Delaying Tactics in Hope of a Turn of Events... Not Good

Loving Family Peak.

The moonlight swirled, and the lights were brilliant.

People from inside and outside the sect gathered together to attend the grand sect assembly.

Cui Hao raised his cup to the moon, talking at length about the hardships and dangers of his experiential journeys. As for how much of it was fabricated and how much was fact, probably only Cui Hao and Chen Baiqing knew.

Given that Cui Hao told the story so vividly, San Dong listened with great enthusiasm.

Seeing that there was an audience, Chen Baiqing naturally wouldn't expose the truthfulness of Cui Hao's story.

Or rather, even if there wasn't an audience, Chen Baiqing wouldn't expose him.

Bai Xuanling, holding a wine jug in her hand and a smile on her lips, walked to Chu Xingchen's side.

Yingling has outstanding aptitude. To reach the Soul Formation realm at such an age... even when I was her age, I couldn't compare to her.

Chu Xingchen slightly raised his eyebrows and said,

That is natural. Just look at who her master is.

Hearing this, Bai Xuanling chuckled,

You really know how to flatter yourself.

Chu Xingchen nodded slightly, not continuing this topic, but instead asked,

Sister Bai, previously you were plagued by the killing intent of your inner demons, so you needed to enter secluded cultivation to suppress it. Now that your inner demons are resolved and your body and mind are free, I thought you would travel around. Why are you still staying in Zhuji Peak all the time instead of going out for a stroll?

Bai Xuanling smiled lightly.

A hundred years ago, I already saw all the places I wanted to see. The people I truly wanted to cut down wouldn't have lived until now anyway.

Going out, other than a bunch of people kissing up to me and making me sick, what fun is there?

Being completely free and at ease now is the best change. At the very least, my body and mind are much more comfortable. It's best not to let my good mood be ruined by blind fools.

Chu Xingchen nodded gently.

Makes sense... Being able to live a lazy life is the greatest blessing.

Bai Xuanling shifted her gaze, looking at Xie Lingyu who was also participating in the games, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

Her precious Lingyu had also been led astray by Chu Xingchen, no longer having that overly cold expression from before.

While sighing in her heart, she also spoke up,

Your lazy good days are about to come to an end. Two major events, do you know about them?

Chu Xingchen's tone suddenly became a bit higher, and he spoke uncharacteristically,

Naturally I know. The five continents and myriad realms are all resting on my shoulders.

Are there things I can not know, or dare not know?

Bai Xuanling looked at Chu Xingchen strangely, not knowing what this person was up to again, and said with a slightly guarded tone,

Are you alright?

Of course I'm not alright. Chu Xingchen's tone became a bit decadent again, I have to brave the wind and rain again.

Bai Xuanling was a bit puzzled and said,

You don't really need to brave the wind and rain, right? You are nominally in charge of these two matters, you just need to finalize the specific details, right?

Chu Xingchen shrugged helplessly and did not continue to answer.

The two matters Bai Xuanling mentioned.

The first was that the current Buddhist Sect had reached a critical point. Runan requested a final discussion regarding the Bright Buddha. Secondly, regarding the matter of demons appearing within the Buddhist Sect, he wanted to have an initial negotiation with Chu Xingchen.

The specific conditions could be negotiated, but the most important condition for the Buddhist Sect was—Chu Xingchen had to promise that the current Buddhist Sect could be trusted, that it had not fallen into the hands of demons, and that this incident was merely an accident.

The Buddhist Sect had always spread its name throughout the world, with countless temples established everywhere.

Reputation was especially important to the Buddhist Sect.

At least, it was especially important to the grassroots of the Buddhist Sect.

The great tribulation had subsided, but the anger and unwillingness within the inherited memories would not subside because of it.

It wasn't just cultivators who had memories; the mortals who inherited the memories also held anger towards this.

For a long time, the Buddhist Sect had constantly wanted to discuss this matter with Chu Xingchen, but Chu Xingchen had always refused on the grounds that his injuries had not yet healed—even though he had specially invited Zheng Zhaoling to the Tianyan Sect before this.

But since Chu Xingchen said he hadn't recovered, no one could say anything more.

Initially, Runan also planned to stall for time and wait for changes. Not making a final decision was also a method.

Naturally, Runan's strategy was effective; stalling for time did indeed bring results.

It was just that the results were probably not what Runan had hoped for.

According to speculations based on the news, the strategy of stalling for time completely pushed the Buddhist Sect in another direction.

The Karma Buddhas were already somewhat dissatisfied with the current Buddhist Sect, and now they naturally used this matter to pressure Runan—We don't even know how many moles there are in the Buddhist Sect, do you know how many people outside are watching us?

The Mortal Affairs Buddhas didn't have a high level of enlightenment regarding the Buddhist Sect to begin with. Facing the attacks from the Karma Buddhas, they naturally and simply thought—these damn monks are going to start killing people!

Runan's art of checks and balances completely lost its effect in the face of absolute dissatisfaction and life-and-death killing intent.

Even if on the surface Runan could suppress the dissatisfaction of both sides, the hostility would not dissipate; it would turn into an undercurrent beneath the calm surface.

Naturally, there was a reason why Runan completely lost control of the situation.

A Karma Buddha directly abandoned the Buddhist Sect and defected to the Bright Buddha.

This matter was comparable to an earth-shattering event for the Buddhist Sect.

It also paved a new path for the already few Karma Buddhas in the Buddhist Sect—following Runan, who only knew how to protect parasites, how could they revitalize this Buddhist Sect?!

Just kick away the Mortal Affairs Buddhas along with Runan, and go find the Bright Buddha of Mahayana Buddhism!

After this, Runan had no more means to deal with the Karma Buddhas who now had a choice.

After all, where there is one, there will be a second.

He couldn't just choose to lock up all the Karma Buddhas, could he?

That would be no different from suicide.

The current Buddhist Sect had finally reached a state where it was about to fall apart.

For Runan, the internal situation of the Buddhist Sect was now a dead end. The contest between the Karma Buddhas and the Mortal Affairs Buddhas was no longer something he could easily pacify.

The only way was to bring in external power, and the only person with convincing authority was naturally Chu Xingchen.

First, settle the matter of the Bright Buddha. Even if he couldn't be killed, at least he couldn't be allowed to accept any more Karma Buddhas, causing the Buddhist Sect's forces to completely collapse.

Secondly, they had to restore the world's former correct view of the Buddhist Sect.

At least let the points the Karma Buddhas were arguing about dissipate a bit, and then there would be more room to maneuver.

Regardless of whether these plans were effective or not, they were the first things the Buddhist Sect needed to handle.

After all, if they didn't do it, the Buddhist Sect really looked like it was going to disband.

Runan wouldn't truly expect to rely on a group of Mortal Affairs Buddhas who couldn't even fully recite the Buddhist Heart Sutra to prop up this Buddhist Sect.

The core of the Buddhist Sect was still those Karma Buddhas who had been cultivated by the Buddhist Sect since childhood.

If they lost the Karma Buddhas, then the current Buddhist Sect would truly just be a sect wearing the name of Buddhism.

In the future, the Buddhist Sect that the world recognized would only be the Bright Buddha.

The true Buddhist Sect would become a fake Buddhist Sect.

When Chu Xingchen saw this news, he also sighed deeply in his heart—Little Thunderclap Temple... has finally become the Great Thunderclap Temple.

Chu Xingchen naturally had to handle this matter.

There were quite a few Mortal Affairs Buddhas in the current Buddhist Sect. At least at this stage, the Buddhist Sect could not be allowed to fall into complete chaos.

After all, they couldn't expect the Heavenly Demons not to seize this opportunity, right?

Runan also somewhat had the intention of smashing a cracked pot and leaving it to Chu Xingchen to solve.

So even if he was unwilling.

Chu Xingchen still had to step forward personally to negotiate and resolve this matter.

He couldn't help but sigh softly:

A life of toil.