One could say that Haotian's move directly positioned him at the very peak, making them slam the table in admiration!
"We must not arbitrarily obstruct the western journey of Buddhism, but we can find excuses to do so!"
Haotian glanced at the assembled immortals and said indifferently, "Where is the venerable Dou Mu, eternal occupant of the Kan Palace at the North Pole?"
Among the immortals, a woman in yellow robes stepped forward.
Her immortal qi wafted around her, mysterious and profound, her ink-black hair silk-thin, her face incomparably exquisite.
Yet none of the immortals present took her lightly.
The Golden Spirit Mother was a fearsome being, the former head of the female immortals of the Jie School. After being enthroned as the deity of the Kan Palace and the chief of the Star Lodges in Divine Enthronement, she held real authority.
She was in charge of the War Division, which was one of the eight divisions of the Heavenly Court, an absolute position of power.
"Your Majesty, I am present!" said the Golden Spirit Mother, her voice indifferent as she bowed.
Haotian didn't mind, as he had long since grown accustomed to it.
After all, he was not uninvolved in the cause of the Divine Enthronement.
"I command you to act as the Guardian of the Earth Realm and immediately descend to maintain its peace. Do you have any objections?"
The Golden Spirit Mother nodded her head, "Your servant obeys the decree."
"Bodhisattva, we've nearly searched everywhere, and still, there is no trace of the monkey!" Bhikkhuni, panting heavily, addressed Guanyin.
Even with his mana, meticulously searching such a vast area was extremely challenging.
Guanyin's eyebrows knitted together, "Have we not yet searched everywhere? Continue!"
If the monkey could not be found, she as the main person in charge could hardly be absolved of the blame.
Manjushri Bodhisattva folded his hands in prayer and spoke, "Amitabha, let us search elsewhere."
"That would be appreciated," Guanyin nodded.
Just as she intended to leave, a whooshing sound was heard. The faces of Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra changed drastically, and they teleported away from their original spot.
Boom!
A deafening explosion followed, and the hill beneath them was leveled. Seeing the item that had smashed it, the three Bodhisattvas' pupils shrank in shock.
The Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi!
Rushing to see who had come, Guanyin loudly demanded, "Lord Dou Mu, what is the meaning of this!"
Everyone's expression turned extremely ugly; that was clearly an attempt to kill!
"We are following the Buddha Ancestor's command to assist in the Journey to the West. This is a divinely ordained grand undertaking. What are you trying to achieve with such actions?"
The corners of the Golden Spirit Mother's mouth curled upward. Worthy of being from Buddhism, skilled in matters of Buddhism, always starting by overpowering with authority, never straying from emphasizing Buddhism's rise.
"I, on the Jade Emperor's command, have assumed the role of Guardian of the Earth Realm. Buddhism is wantonly disrupting the Earthly Immortals Realm, severely affecting the peace of various continents. With such behavior, do you even consider the Heavenly Court, do you consider the Jade Emperor!" the Golden Spirit Mother scoffed.
She was no fool; she knew how to invoke powerful backing as well, confident that her superiors would stand by her when issues arose.
"Primordial Lord, we monks are also acting out of necessity for the sake of the Journey to the West!" Guanyin began to explain, with Manjushri and Samantabhadra echoing in agreement.
"Heh, noisy, is the Journey to the West just an excuse for you to cause chaos in the Earth Realm?" the Golden Spirit Mother's expression turned cold. With a casual gesture, the Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi that had plunged into the ground surged towards the three Bodhisattvas again.
Guanyin and the others dared not be negligent and invoked their golden bodies for protection, each one grand and majestic, their Buddha light shining brilliantly, reaching high into the sky.
Though the Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi was only an acquired top-grade Magical Treasure, its wielder, the Golden Spirit Mother, was unfathomably deep, and they could not afford to be less than fully alert.
Keeping the Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi at bay, the faces of Guanyin and the others turned extremely grim: "Lord Dou Mu, do you truly intend to defy the heavens?"
Going against the heavens?
Upon hearing these words, Golden Spirit Mother chuckled disdainfully, a look of contempt spreading across her stunning face. The mana imbued in her Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi deepened.
Hadn't her Jie School always defied the heavens? What was there for her Jie School to fear in defying the heavens?
During the God-Sealing Tribulation, it was precisely because she was entangled in battle with Merciful Ferry, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri that the shameless Dipankara launched a successful sneak attack, landing her on the Investiture of the Gods.
Now was the time for old and new hatreds to be settled!
It wasn't just the Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi, she also sacrificed the Four Symbols Pagoda and the Flying Golden Sword.
Under Golden Spirit Mother's control, they attacked Guanyin and the others.
Without any discussion, the three used their Golden Bodies for defense, and the impact of the magical treasures against the Golden Bodies created waves of resonating booms, similar to the long ringing of ancient bells.
This was Buddhism's top Body-Protection Divine Power. Although Golden Spirit Mother had been listed on the Investiture of the Gods and could no longer advance in her cultivation, she still existed as an early-stage Quasi-Saint.
In contrast, Guanyin and the others had their Three Flowers and Five Qi stripped away, and even with the restoration from Buddhism's Eight Treasures Merit Pool, they could not compare to the original.
This would surely affect their future realms.
Now, aside from Guanyin, who was at the peak of a Daluo Golden Immortal, Manjushri and Samantabhadra were stuck in the mid-Daluo phase.
Back then, they only managed to fight Golden Spirit Mother to a draw because they were boosted by the Power of the Saint, which they no longer possessed.
After some fighting, aside from Guanyin who was in a slightly better situation, Manjushri and Samantabhadra's Golden Bodies were battered to the brink of collapse, teeming with danger.
In the Jie School, Golden Spirit Mother's status was only second to the existence of Tathagata's former life, Duo Bao. Back then, she could suppress three at once; today, she could still do the same!
The overbearing display of Golden Spirit Mother was also transmitted to the Heavenly Court through the Haotian Mirror by the Jade Emperor.
"Lord Dou Mu is indeed the pillar of our Heavenly Court!" Haotian's lips curved upward as he praised.
He knew well that Golden Spirit Mother was settling personal scores under the guise of public duty, but what of it? As long as she exerted effort, it was good.
"The Emperor's decision is truly wise. With Lord Dou Mu's powerful mana, they are no match for her!" Gold Star Taibai, Haotian's first lackey, exclaimed joyously.
The scene of the three Bodhisattvas being thoroughly beaten was a refreshing sight for the Immortals.
Beat them harshly, smash them to pieces!
So wished all the Immortal Clans in their hearts.
Just as Golden Spirit Mother was dominating the three Bodhisattvas, she was suddenly struck down from the clouds by a heavy object, taking a while to recover.
Golden Spirit Mother looked up and saw the huge figure seated atop the clouds, then spoke mockingly, "Who would have thought, Duo Bao, that you've also learned Dipankara's tricks!"
In her words, she placed particular emphasis on 'Duo Bao'.
"Amitabha, Donor, Taoist Duo Bao has become a thing of the past," Tathagata replied unflappably as he retrieved his bowl.
Seeing Tathagata say this, Golden Spirit Mother's shred of fraternal feeling vanished completely, as she sneered, "Tathagata, I serve the decree of the Jade Emperor to purge chaos; how dare you scheme against me!"
"Not so, not so," Tathagata shook his head gently and said slowly, "The matter of Buddhism's Journey to the West is a mandate of heaven. Now that the monkey is missing, to comply with the momentum of the heavenly Way, Buddhism has no choice but to act accordingly."
What a 'no choice but to act accordingly'!
Golden Spirit Mother was utterly disdainful; with a flick of her hand, the Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi, the Flying Golden Sword, and the Four Symbols Pagoda flew to her side, with surges of tremendous mana emanating from her.
Now the three Bodhisattvas, who had been wounded earlier, were like a small boat on the sea, teetering on the brink of capsizing.
Seeing this, Tathagata waved his hand, and the pressure on Guanyin and the others was lifted. The three gratefully bowed to Tathagata and, with resentment, cast a glance at Golden Spirit Mother before standing behind him.
Golden Spirit Mother's expression grew even colder as she was about to make a move, but suddenly, a booming voice rang out.
"The heavenly Way permits the rise of Buddhism, true, but this does not mean you may act with impunity. Guarding the Three Realms is the Heavenly Court's duty!"