From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 273: Foreign Gods Forbidden

Taishan Fujun!

This name and this awe-inspiring scene appeared before the eyes of high-level officials across the globe.

Although there was no live broadcast here, the attention from nations worldwide was unparalleled!

Their drones and satellites captured the moment, transmitting the footage in its entirety. This gave them a crystal-clear understanding of the entire situation's cause and effect.

These high-level officials had just been digesting the information that ordinary people could not intervene in Transcendent battles. Now, they were left completely dumbfounded by this colossal, sudden manifestation of a deity!

Buddhism and the Church were one thing, but what kind of absolute powerhouse was this behemoth emerging from the clouds?

"Investigate! Look it up right now! Who is this Taishan Fujun? How could he make an Arhat under the Buddha act so respectfully?" Golden Hair demanded loudly.

He had nearly exhausted a lifetime's worth of shock in this short period. What exactly was going on? Why were things like this happening?

He simply could not comprehend it. Just as he was starting to believe that the world's premier Transcendent factions were merely the Church and Buddhism, the extraordinary entity appearing before them completely overturned all of their assumptions.

In particular, the subservient behavior of Venerable Ananda, an Arhat and close attendant to the Buddha, proved just how extraordinary this being truly was!"This is a deity from the Daoist Sect! Without a doubt!" Professor Thomas Franklin, standing by his side, stated with absolute certainty. "Your Excellency the Great Leader, do you remember what our government representatives said after returning to America?"

Hearing this, Golden Hair paused. "Are you talking about the Transcendent being who helped Bodhisattva Zanluo establish the Netherworld? Yubao Daoren? The one suspected to be the Eastern Heavenly Sovereign Yubao?"

"Yes, that is him!" Professor Thomas Franklin replied. "If this figure exists, then the Extraordinary Power System belonging to the Eastern Daoist Sect almost certainly exists as well!"

This had also been the professor's recent field of research. To study Buddhist myths and stories, they inevitably had to understand the Eastern Buddhist system, which was the origin of Northern Buddhism.

The deeper he delved into these two unfathomably profound divine pantheons, the more absurd he found them to be. Seriously, how could the divine systems of the East be this incredibly deep?

Why was it that every system, every method, every myth, and even every instance of creation could be traced precisely back to specific deities?

Was that right? Was that appropriate? Was that even logical?

Indeed, one of the main characteristics of Daoist mythology was its sheer complexity. But unlike the incredibly chaotic divine pantheon of India, the various systems within Daoist mythology were entirely self-consistent.

This was what Professor Thomas Franklin found most unbelievable. He simply could not fathom how such an intricate system could remain perfectly consistent, and even derive entirely new branches based on that consistency. It was mind-boggling!

India's divine pantheon was comprehensive and powerful, but at the cost of being immensely disorganized. A Heavenly Emperor who could be beaten up by anyone, curses that no one could resist, and the convoluted, nesting-doll nature of the Trimurti were all inherent flaws in that mythological framework.

Yet in the myths of the Daoist Sect, these flaws simply did not exist!

Or rather, they might have existed initially, but the practitioners of the Daoist Sect were too brilliant. Through centuries of philosophical thought and constant refinement, they managed to perfectly clarify all these complex relationships!

It was precisely because of this that Thomas was able to find the exact information Golden Hair needed within the copy of the Daoist Canon he had purchased.

"Your Excellency the Great Leader, according to this text, Taishan Fujun is also known as the Great Emperor of Mount Tai. 'Mount Tai is the ancestor of all mountains, the foremost of the Five Great Mountains, the grandson of the Heavenly Emperor, and the residence of the gods!'"

"This is how Daoist mythology describes him. It is also everything we currently know about this entity's true identity!"

Thomas's explanation only fueled Golden Hair's immense curiosity. "Then what exactly does he do?"

"He does everything. He is the incarnation of Mount Tai and the protector god of the world. He is a deity who presides over life and death, commanding souls, longevity, and mortal fates. He is also the absolute ruler of the eighteen levels of hell in the Netherworld!" Thomas's words made Golden Hair's eyes light up. "Ah, I understand now. You mean..."

"The Netherworld is his domain of authority, and that Buddhist monk out there has encroached on his territory?"

"No, Your Excellency the Great Leader, that is not the case at all!" Thomas replied, his voice exceptionally firm. "He absolutely would not think that way, because he has no reason to. According to the Daoist Canon, he is the superior of the entire Netherworld region, and even the highest authority of the entire Underworld. Such petty squabbles wouldn't even register on his radar!"

"I think the most likely reason lies in his question, 'Have you had enough of this acting up?'. He simply felt that these people were outside causing trouble and being far too noisy. It really is just that simple!"

"They were too noisy? What?" Golden Hair froze. A moment later, a wave of insane dissatisfaction surged from the depths of his heart. Seriously, how could they operate like this? Why would they do that? Huh?

Why were America's Transcendent Beings completely turning a blind eye to the "rebellion" in their own country caused by those Native Americans?

Yet the Transcendent Beings next door would actively manifest just because their neighbors were being a little too loud?

Was the difference in treatment really this massive? How was he supposed to accept this?

However, Golden Hair completely failed to consider one crucial point: who exactly were "their" Transcendent Beings?

At the very least, Mario certainly wouldn't admit that any Transcendent Beings belonged to America. They were all faithful followers of The Lord, so naturally, they all belonged to The Lord!

America? Sorry, not familiar with them!

Golden Hair kept muttering in disbelief, but his eyes remained glued to the monitor:

After speaking, the so-called "Taishan Fujun" watched Ananda bow his head in submission. His gaze then shifted toward the "Archangel" before him.

"Taishan Fujun..." Gabriel seemed to recall something and gave a faint nod. "This is not the territory of Great Xia. You have no jurisdiction here, Fujun! The Heavenly Court's regulations do not cover this land!"

"This is a land of The Lord's faith. Wherever the Lord's Radiance shines, I have the authority to act!"

Gabriel spoke neither haughtily nor humbly, but he had already fallen into a disadvantage—after all, since when did an Angel ever bother reasoning with someone?

Principles and logic were things Jesus would preach, or Moses would teach. Angels did not. They were the swords and sharp blades of The Lord, not some ordinary evangelists.

The very fact that Gabriel was starting to reason with him proved that the archangel felt outmatched.

Some mythological analysts even began to suspect that, in some distant era, this archangel might have clashed with entities from Eastern mythology. Judging by his peaceful demeanor, he had probably been on the losing end of those encounters.

Hearing Gabriel's words, Taishan Fujun chuckled. "Indeed. This is a land fueled by your faith. According to the rules, I have no need to intervene!"

"However, the Netherworld is my jurisdiction, and the souls of this region also fall under my domain. Do you have any objections?"

"None!" Gabriel replied. "The Church will take away the believers who wish to leave. Since this is the territory of the Netherworld, no souls destined for Heaven should fall here!"

This was a clear display of submission. Taishan Fujun finally nodded in satisfaction and turned to Ananda. "Give my regards to the Buddha. With the establishment of the Netherworld this time, disciples from both Buddhism and the Daoist Sect will enter the mortal realm to temper themselves. However, the Central Plains are vast and peaceful, lacking sufficient trials. I am afraid they will have to seek their fortunes in the lands where you gather!"

"But of course!" Ananda replied hastily, though a hint of confusion crept into his tone. "Do you mean to say that the Central Plains of this realm have already..."

"Yes. The Jade Emperor personally took action. The entire Central Plains of this realm have completed their Ascension. They no longer serve any purpose for mortal trials! As for why this was done, well..." As soon as Taishan Fujun spoke these words, everyone instantly understood!

That was the Jade Emperor! The most venerated figure in Daoist mythology, the ultimate culmination of the 'Heavenly Emperor' Divine Status found across all pantheons of deities!

Who would dare question his actions? Who would dare doubt him? Who would even have the courage to ask why?

Even Golden Hair came to a sudden realization and muttered, "No wonder those people are ignoring us now. They even returned to their country en masse a while ago. I thought they were preparing to declare war on us, but it turns out they went through an Ascension? What exactly does Ascension mean?"

"Perhaps it means that when one person achieves enlightenment, even their dogs and chickens ascend to the heavens?" Professor Thomas Franklin offered after a long moment of contemplation.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Alvin also heard these words. "Crown, have you made your decision?"

"Mhm! Yes, I have made my decision! A short, sharp pain is better than a prolonged ache, and overthinking is inferior to Ascension. From this moment onward, that nation is already a forbidden land!" Bai Yang nodded. "Rather than letting them suffer the agonies of the Spiritual Qi Revival and future wars, it is better to directly grant them all Ascension and place them within the barrier!"

"Consider it my selfishness... or perhaps, fulfilling a long-held wish of mine!"

"Then, Crown, have you decided what to do with this land?" Alvin asked again.

"Of course... of course!" Bai Yang said with a beaming smile. "This land will become the finest nurturing ground for Daoist mythology. Let the Wish Power concentrate here first. One day in the future, this place will become a Holy Land where illusion and reality intertwine!"

"But for now, within the borders of Great Xia, foreign gods are forbidden!"