The Western Religion would surely win this debate, and with Confucius's influence, the Western Religion would surely become widely known in Qin State and among the Human Race.
At this moment, they seemed to have already seen the Western Religion flourishing among the Human Race after Jizo's victory.
If the Western Religion flourished, their status within the Western Religion would also rise.
With expectant gazes, everyone once again looked towards the debate stage.
"Why self-perfection and liberation?" King Zhou asked.
He did not bring up these questions for no reason; these were the core tenets of the Western Religion's missionary work among humans.
Debating these points with Jizo was to gradually lead Jizo into the trap he had set.
He was prepared for this debate; he already understood the concepts of Hinayana Buddhism and knew exactly where its weaknesses lay.
"The Buddha said that all sentient beings suffer. Whether they are the Heavenly Dao beings in the heavens or us human beings, whether enjoying blessings or enduring suffering, their essence is suffering.
Therefore, within heaven and earth, one cannot escape the aggregation of causes and conditions, endless Reincarnation, and constant impermanence. This is the truth of suffering among the Four Noble Truths.
After the truth of suffering is the truth of accumulation, which is to explore the cause of suffering. All sentient beings suffer, so one should explore the cause of suffering.
The cause of suffering is that sentient beings have attachments and discriminating thoughts. With attachment comes dwelling, with dwelling comes cessation. The five aggregates entangle the body unknowingly, and thus all these causes and conditions arise, and all impermanence begins.
After exploring the cause of suffering, one begins to practice the path to its resolution, which is the truth of cessation among the Four Noble Truths.
Cessation means cutting off attachments, having no discrimination, eliminating afflictions, and increasing bodhi. This truth of cessation is also a method of cultivation; the truth of cessation is the process of self-perfection and liberation.
After self-perfection and liberation, comes the truth of the path among the Four Noble Truths, which is to realize one's true nature, attain bodhi, manifest great Nirvana, achieve the supreme fruit, be without birth or death, neither increasing nor decreasing, tranquil and unconditioned, thereby attaining great perfect enlightenment!" Jizo explained.
He himself had achieved self-perfection and liberation, thereby ultimately attaining the Arhat fruit, and he deeply agreed with the doctrines of the Western Religion.
The reason he explained in such detail was not just to answer Confucius's question.
What he wanted to do was to explain the doctrines of the Western Religion in detail during the answering process.
Countless people in the Capital of Qin were watching this debate; it was highly anticipated.
Such a situation could also serve as a means to spread the doctrines of the Western Religion.
Although he did not know how many people would be influenced by the doctrines he spoke, his goal had already been achieved.
Once he won this debate, the doctrines of the Western Religion would spread throughout the Nine Provinces of the Human Race!
After Jizo finished explaining the doctrines of the Western Religion, the audience, who had been quietly watching the debate, suddenly became boisterous.
Evidently, many people had been touched by the doctrines of the Western Religion; "all sentient beings suffer" seemed to perfectly describe their plight.
Qin State was originally located in the westernmost part of the Nine Provinces of the Human Race, considered a barren and harsh land with scarce resources.
Even in the late period when Great Shang had not collapsed, life here was completely incomparable to other regions of the Nine Provinces.
Now, in an era where Marquiss stood in great numbers, various Marquiss were training their armies and preparing for conflict to avoid being powerless if it broke out, and Qin State was naturally among them.
There had always been skirmishes on the border, and Qin land itself was martial. Military preparations and training soldiers required a large amount of wealth.
Under such circumstances, the residents of Qin State faced continuous exorbitant taxes; at the end of each year, they accumulated very little, and their lives were unbearably difficult.
Even within the Capital of Qin, the lives of residents and common people were not good, let alone in other regions within Qin State.
"All sentient beings suffer" seemed to describe the lives of all the people of Qin State.
According to Jizo, if one could achieve self-perfection and liberation, one could attain the Arhat fruit of the Western Religion, which was truly a divine being.
For a time, among the crowd who heard these words, there were signs of wavering.
Who wouldn't want to become a great Divine Ability user? Who wouldn't want to escape suffering?
Not only these onlookers, but even some of the Hundred Schools of Thought scholars and Qin State officials began to discuss Jizo's words.
The phrase "all sentient beings suffer" had too much destructive power for the current Qin State!
Among the crowd, the Disciples of the Western Religion felt it most deeply.
They could most directly observe the expressions and actions of the onlookers.
After Jizo spoke about the doctrines of the Western Religion, many people in the crowd nodded in agreement, which was enough to show the crowd's approval of the Western Religion.
Under such circumstances, even if Jizo lost the debate, the doctrines of the Western Religion would still spread.
Of course, they believed that with Jizo's ability, it was impossible for him to lose this debate.
On the debate stage, Jizo looked at the crowd's discussion. He could feel that the doctrines of the Western Religion had planted seeds among the people of Qin, and he was very satisfied with this result.
As long as he could win against Confucius, he would surely gain a huge number of followers for the Western Religion!
Thinking of this, he turned his gaze towards Confucius, only to find that Confucius's expression had not changed in the slightest.
"What you said is not bad, but in my opinion, why do the doctrines of the Western Religion seem so petty everywhere?" King Zhou asked.
He had seen all of Jizo's little schemes.
The reason he did not stop Jizo was because he had enough confidence in himself.
When he spoke his next words, Jizo's explanation of the Western Religion's doctrines would directly become a joke.
To make the Western Religion have no place in Qin State and among the Human Race, one must first raise the Western Religion high, and the higher it is raised, the harder it will fall!
As Confucius spoke, the previously boisterous crowd became silent again.
Those who had been wavering did not understand why Confucius would say that the doctrines of the Western Religion were petty.
"The doctrines of the Western Religion were established by a Saint; how dare you call them petty? You truly don't know your place!" Jizo said angrily.
He was extremely furious now. The doctrines of the Western Religion were his conviction, the truth of the world that he believed in.
This was also the foundation upon which he could reach the Arhat fruit, which was the Golden Immortal.
But now Confucius actually said that the doctrines of the Western Religion were petty, which had touched his bottom line.
In his eyes, the Western Religion could not be slandered. If Confucius did not give him a reasonable explanation today, he would not hesitate to attack Confucius!
"Why are they not petty? Firstly, your Four Noble Truths of the Western Religion are merely about self-improvement.
People say that the Western Religion is benevolent, but since the Buddha knows that all sentient beings suffer, why doesn't he use his own power to help others escape suffering?
Disciples of the Western Religion also seek self-liberation, and upon seeing the turmoil of the world and the suffering of Reincarnation, they develop a strong desire to escape.
Whether it is the Western Religion or your Buddha, they are all selfish.
Why can't they help other sentient beings? Why do they only care about themselves? Is it possible that the doctrines of the Western Religion are only for self-salvation?
In my opinion, helping other sentient beings is entirely possible; saving others is also saving oneself!" King Zhou said.
Saving others is also saving oneself, which is one of the core tenets of Mahayana Buddhism.
This sentence was the best retort to the Hinayana Buddhism of the Western Religion.
He had been setting the stage for so long just to say this one sentence.
The Western Religion is benevolent and knows that all sentient beings suffer, so why does it just stand by and watch?
He believed that after these words, even Jizo would have doubts.
Upon hearing Confucius's words, Jizo immediately fell into thought.
He was completely shaken by Confucius's words; each question seemed to strike directly at his heart.
He knew that even the doctrines of the Western Religion established by a Saint could not answer Confucius's questions.
At this moment, he suddenly began to doubt the doctrines of the Western Religion.
Saving others is also saving oneself!
In his opinion, this sentence was far more correct than the doctrines of the Western Religion.
He was completely at a loss as to what reason he could use to refute Confucius.
At the same time, the crowd watching the debate became noisy again; Confucius's remarks sparked their continued discussion.
The wavering crowd, who had originally thought the Western Religion was good, had mostly awakened at this moment.
They suddenly felt that the doctrines of the Western Religion, which had seemed suitable for them, were not so suitable after all.
Confucius was absolutely right; although the doctrines of the Western Religion sounded grand and righteous on the surface, upon closer examination, they revealed pettiness everywhere.
Confucius's words had left Jizo speechless.
The previously confident Jizo was now still deep in thought, which indicated that he had no reason to refute.
As for the Disciples of the Western Religion in the crowd, they also observed the changes in the crowd.
Their initial thought that Confucius was bound to lose had also been shaken.
Not to mention the audience in the crowd, even they themselves, after hearing Confucius's remarks, fell into doubt.
Saving others is also saving oneself. Since the Saint knows that all sentient beings suffer, why doesn't he let these Disciples directly escape the sea of suffering?
Could it be that the doctrines of the Western Religion are truly petty?
Chapter 301: What is Mahayana? Everyone can become a Buddha!
From the beginning until now, King Zhou had been watching Jizo's changing expressions.
He knew that his words had taken effect; Jizo now not only had no words to refute but had also begun to doubt the doctrines of the Western Religion.
The difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism was not just about saving others versus saving oneself; there were other differences as well
Since the Western Religion had openly appeared among the Human Race, he naturally couldn't be polite to them anymore.
"The pettiness of the Western Religion's doctrines is more than just a little.
The second point is the cultivation of the Four Noble Truths. You say that after self-perfection and liberation, one can attain the Arhat Dao Fruit.
Then have you attained the Bodhisattva Dao Fruit? Can other Disciples of the Western Religion attain the Bodhisattva Dao Fruit?
What's more? Even if you achieve the Bodhisattva Dao Fruit, do you have a chance to become a Buddha?" King Zhou asked.
These words were already a clear revelation of his true intentions. He deeply understood the flaws of the Four Noble Truths, which could only reach the Arhat Realm.
He also knew that Jizo's current Realm was still at the Arhat Realm.
In the Western Religion's Realm division, an Arhat is equivalent to a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, and a step further is a Bodhisattva, which is the Quasi-Sage Realm.
And a Buddha is equivalent to the Saint Realm, only limited to the Daoist Zhunti and the Daoist Jieyin.
In the Western Religion, there are no Bodhisattva, meaning Quasi-Sage, Disciples. This is the biggest drawback of the Western Religion.
This situation also indirectly illustrated the unreasonableness of the Western Religion's cultivation and Realms.
He knew that actively bringing up this matter would definitely plant a seed in Jizo's heart.
In the subsequent historical development, Jizo eventually became Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, attaining the Bodhisattva Fruit Status.
Jizo's ability to attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status was clearly not according to the Hinayana Buddhism method, but rather by utilizing the concepts of Mahayana Buddhism.
Based on his speculation, after the concepts of Mahayana Buddhism entered the Western Religion, Jizo would definitely be a supporter of this Mahayana Buddhism.
Now, hearing him speak of the Mahayana Buddhism doctrines, would Jizo first become a "traitor" to the Western Religion?
"After attaining the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, the Buddha will guide the Bodhisattva to the path of becoming a Buddha!" Jizo replied, clearly lacking confidence.
Just as Confucius had said, he was still at the Arhat Fruit Status, and had remained in the Arhat Realm for an unknown number of years.
As for the opportunity to attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, he had never perceived it.
Among the Western Religion's direct Disciples, he had not seen anyone who could attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, or even like him, had no feeling whatsoever.
Although Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin said that once someone could reach the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, they could be guided to the path of a Buddha.
But if one couldn't even attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, how could there be a chance to become a Buddha?
For so many years, it was false to say he didn't want to attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status.
He naturally wanted to attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, even if he just knew the path to attaining it.
But now, he saw no direction at all.
Confucius's words had already made him somewhat waver, and now his words made him begin to doubt whether the Western Religion's doctrines were truly correct.
Could it be that, as Confucius said, the Western Religion's doctrines were extremely petty and would not give them a chance to become Buddhas?
Currently, it seemed the result was indeed so.
If one couldn't even attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, how could one become a Buddha?
At this moment, he suddenly felt that the statements of Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin seemed to have completely turned into empty words.
His inner desire for the outcome of the debate had diminished, and instead, he began to doubt his long-held beliefs.
Confucius's confidence and Jizo's lack of confidence were observed by everyone watching the debate; the contrast between the two was clear.
Even spectators who didn't understand the content of the debate clearly saw that Jizo was currently at a disadvantage.
And the spectators who had originally thought the Western Religion's doctrines were excellent became even more disgusted with the Western Religion because of Confucius's second point.
Selfish doctrines, pettiness, and a high probability of restricting Disciples' cultivation.
These three situations, no matter which sect they appeared in, would cause resentment.
And now, all three situations appeared in the Western Religion.
Among the audience present, who still thought the Western Religion was good?
In their hearts, they had already begun to completely resist the Western Religion, while simultaneously holding Confucius in even greater admiration.
Those were the Western Religion's doctrines set by Saints, and now, under Confucius's few words, even a Saint's Disciple was left speechless.
This situation, while showing them the true face of the Western Religion, also made them realize Confucius's profound knowledge.
He truly deserved to be a figure capable of unifying the thoughts of the Hundred Schools of Human Race, Confucius, who possessed the appearance of a Literary Dao Saint, was truly extraordinary.
In contrast, the Disciples of the Western Religion among the crowd also had dejected expressions.
The meaning of Confucius's words was easy to understand; they all grasped the meaning within.
As Disciples of the Western Religion, after seeing Jizo's situation, they had originally wanted to refute on Jizo's behalf.
However, they searched through all the Western Religion knowledge they knew, but found no valid arguments to refute.
Moreover, the facts were indeed as Confucius said: the Western Religion's doctrines and cultivation methods could only allow Western Religion Disciples to attain the Arhat Fruit Status.
The Bodhisattva Fruit Status only existed in imagination and promises; since the Western Religion was founded, no Disciple had attained the Bodhisattva Fruit Status.
They couldn't win against Confucius in logic, and they had no factual basis to present.
They now clearly understood that in this debate between Jizo and Confucius, Jizo had lost, and there was absolutely no room for him to retaliate.
They had originally believed that with Jizo personally taking action, this Confucius, who only had an empty reputation, would surely lose.
Confucius would become the stepping stone for the Western Religion's great rise and fame among the Human Race.
But now, the Western Religion's doctrines, after just a few words, had become a joke among the Qin people.
They could already clearly feel the Qin people's disgust for the Western Religion after Confucius's analysis.
This debate not only brought no advantage to the spread of the Western Religion's doctrines.
Instead, it increased the difficulty of the Western Religion's future propagation.
With Confucius's reputation, the process and outcome of this debate would surely spread throughout the Nine Provinces of the Human Race. They no longer knew how the Western Religion could spread its doctrines.
Moreover, under Confucius's words, they, as Disciples of the Western Religion, had also begun to doubt the Western Religion's doctrines.
Just as Confucius said, even if you achieve the Bodhisattva Dao Fruit, do you have a chance to become a Buddha?
"If you can't even attain the Bodhisattva Fruit Status, what's the point of talking about becoming a Buddha?" King Zhou continued.
He had succeeded in taking the elevated Western Religion and throwing it to the ground. The Hinayana Buddhism doctrines of the Western Religion could no longer stand in the Human Race.
What he had to do now was to completely reveal the doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism, thoroughly cutting off the Western Religion's hope of spreading its teachings among the Human Race.
He believed that by then, whether it was Jizo or the Western Religion Disciples who came with him, they would definitely be interested in Mahayana Buddhism.
The best outcome he wanted to see was for Jizo to formally become a believer of Mahayana Buddhism in the future.
This way, if Kong Xuan became the leader of Mahayana Buddhism, Jizo, after entering Mahayana Buddhism, would also have a powerful follower.
"Confucius, you say the Western Religion's doctrines cannot lead to Buddhahood. Could it be that you know how to become a Buddha?" Jizo asked, unconvinced.
At this moment, he had decided to throw caution to the wind. Since Confucius said the Western Religion couldn't lead to Buddhahood, then he should provide a method.
Although he had already wavered concerning the Western Religion's doctrines, due to the Saint status of Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin, he still felt that there might be a reason for the Saints to do so.
Now that he asked Confucius how to become a Buddha, what more could Confucius say?
"I actually do know the method to become a Buddha.
In my opinion, the current doctrines of the Western Religion are too selfish, petty, and possibly suppress Disciples' cultivation.
The Western Religion's doctrines can be said to be inferior in every aspect; calling it Hinayana Buddhism is not an exaggeration.
And in my opinion, the Western Religion also has the potential for a Mahayana Buddhism!" King Zhou said.
He knew that Jizo's speaking already indicated that the fish had taken the bait.
As long as he continued to fully present the Mahayana Buddhism doctrines, Jizo would definitely become a devout believer of Mahayana Buddhism.
"Hinayana Buddhism? Mahayana Buddhism?" Jizo murmured to himself.
He didn't answer Confucius's question; instead, he was pondering Confucius's words.
The Western Religion was actually belittled by Confucius as Hinayana Buddhism. So, how could the Mahayana Buddhism in Confucius's mouth be worthy of being called Mahayana?
Recalling what Confucius had said earlier, "saving others is saving oneself."
He was already full of interest in the Mahayana Buddhism mentioned by Confucius.
At this moment, his expectant gaze turned towards King Zhou.
"Who says there can only be two Buddhas? Saving others is saving oneself, so why can't everyone be a Buddha?
You can be a Buddha, I can also be a Buddha, everyone has a chance to become a Buddha—that is Mahayana Buddhism!" King Zhou declared loudly.
He was very well aware of how destructive the phrase "everyone is a Buddha" truly was.
No Disciple of Hinayana Buddhism could resist the temptation of this phrase.
The allure of becoming a Buddha was too great for every Disciple of the Western Religion.
The ultimate goal of a Western Religion Disciple's entire life was not just to become a Buddha.
Hinayana Buddhism had basically cut off the path to becoming a Buddha, while Mahayana Buddhism's phrase "everyone becomes a Buddha" offered hope to the Western Religion's Disciples.
"Everyone is a Buddha, everyone is a Buddha!" Jizo murmured again.
At this moment, he was frozen in place, his mind undergoing a furious brainstorm
"That's right! Who defined that there are only two Buddhas? Who defined that Buddhism can only be about self-salvation?"
"Everyone can become a Buddha, and he can too."
This concept of Mahayana Buddhism had completely swayed his originally wavering heart away from Hinayana Buddhism.
If anyone could lead Western Religion onto the path of Mahayana Buddhism, he would unconditionally support that person.
And among the crowd, the Disciples of Western Religion were also stunned by Confucius's words.
Originally, after Confucius's previous analysis of Western Religion, they had believed that they would never be able to attain the Bodhisattva fruit in this lifetime, let alone achieve Buddhahood.
However, the words "everyone can become a Buddha" made them see the hope of Buddhahood once again.
As Disciples of Western Religion, how could they not desire to become Buddhas?
Now, they only had one thought: Ksitigarbha's defeat this time was not unwarranted!
Chapter 302: It was just a debate, how did inner demons arise?
At this moment, even those onlookers knew the outcome of this debate.
If Confucius had first mentioned the issues with Western Religion's doctrines, the Western Religion Disciples and Ksitigarbha might have still wanted to argue.
But when Confucius spoke the second point, Western Religion, including Ksitigarbha, completely lost the desire to argue.
Even Ksitigarbha, the leader of the Western Religion Disciples, kept repeating Confucius's phrase, "everyone is a Buddha."
In this situation, the outcome was already clear; Western Religion had lost completely.
Western Religion not only lost thoroughly but was also influenced by Confucius's words, all falling into deep thought.
Among the onlookers, no one was well-versed in the doctrines of Western Religion.
Even the scholars and civil officials of Qin had not extensively studied it.
However, now, comparing the words of Ksitigarbha and Confucius, they felt deeply moved.
One was the current Western Religion, which Confucius referred to as Hinayana Buddhism.
From its doctrines, it exuded narrow-mindedness everywhere, while the other was Mahayana Buddhism, mentioned by Confucius.
Leaving aside everything else, merely the two phrases, "saving others is also saving oneself" and "everyone is a Buddha," clearly allowed them to intuitively perceive its magnanimity.
Clearly, compared to the petty and selfish Hinayana Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, which seeks welfare for all sentient beings and allows everyone to become a Buddha, was more likely to gain public approval.
They now admired Confucius even more, as he had directly hit the core weakness of Western Religion's doctrines with just a few words.
It should be known that the doctrines of Western Religion were personally set by the Saints of this world, yet they unexpectedly had such flaws.
Today's debate could be said to have fully solidified Confucius's title as a Literary Dao Saint.
Leaving aside everything else, merely making a Saint's Disciple speechless and revealing the problems in Western Religion's doctrines was enough to prove all of this.
If Confucius were not a Literary Dao Saint, how could he have achieved such a feat?
At this moment, after the phrase "everyone is a Buddha" had taken effect, Confucius chose not to speak further, but instead looked at Ksitigarbha and the Western Religion Disciples in the crowd.
The single phrase "everyone is a Buddha" was enough for these Western Religion Disciples to ponder deeply.
He could clearly sense the significant changes among these Western Religion Disciples.
And the more powerful the Western Religion Disciples were, the more they would ponder the content of Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism.
The Western Religion Disciples in the crowd, disregarding their surroundings, were either confused, suddenly enlightened, or completely influenced by the doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism.
As for Ksitigarbha, his situation was even more severe; after hearing the words "everyone is a Buddha," his heart was already greatly shaken.
If the phrase "saving others is also saving oneself" had caused him to waver slightly concerning Western Religion's doctrines,
then the phrase "everyone is a Buddha" had completely shattered the Western Religion doctrines he had upheld as truth for countless years!
He had never imagined that the Mahayana Buddhism in Confucius's words would be like this.
The concepts of Hinayana Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism seemed quite reasonable.
However, since the doctrines of Western Religion were established by the two Saints, Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin, he still remained skeptical about Western Religion's doctrines being Hinayana Buddhism.
But deep in his heart, he sincerely acknowledged Confucius's words.
His heart was already constantly struggling between two possibilities.
What he didn't even notice was that as he struggled with all of this, black mist was visibly spreading around his body.
As for the Western Religion Disciples in the crowd, their situation was even more severe; eight out of ten Disciples were surrounded by black mist.
The people originally around the Western Religion Disciples instinctively chose to move away.
Most of the crowd had never seen such a scene and completely misunderstood what was happening to the Western Religion Disciples, but they could tell from the black mist that this situation was definitely not good.
"This is the emergence of inner demons, and this black mist is a sign of inner demons; I once saw it on a friend!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
The person who spoke was a renowned powerful individual in Qin, someone with profound cultivation and extensive knowledge.
The moment he saw the black mist, he understood the state of the Western Religion adherents.
As he spoke, a chorus of exclamations erupted from the audience.
Originally, they had thought it was remarkable that Confucius could so disparage the Western Religion doctrines established by a Saint.
Now, Ksitigarbha and the Disciples, including him, had all fallen into inner demons.
Qin was a martial land, and most people had some knowledge of cultivation methods, so they had heard more or less about inner demons.
The fundamental reason for cultivators to develop inner demons is doubt and suspicion regarding their own cultivation method.
If this doubt deepens and reaches a certain extent, inner demons will arise.
The situation of Ksitigarbha and the Western Religion Disciples clearly indicated that Confucius's words not only rendered Ksitigarbha speechless and unable to refute him,
but also caused Ksitigarbha, a Saint's Disciple, and most of the Western Religion Disciples to doubt their own path of cultivation.
"Confucius truly deserves to be a Literary Dao Saint!" exclaimed the Prime Minister of Qin, the head of civil officials, in praise.
The current situation was already sufficient to prove Confucius's title as a Literary Dao Saint.
After today's grand debate, Confucius's reputation would undoubtedly spread far and wide, solidifying his name as a Literary Dao Saint.
After all, not everyone could make a Saint's Disciple doubt their own cultivation method.
Moreover, this cultivation method was established by the Saints of Western Religion.
"Confucius truly deserves to be a Literary Dao Saint!"
"Confucius truly deserves to be a Literary Dao Saint!"
...
A continuous chorus of voices echoed, as the Qin officials and scholars, led by the Qin Prime Minister, all agreed.
"Thank you all for your kind words!" King Zhou said.
He paid no mind to their flattery, instead focusing more intently on observing Ksitigarbha and the Western Religion Disciples.
The state of the Western Religion Disciples was already difficult to reverse, but he still had some guesses about Ksitigarbha's situation.
As a Saint's Disciple, Ksitigarbha was, after all, at the Peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm.
Even if he was currently influenced by the Mahayana Buddhism doctrines and troubled by inner demons, it would only be temporary.
The Western Religion doctrines of Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin were, after all, the words of Saints.
It wouldn't be so easy for Ksitigarbha to change his inner convictions, and controlling the inner demons was only a matter of time for him.
However, the current situation was already enough for him.
Ksitigarbha and the accompanying Western Religion Disciples had already had the seeds of Mahayana Buddhism planted in their hearts.
When Kong Xuan spreads his doctrines in the Western regions of Western Religion and establishes Mahayana Buddhism, Ksitigarbha will most likely waver.
Coupled with today's events, news will definitely spread throughout the Nine Provinces of the Human Race.
In the future, Western Religion's doctrines will surely face numerous obstacles if they wish to enter the Human Race; only Mahayana Buddhism will have a chance to spread.
As he pondered, Ksitigarbha's state in front of him suddenly changed.
The black mist surrounding his body began to recede, eventually disappearing completely.
Ksitigarbha, who had been deep in thought with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, and the confusion in his gaze returned to clarity.
At this moment, he had recovered from the state of being trapped by inner demons.
He had, after all, walked far on the path of Western Religion, and was already close to the Bodhisattva fruit; he still wanted to persevere for a while.
Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin had personally promised that as long as one reached the Bodhisattva fruit, they would guide them on the path to Buddhahood.
He still had faith in Western Religion and the two Saints, and with his cultivation, it was impossible for him to waver so quickly.
But what he himself didn't know was that the seed had already been sown, and whether it would take root and sprout was no longer up to him.
"I have not fully comprehended the doctrines of Western Religion, and I remain skeptical about the concept of Mahayana Buddhism!" Ksitigarbha stated.
Although he knew that he had lost this debate today, he was still unwilling to admit it.
He had already made up his mind to report this matter to the two Saints.
On one hand, he wanted to hear the two Saints' explanation of Western Religion's doctrines
On the other hand, he wanted to hear how the two Sages would deal with Confucius.
No matter what, Confucius, who proposed Mahayana Buddhism, was enough for Western Religion to take seriously.
If Confucius was present, then the great prosperity of their Western Religion would definitely be restricted.
"Ultimately, who wins or loses still depends on one's inner self. You say that through understanding the mind and seeing one's true nature, one attains the Arhat fruit. Have you achieved understanding your mind?
Also, let me remind you, the Western Religion Disciples you brought seem to be in a bad state!" King Zhou said.
Who wins and who loses is not just talk.
The audience of this debate was the arbiter of victory.
From the audience's feedback, it was already a fact that Ksitigarbha had won, no matter how stubbornly he denied it.
The result of this debate not only determined the victor but would also spread, making it known throughout the entire Human Race.
Today, he also accomplished two major tasks: one was the complete ideological unification of the Capital of Qin.
All the nations within the Human Race's territory of the Nine Provinces had their ideologies completely unified, and he had accomplished one of his goals.
The other major task was to stop the first battle of Western Religion's spread of doctrines and to spread the concept of Mahayana Buddhism.
The words of Ksitigarbha and the replies of Confucius were heard clearly by the surrounding crowd.
At this moment, continuous boos erupted, expressing dissatisfaction with Ksitigarbha's stubborn refusal to admit defeat.
As the mocking sounds entered his ears, Ksitigarbha's expression remained as calm as an ancient well, and following Confucius's words, his eyes looked towards the Western Religion Disciples in the crowd.
At this sight, his expression instantly changed.
He saw that the ten Western Religion Disciples who had accompanied him to spread the teachings were all enveloped in black qi.
The ten Western Religion Disciples were all trapped by inner demons under Confucius's words.
With a thought, his figure disappeared from the debate stage and appeared beside the Western Religion Disciples.
He condensed lotus flowers in his hand, touching each of the ten Western Religion Disciples one by one, intending to clear their inner demons.
However, among the ten Western Religion Disciples, only two had their inner demons disappear and awoke from their confusion.
The remaining eight Disciples had been trapped in the inner demon state for too long, and he could no longer resolve it.
To restore the eight Western Religion Disciples, only someone with a higher cultivation could act.
Under this outcome, he already understood how thoroughly he and Western Religion had lost.
His gaze fell upon Confucius, he looked deeply at Confucius, then clasped his hands together and activated his magic power.
His figure and the figures of the ten Western Religion Disciples had disappeared into the crowd.
Chapter 303: Sage's Fear, This is a Major Hidden Danger!
In the West, within the Lingshan Holy Land of Western Religion, the Three Corpses of Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin were meditating with their eyes closed.
The Disciples of Western Religion were already poised, waiting only for a command from the Sage, and they would advance eastward in force.
Of course, it was impossible to blatantly launch an eastward expedition, but spreading their teachings among the Human Race was a plan Western Religion had long decided upon.
According to the two Sages, their Western Religion was about to flourish greatly, and how could the words of a Sage be wrong?
The Three Corpses of the two Sages were meditating with their eyes closed, and the Western Religion Disciples remained still, because they were waiting for news from Ksitigarbha.
To ensure everything was foolproof, before all of Western Religion's actions, the Three Corpses had already dispatched Ksitigarbha and ten Western Religion Disciples to the Human Race.
This was a test, not only of the Human Race but also of the other Sages.
The Western Religion Disciples in the square were waiting for Ksitigarbha to bring back good news, and then they would begin their mission to spread teachings among the Human Race.
However, in the next moment, the expressions of the Three Corpses of the two Sages suddenly changed, and they looked at the space before them with puzzled expressions.
Immediately after, a group of figures abruptly appeared, many of whom were currently covered in black qi.
This group of people was precisely Ksitigarbha and his One line who had disappeared from the Capital of Qin and returned to the Lingshan Holy Land of Western Religion.
The situation of the eight Western Religion Disciples was too critical, and out of necessity, Ksitigarbha could only bring these eight Western Religion Disciples directly back to Lingshan first.
The eight Western Religion Disciples affected by inner demons were no longer something he could resolve.
He could only choose to quickly return to the Lingshan Holy Land and ask the Sage for help.
"These Disciples are troubled by inner demons, please, Master, the two Sages, help them remove their inner demons!" Ksitigarbha said.
As things stood, only the Three Corpses of the Sage could act.
The Three Corpses were all at the Quasi-Sage Realm and above, and in his estimation, that was enough to erase inner demons.
"Inner demons?" The Three Corpses of Daoist Zhunti said.
He was slightly stunned. These Disciples had only gone to the Human Race to spread teachings, so why would inner demons appear?
In his view, even if Ksitigarbha and the ten Western Religion Disciples' spread of teachings was not very smooth, it should not have led to such a situation.
They were very clear about the genesis of inner demons, so why did these Disciples experience this?
Could it be King Zhou's arrangement?
With a skeptical attitude, they did not inquire further but instead went to the side of the eight Western Religion Disciples.
As the Three Corpses of the Sages, their knowledge was naturally extraordinary, and they already understood how deeply these eight Western Religion Disciples were affected by inner demons.
If they did not act quickly, their future path in Western Religion would be completely cut off.
As the first batch of vanguard troops, besides the leader Ksitigarbha, these Western Religion Disciples were also among the most talented of the third and fourth generation Disciples, so no accidents could occur.
Thinking of this, the Three Corpses had already taken action.
They mobilized the power within their bodies, intending to forcefully erase the inner demons of the eight Western Religion Disciples with their cultivation.
However, no matter how they mobilized, the black qi surrounding the eight Disciples remained motionless.
Their method of using their power to erase inner demons had no effect whatsoever.
The inner demons of these eight Western Religion Disciples had already touched the very foundation of their cultivation methods, far exceeding their imagination.
While feeling even more puzzled by what Ksitigarbha and his One line had encountered, they knew the situation was urgent and could only mobilize the Sage power left by the Sage within their bodies.
The obsession corpse of Daoist Zhunti opened lotus flowers in his hand, exactly eight of them.
The lotus flowers bloomed and flew out, heading straight for the eight Western Religion Disciples.
In the next moment, the black qi surrounding the eight Disciples had disappeared, and the inner demons finally vanished.
"Thank you, Sage, for acting!" Ksitigarbha said.
Seeing the problem of the eight Disciples resolved, he breathed a sigh of relief.
If it couldn't be resolved, these eight Disciples would definitely go astray, and then they would be doomed, without even a chance to attain the Arhat fruit.
Fortunately, the obsession corpse of Daoist Zhunti had Sage power to mobilize, otherwise, these inner demons might not have been resolved.
He had a conjecture that the inner demons generated after hearing about Mahayana Buddhism could not be erased by merely a Quasi-Sage.
"Why did this happen? How did you generate inner demons?" The good corpse of Daoist Jieyin asked.
He was very puzzled by the current situation. This method of causing inner demons in Western Religion Disciples did not seem like King Zhou's arrangement.
So what exactly did Ksitigarbha and his One line encounter?
"Today, I was ordered to go to Qin State to spread the Western Religion doctrine. To spread it quickly, we chose the Capital of Qin as our first stop.
But today, something happened to coincide with it. There is a person in the Human Race named Confucius, who has already unified the Hundred Schools of Thought.
And it is rumored that this Confucius can achieve three epiphanies in a short period of time, possessing the appearance of a Literary Dao Saint.
Originally, I thought that with the advantage of our Western Religion doctrine, we could completely debate with Confucius.
After winning the debate, Western Religion would also become known to Qin State and the Human Race due to Confucius's influence." Ksitigarbha explained.
The source of everything that happened today was this person named Confucius.
He believed that with the knowledge he currently possessed, no matter what kind of debate, he could not be Confucius's opponent.
He fled in disarray with ten Western Religion Disciples, which was a manifestation of this fact.
"And then what happened that caused the Disciples to be affected by inner demons?" The obsession corpse of Daoist Jieyin pressed on.
He grew more curious about what twists and turns occurred in between.
Eight Disciples were affected by inner demons, which showed the seriousness of the matter.
Ksitigarbha's approach was correct; gaining fame by leveraging others' reputations was a good choice.
He guessed that the subsequent change in circumstances was most likely related to Confucius.
"It was Confucius's theory. I actively sought him out to debate with him, but he proactively asked me about the doctrine of Western Religion.
And he commented on the Western Religion doctrine, even disparaging our Western Religion!" Ksitigarbha explained.
Even before the Sage, he dared not easily utter Confucius's words, let alone with so many Western Religion Disciples present.
Those words seemed to possess an extraordinary magic, and even now, they still echoed in his ears.
"How can a Human Race person comment on and even disparage the doctrine set by the Sage!" The evil corpse of Daoist Jieyin was the first to speak.
In his eyes, Confucius's actions had already offended their Western Religion
How could Western Religion, a Saint's sect, be criticized and disparaged?
He very much wanted to hear what Confucius had said that not only disparaged Western Religion but also caused eight of its Disciples to be affected by inner demons.
"Confucius said that our Western Religion's doctrines are narrow-minded and selfish, and can be considered Hinayana.
However, he has another definition for Western Religion, which can be called Mahayana Buddhism. The biggest difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism lies in two phrases:
To save others is to save oneself, and everyone can become a Buddha.
To be honest, Masters, the moment I heard these words, I too fell into self-doubt and entered a state of inner demon interference.
Fortunately, the problem wasn't too big in the end, and I recovered from that inner demon state.
Saints, I have a question: Are our Western Religion's doctrines truly narrow-minded?
If we attain the Bodhisattva Realm in the future, will it truly guide us on the path to Buddhahood?" Ksitigarbha asked.
He thought for a long time, still feeling that this matter was no small feat, and perhaps only a Saint could resolve it.
He stated the definitions of Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism to gain the attention of the Three Corpses of Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin.
At the same time, he also openly admitted his situation of being troubled by inner demons.
As for the latter part, his questions about Western Religion's doctrines were purely his own.
Once a seed of doubt is planted, it will eventually blossom.
"How can our Western Religion's doctrines be considered narrow-minded? These are doctrines set by Saints; can they be wrong?
The core principle of 'everyone becomes a Buddha' is truly laughable. Buddhahood is the Realm of a Saint; can everyone really become a Saint?" Daoist Jieyin's good corpse said.
After Ksitigarbha spoke of Mahayana Buddhism and its core principle of 'everyone becomes a Buddha,' he immediately felt a sense of crisis.
Confucius's theories about Hinayana Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism were simply destroying the Foundation of Western Religion.
They had absolutely not expected that Ksitigarbha, on his first stop in the Human Clan, would encounter such a troublesome figure.
That core concept of 'everyone becomes a Buddha' indeed caused the Disciples of Western Religion to fall into inner demons.
Moreover, Ksitigarbha also fell into inner demons; although he eventually recovered, did Ksitigarbha truly not doubt the sayings of Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism in his heart?
"In my opinion, this Confucius, who so disparages our Western Religion, must be killed quickly; he cannot be allowed to live!" Daoist Zhunti's evil corpse stated his plan.
In his view, if the concept of Mahayana Buddhism were to spread to Western Religion, it would have too much destructive power.
At that time, not to mention the Human Clan, even their Western Religion would likely undergo tremendous changes.
The desire to kill Confucius was not because of Confucius's disparagement of Western Religion.
Rather, it was the impact brought by those two phrases. If Confucius were left alive, it would absolutely not be a good thing for their Western Religion.
"Indeed, you and I shall act together; we will surely make that Confucius regret it!" Daoist Jieyin's evil corpse echoed.
In his opinion, Confucius absolutely could not remain in the human world; Confucius had to be eliminated.
Moreover, the task of eliminating Confucius could not be entrusted to the Disciples of Western Religion, not even Ksitigarbha.
Firstly, Ksitigarbha had already developed inner demons, and it was uncertain whether he would hold back against Confucius if he acted.
Secondly, even a Disciple like Ksitigarbha was influenced by Confucius's words, so it was not appropriate for other Disciples to act either.
The best course of action now was for the Three Corpses of their two Saints to act personally.
This way, they could both resolve the hidden danger of Confucius and prevent other Disciples from being influenced by Confucius's Mahayana Buddhism theory.
The matter of spreading the doctrine was temporarily put aside; they had to depart and make Confucius disappear from the world.
However, at this moment, as Ksitigarbha listened to the words of the Three Corpses, he had other thoughts.
Firstly, regarding the questions he wanted to ask, the Three Corpses of the two Saints did not actively answer, but instead focused more on Confucius.
They not only wanted to eliminate Confucius but were also willing to act personally.
The seed of doubt about Western Religion's doctrines that had formed in his heart was now gradually taking root.
Chapter 304: How to Respond When a Sage's Three Corpses Act?
After the debate with Western Religion, King Zhou's tour of the states officially concluded.
For him, winning against Western Religion was not a big deal; the key was that the purpose of his tour had been achieved.
The reason he toured the states was to promote his own philosophy and unify the ideology of the Human Clan.
During his tour, he debated with representatives of various schools of thought, and ultimately suffered no defeats.
Because of this, he not only gained a great reputation, but his philosophy also gradually took root in people's hearts.
More importantly, after touring the states, Human Clan Luck had gradually converged towards him, and he already possessed great momentum.
By this time, for him, the time was ripe, and the moment he had long awaited was about to arrive.
Just then, Lao Zi appeared before him again, and with Lao Zi came Kong Xuan.
Upon seeing Kong Xuan again, King Zhou was enveloped in a five-colored glow, and dense Human Clan Luck shrouded him, making his appearance almost indistinguishable.
King Zhou couldn't help but nod to himself. Compared to the time of the Investiture of the Gods, Kong Xuan's cultivation had become even more profound due to the help of Human Clan Luck.
Although there was no hope of attaining Sainthood, among the quasi-Saint level powerhouses, Kong Xuan was definitely a top-tier expert.
Moreover, with this incident of converting barbarians into Buddhas, Kong Xuan would likely become the strongest beneath the Saints.
"I heard that you not only defeated Ksitigarbha but also caused all the Western Religion Disciples to experience inner demons. This was truly a brilliant move!" Lao Zi praised.
He had already understood what had happened previously, and naturally, he couldn't help but admire Confucius.
For Confucius to win the debate against the Disciples of Western Religion was already no easy feat.
After all, it was a Saint's lineage; how could it be easy to refute the doctrines of a Saint's lineage?
What he hadn't expected was that Confucius could even cause a group of Western Religion Disciples to develop inner demons, ultimately forcing them to flee in disarray.
Such a Confucius, even he, couldn't help but marvel at him.
Moreover, although he knew that the theory of Mahayana Buddhism would be of great use, he hadn't expected it to have such good results.
To divide the Human Clan Luck of Western Religion and make Western Religion prosper, but not truly prosper—that was his goal.
But now it seemed that establishing Mahayana Buddhism had more than just this effect; it could also cause Western Religion to split.
The outcome of that debate had already sufficiently proven the destructive power of Mahayana Buddhism's phrase, 'everyone becomes a Buddha.'
The concept of 'everyone becomes a Buddha' could not only influence the thoughts of ordinary Western Religion Disciples.
Even Ksitigarbha, a Disciple highly valued by the two Western Religion Saints, was troubled by inner demons, and finally even led the other Western Religion Disciples to flee the scene in disarray.
All these circumstances proved that once the concept of Mahayana Buddhism was transmitted to Western Religion, the number of Western Religion Disciples affected would be far from small.
Not to mention merely developing inner demons, it was probably not impossible for some Western Religion Disciples to even convert to Mahayana Buddhism.
"I never thought that the Human Clan would have such a hero. Western Religion wanted to take the opportunity to spread its doctrines, but unexpectedly, you foiled them." Kong Xuan echoed.
Originally, he had only heard that Lao Zi was going to introduce him to a very important person.
For Lao Zi to emphasize importance, he believed that today's matter was no small feat.
The moment he saw Confucius, a feeling of closeness spontaneously arose within him.
Upon closer observation, he also discovered the Human Clan Luck that Confucius possessed.
His curiosity about Confucius's identity grew even stronger.
After hearing Lao Zi's words, he also understood that Confucius was the founder of the Mahayana Buddhism concept.
If he thought about it carefully, his future position as the Mahayana Buddhism leader was directly related to Confucius.
Moreover, a week ago, Confucius had also defeated Ksitigarbha, a Saint's Disciple, at the debate, which further solidified his approval of Confucius.
It was an honor for him to meet such an extraordinary person.
In addition, as one of the guardians of Human Clan Luck, he also had a thorough understanding of Human Clan Luck.
He could clearly feel that the Human Clan Luck around Confucius was still continuously gathering, and at an extremely fast pace.
The Human Clan Luck gathered on Confucius was already comparable to that of the former Great Shang high officials.
He felt that if this continued, other changes would occur to Confucius.
"Sir, what is the purpose of your visit?" King Zhou replied.
The previous words were more of a courtesy; Lao Zi and Kong Xuan had not come together for pleasantries.
He already had some guesses about the reason for Lao Zi's visit today.
"We have calculated that the time is ripe. Today, we originally planned to travel west out of HanGu Pass to convert barbarians into Buddhas and enter the Western Land to spread the doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism.
However, upon hearing about the inner demon incident, I believe that Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin of Western Religion will not let it go.
Nine times out of ten, they will choose to act against you!" Lao Zi continued.
The reason they came to Qin was because Qin was located in the westernmost part of the Nine Provinces, closest to the West.
And HanGu Pass was the boundary between the Nine Provinces and the Western Land.
According to the calculations of his main body, the Grand Pure Saint, today was the best time to spread Mahayana Buddhism.
But upon hearing about Confucius's debate with Western Religion, he was very concerned about Confucius's safety