?"

It was not just Zhen Yuanzi.

Deep within the Netherworld Blood Sea, blood waves rolled.

Ancestor Ming He, inside the blood-colored palace deep in the blood sea, held the Yuantu and Abi swords, letting out a hoarse, cold laugh.

"Those bald donkeys are out in full force; could it be that some precious treasure was stolen from them? Truly interesting."

Within the Three Realms, the reclusive great beings were all startled.

Everyone was calculating in secret, yet they could calculate nothing.

Thirty-three Heavens, rear hall of the Lingxiao Precious Hall.

Inside the magnificent hall, immortal energy swirled.

The Jade Emperor lay on an immortal couch, watching the immortal maidens dance in the hall with a full face of smiles.

Taibai Jinxing held a jade slip emitting Buddha light, walked quickly into the hall, and bowed to present it.

"Your Majesty, a message from Buddha Maitreya of Lingshan."

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor waved his hand and waited for the immortal maidens to retreat before taking the jade slip.

His spiritual sense swept over it, and a strange look flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Maitreya says that an important figure of the Fomen has gone missing in the Southern Continent of Nanjian Buzhou, taken away by a loose cultivator calling himself 'Wu Chen.' He asks me to activate the Heavenly Mirror to patrol the Four Great Continents and find this person's whereabouts."

"An important figure of the Fomen? To make Buddha Maitreya personally seek help from the Heavenly Court, could it be..."

Taibai Jinxing, standing to the side, had a guess upon hearing this.

"It should be that reincarnation of Tathagata. You tell me, should I help or not?" the Jade Emperor asked, taking over the conversation.

"This minister is dull and dares not speak rashly." Taibai Jinxing was old and cunning, naturally not expressing his own opinion at this time.

The Jade Emperor looked at Taibai Jinxing with a smile upon hearing this.

"Forget it, let me help him take a look." Finally, the Jade Emperor spoke flatly.

Although he wished the Fomen would suffer a setback, since it concerned the Great Plan of the Journey to the West, he still had to do the superficial work.

The Jade Emperor performed a seal, summoning an ancient mirror; the mirror surface flowed with profound Dao rhymes, and it was indeed the Heavenly Mirror that could reflect the Three Realms.

The Jade Emperor raised his hand and cast a spell.

The Heavenly Mirror floated in mid-air, and the mirror surface suddenly erupted with ten thousand feet of golden light.

This light pierced directly through the Thirty-three Heavens, shooting straight toward the Southern Continent of Nanjian Buzhou.

Taibai Jinxing looked at the mirror surface.

The images in the mirror flowed rapidly; mountains, rivers, cities, and villages flashed by one after another.

"Moyie Kingdom." The Jade Emperor, following the clues given by Maitreya, first probed the area around the Moyie Kingdom, but gained nothing.

Afterward, the Jade Emperor manipulated the Heavenly Mirror, the light spreading outward, sweeping across the entire Southern Continent of Nanjian Buzhou, then sweeping toward the Eastern Continent of Dongsheng Shenzhou, the Western Continent of Xiuniu, and the Northern Continent of Beiju Luzhou.

An incense stick of time passed.

The Heavenly Mirror remained shrouded in clouds and mist, a chaotic mess.

Aside from the occasional bird or beast sweeping past, no clues regarding Su Chen and Qiao Ling were found.

"This matter is concluded. Taibai, reply truthfully to Lingshan, saying that the Heavenly Court has done its best, and the Heavenly Mirror has not discovered the target." The Jade Emperor withdrew his spell, and the light of the Heavenly Mirror dimmed accordingly.

"I obey the decree." Taibai Jinxing left to carry out the order.

"Court dismissed."

The Jade Emperor stood up and left the Dragon Throne.

After Taibai Jinxing left, the Jade Emperor stood with his hands behind his back in front of the window, looking at the rolling sea of clouds, pondering the matter just now.

The Heavenly Mirror was an innate magic treasure; ordinary means could absolutely not evade its probing.

That Wu Chen must have an extremely brilliant concealment formation to hide the whereabouts of the two.

The Jade Emperor turned around, deep light shining in his eyes.

"In these Three Realms, someone is playing a big game of chess." The Jade Emperor spoke, his brows slightly furrowed. "Now that the great kalpa has descended, the situation in these Three Realms is becoming increasingly chaotic."

"Someone come." The Jade Emperor thought of this and called out to the door.

"Your Majesty." An attendant quickly entered from outside the door, listening for instructions.

The Jade Emperor's tone was calm. "Pass on my decree: all gods of the various departments of the Heavenly Court are not to descend to the lower realm without a decree in the near future. If anyone descends to the lower realm privately, I will absolutely not be lenient."

"Yes." The attendant received the order, bowed, and retreated to pass on the decree.

And in the Western Continent of Xiuniu, Lingshan, inside the Great Lei Yinsi.

Maitreya Buddha looked at the news returned from the Heavenly Court, his face full of solemnity.

"The Jade Emperor sent word that there are no clues."

Maitreya Buddha crushed the jade slip, and the powder spilled from between his fingers.

"Even the Heavenly Mirror cannot reflect it?" The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng stood to the side, his brows locked tight. "Is the Heavenly Court stalling us?"

"The Jade Emperor would love to see us make a fool of ourselves, so stalling is certain. But the Heavenly Mirror cannot be faked; since he used it, then it is true that he did not find them." Maitreya Buddha's voice was low.

He stood up and walked down from the nine-grade lotus pedestal.

"Where is the World Honored One going?" Ran Deng asked.

"I cannot wait any longer." Maitreya Buddha raised his head, looking toward the depths of Lingshan. "I will personally make a trip to Mount Wuzhi."

Mount Wuzhi.

This was the true holy land of the Fomen, the dojo of the two Saints, Jie Yin and Zhun Ti.

Maitreya Buddha arrived alone before the mountain gate.

The novice monk guarding the mountain saw Maitreya and bowed with palms together: "Greetings, World Honored One. The two Sect Leaders already know the World Honored One's intent; please proceed to beneath the Patriarch Puti tree."

Maitreya Buddha nodded in return and walked quickly up the stone steps.

The further up he went, the heavier the omnipresent Saintly pressure became.

Even though Maitreya Buddha was already at the Semi-Sage cultivation level, under this pressure, he couldn't help but slow his pace, restraining the aura around his body, and keeping his posture extremely low.

Finally, he arrived beneath the huge Patriarch Puti tree.

Beneath the tree sat two Daoists cross-legged.

The one on the left had a sorrowful face, as if bearing all the suffering of all living beings; it was Saint Jie Yin. The one on the right was sallow and thin, holding the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree; it was Saint Zhun Ti.

Both were closing their eyes and wandering in spirit, surrounded by Sanskrit chanting, the laws of the Great Dao manifesting beside them, turning into golden lotuses blooming and withering.

Maitreya Buddha walked up close and bowed.

"Disciple Maitreya, pays respects to the two Sect Leaders."

Saint Zhun Ti slowly opened his eyes, his gaze landing on Maitreya.

"We already know your intent." Zhun Ti's voice was ethereal, as if coming from all directions.

"I beg the Sect Leaders to take action, calculate the whereabouts of that thief, and welcome back Tathagata." Maitreya Buddha prostrated on the ground.

The Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree in Saint Zhun Ti's hand waved gently, and a ray of seven-colored light entered the void.

A moment later, Zhun Ti's brows furrowed slightly.

"Good methods," Zhun Ti said coldly. "The kalpa has already risen, and the Heavenly Dao is chaotic. That person's methods are brilliant; not only does he have a strange treasure for concealment, but he also knows how to borrow momentum. He seems to have drawn upon the power of an ancestral vein to set up a formation to conceal the heavenly secrets. My calculation this time was blocked by the vast power of the earth veins of the Earth Immortal Realm, and I only calculated that the reincarnation of Tathagata is now in the Eastern Continent of Dongsheng Shenzhou."

"Then what should be done about the reincarnation of Tathagata?" Maitreya asked.

If Tathagata could not be found, the Fomen's Great Plan of the Journey to the West would inevitably be thwarted, and he, this substitute World Honored One, could not bear this responsibility.

Saint Zhun Ti's gaze was deep, looking toward the direction of the Eastern Continent of Dongsheng Shenzhou.

"The power of the ancestral vein cannot be moved lightly, but he cannot hide in the formation forever."

Zhun Ti withdrew his gaze and looked at Maitreya.

"Go back, and closely monitor the movements in the Eastern Continent of Dongsheng Shenzhou. Since he took Tathagata away, he must have a motive. As long as he reveals a single flaw, I will notify you, and you and Ran Deng will take action together to suppress him."

"Disciple obeys the decree."

Maitreya Buddha kowtowed again, stood up, and retreated.

Beneath the Patriarch Puti tree, tranquility was restored once more.

Zhun Ti watched Maitreya's departing back and turned to look at Jie Yin.

"Senior Brother, what do you think?"

Jie Yin's face was sorrowful, and he shook his head slowly: "In this kalpa, there are too many variables." ===== CHAPTER 307 =====