Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Senior brother, are you alright?" the seventeen people asked kindly.

"I'm late," the Arhat Subduing Tiger felt a deep sense of remorse.

Because we were still too late.

"We're all late!" Not just Fu Hu, but the rest of us too! Deep self-reproach.

Bodhidharma chuckled and said, "They're not dead yet, are they? Come on! Let's teach these 138 gods a lesson!"

"it is good!"

Bodhidharma appeared unharmed, and his fighting spirit intensified. Although monks are supposed to be compassionate, if anyone offends me, I will surely punish them!

"Haha!" Wu Tian, ​​who was observing the scheme from the depths, was now beaming with pride. Beside him were Nie Feng, Bu Jingyun, and Vegeta, who also admired the wisdom of this master of the demonic path.

Chapter 832 The Eighteen Arhats Formation vs. the Five Emperors: Tang Sanzang's Powerful Rescue

But at this moment, the eighteen Arhats and one hundred and thirty-eight celestial beings on the South Heavenly Gate had no idea that they were actually just pawns on someone else's chessboard.

It's understandable, though, given that such a grand chess game is rare, except for Li Xiuyuan, of course.

The eighteen Arhats formed a golden circle, responding and cooperating with each other. The formation slowly began to rotate, which was precisely the power of the Eighteen Arhats Formation. At this moment, all of them were Golden Immortals, and some were even at the peak of True Immortal cultivation. However, this formation could actually elevate the power of the one who had attacked, Bodhidharma, who was the strongest and had already reached the peak of Golden Immortal cultivation, to a higher level.

The higher the level, the greater the difference in strength, even though it's only one level. A mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal is strong enough to fight against these hundred Celestial Immortals.

This is an inevitable battle, but also the beginning of something even bigger...

One hundred and thirty-eight celestial beings unleashed their most powerful skills and magical treasures. They too sensed the overwhelming force of the formation, and their instinctive reaction was that today would be a fierce battle!

For a moment, the sun and moon lost their light, and the two suffocating energies inevitably pushed the tense atmosphere in the space to a climax.

What's even more impressive is that the Eighteen Arhats Formation is operating at an ever-increasing speed. The power at the center of the formation is also constantly increasing.

Bang! A flash of golden light, and Bodhidharma, unexpectedly, turned misfortune into fortune, finally breaking through the Golden Immortal Perfection realm at this thrilling moment. He had thought it would be impossible to overcome this bottleneck so quickly again, but now... he had.

Because Bodhidharma's strength had undergone a qualitative leap, advancing to the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, the combined power of the Eighteen Arhats was even more formidable, comparable to the upper level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Seeing this, the Heavenly Court felt a sense of retreat, but no one could afford to give up first. Like monkeys scattering when a tree falls, their initial momentum wanes, and eventually they are exhausted. Everyone understood this principle, but for the sake of their lives, the Four Heavenly Kings spoke on behalf of the 138 celestial beings, saying, "Are you truly determined to fight to the death? Why don't we stop and discuss this?"

Although Bodhidharma's fighting spirit was at its peak, his mind remained clear. He knew that his advancement had greatly increased his side's strength, instilling fear in his opponents. Without further ado, he attacked the sheer number of opponents.

In the face of strength, numbers are just numbers. They are by no means the key to victory.

A golden dragon tore through the air, producing a piercing sound. Its roar was even more awe-inspiring.

Like a stone hitting an egg, the eggshell will surely shatter. The golden dragon is about to devour it.

"Who dares to be so insolent! Do they really think our Heavenly Court is invincible?!" The Earth Emperor appeared before the crowd first. Following him were four more emperors, known as the Five Emperors!

It seems that the Jade Emperor's advancement to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm was not merely due to luck, but rather a testament to his intelligence. The series of arrangements, seamlessly connected, demonstrate the combined power of the five emperors. The Golden Dragon was thus defeated. This was because they were all mid-stage Golden Immortals, and their combined strength was sufficient to defeat a Golden Dragon that was only roughly equivalent to an upper-level Golden Immortal, largely due to the activation of the magic array.

"Are you still so arrogant?" The pressure from the Five Emperors loosened the formation of the Eighteen Arhats considerably. However, they showed no fear, for those at the level of Grand Luo Golden Immortals never felt fear. This was also because Grand Luo Golden Immortals were few in number, and their power was utterly overwhelming compared to Golden Immortals. At this level, not only strength but also mental fortitude increased.

"The Jade Emperor has quite the clout, even you have been mobilized. It seems you're determined to fight us Buddhists to the bitter end." After all, Bodhidharma was now a Great Golden Immortal and one of the Buddhas of Buddhism, so his spirit remained undiminished.

“Future Buddha is joking. The five of us already have a general understanding of this matter.”

Bodhidharma thought to himself, "What do you mean, 'understand'? They're obviously just trying to get into Buddhism." But he still listened to what they had to say.

"That rascal first disregarded the Heavenly Palace, and then you severely injured our 100,000 Heavenly Soldiers, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Four Duty Officers. Now you even want to harm our hundred Heavenly Gods! How arrogant you are!"

Bodhidharma said, "Are the Five Emperors really so domineering? If so, then war is war. No more words!"

"Well said, let's fight without further ado. Let the five of us brothers experience the power of this Arhat Formation."

Each person is positioned in one of the five directions: front, back, left, right, and up, and each position is represented by a palm strike.

Bodhidharma quickly activated the Arhat Formation to resist, but within seconds of the collision, the eighteen Arhats were also knocked away.

Just as the Five Emperors were about to deliver the final blow, the scepter appeared again! "Amitabha, well done, well done."

Looking over, they saw it was Tang Sanzang. Upon seeing Tang Sanzang, the Five Emperors became much more subdued, knowing that killing Bodhidharma was now out of the question. They were well aware of Li Xiuyuan's masterful scheme to elevate Tang Sanzang to the rank of a Grand Immortal, yet they harbored resentment. Why? Because the treatment was simply different.

After all, his strength was undeniable, but he still maintained the proper air of authority. So he said amiably, "So it's Jin Chanzi. Long time no see."

Tang Sanzang thought to himself, "We haven't met that many times." But since they had shown goodwill, he didn't dwell on it. However, he still asked with undeniable arrogance, "May I take these eighteen Arhats with me?"

"I'm afraid this won't work!"

Although they were all Grandmaster Immortals, the five of them working together were not invincible. More importantly, they had already sensed the aura of the Gouchen Emperor, which meant that the Jade Emperor had a trump card up his sleeve! That was the arrival of the Four Emperors. Once the Four Emperors arrived, the situation would be completely different.

Tang Sanzang also sensed something was wrong and knew that the other party was stalling for time, because his sensitivity was naturally superior to that of the Five Emperors. He then wanted to quickly lead the Eighteen Arhats away.

He then arrogantly declared, "Is that not allowed?" His domineering aura caused the five to retreat several steps. If the difference between a Golden Immortal and a Grand Luo Golden Immortal is like a river, then the difference between a Grand Luo Golden Immortal and a Primordial Grand Luo Loose Immortal is like an ocean. Even though the Five Emperors possessed extraordinary strength and had ways to enhance themselves by uniting as one, it was still a 2% vs. 8% difference.

As he spoke, Tang Sanzang was about to take Bodhidharma and the others away.

Chapter 833 Southern Heavenly Gate!

"Hahaha, you injured my men and still want to bring people under my nose? Do you think you can just come and go as you please in the Heavenly Palace? That's too disrespectful of the Heavenly Palace. You think you're some kind of Primordial Chaos Immortal? I'll give you a try." A figure descended from the Ninth Heaven.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang exclaimed, "This is bad!" He realized he hadn't managed to take Bodhidharma and the others with him after all. It seemed that a battle was inevitable today.

The person who came was none other than Gouchen Shangdi, one of the Four Emperors, who was able to fight him to a standstill.

(Gouchen Shangdi, also known as the Heavenly Emperor, assists the Jade Emperor in governing the North and South Poles and the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man, overseeing all the stars, and presiding over matters of war and conflict in the human world.)

Before I saw the person, I heard his voice first.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

Several figures intertwined, and the two of them crossed five hundred times in just a moment.

This sight truly left everyone in awe. This is the power of the strong—the submission of strength!

After all, aside from Li Xiuyuan, in this Three Realms, the Primordial Grand Luo Loose Immortal is already a pinnacle figure. Now, besides the six Primordial Grand Luo Golden Immortals they know, they don't know who the seventh one is!

"Tang Sanzang, you can't take these people with you today, but you can leave on your own," God Gouchen said with a mocking laugh.

"Excellent, excellent! How can a monk stand by and watch them die? Today, even if it costs me my Golden Cicada form, I will take them away!" Tang Sanzang's face was serene, but his heart was churning like a stormy sea, for he knew it was impossible. However, to escape today was even worse!

"Alright, then let's fight for a few thousand more moves." said God Gouchen.

"I'll keep you company!" Tang Sanzang replied.

"Wait!" A streak of blue light followed closely.

The people in the Heavenly Court frowned in surprise.

"Qing Yuanzi!" someone shouted.

Another Grand Luo Immortal! What's going on today? It feels like Grand Luo Immortals are as common as cabbages, everywhere and inconspicuous.

"Here comes Old Sun! How could I miss out on such a lively scene?" Sun Wukong said with a mischievous grin, swinging his golden cudgel back and forth.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang's expression relaxed slightly.

After all, they already had three Grand Luo Immortals on their side, and any one of them could easily defeat anyone on the other side except for Gouchen. He then looked at Gouchen God with a smile, thinking it was his turn to be embarrassed.

Surprisingly, God Gouchen not only didn't change his expression, but instead appeared confident and composed.

Could it be? Tang Sanzang couldn't even bear to imagine what he was thinking...

"Haha, come out, brothers!" God Gouchen shouted with a hearty laugh.

Immediately afterwards, two figures radiating a faint golden light appeared before everyone's eyes. This faint golden light was different from the dazzling brilliance of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal, but it possessed a more domineering quality.

That was the hallmark of a Primordial Great Luo Immortal. The newcomer was none other than the Great Emperor Houtu and the Great Emperor Ziwei! This was precisely the arrangement of the Jade Emperor. His desire for Buddhism this time was no longer just a test. He had suppressed it for far too long. Ever since he entered the Primordial Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, his ambition had swelled considerably.

Although nominally the ruler of the Three Realms, he absolutely did not control the Buddhist sects of the Western Paradise. Moreover, ever since Li Xiuyuan wreaked havoc on his Heavenly Palace, he had secretly vowed to make Li Xiuyuan pay the price. Since the expulsion of the Buddha Tathagata and Dipankara Buddha from the Western Paradise, Maitreya Buddha was nominally the current leader, but in reality, the power within the Western Paradise was divided among...

Five Buddhas. The first one, Dipankara Buddha, became a Buddha of the past, but only possessed the strength of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Second, Maitreya Buddha was originally the Buddha of the Future, but has now become the Buddha of the Present, nominally the Lord of the Western Paradise. He also possesses only the strength of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

The third one, named Future Buddha, is the first of the Eighteen Arhats, the Dragon-Subduing Arhat, also known as Bodhidharma. Today, he has been promoted to the Great Golden Immortal. Just imagine, a Golden Immortal could become a Buddha; how deep is the water here?

Fourthly, Sun Wukong became the protector of Bodhidharma, the future Buddha. He also possessed the strength of a Grand Immortal of Hunyuan, which is undoubtedly related to Bodhidharma's ability to secure the position of Buddha.

Fifth place: Tang Sanzang, the Buddha of Merit. He was already a Primordial Immortal at a very young age.

If Li Xiuyuan hadn't kept a low profile, the only people in the Western Paradise who wouldn't be afraid to wield power would be his disciples and confidants.

However, this also reflects Li Xiuyuan's shrewdness; he knew that anything too biased towards one side was never good. All-out effort could bring down a person, and it could also bring down these immortals. Therefore, Li Xiuyuan maintained a balance of power in the Western Paradise, ensuring stability and facilitating development in the direction he envisioned.

Another point is that it can further enhance the strength of those he has nurtured, because his requirements for them are not just those of a Grand Luo Immortal! He has also made a firm decision for himself: "The Dao!"

Now, three of the Four Emperors have appeared at the Southern Heavenly Gate, making it quite lively there today. But this is all someone's arrangement—is it the Jade Emperor or Wutian?

However, Wutian did not expect that the Jade Emperor would be so willing to mobilize almost all his forces except for his own.

However, it wasn't just them who made progress. Since the Jade Emperor advanced to the level of a Primordial Golden Immortal, the remaining three, who were already on par with him, were unwilling to be outdone. They secluded themselves for hundreds of years to cultivate and finally entered the realm of Primordial Golden Immortals. Although they still couldn't compare to the Jade Emperor, they could at least hold their own. After all, besides the two saints of the Western Paradise, the Buddhist sect didn't necessarily have any other Primordial Golden Immortals.

The South Heavenly Gate is now truly crowded with people. On the Heavenly Court's side, there are 100,000 Heavenly Soldiers, all of whom are Heavenly Immortals, Six Ding and Six Jia True Immortals, Four Duty Officers True Immortals, Twenty-Eight Constellations True Immortals, Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals True Immortals, Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends True Immortals, Four Heavenly Kings Golden Immortals, Five Emperors Great Luo Golden Immortals, and Three Imperial Primordial Great Luo Scattered Immortals.

In Buddhism, only seventeen of the eighteen Arhats possessed the strength of a Golden Immortal, except for Bodhidharma, who was a Great Luo Golden Immortal. Tang Sanzang, Qing Yuanzi, and Sun Wukong were all Golden Immortals. The other three were Great Luo Loose Immortals of Hunyuan.

Therefore, in terms of the apparent distribution of power, the Heavenly Court has the upper hand over the Buddhist sect.

..........

Chapter 834 Qiao Ling'er, Fairy Bixia

Everything in the world is managed by the layer above it. Big fish eat little fish, and little fish eat shrimp.

Below the Great Dao is the Heavenly Dao, and below the Heavenly Dao are the Primordial Golden Immortals.

Below the Primordial Grand Luo Golden Immortal are the Primordial Grand Luo Scattered Immortals, Grand Luo Golden Immortals, Golden Immortals, and so on...