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

Chapter 563 The True Supreme Being in the Three Realms! The Status of Luofu!

Luo Fu was also aware of the Four Heavenly Kings' concerns.

People like the Four Heavenly Kings and Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, are listed among the immortals, but they belong to the Buddhist sect. In the current Heavenly Court, their status and position are actually quite awkward.

They could be considered subjects of the Jade Emperor, but at the same time, they were also Buddhist disciples.

In the Heavenly Court, don't assume that just because the Jade Emperor holds the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip, he can truly have his words become law and his word is as weighty as gold.

In the Heavenly Court, the disciples of the Jie Sect originally made up the majority.

These deities were indeed subject to the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip, but they were not necessarily completely obedient to the Jade Emperor.

In order to balance the power of the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor has tried his best to win over other forces, and his attitude towards Buddhism is one of full cooperation.

Of course, this is only in the current stage. If one day the Buddhist sect in Heaven becomes powerful, then perhaps the Jade Emperor will turn around and cooperate with other Taoist disciples.

The Heavenly Court has never been fixed, but has always been in a state of dynamic equilibrium.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many cultivators in the mortal world who go through hardships in their quest to achieve immortality.

However, the Heavenly Court's process of renewal is extremely slow; it may take thousands or even tens of thousands of years before new people appear.

It's a system where everyone has their own role, and the intrigue and power struggles in Heaven are no less intense than those in the mortal court.

The difference is that the human court fights for fame, fortune, and power, while the heavenly court fights for much more.

Led by the Four Heavenly Kings, Luo Fu and the Seven Emotions Bodhisattva passed through countless layers of spatial formations in a short period of time.

We arrived at the Lingxiao Palace.

Indeed, the seemingly unified Heavenly Court is actually a special realm composed of countless layers of different spaces.

When the Lich Kings first came into being, the Heavenly Court was perhaps indeed a unified whole. However, after the destruction of the Heavenly Court by the demon race, it was reduced to ruins.

This is not just a simple architectural ruin; even the space itself has been shattered.

Even after countless years, the Heavenly Court has never been restored to its original unified state.

On the one hand, this is because there is no need to reassemble the space of the Heavenly Court. On the other hand, the Heavenly Court, which is divided into countless fragments, is more conducive to each deity, True Lord, Heavenly Venerable, and so on, occupying their own territory.

Some cultivators who have reached the ranks of immortals, even without an independent space, will still create their own dojos in the Heavenly Court. Of course, this is relatively rare, and without the decree of the Jade Emperor, no one dares to act rashly.

However, this situation undoubtedly increases the amount of space available in the Heavenly Court.

This resulted in the so-called Heavenly Court being a conceptual group constructed from an uncountable number of independent spaces.

Ordinary cultivators, once they enter the Heavenly Court, probably can't even distinguish up from down, left from right.

In addition, there are numerous formations.

Sun Wukong's so-called havoc in Heaven was nothing more than a joke in the eyes of the true powerful beings in Heaven.

This staggered arrangement of spaces creates a visual disconnect from reality.

For example, standing at the South Heavenly Gate, one can almost see the most prestigious Lingxiao Palace in Heaven at a glance, but in reality, the Lingxiao Palace is an unknown distance away from the South Heavenly Gate.

When Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, from an outsider's perspective, it seemed as if he had actually reached the Lingxiao Palace, but in reality, he was still quite far away from it.

Now that Luofu has the Four Heavenly Kings leading the way, and with the Seven Emotions Bodhisattva who was one of the Seven Fairy Maidens of Heaven in her previous life, there is no need to worry about the risk of going astray.

After winding and turning, it was unknown how long they flew in the heavens.

After crossing yet another array barrier, Luo Fu and his companions finally arrived at the renowned Lingxiao Palace.

Standing outside the Lingxiao Palace, Luo Fu couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Indeed, the Lingxiao Palace truly lives up to its reputation as the core of the Heavenly Court. In Luo Fu's view, even the plaque on the Lingxiao Palace is of a quality no less than that of the many magical treasures he possesses.

Indeed, even a plaque is comparable to a primordial magic treasure.

This alone is enough to show how arrogant the demon race's heavenly court was back then.

After leading Luo Fu to the gate of the Lingxiao Palace, the four Heavenly Gates dared not go any further.

He bowed to Luofu and said, "Buddha, the Great Heavenly Venerable and the Dao Ancestor are waiting for us in the Lingxiao Palace. We disciples dare not enter without permission, so we can only escort the Dao Ancestor here."

"I'm sorry to trouble you four Heavenly Kings." Luo Fu nodded in thanks.

"No, no, not at all." The Four Heavenly Kings said politely with smiles on their faces, and then took their leave of Luofu.

Theoretically, the four of them are responsible for guarding the South Heavenly Gate. Even if it is a rotating duty system, there must be one or more people guarding the South Heavenly Gate at all times.

But at this very moment, the Four Heavenly Kings all accompanied Luofu, even escorting him to the Lingxiao Palace, all for the sake of becoming familiar with Luofu, this intermediate-level Buddha.

For the four of them, receiving a simple "thank you" from Luo Fu was already a tremendous gain.

As Luo Fu parted ways with the Four Heavenly Kings and prepared to formally enter the Lingxiao Palace, he clearly sensed that the Seven Emotions Bodhisattvas were all so excited that they couldn't even control their own emotions.

The method of controlling one's seven emotions is itself a unique way of mastering one's own seven emotions.

The Seven Emotions Bodhisattva cultivates one of them, but that doesn't mean they are helpless in the face of the other six emotions.

But now they can't even control their emotions, which shows how excited they are.

Luo Fu understood why the seven sisters acted this way.

Back in the Heavenly Court, they were called princesses, but in reality, they were maids. Although they appeared to be among the immortals, they were subject to countless constraints.

Even because of Sun Wukong's rampage in the Peach Garden, he was merely implicated and banished to the mortal realm, where he was reduced to a monster.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense understands that Sun Wukong's mischief in the Peach Garden was nothing more than a conspiracy to frame him.

Putting everything else aside, could Sun Wukong, a mere monkey, really have so easily destroyed those thousands of peaches? More importantly, when Sun Wukong was guarding the Peach Garden, he only ate a few peaches before falling into a deep sleep. When he woke up, the peaches had already been completely destroyed.

Surely Sun Wukong couldn't have done it in his dreams, could he?
It should be noted that Sun Wukong possessed the cultivation level of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, so it was impossible for him to be unable to withstand the power of a few peaches. In fact, he fell into a deep sleep after eating a few peaches and only woke up when the Seven Fairy Maidens entered the Peach Garden. Moreover, it was the Seven Fairy Maidens who awakened him.

To say there's no conspiracy involved would be to greatly underestimate Sun Wukong, this brilliant stone monkey and Taiyi Golden Immortal.

Sun Wukong was made a scapegoat, while the Seven Fairy Maidens were implicated, demoted, and silenced.

Now, returning to the Heavenly Court as the Bodhisattva of Seven Emotions is nothing short of a triumphant homecoming for the Seven Fairy Maidens. No wonder the seven sisters are so excited, even unable to control their emotions.

Things are definitely different now.

Even in her excitement, the Bodhisattva of Seven Emotions did not forget that she had come to serve Luofu, the Buddha of the Middle Vehicle.

When Luo Fu hesitated to enter the Lingxiao Palace, the Seven Emotions Bodhisattvas immediately noticed that he was losing his composure and quickly regained their composure. With a nod and a smile, Luo Fu then formally stepped into the Lingxiao Palace.

Although it is called a palace, it is actually called the Lingxiao Palace. Standing at the South Heavenly Gate, it still looks like a towering cloud tower. But when you actually step inside, this place is the central hub of the entire Heavenly Court, and it even has a certain influence on the Three Realms.

What's strange is that the area most affected by this is actually the human world.

This is understandable. Since the beginning of the Lich Wars, when the Lich Clan invaded the Heavenly Court, the former Heavenly Court of the Demon Clan was completely destroyed. The current Heavenly Court was rebuilt on the foundation of the former Heavenly Court of the Demon Clan.

Even though countless years have passed since the end of the Lich War, the Heavenly Court still cannot be fully rebuilt to recreate the glory of the Demon Heavenly Court of yesteryear.

Moreover, during the war between the demons and witches, the demons ruled the heavens and the witches ruled the earth. The witches, who controlled the land, could not possibly allow the demons to have much influence over the land.

This so-called Lingxiao Palace is at best a remnant of the Heavenly Court after the Lich Wars.

Upon seeing Luofu appear, the immortals and True Lords on either side all rose to their feet.

The only ones sitting still were the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother of the West, and Laozi, who were seated high above.

Indeed, it was Laozi who invited Luofu to the Heavenly Palace, but at this moment, Laozi is in the Lingxiao Palace.

Moreover, Laozi's position is slightly lower than that of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West.

Even as an incarnation of a sage, after the sage's reign ended, the true supreme being in the Three Realms according to the law was the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor was a combination of the Jade Emperor and the Lord of the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor was an incarnation created by the Jade Emperor as the Lord of the Heavenly Court. In terms of magical power, the Great Heavenly Venerable of the Three Realms was only below the Heavenly Dao.

Sensing the gazes of the many immortals around him, Luo Fu, neither humble nor arrogant, faced the direction of the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother of the West, and Laozi, put his hands together, nodded and said to each of them: "This humble monk, Ruzhen, greets the Great Heavenly Venerable, the Jade Pool Heavenly Venerable, and the Dao Ancestor."

The Queen Mother of the West is merely an identity within the Heavenly Court's internal system.

After the end of the Heavenly Court of the Demon Race, the Heavenly Court was jointly managed by Haotian and Yaochi. They could only be considered as Daoist partners, not as husband and wife.

Haotian is the ruler of the Heavenly Court, while Yaochi is his deputy.

The Queen Mother of the West is theoretically second only to the Jade Emperor in celestial authority.

"If it is truly the Buddha who has come from afar, please take a seat." The Jade Emperor laughed heartily and pointed casually.

The next second, the clouds surged, and beneath the Dao Ancestor, a throne appeared out of nowhere.

The appearance of the throne is not just a simple matter of giving Luofu a seat; it also signifies that the Jade Emperor has given Luofu a position in the Heavenly Court.

This position could even serve as a basis for Luofu's treatment in Heaven at the future Peach Banquet.

In the Heavenly Court, the Peach Garden was not merely a formality or a simple place for people to sit in rows and share fruit.

The simple arrangement of seating is the domain of powerful beings; for ordinary cultivators, it represents their individual opportunities and fortunes.

The higher one's cultivation level, the less one cares about the so-called peaches of immortality.

In Buddhism, not only would the Buddha, but even Guanyin Bodhisattva wouldn't take the peaches of immortality seriously.

The greatest benefit of the peaches of immortality is actually their life-extending effect, which is crucial for immortals whose cultivation is insufficient.

After the Investiture of the Gods, the Heavenly Dao was flawed. It was almost recreated by the Tongtian Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect, who nearly caused ordinary cultivators to lose their ability to live forever.

This is remarkably similar to the era of "Covering the Sky".

But that only applies to ordinary cultivators. True powerhouses, even with the passage of time, cannot be diminished in the slightest.

In addition to sharing peaches at the Peach Banquet, those in the Heavenly Court also receive a share of the Heavenly Court's resources and fortune.

This is the most important thing.

It should be understood that although the current Heavenly Court was severely damaged after the Lich War, its control over the Three Realms far surpasses that of the original Heavenly Court of the Demon Race.

Even without mentioning him, the Heavenly Court already has sufficient control over the three luminaries (sun, moon, and stars).

The original Heavenly Court of the Demon Race did indeed need to be controlled by the Zhou Tian Star Array.

The Three Lights are not only supernatural abilities, but also essential resources for many cultivation methods.

There's a reason why the Jade Emperor can control so many cultivators.

At this moment, the position that the Jade Emperor arranged for Luofu was clearly slightly inferior to that of the Five Elders and Six Emperors.

If we were to draw an analogy with the situation of a mortal, earthly dynasty.

The Great Celestial Venerable, the Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace of the Vast Heaven, is undoubtedly the emperor. The Three Pure Ones, the Five Elders and the Six Emperors are all first-rank officials. Luo Fu's current position is probably at the first-rank level.

High position but little power.

Moreover, Luo Fu only held the title but had no real identity; even the title was nominal.

That depends on how the communication between Luofu and the Jade Emperor proceeds.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, it was at most a formal greeting.

Let Luo Fu, this newly promoted great power in the Three Realms, meet the many gods and immortals of the Three Realms. More importantly, remind these gods and immortals to recognize Luo Fu's identity. There is a giant in the Three Realms. Don't be foolish enough to offend him.

As for serious matters, they cannot be discussed here.

Hold small meetings for important matters, large meetings for minor matters, and no meetings for crucial matters. This principle applies to all realms of existence.

Just like the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods back then, only when the Six Sages gathered at Zixiao Palace to complete the discussion of the entire Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, the gods who were truly destined to face the tribulation did not even have the qualifications to know the process.

The same is true for the Three Realms today.

This seemingly lively conference was merely a chance for Luo Fu to make an appearance.

What kind of status Luo Fu will truly obtain in Heaven depends on the outcome of his private communications with the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother.

After the lively banquet, the Jade Emperor did not intend to keep Luofu to discuss matters.

On the contrary, Laozi once again proposed inviting Luofu to visit the Tushita Palace.

The Seven Emotions Bodhisattva was kept by the Queen Mother of the West.

Having guessed that Laozi (Taishang Laojun) probably intended to act as a communication channel between him and the Jade Emperor, Luofu gladly accepted the invitation.

Inside the Tushita Palace.

After taking his seat, Laozi made no attempt to keep anyone in suspense and went straight to the point: "If the true Buddha was once a rising star in our Taoist sect, and now that he has attained enlightenment, would you be willing to leave an incarnation in our Taoist sect?"

The term "rising star of the Daoist school" is purely a polite way of flattering Luo Fu.

(End of this chapter)