My brother is so cunning

Chapter 1164 A Little Understanding of Buddhism
"You're overthinking it. A Buddhist kingdom on earth is simply impossible!"

Wen Rui felt a wave of frustration. Even in the old timeline, the Buddhist kingdom on earth was just a beautiful bubble.

In the real world, there are indeed countries where Buddhism is the state religion. Take Siam, for example. What kind of Buddhist country is it? Even though the entire population is Buddhist, ladyboys and sorcerers are more famous than monks. It's practically a semi-feudal and semi-colonial country with all sorts of vices.

"It all depends on human effort. If you don't cultivate yourself, how can you know that the right conditions haven't arrived yet?"

The Buddha made a hand gesture, and countless phantom images of Buddhist disciples spreading the Dharma appeared within the mandala—some monks preached in the streets, and some mortals knelt in devout worship; these were the prototypes of the "Buddhist Kingdom on Earth" in his heart.

"Buddhism speaks of predestined affinity. The contest between you and me is also a matter of 'predestined affinity' between Buddhism and technology. If you can escape this mandala of consciousness, it proves that the power of technology has far surpassed that of Buddhism. We will then acknowledge this 'shallow affinity,' abandon our desire for a Buddhist kingdom on earth, and cooperate with you wholeheartedly, serving only as 'spiritual guidance' for all beings. If you die and your spiritual path perishes, it means that Buddhism still has a chance to flourish. We will continue to pursue our ultimate vision—this is not a demand, but an explanation to our faith."

There was not a trace of resentment in these words. The two saints knew that in Freedom City, the Creator Celestial Venerable was protected by mortals and technology, so they could not exert their full power and could only compromise.

In this mandala of consciousness, the space is under their control, allowing for a fair contest: if they win, they can safeguard the possibility of Buddhism's great prosperity; if they lose, they can calmly accept the fate of Buddhism becoming "auxiliary" and will not linger on it.

The so-called "ceasefire" and "reconstruction of Lingshan" were merely a prelude to this "test of destiny," not a genuine compromise, much less empty talk.

"To put it bluntly, isn't it just a matter of who has the bigger fist and who's right?"

A knowing glint flashed in Wen Rui's eyes, and a faint purple light emanated from his body. The probability reversal device had been activated, and he began to rapidly reorganize the defense system: "I knew my verbal persuasion wouldn't work so easily. Unfortunately, even without me, your dream of a Buddhist kingdom on earth is just a mirage, a pipe dream, nothing but illusion."

Whether it is false or not, we will only know by trying it.

Saint Zhunti raised his hand and waved the Seven Treasures Tree, a golden streak slashing towards the Creator Heavenly Venerable: "This mandala was forged by my ten thousand years of cultivation. Within my sea of ​​consciousness, the Dharma is the rule! Today, let's see whose 'karma' is deeper!"

The golden ribbon, carrying an aura that shook the very rules, instantly arrived before the Creator Celestial Venerable.

He suddenly turned to the side, the nano-light transforming into a shield that forcefully blocked the attack, but the enormous impact forced him back several steps, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The reversal field generated by the probability reversal device was much less effective in the mandala of consciousness. Unlike the completely reversed probabilities in the real world, in the mandala, willpower is the rule, and the probability of firm belief infinitely tends to inevitability, which can only slightly reduce the other party's probability of success.

Within the mandala, Buddhist chants resounded like great bells, and countless scriptures intertwined to form a "net of rules," constantly compressing his space and attempting to completely suppress the power of technology.

The Guide stood atop the pagoda, his gaze calm yet resolute as he looked upon everything: "Wenrui, do your best! If you can truly break my mandala, the Western Sect will have no objections; if not, then let the Dharma continue to flourish in the Three Realms."

The residual force of the golden ribbon striking the nano shield had not yet dissipated when the Seven Treasures Tree of the Sage Zhunti rose up again, and countless fragments of Buddhist light fell from the shadows of the tree, transforming into sharp "Bodhi Blades" that shot densely toward Wenrui.

This attack was no longer a single burst, but rather like a rain of stars, sealing off all angles of evasion. Each blade of light contained the Buddhist principle of "severing afflictions and breaking attachments," attempting to fundamentally undermine the opponent's fighting spirit.

Wen Rui raised his hand and took out a silver-white grenade engraved with time-related patterns from his storage space—it was the "Time Reversal Grenade." He pulled the fuse with his thumb, and the grenade emitted a faint glow. Just as the Bodhi Blade was about to touch his body, he hurled it to the ground!

"Om-"

The moment the grenade exploded, the flow of time within the mandala suddenly became disordered. The Bodhi blades that were already within reach seemed to have been put on "reverse," rewinding at a speed visible to the naked eye, and finally dissipating into the air as fragments of Buddha light.

Not only that, the wound on the corner of his mouth that had been injured by the shockwave was slowly healing, and he even straightened up again after taking a half step back, as if the attack had never happened.

Wen Rui wouldn't dare to throw time-reversal grenades around in the outside world, as using them in the Primordial Three Realms would definitely disrupt the continuity of spacetime. However, within the spiritual mandala space created by the two sages, he had no such scruples and simply used them like firecrackers.

In the Mandala World, spacetime exists independently of the Three Realms. The continuity of spacetime here is disrupted, even triggering a lightning crisis. The first to suffer will certainly not be Wen Rui, but the creator of this world.

"Time reversal?" The guide's pupils contracted slightly, and the speed at which the prayer beads on his fingertips spun suddenly increased: "Within the mandala that the two of us constructed with our vows, you were able to distort the rules of time. Your methods are beyond our expectations."

Wen Rui sneered, flipped his left hand, and a hexagonal metal device appeared in his palm. The blue crystal at the center of the device kept flashing—it was the "Phase Space Locker".

The crystal burst forth with a blinding light, instantly freezing the space within the mandala. The Buddhist light surrounding the two saints paused briefly, and even the scriptures flowing at the top of the stupa slowed down.

"What kind of magic weapon is this?"

Sage Zhunti shouted sternly, and the Seven Treasures Tree suddenly cleaved into the void, attempting to break the spatial confinement.

"You actually managed to lock onto the rules within my sea of ​​consciousness! I am clearly the sole ruler of this world..."

Huai Ti was shocked. It was as if Wen Rui was modifying his thoughts and distorting his memories. This sea of ​​consciousness was almost equivalent to his spiritual world, and he should have been able to control everything completely.

The phase space locker is a black technology that distorts the rules. In the real world, it is equivalent to hacking into the system's underlying code. It is even less likely to be able to defend against a mere spiritual world created by a saint.

"While marksmanship is a kind of law, and ballistics is also a kind of principle, this is, after all, your home turf. The rule is that heaven, earth, and Buddha are the greatest. So I'll use Buddhist principles to defeat Buddhist principles. Coincidentally, I also have some knowledge of Buddhist doctrines!"

Instead of taking advantage of the situation to attack, Wen Rui formed the "Abhaya Mudra" with his right hand, and his body suddenly radiated a golden light that was completely different from the Buddha light of the mandala. The light was warm and profound, carrying the compassion of "saving all sentient beings", and it was also pure Buddha power!
With a thought, countless glazed pagodas suddenly rose within the mandala. The inscriptions on the pagodas were not Western religious scriptures, but the concept of "using technology to help people": "Use machinery to relieve the suffering of labor, use knowledge to break through the barriers of ignorance, and establish the foundation of equality for all beings."

These pagodas are not physical objects, but rather "creations of thought" formed by Wenrui's Buddhist attainments and celestial merits. Each one radiates a strong golden light of merit—a gift from heaven for his years of spreading technology and improving the lives of sentient beings, which is several times more profound than the merits accumulated by ordinary Buddhist disciples who have chanted scriptures for thousands or tens of thousands of years.

Because Buddhist disciples only need to speak, but he has truly changed the lives of all beings, making them more prosperous, wiser, happier, and more fulfilled...

(End of this chapter)