Simultaneous travel: I am proving the great way in the heavens.

Chapter 548 I've Been Targeted by Dao Ancestor Hongjun! The Path to Proving the Dao Through Force: Am I an Extraterrestrial Demon?
The power that comes from sharing is, in essence, a power that exists outside the world.

Even after localization, there will still be principles and laws that do not belong to this world.

This is evident even in the world of Shrouding the Heavens, where the Heavenly Dao is incomplete, let alone in the world of Journey to the West, where the Heavenly Dao is strictly enforced.

In the eyes of others, Luo Fu was at best a lucky one who, by chance, awakened the bloodline of the ancient witch clan and was favored by Lady Pingxin.

But in reality, in the eyes of those truly powerful beings, he was like a white hole that was out of place in the world, shining like the sun in the dark night. His aura, which seemed to have become localized but was actually incompatible with the laws of heaven, made Luo Fu more and more obvious.

Why is it that he was first valued by Lady Pingxin, and then inexplicably sent by Lady Pingxin to the tutelage of Patriarch Subhuti? Afterwards, Yuanshi Tianzun and Taiqing Shengren, through Guanyin Bodhisattva and Zhang Ziyang respectively, sent him the Jade Void Palace Immortal Sword and the Yin-Yang Two Qi Dust.

The Dao and Principle, which are not applicable to the laws of Heaven itself, are so clearly manifested in Luo Fu that they can only lead to two results.

Either Luo Fu was regarded as an extraterrestrial demon, or he was regarded as a chaotic demon god.

Of course, it certainly wouldn't be the three thousand Chaos Gods who faced calamity at the hands of the Great God Pangu before the creation of heaven and earth. At most, Luofu has now obtained the inheritance of the Chaos Gods, which are independent of the Three Realms.

If Luo Fu can innovate upon this legacy, then he has the qualifications to become a saint through it.

Although, in this world, the number of saints has reached its limit.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the Six Sages, and Pingxin of the Underworld each occupy a sage position. The Three Sovereigns of Huoyun Cave share one sage position.

The nine holy positions have now been fully established.

However, this is the predetermined fate under the Heavenly Dao, and there can only be nine Saint positions.

Besides, there are three thousand great paths, and every one of them can lead to enlightenment.

Among these, achieving sainthood through merit and severing the three corpses are things that Yanran cannot break through the upper limit of the Heavenly Dao.

However, those who prove their Dao through force are not bound by the Heavenly Dao.

This is the dead end that even the great god Pangu failed on, perishing after the calamity of creation, his body transforming into all things in the primordial world.

For Luofu, however, it may not be an impossible path.

The Great Dao Sage and the Heavenly Dao Sage are inherently different; they are not even on the same dimension. The Heavenly Dao has its limits, but the Great Dao does not.

The biggest challenge in proving the Dao through force is that, after the creation of heaven and earth, there were simply no conditions within the Three Realms for proving the Dao through force to arise.

The existence of shared spaces allows Luofu to perfectly compensate for this shortcoming.

A true dragon cannot be raised in shallow water. The superposition of the power and essence of Luofu in the heavens and the universe makes Luofu itself a dragon. At most, it is like a dragon with the essence of a dragon, restoring its own essence in shallow water.

This is why he attracted the attention of the sage, who even offered him various benefits, thus forging a karmic connection with Luofu in advance.

The same applies to the Goddess Pingxin, the Three Pure Ones, and of course, the Two Sages of the West.

Even now, the Styx Ancestor, who is obsessed with becoming a saint and is almost driven mad, has forced this Great Asura to send a red lotus karmic fire to Luofu.

Don't assume that just because the Styx Ancestor controls the Karmic Fire Red Lotus, he truly possesses an infinite supply of Karmic Fire.

On the contrary, even the twelfth grade of the innate karmic fire red lotus cannot infinitely divide into red lotus karmic fire.

Separating any one of the red lotus flames would be a great loss to the red lotus flames.

It can be said that the Styx Ancestor really went all out to send Luofu a red lotus karmic fire.

"Then thank you very much, Master Styx." Luo Fu did not refuse at all, and with a casual wave of his hand, he took the red lotus karmic fire directly from the Great Asura's hand.

The moment Luo Fu's magic power came into contact with the crimson lotus karmic fire, he immediately felt that the white lotus he had already refined suddenly throbbed for a moment, as if it had been touched by the crimson lotus karmic fire.

Before Luo Fu could even make a move, the red lotus karmic fire spontaneously merged with the white lotus, transforming into the lifelike and vibrant stamen within the white lotus.

This unexpected change made Luo Fu think of the origin of the Twelve-Petaled Lotus Platform.

Legend has it that when Pangu created the world, the four great primordial treasures shattered in the face of calamity.

The Chaos Green Lotus that gave birth to Pangu evolved into numerous innate magical treasures. The four twelfth-grade lotus platforms are precisely the heavyweight magical treasures that evolved after the Chaos Green Lotus shattered.

The reason why the four lotus platforms cannot reunite and display the power of the primordial treasures is primarily because they lack the flower stamens.

The stamen of the Chaos Green Lotus transformed into the Four Spiritual Lamps, which can never be reproduced.

But now, this white lotus, which was given to Luofu by the Buddha from the East, has developed a stamen. In particular, the stamen is transformed from the karmic fire of the red lotus sent by the Styx Ancestor.

This made Luo Fu begin to have some doubts about the origins of this white lotus whose grade was unknown.

Without a doubt, it could not be innate. After all, there is a limit to the number of innate magic treasures. More importantly, Luo Fu did not sense any innate Dao and principles on the white lotus. This is why, the moment he saw the white lotus, Luo Fu was certain that it could only be considered an acquired spiritual treasure.

However, this acquired spiritual treasure was able to transform the red lotus karmic fire separated from the twelfth-grade karmic fire red lotus into its own pistil.

Although acquired magical treasures are not necessarily inferior to innate ones, and many acquired magical treasures are even more powerful than innate ones.

However, it is somewhat alarming that an acquired magical artifact can incorporate the Dao and principles that were split off from an innate magical artifact into itself, making them a part of itself.

This means that although the white lotus is an acquired spiritual treasure, it has the potential to return to its innate state.

Innate magical treasures are formed during the creation of the world, condensing the Dao and principles that accompanied the creation of heaven and earth, and are thus created innately. Acquired magical treasures, on the other hand, are formed by condensing the Dao and principles and refining them after birth.

The processes of their birth may differ, but the difference lies not in their power, but in their essence.

Aside from the Qiankun Cauldron, which possesses the ability to return the acquired to the innate, it is almost impossible for the acquired to return to the innate.

The Qiankun Cauldron briefly appeared when Nuwa mended the sky, and was subsequently taken away by Dao Ancestor Hongjun. It is likely still in the hands of that Dao Ancestor who merged with the Dao.

There is absolutely no way that Buddha Donglai could use the Qiankun Cauldron to restore this white lotus platform from its original state.

Thinking back, the Buddha of the East once said that this white lotus was the key to the next great eon of enlightenment in Buddhism.

Luo Fu suddenly came up with a bold guess.

Why did the Buddha of the East form a karmic connection with me earlier than the Primordial Celestial Venerable and the Sage of Taiqing?

Previously, Luo Fu had subconsciously thought that since they belonged to the Buddhist sect, the Buddha from the East had an advantage. But now, he was suddenly awakened.

Could this white lotus, a gift from the Buddha of the East, have actually been created by the Dao Ancestor Hongjun?

The origin of this white lotus is actually quite mysterious.

Although the Buddha who came from the East is indeed the future Buddha, and is the belief of the White Lotus Sect, a group known for its rebellions, the idea of ​​future human rebellions is practically synonymous with Maitreya Buddha.

Regardless of the circumstances, Bai Lian's origins are somewhat questionable.

First of all, it can be confirmed that the white lotus platform is definitely not of the innate type. After all, among the four innate twelve-grade lotus platforms, there is no white lotus at all, but there is a black lotus.

If it's not innate, then it must be acquired. But how can an acquired spiritual treasure absorb the karmic fire of the Twelve-Petal Karmic Fire Lotus and transform it into a lotus stamen? Surely it's not that the Buddha from the East has reached the point where he can return from the acquired to the innate?

Returning to the innate state from the acquired state is something even the saint Nuwa needed to accomplish with the help of the Qiankun Cauldron in the hands of Hongjun Daozu.

Sun Wukong's innate origin was a five-colored stone, which was a material chosen by the sage Nuwa from the primordial land and refined in the Qiankun Cauldron.

Without the Qiankun Cauldron, a special magical treasure, even a saint cannot easily achieve the transformation from acquired to innate state. The Buddha of the East is at most a quasi-saint, and may not even have reached that level.

It's simply impossible to do that.

There is only one explanation for this logical discrepancy: the white lotus was not truly created by Maitreya Buddha.

The only magical artifact that can restore one's original nature is the Qiankun Cauldron. Moreover, even after the goddess Nuwa mended the heavens, the Qiankun Cauldron was still taken away by the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

It was as if even the Heavenly Dao did not want this special magical artifact to flow into the Three Realms.

Although Luo Fu had guessed these things, he couldn't get any evidence and could only rely on his own judgment. However, he was certain that this white lotus must have some wonderful uses that he was unaware of.

Even the Buddha of the East, who gave him the white lotus, might not truly understand it completely.

Seeing that Luo Fu had put away the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, the Great Asura bowed respectfully to Luo Fu and said, "The Lord of the Styx hopes that if the True Buddha of Wonderful Dharma has the opportunity, he may go to the Netherworld Blood Sea to discuss the Great Dao together."

After receiving Luo Fu's affirmative answer, the Great Asura immediately vanished from the spot.

Luo Fu, however, frowned instantly after the Great Asura left.

You should know that Ruzhen Temple is the old stronghold of Luofu Temple.

Ironically, it was his own lair, that great Asura, who could come and go as he pleased. And this foundation, bestowed by the Buddha and subsequently expanded and rebuilt in Luofu, allowed others to come and go as they pleased.

This is something Luofu cannot accept.

Fortunately, Luo Fu's true lair is not Ruzhen Temple, otherwise he probably wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.

Of course, this does not mean that Ruzhen Temple has absolutely no protective capabilities.

It is, after all, the power of the World-Honored One Tathagata. Ordinary cultivators, unless they formally pay homage to the Buddha, simply cannot enter.

Moreover, there are now many unwritten rules in the Three Realms.

It's like a cultivator's mountain gate. Even if it's a group on their journey to the West, they know that the demon has captured Tang Sanzang, but they will still just stand outside the demon's cave and shout and curse. They almost never break down the mountain gate directly.

At most, it was just Sun Wukong using his transformation skills to sneak in.

It is rare for someone to enter directly using supernatural powers and disregarding the rules.

This great Asura, under the guise of delivering treasures, did indeed present Luofu with a precious red lotus karmic fire. However, his direct appearance at Ruzhen Temple was also a deliberate display of his power and strength to Luofu.

In terms of seniority, the Styx Ancestor is a true equal to the Six Saints.

Seniority does not necessarily reflect ability.

For example, Zhen Yuanzi, who was clearly a guest of Zixiao Palace, seemed to be a disgrace to the three thousand guests of Zixiao Palace, perhaps due to the influence of the calamity suffered by the Old Ancestor Hongyun.

He actually became sworn brothers with Sun Wukong.

This approach is utterly ridiculous.

Regardless of his background or mentor, Zhen Yuanzi's actions cannot be described as mere humility or subservience.

In terms of lineage, Zhen Yuanzi and Nuwa were from the same school, while Sun Wukong was transformed from the five-colored stone left behind by Nuwa after she mended the sky. Clearly, Sun Wukong was Nuwa's junior.

In terms of lineage, Sun Wukong, like Luofu, was a disciple of Subhuti, who was an incarnation of Zhunti Daoist, so they were a generation apart.

Before Zhen Yuanzi, it wasn't that no one had done this before. The last person to do so was called Randeng, who is also a past Buddha in the Buddhist community.

Randeng was much more decisive than Zhenyuanzi. Before the Investiture of the Gods, he had already become a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun.

However, Yuanshi Tianzun did not actually accept Randeng as a disciple, but instead gave him the position of vice leader of the Chan Sect.

But this was merely a courtesy.

He didn't resemble Zhen Yuanzi at all; he actually became sworn brothers with Sun Wukong, thus lowering his own generation by a whole.

In comparison, the Styx Ancestor was truly stubborn, and among the three thousand guests in Zixiao Palace, besides the Six Saints, he had traveled the most and the furthest on the path to sainthood.

As long as the Six Saints succeed, the Styx Ancestor will recklessly imitate them.

Although the Styx Ancestor did not succeed, his repeated imitations made him almost the strongest person below the level of a saint.

Even compared to Kong Xuan, who shone brightly during the Investiture of the Gods, the Styx Ancestor is probably a cut above.

Kong Xuan's strength was purely due to his unparalleled Five-Colored Divine Light technique, but the Styx Ancestor had truly elevated his cultivation, level, and realm in all aspects to the point where he was almost at the point of becoming a saint.

Even in terms of magical treasures and supernatural powers, the Styx Ancestor was in no way inferior to Kong Xuan.

The Abyssal Demon's two innate killing swords that kill without incurring karma, the twelve-grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus that is impervious to all laws, and the Blood God's divine power that ensures the Blood Sea never dries up and the Styx River never dies...

This series of events created Styx Ancestor, a special quasi-saint who followed all the paths to sainthood.

When Nuwa created humans, Styx Ancestor created the Asura race. When the Three Pure Ones established their religion, Styx Ancestor created the Asura Slaughtering Sect. When the Two Saints made a great vow, Styx Ancestor immediately followed suit.

He was willing to pay almost any price to achieve sainthood.

Unfortunately, neither creating the Asura race nor establishing a religion could enable the Styx Ancestor to break through to the final step, and his grand ambition was further thwarted by the Six Sages blocking his way. He has been trapped in the Netherworld Blood Sea ever since.

Clearly, in terms of his obsession with becoming a saint, Zhen Yuanzi couldn't compare to the Styx Ancestor.

They took three different paths, but none of them were able to get the Styx Ancestor to take the final step.

But undeniably, he is probably the most persistent in the Three Realms in achieving sainthood, and very likely the one who is closest to it.

(End of this chapter)