Chapter 439

"Fine! We also agree to have the Saint Taqing serve as referee. Furthermore, we hope that the agreed-upon stake can be handed over to the Saint Taqing for safekeeping."

The Saint Jieyin had no objections to the Saint Taqing serving as the referee for the bet.

He was more concerned with how to handle the stake.

Especially the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction in Luo Fu's hands.

They understood the Saint Tongtian; since he had made a promise, the Saint Tongtian would certainly honor the bet.

Luo Fu was different; they did not know Luo Fu.

If he lost and Luo Fu chose to renege,

even as Saints, the Saint Jieyin and the Saint Zhunti could not do anything to him.

With Luo Fu's strength, even if the Saints took action with all their might, it would be very difficult to suppress him.

If Luo Fu did not bring out the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction, the Saint Jieyin and the Saint Zhunti would have no way to obtain it from his hands without suppressing him.

"Fine! I agree."

Luo Fu had no objections to handing over the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction in advance; he actually did not care for it at all.

The only reason he had obtained the Twelve-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction was simply to get Buddhism to agree to the bet.

Seeing Luo Fu agree to place the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction in the hands of the Saint Taqing for safekeeping, a rare hint of a smile appeared on the sorrowful faces of the Saint Jieyin and the Saint Zhunti.

This bet was extremely favorable to Buddhism, and the Saint Jieyin and the Saint Zhunti were ninety-nine percent sure they could win.

Since Luo Fu had agreed to hand the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction to the Saint Taqing, it meant that it would soon fall into their hands.

With the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction, half of their heart's ailment would be gone; how could the Saint Jieyin and the Saint Zhunti not feel happy?

After the basic conditions were determined, Luo Fu, the Saint Jieyin, and the Saint Zhunti communicated and confirmed some minor details.

The entire negotiation process consisted of the Saint Jieyin and the Saint Zhunti shamelessly striving for more favorable conditions for Buddhism, while Luo Fu very casually agreed to some conditions favorable to Buddhism.

He did not propose any other conditions favorable to himself.

If one did not know Luo Fu's background, one would fear that Luo Fu was intentionally giving the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction to Buddhism.

After finalizing all the details, Luo Fu, the Saint Jieyin, and the Saint Zhunti sealed all these conditions into a jade slip.

After doing this, the three of them began to respectfully invite the Saint Taqing.

"Respectfully inviting Senior Brother Taqing; we implore Senior Brother Taqing to serve as our referee."

The Saint Jieyin held the jade slip above his head and spoke toward the Eight Views Palace in a respectful tone.

The Saint Jieyin still held the Saint Taqing in high regard.

Because the Saint Taqing was the strongest and most unfathomable among the six Saints.

Whether it was the battle between Luo Fu and the Ancient Buddha Randeng, or the bet between Luo Fu and Buddhism,

or the Saint Tongtian suddenly intervening, forcing the two Western Saints to appear as projections and snatch the Ancient Buddha Randeng's twenty-four Sea-Calming Pearls,

every single event that happened here was a major event capable of shaking the entire Three Realms.

Luo Fu, the Saint Jieyin, and the Saint Zhunti could clearly perceive that countless great supernatural beings were watching this place.

This also included the Saint Taqing.

Therefore, the Saint Jieyin directly used his voice to respectfully invite the Saint Taqing.

Since the Saint Taqing was watching this place, he would certainly be able to hear.

Watching this place, when Luo Fu proposed having him serve as referee, the Saint Taqing did not speak to refuse, which undoubtedly proved that the Saint Taqing had tacitly agreed to serve as referee.

"An interesting bet; the old Daoist agrees to your request!"

Just as the Saint Jieyin's voice fell, the voice of the Saint Taqing sounded out of thin air.

Subsequently, an invisible force transformed into a palm, taking the jade slip above the Saint Jieyin's head into its palm.

After putting away the jade slip, the palm turned toward Luo Fu.

The meaning was clear: let Luo Fu hand over the stake.

Luo Fu did not hesitate either; with a light wave of his right hand, he sent the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction before the palm.

Swish!

The palm took the Nine-Rank Black Lotus of Destruction into its palm as well, and then disappeared from where it was out of thin air.

"Fellow Daoist, then we shall meet again at the Journey to the West!"

The bet had been set, and the Saint Jieyin and the Saint Zhunti had no intention of continuing to chat with Luo Fu, so they simply greeted him and dissipated into nothingness.

The Nine-Rank Golden Lotus floating in the chaotic airflow also transformed into a golden light and disappeared from where it was.

Swish!

With everyone gone, Luo Fu naturally would not continue to stay in the Heaven Beyond Heaven; he also flashed and rushed toward a certain location.

The surroundings returned to calm once more.

The Heaven Beyond Heaven was calm, but the Three Realms were in an uproar.

The events that happened this time were even more explosive than the last time Tathagata was suppressed.

Three Saints appearing at the same time—this was the first time since the Investiture of the Gods war.

The Heavenly Court.

"Seeking scriptures, snatching scriptures—I never expected the Journey to the West to have such changes. The Daoist Luo Fu is indeed a variable. The Saint Tongtian actually intervened; Buddhism is in trouble this time."

Witnessing Luo Fu, the Saint Jieyin, and the Saint Zhunti finally finalize the bet, a hint of joy flashed in the depths of the Jade Emperor's eyes.

If one were to ask which faction in the Three Realms the Jade Emperor hated most, he would choose Buddhism without hesitation.

Not only because Buddhism was too shameless, but also because Buddhism was simply too greedy.

The Jie Sect and the Chan Sect merely did not hold the Jade Emperor in their eyes and usually listened to the call but not the decree, but they at least maintained minimal respect for the Jade Emperor.

Buddhism was different; they already wanted to ride above the Jade Emperor.

Now in the Three Realms, the reputation of the Buddha Tathagata had begun to surpass that of the Jade Emperor, and everyone felt that the Buddha Tathagata was stronger than the Jade Emperor.

To the Jade Emperor, this was absolutely an intolerable matter.

Therefore, regarding Luo Fu suppressing the Buddha Tathagata, the Jade Emperor's first reaction was to want to cheer for Luo Fu.

If it were not for the deterrence of the Saints, he would have long since taken action against the Buddha Tathagata and Buddhism.

Now that Luo Fu was directly at odds with Buddhism over the Journey to the West, the Jade Emperor was even more happy to see it happen.

After all, the Jade Emperor could also be considered a victim of the Journey to the West.

He, the dignified Jade Emperor, had to act in a play for a mere Taiyi Golden Immortal for the sake of the Journey to the West, and he even had to play a spineless wretch.

Regarding such matters, although the Jade Emperor did not say anything, he had long been full of fire in his belly.

"I hope the Daoist Luo Fu and the Saint Tongtian can win the bet, or at the very least, hold on for a long time and cause more trouble for the West."

The Jade Emperor thought to himself.

Yuxu Palace.

"Seeking scriptures, snatching scriptures? This is knowing that the Heavenly Dao is irreversible and planning to take a different path. It's just that this condition is clearly favorable to the West."

Hearing that Luo Fu was taking a different path and had proposed such a bet, a strange look flashed in the eyes of the Saint Yuanshi.