Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

suddenly.

A thought arose in my mind.

A name.

A title that is the most revered and mysterious in this primordial world.

The Supreme Sage.

Lao Tzu.

The pupil constricts slightly.

Zhunti noticed something was amiss:

"Senior brother?"

The guide slowly spoke:

"Do you think... it could be him?"

Zhunti was taken aback:

"Who?"

Jieyin looked at him and said, slowly and deliberately:

"Laozi"

Upon uttering those two words, Zhunti's expression changed drastically!

Lao Tzu?!

The Sage of Taiqing?!

The master of the Eight Views Palace?!

The leader of the human race?!

The Buddha was even more shaken:

"Sage! Are you saying... this was done by the Sage Taiqing?!"

"This...how is this possible?!"

"The journey to obtain the scriptures is ordained by the will of Heaven."

"The transmission of Buddhism to the East has taken countless eons."

"As a sage, how could he not know? How dare he disobey?"

The guide did not reply.

He simply gazed at Zhunti, at his junior brother who had been with him for countless years.

Zhunti was also looking at him.

The two looked at each other and saw the same solemnity in each other's eyes.

Lao Tzu.

If it really is him, then this is a very big deal.

Zhunti took a deep breath:

"Senior brother, why did you think of him?"

The guide slowly said:

"The transmission of Buddhism to the East originated from the fact that the East was the foundation of Taoism."

"The Sage of Taiqing is the leader of the Human Religion and the head of the Taoist sect in the East."

"If Buddhism flourishes, Taoism will inevitably suffer."

"How could he... be willing to accept this?"

Zhunti remained silent.

He knew his senior brother was right.

After the Investiture of the Gods, the Chan Sect declined, the Jie Sect retreated, and the Human Sect became the dominant force.

Although the Sage Taiqing did not concern himself with worldly affairs, the foundation of Taoism was ultimately his lineage.

Now that Buddhism is spreading eastward, it must take root and flourish in this land of the East.

How could he remain unmoved?

The Buddha's expression was solemn:

"But...but he is, after all, a saint."

"The Dao Ancestor Hongjun said that even a sage should not intervene."

"If he goes against it, he will be going against the will of Heaven."

"Even a sage cannot bear the immeasurable karmic consequences."

The guide gazed into the depths of chaos:

"The sage must not intervene..."

"But what if he does it cleanly and neatly, leaving no trace?"

"When Sun Wukong was rescued, you couldn't detect any trace of his presence."

"The secrets of heaven are obscured, and my fellow disciple and I cannot sense the path to the pilgrimage."

"Such methods are not something an ordinary powerful being could accomplish."

"Even you and I couldn't be that clean."

The Buddha was speechless.

Yes.

One blow shattered the Five Elements Mountain.

Without leaving a trace.

They concealed the secrets of heaven, preventing even sages from sensing them.

Such methods...

Who else but a saint could it be?

Zhunti frowned deeply:

"But if it really is Lao Tzu, why did he only save Sun Wukong?"

"With his cultivation level, it wouldn't be difficult for him to directly destroy the pilgrimage route."

Why go through all this trouble?

The guide shook his head:

"I don't know."

"Perhaps he didn't want to push things too far."

"Perhaps he just wanted to send a warning to Buddhism."

"Or perhaps..."

He paused:

"He's testing the waters."

Zhunti was taken aback:

"A test?"

The guide nodded:

"Testing our reaction."

"Testing the limits of Buddhism."

"To test the weight of the decree of Hongjun Daozu that 'sages must not intervene'."

Zhunti's expression grew increasingly solemn.

If that's the case, then this matter becomes complicated.

I'm...

Stepping on the line.

Stepping on that line that even saints cannot cross.

The Buddha said in a deep voice:

"You two sages, what should we do?"

"We can't just stand by and watch Sun Wukong be taken away by him."

"The journey to obtain the scriptures must not be interrupted."

Receiving silence.

a long time.

He slowly got up.

The purple and gold kasaya fluttered lightly, and the Buddha's light flowed around it.

He looked at Zhunti:

"Junior brother."

Prepare to stand up:

"Senior brother?"

The guide looked at him:

"Let's go to Shouyang Mountain."

Zhunti's pupils constrict slightly:

"Shouyang Mountain?"

"Go...go see Lao Tzu?"

The guide nodded:

"good."

"This matter concerns the rise and fall of Buddhism, and the great eon of the Journey to the West."

"There can be no ambiguity."

"We need to ask them in person to get to the bottom of this."

"If it really was him, we need to get an explanation."

"If it weren't for..."

He paused:

"Then we must find out exactly who is behind all this."

Zhunti took a deep breath:

"it is good."

"I'll go with my senior brother."

The Buddha stepped forward:

"You two sages, your disciple..."

The guide raised his hand to stop him:

"You should return to the Great Thunder Temple."

"To appease the Buddhas."

"Tell them that the two of us will handle this personally."

"Let them focus on their practice and not panic."

The Buddha bowed deeply:

"Your disciple obeys."

Turn around.

He strode away.

The gates to paradise slowly closed.

Beside the Eight Treasures Merit Pool.

Only Jieyin and Zhunti remain.

Standing opposite each other.

Jieyin looked into the depths of chaos, towards the direction of the ancestral temple of that sect.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable.

"Let's go."

The two words were uttered.

The two were surrounded by a radiant aura.

Step out.

They disappeared into the Pure Land of Bliss.

Shouyang Mountain.

Majestic and magnificent, stretching for millions of miles.

Amidst the swirling mist, exotic flowers and rare herbs abound, and cascading waterfalls flow freely.

The Bajing Palace is located at the top of the main peak, and is simple and magnificent, with a Taoist atmosphere.

This is the sacred site of the Supreme Sage.

It is the ancestral home of human religion.

It is the root of the Taoist sect in the East.

The palace gates were tightly shut.

Quietly.

It was as if they were isolated from the world.

In the void.

Two beams of Buddhist light rushed towards them.

To guide or lead.

Zhunti.

The two landed a hundred feet outside the Eight Views Palace and stood with their hands behind their backs.

Looking at the tightly closed palace gates.

His gaze was calm and unwavering.

But what lies hidden beneath that calm?

Only they themselves know.

The guide stepped forward and clasped his hands together in prayer.

"The West will guide you to the Supreme Sage."

The sound was calm, yet like the voice of the Great Dao, echoing in the sky above Shouyang Mountain.

The celestial mist surged, and the spiritual spring trembled.

The Eight Views Palace remained silent.

a long time.

The palace gates slowly opened.

An aged voice came from inside the door:

"Come in."

......

Inside the Eight Views Palace.

A figure sat cross-legged on a futon.

Her white hair, as white as snow, fell to her shoulders, and she wore a Tai Chi robe, exuding Taoist charm.

Lao Tzu.

He closed his eyes slightly, his face calm, as if he had expected the visitor outside the door.

Jieyin and Zhunti entered together.

Upon reaching the center of the hall, the two stopped.

Hands clasped together.

"I have met the Supreme Sage."

Lao Tzu slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was calm as still water, settling on the two of them.

"My two fellow Daoists, why are you here at my Shouyang Mountain instead of cultivating in the Western Paradise?"

His voice was aged, yet it carried a detached calmness that seemed to see through everything.

She looked at him with admiration.

Looking at that aged yet serene face.

The unease in my heart grew stronger.

"saint."

The guide spoke, his voice remaining calm:

"We have come here because of the matter of Sun Wukong."

Lao Tzu raised an eyebrow slightly:

"Sun Wukong?"

"That monkey that was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain?"

The guide nodded:

"Exactly."

"He was rescued."

Laozi's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.

Even the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.

"They've been rescued?"

"That's something for Buddha to worry about."

"What does it have to do with me?"

Zhunti stepped forward:

"Sage, the one who rescued Sun Wukong shattered the seal of the Five Elements Mountain with a single blow, leaving no trace of his presence."

"The secrets of heaven are obscured, and we cannot sense the path to the pilgrimage."

"Such methods..."

He paused, his gaze fixed directly on Laozi:

"Looking across the vast universe, who else could it be but a sage?"