Suddenly, rumors praising Maitreya Buddha began to spread throughout the Three Realms.
"Maitreya Buddha smiles and repels the enemy; Small Mahayana Buddhism flees in disarray."
"Maitreya Buddha overpowers All Buddhas; Ksitigarbha bows and submits."
"Maitreya Buddha sits firmly on Spiritual Mountain; while Ksitigarbha acts wildly and recklessly, a mere Little Bodhisattva, laughable indeed!"
"When Maitreya achieves Buddhahood, all heavens celebrate in unison!"
"Unveiling the mystery: what exactly is the relationship between Duo Bao Tathagata and Maitreya Buddha? And why are they both so corpulent?"
As the rumors spread to Spiritual Mountain, numerous Bodhisattva Arhats there also began to discuss fervently, and all eyes instantly focused on Maitreya.
In private, confrontations often arose between Bodhisattva Arhats beneath Maitreya Buddha and those under Ksitigarbha, escalating to physical fights and growing more intense as time went on.
Anger flared up within Maitreya and Ksitigarbha too, leading to a fierce battle between the two on Spiritual Mountain. With his Magic Treasure countered, Ksitigarbha suffered a pitiful defeat.
In the following days, Mahasthamaprapta, Pharmacist, and Great Sun Tathagata quietly sneaked into Heavenly Court, renting Magic Treasures with borrowed coins to join in the fray. Buddha of Tranquil Light and Joy and Ma Yuan Venerate King Buddha, overwhelmed by various powerful Magic Treasures, were suppressed without the slightest resistance and fled in disarray, covered in dust and utterly disgraced.
Having suppressed Buddha of Tranquil Light and Joy and others, the four then turned on each other. Perhaps due to being the first to rent Magic Treasures, Mahasthamaprapta, Pharmacist, and others targeted Ksitigarbha to a greater or lesser extent, dealing him a shameful beating.
Enraged, Ksitigarbha went to the bank to rent a second powerful Magic Treasure, and upon returning to Buddhism, he suppressed Maitreya and the others.
Furious, Maitreya and others also rented a second Magic Treasure; affordability being an issue, they could only continue borrowing and then renting again.
Thus, Maitreya, Ksitigarbha, and other Buddha Bodhisattvas ventured down the inexorable path of borrowing, renting Magic Treasures, borrowing more, and continuing to rent Magic Treasures.
For Bai Jin, the loaned out coins were merely moving from the left hand to the right, without any significant loss. On the contrary, Maitreya and other Buddha Bodhisattvas were accumulating more and more debt, and even Ksitigarbha entered the path of borrowing.
Furthermore, with the Water Army Grand Marshal stirring the waters, chaotic currents engulfed the Western direction, making it as murky as troubled waters.
The Primordial Ten Thousand Clans all sat in front of their homes daily, holding fruits and cheerfully watching the internal strife of Buddhism, discussing which Buddha Bodhisattva was more formidable, and some even placed bets.
Inside Great Leiyin Temple, there was silence. The Buddha sat in the main seat, with Buddha of Tranquil Light and Joy and Small Mahayana Buddhism Buddha, like Ma Yuan Venerate King Buddha, seated below.
To the left, Jin Naluo, clad in a moon-white robe, stood upon the Lotus Platform.
Buddha of Tranquil Light and Joy, suppressing his fury, exclaimed, "Buddha, shall we allow Maitreya and others to continue disturbing Buddhism?"
The Buddha sighed inwardly and thought, Alas, if Zhao Gongming and Kong Xuan had followed me, how could we be so passive? Long Ears and the others are still too weak! Zhao Gongming and Kong Xuan are now considered Great Powers in their own right; it’s a pity they follow Bai Jin.
Ma Yuan Venerate King Buddha said gravely, "Buddha, why not take action yourself and suppress them one by one?"
The resonant voice of The Buddha rose: "Ksitigarbha, Maitreya, Mahasthamaprapta, Great Sun Tathagata, Pharmacist, they all possess Magic Treasures from Heavenly Court. Should I intervene, they will surely unite against me, and even I would be unable to suppress their combined force."
Buddha of Tranquil Light and Joy shouted angrily, "Detestable! A bunch of traitors colluding with Emperor Gouchen to cause chaos in Buddhism, truly detestable!"
Everyone knew that without Bai Jin’s support to Ksitigarbha, Maitreya, and others, such turmoil in Buddhism would not happen, and they wouldn’t have the capacity to compete. With the support of former Jie Sect Disciples, Duo Bao Tathagata could have easily subdued Mahayana Buddhism and become the sole Buddha Patriarch. But now, without showing her face, Bai Jin has already stirred Buddhism into a mess.
Ma Yuan Venerate King Buddha reminded, "Buddha, a large number of Buddhist Disciples are now joining Ksitigarbha, Maitreya, and other Buddha Bodhisattvas because of the Xuanhuang Coin and Merit Coin. Even my Jie Sect Disciples are drawn by the coins. If this continues, Small Mahayana Buddhism will no longer hold the sway. Please make a decision soon, Buddha."
Tathagata Buddha pondered for a moment and lifted his head to look outside. His grand voice echoed, "Countless beings chase after profit, and even Buddhist Disciples find it hard to sever all passions and desires. Buddhism must establish clear rules and regulations to discipline sentient beings."
Buddha of Tranquil Light and Joy felt a surge in his heart. By establishing rules and regulations, could that affect my Tao?
Ma Yuan Venerate King Buddha also frowned.
Vihara Buddha, with hands clasped together, said, "These words from Buddha are truly good! However, these rules and regulations are things of the future. How do we settle the current chaos in Buddhism?"
"Everything that begins must also end; the chaos among the Buddhas should come to a close."
All rejuvenated their spirits, expectantly looking at The Buddha. Will he now do the same? Distribute Faith Coins to win over the hearts of the Buddhist Disciples?
"The Sravaka shall practice the Four Noble Truths, the Pratyekabuddha shall cultivate the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. The path of Small Mahayana shall first ferry Buddhas, then ferry all sentient beings.
With Small Mahayana established, there shall be All Buddhas traversing through the skies, sitting on Lotus Platforms delving into the mechanics of Zen for eternity, their golden bodies indestructible, elucidating enlightenment.
Our Small Mahayana Buddhism shall confer titles to All Buddhas. Any sentient being with a predestined connection can come forward to receive conferment."
The vast voice of The Buddha resounded unceasingly between Heaven and Earth on Spiritual Mountain, startling countless Bodhisattva Arhats.
The Ten Thousand Clans closely observing the shifts in Buddhism were also astounded. After all, Buddha is the highest rank in Buddhism. Now that Small Mahayana Buddhism is conferring titles to ten thousand Buddhas at once, wouldn’t there be Buddhas everywhere in the future, and Maitreya, Pharmacist, and others lose their dignity altogether?