My brother is so cunning

Chapter 916 The Great Battle Between Buddha and Demon

At the critical moment, a giant golden hand formed from magical power descended from the sky, sweeping away the swarming demonic insects and grabbing Venerable Apoli and Venerable Sariputra in its palm.

The giant hands clasped together to form a fist, and the golden fingers, like five thick golden pillars, separated the two Venerables from the eyeing elite demonic insects.

The giant, clenched fist slowly rose into the air, breaking free from the swarm of insects on the ground, and flew to a pale golden auspicious cloud that had appeared in the sky at some unknown time.

A series of chanting sounds came from the sky, as if countless Buddhas were reciting scriptures in unison. The sound reverberated throughout the heavens and earth, causing the space itself to tremble slightly.

Venerable Kasyapa stood atop auspicious clouds, wearing a brocade robe specially commissioned by Venerable Ananda, the same high-end version worn by Apali and Sariputra. Every thread shimmered with brilliance, and ancient Buddhist patterns flowed between every fold, fluttering in the strong wind.

Behind him, three thousand Jiedi stood tall, clad in golden armor, as if cast in bronze and iron. The armor was covered with Sanskrit mantras, which shimmered with a deep blue light with each breath.

The Dharma Protectors are of different races, appearances, and body types.

Mixed in with many demons and monsters who have converted to Buddhism, the white elephant, the green lion, and the roc are also prominently featured, and there is even a guardian deity with the appearance of a demon king with a blue face and fangs, and eight arms and four faces, like a Rakshasa or Asura demon.

However, the figure of the Peacock King, the leader of the three thousand Jiedi, was conspicuously absent.

Beside the three thousand Jiedi were five hundred Arhats lined up in neat rows. The Arhats were of a more uniform race, all of them being human. Their bodies radiated a golden light that protected their indestructible bodies. Some had their eyes wide open in anger, like wrathful Vajras about to unleash thunderous attacks; others had their brows lowered in compassion, their prayer beads swirling with immeasurable Buddhist light, yet all of them had solemn expressions.

Finally, bringing up the rear, were several Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

They are Yamantaka, Vajrapani, Candraprabha, Suryaprabha, Naga King Buddha, Lion's Roar Buddha, Treasure Fire Buddha, and Diligent Army Buddha.

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who shone brightly in the Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West did not appear.

The three Bodhisattvas, Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, suffered severe mental trauma in the Battle of the Blood Sea and are currently recuperating in the Lotus Pond of Merit in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Lingji Bodhisattva was dealt with by Kasyapa, who was unable to solve the problem, who mistook him for the person who raised the problem and sent him to the Pure Heart Pool to dissolve his anger.

Dipankara Buddha, Prabhutaratna Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, and Kuruṇā-sūtra Buddha are not from the same faction as Tathāgata, so naturally they would not be eager to participate in the rescue of Tathāgata's sacred site of enlightenment and his direct disciples.

Venerable Kasyapa has done everything in his power, mobilizing the strongest forces available within the Tathagata's faction to form what he considers the strongest demon-subduing army of the Western Religion.

There are many factions within Western religions, and even though the Buddha is the present Buddha, he cannot completely control the entire Western religion.

Several hundred years later, during the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, the Buddha Tathagata successfully won over and subdued Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, three former Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect. With the support of these three capable and efficient generals, the script of the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West was finally completed.

Even so, Maitreya Buddha, the future Buddha, couldn't resist getting involved and instructed his disciple Huangmei to set up a small Leiyin Temple.

If Huang Mei successfully replaces the four disciples and completes the journey to the West, then all the merits of the Journey to the West will be reaped by Maitreya Buddha's faction.

Unfortunately, Huang Mei failed, so Maitreya Buddha intervened in time to save him, and even took a share of the merit from resolving one of the eighty-one tribulations. This shows how fierce the open and covert struggles between Western religious sects are, and it is by no means as peaceful, harmonious, and peaceful as it appears on the surface.

Besides the future lineage of Maitreya Buddha, there is also the past lineage of Dipankara Buddha, and even the Tantric lineage and the Immortal-Descending lineage of the Intercepting Sect...

Outside the party, there is no imperial ideology; within the party, there are all sorts of strange and bizarre ideas.

There's nothing new under the sun. Heaven is divided enough, and Western religions are no different. The same goes for the Church of Holy Light, the Green Church, and any polytheistic belief system that has been passed down. Within a single religion, there are always factions.

These factions sometimes treat heretics within their own religion more brutally than they fight against non-believers.

It's already quite good that no large-scale war broke out within Western Christianity to fight for the title of orthodox authority, but debates, mutual distrust, and mutual attacks were still inevitable.

"Fellow practitioners! Today we gather here, while outside Lingjiu Cave, a sea of ​​blood surges and demonic mosquitoes blot out the sun. This is a calamity for all living beings in the Three Realms, but it is also a time for us Buddhist disciples to uphold the true Dharma!"

Standing atop the clouds, Venerable Kasyapa proclaimed: "Today's calamity is also inextricably linked to the Creator God's deception of our sect's treasures and the Jade Emperor's protection. Heavenly retribution will surely descend upon them sooner or later! Since the beginning of time, evil has never prevailed over good. Even if we are harmed by the Heavenly Court and cannot use their sun-covering canopy to repel the enemy, we, the disciples of Buddhism, will use the Bodhi mind as armor, the sword of wisdom as blade, and the vow of compassion as shield."

"The Buddha taught us that the true Dharma is the most powerful super weapon. As long as we are of one mind, we will surely be able to dispel these demonic shadows, restore peace to Lingjiu Cave, and let the light of the Buddha's teachings shine throughout the world!"

As this impassioned declaration was uttered, the auspicious cloud erected by the Western Legion radiated rays of seven colors, greatly increasing the faith, morale, and momentum of the Buddhist followers.

Compared to the Western Legion of the Church, which radiated brilliant golden light in the sky, the tens of thousands of demonic insects crawling on the ground looked like mere fry, their already ugly insect forms appearing even more filthy and cowardly.

"Today we will prove to those immortals in Heaven who are powerless without their magical treasures that the orthodox teachings of the Western Sect are superior to those heretical sects and superstitious practices. Hear my command, form the array, and subdue the demons!"

Venerable Kasyapa roused himself, a disc of Buddha light emanating from the back of his head, making him appear as if he were the Buddha's representative. He raised his hand and waved it downwards, thus initiating the final battle between Buddha and demon.

Three thousand Jiedi and five hundred Arhats swooped down from the clouds, while several Bodhisattvas and Buddhas who had been invited by Kasyapa to come and help recite their own personal scriptures, bestowing upon them supreme Buddha power.

The power of Vajrabhairava, the Bodhisattva of Great Power, can greatly enhance strength attributes.

Vajrapani Bodhisattva's Vajrapani blessing can greatly increase skill and flexibility.

The Bodhisattvas of Moonlight and Sunlight are attendants of the Medicine Buddha. The healing and purification mantras they provide are almost identical to those performed by the Medicine Buddha himself.

The Dragon King Buddha, Lion Roar Buddha, Precious Fire Buddha, and Diligent Army Buddha also bestowed upon the three thousand Jiedi and five hundred Arhats numerous battlefield buffs such as Dragon and Elephant Power, Lion's Roar, Precious Fire Armor, and Army Soul Link.

This series of enhancements and blessings can instantly strengthen an ordinary believer to the point where they can rival a superhuman. When bestowed upon the already formidable Three Thousand Dharma Protectors and Five Hundred Arhats, it is like adding wings to a tiger and icing on the cake.

The Arhats and Vidyarajas who charged toward the swarm of insects were all multicolored, and the auras of their enhancements overlapped so much that it was almost impossible to distinguish the source of each blessing.

(End of this chapter)