Chapter 972: Buddhist Positions and Karma

Su Fan was actually quite surprised to hear this person's words.

Most Arhats of Buddhism have cultivation levels around the Golden Immortal realm; it is not impossible for powerful ones to even reach the Taiyi Golden Immortal or Great Luo Golden Immortal realms.

For instance, the Dragon-Subduing Arhat and Tiger-Subduing Arhat are not even inferior to some Buddhist Bodhisattvas.

In the hierarchy of Buddhism, the Buddha is the highest—such as Rulai, the Past Buddha, and so on—followed immediately by Bodhisattvas.

Among the Bodhisattvas, Ksitigarbha is the strongest.

Most ordinary Buddhist Bodhisattvas are at the Taiyi Golden Immortal or Great Luo Golden Immortal level; for example, Guanyin Bodhisattva possessed the combat power of a Great Luo Golden Immortal when she appeared in Journey to the West.

Who is Guanyin Bodhisattva? Her original form was Cihang Daoist, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, who later betrayed the Chan Sect along with Randeng, Puxian, Manjusri, and Juling Sun to defect to Buddhism.

Randeng eventually became Randeng Gufu; although he had little screen time in Journey to the West, his strength was later definitely no less than Rulai's, making him one of the strongest in Buddhism.

Cihang Daoist, Manjusri, and Puxian became Bodhisattvas and were almost all Great Luo Golden Immortals.

Yet Juling Sun actually became a Buddha, a point that even Su Fan finds very curious.

Juling Sun ranked fourth among the Twelve Golden Immortals, but in terms of fame, he was a few notches behind Cihang Daoist, Manjusri, and the others.

In Journey to the West, Juling Sun's fame was far inferior to that of Guanyin Bodhisattva and the others.

But it just so happened that Juling Sun eventually became a Buddha, while the other three remained at the Bodhisattva rank; the hierarchy of Buddhism is indeed very particular.

Clearly, Juling Sun's status in Buddhism is higher than those three.

Of course, rank is not absolute.

For example, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is the most unique figure in Buddhism.

In terms of strength, he is likely only stronger, not weaker, than Rulai, Randeng, and the others in Buddhism.

After all, he is the one in Difu who could hold back the Blood Sea and Minghe; among the Quasi-Saints, he is also extremely powerful.

Although he was not the only one containing Styx Daoist, even so, it can be seen that his strength is definitely not poor.

He holds the rank of Bodhisattva, but his strength is likely even a few notches higher than Juling Sun Buddha or Medicine Buddha.

The four from the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect were mostly Golden Immortals or Taiyi Golden Immortals during the Investiture of the Gods; their cultivation was decent, though they were indeed inferior to the Jie Sect.

During the Investiture of the Gods, if the Jie Sect had not shown mercy, these people would likely have been on the list long ago; later, when they discovered the treachery of these Chan Sect members, the Jie Sect stopped holding back, but by then it was already too late.

By the time the Sanxiao appeared, even the Yuqing Saint had personally entered the fray.

It must be said that the Yuqing Saint's shamelessness was no less than that of the Zhun Ti Saint, bullying the weak with his strength.

Of course, this also had to do with the Sanxiao being insolent; daring to bicker with a Saint is just asking for death.

At the same time, the heavy losses suffered by the Jie Sect in the Investiture of the Gods also had to do with the arrogance of Tongtian Shengren himself.

However, the ones who gained the most from the Investiture of the Gods were the two Western Saints.

Just among the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, four defected, suddenly becoming the present-day Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjusri Bodhisattva, Puxian Bodhisattva, and finally Juling Sun Buddha.

Of the four, the weakest is likely at least a Taiyi Golden Immortal, or even a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

After the Buddhist Bodhisattvas come the Arhat fruits.

During the Journey to the West period, Buddhism had five hundred Arhats, and these Arhats were mostly at the Golden Immortal cultivation level.

From this, one can see the power of Buddhism.

Five hundred Golden Immortals would not really count for much if placed in the Ancient Witch-Demon Era.

Among the top-ranked clans of the Ten Thousand Races, which one didn't have dozens or hundreds of Golden Immortals? For powerful ones like the Man-Elephant Clan, five hundred Golden Immortals wouldn't be anything special.

The Zhou Tian Star Array set up by the Demon Race back then required at least a Taiyi Golden Immortal for each of the three hundred and sixty-five Star Banners, and almost all of them were Great Luo Golden Immortals.

But the Witch-Demon Era was the peak of the Honghuang.

In the current Earth Immortal World, a Golden Immortal is a master of a region; if placed in the Heavenly Court, they could already become a Third-Rank Marshal who commands a region.

The previous incarnation of Zhu Bajie was merely a commander of one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers of the Heavenly River, commonly known as the Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy.

The five hundred Golden Body Arhats of Buddhism are indeed terrifying.

However, according to Su Fan's estimation, the five hundred Arhats are not necessarily all Golden Immortals; if that were truly the case, the power of Buddhism would be truly frightening.

Even with the current accumulation of the Human Race in Fire Cloud Cave, there are no more than three hundred Golden Immortals; of course, if one adds others outside, such as all the humans in various sects, there would certainly be five hundred.

However, those people cannot be counted as part of the Human Race.

Just like Xuandu Dafa Shi; he is a Quasi-Saint, but unfortunately, he cannot be counted among the forces of the Human Race at all.

Of course, even if the five hundred Arhats are not all Golden Immortals, according to Su Fan's estimation, there are definitely three hundred.

This is already very terrifying.

Buddhism itself is located in the West, and its resources are far inferior to those of the East.

As a result, after the Investiture of the Gods, they were indeed well-fed.

It is no wonder that in the Journey to the West Sequel, the Buddhist Demon Calamity appeared, affecting the three calamities, and even the Heavenly Court was finished.

Of course, the Journey to the West Sequel looks very terrifying, with Rulai undergoing reincarnation, Randeng perishing, and the immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court all being captured.

That Wutian is simply terrifying to the extreme.

But if this were truly in this world, Su Fan would not believe it.

Unless that Wutian were directly a Saint, otherwise, could it be that all those great powers of the Honghuang Earth Immortal World were dead?

Zhenyuanzi Daxian, a top-tier Quasi-Saint, was captured.

What a joke.

Therefore, Su Fan feels that the Journey to the West Sequel, if placed in this world, is probably not that realistic.

Wutian might be a demon lord, and a top-tier demon lord of the Demon World at that, but he is not a Saint; it is impossible for him to take down the Three Realms.

It is likely another act, intended to cooperate with the deduction of the Great Calamity.

Just like when the Monkey caused Havoc in Heaven; so many gods in the Heavenly Court were all playing along with the Monkey.

Perhaps the Monkey was serious, but those immortals and gods were likely just playing along, treating the Monkey like a circus act.

When the Monkey first appeared, although his strength was decent, it was at most the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, or at best, Taiyi Golden Immortal.

You say that the Four Heavenly Kings and such, or the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, were no match for the Monkey, which is indeed excusable; some of these were canonized after death, while others had their Fleshly Body placed on the Investiture of the Gods list.

Their cultivation before death was not high; the predecessors of the Four Heavenly Kings were the four generals of the Mo family, and their strength was only at the Heavenly Immortal level, or at most, True Immortal.

Those canonized after death were at most True Immortals, but the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King had his Fleshly Body placed on the Investiture of the Gods list, so he would not be restricted.

However, his cultivation is likely not high either.

It is estimated that he really cannot compare to Nezha.

But as for the others, those like the Nine Luminaries and such, these divine generals—if nothing else, just take the Thunder Department Heavenly Venerable; his strength is likely no worse than the Monkey's.

And as for Erlang Shen Yang Jian, there is even less need to mention him.

In the end, the Monkey breaking into the Heavenly Palace, wasn't it just a play?

Even if there was a Saint standing behind the Monkey, if the Heavenly Court hadn't cooperated, could it have happened like that?