Chapter 264 - 218 Report_2

"This matter must be reported to His Majesty immediately!" Master Zhang spoke in a grave tone.

This was a matter that could potentially shake the very foundations of the Heavenly Court.

"I shall also report about the fleet; let us go together," Yin Qi extended the invitation, not particularly keen on facing the Jade Emperor’s wrath alone.

Together, the two made their way, and soon they arrived at the gates of the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, where the Heavenly General guarding the door, seeing the two, smiled and asked, "What brings both of you here together today?"

Master Zhang held an extremely high position within the Heavenly Court; ordinary Heavenly Generals were exceptionally polite to him. As for Yin Qi, the newly appointed Marshal Tianpeng and a beloved general of the Jade Emperor who had even been entrusted with major tasks such as combating the Demon Emperor, naturally, no one wished to offend him.

"We have important matters to report to His Majesty; please, General, could you announce us?"

Seeing the grim and serious expressions of the two men, the Heavenly General at the gate knew they had important matters to report and naturally did not dare to delay. He quickly said, "Please wait a moment; His Majesty is inside meeting with the Divine Exorcist Great Sage. I will go and announce you."

After saying this, he hurried inside.

The two exchanged glances, only then realizing that this Divine Exorcist Great Sage seemed to hold an extremely important place in the Jade Emperor’s heart, for such a privileged private audience within the Lingxiao Treasured Palace was an honor afforded to very few immortals within the Heavenly Court.

"Heavenly Master, do you know the origins of this Divine Exorcist Great Sage?" Yin Qi asked curiously while they waited to be summoned.

He could feel that the Jade Emperor’s trust in this Great Sage of the Demon Race was different from his trust in Yin Qi; it seemed more personal, which gave Yin Qi, who was supposedly the Jade Emperor’s most favored, a strong sense of crisis.

Seeing that there was no one around, Master Zhang spoke in a low voice, "I don’t know much about his origins, but it is very possible that he knew His Majesty before His Majesty had attained enlightenment and willingly infiltrated the Demon Court to serve him, hence His Majesty’s immense trust in him."

Yin Qi inhaled sharply. Everyone in the Heavenly Court knew that the Jade Emperor had undergone many hardships before ascending to the throne, but not many knew the details, only that he had practiced cultivation at Mount Kunlun.

The weight of someone who had accompanied him all the way to the supreme position was naturally extraordinary in the Emperor’s heart; no wonder the Emperor favored him so.

At that moment, Yin Qi internally gave up any thoughts of competing for favor with the Divine Exorcist Great Sage.

By then, the Heavenly General had already entered the Lingxiao Treasured Palace. Upon entering, he saw the Divine Exorcist Great Sage, clad in a black robe, standing inside, seemingly discussing something with the Jade Emperor.

"Your Majesty, Master Zhang and Marshal Tianpeng are outside seeking an audience!" the Heavenly General knelt on the ground and respectfully reported.

The Jade Emperor slightly furrowed his brows, having a premonition that he would dislike the news these two brought.

Yet, he wisely said, "Let them in."

The Heavenly General slowly withdrew, and the Jade Emperor then rubbed his forehead, saying, "What a headache, I have a premonition they bring bad news."

"Perhaps this is the trouble with being a ruler," the voice of the Divine Exorcist Great Sage echoed, as if coming from the abyss, carrying a somber tone.

At these words, the Jade Emperor sighed lightly. The throne of the Supreme of the Three Realms was indeed illustrious, but who knew what he had sacrificed for it? The once cheerful and sunny Monkey had transformed into this somber Divine Exorcist Great Sage because of him.

"What is the situation at Mount Ling?"

"It’s not good. The believers are too fanatical to infiltrate, and it seems the Buddhist Sect has mastered a Dharma Technique that can convert monsters. Lately, they have begun a frenzied expansion and have become a colossal force," the Divine Exorcist Great Sage spoke with some gravity.

After his investigations over this period, he had gained a rough understanding of the Buddhist Sect.

This was a force much stronger than the Demon Court, not only in strength but also in organizational capability, expansion speed, and internal cohesion, making it the most powerful adversary the Heavenly Court had faced to date.

Fortunately, the two sides were still allies and had not completely fallen out, which had maintained the stability of the Three Realms.

However, with the rapid expansion of the Buddhist Sect, this situation could not be sustained for much longer, and the current state of affairs resembled two piles of dry tinder that only needed a spark to turn into a war sweeping across the Three Realms.

The rolling waves of the era were about to surge forth, and it was uncertain how many would survive this time.

"Buddhist Sect!" muttered the Jade Emperor, facing the greatest challenge of his life, feeling utterly at a loss within, but as the saying goes, one cannot recline at ease while another sleeps easily beside them.

The Jade Emperor could not sit idly by while the colossal entity of the Buddhist Sect continuously expanded unchecked, seizing the faith of the Mortal World and usurping the discourse power of the Three Realms.

Fortunately, during his time in Fengxian County, he had successfully tested the state of Buddha, and just as he expected, the Ultimate Power of the Three Realms seemed to have found an opportunity for further advancement and was currently in a mysterious state.

The Jade Emperor had a premonition that before long, it would be highly likely that Buddha and the Three Pure Ones would not be able to meddle in the affairs of the Three Realms, and that would be the best time for him to act.

While they conversed, Master Zhang and Yin Qi, having obtained permission, slowly stepped into Lingxiao Treasured Palace.

As soon as he entered the hall, Yin Qi knelt on the ground to pay his respects to the Jade Emperor, with a sincerity that was breathtaking, even surprising the typically stern Divine Exorcist Great Sage.

Master Zhang, standing beside him, was completely speechless; this fellow was indeed overly sycophantic.

He saluted the Jade Emperor with formal precision.

"What brings the two of you together here, my ministers?" The voice of the Jade Emperor was always so authoritative yet devoid of any emotion, making it hard for anyone to grasp his thoughts.

"To report to Your Majesty, the patrol fleet that went to Luzhou in the North has disappeared!" said Yin Qi in a low voice.

"Disappeared? An entire fleet?" The voice of the Jade Emperor conveyed slight confusion.

That was an entire fleet, a war asset of the Heavenly Court; how could it just vanish without a trace?

"Explain the details!"

Yin Qi then reported the news in full detail, causing the brows of the Divine Exorcist Great Sage to furrow immediately.

Once Yin Qi finished, the Divine Exorcist Great Sage said softly, "To my knowledge, there are no such capable individuals among the Demon Clan of Luzhou in the North, not even the Demon Emperor himself could do this without leaving a trace, preventing a single Heavenly soldier from leaving."

"What about you, Minister Zhang?"

"To report to Your Majesty, the matter I am about to discuss is related to the report from Marshal Tianpeng," he then detailed the affair concerning the Heavenly Generals.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room fell silent. Being extremely intelligent, both the Jade Emperor and the Divine Exorcist Great Sage understood the implications. The Dharma of Conversion of the Buddhist Sect was indeed the nemesis of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, and if they could not find a countermeasure, they were likely just making clothes for someone else.

"Did this Buddha leave a name?" asked the Divine Exorcist Great Sage.

"It seems to be the Paper Buddha!" Master Zhang said with a strange expression.

What kind of Buddhist title was that, inappropriate and trivial, it was so unbelievable that even he doubted it himself.

"Buddhist Sect possesses the Dharma Technique of Response Bodies. Likely, this so-called Paper Buddha is an incarnation of that Buddha, specifically doing some unsavory deeds hence taking such a ludicrous name. Even if we take this to Mount Ling for censure, it’s doubtful anyone would believe us," analyzed the Divine Exorcist Great Sage calmly.

The people present understood the situation well. Even Master Zhang was speechless, the Buddha behind this lacked taste, choosing such a ludicrous name.

If he mentioned it at Mount Ling, those zealous followers might think he was slandering the Buddhist Sect.

"Let’s leave this matter as it is, as if it never happened. As for the patrol over Luzhou in the North, let’s put it on hold for a while."