The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 236 - 223: Open Rivalry and Secret Struggles of Wit

Chapter 236: Chapter 223: Open Rivalry and Secret Struggles of Wit

The Buddhist Enlightened Ones and Daoist True Persons had all accepted Laozi’s invitation to attend the opening ceremony at the Louguan Sect.

If it had been an ordinary sect’s inauguration, perhaps only a handful of people would have come, but this time, the invitations were issued by a Saint, who would dare not show face? It was like the Jade Emperor hosting a Peaches of Immortality banquet; groups of Immortals and All Buddhas were eager to be the first to arrive. Receiving an invitation was an honor in itself.

Many came to join in the excitement, and many came with the intention to fight. With numerous Buddhist experts and countless Taoist Golden Immortals, the ensuing battle would indeed make it unclear who would come out on top or who would stand higher than whom?

The Ox Demon King and others came purely for the excitement, a rare grand gathering not to be missed. Except for those from the Demon Path who dared not show their faces, almost all Loose Cultivators and Demon Immortals were present, almost everyone of note.

Daoist Equal to Heaven looked toward the Five Great Wisdom Kings, pondering secretly, "Did not expect Rulai Buddha to send the bodies of all Five Great Wisdom Kings. Just don’t know if Mahavairocana and his true body will come."

For the opening of Louguan, invitations were widely sent out to prominent figures in Buddhism, virtually all received the invitation. Tathagata’s invitation was undoubtedly expected, it was just a question of when Tathagata would come.

The Child attendants of the Louguan Sect had already arranged tables in the square early on. With thousands of guests, it would be impossible for all to enter the Daoist temple, so tables were set up in the square. Then, the various Buddhas Ancestor and True Persons were invited to take their seats, and they were served immortal teas, immortal wines, and precious fruits.

After all, the Louguan Sect was established with the planning and support of Laojun behind the scenes, so it could not possibly be shabby. The food served was extremely precious.

Daoist Equal to Heaven, Yang Jian, Lu Dongbin, Unibrow Taoist, Chen Tuan, and Zhang Junshi sat at the same table, being old acquaintances, after all.

The five Great Emperors from the Heavenly Court sat together at one table, while the six Demon Kings from Flower-Fruit Mountain naturally sat at another, with those familiar with each other gathering at the same tables.

Daoist Equal to Heaven couldn’t help but laugh, "This is quite like attending a banquet in the mortal world, just waiting for the dishes to be served."

Yang Jian, however, said, "These are going to be quite the main courses."

The main course, of course, referred to the upcoming confrontation between the forces of Buddhism and Daoism. Daoist Equal to Heaven deeply agreed in his mind. He came this time not just to join in the fun but also to witness how Daoism would compete against Buddhism in a battle of powers.

"Supreme Laojun of the Great Clarity arrives!"

"Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun arrives!"

"Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun arrives!"

...

The scene instantly boiled over with excitement as the Three Pure Ones made their entrance. It was rare for the Three Pure Ones to appear together. Their joint presence at the inauguration signified great honor for the Louguan Sect, which was destined to become a great sect in the future. Yin Xi hastened onto the Welcoming Immortals’ Platform to receive them.

"We pay our respects to the Ancestors of the Three Pure Ones!" Daoists in the audience all stood up and bowed deeply to the Three Pure Ones.

Practitioners from the Buddhist sects also did not dare to neglect their courtesy and rose to greet them with a bow, "We have seen the Three Great Heavenly Masters!"

The Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch nodded and said, "My brothers and I have come to attend the Louguan ceremony. Everybody please be at ease, no need for such formalities."

"Thank you, Ancestor Master!"

The Three Pure Ones descended from the platform and sat at the highest seats, awaiting the final significant figure’s arrival.

"Rulai Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha of Western Heaven’s Mount Meru, has arrived!" a Child announced.

Amidst the shimmering Buddha Light and the echoing of Sanskrit, everyone from the Buddhist sects stood to welcome the arrival. Upon the Welcoming Immortals’ Platform descended a figure six feet and six inches tall, draped in a Kasaya, with three halos around his head symbolizing Great Wisdom, Great Fortitude, and Great Courage. The visitor was none other than Rulai Buddha, the Respectful Ruler of the World from Mount Meru of Western Heaven.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha, we have seen the Rulai Buddha!"

"We have seen the Ancient Buddha, Boundless Heavenly Immortal!"

Rulai Buddha joined his hands and gave a bow, saying with a smile, "My friends, please, no need for such formalities. I’m afraid I am a bit late. Here is a gift."

After presenting gifts, Rulai Buddha descended from the platform and was led by Yin Xi to take the highest seat.

"Why aren’t The Two Saints of the West making an appearance?"

"Having vanished from the public eye since the great battle in the Middle Ancient Times, The Two Saints of the West may very well have met with the calamity of their era. Let us not bring this up again, to avoid angering the Ancient Buddha."

The title of The Two Saints of the West has become taboo nowadays, and no one dares to mention it lightly. Seeing that they have not shown their faces at such a grand assembly, it seems some issues must have truly arisen.

Yin Xi stood on the Welcoming Immortals’ Platform, bowed deeply, and said, "I am grateful for all the Buddhist and Daoist friends who have come to our Louguan. Here, I bow deeply to thank you all! The establishment of the Louguan Sect is in accordance with the will of Heaven. Years ago, when I followed Laozi westward out of the Hangu Pass, I felt that this place was destined to become a holy ground of our Daoist way, and thus, I decided to create the Louguan Sect here, atop Mount Louguan!"

"Yin Xi Daoist friend is too modest. The establishment of the Louguan Sect is such a significant event, how could we not come?" replied someone.

"Yin Xi Daoist friend, you are too courteous!"

Yin Xi gave another bow to the assembly and announced, "The ceremony for the sect’s establishment begins now!"

Thunder roared across the Nine Heavens, signifying that Wen Zhong with the twenty-four gods of the Thunder Department had arranged a grand thunder array in the void. In an instant, thunderclouds tumbled, thunder boomed, lightning crackled, and the thunderbolts intertwined in the sky, forming auspicious shapes of divine dragons, phoenixes, qilins, and more, all surging with a majestic momentum.

With another loud bang, the once barren mountain sprouted bamboo shoots from the ground. They grew rapidly, each reaching nearly sixty feet tall, shading the sun and blanketing the mountain with lush greenery.

Countless wondrous immortal techniques were displayed, vibrant and colorful, as petals of various hues cascaded from the sky.

Yin Xi pulled away the red cloth that had been covering the entrance of the Daoist temple, revealing the golden, gleaming characters "Louguan Sect." The calligraphy was fluid as snakes and dragons, as if ready to soar into the heavens—carved as with knife and axe—displaying exceptional craftsmanship. Just these three characters alone were enough to make one marvel at the profound heritage of the Louguan.

The Louguan Sect had quite a face to maintain at this time. After the establishment, countless people came to offer congratulations and the gifts they brought naturally could not be inferior, lest they lose face—especially people from the Buddhist sect who did not wish to appear lesser before the true persons of the Daoist sect, and so they offered only the finest treasures! Even if the Louguan were not to develop any further, these treasures alone could cultivate many high-level Golden Immortals.

"Duobao, what do you think of our Daoist Sect and this Louguan?" asked Laozi calmly.

The muscles on Tathagata’s face twitched momentarily. Although he was not Duobao, the words of Laozi were clearly a sting, evidently intending to press upon him a subordination of status.

"Amitabha Buddha, I am not Duobao. I am Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the Tathagata," he replied with a smile.

Leader of Heaven-Penetrating sighed and said, "Once a teacher, always a father. In my eyes, you will always be Duobao! A child is forever young in the eyes of their father."

The Buddhist group immediately felt flames of rage inside, but they did not dare to act rashly, for with the Three Pure Ones present, how could they dare to speak out of turn?

Of course, Tathagata could not possibly admit that the real Duobao was no longer alive and that he was an impostor! Such words, once spoken by himself, would likely cause many within the Buddhist sect to betray him, a different outcome than if the words spread from elsewhere. Tathagata silently seethed at the three old cunning individuals of the Three Pure Ones, who intended to push him down a generation in terms of seniority.

"Not so, not so! I am now the Buddha, and what the Venerable Lingbao Tianzun is referring to has passed. The past is but a dream, a shadow, like dew, like lightning, fleeting in a flash," Tathagata calmly said with a smile. "A cycle of reincarnation washes away all karmic forces, and I have no relation with Daoist Duobao."

However, Daoist Equal to Heaven suddenly sneered and said, "Amitabha Buddha has the ’Sutra of the Other Shore,’ which says: Thus I have heard. The past remains unchanging, eternal, and unmoved! Daoist Duobao is after all a past incarnation of the Buddha Ancestor. The Buddhist sect teaches the cultivation of past, present, and future lives; how can you deny the past then? Could it be that Amitabha Buddha’s scriptures are no longer in Mount Meru? Or is Buddha Ancestor unable to comprehend the mysteries of Amitabha Buddha?"

Upon these words, the faces of those present changed, the speaker was too audacious!

"Indeed! The Buddhist teachings emphasize the three lives of past, present, and future. Tathagata, you were Duobao in the past, why deny it?" the Heaven-Penetrating Leader pressed.

"The saying goes, ’Where ways are different, do not plan together.’ My teachings differ from those of Amitabha Buddha. The truth is something to be understood continuously. Although the past is eternal, it remains the past. Clinging to it is one of the eight great sufferings, and since it belongs to the past, it naturally should be let go. What do the Three Venerable Ones think?" Tathagata calmly replied.

Tathagata inwardly thought, "Could he have obtained the ’Sutra of the Other Shore’? Otherwise, how could he know the secret of ’the eternal past’?"

The Sutra of the Other Shore was meant for cultivation to become powerful, to cross the sea of suffering, and reach the Other Shore; within this sea were all manner of illusions and myriad perils, requiring one to steadfastly maintain their true heart, holding onto their "past," to gain enlightenment of oneself, sail against the wind, and cut through thorns. Only then could one reach the true Other Shore and achieve Transcendence.

"The Three Pure Ones are deliberately causing trouble, clearly aiming to use this opportunity to fight against our Buddhism," Tathagata thought, clear as a mirror in his heart. The Three Pure Ones were usually low-profile, but their words today were evidently intentionally provocative.

Before such a vast assembly, Tathagata could only accept the challenge; otherwise, the prestige of Buddhism would surely decline, making it difficult to spread the doctrine.

Laozi then said with a chuckle, "Hmm, that sounds rather reasonable. However, I don’t seem to recall ever having a past incarnation as Tathagata?"

The muscles in Tathagata’s face twitched as he asked, "How so, Senior Laozi?"

Laozi replied, "The Buddhist claim is that Siddhartha Gautama is my reincarnation after I passed through Hangu Pass to educate the people of Tianzhu. But somehow, I don’t seem to remember this happening?"

By propagating the Laozi Huahu Jing in the Eastern Land and depending on the teachings of the Huang-Lao school of thought, Tathagata gained a large following. The people of the Eastern Land had a strong sense of exclusivity; without such a pretext and rhetoric, his teachings would likely have never spread! So Tathagata had to do this, because he understood the mentality of the people of the Eastern Land.

"Laozi transforming the people of Tianzhu" became a catchphrase, and Buddhism was able to expand as a result. Now that Laozi was bringing this matter up openly, it was undoubtedly a slap in Tathagata’s face. Tathagata had long anticipated that such a day would come, but he did not expect Laozi to speak of it at this moment.

To find out what happened next, please tune in to the following part. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets at Starting Point (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers please visit m.qidian.com to read.)