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

Chapter 597 Luo Fu's Path to Sainthood! Is Hongjun the Mastermind?
After the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, the Holy Mother of Wudang, or the Old Mother of Lishan, no longer identified herself as a disciple of the Jie Sect.

However, her identity was not a secret to the powerful beings of the Three Realms.

Not to mention the disciples of the Jie Sect, even the powerful figures of the Chan Sect, Buddhism, and even the Human Sect all knew this without saying a word.

However, the Holy Mother of Wudang has become the sole survivor of the Jie Sect in the true sense.

It's impossible for other sages to truly have to completely eradicate the Shangqing lineage.

After all, after countless eons, heaven and earth will naturally reopen, and those disciples who have made it onto the Investiture of the Gods list will have a chance to escape.

Those great beings who have truly escaped countless eons, how could they possibly have completely offended Tongtian to death?

The moment Luo Fu guessed that the so-called distinguished guest was likely the Old Mother of Lishan, he thought to himself, "Both the Chan and Jie sects have already appeared."

Now only Buddhism and the Human Religion are missing. In fact, it's unknown whether the Holy Mother of the Human Race might also be secretly interfering.

Despite the strong reaction from the three Arhats and three thousand Pratyekabuddhas to the arrival of a distinguished guest who appeared to be the Old Mother of Lishan, Luofu did not take it to heart.

Who can blame him when his Middle Vehicle lineage was essentially a product of being forced into it?

Within the Pratyekabuddha lineage, the only ones who can truly be considered the core of Luofu are the Seven Emotions Bodhisattva and the disciples of the former Yellow Flower Temple.

Luo Fu was quite open-minded about this. After all, he knew what it meant to have no party outside the party, imperial ideology, no factions within the party, and all sorts of strange things.

Among the many lineages in the Three Realms, even the Human Sect, which has the fewest disciples, has actually branched into quite a few factions.

Master Xuandu, a direct disciple of the Sage Taiqing, belongs to one lineage, while Lü Chunyang, one of the Eight Immortals of Shangdong, is a figure of his own, known as the ancestor of sword immortals.

The sectarian factions within Buddhism are even more complex.

Theravada Buddhism originated from the transformation of the barbarians into Buddha by the sage Taiqing. The two Western sages relinquished their positions as leaders of Buddhism, merging the two vehicles of Buddhism. However, internally, there are also three Buddhas of the past, present, and future, each forming their own school. Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha who came from the East, even had to provoke the Buddha Tathagata during the Journey to the West.

How could a makeshift organization like Luofu, hastily cobbled together in a short period of time, possibly have a unified people?

To say that the three Arhats and three thousand Pratyekabuddhas had disloyal intentions towards the Mahayana lineage would be an exaggeration. After all, with the development of the natural order, the unity of the three religions has now become an unofficial mainstream.

Unless one day the Middle Vehicle lineage and the Intercepting Sect become irreconcilable enemies, there is no need to worry that these fence-sitters would choose to betray us, even at the cost of abandoning their own paths.

It wasn't just that Luofu was arrogant; the three Arhats and three thousand Pratyekabuddhas treated the Old Mother of Lishan primarily out of camaraderie from their past.

In matters that do not involve their own fundamental principles, they may retain some of their old feelings for the Old Mother of Lishan, but once it involves their own path to enlightenment, these people will instantly become die-hard loyalists of Luofu.

Having chosen to turn a blind eye, Luo Fu once again led his disciples of the Middle Vehicle lineage to open the Heaven of True Wonderful Dharma and welcome the Old Mother of Lishan in.

Although the Old Mother of Lishan has the name of an old mother, her appearance is not that of an old woman, but rather a gentle and elegant young girl with refined manners.

He wore a blue Taoist robe, somewhat resembling a long dress, and his long black hair was tied on top of his head with a lotus crown. Holding a whisk, he looked every bit the Taoist master.

After paying his respects to the Old Mother of Lishan, or rather, the Holy Mother of Wudang, Luofu got straight to the point: "Holy Mother, have you come here to persuade this humble monk to use the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation to assist the human race?"

The Holy Mother of Wudang smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "As the true Buddha has such keen insight, this humble Taoist has come precisely for this purpose. This humble Taoist is willing to lend the true Buddha a helping hand and personally wield one of the four skills of killing, slaughtering, trapping, or annihilating to help the Buddha set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation in front of the two armies."

The Tongtian Sect Leader was able to set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, which could not be broken by anyone other than the Four Sages, all by himself.

But even if Luo Fu had the Four Swords of Zhuxian plus the Zhuxian Sword Formation Diagram, he couldn't do it; he would definitely need the assistance of others.

Now, the Holy Mother of Wudang has come to volunteer for the task.

Moreover, Luo Fu now even suspects that Taiyi Zhenren actually harbors the same thoughts.

As for whether doing this would allow Taiyi Zhenren, a second-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, to obtain the secret of the Shangqing lineage, such as the Zhuxian Sword Formation, which is not passed down to others, to do so.

It’s different in the past.

The lineage is completely different now than it was back then.

Even the Golden Elixir Dao of the Taiqing Sage has integrated the Buddhist system; the unity of the three religions is the mainstream today.

The Three Teachings do not refer solely to Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism; as the saying goes, "the three give rise to all things," meaning the Three Teachings encompass all things.

Luofu combined the Golden Elixir Dao, the Golden Body Wonderful Method, and the Dao and principles of the fifteen heavenly worlds that were shared, which is also a unity of the three religions.

This shift is not surprising. Since the Six Sages ruled the world, no cultivator has been able to escape the Three Thousand Great Daos of the Purple Cloud Palace, and there is no possibility of any successor attaining enlightenment.

The natural order is destined to begin its journey towards the cycle of formation, existence, decay, and emptiness.

In this situation, if we don't take the path of integrating the three religions, are we bound to cling to outdated ideas and stick to old ways until the world is reborn?
Even knowing all the details, Luo Fu still couldn't agree.

To reiterate, the benefits aren't enough.

Luo Fu was appointed to preside over the Zhuxian Sword Formation, with Wudang Holy Mother, Taiyi Zhenren, and another powerful figure who had not yet appeared assisting him.

Luofu will not get the greatest benefit.

The true key to this great calamity is that failure is the only way to gain the greatest benefit.

Moreover, Luo Fu himself didn't know when his next sharing would take place.

He's not a child, so how could he possibly reveal all his cards beforehand?
"Please forgive me, Holy Mother, this humble monk is truly unfit for such a great responsibility."

Luo Fu's resolute refusal truly surprised the Holy Mother of Wudang.

After all, in the eyes of the Holy Mother Wudang, the fact that Luofu came to preside over the Zhuxian Sword Formation was itself a great benefit.

Unfortunately, the Holy Mother of Wudang was unaware of Luofu's true trump card.

For any powerful cultivator in the Three Realms other than a saint, presiding over the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation is an immense opportunity. However, for Luo Fu, this is not the way to maximize his benefits.

After a moment's hesitation, the Holy Mother of Wudang asked, "I wonder how the True Buddha will be willing to make a move?"

"It's not that I'm deliberately trying to manipulate you, but I really dare not interfere with the important affairs of the Three Realms!" Luo Fu said sincerely, "Since the Holy Mother has this intention, why not take the Four Swords of Zhuxian? I will gladly give them to you. The Four Swords of Zhuxian are the most precious treasures of the Jie Sect, so this can be considered as returning them to their rightful owner."

The Virgin Mary suddenly felt a bit awkward.

She's here to assist in setting up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation in Luofu, not to shoulder the main responsibility.

Moreover, despite being a direct disciple of the Tongtian Sect Master of the Jie Sect and a renowned female immortal in the Three Realms, the Wudang Holy Mother cannot easily set up a supreme killing formation like the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.

Since the Holy Mother of Wudang has come to our door, she cannot possibly leave empty-handed.

The Holy Mother of Wudang knew this, and Luo Fu was equally clear about it. After all, in the end, whether it was the Immortal Taiyi or the Holy Mother of Wudang, they were merely pawns in this great calamity between humans and demons, pushing the course of the destiny forward.

The real masterminds were the six sages who lived in seclusion beyond the heavens, and even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun who merged with the Dao with his own body—it was the Heavenly Dao.

No matter how much Luo Fu refuses, he will inevitably be drawn into this calamity in the end.

There is a significant difference between passively entering the market and actively entering it.

Putting aside other matters, even during the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, there were quite a few cultivators who voluntarily entered the tribulation and successfully escaped.

As the source of this great calamity between humans and demons, Luo Fu was confident that he could control the timing of his entry into the calamity. In this way, he could naturally maximize his own benefits during this great calamity.

Luofu's unique nature destined him to become the core of the Three Realms.

Upon entering the shared space for the first time, he brought with him a Dao and principle completely different from those of the Three Realms, which dramatically reversed the course of the Heavenly Dao.

So what about next time? It's obvious that the existence of Luofu will greatly slow down the process of the Heavenly Dao's formation, existence, decay, and emptiness, and may even cause it to linger in the process of transitioning from prosperity to decline.

This uniqueness might be acceptable once or twice, but if it happens repeatedly, even a sage might become curious about the secrets of Luofu.

After all, becoming a Primordial Great Luo Saint does not mean reaching the pinnacle of the Great Dao. Otherwise, a Saint would not be subject to the Heavenly Dao.

Unfortunately, under the Heavenly Dao, there are three thousand Great Daos, and the Sage has already reached the limit that the Heavenly Dao can accommodate. It is impossible for him to go any further in the Three Realms.

When such an unreasonable variable as Luofu appears, the sage may not directly take drastic measures against Luofu, but he will inevitably place his hopes for further advancement on Luofu.

Such reliance on something is unlikely to be a good thing; if one is not careful, the consequences could be unpredictable.

Strength and cultivation are the only things that truly allow Luofu to remain steadfast in his position.

Below the sages, all are but ants. Luo Fu now has no choice but to start planning ahead and strategizing for his own path to enlightenment.

Seeing Luo Fu's resolute expression, Wudang Shengmu's heart sank instantly. She knew that Luo Fu had probably made up his mind. She thought it was a sure thing, but she didn't expect Luo Fu to refuse so decisively.

Unfortunately, the Holy Mother of Wudang had no other bargaining chips besides the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.

Ultimately, with no other choice, the Holy Mother of Wudang could only make the same decision as the Immortal Taiyi.

They placed their hopes for a definitive conclusion on the person who would visit next, while the Holy Mother of Wudang, like the Immortal Taiyi, chose to temporarily reside at Ruzhen Temple.

The third wave of guests surprised Luo Fu.

Because it wasn't just one that came.

Instead, it was a gathering of Buddhists and Taoists, and most importantly, it even included Chi You, an incarnation of Luofu.

It should be noted that after receiving the secret title of War Might Five Extremes Military Lord Heavenly Venerable conferred by the Jade Emperor, the relationship between Chi You and Luo Fu was similar to that between Laozi and the Supreme Saint.

But now, Chi You, whose secret name is the Five Extremes War God, has actually come together with a Buddhist Buddha and a Taoist leader.

The leader of the Taoist sect was ethereal and otherworldly, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, wearing a Huayang turban, holding a whisk, carrying a long sword, and with a long beard. Such an image was none other than the famous ancestor of sword immortals, the Wonderful Taoist Celestial Venerable, the Pure Yangzi of the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave, Lü Dongbin.

The Buddha in Buddhism was somewhat unfamiliar to Luo Fu. He was robust, with long ears that reached his shoulders, and a compassionate face. In terms of appearance, he was the most typical image in Buddhism, so ordinary that Luo Fu had no idea who this Buddha was.

Ultimately, it's because Luofu, this intermediate-level Buddha, is too unconventional within the Buddhist system.

From the moment he became a disciple of Patriarch Subhuti with the help of Lady Pingxin and received the Golden Body Dharma, Luofu had almost no contact with Buddhism.

At most, he was only familiar with a few Buddhist bigwigs such as the Buddha of the East and Guanyin; the rest were his three thousand Pratyekabuddhas.

Apart from that, Luofu knew very few of the great Buddhist masters in the Western Paradise Lingshan system.

It is impossible to determine which Buddha in the Buddhist community this man with long, shoulder-length ears, a compassionate face, and a robust physique belongs to.

As for his transformation into Chi You, he exuded a fierce and terrifying aura, his body filled with murderous intent and brimming with fighting spirit.

The three visitors—a Buddha, a Taoist priest, and a deity—were completely out of place in terms of their demeanor.

Perhaps he sensed that Luo Fu was unfamiliar with him.

This Buddhist monk, with his hands clasped together, nodded slightly to Luofu and said, "This humble monk is from the Western Paradise, at the seat of the World-Honored One, the Buddha of Dipankara, and greets the True Buddha."

Upon hearing the name of this Buddhist disciple, Luo Fu was genuinely surprised.

Dingguang Huanxi Buddha? This guy is not only a famous anomaly in Buddhism, but even before he abandoned Taoism to become a Buddhist, he was one of the Seven Immortals who served the Jie Sect. Among the Seven Immortals, the Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal was the one most trusted by the Tongtian Sect Leader.

Even though he wasn't a direct disciple of Tongtian Jiaozhu of the Jie Sect, in Tongtian Jiaozhu's heart, he was probably second only to the four direct disciples.

Otherwise, in a battle concerning the life and death of the Jie Sect, the Tongtian Sect Leader would not have entrusted the Six Soul Banner, the key to the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, to Chang'er Dingguang Xian.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Chang Er Ding Guang Xian, on whom the Tongtian Sect Leader had placed great hopes, betrayed the Tongtian Sect Leader at a crucial moment.

Dingguang Huanxi Buddha did indeed betray Tongtian Jiaozhu.

However, Luo Fu was not regarded as an enemy. At most, he became more wary of him after learning about Dingguang Huanxi Buddha's identity.

"It turns out to be the Buddha of Dipankara in person. This humble monk has been disrespectful."

After returning the greeting to Luofu, Dingguang Huanxi Buddha, with an expression of neither joy nor sorrow, held a banner in both hands and presented it to Luofu.

This flag is triangular in shape, with six tails at the bottom that move automatically even without wind, fluttering gracefully.

Upon seeing the banner, Luo Fu's heart skipped a beat.

This banner truly reminded Luo Fu of a mysterious magical artifact that, though it had never displayed its power, was the most enigmatic of them all.

Six Soul Flags.

This was regarded by the Tongtian Sect Leader as the most precious treasure to suppress the core of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation. More importantly, the Tongtian Sect Leader believed that the Six Soul Banner could be used to deal with saints.

The saying "Sages are indestructible through countless eons, and all those below them are but ants" is widely acknowledged by the powerful beings of the primordial era.

Even the most powerful magic weapon, which is said to be the ultimate weapon for killing, can at most cause a saint to suffer a loss and lose face.

As for completely harming the sage, that is absolutely out of the question.

Ironically, the Tongtian Sect Leader, being a saint himself, believed that the Six Soul Banner could deal with a saint, which was enough to make people realize the special and terrifying nature of this magical artifact.

(End of this chapter)