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

Chapter 564 The Foundation of All Laws! Even the Two Western Saints suffered losses! The true protagonist of the era!
Luo Fu was indeed a Taoist disciple at Huanghua Temple before, but that was just that—a disciple. Even his contact with the Taoist tradition was limited to the time of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord and the seven spider demons.

However, it is not uncommon for a cultivator to hold identities in both Buddhism and Taoism.

Zhang Ziyang, who previously presented Luofu with the Yin-Yang dual-energy dust, even followed the path of the integration of the three religions.

Leaving an incarnation of Luofu within the Taoist community, with the endorsement of Laozi, would not pose any problem.

However, this only applies to disciples of the Luofu and Pratyekabuddha lineages.

After all, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle itself is about attaining Buddhahood through self-enlightenment.

What one realizes on one's own, whether it is Buddhism or Taoism, is not so clearly defined.

Unlike those immortals who abandoned Taoism for Buddhism, after entering Buddhism, they inherited the proper Mahayana Buddhist lineage. Unless they received the approval of the Primordial Celestial Venerable, they were completely separated from Taoism.

Yuanshi Tianzun was clearly not as easy to talk to as Taishang Laojun.

The syncretism of the three religions is largely under the lineage of Laozi, since the Theravada Buddhism itself was transmitted by Laozi after he converted the barbarians into Buddhas.

Theravada Buddhism is itself a typical example of the Buddha being the path, and this is beyond doubt.

At first glance, Laozi's proposal seems to extend the middle-level lineage of Luofu into the Taoist community, which seems to strengthen Luofu's power.

Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that if Luofu, this intermediate-level Buddha, left an incarnation in Taoism, it would be tantamount to being a fence-sitter.

More importantly, this is the time of tribulation in the Journey to the West, and it is also the opportunity for Buddhism to flourish.

Luofu is, after all, a mid-level Buddha in Buddhism. If he were to create an incarnation of a Taoist at this time, it would be tantamount to deliberately opening a channel in the fortune of Buddhism, allowing it to flow to Taoism.

He is a traitor to Buddhism, even more hateful than a traitor.

Loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyal.

If he really did that, Luofu could get considerable benefits from Laozi, but he would have a hard time explaining himself to the Buddhist sect, and would even be completely alienated from them.

After all, at a time when Buddhism was flourishing, a mid-level Buddha left an incarnation in Taoism, actively diverting the fortune of Buddhism to Taoism. What else could this be but a double agent?
If Luo Fu were to leave an incarnation in the Taoist sect, at most he would gain a nice-sounding name, but he would lose real fortune.

He's not stupid; how could he fall for such an obvious trick?

Buddhism has its flaws, and Taoism is not necessarily a good thing either.

True, powerful cultivators, whether they are propagating the Dharma lineage or saving all sentient beings, seek nothing more than to improve their own cultivation.

Luo Fu smiled and said, "I am nothing more than yesterday's flower in the Daoist sect."

The name Huanghua Temple itself is not very auspicious.

Now that Luofu is referring to it as "yesterday's flowers," it's clear that they've made their attitude and stance explicit.

Laozi smiled noncommittally and said, "Then let's leave this matter at that for now. However, if you change your mind in the future, our Daoist sect will naturally welcome you to join our sect."

"Thank you, Dao Ancestor." Luo Fu nodded vaguely.

Laozi did not change his attitude because of Luofu's rejection; instead, he began to discuss the Dao with Luofu.

It was called a discussion of principles, but it was more like giving pointers.

Although Laozi was a Great Luo Golden Immortal like Luofu, he was ultimately an incarnation of the Taiqing Sage. In terms of cultivation and realm, he was far superior to Luofu, a cultivator who had just advanced to the Great Luo realm.

Moreover, most of the Dao taught by Laozi (Taishang Laojun) is about alchemy and weapon crafting.

In a short period of time, Luo Fu's skills in alchemy and weapon crafting have improved by leaps and bounds. Now, if Luo Fu were to craft the wings and claws of the Golden-Winged Roc, he is confident that he can shorten the time by more than five times.

Lao Tzu spoke of the Dao, not specific methods of alchemy and weapon crafting. The Dao is the foundation of all methods.

The principles of alchemy and weapon crafting can also be applied to all things in the universe. Whether used for genuine alchemy and weapon crafting, directly as a cultivation method, or even for cultivating supernatural powers and spells, this approach is invariably effective.

The Golden Elixir Dao of Laozi is not merely about internal and external alchemy, but about achieving immortality and perfection.

The same principle applies to alchemy, weapon crafting, supernatural powers and spells, and even the fundamentals of cultivation.

The fundamental Dharma that Luofu previously obtained was the wondrous method of the Golden Body transmitted by Patriarch Subhuti.

The main theme is immortality that transcends the cycle of birth and death. However, the Golden Elixir Dao described by Laozi has allowed Luofu to understand some of the true meaning of perfection beyond immortality.

Even his golden body magic began to deviate from the pure Mahayana Buddhist golden body of Subhuti.

Instead, it embodies the true meaning of the unity of the three religions.

Laozi's teachings, seemingly a pure instruction to Luofu, were in fact also a push for Luofu to leave an incarnation in the Taoist sect.

As far as Laozi is concerned, Luofu's refusal is not a problem. As long as his lineage contains his own Golden Elixir Dao, he can influence the Middle Vehicle Buddhist lineage to a certain extent, much like converting barbarians to Buddhism.

This is a true open strategy. Back then, Laozi transformed barbarians into Buddhists with a single move, forcing the two Western Saints to abdicate and relinquish their positions as leaders of the Western Religion. He even merged the Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist teachings of the Western Religion into one.

Even the two Western Saints suffered losses, let alone the Middle Vehicle of Buddhism, such as the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.

It's already quite remarkable that Luo Fu was able to perceive Laozi's scheme.

Laozi, who followed the path of detachment from worldly affairs, truly placed himself outside of heaven and earth.

For Luo Fu, this was indeed irrelevant. After all, his fundamental method, which seemed to come from the Golden Body Wonderful Method of Patriarch Subhuti, was in essence just a shell of the Golden Body Wonderful Method, filled with many Daos and principles that were different from this world.

Now that he has inherited the Golden Elixir Path, it's just that the shell has been made more solid and another layer has been added.

Lao Tzu was clearly aware of this as well.

The Tao of Luofu is the Tao beyond the Tao.

As far as the Heavenly Dao is concerned, unless Luofu is truly drained of all the Dao and principles that are different from those of the Three Realms, no matter how powerful the Heavenly Dao's influence is, Luofu will still be an extremely special existence.

They were not true protagonists of their time, like Jiang Ziya in the Investiture of the Gods or Tang Sanzang in the Journey to the West, yet they were no different from them.

Turning misfortune into good fortune and disaster into auspiciousness is nothing more than commonplace.

From the perspective of the ruthless and impartial Heavenly Dao, whoever can promote the integration of Luofu's Dao and principles with the Three Realms is like those who propelled the Journey to the West tribulation, sharing in its merits.

For Laozi, passing on the Golden Elixir Dao to Luofu was a win-win situation, a deal with multiple benefits. Laozi's transmission of the Dao was indeed calculated. But the benefits Luofu received were also substantial.

It was simply that Laozi's Golden Elixir Dao gave Luofu's Golden Body Mystic Method a direction to achieve immortality and perfection, and its help to Luofu was boundless.

It's normal to have calculations.

After all, Luo Fu was neither a disciple of the Daoist sect nor related to the Human Sect. At most, he was of human origin, yet he possessed an extremely strong, almost ancestral, Wu clan bloodline.

If there were no ulterior motives, Laozi would have had absolutely no motivation to help Luofu.

On the contrary, this kind of calculation, to a certain extent, is equivalent to an equivalent exchange, which makes Luo Fu feel more at ease.

The immortal and perfect Golden Elixir Path truly benefited Luofu immensely.

This discussion lasted for several days.

Fortunately, in Heaven, although there is a saying that one day in Heaven is equivalent to one year on Earth, in reality, this ratio of time flow is not absolute.

The Heavenly Court itself is composed of a large area of ​​different spaces. Rather than being a series of blessed lands, it is more like the fragments of the original Heavenly Court of the Demon Race after it was shattered.

Each of these fragments has a slightly different flow of time, and in places where powerful beings reside, such as Laozi's Tushita Palace, the flow of time and its proportion to the outside world can even be adjusted by Laozi's mind.

If all the spaces in Heaven are kept at a ratio that increases with each passing day compared to the human world.

So, whenever Sun Wukong encountered difficulties he couldn't solve and sought help from Heaven, if he was delayed for even a few minutes in Heaven, Tang Sanzang, who had been captured by demons coveting his flesh, would have been boiled into a broth by then.

If it had been a female demon who coveted Tang Sanzang's childlike innocence and yang energy at that time, Tang Sanzang would have been left with no family by the time Sun Wukong returned from his stay in Heaven.

The so-called year in heaven and year on earth is only possible in truly crucial places where such a ratio of time flow can be maintained.

The Tushita Palace is clearly impossible.

Several days had passed by the time Luo Fu finally awoke from the exposition of the Immortal Perfection Golden Elixir Dao by Laozi.

The moment he woke up, it was as if he had been prepared all along; everything seemed to have been arranged in advance.

The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of Heaven, two supreme beings, sent Venus, who happened to arrive at the Tushita Palace to invite Luofu.

Before I could even thank Laozi for spreading his teachings, I received an invitation from the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West.

Luo Fu's eyes flashed slightly, and he readily agreed.

However, before leaving the Tushita Palace, he paid homage to Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao) to express his gratitude for the teachings he had received.

In the present world, whether it is Buddhism or Taoism, the act of spreading the Dharma is a profound and weighty favor.

Putting aside other matters, just look at those cultivators in the human world who are single-mindedly devoted to the Dao. Even for a technique like the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Techniques, they need to undergo trials and go through all sorts of hardships before they can be passed on.

Even Tang Sanzang, who went to the Western Paradise to obtain the Mahayana Tripitaka, could be considered a kind of seeking the Tao in a certain sense.

Even with Buddhism actively spreading its teachings eastward and Buddhism flourishing, it was still necessary to prepare such a massive pilgrimage team.

The trials faced by ordinary cultivators who are single-mindedly devoted to the Dao are certainly not as exciting as those of the Journey to the West team, but their level of difficulty is by no means to be underestimated.

Even though Luo Fu knew that Laozi's teachings were a form of transaction, he certainly benefited from the process.

This is a win-win situation, no, to be precise, it should be a win-win-win situation.

On one hand, Luo Fu obtained the Golden Core Dao. On the other hand, through the immortal and perfect Golden Core Dao, Luo Fu shared the Dao and principles, which could accelerate his integration with the Heavenly Dao of this world through comprehension of the Golden Core Dao. Both of these factors contributed to the improvement of Luo Fu's strength.

As for Laozi, he only won once. He heard about the Golden Elixir Dao of Luofu and promoted the spread of the Dao outside the Dao, which was equivalent to boosting the Heavenly Dao. But even without Laozi, this process would still happen, at most it would be a little slower and come a little later.

It could be said that Luo Fu won twice in this transaction, while Taishang Laojun only gained something slightly better than not losing.

This is why Luofu Temple expresses its deepest gratitude to Laozi.

With a nod and a smile, Laozi said, "Fellow Daoist, there's no need for such formalities. This is simply a matter of fate between us. Please don't keep the two Heavenly Venerables waiting. You are welcome to visit my Tushita Palace anytime in the future!"

"I will definitely bother you in the future," Luo Fu readily agreed.

Then they bid farewell to Laozi and, led by Venus, headed straight for the depths of the Heavenly Court.

Along the way, they bypassed one space after another, and before they knew it, even the Lingxiao Palace was left behind. Luo Fu finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Lord Li Xingjun, may I ask why the Jade Emperor summoned this humble monk?"

Venus is merely a position in the Heavenly Court; his real name is Li Changgeng, which is why Luofu refers to him as Lord Li Xingjun.

As if he had anticipated Luo Fu's question, Venus, riding on a cloud and carrying Luo Fu through one formation and space after another, explained, "If you, the true Buddha, are unaware, the one who summoned you today was not the Jade Emperor, but the Haotian Emperor."

Luo Fu's eyes suddenly narrowed.

The Jade Emperor is indeed the incarnation of Haotian, but the Jade Emperor should never be equated with Haotian.

It's like saying that Laozi is the incarnation of the Supreme Sage, but Laozi obviously couldn't possibly have the power of a sage.

After the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, no saintly beings are allowed to appear in the Three Realms.

Whether it was Subhuti, the master whom Sun Wukong apprenticed to, or the Three Pure Ones as perceived by the orthodox disciples of the Xuanmen sect, they were in fact merely incarnations of saints who had migrated beyond the chaos.

After the sages ruled the world, in the Three Realms, apart from the extremely special sage Pingxin of the Underworld, the strongest was no more than the Quasi-Sage, a special Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Haotian, without a doubt, is a being comparable to a breakthrough level even among quasi-saints.

After all, he was once a disciple of Dao Ancestor Hongjun. Haotian also knew the method of severing the three corpses. Not only did he know it, but in terms of his mastery of severing the three corpses, he might not be inferior to the sage.

At best, it's just that the sage has a high-level perspective. But if the sage were to retreat to the heavens, Haotian would be absolutely on par with Zhenyuanzi. The two would be no different in terms of their achievements in severing the three corpses, and Haotian would even have a better understanding of the mysteries of severing the three corpses.

In the Three Realms today, almost everyone knows the name of the Jade Emperor, but few know of the existence of Haotian.

Don't underestimate Haotian just because he was merely a disciple of Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Although severing the three corpses is a universally acknowledged method for achieving sainthood, in reality, only Dao Ancestor Hongjun truly attained sainthood through this method within the Three Realms.

(End of this chapter)