Chapter 301 - 448 Dispute

"Have you gone mad, raising such a ruckus like this, letting everyone know—we won’t be able to deal with the consequences!" the elder scolded in a low voice.

"Senior, it’s truly shocking, that Great Strength Bull Demon King was a being of immense mana, we spent such effort to subdue him back in the day, how could such a powerful being possibly die?"

No wonder the youth found it hard to believe; the effort it had taken to subdue the Bull Demon King had caused a significant commotion. Consider the first Battle of Zhilei Mountain, where even Maitreya couldn’t capture him; the second battle escalated with the involvement of the Four Heavenly Kings and various Bodhisattvas.

And in order to proclaim their own achievements, the Buddhist Sect lauded the Bull Demon King’s combat prowess, so much so that many within the sect were well aware of his formidability. Naturally, hearing of the demise of such a powerful being struck a chord of fear in their hearts.

Although they couldn’t glean the changes in the Three Realms, the intuition of these lesser beings let them sense the mood of impending storm.

This left them feeling uneasy, and the adage "In times of chaos, life is as frail as grass" was not an idle phrase to be taken lightly.

"Indeed, I was also stunned when I heard the news, saying he was killed by the forces of the Heavenly Court."

"The Heavenly Court, you mean the one to the east? I heard they command all of Heaven and Earth in the East, a force to be reckoned with." the young man pondered before speaking.

Located in Xiniu Continent and due to the influence of the Buddhist Sect, they were not very familiar with the Heavenly Court. Moreover, the sect’s deliberate concealment meant that the followers here knew little about it except that it was a formidable power in the Eastern Land.

It was then that the elder revealed a smug smile and said, "The Heavenly Court is not just formidable; it is the true sovereign of the Three Realms, an existence even Buddha respects."

"Is that so? Our Buddhist Sect is so powerful, with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas everywhere on Mount Ling, each with high mana and wide-ranging divine skills. How could the Heavenly Court possibly receive Buddha’s reverence? Senior, you must have heard some rumors." the youth expressed in disbelief.

After all, in the era of his birth, the Buddhist Sect was rising, while the rule of the Heavenly Court in Xiniu Continent was waning; his generation had not witnessed the glory of the Heavenly Court of those days. Hearing the elder’s words, he still couldn’t believe them, taking them for rumors.

The elder sighed gently upon hearing this and said, "I don’t know if it’s right or wrong to keep you all in the dark. Our Buddhist Sect is indeed strong, but we still fall short when compared to the Heavenly Court—after all, it is the true Lord of the Three Realms."

"It’s just that we deliberately withheld some information here to allow you to have confidence. Rest assured that in the current state of the Three Realms, the Heavenly Court is the dominant power, the foremost force, and even our Buddhist Sect must yield somewhat."

Hearing his predecessor’s words, the young man was suddenly struck by the feeling that his entire worldview had been turned upside down. He hadn’t realized that the rarely mentioned Heavenly Court was such a powerful presence.

"Does that mean we are going to wage war against the Heavenly Court?" the youth asked anxiously.

"Unlikely, if there were a war, the Heavenly Court’s Treasure Ship would have come, not just an Auspicious Cloud as we see now. Probably, a messenger has been sent. Don’t worry, it’s very difficult for two such powerful forces to enter into conflict." The elder tried to reassure him, though worry remained evident in his eyes.

After all, difficulty in starting a war does not mean a war won’t start, especially since Journey to the West has ended, countless monks have been traveling on this golden road to the Eastern Land to preach—Heavenly Court territory. The influx of so many monks could easily provoke the ire of the Heavenly Court.

When that happens, war may be inevitable.

Upon contemplating this, he shivered and hastily whispered, "Amitabha, my transgression, my transgression."

In the sky above, Taibai Jinxing cast his gaze upon this fabled Buddha Land, where the Power of Faith surged towards the heavens and gathered into a massive illusion of Mount Ling. Even the seasoned Immortal was impressed by the intensity of faith required to achieve such a sight.

In terms of faith, it has to be said that the Buddhist Sect indeed did a far better job than the Heavenly Court, weighting heavily on his mind.

Such a colossal entity, should it go to war, would hardly be a blessing for the Common People.

Just as he descended on Mount Ling, he was discovered by a patrolling Vajra who bellowed sharply, "Who are you, worshiper, and do you not know that this is sacred Buddhist ground?"

"Venerable Vajra, please announce my presence. Taibai Jinxing, under the decree of the Jade Emperor, specifically requests to see Maitreya Buddha Ancestor!" Taibai Jinxing, unfazed by the Vajra’s offensive tone, called out directly.

His voice lingered, slowly reaching into Mount Ling. The Vajra beside him looked very uncomfortable, his eyes intently fixed on Taibai Jinxing’s aged face.

However, Taibai Jinxing showed no sign of perturbance, standing there as if made of stone, even taking the leisure to survey the surrounding scenery.

He had already discerned the intention of the Vajra; the challenge was clearly aimed at humiliating him on the spot as a provocation, likely instigated by the warmongers within the Buddhist Sect.

Hence, the wily Immortal was not taken in, adopting a demeanor as serene as a passing breeze to let his voice reach inside. Maitreya would certainly let him in unless He had a firm intent to wage war against the Heavenly Court.

As expected, after a short while, a Gālan arrived from Mount Ling and greeted Taibai Jinxing with much courtesy, saying, "So it is Taibai Jinxing, the Star Lord, gracing us with his visit. Maitreya awaits on Mount Ling for the esteemed Star Lord."