I am a living immortal.

Chen Dong took a step onto the ground.

The crane disappeared into the purple clouds, and the purple air vanished in an instant, leaving the world clear and bright. In a flash of thought, the abbot's expression remained silent, but in reality, his heart was in turmoil and could not calm down for a long time.

Looking at the man before him, he looked young, but his formal attire obscured his age. His every move shocked everyone. This was no longer a matter of judging by appearances. At this moment, he clearly understood the extraordinary nature of this Han Dynasty's Imperial Preceptor and the extraordinary individual predicted by the Chief Supervisor of the Heavenly Guards.

The Han Dynasty was blessed by heaven, having been blessed with a talent beyond measure. First, there was Su Can, the Chief Supervisor of the Heavenly Palace, then General Wang Xu, the Godly and Martial General, the current Prime Minister, favored by the Confucian scholars, and the stern-faced Imperial Censor. Now, along came another extraordinary individual, a master who could alter the heavens with a single wave of his hand.

The world's greatest talents were all employed by the Han Dynasty. No wonder the Han Dynasty had soared to such prominence in just a century. This was something the abbot couldn't understand. What kind of situation would the Han Dynasty face that would force them to be so desperate to integrate all their resources and not allow any other voices to emerge? It was simply unbelievable.

The scale of this action not only affected Buddhism and Taoism, but also the Xiongnu and Baiyue. It was enough to show the determination of the Han Dynasty to solve everything once and for all.

Chen Dong had no idea what the old monk was thinking, so he walked right up to him and said bluntly, "Master, you should know why I'm here this time. I'm new here, so I speak frankly. This time, whether for myself or for the Han people, I have no choice but to put you and Buddhism in a difficult position. Your Majesty has said that we will not be treated unfairly. What do you think?"

The abbot, Shi Huiming, chanted the Buddha's name and said, "National Master, please come in."

Then, while making a gesture of invitation, he said, "Of course, we are willing to submit to the imperial court. After all, only with the peace of the Han Dynasty can there be the Lotus Buddha Kingdom. But before that, I have a question for you."

Chen Dong watched the old monk before him, his demeanor at the lowest ebb, but he remained vigilant. Even a thousand-year-old fox performing a comedy from a Chinese studio wouldn't have managed to hold back a fart. He was able to grovel now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't tear his face apart for personal gain. While the Buddha is merciful, there's also the saying of the wrathful Buddha. To claim he's selfless enough to ascend to the position of abbot is simply impossible. The abbot isn't necessarily the most profound Buddhist master, nor the most powerful, but he is the most articulate and capable of securing benefits.

Otherwise, the Lotus Buddha Kingdom wouldn't have grown so strong, wouldn't still be the main Buddhist temple, wouldn't be flooded with pilgrims daily, wouldn't be so magnificent, and wouldn't even have the Buddha statues gilded. Selfless? There are monks like that, but they definitely aren't the abbot. So, upon hearing the abbot's question, Chen Dong knew this wasn't going to be a simple matter. He nodded subtly, motioning for the other party to speak.

Shi Huiming didn't care about the attitude. "Excuse me, Imperial Master, if we submit to the imperial court, will the Lotus Buddha Kingdom still exist? How will the believers of the world find solace? Although Buddhism is not well-known, it can protect and bring peace to the region. If there are no temples, big and small, how can we deal with the chaos caused by demons?"

Chen Dong thought about it, and it seemed that the emperor meant that the other party could no longer be allowed to exist. The people and the scriptures were to be preserved for the use of the Han Dynasty. Buddhism was the Buddhism of the Han Dynasty, not the Buddhism of an individual or the Lotus Buddha Kingdom.

Chen Dong shook his head and replied, "Buddhism will still exist, but the Lotus Buddha Kingdom will no longer exist. As for what you said, the people of the world will be protected by the people of the world themselves."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar around them. Pairs of angry eyes looked at Chen Dong, as if they wanted to cut him into pieces. But Chen Dong seemed unaware, and the people in the Imperial Master's Mansion were ready to intervene at any time if these monks did not know what was good for them.

The abbot's expression was equally grim, but he forced himself to ask, "What about the temples, big and small, across the world? Even if the Han Dynasty became more powerful, it wouldn't be possible to ban all temples."

"Are you questioning the big man?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room plummeted to a freezing point. Chen Dong added fuel to the fire, "Perhaps I haven't made myself clear enough. Temples of all sizes can exist throughout the world, but they will be supervised by the Imperial Master's Office. However, the Lotus Buddha Kingdom cannot exist, and cannot exist. And I come here with a divine command. This isn't a negotiation. You must accept it, whether you like or not."

Chen Dong suddenly stopped, stood in place and looked at the abbot beside him: "You should thank the Lord for his grace and His Majesty for his mercy, so you, you, and you can all look at me with angry eyes. You should also thank me, if it weren't me who came this time, you would be facing thousands of troops from the court, and they would not negotiate with you." The monk he pointed at flushed red in the face, looking indignant.

Seeing this, Chen Dong suddenly laughed: "You don't believe it? Then you can try to see if what I said is true or not. You are all smart people and you know how to choose, right?"

These remarks, adding fuel to the fire, made everyone at the Imperial Master's residence break out in a cold sweat. No wonder he could become the Imperial Master; with great skill comes great courage. This wasn't a negotiation; it was practically a desire for the other party to strike. After all, this was the ancestral home of Buddhism; who knew what other tactics were hidden?

Chen Dong wanted to force the other side to strike. Debating with a bunch of monks was asking for trouble. He used the power of the Han and the emperor to intimidate the other side, forcing them to strike first. If they struck first, they would lose the initiative and the greater good, thus justifying his counterattack. Otherwise, if the greater good prevailed, he would suffer a real loss.

More importantly, he also wanted to see what the other party could do. Instead of competing secretly, it would be better to put everything out in the open.

Things that can be solved by force are not problems.

So Chen Dong provoked the monks without hesitation. But to his surprise, except for a few individuals, the others were quite calm. The big monk was different.

Feeling slightly regretful, Chen Dong continued walking deeper into the Lotus Buddha Land. First, he passed a lotus pond, filled with blooming lotuses, most of which were dyed golden. Faith and merit flowed through the tranquil waters, creating no ripples at all. The fish swam in the air, without support or support.

A few steps further, there was a Bodhi tree, under which someone was meditating. Chen Dong glanced at the other person and then looked back at the abbot.

“Actually, I think he’s more suitable.”

The abbot understood this inexplicable remark and slowly said, "You are right. It should be considered so, but he refused."

"Oh why?"

"My heart is not here, my ambition is not here either. Rather than getting involved in the chaos, I would rather sit in meditation and let the mediocre people worry about themselves."