Western Teaching.
Deep within the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The Jieyin Daoist and Zhunti Daoist, who were usually so confident, now faced a situation where the Mahayana Buddhist faction was short of talented individuals, and the Hinayana Buddhist faction was full of incompetents.
They had no choice but to discuss the matter overnight.
The two, who had never cared much for the numerous subordinates of the Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist factions, were now cursing and speaking quite crudely.
This was also because they had been utterly enraged by figures like the Burning Lamp Buddha!
"Senior Brother, this thirteenth tribulation and the subsequent fourteenth tribulation are meant to be dealt with together. It's a shame that ever since we lost the Tathagata and Sun Monkey, Spirit Mountain has been declining day by day."
"For the latter, we can have Bodhisattva Lingji prepare in advance. With his Wind-Fixing Pearl, even if he can't defeat the Yellow Wind Monster himself, he can at least quell its demonic winds."
"But now, the Yellow Wind Monster has defected to the Underworld Ancestor. With neither of us able to act, the people below are bound to suffer greatly."
"I implore you, Senior Brother, to temporarily set aside your past benevolent concerns this time and quickly devise a plan for them."
"Otherwise, Junior Brother, I am truly worried. If these two tribulations are not handled well, losing a little merit as a reward is secondary. If the people of both the Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist factions become disheartened, this team will be difficult to lead!"
In front of his Senior Brother, Zhunti Daoist was not as hypocritical or evasive as he was when facing figures like Chan Master Wu Chao, Sun Kong, or the Tathagata.
This was also due to the extreme urgency of the situation.
Although he was one of the six Sages and should have been more composed, he could no longer afford to be so. He decisively sought help from Jieyin Daoist.
Only at this moment.
Jieyin Daoist and Zhunti Daoist began to regret not having allowed the Tathagata Buddha to abdicate and the Burning Lamp Buddha to ascend to the position back then.
They had thought that with similar cultivation levels, switching positions would foster internal competition.
Who would have thought that a hundred Burning Lamp Buddhas combined were not as good as one Tathagata Buddha.
They regretted even more not having helped when they saw the Tathagata Buddha's nearing demise.
Otherwise, at this juncture, they, the two Saints of the Western Teaching, would not have been so troubled by the lack of usable subordinates and the fear of employing capable ones!
It had to be said.
From this perspective, they had truly brought this upon themselves!
"Junior Brother, what has happened has happened. There's no need to dwell on regrets. Even if the Burning Lamp completes these two tribulations with the assistance of Bodhisattva Lingji, it's not impossible."
"The most important thing is that we, as the two Saints of the Western Teaching, should never lose our confidence and fighting spirit."
"As for the Yellow Wind Monster defecting to the Underworld Ancestor? Heh, can a mere Underworld Ancestor dictate our choices?"
"Let's not even mention that after we declared neutrality last time, we could have negotiated with the Demon Saint at any time to avoid trouble, without having to beg Sun Monkey and the others."
"Even if the demon race refuses to back down, does our inaction all these years mean we have no strength or means?"
"Setting aside other matters."
"Consider that back then, it was you who sent your good corpse, Patriarch Bodhi, to guide Sun Monkey into the Way. Your karma with Sun Monkey is the greatest. In the future, he will surely repay it. What is there to fear now?"
Seeing his younger brother so dejected and dispirited, as if targeted by the Heavenly Dao or the Demonic Dao, Jieyin Daoist, instead of getting angry, chuckled.
With a few casual words, he managed to somewhat restore Zhunti Daoist's shattered composure.
Seeing that Jieyin Daoist was already confident and not worried about a lack of subordinates, and instead had a series of secret arrangements.
Zhunti Daoist's spirits lifted considerably.
This pair of brothers, known as "three thousand from Pangu, eight hundred from the crooked paths," truly dared to continue plotting while remaining neutral between the Heavenly Dao and the Demonic Dao!
...
A day and a night later.
Two special decrees were issued from the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, reaching the Burning Lamp Buddha and Bodhisattva Lingji.
As expected.
The first decree acknowledged the Burning Lamp Buddha's courageous act of taking responsibility this time.
As a reward, the essence of the Western Teaching's renowned Pool of Eight Virtues was extracted and given to the Burning Lamp Buddha.
Instantly.
He, who had been stuck in the realm of the Great Perfection of Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal for many years, with this assistance, broke through to the Lower Grade of Quasi-Saint overnight!
That's right.
To stimulate the others in the subsequent Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist factions, to encourage them to cheer up and work desperately, the two Saints of the Western Teaching did not hesitate to help the Burning Lamp Buddha break through his limitations and become the tenth Quasi-Saint.
Although, at this time, the Burning Lamp Buddha had not truly severed his corpse, and thus could not be compared to those who had their corpses and were of the same level.
However, his advancement meant that his current overall strength was something the former him, at the Great Perfection of Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, could not even contend with.
To put it simply.
Although the Burning Lamp Buddha was now only the tenth Quasi-Saint, and the weakest at that, he was already capable of fending off enemies at the Great Perfection of Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal level within the three realms of the present Great Desolation.
At least ten.
At most, ten!
This kind of improvement first greatly excited the Burning Lamp Buddha himself, who bowed and kowtowed repeatedly to the Western Teaching, expressing his deepest gratitude.
He immediately swore his loyalty until death.
Following that, the Four Great Bodhisattvas, the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain, and Bodhisattva Lingji, who delivered the second decree, also felt a sense of indescribable envy!
After all.
The Quasi-Saint realm was truly that of a great power, something they could absolutely not contend with.
Then.
Seeing that the confidence of the assembled crowd had largely recovered, and they were all paying homage to the Burning Lamp Buddha and expressing their submission, Bodhisattva Lingji did not hesitate and promptly delivered the second decree.
It was also a decree that made everyone in the entire Hinayana Buddhist faction's blood boil!
"Great Master, Second Master has decreed that the thirteenth tribulation, the obstruction of the Yellow Wind Monster, and the fourteenth tribulation, the request for Lingji, shall be completed together."
"We must show those who insist on submitting to the Heavenly Dao lineage, like Sun Monkey, the spirit of our Buddhas of Spirit Mountain, that we are absolutely not inferior to them."
"We must also show the Yellow Wind Monster, and the Underworld Ancestor behind him, that Spirit Mountain is not diminished just because the Tathagata is gone. Everyone, the intentions of the two Masters are very clear. The rest is up to you!"
Upon hearing Bodhisattva Lingji's words, the crowd, who had already been profoundly shocked by the Burning Lamp Buddha's breakthrough to the Quasi-Saint realm, did not dare to object.
They immediately expressed their commitment to join.
In an instant, the two tribulations that they had been avoiding and unwilling to undertake, unexpectedly became an opportunity for them to eagerly strive for merit!
...
At the same time.
Hundreds of billions of miles away from Spirit Mountain's Great Thunderclap Temple, above a great river of the Underworld, which flowed with endless yellow spring energy.
The Underworld Ancestor was admonishing the Yellow Wind Monster beside him!
"Little Yellow, you finally realize the power of the two Saints of the Western Teaching now? You were given an opportunity and you failed to seize it!"
"Now it seems, we must find another way!"