"Welcome, Buddha!"
The Jade Emperor personally descended the steps, approaching Tathagata Buddha with a slight bow of respect. Meanwhile, the countless immortals within the Lingxiao Treasure Hall all bent at the waist, bowing in unison to Tathagata Buddha.
Jiang Yuan followed the crowd of immortals in bowing to Tathagata Buddha, then straightened up and discreetly sized up this figure he had only ever encountered in legends and tales.
Before him, Tathagata Buddha sat with a solemn and dignified appearance—thick eyebrows, large eyes, and notably enormous earlobes. One hand was raised before his chest, palm outward, while the other rested on his knee. He sat in the lotus position atop a nine-grade lotus throne, with a halo behind his head spanning a full four to five meters in diameter, radiating a sacred and majestic golden light.
Behind Tathagata Buddha stood the venerable Ananda and Kasyapa, followed by Guanyin Bodhisattva, draped in white gauze, holding a pure vase of white jade in one hand.
On either side of Guanyin Bodhisattva stood two bodhisattvas. To the left was one wearing a jeweled crown, with a halo swirling behind his head, seated on a white elephant with six tusks—this was Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. To Guanyin's right was another, appearing like a youth with a gentle smile, holding a blue lotus in his left hand, its petals engraved with the *Diamond Sutra*, and a green steel sword in his right, riding a majestic lion—this was Manjusri Bodhisattva, equal in fame to Samantabhadra.
Behind Manjusri and Samantabhadra stood Acala and Trailokyavijaya, the Wisdom Kings, and at the very back were the eighteen arhats in various forms.
*What a grand entourage for Tathagata!* Jiang Yuan muttered to himself, glancing at the lineup behind the Buddha.
"Great Honored One, what matter calls this old monk here?"
Tathagata Buddha rose from the nine-grade lotus throne and stepped down, nodding to the Jade Emperor. As the dual lords of the immortal and Buddhist realms, it would be a breach of etiquette for Tathagata to remain seated when the Jade Emperor personally welcomed him.
"Today, I have an urgent matter of utmost importance; otherwise, I would never dare disturb the Buddha's cultivation."
The Jade Emperor led Tathagata Buddha to the steps of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall and pointed to a jade box on the table, sealed with countless complex talismanic imprints.
"What is this? This old monk senses an extremely malevolent aura of slaughter!"
Tathagata Buddha stared at the jade box, his square face showing shock.
"To be honest with the Buddha, this is one of the feet of the Demon Ancestor Rahu!"
The Jade Emperor spoke with a grave expression to Tathagata Buddha.
"Great Honored One, are you certain?"
At this, even Tathagata Buddha, who was always as calm as still water and never showed emotion, was greatly startled!
"I shall open it now for the Buddha to see!"
The Jade Emperor lightly pointed at the jade box, and the countless intricate talismanic seals placed on it by the Star Lord and others instantly shattered. A pillar of demonic energy, a full ten meters in diameter, shot straight into the heavens!
"Ah!"
The seal officer closest to the jade box was struck by the demonic energy, let out a loud cry, and collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from his seven orifices—a horrifying sight!
"Amitabha!"
Tathagata Buddha loudly intoned a Buddhist invocation, and the halo behind his head blazed with brilliant light, emitting ten thousand golden rays, suppressing the towering demonic energy with supreme Buddhist power.
Then, the countless immortals and buddhas in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall saw a foot wrapped in golden light slowly float out of the jade box!
"Holy crap! That's huge!" Jiang Yuan blurted out in shock when he saw the foot encased in golden light. If converted to human measurements, this foot of Demon Ancestor Rahu would probably be at least size 62!
It was a massive foot, comparable to that of Shaquille O'Neal, covered in bulging veins like coiled dragons across the entire instep. The toenails were like sharp claws, and the whole foot was pitch-black, exuding an overwhelming sense of evil just from a glance!
After more than ten seconds, Tathagata Buddha placed Rahu's foot back into the jade box, layering one hundred and eight Buddhist seals on its surface. Then, intoning a Buddhist invocation, he said to the Jade Emperor, "This old monk has heard a little about the demon race's invasion of the mortal realm. I didn't expect them to make such a grand show, all to find Rahu's remains. This matter is indeed of great importance! If they succeed in reviving the Demon Ancestor Rahu, then the three realms and the six paths of reincarnation will face utter catastrophe! Amitabha!"
"The Buddha speaks truly. The Demon Ancestor Rahu was a demon god of the ancient primordial era, equal in fame to the great gods Pangu and Nuwa. The Dao Ancestor Hongjun, before merging with the Dao, joined forces with the two emperors of the demon race to barely slay his primordial spirit and shatter his body, sealing the pieces across the chaotic myriad realms. Who would have thought that after hundreds of thousands of years, they would see the light of day again! For the sake of the countless billions of beings in all worlds, I implore the Buddha to take this foot back to the Western Paradise's Boundless Realm, suppressing it with supreme Buddhist power—this would be an immeasurable merit!"
After Tathagata Buddha finished speaking, the Jade Emperor quickly bowed slightly and rattled off a long speech, the core of which was just one sentence: *This thing is too terrifying; I don't want it, you deal with it!*
Tathagata Buddha put on a compassionate expression, pressed his palms together before his chest, loudly intoned a Buddhist invocation, and said to the Jade Emperor, "Great Honored One, you overstate it. You have cultivated for countless eons, enduring one thousand seven hundred and fifty kalpas, each lasting one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred years. How can this old monk's meager cultivation compare to yours? It would be better for the Great Honored One to keep this evil object in the celestial realm, suppressing it with supreme immortal arts—that would be the safest course."
Tathagata Buddha bowed ninety degrees to the Jade Emperor, his face full of humility, but inwardly he was cursing: *Damn it! Big brother, this is the first demon god of antiquity! If I take this back to the Western Paradise, won't the four demon emperors come knocking on my door!*
The Jade Emperor, thinking the same as Tathagata Buddha, both hoping to offload this cursed foot onto the other, quickly reached out to support Tathagata Buddha and continued, "The Buddhist scriptures say: Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. This is an act to save the lives of billions of beings across all worlds—an immeasurable merit! I implore the Buddha not to refuse!"
Tathagata Buddha shook his head like a rattle-drum, refusing no matter how kindly the Jade Emperor persuaded him. Finally, he flew back to his nine-grade lotus throne, closed his eyes, and began chanting sutras.
In the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, the assembled immortals of the celestial realm saw the Lord of the Western Paradise shamelessly stonewalling the Jade Emperor right before their eyes. Everyone struggled to suppress their laughter, each one holding it in with great difficulty.
"Alas! Since the Buddha disregards the common beings of the world, I cannot force you. But I have one request, and I hope the Buddha will grant it."
A flicker of anger passed through the Jade Emperor's eyes, but he quickly hid it, letting out a deliberate sigh and looking at Tathagata Buddha with a troubled expression.
"Please speak, Great Honored One."
Seeing the Jade Emperor finally relent, Tathagata Buddha opened his eyes and looked at him.
"I will choose a hidden place to store this jade box. I ask the Buddha to lead the bodhisattvas and arhats in setting up the Nine-Grade Eight-Direction Great Array. Outside that array, I will order the True Martial Demon-Suppressing Great Emperor to set up the Big Dipper Seven-Star Great Array. With these two arrays—immortal and Buddhist—suppressing it, we can ensure no mishap!"
The Jade Emperor's gaze was majestic as he looked at Tathagata Buddha and spoke solemnly.
"Amitabha! The Great Honored One cares for all beings; how could this old monk dare to disobey?"
Tathagata Buddha loudly intoned a Buddhist invocation, nodded to the Jade Emperor, and agreed!
After a long tug-of-war, the two leaders representing the immortal and Buddhist realms had finished their contest. In summary, the celestial realm had come out slightly worse in this round!