Da Qin: Conquer all heavens and all realms

On Mount Lingshan, Buddha's light shines everywhere and Buddhist chants linger.

This is the pure land recognized by all the heavens and worlds, and the other shore that countless living beings yearn for.

However, at this moment, this sacred land was shrouded in an unprecedented atmosphere of solemnity and oppression because of the arrival of Ying Zheng, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty.

"presumptuous!"

"Bold Ying Zheng, retreat immediately, otherwise, the Eight Heavenly Dragons of the Buddhist sect will suppress you in the eighteen levels of hell!"

Countless Dharma protectors and Arhats were alarmed. Their eyes were wide open with anger, and golden light shone around them. The powerful Buddha power gathered into a golden ocean, surging towards Ying Zheng, trying to completely annihilate this uninvited guest.

However, faced with this terrifying pressure that was enough to destroy the world, Ying Zheng did not even blink.

He just stood there quietly, his black dragon robe fluttering without wind, and an even more domineering and majestic imperial aura burst out from his body.

"Roar--!"

That was not the roar of a dragon, but the cry of billions of creatures, the roar of law and order!

An invisible force instantly spread out from Ying Zheng. The golden ocean of Buddha power was forced back like a tide before this force, unable to advance an inch.

The entire Lingshan Mountain was shaking slightly.

Shakyamuni Buddha sat upright on the lotus platform, his face remained calm, but a trace of solemnity flashed in his deep Buddha eyes.

He slowly raised his hand, signaling the monks to stop.

"Your Majesty, you have come from afar, why stir up such a nameless fire?" The Buddha's voice was calm and compassionate, as if it could soothe all worldly disputes. "Spiritual Mountain is a pure land, untainted by dust. If Your Majesty has come to discuss the Way, we will certainly accompany you. If it is for war..."

"War?" Ying Zheng sneered and interrupted him, "I came here today not to discuss the Dao, nor to fight a war."

He took a step forward, and the entire void of Lingshan Mountain froze.

"I am here to set the rules."

"Rules?" Buddha frowned slightly.

"Indeed." Ying Zheng's gaze swept across all the Buddhist disciples present, finally settling on Sakyamuni. "I just said that from now on, the cause and effect of all the heavens and myriad worlds will be under my control. You, the Buddhist sect, are no exception."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Cause and effect is the foundation of Buddhism! Reincarnation is the core doctrine of Buddhism! Ying Zheng's actions are tantamount to digging up graves, trying to take away their most fundamental things!

"Ying Zheng, stop being so arrogant!" Manjusri Bodhisattva shouted sternly, "Cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is inevitable. This is the ultimate truth of heaven and earth. How can you, a mortal emperor, interfere with it? Your laws can only restrain people's bodies. How can you judge their hearts? How can you determine cause and effect?"

"Human hearts?" A hint of sarcasm flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes. "Why can't my laws judge human hearts? My laws include the 'Law of Heart Sins,' which specifically punishes those who harbor evil thoughts and, even if they haven't committed any evil, pose a potential threat to others and society. My laws also include the 'Law of Good Deeds,' which rewards those who harbor good thoughts and perform good deeds. Even if they come from humble backgrounds, they will receive the honor and blessings they deserve."

"As for cause and effect..." Ying Zheng's voice suddenly turned cold. "Today, I will use your Buddhist sect as an example to demonstrate to all the heavens and myriad worlds what my 'law of cause and effect' is!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ying Zheng put his fingers together like a sword and lightly pointed at the void.

"Tianji Pavilion, show up!"

"Law of Causality, activate!"

Om-!

A humming sound that seemed to come from the origin of the universe resounded throughout Lingshan.

All the Buddhist disciples present, whether they were Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, or Vajras, suddenly had a translucent chain composed of countless runes appear above their heads without any warning.

This chain is not a physical entity, but it exudes a heart-pounding majesty.

One end of it was connected to themselves, and the other end penetrated deep into the void, connecting to the newly established underworld that was still in its infancy.

"What... is this?!" An Arhat looked at the chains above his head in horror. He felt that his soul, his cultivation, and everything about him seemed to be bound and spied on by these chains.

"This is the 'chain of cause and effect.'" Ying Zheng's voice, like a divine judgment, resounded in everyone's ears. "My laws have recorded everything you have done. All the good deeds and evil deeds you have committed, the laws you have spoken, and the people you have saved, in past and present lives, are all transformed into clear data on this chain."

"I am the one who controls this chain of cause and effect!"

"Ridiculous!" Manjushri Bodhisattva roared, his Buddha power erupting as he tried to break free from the chains above his head. "We cultivators have transcended the Three Realms and are no longer bound by the Five Elements. We have long since transcended cause and effect. How can we be bound by such mundane things as you?"

He pulled hard, and the golden Buddha power turned into a giant hand, grabbing the chain of cause and effect above his head.

However, the expected scene of the chain breaking did not happen.

"Tsk-!"

There was a slight sound, as if cloth was being torn.

The giant hand formed by the power of Buddha was directly wiped out by an invisible force and turned into nothingness the moment it touched the chain of cause and effect.

Manjushri Bodhisattva himself was struck by lightning. He groaned, his face turned pale in an instant, and a trickle of golden blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

"puff!"

He was actually attacked back!

"Manjushri!" The monks were shocked.

"Transcending karma?" Ying Zheng looked at the beleaguered Wenshu, his eyes filled with mockery. "What you call transcendence is nothing more than using supernatural powers to conceal or divert your own karma, or to shift the blame onto innocent mortals. You enjoy the faith of all living beings, yet turn a blind eye to their suffering. You keep claiming to save all living beings, but you only save those with a predestined connection to the Buddha, leaving countless lives behind."

"Is this your 'compassion'? Is this your 'karma'?"

With every word Ying Zheng spoke, the chain of cause and effect above Manjushri Bodhisattva's head lit up a little.

Images representing his past "traces" began to appear clearly on the chain.

In the picture, in order to spread Buddhism, he condoned a civil war in a kingdom that believed in evil gods, causing great suffering to the people, just to make it easier for the survivors to accept Buddhism's "salvation" after the war.

In the picture, he once brought down divine punishment on a king because he had slightly blasphemed Buddhism. The country suffered from three years of drought and famine, and was eventually forced to kneel down and repent.

In the scene, he once fought with a Taoist disciple for a spiritual vein and secretly set a trap, causing the opponent to die and his soul to be scattered.

These scenes, one after another, were extremely clear and appeared before all the monks in Lingshan.

Those actions that they once regarded as "convenient methods" and "immeasurable merits" were nakedly dissected under Ying Zheng's law of cause and effect, revealing the cold, selfish and even cruel nature behind them.

"No...impossible...this...this is all an illusion!" Manjushri Bodhisattva looked at the pictures, his face as pale as paper. He could not accept that the "merits" that he was proud of throughout his life would be presented in such an ugly way.

"Illusion?" Ying Zheng sneered. "My laws only record the truth, not create illusions. What you did is what you did, and no matter how powerful you are, you can't erase it!"