We were all shocked. The source of pollution and the creator of disasters in Ling Mountain turned out to be the leader of the Buddhist sect, Tathagata.

Then I realized that I shouldn't trust Maitreya's words.

First of all, when Ling Mountain was attacked and even Guanyin Bodhisattva fell, Maitreya was unharmed, which made me feel that something was seriously wrong.

Maitreya said, "Tathagata has not achieved enlightenment, and his lifespan is only one yuanhui. Now, the last yuanhui is about to end. Tathagata is facing the Five Declines of Heaven and Man, plagued by inner demons and the breeding of Taoist worms. It seems that he won't be able to survive this calamity, and the final outcome can only be annihilation."

"How could Tathagata's Five Declines of Heaven and Man affect the entire Western Buddhist sect?"

"All major calamities originate from Tathagata and manifest in Lingyun Crossing."

Maitreya revealed the mystery.

"Lingyun Crossing? That's the holy land where Master undergoes rebirth and transformation!"

Maitreya said, "Yes, Lingyun Crossing is the embodiment of the power of faith, the rebirth and transformation of the soul into a Buddha, but it is also the root of calamity."

I didn't understand.

Maitreya explained, "The faith in Ling Mountain weakened, and Tathagata wanted to use the power of the Tenth Generation Golden Cicada to break through the calamity, and then use the eighty rounds of reincarnation to resolve the calamity. Who knew it was a self-deceptive act? The worms of Heaven's Dao devoured Ling Mountain, and the calamity began!"

Now I understood.

This was not the decay of the Buddhist sect, but the invasion of external worms.

Tathagata faced a great calamity but attempted to resist it with the faith of sentient beings.

Thus, it gave birth to our journey to the Western Heaven for the scriptures.

The Eighty Tribulations refer to the eighty rounds of reincarnation.

Each tribulation can dissipate a part of the calamity.

But this method is, in fact, a self-deceptive act.

The worms of Heaven's Dao devoured the faith of sentient beings and gained wisdom, leading to a massive outbreak of calamity.

Because the Buddhist sect thrived on the merits of faith, it unwittingly attracted the worms that fed on the merits of faith.

Truly, it was like lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet.

"You said the calamity in Ling Mountain originated from the contamination caused by Tathagata's Taoist worms. Then why are both you and I unharmed, Bodhisattva?"

I asked the most critical question.

"Taoist worms are heavenly calamities with a fire attribute, and they fear the water's spiritual root. Previously, you were the Heavenly Marshal, protected by the water of the Milky Way, and could avoid the Taoist worms. On the other hand, those who possess the attribute of fire and have faith in the Buddhist sect are the Taoist worms' favorite targets."

Only then did I remember that Senior Brother previously tried to burn the Taoist worms with Samadhi True Fire, but they remained unharmed.

It seemed that these Taoist worms were the true enemies of the Buddhist sect's cultivators.

Although Senior Brother did not belong to the Buddhist sect, he was slightly contaminated by the Buddha nature. As for our Master, although he was a disciple of the Buddhist sect, he couldn't avoid it either.

"That's not right."

I suddenly rushed to Maitreya's side, with my nine-toothed rake in front of his neck, glaring at him. "Then why are you standing here in front of Wukong?"

Maitreya smiled faintly, "Because I am the future Buddha and do not exist in the present world."

Whether it's the present or the future, a Buddha is still a Buddha.

Maitreya used his finger to push away my rake, "Wukong, you are the Heavenly Marshal, and you possess treasures imbued with the powers of the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Pavilion, the Five Old Immortals of the Five Directions, and the Six Jiajin of the Six Departments. Furthermore, youare protected by the water of the Milky Way. You are naturally immune to the Taoist worms' contamination."

I hesitated for a moment, then retracted my rake and asked, "So, what should we do now?"

Maitreya pondered for a while and said, "The only way to save Ling Mountain and the Buddhist sect is to eliminate Tathagata's Taoist worms and restore the purity of faith."

"How do we do that?" I inquired.

Maitreya explained, "We need to gather the remaining cultivators of the Buddhist sect and lead them in a combined effort to purify Lingyun Crossing. By reinforcing the power of faith and destroying the Taoist worms, we can restore balance and harmony."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. It was up to us to save the Buddhist sect and prevent the calamity from spreading further.

With renewed determination, I turned to Maitreya and said, "Lead the way, Bodhisattva. We will follow you and protect the Buddhist sect."

As we embarked on our mission to save Ling Mountain, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions—hope, determination, and a sense of responsibility. The fate of the Buddhist sect and the lives of countless sentient beings now rested on our shoulders.

We would face challenges and dangers along the way, but with the combined strength of the Heavenly Marshal, Maitreya, and the remaining cultivators of the Buddhist sect, we had a fighting chance to overcome this calamity and restore peace.

And so, our journey to purify Lingyun Crossing and save the Buddhist sect began, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.