Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

The Buddha laughed and said, "If you do not believe me, I will now increase my power and strengthen the seal on the alms bowl, so that the Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva will be speechless."

However, just as the Buddha was speaking, a loud bang was heard, and the golden alms bowl in his hand turned into countless golden fragments that flew all over the sky. A figure flew out of the alms bowl.

Li Xiuyuan, holding the God-Slaying Spear, said calmly, "Buddha, I just told you to release me from the alms bowl as soon as possible, but you insisted on showing off the alms bowl's power in front of them. Helpless, I had to use my magical treasure to break open the alms bowl and get out, but you couldn't do anything to me."

The Buddha was stunned for a moment, looking at the fragments of the golden alms bowl floating around in the air. He finally reacted, his voice suddenly increased eightfold, and his tone became much higher. The calm, composed, peaceful and compassionate aura around him vanished completely.

Then, the Buddha roared like a shrew, "Heavenly Dragon, you beastly bastard, give me back my alms bowl! Give me back my alms bowl! If you don't give me back my alms bowl, I'll make you regret it!"

As he spoke, Tathagata charged towards Li Xiuyuan. Tathagata had no weapon in his hands, he was empty-handed, but the aura emanating from him was astonishing.

...........

Chapter 491 Great Battle with Tathagata

His body radiated a dazzling golden light, as if the entire body of Tathagata was made of gold. His body was not tall, only sixteen feet, unlike those Vajra Arhats, whose bodies were often three or four feet tall.

The height of zhang liu represents the Buddhist golden body of zhang liu. When the Tathagata unleashed it, the enormous aura emanating from it soared into the sky, pressing down on Li Xiuyuan like a mountain.

Li Xiuyuan remained motionless, seemingly unaffected, and said calmly, "Buddha, your sixteen-foot golden body doesn't seem very powerful. I wonder if you've severed your three corpses within the golden body?"

Without replying, Tathagata rushed straight at Li Xiuyuan. The golden alms bowl was his most treasured magical artifact, and Li Xiuyuan's destruction of it had thoroughly enraged him.

Li Xiuyuan held the God-Slaying Spear calmly, without dodging. The reason he was able to break through Buddha's golden alms bowl and escape was because of the God-Slaying Spear in his hand.

The God-Slaying Spear is an innate spiritual treasure with boundless power. Combined with the abundant magical power within Li Xiuyuan's body, the result is far more than just one plus one. Not to mention the Golden Bowl, Li Xiuyuan is confident that he could even escape from Zhenyuan Daxian's hidden universe within his sleeve.

The God-Slaying Spear pierced fiercely in his hand, unleashing a black light that resembled a giant dragon. This dragon was hundreds of miles long, entirely black, and although it was formed from the God-Slaying Spear, it appeared incredibly real, lifelike and vivid.

Each dragon scale was as big as a winnowing basket, and the dragon claws were sharp, gleaming with a cold light under the sunlight.

The colossal dragon, baring its fangs and claws, unleashed a torrent of power and an extremely sharp aura as it attacked the charging Buddha. The clouds in the sky were torn to shreds by the dragon's claws, scattering like goose feathers through the air.

"What kind of treasure is this? It's incredibly powerful!"

The Buddha was surprised. Even before the God-Slaying Spear arrived, his golden body already felt a faint stinging pain. He quickly retreated, trying to avoid the God-Slaying Spear.

At the same time, he was filled with jealousy. Western Buddhism, due to its poor soil, didn't possess any powerful treasures. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so angry over Li Xiuyuan merely destroying his golden alms bowl.

However, Li Xiuyuan took out his treasures again and again. In just a short time, Li Xiuyuan had already produced three treasures.

The Wind Spirit Fan, a treasure acquired later in life; the twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls, a treasure of innate nature; and the God-Slaying Spear, a treasure of innate nature currently in Li Xiuyuan's possession. Each of these three treasures can be described as extremely rare and hard to come by, yet Li Xiuyuan possesses them all.

Compared to Li Xiuyuan, although he was the leader of a sect, he could be described as a penniless man.

Moreover, for some reason, Li Xiuyuan had also cultivated to the Quasi-Saint realm, with strength nearly equal to his. With the help of the treasure, Li Xiuyuan's strength could be said to have completely surpassed his.

Having dodged the attack of the God-Slaying Spear, Tathagata stood firm and said, "Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva, do you really intend to kill me?"

After putting away the God-Slaying Spear, Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "Buddha, you are the leader of my Buddhism, how dare I kill you? But what if you bully my disciple Sun Wukong by abusing your power? Since you have bullied him, I, as his master, will naturally stand up to avenge him. Come here, let me stab you three times with my God-Slaying Spear, and I will settle this matter with you."

Tathagata's eyelids twitched. The God-Slaying Spear was a supreme innate treasure, extremely powerful, capable of slaying gods and destroying Buddhas. Although his sixteen-foot golden body was already fully formed, if he were to be stabbed three times by the God-Slaying Spear, he would likely be either seriously injured or die.

Moreover, once killed by the God-Slaying Spear, even the soul, primordial spirit, and relic will be destroyed along with it. It can be said that once killed by the God-Slaying Spear, one is truly dead, and reincarnation is impossible.

If he hadn't died but was only severely injured, the intent of the God-Slaying Spear would have permeated his wounds, making a rapid recovery impossible. It would have taken countless millennia for him to fully recover.

He is the leader of a religion. If he were to be injured every day, the entire Buddhist community would likely be thrown into turmoil and people would be filled with fear.

The Buddha said, “Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva, it was the sage’s will to suppress your disciple Sun Wukong. I was merely carrying out orders. Go find the sage, don’t come looking for me.”

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "The two outer saints are too strong for me to defeat. I can defeat you, so come here and let me stab you three times to vent my anger."

Buddha stood there, stunned, unsure how to respond. It was the first time he had ever heard someone speak so shamelessly.

He said again, "How about this, Tianlong, when I get back I will speak to the two sages and ask them to bestow upon you the title of Buddha as well? The title will be Tianlong Buddha, what do you think?"

Li Xiuyuan nodded and said, "This one isn't bad. Come here, let me stab you once and I'll let you go."

Buddha said urgently, "You've already agreed, so why are you still going to attack me?"

Li Xiuyuan said, "I was going to stab you three times, but you made me a Buddha, which can only withstand two of those three stabs, so there's one stab left."

Li Xiuyuan revealed a seductive look on his face and said, "Buddha, come here and let me stab you. Don't worry, I will definitely go easy on you and stab you lightly. It will definitely not kill you. At most, you will be seriously injured. You can recover in a hundred or eight hundred years of seclusion."

The Buddha said helplessly, "Heavenly Dragon, what exactly do you want to do?"

Li Xiuyuan stroked his chin, pretending to be deep in thought, and said, "Buddha, since I became a Bodhisattva, it seems that there is a lack of a chief among the eighteen Arhats. Now I have another disciple named Bodhidharma, who has already reached the level of a Golden Immortal. I think that Buddhism should appoint people based on their merits and not neglect any genius. I suggest that he be the chief of the eighteen Arhats. What do you think?"

After saying that, Li Xiuyuan picked up the God-Slaying Spear and began to carefully caress it. As he did so, he muttered to himself, "God-Slaying Spear, why are you so useless? I was originally planning to take him down with one shot so I could become the Buddha myself. But your power is too weak; I couldn't bring him down. What should I do?"

Chapter 492 Dipankara Buddha

In Li Xiuyuan's hands, the God-Slaying Spear exuded a chilling aura.

Seeing Li Xiuyuan's expression, as if he would attack again if he didn't agree, Tathagata thought to himself, "Do I have any other choice?"

The God-Slaying Spear was truly formidable, and he was unwilling to fight Li Xiuyuan. Although the position of the head of the Eighteen Arhats was prestigious, in reality, he didn't have much real power.

Buddha laughed and said, "Heavenly Dragon, since you have such an outstanding disciple, why didn't you tell me sooner? If you had told me earlier, I would have already appointed him as the head of the Eighteen Arhats without you having to ask me. You wouldn't have had to come begging to me."

Li Xiuyuan cursed the old fox in his heart. If it weren't for the fact that he was threatening him with the God-Slaying Spear today, he wouldn't believe that Buddha could appoint Bodhidharma as the head of the Eighteen Arhats.

However, since Buddha had already agreed, he felt relieved.

Bodhidharma was his first disciple, and Li Xiuyuan had always wanted to pass the position of the chief of the Eighteen Arhats to Bodhidharma. After Bodhidharma became the chief of the Eighteen Arhats, he would have some subordinate power within Buddhism.

The Buddha asked, "Heavenly Dragon, is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, "Buddha, I have another disciple..."

Before Li Xiuyuan could finish speaking, Tathagata interrupted, "Heavenly Dragon, that's enough! With my sixteen-foot golden body and the golden lotus I sit upon, I am not without the power to fight you. Don't go too far!"

Li Xiuyuan asked in surprise, "Where did Buddha go? How could I attack Buddha? I meant I'll just wait here for Buddha's good news."

As he spoke, Li Xiuyuan stepped aside to let the golden cloud carrying Tathagata pass by. Tathagata snorted coldly and was about to leave on his golden cloud.

Just then, chanting filled the sky, and a golden light shone down, enveloping an area several hundred feet in diameter. The golden light was condensed and did not dissipate, as if it were a tangible substance.

Three figures descended slowly from the sky in a triangular formation, followed by a majestic and resounding voice: "Tianlong, how dare you lay a hand on Buddha! I'll teach you a lesson today!"

Li Xiuyuan's eyes narrowed, a green light flashing within them, as if a hungry wolf had spotted its prey. He said, "Randeng, what business is it of yours here that you dare to interfere?"

Then Li Xiuyuan said, "Guanyin, Manjushri, I was wondering why I didn't see you behind the Buddha today. It turns out you've pledged allegiance to a new master, to Dipankara Buddha."

The three figures in the sky were none other than Dipankara Buddha in the foremost robe, and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and Manjushri Bodhisattva behind him, both dressed in gauze robes and adorned with necklaces.

Looking at the twelve egg-sized, crystal-like Sea-Stabilizing Pearls above Li Xiuyuan's head, a hint of greed flashed in Randeng's eyes.

There are twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls. Li Xiuyuan has twelve, and he has twelve more. When the twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls are gathered together, they can form the Primordial Treasure Chaos Pearl, which possesses immense power and can overturn rivers and seas in an instant. In particular, it can also evolve worlds, which is truly miraculous.

He had always coveted Li Xiuyuan's twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls, but had no reason to make a move. Now that Li Xiuyuan had attacked Tathagata, he suddenly found an opportunity to strike.

However, the greed in his eyes was fleeting. He turned around and bowed to the Buddha. The Buddha did not dare to be negligent and quickly returned the bow.

Ran Deng said, "This Heavenly Dragon is extremely presumptuous, daring to attack you, Buddha. I will capture him and hand him over to you, Buddha, for punishment."

The Buddha smiled but did not speak.

Dipankara's heart sank. He had originally intended to invite Tathagata to join him in attacking Li Xiuyuan, but Tathagata's current appearance made him unsure whether Tathagata was willing to help.

Li Xiuyuan is quite strong. If he were to make a move alone, it would be difficult for him to defeat Li Xiuyuan.

Since the Buddha didn't respond, he couldn't force him. He could only say, "This humble monk will go into battle, and I ask the Buddha to stand by and provide support."

Having said that, he didn't wait for Tathagata's reply, but turned his gaze to Li Xiuyuan and said, "Tianlong, if you admit your mistake now, there's still room for redemption. But if I make a move later, it will be too late for you to beg for mercy!"

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Randeng, isn't your only goal to seize these twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls above my head? Why bother with all this talk?"

When Li Xiuyuan pointed it out, Randeng was not angry. He calmly said, "Tianlong, you are mistaken. I only prepared to teach you a lesson because I saw that you were arrogant and dared to attack the Buddha. As for the so-called Sea-Stabilizing Pearl, I have never even heard of it."

Li Xiuyuan laughed loudly, "Randeng, you can fool others, but you can't fool me. Ever since you arrived, your eyes have been fixed on my Sea-Stabilizing Pearl. You actually say you have no interest in my Sea-Stabilizing Pearl? Besides, who doesn't know that you, Buddha Randeng, possess twelve other Sea-Stabilizing Pearls? How dare you say you've never seen a Sea-Stabilizing Pearl? To be honest, this is the first time I've encountered someone as shameless as you. Shameless is probably an understatement."

Dipankara said calmly, "Tianlong, this humble monk really doesn't know what you're talking about. You should come over and apologize to Buddha, and then accept some punishment, and I will let you go."

Li Xiuyuan gripped the God-Slaying Spear tightly and said, "Randeng! Stop talking nonsense. If you want to take my twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls, then make your move. If you're not willing to make your move, then I will."

Ran Deng asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Li Xiuyuan grinned, revealing eighteen pearly white teeth that resembled fine jade, and said softly, "Of course, I'll take your twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xiuyuan leaped onto the ground, his God-Slaying Spear creating a black hurricane as he charged towards Randeng like a shooting star.

The moment Randeng prepared to seize his Sea-Stabilizing Pearl, Li Xiuyuan also harbored the same thought of seizing Randeng's twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls.

Chapter 493 Dinghai Divine Pearl

When the twenty-four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls are gathered together, they can form the Primordial Treasure Chaos Pearl. Who wouldn't be tempted by that?

Therefore, Li Xiuyuan did not give Randeng any time to prepare, and instantly launched a sneak attack, thrusting the God-Slaying Spear towards Randeng.

Ran Deng dodged the attack and shouted angrily, "Tianlong, how dare you lay a hand on me?"

Li Xiuyuan said, "Randeng, if I don't make a move against you, do you expect me to make a move against you? If you want my twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls, just be straightforward. Don't be so timid!"

Randeng stubbornly insisted, "How dare you! How could this humble monk possibly covet your twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls? You'd better stop right now!"

Li Xiuyuan stopped talking and thrust the God-Slaying Spear in his hand towards Randeng. The God-Slaying Spear was a supreme innate treasure with immense power. With just a casual thrust, it brought forth hundreds of feet of pitch-black light, shrouding the entire world as if night had fallen.

"Tianlong, you forced me into this, so don't blame me! Look at the treasure!"

With a loud shout, twelve egg-sized, crystal-like beads rose up and hovered above Randeng's head.

Those twelve egg-sized, crystal-like beads were the twelve Sea-Stabilizing Pearls in Ran Deng's hand. They were the twelve that Li Xiuyuan was missing.

"Good baby!"

Li Xiuyuan exclaimed in admiration. He hadn't felt the power of the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl when it was used to attack others, but now that someone was using it to attack him, he immediately felt its power.