Seeing this, the Living Buddha's pupils contracted sharply. These skeletal remains had sharp bone spurs growing from the back of their skulls, exuding an eerie aura.

The three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance entered the skeletal remains, giving birth to new Guardian deities.

And it was four of them!

The first deity, Angry Vajra, slowly stood up from the boiling lava, holding a steel fork that was shockingly forged from the spine of an Arhat. The steel fork still had fresh blood that had not dried, emitting a strong stench of blood. Angry Vajra's eyes burned with the flames of anger, and he swung the steel fork while letting out roars, as if trying to destroy everything in the world.

The second deity, Greedy Vajra, floated gently on the Karma Fire Red Lotus. Each lotus petal was embedded with corroded Buddha Treasures, which once symbolized the Buddhist sect, but now had become dull and lusterless under the erosion of the evil force. Greedy Vajra's face bore a greedy smile, and his eyes roamed around, seemingly searching for the next target to plunder.

The third deity, Foolishness Vajra, chanted the reversed Diamond Sutra as he walked slowly. His voice was deep and hoarse, and the characters of the sutra spewed from his mouth, transforming into banners that devoured humans. These scripture banners fluttered in the wind, emanating a nauseating aura, as if calling for death.

The fourth deity, Arrogant Vajra, transformed directly from the Third Rank Black Lotus, with a vertical eye standing on his forehead, which was a projection of the Ying Huo Star itself. This vertical eye flickered with bizarre light, as if able to see through all things in the world. Arrogant Vajra's face carried an insufferable arrogance, looking down from above as if everything in the world was beneath his feet.

Seeing this, the old demon of Black Mountain smiled with satisfaction. He cut open his wrist and sprinkled demon blood. The demon blood fell into the starfire, quickly condensing into the phantom of the Fourth Rank Lotus Platform. "When you achieve the Unity of Four Phases, this Yinghuo Black Lotus shall be complete..."

His voice echoed in the air.

…

…

Half a month later.

The Living Buddha sat on the Black Lotus, his expression stern, lightly tapping the void with his fingertips, the action seemingly gentle yet containing seemingly endless power.

The blood light cast by the Ying Huo Star swept over the refugee camp like an invisible net. On the haggard faces of the starving people, a reversed swastika imprint suddenly appeared, emitting dark red light, seemingly branded deep within their souls by evil power. Their pupils gradually became dyed with dark red, and their gaze turned hollow and spiritless, as if losing self-awareness.

They mechanically walked towards the illusion of the Buddha Country, their steps heavy and slow, as if the ground trembled with each step.

With their advancement, their flesh faded by three points, the vibrant life aura gradually dissipated, eventually transforming into translucent soul spirits, kneeling at the feet of the three deities of greed, anger, and ignorance.

These soul spirits bore expressions of pain and fear on their faces, yet were unable to break free from the invisible restraints.

"This is great compassion."

The Living Buddha's voice was cold and hollow, caressing the skull Buddha lamp at the edge of the lotus platform, whose lamp oil turned out to be the fear emotions drawn from the refugees.

These fear emotions churned and surged within the lamp oil, seemingly narrating their tragic fate.

In the newly established paddy fields of the Buddha Country, as soul spirits bent to transplant rice seedlings, the roots and stems of the seedlings actually pierced into their transparent ankles.

Each root was like a greedy leech, constantly sucking their soul power.

These ferried ones were using their life force to nurture the Yinghuo Black Lotus, which, under this nourishment, appeared increasingly sinister and powerful.

…

…

South Zhili, Yingtian Prefecture. Dawn's gentle light filtered through the carved windows, illuminating the slightly worn yet dignified table in the temporary cabinet. Reports from the Northern territories lay silently there like a group of silent messengers, yet exuded an unsettling aura.

Cabinet Chief Huo Jing, a seasoned veteran in the officialdom, usually maintained a calm demeanor, accustomed to the world's storms, and even in his heart, had long considered disaster victims insignificant.

However, as his eyes scanned the contents of these reports, his usually composed face allowed a trace of undisguisable shock to emerge.

His brows furrowed and his lips pressed tightly, managing to utter one sentence after a while, "Yu...has he gone mad?"

Now, the Northern territories had promoted high-yield crops, which should have greatly alleviated the grain shortage. Yet unexpectedly, in terms of cruelty towards the people, the lords of the Northern territories were so "exceptionally outstanding".

Once implemented, the once-sound policy of the equal-field system had instead become a fuse for many families to go bankrupt and sell their land, plunging numerous families into an abyss.

In previous years, such occurrences would inevitably lead to refugee armies spreading everywhere and chaos across the land.

But now, Prince Yu has devised a "brilliant" solution.

He invited the Snowfield Living Buddha, and with people from the Esoteric Sect of Vajra, colluded with powerful scholars, plus the force of the Northern Government, constantly gathering refugees.

Using the Living Buddha's Buddha Country to ferried the old, weak, sick, and disabled, tossing the able-bodied into workhouses, and executing troublemakers on the spot. As such, he effortlessly resolved the problem of the refugees.

"High indeed." Huo Jing was half shocked, half sarcastic, his tone contained both admiration for Prince Yu's methods and a few hints of mockery.

Would you say the problem is resolved or not?

He shook his head, revealing a complex smile on his face.

"Prince Yu indeed understands the principle of 'solving the problem by solving the people who raise the problem,' only..." He slowly turned his head to look at the Minister of Revenue Chen Fu beside him, a crafty gleam flashing in his eyes, "he solved them a bit too thoroughly."

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