A flawed Da Luo, ultimately still a Da Luo Golden Immortal.
In the Primordial world, Da Luo Golden Immortals were not as common as dogs; gathering a hundred thousand of them would be an impossible feat.
Amongst trillions of beings, perhaps not even one in a hundred million would achieve Da Luo Golden Immortal status. Even a flawed Da Luo was not easily attained.
Without the aid of treasures, the Lone Fire Ghost King would have had almost no chance of becoming a Da Luo Golden Immortal.
This was precisely a major reason why the Lone Fire Ghost King agreed to the terms of the Tathagata Buddha.
After all, without any cheat codes, early-stage Da Luo with three grades of three flowers was the limit of what the Lone Fire Ghost King could achieve.
A flawed Da Luo, it was unimaginable that he could contend with the Tathagata Buddha, let alone with Buddhism, which had Saints as its patrons.
Even if he harbored a sliver of unease, what of it?
In reality, some things were simply unchangeable.
The Lone Fire Ghost King waited outside, and a year passed.
During this year, immortals and gods from all three realms gathered to witness the establishment of Lesser Vehicle Buddhism.
Flowers rained from the heavens, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth.
A grand banquet of immortals and Buddhas, with myriad Buddhas in attendance.
After the banquet concluded, a year had passed.
Just as the Lone Fire Ghost King, filled with joy, went to retrieve his mountain from the Tathagata Buddha.
The Tathagata Buddha directly presented the written agreement to him.
"Fellow Daoist, have you misremembered? The agreement was for you to lend Spirit Bird Mountain to me for ten years."
"Look, it's written here in black and white."
"Why have you come back after only a year?"
"We must abide by the contract and not be so impatient."
The Lone Fire Ghost King stared at the written agreement, his eyes widening in disbelief!
It originally stated that Spirit Bird Mountain was leased to the Tathagata Buddha for one year.
Now, it had inexplicably changed to a ten-year lease!
One year had become ten?
How shameless could the Tathagata Buddha be?
Since the contract was in duplicate.
The Lone Fire Ghost King immediately took out his own copy of the agreement.
Indeed, not only had the Tathagata Buddha's copy been altered to ten years,
but his own copy had also been changed to ten years.
The Tathagata Buddha was truly the Lord of Ten Thousand Buddhas, possessing such vast divine abilities!
When had his copy of the agreement been altered?
Just as the Lone Fire Ghost King was about to erupt in anger, he forcibly suppressed it.
He knew that the Tathagata Buddha's Dharma was profound, and he was no match for him.
Falling out with him would bring him no benefit, and the outcome was predictable.
Helplessly, the Lone Fire Ghost King could only once again lend Spirit Bird Mountain to the Tathagata Buddha for ten years, agreeing to retrieve it after a decade.
Ten years passed.
The Lone Fire Ghost King ascended Spirit Bird Mountain again.
After some pleasantries.
The Lone Fire Ghost King brought up the matter of returning the cultivation treasure land.
The Tathagata Buddha, without any hesitation, practically threw the written agreement in the Lone Fire Ghost King's face.
"Fellow Daoist! Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Look, doesn't this document state that Spirit Bird Mountain is lent to me for a thousand years?"
"Not one year, not ten years, but a thousand years!"
"It's written here in black and white."
"You should take a look yourself."
There is nothing new under the sun.
The same trick could be used repeatedly.
The Tathagata Buddha had employed the same tactic again.
With trembling hands, the Lone Fire Ghost King held the two copies of the agreement.
One belonged to him.
One belonged to the Tathagata Buddha.
Both agreements bore the same content: the Lone Fire Ghost King had agreed to lend Spirit Bird Mountain to the Tathagata Buddha for a thousand years!
The Lone Fire Ghost King felt like he was spitting blood, enraged.
He had never imagined that even the Tathagata Buddha would engage in contract fraud with him.
And not just once, but repeatedly!
Was he never going to get Spirit Bird Mountain back?
However, he still considered the Tathagata Buddha's profound Dharma.
How could a lone cultivator, a flawed Da Luo, dare to contend with the Tathagata Buddha?
Therefore, he could only endure it and leave Spirit Bird Mountain.
Ten thousand years passed.
A hundred thousand years passed.
A million years passed.
One day, the Lone Fire Ghost King encountered an immortal god, from whom he obtained some information.
The Tathagata Buddha, the Lord of Lesser Vehicle Buddhism, had renamed Spirit Bird Mountain to Spirit Mountain.
From then on, Spirit Mountain became the main base and residence of Buddhism.
The Lone Fire Ghost King finally understood everything.
"So, it wasn't that Spirit Mountain wasn't ready to emerge."
"It was that my Spirit Bird Mountain was Spirit Mountain."
"So, I was the one who labored for others."
"Is this the workings of fate?"
On this day, the ten great disciples of the Tathagata Buddha lectured on the Dharma.
In addition to the sermons, there was a grand banquet.
Of course, all the food at the banquet was vegetarian.
One wondered if the plant-based demons had protested.
The Lone Fire Ghost King also went to listen.
The Investiture of the Gods calamity had already passed, and Buddhism had many powerful figures. Each of the ten great disciples was a Da Luo Golden Immortal, with profound Buddhist teachings, and were genuine Da Luo Golden Immortals of at least fifth-grade three flowers.
Listening to their sermons was highly beneficial for the Lone Fire Ghost King, a flawed Da Luo.
The Lone Fire Ghost King deeply resented the Tathagata Buddha for taking his Spirit Mountain, but limited by his own strength, he could only accept it.
But this did not mean he harbored no anger.
He simply thought, since Spirit Mountain could no longer be reclaimed, he could at least attend the lectures of these ten great disciples?
He was entitled to a share of this grand banquet and the opportunity to listen to the sermons, wasn't he?
The Lone Fire Ghost King did not ask for much.
However, upon arriving at Spirit Mountain, he was informed that there were no more seats at the banquet.
No more seats.
This time, the Lone Fire Ghost King was truly furious.
He wanted Spirit Mountain, the entire mountain was given to you, this prime cultivation treasure land was already handed over.
He only wanted to listen to the sermons, to attend this banquet.
And now, not even a seat was offered to him?
The Lone Fire Ghost King, having endured much, had reached his limit. His anger broke through his reason, and he directly sat down in a vacant seat at the banquet.
The Lone Fire Ghost King's thought was, regardless of whose seat it was, he would occupy it.
Whoever came, he would fight them.
Naturally, that seat was occupied.
Peacock Child arrived at his usual seat and found it occupied by the Lone Fire Ghost King. Enraged, he stepped forward to confront the Lone Fire Ghost King.
Seeing the Peacock Child approach, the Lone Fire Ghost King felt no fear.
"So it's Kong Xuan..."
Although the Lone Fire Ghost King knew that this Peacock Child was Kong Xuan, and that he had occupied Kong Xuan's seat, he was not afraid.
Because this Peacock Child was merely a flawed Da Luo of first-grade three flowers.
When both were early-stage Da Luo, the grade of their three flowers was generally indicative of their cultivation strength.
Although the Lone Fire Ghost King was also a flawed Da Luo, he was a top-tier existence among flawed Da Luo, as he ultimately possessed three grades of three flowers.
The Peacock Child, however, had first-grade three flowers, and there was naturally a gap between them.