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

Chapter 553 A Second Pangu Appears? I, Luofu, am both a variable and a vanished one!

Even the Buddha Tathagata had to use eighteen golden pills to persuade Laozi to intervene and relieve the King of the Unicorn.

If Luo Fu were to go instead, he wouldn't benefit much. After all, there were far too many participants in the ordeal involving the Unicorn King, but being tricked by the Unicorn King would be a huge loss of face.

Was the ordeal at Jindu Cave about dealing with the One-Horned Rhinoceros King? No, it was actually Laozi, the Supreme Lord, behind it all.

Luo Fu wasn't stupid. He was merely a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and even though the power he received through sharing gave him a foundation almost surpassing that of innate beings, coupled with his magical treasures, supernatural abilities, and other means, dealing with ordinary demons wouldn't be a problem.

But since Laozi gave the order, it wouldn't make a difference even if he went. We can't just let Luofu produce those eighteen golden pills, can we?
Just kidding, he's a penniless pauper who started from scratch. He only managed to maintain the structure of the Middle Vehicle of Buddhism, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the True Wonderful Dharma Heaven thanks to the help of those Pratyekabuddhas.

Unwilling to participate but unwilling to lose face, Luo Fu simply advised Sun Wukong to either go to the Heavenly Court to seek help or go directly to Mount Ling to find the current Buddha, the World Honored One Tathagata, the top leader.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong showed no sign of enlightenment. Instead, he shamelessly said, "Buddha, please have mercy! I don't know which deity to ask for help. I have asked all the wandering immortals, the Three Islands and Ten Continents, the Heavenly Court, the Underworld, Mount Ling... I have asked them all. I have no other choice but to ask Buddha for mercy."

As he spoke, Sun Wukong clasped his hands together and prayed towards Luofu, "Please, Buddha, have mercy and help your disciple save your master so that we can continue our journey."

Just as Luo Fu was about to directly tell Sun Wukong to go find the World Honored One, Tathagata.

A sudden flash of inspiration struck him.

How could Sun Wukong be so coincidentally to encounter Zhen Yuanzi, who was coming to visit him, when he was at his wit's end?
It should be noted that several months have passed since Luofu was elevated to the position of True Buddha of the Middle Vehicle of Buddhism, Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.

In the past few months, after taking over those Pratyekabuddhas who were almost like independent cultivators, Luo Fu has just pieced together the framework of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation and perfected his Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor.

As it turned out, Sun Wukong, by sheer coincidence, sought his help because of Zhen Yuanzi.

All of this is so coincidental that it's hard to believe; it's truly all a coincidence.

To date, because of the shared fate of the Guide and the Cundi, becoming a disciple of Subhuti is equivalent to simultaneously forming a karmic connection with the two Western Saints.

Of the six saints, only Nuwa remains who has not yet taken any action against Luofu.

Since the Six Sages have formed a karmic bond with Luofu, they certainly wouldn't truly ignore Luofu's existence.

If we continue to probe Luofu, the best course of action, without a doubt, is to drag Luofu into this almost rehearsed Journey to the West calamity.

Tell me, what could be more suitable than the King of the Unicorns this time?
The existence of the One-Horned Rhinoceros King requires the intervention of the leaders of both the Taoist and Buddhist sects.

Taoism is the direct lineage of the Three Pure Ones of the Xuanmen, formed after the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, and is a combination of the Human Sect, the Chan Sect, and the Jie Sect.

Needless to say, the Theravada school of Buddhism, which originated from Lao Tzu's transformation of barbarians into Buddha, essentially benefited from the positive influence of Buddhism.

However, as the two Western Saints relinquished their positions as leaders, the Buddha, representing Theravada Buddhism, took the reins of Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, making Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism virtually one.

In this situation, involving Luofu in the predicament of the Unicorn King is undoubtedly a test of Luofu, or rather, a trial to assess Luofu's capabilities.

If everything is as Luo Fu guessed, then he really has no way to back down.

After a moment of contemplation, Luo Fu had a sudden thought and said, "I am the ancestor of the Middle Vehicle of Buddhism. Although I am the master of the True and Wonderful Dharma Heaven and inherit the Golden Body Wonderful Dharma of Buddhism, I am still one of the three outer vehicles and have no Buddha to enlighten me. Your group of disciples went to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures, but it has no cause and effect with my True and Wonderful Dharma Heaven."

The so-called Outer Three Vehicles is another classification of the nine vehicles in Buddhism. It belongs to the three vehicles of the exoteric teachings. It is said that there is no Buddha who has attained enlightenment. Naturally, it means that the Pratyekabuddha himself attained Buddhahood through self-enlightenment and never heard any Dharma teachings.

In theory, besides receiving the Golden Body Dharma from Subhuti, Luofu's True Dharma Heaven truly exists independently of both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.

Its extraordinary nature is comparable to that of the Dingguang Joyful Buddha lineage established by the Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal after he entered the Western Sect.

At the very least, neither Theravada Buddhism nor Mahayana Buddhism ever advocates indulging desires or using desires to control desires.

Ironically, the most flourishing tradition in Luofu today is the method of controlling desires through the seven emotions.

Pratyekabuddhas do not need the Buddha's teachings; they attain Buddhahood through self-enlightenment.

In theory, whether it is Luofu, Ruzhen Miaofatian, or those Pratyekabuddhas, they all belong to the Buddhist system of fighting against them.

From this perspective, he has neither reason nor position to help the westward journey team complete the mission of obtaining Buddhist scriptures from the West.

However, just as Sun Wukong was about to burst into tears, Luo Fu changed the subject and said, "You and your master are both from the Buddhist lineage. Now that your master is in trouble, although I cannot come in person, I can lend you a magic weapon to temporarily ensure your master's safety. You can take this opportunity to find a way to save you and your master from this predicament."

The moment the words fell, Luo Fu's crane cloak, which shone with seven-colored Buddhist light, flew out and was instantly folded up by a pair of invisible hands as it flew toward Sun Wukong, landing in front of Sun Wukong.

"This is the Seven Emotions Crane Cloak, my personal treasure. With this treasure, you can search for the monster and ensure your master's safety."

Sun Wukong was almost overjoyed and cried. He hurriedly bowed to Luofu, holding the Seven Emotions Crane Cloak and said, "This disciple thanks the True Buddha."

The moment he finished speaking, Sun Wukong immediately apologized and, without waiting, took the Seven Emotions Crane Cloak and headed straight for the east.

Luo Fu knew very well that if Sun Wukong's visit was truly a scheme by the Sage, then what the Sage wanted to see was definitely not the floating duster, the Jade Void Palace Immortal Sword, or even the magical treasures and supernatural powers like the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor that he currently possessed.

The only thing on Luo Fu that could satisfy the Sage was the Seven Emotions Crane Cloak that he had crafted himself.

Of course, it could be called a kasaya, though it's not strictly a crane cloak.

The Buddha's robes were completely different from those of ordinary monks.

In terms of form, it is closer to a cloak. However, since Ruzhen Temple was originally Huanghua Temple, the cloak made in Luofu is naturally closer to the form of a crane cloak that combines Buddhism and Taoism.

Luo Fu used the seven emotions as threads to refine this protective magic treasure. In addition to being based on the Wrathful King Dharma, it also incorporates many shared principles and doctrines that are different from those of the Three Realms.

This is certainly what the sage would most like to see.

Sun Wukong left Ruzhen Temple just like that.

Luo Fu was somewhat surprised.

After all, in his view, Sun Wukong's arrival, besides seeking help, should also have been orchestrated by the sage Nuwa.

But strangely enough, Sun Wukong did nothing at all. After taking the Seven Emotions Crane Cloak from Luofu, he simply left.

However, Luo Fu could understand. Even if the Sage Nuwa wanted to use Sun Wukong for something, she couldn't be as direct as Guanyin Bodhisattva, Zhang Ziyang, and that Great Asura.

Even though Sun Wukong's personality is completely different from what it was 500 years ago, his fundamental nature hasn't really changed.

Unlike Zhang Ziyang, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the Great Asura, Sun Wukong was not someone who could be entrusted with important responsibilities.

If you want to use Sun Wukong, you absolutely cannot do it directly; you need to devise a plan based on his personality.

If Luo Fu's guess is correct, when Sun Wukong returns to return the Seven Emotions Crane Cloak after this ordeal is over and Tang Sanzang and the others are rescued, he will surely bring him a pleasant surprise.

On Sun Wukong's side, or rather, on Nuwa's side, Luofu could only wait passively.

But Zhen Yuanzi is different.

Now that Sun Wukong is gone, the treatment of Zhen Yuanzi and Luofu is much more direct.

"Ancestor of Earthly Immortals, what brings you here? May I ask what brings you here?"

Theoretically, according to the seniority system in Zixiao Palace back then, Luofu should actually call Zhen Yuanzi "Uncle-Master".

After all, Zhen Yuanzi was someone who listened to the Dao together with the two Western Saints in Zixiao Palace back then.

But now Luofu's identity is different. He is a Buddhist monk, recognized by the Buddhist community, even by the Three Realms, and acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao. He is the founder of the Middle Vehicle of Buddhism, the founder of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the true Buddha.

In terms of status, identity, and rank, he is in no way inferior to Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals.

Even compared to Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals who only held the title, the Pratyekabuddha of Luofu was the one who truly wielded real power.

Most Earth Immortals do not have a proper lineage. They can only study the laws and comprehend some of the profound mysteries of the Great Dao, thus undergoing a complete transformation. However, after becoming immortals, such individuals will mostly go to the Three Islands and Ten Continents and become disciples of the Great Emperor Donghua.

Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of all earth immortals, was now in a very awkward position.

Apart from the two disciples, Qingfeng and Mingyue, the sect was practically reduced to nothing more than a title.

"Ruzhen Buddha," Zhen Yuanzi said with a hint of unease, "please forgive my bluntness, but does Ruzhen Buddha know that he is now the target of everyone's criticism?"

Luo Fu chuckled to himself. How could he not know that he was now under the watchful eyes of the Six Sages, and perhaps even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who had merged with the Dao, was keeping an eye on him?

Since the beginning of time, the outer chaos has been separated from the vast world created by the great god Pangu. The evolution of heaven and earth, from the three thousand great paths of the past, gradually flourished, but after the Investiture of the Gods, it began to decline after reaching its peak.

Nowadays, which of those powerful cultivators can't sense that the world is irreversibly heading towards the end of the Dharma era?

In theory, this trend toward the end times is irreversible.

It is impossible for a second Pangu to appear in the Three Realms. Even if there were, it would mean recreating the earth, water, fire, and wind, and rebuilding the world.

But now, an anomaly like Luofu has emerged.

His existence was like a patch that no one could understand, placed on the entire Three Realms.

The evolution of the laws of the Three Realms is like an exhaustive calculation, gradually evolving from chaos to a multitude of forms, reaching its zenith during the Lich War and the Investiture of the Gods.

However, all the data in the universe is fixed. The laws of nature are these data, and finite data cannot evolve into infinite possibilities.

This is why Dao Ancestor Hongjun said that the general trend of Heaven's Way cannot be changed, but the minor trends can be reversed.

The general trend of Heaven is the process from the creation of chaos to growth, prosperity and decline. This process is the unchangeable general trend of Heaven. However, other minor changes in this process, such as reversing the order of events, such as the identity of those who are listed on the Investiture of the Gods during the Great Tribulation of Gods, can be changed. It is only necessary to fill the entire Investiture of the Gods list. This is what is meant by the reversibility of minor trends.

However, Luo Fu's appearance shattered this notion. After returning from the shared space, his Dao and principles, which were completely different from the laws of Heaven, were like adding fifteen new worlds of data to this world.

Although the general trend of the Heavenly Way cannot be changed, it will still go from the creation of chaos to growth, prosperity and decline, and finally return to chaos. This situation is similar to the increase of entropy in the universe, but a being like Kyubey has appeared.

In particular, this Qubi of Luofu helped the world without any compensation or cost, thus prolonging its decline.

As the principles and doctrines of the fifteen worlds he brought with him were continuously localized, Luo Fu's every move seemed to be prolonging the time of this immeasurable eon.

One tribulation, one cycle of reincarnation. The appearance of Luo Fu not only extended the time of this cycle of heaven and earth, but his appearance was almost equivalent to strengthening the heavenly laws of the entire world.

The addition of Tao and Li even seems to break the fixed number in Buddhist philosophy that neither increases nor decreases.

He is both a variable and a vanished one, as well as the hope of this world.

For ordinary beings, and even for many demons, rogue cultivators, and even immortals and Arhats, the existence of Luofu is of little significance.

But for those powerful beings, the existence of Luofu is different.

In fact, his existence is more important than those innate treasures.

However, apart from the saints, there was only the Styx Ancestor, who was so obsessed with becoming a saint that he disregarded everything and had the Great Asura send a red lotus karmic fire to Luofu.

In fact, Zhen Yuanzi is now the first person in the true sense to be straightforward with Luofu.

Luo Fu knew very well that Zhen Yuanzi's so-called "target of public criticism" was nothing more than the tricks of those persuaders in vernacular novels.

Unfortunately, Zhen Yuanzi was completely unaware that Luo Fu had already discerned some of the truth.

"I don't know the ancestor of earth immortals, what makes you say such a thing?" Luo Fu looked bewildered.

Zhen Yuanzi flicked the whisk in his hand and said, "The Buddha has achieved such success in just a few years. Has the Buddha really not thought about what it means behind it all?"

Luo Fu suddenly felt somewhat disappointed in Zhen Yuanzi.

This man, one of the three thousand guests in Zixiao Palace back then, and even considered a fellow disciple of the saints, is an ancestor of earth immortals. From the beginning of the world until now, he has ended up only being able to become sworn brothers with Sun Wukong. There is a reason for this.

Putting everything else aside, this loud and boisterous approach is not even as direct as that of the Styx Ancestor.

(End of this chapter)